Rarely do fans find a player that from the very moment you witness their athletic prowess, they leave an indelible mark and connection to your heart and passion for sports.

This has happened only three times in my life, with players from very different sports and very different teams.

The first is the greatest man I have ever seen play the point guard position in the NBA, John Stockton. I was born a Jazz fan and watching games with my grandpa was as natural a part of my childhood as learning to shoot a jumpshot in my driveway.

Before the season began, Doug Farrar characterized the Rams' first round draft pick thusly: "Putting Chris Long and Robert Quinn alongside each other might just be illegal." 

I thought it would be interesting to check back in on Quinn's success last season in light of the PFF annual Pass Rusher Producitivity rankings. Chris Long began showing up well in these rankings two years ago, effectively predicting his breakout as an elite pass rusher while most of St Louis talk radio was busily heaping dirt on his grave. And indeed, Long shows up well in this year's ranking, coming in 6th overall. 

Quinn, however, did not rank in either the top 20 or the bottom 20, so I had to do a little digging to determine where he sat. Here are his raw stats, as counted by Pro Football Focus:

341 pass-rushing snaps. 6 sacks. 30 combined hits and hurries. (In reviewing the tape, they give him credit for a sack against the Niners in week 13, whereas the NFL does not.) 

The formula: PFF's rating gives full weight to the sacks, and 3/4 weight to other quarterback disruptions, and divides that sum by the total number of pass-rush attempts to account for a player's efficiency in getting to the passer.

Robert Quinn's rating: 8.35, squarely in the middle. Not bad for a rookie. 

What is interesting, though, is that Quinn had six games where he was as disruptive at a top-20 level, and six more where he was all but shut out of the pocket entirely. Here's a quick recap of the good and the bad:

Good Robert:

• 3 hits, 4 pressures in 38 rushes vs Baltimore
• 1 sack, 2 hits, 2 pressures in 33 rushes vs New Orleans
• 1 sack, 3 pressures in 27 rushes vs Arizona (wk 9)
• 1 sack, 2 pressures in 22 rushes vs Seattle (wk 11)
• 1 sack, 1 hit, 1 pressure in 18 rushes vs Arizona (wk 12) 
• 2 hits, 2 pressures in 29 rushes vs Seattle (wk 14)

Worth noting: None of these four teams have much to speak of at left tackle (with Russell Okung hurt, at least), with Baltimore's Bryant McKinnie the best of the bunch. 

Invisible Robert: 

• 1 pressure in 18 rushes vs Washington
• zip in 16 rushes vs Green Bay
• 1 hit in 15 rushes vs Dallas
• 1 pressure in 18 rushes vs Cleveland
• 1 pressure in 29 rushes vs Cincinnati
• zip in 14 rushes vs Pittsburgh

Perhaps only the Rams could bring in a block-first tight end who drew more penalties than all but two other players at his position and a broken-down receiver who caught only nine passes in eleven games, and give fans hope that both players might be clear upgrades at their position. 

That's the state of things for a 2-14 team that only cracked 14 points four times last season.

By bringing in "the other" Steve Smith, who is two injury-marred years away from his breakout season with the New York Giants, the Rams give themselves a Donnie Avery type reclamation project. But one that isn't, you know, Donnie Avery. And by bringing in the penalty-prone Matthew Mulligan from the New York Jets, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer gets a familiar face and a clear upgrade over Billy Bajema.

WR Steve "if healthy" Smith

In his explosive 2009 season, Smith the younger caught 107 passes for 1,220 yards (11.4 avg) and 7 touchdowns -- all numbers unequaled by any Rams receiver since Torry Holt. But then, you probably could have guessed that. Unfortunately, the 57 passes for 653 yards and 4 touchdowns combined over the last two seasons seem to fit right in with out statistically underwhelming crew. 

That Giants 2009 season saw Eli Manning take a huge leap forward as a passer, bettering his career best by nearly 800 passing yards to crack the 4,000-yard mark for the first time. Add in Smith's surprising productivity and it's tempting to think of him as a "big play receiver." 

However, Pro Football Focus' usage stats paint a different picture. Smith was the Danny Amendola of that Giants team, running most of his routes from the slot, and doing most of his work underneath. 71 of Smith's 107 catches were made within ten yards of the line of scrimmage. 51 of those were delivered right up the middle. And he averaged 2.3 yards-after-catch per reception, ranking 100th of 107 players that season. 

While nearly every other Giants receiver went down to some sort of malady, Smith amassed 151 targets, fueling his big year. Just for fun, let's give 2010's Danny Amendola 151 targets and run a comparison. 

2009 Steve Smith: 107 catches. 1,220 yards. 7 TDs. 
2010 Danny Amendola: 113 catches. 915 yards. 4 TDs.  

Smith at his peak was clearly a better player. But the margin of difference is not as big as you might think.  

