Nice thought-provoking post. On the surface and on paper I could see where the perception is that 04 Rams team might be comparable to the current 2014 Rams team or even the 2013 Rams, but if you dig a little deeper I think the 2013
team was as good as and the 2014
team will prove to be superior to the 04 team that went 8-8 but was in obvious decline even with 1 HOF and 3 potential HOF players still on the roster. For me there is really no comparison on which defense is better even if the 2014 team has yet to play a down. The 2014 defense is far superior in talent and coaching and that will ultimately be reflected as this year plays out.
Note: Some of the starters that are listed in the OP for the 04 team were not starters at all or were not the predominant starters for most of the season.
See link:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/2004.htm:
- Kyle Turley and Tyoka Jackson never started for the Rams in 2004 and Turley never even played a down that season.
- AT RT the aging Grant Williams started for 11 games and the legendary Blaine Saipaia started the other 5.
- AT DE Bryce Fisher was the starter while Jackson was the main rotational guy off the bench who did not have one start to his credit.
- At left guard Nutten in his 10th season was breaking down, and only started 6 games. Other notable starters at LG for the Rams in 2004 included Chris Dishman, Scott Tercero, and Larry Turner.
- At DT You also missed Ryan Picket as a starter and one of the better players on the Rams 25th (points allowed) ranked defense. Jimmie Kennedy did start 5 games but that was in place of Lewis.
- At SLB Tommy Polley was the starter for 11 games and Chillar only filled-in for 5 games with 2 as official the starter.
Other thoughts:
Although Faulk and Jackson on paper sound great, I would take the 2014 Rams RB's over them (close call). Faulk is one of my all-time favorites but if you are looking exclusively at 2004 as a snapshot, he was clearly in decline and it was essentially his last season contributing to the Rams offense. Faulk still had respectable numbers with 774 yards rushing, 4 TD's and 50 catches for 310 yards but that was a drop-off from the HOF player we all remember and he was splitting time with Jackson who added 673 rushing yards and 19 receptions for 189 yards as a rookie. I really appreciate Jackson's warrior spirit in his years as a Ram but I actually think Stacy is already better than Jackson at consistently helping the offense move the chains and especially at getting in the end zone. If you combine Stacy with Cunningham's and Mason's explosiveness I think the Rams 2014 backfield will be a very effective trio and fits the team’s run-first mentality perfectly.
I disagree with the OP about Robert Thomas being undervalued. He was a below average undersized injury-prone MLB and essentially a first round draft bust. He only started 11 games that season and he only lasted 6 years in the league with just 50 starts. To me, the 04 LBs and the Rams Current LB are not even close as the 2014 Rams LBs win hands down.
The Rams passing offense did put up 4253 yards, was ranked 5th in the league, and was the only part of the 2004 team that to me would be considered superior to the 2014 Rams. Even that is somewhat misleading because it was an aging offense often racking up yards trying to play catch-up. Holt, Bruce, Faulk, and Pace are irreplaceable legends and along with aging vets like Timmerman, McCollum, and the injury-plagued Nutten they were really all that was left of the GSOT by 2004 but none were still in their prime except Holt.
I know I may be in the minority but would actually take Bradford and the Rams 2014 offensive line with their unrealized potential over Bulger and the 2004 Ram’s aging O-line.
For the record I am a Mike Martz fan and will always appreciate the entertainment his aerial offense produced. Even though I think a good part of Martz’s downfall with the Rams was related to the dysfunctional team management around him, at this place in time, I would pick Jeff Fisher as the better head coach for the Rams.
And it is a no-brainer that the Rams current front office and ownership is far Superior to the 2004 Rams.