About Marc Bulger

I would have to say that I have been a Marc Bulger apologist over the past two years.  I was an apologist in the fact that I didn’t root for him to fail.  It was and is one or the other with the divisive Rams quarterback.  I didn’t think he was part of the problem.  I didn’t think he was a great quarterback, I thought he was decent and good enough for the rebuilding Rams.  I wanted Bulger to succeed because I didn’t want the Rams to have a QB controversy or a QB problem.  The number 1 problem in the NFL is finding a good QB, and if Bulger was still playing well, the Rams did not have that problem.  I was one of the people that thought that with protection, Bulger would play much better.

However, over the past 8 games, it is obvious that I was wrong and Marc Bulger should be done in St. Louis.  He hasn’t been playing well in any stretch of the imagination.  He can still wing the ball around the field with the best of quarterbacks, but he is throwing bad balls more often than good ones.  Bulger has never thrown a very good deep ball and the Rams best wide receiver is a deep threat in Donnie Avery.  The Rams new west coast offense is built on quick slants and Bulger has thrown more slants into the defensive line than to his own receivers.  It is hard to believe that Bulger is progressing through his reads on every pass play, even when he has time.  Bulger has never been the most mobile QB and if his protection breaks down, he has not shown the ability he slide in the pocket or make space with his feet.  On Sunday against the Lions, Bulger had the ability and space to run for a key first down on a 3rd and 5.  But, instead of diving head first and earning the first down, he slid 2 yards short of the first down and the Rams were forced to punt.  Bulger also throws off his back foot quite a bit, even when the protection is solid.

All that being said, the Rams can release Bulger after the season and only take a moderate hit on the cap.  Bulger’s cap charge for 2010 is $10.5 million.  The Rams should only have about $16 million left on the next 4 years of Bulger’s deal if they cut him.  (Take these numbers with a grain of salt, I got the numbers by averaging his guaranteed money from 2009-2013, while throwing in his guaranteed $3 million in 2009.)  I’m not a cap expert by any means, and the whole contract is not available, but what is known is the Rams can cut Bulger after this season and will not take an impossible cap hit for it.  It is probably time the Rams do that.

Bulger is playing like a lame duck quarterback, so it is time to make him one.