TE Matthew "the human holding penalty" Mulligan

Because Twitter is now officially the fastest news medium on the planet, here's how I first found out that the Rams had signed the former Jet tight end:  

Joe Caporoso @TurnOnTheJets
Find all your angry Mulligan tweets this year at @RamsHerd

Our old friend Joe is a long-time Jets fan and writer over at TurnOnTheJets.com, apparently sounding relief at Mulligan's departure. When I checked in on the matter, Joe clarified: "Angry as in you will forget his name and from now on know him as 'Holding Number 82 of the offense.' " 

Offensive holding may be something of a specialty for the young Mulligan, but it is by no means his sole occupation. He amassed 9 penalties in 473 snaps last season. 3 of them -- two false starts and a face mask -- came in 30 snaps in the Jets' final game against the Miami Dolphins. Tobe fair, Mulligan was lined up opposite Cameron Wake, one of the most fearsome pure pass rushers in the game. But then again, blocking players like that is in his job description. 

If there's a bright side to Mulligan, it's that he seems to be growing in Brian Schottenheimer's trust. The 473 snaps earned last season were a significant jump over the 126 earned over the previous two seasons combined. So perhaps there is untapped potential there.

By the third week in free agency, most teams are scraping the bottom of the barrel, and the Rams are no different. In these two acquisitions, we at least have a) a player with a proven track record of success, and b) a player with a known comfort level with our offensive staff. Any optimism you want to express, bottle that up and save it for August. Because neither of these two will change the Rams' offseason priorities, which now shifts firmly to the draft.  

The NFL came down — and came down hard — in the "Bountygate" scandal. Included in the stiff penalties handed down Wednesday by league commissioner Roger Goodell is an indefinite suspension for new Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

The suspension begins immediately and will include the entire 2012 season. After the season, Williams' status will be reviewed by Goodell.

According to the league, Goodell will pay close attention to the extent to which Williams cooperates with the NFL in any further proceedings.

In addition, New Orleans head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for a year without pay. effective April 1.

New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis is suspended for the first eight games of the regular season. And Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt — a former interim head coach for the Rams in 2005 — is suspended for the first six games of the season.

As a team, the Saints were fined $500,000 and will forfeit their second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.

Williams oversaw the Saints' bounty program when he was the team's defensive coordinator from 2009-11. Under the program, players were offered cash bonuses for making big plays and also for making hits on opposing players that resulted in injuries.

When Jeff Fisher took the Tennessee Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999, Scott Wells was a Nashville high school player.

Wells was a Fisher fan then, and during eight NFL seasons the respect has grown. The new Rams new coach was a big enough draw in free agency that the Pro Bowl center left the Green Bay Packers to join the rebuilding effort in St. Louis. The Packers were 15-1 last year, five more wins than the Rams’ total the last three seasons.

“Green Bay was definitely a player and that was a tough decision,” Wells said Monday. “But in the end I feel like St. Louis is the best fit for me right now. I think coach Fisher is going to step in and do an outstanding job.”

The 31-year-old Wells several times cited his respect and belief in Fisher, adding that he’s received glowing reviews from several players who’ve played for Fisher. Wells has signed a four-year contract for a reported $24 million with $13 million guaranteed.

Defensive tackle Kendall Langford, who agreed to essentially the same terms on Saturday, said the Fisher factor “put the icing on the cake.”

Langford said defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who’s facing a suspension and fine for running a bounty pool in New Orleans, also made a big impression. Langford said Williams’ status did not affect his decision.

“Everywhere the guy’s been, he’s been in the top 10, so you kind of know what you’re getting,” Langford said. “His system works and he has a Super Bowl ring to prove it.”

The Rams’ lack of success was not a deterrent in negotiations for Wells. They were 2-14 last year, tied with the Colts for the worst record in the year, and haven’t had a winning season since 2003.

The Rams opened free agency by signing cornerback Cortland Finnegan to a five-year, $50 million contract.

Choosing St. Louis brings Wells closer to his home in Nashville, which he said factored into the decision. He also visited the Titans and drew interest from several other teams.

Wells was generally considered the Packers’ top offensive lineman, and can add stability to a young, developing unit that was dogged by injuries. Three starters, tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold and guard Jacob Bell, ended the year on injured reserve.

Smith was the second overall pick in 2009 and Saffold was a second-rounder in 2010.

Instead of snapping to Aaron Rodgers, the NFL MVP last year, Wells will be working with Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010. Wells said he’s gotten a “welcoming text” from the quarterback.

The 26-year-old Langford was a four-year starter at end in the Dolphins’ 3-4 alignment, and Miami had one of the league’s best defenses against the run. Though his statistics are not eye-popping, with 7.5 sacks in four seasons and none in 2011, and just 15 tackles and five assists last year, the Rams envision Langford as a strong inside complement to young ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn.

St. Louis released two tackles, Fred Robbins and Justin Bannan, prior to free agency.

“I’ve got a lot left in the tank,” Langford said. “I’m a dominant run stopper and I want to elevate my game to the all-Pro level. I had quarterback hurries, I’ve just got to turn them into sacks.”

