Jeff Fisher and Les Snead will be the two main decision makers in the upcoming draft for the St. Louis Rams and their blueprints to the draft have been very similar during their careers. Granted neither one of these men have had as much say over who gets picked as they currently possess, but at least their tendencies could help shed some light on the relatively dim process.

For exclusively the first round, Fisher’s history shows that his teams have taken four defensive linemen and three defensive backs. Snead also leans toward the men in the trenches on defense with three defensive linemen taken but he also oversaw three wide receivers being selected in round one.

In the case of the Rams, the team has glaring needs along the offensive line and certainly at receiver as well. Given the fact that Fisher’s squads never took an offensive lineman in round one and Snead’s did so only once with Sam Baker in 2008, perhaps the team will look in a different direction than USC tackle Matt Kalil at second overall.

The angle that does make sense is the best playmaker in this draft with Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State. What the Rams would likely prefer to do is trade down and compile some picks to address a number of different needs, but if push comes to shove with the second selection, maybe Blackmon is the odds on favorite to hear his name called in April.

Less than two years ago when the Denver Broncos were interested in dealing star wideout Brandon Marshall, the Rams were at the forefront of those trade talks. That year the team held the number one pick in the draft and rumors were mainly focused on the team’s second round selection.

This time around with Marshall now playing for the Miami Dolphins, the talks focus on the second overall pick and the Dolphins dire need for a franchise quarterback. That player would likely be Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III presuming the Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck first overall. With talk that the Rams could consider an unproven player like Justin Blackmon with the number two pick, it would make more sense for the team to land a proven commodity like Marshall at that spot if possible.

The beleaguered receiver is still just 27 years of age and in the prime of his career. If murmurs of Brandon Lloyd looking to sign with the New England Patriots are valid, the franchise tag would be the club’s only chance to retain his services next season.

A deal of this magnitude would likely include more than just Marshall in return for the second overall pick as the Denver Broncos netted just a pair of second round picks for Marshall the first time around. With the number two valued at 2,600 points on the infamous NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, the Dolphins 8th overall selection is worth 1,400. In round two, the Rams have pick 33 while Miami picks 42nd worth 580 and 480 points respectively. Swapping first and second round picks would in essence value Marshall at 1,300 points or the equivalent to the 10th overall pick in the draft.

Although it may seem far-fetched at the moment, rumors have a tendency to snowball so stay alert to any new news regarding this developing idea.

That seems to be a bit excessive for a player of Lloyd’s caliber, but when contract talks stall and free agency is imminent, teams will take desperate measures to ensure they don’t lose important players fruitlessly. Most of Lloyd’s production in 2011 came from the arms of either Kellen Clemens or A.J. Feeley due to Sam Bradford’s injury issues.

As for the arguments against tagging Lloyd, well that move would essentially take the team out of the running for any big name free agent receivers set to hit the market like Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe, or Marques Colston. Although the team sits roughly $10 million under the current cap number according to Kevin Demoff, handing that amount of money to Lloyd would significantly lessen the team’s ability to pursue other free agents at several positions of need.

Lloyd could be a hot target himself in the free agency free-for-all set to ensue on March 13 as many reports have linked him to the New England Patriots and former Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who rejoined the Pats at the same position. A decision will have to be made by March 5 if the Rams want to exercise the franchise option on Lloyd so this whole soap opera will play itself out over the course of the next few weeks. The choices the team makes will greatly influence which direction they go in both free agency and the NFL Draft so the implications are weighty to say the least.

Points weren’t the only thing the team had difficulties gaining last season as they finished second to last in yards as well as yards per play. Ranking third from the end in time of possession says a great deal about the offensive ineptitude of the club as well, but just how do they go about rectifying these issues?

GM Snead has a plan and he will be targeting a certain style of players to resolve the Rams woes. Of his philosophies on handling personnel in the NFL today, Snead said: “I think in this league though, it’s an explosive league, it’s a league that has space, so I think you have to find guys in a short area that are very, very explosive in that short area.”

