Tends to really dilute the "Fisher inherited a depleted roster" mantra as an excuse for mediocrity 5 years later...
Here's Aeneas1...
only 4 guys who played offense or defense for the rams in 2011 are still with the team, i.e. only 4 remain from before fisher took over as head coach, they include quinn, saffold, kendricks and sims - so is this overhaul a valid excuse for why the rams are sitting at just 4-8 in fisher's 5th year on the job, a valid excuse for fisher's rams looking at a 5th consecutive losing season? nope.
here's a look at how many offensive or defensive guys from the 2011 season are still on the rosters of ten 2016 teams close to a earning a postseason spot - note: special teams players are excluded, i.e. punters, kickers, long snappers, returners, gunners, etc.
the 10-3 raiders:
0 - no offensive or defensive guys from the 2011 season are still on the team.
the 8-4 lions:
2 - one offensive guy and one defensive guy, including stafford (qb) and levy (lb). note: pettigrew (te) would have made it three guys but he hasn't played a snap all season and was released yesterday.
the 8-4 broncos:
4 - two offensive and two defensive guys, including harris (db), thomas (wr), miller (lb), and green (te).
the 8-4 giants:
4 - two offensive guys and two defensive guys, including manning (qb), pierre-paul (dl), cruz (wr), and beatty (ol). note: beatty has only played in 5 of the giants 12 games.
the 7-5 falcons:
4 - two offensive guys and two defensive guys, including ryan (qb), jones (wr), babineaux (dl) and weatherspoon (lb). note: weatherspoon has been limited to just 4 games this season.
the 10-3 chiefs:
6 - one offensive guy and five defensive guys, including johnson (lb), berry (db), hali (dl), bailey (dl), houston (lb) and charles (rb). - note: charles has only played in three games, houston in just four and bailey in just five, i.e. three of the six guys from the 2011 roster have played in only, roughly, a third of the 2016 games.
the 8-3-1 seahawks:
6 - 1 offensive guy and 5 defensive guys, including wright (lb), sherman (db), baldwin (wr), thomas (db), chancellor (db) and morgan (lb). note: morgan has only played in 5 games this season.
the 11-1 cowboys:
7 - four offensive guys and three defensive guys, including free (ol), witten (te), lee (lb), smith (ol), bryant (wr), church (db) and scandrick (db). note: romo (qb) would have made it 8 guys but he hasn't played a snap all season.
the 10-2 patriots:
8 - 5 offensive guys and 3 defensive guys, including edelman (wr), chung (db), mccourty (lb), solder (ol), cannon (ol), ninkovich (lb), gronkowski (te) and brady (qb). note: vollmer (ol) would have made it 9 guys but he hasn't played a snap all season.
the 7-5 ravens:
7 - 3 offensive guys and four defensive guys, including flacco (qb), webb (db), mcclellan (dl), pitta (te), suggs (lb), smith (db) and yanda (ol).