Now that the Redskins' trade is official, Les Snead and the St Louis Rams have to reset their draft board, surveying the talent landscape around the sixth pick. And there they have a problem: the draft landscape is littered with guys who are basically replaceable by other talent later in the draft. If Justin Blackmon is your #1 WR, you have a 1A in Michael Floyd, 1B in Kendall Wright, and acceptable 2s in players like Marvin Jones. If you are thinking DT, you have Devon Still and Fletcher Cox competing for "most polished" while Dontari Poe and Michael Brockers battle for "tantalizing upside" ... without any of them head and shoulders above the other.

Moreover, by the time the sixth pick rolls up, the unique talents - Ryan Kalil, Morris Claiborne, Trent Richardson - stand a good chance of being off the board. So if the Rams are thinking "best player available," as well they should, there is one guy who is undeniably the best at his position: Stanford guard David Decastro. 

"A guard? Picked sixth overall? That's wayyyyy too early!" 

So the conventional wisdom goes. But the conventions are changing under our feet, with the reinstatement of sanity among rookie pay. For most of the last twenty years, players taken in the top of the first round had to return "marquee" value to justify their outlandish salaries. One way or the other, they had to move turnstiles. In other words, they have to be (a) a quarterback, (b) a quarterback's best friend (left tackle or elite wide receiver), or (c) a quarterback's worst nightmare (pass-rushing monster or uber-elite cornerback).

We've grown up with a generation of NFL drafts that haven't seen an interior lineman drafted higher than 10 (Chris Naeole, 9-year starter for the Saints and Jaguars, picked in 1997). But prior to the modern salary cap era (i.e. "crazy money for draft picks" era), picking guards in the top ten was a common occurence.

One of those, Mike Munchak, was drafted 8th overall in 1982. Munchak was a key cog of Jeff Fisher's offense in Houston, and later became his offensive line coach as the Oilers moved to Tennessee. Of course, Munchak now coaches the Titans, after Fisher stepped down.

Bottom line, when you're picking in the top ten, you'd better be getting a perennial Pro Bowler. Or, as fellow writer Tim Shields puts it: "If you take someone at 6, you shouldn't have to touch that position for a while. That's why I like Claiborne, Kalil and Decastro best at 6."

This pick becomes even more enticing when considering the recent free agency signing of Scott Wells to play center. Pairing Wells with Harvey Dahl shores up two thirds of the middle of the line. Bringing DeCastro in at left guard would suddenly make that middle rock-solid, and would likely help Rodger Saffold with those tricky inside rushers too. 

Of course, options remain wide open at six, including the possibility of trading down again. But in a scenario where the blue-chippers are whittled away, taking the best blue-chip guard prospect the game has seen since Mike Iupati is a tempting idea.

According to beat reporters Jim Thomas and Howard Balzer, the St Louis Rams stopped parading free agents through their hallways long enough to sign one - center Scott Wells, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. Preliminary reports of terms suggest that the deal is worth up to $25 million over four years, with about half that guaranteed. With Wells north of 30 years of age, those terms are more reasonable than the mega-contract given out by Billy Devaney to the perennially disappointing Jason Brown.

What kind of player are we getting in Wells? Aaron Nagler, founder of Cheesehead.tv and avid Packers analyst, tells us:

@Aaron_Nagler: @RamsHerd Really good player. Smart and tough, knows how to use leverage against bigger DTs. Excellent at sorting out pre-snap protection

Let me just reiterate that last point - "Excellent at sorting out pre-snap protection." Last year, Josh McDaniels took protection calls away from Brown and put them on Bradford's shoulders, a necessary function of his highly complex, highly variable quarterback-read-driven offense. Putting those protections back in the center's domain should help simplify Bradford's responsibilities and help him digest plays with less hesitation.

In fact, I went so far to suggest that if Bradford didn't have to make these calls at all, his game could skyrocket, an opinion that was quickly corrected by one of my favorite new Twitter commentators, former Rams fullback Mike Karney. 

@Karney44: @RamsHerd needs to know where all the pressure is coming from. Needs to have the ability to redirect protection call

Karney elaborated, saying that "the center should always make calls," but the quarterback needs to know when to "trump" the protection and make it better for both protection and execution. This makes perfect sense, but provides a more reasoned balance of responsibilities as well as grounds for a partnership between quarterback and center.

It's also worth noting on Wells that he has steadily gotten better with age, rising in Pro Football Focus' positional rankings each of the last three years. And while the Packers are not a run-first team, when they have run it has been primarily right up the middle, directly to either side of Wells. This may reflect a high-percentage of draw plays as a natural misdirection off of a shotgun-based passing offense, but it shows a lot of trust in Wells' run-blocking abilities. 

By comparison, Brown either a good pass-blocker or a good run-blocker, but never both, in 2009 and 2010. He followed those Jeckyll-and-Hyde seasons up by being bad at both in 2011. Matters got even worse when he was moved to guard, following a mid-season benching. 

Wells promises to be an upgrade, and should pair well with Harvey Dahl on the inside to give Sam Bradford at least one rushing lane that he doesn't have to worry about. Now to fix the other five...