Speed, agility, and the ability to make guys miss are all key attributes that the Rams’ roster lacked in 2011. Perhaps it is the need for desire that Snead seeks that defines his philosophy most of all as he said: “I do think this is a league where you need to have urgency, you need to have passion and instincts from an intangible standpoint. I think you need to be competitive. I think you need to want to be a part of something bigger, you want to be a teammate.”

The drive to be a team-first GM is the mantra that has led to success on a regular basis in the NFL over the better part of the past two decades. Building a roster loaded with top flight talent is worthless if those individuals refuse to play together. Snead seems to bring those ideals to his architecture of the Rams roster and that should really excite fans anxious to see a winning team back in St. Louis.

WIDE RECEIVER will undoubtedly be the top focus among the skill positions for the Rams this offseason and with Brandon Lloyd’s return unlikely, the team may need to get into the bidding for an even bigger star. Keeping Danny Amendola should be priority number one at the wideout spot, but landing a red zone target like Marques Colston could really up the ante for this offense. His price tag may be a bit on the hefty side, but his success in the dome in New Orleans with the Saints could translate well to the turf in St. Louis.

CORNERBACK has to be the number one need area on defense with the Rams losing a grand total of 10 due to injury in 2011. With Jeff Fisher now running the show, don’t be surprised if he tries to bring in a few of his favorite players from his former team in the Tennessee Titans. Courtland Finnegan is a feisty player with real attitude and the game to back it up. The Rams could use a guy with the ability to frustrate opposing receivers and make his presence known on the defensive side of the football.

RUNNING BACK may be still in good hands with all-purpose workhorse Steven Jackson, but the NFL is a two back league this day in age. Mike Tolbert of the San Diego Chargers will hit the open market and his ability to bruise between the tackles and pick up tough goal line yardage is a sought after asset. Landing Tolbert to lighten Jackson’s workload just a bit could aid the offense in being at top speed for all sixty minutes.

The NFL Draft will clearly be a big focus for the Rams, but if they can add just a few key pieces in free agency, this team could be turning its losing ways around in a hurry.

How the Rams factor into this discussion is because the team is in desperate need of both veteran leadership and elite receivers. While both Moss and Owens lack a bit in the leadership category, the two are arguably top five receivers of all-time and each appears to be in tremendous physical condition.

Physical acumen has never been in question with either one of these guys though so that is to be expected. The aspect that most personnel gurus want to evaluate is their internal drives to succeed and whether they want the personal glory or the pursuit of team triumph this time around.

If Owens or Moss are willing to set their egos aside in favor of the team this time around, the Rams should consider taking a chance on one of the two. Jeff Fisher may not be willing to try the Moss experiment again however after the dynamic wideout mailed it in on the Fisher’s Tennessee Titans in 2010. Everyone around the league has seen how Owens can systematically dismantle locker rooms throughout his tour of the league and with a young, impressionable quarterback like Sam Bradford still in the development stages of his career that might not be the best fit either.

While both players may feel they have something left in the tank, the idea of the Rams bringing in either one is a longshot at best. A team with a strong, veteran-laden locker room primed for success is the best scenario for these two to find their way back into the league. The idea of Bradford throwing go routes to Moss or shallow crosses to Owens might be appealing on paper, but the volatile nature of those personalities makes the gamble far greater than the potential rewards.

The Indianapolis Colts sit in the driver’s seat to select the Peyton Manning replacement in Stanford’s Andrew Luck first overall so most signs point to Robert Griffin III being the option remaining with the second selection. Several teams lined up behind the Rams like the Cleveland Browns at fourth overall, the Washington Redskins with the sixth pick, and the Miami Dolphins at eight should all express some real interest in moving up to take RG3.

Moving from pick four to two wouldn’t be that huge of a jump, but from six or eight to two could warrant a king’s ransom in return. According to the ever-popular trade value chart, the Rams’ second pick is worth 2,600 points. The fourth pick is valued at 1,800 while pick six is worth 1,600 and eight just 1,400. Although the chart isn’t gospel for how trades go down during the draft, it is usually a pretty solid guideline for determining just how much teams surrender for moving up the draft order.

