Faceoff - QB Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams

Posted 6/23, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Sigmund Bloom

Just about everything that could go wrong did for Marc Bulger and the Rams offense last year, and that's why he going at a deep discount in fantasy drafts. Unless you're convinced that Bulger will again find himself at the center of a perfect storm of bad breaks, he's an easy pick as your backup fantasy QB, or even your starter if you pair him with a safe, stable backup like David Garrard or Eli Manning.

Everyone remembers that St. Louis lost Orlando Pace for the season in week 1 last year, but that was only the beginning of the barrage of offensive line injuries for the Rams. By October, the team was down to their 4th string right tackle and had only one opening day starter at left at his original position. To add injury to injury, the Rams lost starting running back Steven Jackson for a month after the week 3 clash with Tampa Bay -- the same game that saw Bulger suffer two broken ribs. Once he returned from that ailment, he suffered a sprained thumb on his throwing hand, and then a concussion that sent him to the neurologist and cost him two more games.

A new season has brought the arrival of Al Saunders, an offensive whiz who has something to prove in the wake of the debacle that was his stint in Washington. He and the cerebral Bulger should click. Orlando Pace should be back, and the team has added top notch guard Jacob Bell in free agency, and crafty G/T John Greco in the third round of the draft.

Let's also remember that Bulger was a perennial top 10 fantasy QB before 2007. Twice he was limited to eight or less games, but both times he averaged over 20 PPG, easily in the top 10. The other three years, he finished 8th, 10th, and 3rd. Before you say "Mike Martz", Bulger's best year, 2006, was his first year without Martz.

Three top 10 seasons, two other injury shortened years when Bulger produced at a top 10 clip, and one season when Bulger flamed with multiple injuries behind a ragtag offensive line - one of these years was clearly an aberration. While others overreact, you can pocket a likely top 10 fantasy QB outside of the top 10, and maybe even the top 15.

Downside - by David Dodds

In six NFL seasons, Marc Bulger has played all 16 games exactly once (in 2006). And therein lies the rub with Marc Bulger. He is fairly productive when he is on the field, but can't stay on the field. He missed 4 games in 2007 and ended the year as the 22nd best quarterback.

Marc has a style that does not bode well for staying healthy. He holds onto the ball a long time in an attempt to complete passes further downfield than a lot of his counterparts. That style made him successful early in his career, especially playing for offensive-minded Mike Martz from 2002-2005. He averaged more than 8.0 yards per pass attempt in 3 of his 4 seasons with Martz.

But Martz is long gone and so is the success. Marc averaged a career worst 6.3 yards per attempt playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football last season. LT Orlando Pace, who missed significant time the last two seasons, still isn't working out as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

The Rams let Isaac Bruce leave via free agency. Outside of the talented Torry Holt (who is nearing the end of his career at 32 years old), this team will need to rely on Drew Bennett and Reche Caldwell for its aerial attack. This will be Caldwell's 4th team in as many years. And despite a large payday for Bennett, he managed just 33 catches for 375 yards in 2007. Even Torry Holt has seen his yards per catch dip each of the last four years.

Add it all up and you have an often-injured quarterback, playing behind a sub-par offensive line, with limited weapons at wide receiver on a team that is clearly in rebuilding mode. Let someone else pull the trigger on this player based on glimpses of past success.