Rams VP defends team's quality, draft choices in Cape visit

BRIGHT FUTURE

By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

The New England Patriots deserved to win. But the St. Louis Rams will continue to be perennial Super Bowl contenders as long as they keep their core quality players like Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk.

That's according to Bob Wallace, the Rams' senior vice president of administration, who visited with members of the Noon Lion's Club Wednesday at the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau.

He also defended the draft selection of the Rams, which was widely criticized, saying it's too early for anyone to know how good or bad these players are going to be.

But the big question that has left pundits and fans scratching their heads: How the heavily-favored Rams lost to underdog New England in Super Bowl XXXVI.

For Wallace, there wasn't much room for debate.

"The Patriots played really well, period," he said. "And we didn't. They deserved to win that day."

Wallace said he is optimistic about the chances of the Rams to get back to the Super Bowl. Despite the loss to New England, the Rams remain the favorites of many sports writers.

"We're still the same team for the most part, and we'll still be good," he said. "That won't change as long as we have Kurt Warner as quarterback and guys like running back Marshall Faulk are playing. Those guys play at such a high level, they make the Rams a team to be reckoned with."

Wallace said he also believes the team will eventually be helped by the players that were drafted. That's in spite of lukewarm rankings given by sportswriters for new players like linebackers Robert Thomas and Tommy Polley.

"There's no way for anybody to know how good these guys are going to be until they get on the field," Wallace said. "It might be a year or two away, but they're going to help the team. We're only going to get even better."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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