A theoretical trade with the Browns could yield a second rounder this year and a second rounder next year while deals with the Redskins or Dolphins could net even more in return such as veteran players or even more picks down the line. Perhaps the most telling comments about the upcoming draft came from Rams’ head coach Jeff Fisher who told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “What we do will define the future of this franchise moving forward.”

That may go without saying, but with a team looking to turn around its fortunes in a hurry a finally stop picking in the top two slots of the draft annually, this decision may be a real defining moment for the team’s chances at getting back to winning games in the near-term.

It has been reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that in the earliest stages of both the coaching and GM search Snead asked: “Do you think you can get Jeff Fisher? That’s a guy I want to work for. That’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Now that ‘the opportunity of a lifetime’ has arrived, what kind of prowess will Snead bring with him to the Rams as their new GM? The organization is confident that he and Fisher will meld together well and according to Rams VP of football operations, Kevin Demoff: “This is someone who has put in the hours to become an expert in the personnel field,” Demoff said. “He started out as a pro scout; he worked his way to being a college scout in past years. He’s got a very diverse skill set, and that was something we were looking for ideally. … We think with him and Jeff (Fisher) running our football operations, we have a chance for sustained success.”

Snead’s rise to prominence in the NFL started small in the mid-nineties with Tom Coughlin as a scout with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995-1997. In 1998 he joined the Falcons and has remained with the team moving up the food chain from scout to director of pro personnel and most recently to director of player personnel where he took on a number of more challenging responsibilities.

The Rams believe that this wealth of experience has landed them the perfect catch in the GM role and if his track record with Atlanta is any indication, they may be spot on in that assessment.

Minnesota Vikings personnel executive George Paton is the only man to get a second interview since Fisher was hired, but the team has also had Les Snead of the Atlanta Falcons in for two sit-downs only one came prior to Fisher becoming the head coach. Tom Gamble of the San Francisco 49ers and Steve Keim of the Arizona Cardinals have also talked with management, but recently a new name has emerged.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ director of administration Omar Khan was requested for an interview by the Rams earlier this week and he would be a real wild card in this race. Khan’s duties with Pittsburgh have little to nothing to do with personnel, but are solely based on the financial side of things. Reports vary on whether the Rams have been given permission to speak with Khan and the Steelers will likely keep a tight grip on his services given their precarious cap situation and various roster needs.

The idea of bringing in Khan to run the show could signify a change in job description for the team’s current vice president Kevin Demoff. His role as the main man when it comes to personnel decisions would be lessened by the presence of a cap expert and could provide a happy marriage in St. Louis.

Still many expect Fisher to want the last word when it comes to any prospective roster moves which may also be why several other candidates have shied away from the position thus far. Regardless of who fills the figurehead role as GM, the Rams should soon feel the urgency to fill that spot given the imminence of free agency and the NFL Draft on the horizon.

Clearly that will begin with the second overall selection where the team is likely to be faced with a difficult decision of drafting USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil or trading down with a team coveting a quarterback and waiting to land that elite offensive lineman.

The draft doesn’t end after one round and fortunately for the Rams they possess the top pick in the second round as well. Two picks in the top 33 is a quick way to add two immediate starters to the roster and begin sorting out which players will ultimately stick with the club.

While Kalil would make a great fit with the second pick, pick number 33 at the top of round two could shift to the defensive side of the football. The Rams landed defensive end Robert Quinn in round one a year ago and would like to build around him on that defensive line. There could be several valuable options available at the beginning of the second round as far as defensive tackles are concerned like Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy who fits nicely as an under tackle in a 4-3 alignment or Clemson’s Brandon Thompson who also fits the bill as a big bodied defender capable of disrupting plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Regardless of which particular players the Rams eventually zero in on over the coming weeks, it seems highly likely that they will be guys capable of strengthening the front lines on both sides of the ball. A combination of Kalil and Worthy or Thompson could provide the ideal one-two punch needed to get this club winning games in a hurry.