Rich Saul did not accomplish that much in the first half of his career, where he bounced around the Rams O-Line for the first five years, but there was definite value in the former Michigan State Spartan.  Saul became the starting Center in 1975, and from 1976 to 1981, he made the Pro Bowl and was clearly among the upper echelon of Centers for the last half of the 70s.  The Rams went to Super Bowl XIV, and he was part of the reason they succeeded during that time frame.

Bud McFadin had an excellent career in pro football, yet when it comes to Hall of Fame discussions, his name never comes up.  Perhaps it should, but we get why it doesn't.

A versatile player who was equally adept as an Offensive Lineman or playing Defensive Tackle and Linebacker, McFadin played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1951 to 1956 and was a Pro Bowler in the last two years.  He was accidentally shot in the stomach, and shortly after, he decided to focus on his business rather than playing football, but when the AFL began four years later, he came back to the Denver Broncos, and he was a First Team All-Pro from 1960 to 1962.  He would play until 1966 after three years with the Houston Oilers.

A member of the Los Angeles Rams for his entire 11-year career, Larry Brooks started at Defensive Tackle for the first ten of his seasons.  Brooks became an elite player, earning five straight Pro Bowl selections (1976 & 1980) and a First Team All-Pro selection in 1979.  He was a large part of the Rams' success in the late 70s and early 80s and helped them reach Super Bowl XIV.  He later won a Super Bowl as the Defensive Line Coach for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.

Lawrence McCutcheon was a better running back than you remember, and he spent the best years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams.

Drafted in the 3^rd Round from Colorado State in 1972, Lawrence McCutcheon saw limited action as a rookie, but he would become a starter the following season and would begin a five-year streak of Pro Bowl Selections.  During that streak, McCutcheon would have four 1,000-yard rushing seasons, all of which were top-five finishes.   In Pro-Football-Reference’s Approximate Value rating, McCutcheon had three top-four finishes, including a second-place finish in 1973. 

He would finish his career with Denver, Seattle, and Buffalo and would total 8,377 Yards From Scrimmage over his career.

Dennis Harrah would play his entire 13-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, where the former Miami Hurricane would be named to six Pro Bowls.  That accolade would happen in two separate three-year increments (1978-80 & 1985-87), and the Offensive Guard would be named a First Team All-Pro in 1986 and was a huge part of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record in 1984.  Harrah was also chosen for the Los Angeles Rams 40^th Anniversary Team, and he was a team captain for six years.

Duane Putnam was a 6^th Round Pick by the Los Angeles Rams from  Pacific University in 1952, and by '54, he would establish himself as one of the premier Guards in the NFL. 

From 1954 to 1958, Putnam was a perennial Pro Bowler, and he would either be a First or Second Team All-Pro Selection in each of those years.  Putnam's immense physical strength made it easy for him to create holes and protect his Quarterback, and he is easily one of the most unsung heroes in Rams' history.  The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the 1960 Expansion Draft; he spent one year there, then spent a year with the Cleveland Browns before concluding his career back home as a Ram for one last season in the National Football League.

Nolan Cromwell played his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams (1977-87), and after winning the starting free safety job in 1979, he became one of the top Defensive Backs in the early 1980s, where his ability to anticipate routes had few equals.

From 1980 to 1983, Cromwell went to the Pro Bowl, and he earned First Team All-Pro honors in the first three of those years.  Notably, in his fourth Pro Bowl (1983), he earned that accolade as a strong safety rather than his previous position at free safety. Overall, he recorded 37 Interceptions over his career and was often used on special teams as one of the most reliable holders in history.

After his playing career ended, Cromwell became a successful coach, most notably winning a Super Bowl XXXI Ring as the Wide Receivers Coach for the Green Bay Packers.

Isiah Robertson was the 10^th overall pick from Southern University in 1971, and it didn't take long for him to prove to the Los Angeles Rams that he was the right choice, as he would go on to win the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.  The Linebacker would go on to be one of the best defensive players the Rams ever had, as he was chosen for six Pro Bowls and two First Team All-Pros as a Ram, and he was an integral part of L.A.'s multiple playoff appearances in the 70s.

Robertson later provided leadership for the Buffalo Bills and retired with 25 Interceptions, a very high number for a Linebacker.

Riley Matheson arrived in Cleveland with little (really no) fanfare to join the Rams in 1939 after going undrafted from Texas-El Paso.  Playing at both Offensive Lineman, Matheson broke out in 1942, earning his first First Team All-Pro, while also capturing that honor in 1944 and 1945.  Granted, this happened during World War II, when the league was depleted, but the NFL Champion in ’45 was out to prove he was there to stay.

The Rams relocated to Los Angeles, but he remained a First Team All-Pro, selected to his fourth and fifth in 1946 and 1947.  He left the Rams to join the San Francisco 49ers of the then-AAFC and finished his career with two years in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders.

From the town of Grambling, Louisiana, and of course, playing at Grambling State, Paul “Tank” Younger wasn't selected in the 1949 Draft, but he didn’t have to wait long to find a home, as the Los Angeles Rams signed him.

Considered one of the first real NFL stars from a historically black college, Younger was an excellent two-way player who earned Pro Bowl selections (1951-53), first for his defense and later for his work as a Fullback (1955).  Younger was an NFL Champion with L.A. in 1951, the same year he was named a First Team All-Pro Linebacker.   Younger saw more and more rushing action, and he finished in the top seven in Rushing Yards in both 1954 and 1955, with the latter season seeing him lead the NFL in Rushing Yards per Game.  He would finish his career with a year in Pittsburgh and would have 4,807 Yards from Scrimmage over his career.

