Draft day has come and gone, but the light of excitement still shines brightly as training camp is now only three months away.  After all the offseason player and coach movement, I believe Steven Jackson is the biggest individual beneficiary in fantasy land and a top-5 pick this summer.  Help has arrived in St. Louis in the form of Jason Brown, Jason Smith, Mike Karney, and Steve Spagnulo.  Before we discuss their fantasy impact, let’s look back at S. Jax’s past couple seasons…

As an S. Jax owner myself, I know first hand the past two years have been incredibly frustrating, to say the least.  The Rams as a team were an absolute catastrophe and injuries bit Jackson in the ass – I mean legs – both seasons.  After his alien-esque 2006 campaign, the sky was the limit, until he suffered a partially torn groin muscle in ’07.  Then in ’08 he experienced another leg injury, only this time it was a quad strain.  As a result of the injuries, he was limited to only 12 games both seasons.

However, it can’t be ignored that S. Jax played like a superstar when healthy, even on one of the worst teams on the planet.  Last year, he finished third among running backs in fantasy points per game and still 13th overall despite missing four games (standard scoring).  His points total put him ahead of Frank Gore, Marion Barber, and Marshawn Lynch to name a few, all of whom played more games. 

Back in ’07 the torn groin was a more severe injury but he still managed to crack 1,000 yards and look mighty impressive doing it.  All of this while running behind the worst offensive line ever.  The line was so damaged that I think a dude from my local 7-11 signed on to play guard.  Just kidding, but you get my point. 

S. Jax’s efforts on this brutal squad the past two seasons remind me of LT hulking in his early years on the pathetic Chargers, minus the health.  Talent conquers all.  With that said, a little help does go a long way.  Here is some Rams front office savvy for you:

Jason Brown, Center- Brown was arguably the No. 2 ranked free agent available after Albert Haynesworth and the Rams were all over him.  At 6’3”, 320 pounds, the 26-year old Brown gives them an instant inside presence.  This was quite possibly my favorite free agent acquisition of the entire league, since the Rams O-line was so bad.  Awesome move.

Jason Smith, Left Tackle- It was great to see the Rams add another O-lineman via the draft when they selected Smith 2nd overall.  Out of Baylor, Smith is a former tight end so you know he is an athlete.  With Alex Barron effective at left tackle, the Rams might play Smith on the right side, where he played as a sophomore in college.  This pick will go a long way in protecting Rams’ QBs for the next 10 years.  As good as Orlando Pace was, Marc Bulger and S. Jax couldn’t depend on him in recent seasons because of injury.  The word is that Smith needs to improve his run blocking but it’s hardly a concern.  I was really impressed with Smith’s “all business” attitude in his post-draft interviews.  He sounds ready to work!

Mike Karney, Fullback- Karney is the hulky lead blocker S. Jax has been waiting for for a while now.  If you don’t believe me, see S. Jax’s Twitter status the morning of the signing:

“I love waking up to good news. We (Rams) just signed FB Mike Karney. Who says complaining don’t get u anywhere..Lol (joke)”

Karney is still relatively young, at 28, and was an All Pro in 2006.  He has experience playing in a dome and will help Jackson in two back sets without a doubt.  I love Karney’s passion for the both the game and his teammates, as I remember hearing that he cried the night Deuce McAllister blew out his knee in 2007.

Steve Spagnulo, Head Coach- Spags is known for his no nonsense attitude, preparation skills, and demanding the most from his players.  In return his players have the utmost respect and trust for him.  Defense and running the ball figure to be his coaching recipe, given the success he experienced with the Giants.  Spagnulo stated soon after he signed that S. Jax will be the centerpiece of the offense.  That’s an obvious statement that we’ve heard before but it never hurts to hear it again.  S. Jax might lead the league in carries this year if he stays healthy.  Also, watch out for Chris Long on defense.

These guys collectively will give S. Jax a much needed fantasy boost in 2009 for sure!  With that said, I understand your concern about Jackson’s injuries the past two years, but here’s my take… He was a hold-out until August 20th last year, so he missed a huge chunk of training camp, and wasn’t physically on par with the rest of his teammates/league, resulting in the nagging injury.  Think Ryan Grant (hamstring).  This year, S. Jax is paid and will be in camp ready to go.   I’m optimistic that Jackson will learn from all his leg injuries, and make the proper adjustments in his offseason workout/stretching regimen to help prevent future soft tissue injuries.  I don’t know the dude’s regimen for certain, but common sense would say so.  After all, he’s a 26-year old horse so I think I’ll take my chances.