The Tribune

Ricardo Wells looks at a gamble on the NFL’s new bright lights . . .

IT WAS easy, back then, to fill the seats and seduce cheers in Los Angeles - in a football sense.

Whether it was that signature head slap move made famous by the late, great Deacon Jones, or one of those fascinating fourth-quarter runs made famous by Eric Dickerson.

While a title never came during those years in LA, the status secured by the Rams while out west has stood the test of time.

With the return of football for the 2016 regular season comes the return of football to the Los Angeles area for the first time since 1994.

The move brings with it an opportunity for the league to establish a wider base in the second largest television market in the United States, and more importantly, a chance for the likes of those two phenomena to once again reignite that LA passion.

The old adage still rings true: the lights shine brighter in LA.

The Rams, once a glory team of the NFL, has struggled to regain prominence for most of the last 10 years. So in an effort to bolster publicity surrounding the move back west, the Rams made a surprising move to secure the No.1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft via a trade with the Tennessee Titans, the team formerly coached by current Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher.

The Rams exchanged the 15th overall pick, two second-rounders (43rd and 45th overall) and a third-round selection (76th) for the first overall pick.

With that, the Rams selected a kid the team hopes could prove to be the missing piece - Jared Goff.

Hailing from California, Goff’s collegiate career was outstanding. Over three years he put up 977 completions for a little over 12,000 passing yards, with 96 touchdowns. In 2015 Goff led the Golden Bears to a 7-5 record, clinching the school’s first winning season since 2011.

Goff joins the likes of Todd Gurley, Tavon Austin, Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree.

Arguably the best young wide-out in the game, Austin - heading into his fourth season - has already put enough quality plays on film to be considered a major offensive threat.

With the ability to stretch a defence with his speed, or confuse them with his quickness; this fourth year receiver has all the skills needed to carry an offence if need be.

In fact, Austin is one of the only players in the league that has the ability to turn a simple play into a big score at any moment.

Another player with that ability is Gurley, the Rams’ star running back. In his rookie campaign Gurley proved to be an outstnading back, mesmerising the Sunday faithful with big run after big run, similar to former LA Ram running back I mentioned earlier. Limited to only 13-games last year due to injuries, Gurley complied roughly 1,100 rushing yards and 10 TDs.

That performances scored him the 22nd ranking on the league’s Top 100 list this past summer - as a rookie.

This dynamic could certainly be the making of a triple threat for the Rams, a unit that can certainly make waves in the not so distant future.

If the promise of an explosive offence isn’t enough to prick your interest, the Rams boast a tough, vibrant and effective defensive unit built on the calming presence of stud line-backer, Ogletree and a “sack happy” defensive line consisting of defensive end Quinn and defensive tackle Donald.

It took some time for the Rams to build this unit, but in that time the team has been relentless in its efforts to secure a good mix of veteran and quality players to service specific schemes when need be.

Heading into the start of this season, the Rams defence is ranked in the top half of the league, more than enough to worry opposing offences heading to the Los Angeles Coliseum with hopes of a win.

With this youth and renewed vigour, the Rams are looking to make a mark on Los Angeles and its football fans once again.

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