The respected website, Football Nation, referred to Dan Towler as the “greatest running back you don’t know”, and they may be on to something, as despite winning an NFL Championship with the Los Angeles Rams in 1951 when he was their star rusher, he was overshadowed by more prominent names throughout his brief career in professional football.

Towler came to the Rams with no fanfare or even the remotest of expectations as a 25^th Round Pick from Washington & Jefferson, so for him to also make the team had to be considered a win.  Towler saw limited action as a rookie, but in his second season, he was a large part of their offense, rushing for 854 Yards and going to the first of four straight Pro Bowls.  With Towler’s help, the Rams won the NFL Championship that year (1951), and in 1952, he would lead the league in Rushing Yards (894) and Rushing Touchdowns (10), earning First Team All-Pro honors.  The Fullback would again rush for over 800 Yards in 1953, and he led the NFL in Rushing Touchdowns for the second time in 1954.  His play declined rapidly due to injury, and he retired after 1955, but there was no doubt he was an elite player for a few seasons in the early 50s.

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles Rams defense was best known for its "Fearsome Foursome" Defensive Line, but their secondary also featured a star in Eddie Meador, who earned six Pro Bowl selections.  Meador came from Arkansas Tech and would become the starting Left Cornerback in his second season.  That year (1960), he would be named to the Pro Bowl, but when he moved to Right Safety in 1964, he was in a better spot for his skill set.  Meador would go to five straight Pro Bowls (1964-68) and was a First Time All-Pro in both 1968 and 1969.

As of this writing, Meador is still the Rams' all-time leader in Interceptions (46), and he would be named to the 1960's All-Decade Team.

While Rosey Grier was better known for being one of the inaugural members of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome," the defensive stalwart was a better player in the first two-thirds of his professional career when he was with the New York Giants.  Grier helped the New York Giants win the 1956 NFL Championship, and he was named to two Pro Bowls (1956 and 1960) as a Giant.  He would also be selected as a First Team All-Pro in 1956 and was a two-time Second Team All-Pro.  

Grier started all 141 games he played in the NFL and recorded over 40 (unofficial) Sacks.

Grier would become a more prominent name after his professional career was over as he served as a bodyguard for Robert F. Kennedy and helped to disable his assassin, Sirhan Sirhan.  He would also make many television appearances and had his own talk show in Los Angeles.  This man was a giant, figuratively and literally, everywhere he went!

Selected in the 2^nd Round out of the University of Arkansas in 1938, Jim Benton would go on to be one of the first great receivers in the history of the Rams franchise.  Benton led the NFL in Yards per Reception as a rookie and was named to the Pro Bowl in his second season.  He took 1941 off and returned to the NFL in 1942; because of a heart murmur, he was not permitted to enlist in the U.S. Military for World War II.  He was loaned to the Chicago Bears in 1943 because the Rams couldn't field a team due to a depletion of talent, but he returned in 1944, 1945, and 1946, and together they had two excellent seasons in which he led the NFL in Receiving Yards.

1945 was a uniquely special season for Benton.  Not only would it be a large part of the Rams’ 1945 NFL Championship, but his league-leading 1,067 receiving yards were also accomplished in only nine games.  He also would become the first Wide Receiver to exceed 300 Yards in a Game, a mark that was duplicated for another 40 Years!

At the time of his retirement, he was second all-time in Receiving Yards, and he was chosen for the 1940’s All-Decade Team.

Del Shofner was a remarkable receiver and a member of the 1960s All-Decade Team. He earned this status through outstanding play from 1958 to 1963, during which he was named a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in every year except 1960.

During his time with the Los Angeles Rams, Shofner topped the NFL in Receiving Yards in 1958 with 1,097, and finished second in the following year with 936. In 1960, he was relegated more to punting duties, but after joining the New York Giants, he regained his place as an elite receiver. In his first three years with the Giants, Shofner had at least 1,100 Receiving Yards and finished in the top four in that metric. Although he never had a stretch close to that again, his reputation as one of the top offensive skill players and deep ball threats of his era earns him a high spot on this list.

Anyone who is interested in NFL betting online or simply watching football for fun will be happy that the new season is underway. Summer can seem a long time as a football fan, and all supporters will be glad that the action has kicked off once more. Two sets of fans who will be especially looking forward to how this campaign pans out are those who follow the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Rams were formed in Cleveland in 1936 and would win the NFL Championship in 1945.  In typical of the luck that Cleveland has, the Rams relocated to Los Angeles and won their second championship in 1951. Los Angeles would be a popular team but as owners do, they moved seeking a better stadium deal, which they found in St. Louis in 1994.  It was there where they won Super Bowl XXXIV with their “Greatest Show on Turf” team. St. Louis would again be left without a team as Los Angeles wooed them back in 2016.  

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1. Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NFL.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2018 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Merlin Olsen

2. Deacon Jones

3. Jack Youngblood

4. Orlando Pace

5. Marshall Faulk

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

As always we thank you for your support.

Steven Jackson had a good rookie season, but he was brought in to replace an aging Marshall Faulk, and he would take over as the starting Running Back in 2005.  From there he would become one of the most consistent producers in Rushing Yards where from 2005 to 2012 he never had led than 1,000 Yards on the ground and two of his years would see him hit the 1,400 mark, both of those years was good enough for the top five.  Jackson's best season by far was 2006 where he had not only 1,528 Rushing Yards (his best) but also had a 90 Reception year, which was by far and away from the best number he had in the air and combined he was the league leader in Yards From Scrimmage and All-Purpose Yards.  He would be rewarded with a Second Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl Selection.

Doug Smith would play his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams which would span 14 seasons and 180 Games, an incredible achievement considering he went undrafted out of Bowling Green!

Marc Bulger had the dubious task of replacing Kurt Warner as the starting Quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, but it took some time for that to happen, which considering how long it took Warner to land the job was appropriate.