Building a Champion: Dick Vermeil in Free Agency

Current Editorial

"Experts" have almost universally criticized the Rams for their relative inactivity in the free agent market. The Rams did sign quite a few players who should have an impact on the upcoming season. MLB Eric Hill, WR Ricky Proehl, P Rick Tuten, and DT Joe Phillips are just a few of the new Rams veterans who are likely to make their presence felt on the field as well as in the locker room in 1998. Still Vermeil and company did not make the wholesale changes that critics felt were necessary in order to turn around a 5-11 team. Dick Vermeil has said that he's not interested in "buying a SuperBowl team", he wants to build one. Vermeil has argued that what the Rams need more than anything else is consistency. Consistency is the mark of winning franchises. Too often during the Rams abysmal stretch during the 90's, they have junked everything and started over from scratch with new coaches, new systems, and big contracts for mediocre free agents. They have given up on the likes of Jerome Bettis, Troy Drayton, Howard Griffith, Tim Lester etc... before they ever reached their primes... ...Well not this year. Instead adding promising young talent like Eddie Kennison, Zach Wiegert, and even Tony Banks himself to the long list of prematurely forsaken youth and turning to the free agent market for experienced alternatives whose market value might exceed their team value or whose best years may be behind them, Vermeil gave his embattled young players a reassuring nod of confidence. Guys like Banks and Kennison have repayed Vermeil's loyalty by working their tails off during the offseason and are prepared to show what they can do with an additional year of experience in the same system. Consistency and dedication to developing talent from within were the keys to Vermeil's offseason plans. They are the marks of perrenial powers such as Green Bay and Pittsburgh who lose big names to free agency year after year only to reload with the fruits of past drafts. Dick Vermeil would like to add the Rams to that exclusive short list. It worked for him in the city of Brotherly Love... why not in the Gateway to the West 17 years later??? BELIEVE!!! Peace, FastEddie July 31, 1998 HOME