Is 'Hard Knocks' A Good Idea For The Rams?

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to announce Wednesday that the Los Angeles Rams will be showcased in this year's edition of HBO's "Hard Knocks."

"Hard Knocks" provides an in-depth look inside a specific NFL team throughout training camp, allowing the viewer to not only see how the team's practices are ran, but to also see the day-to-day routines and challenges for specific players.

"It's clear both in Southern California and nationwide there's significant interest in the return of the Rams to Los Angeles, and it seemed like a very good year to give people a look at our franchise and our players," Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff told the Los Angeles Times.

The decision to have the Rams be filmed for over 1,500 hours may have fans and others invested in the NFL question whether or not the team is prematurely airing on the hit HBO show.

Case Keenum was announced as the starting quarterback leading into training camp, but most observers say Keenum has proven to be mediocre at best.

A college standout at Houston, Keenum was largely a product of the system with inflated numbers, and has since been considered an average NFL quarterback.

If head coach Jeff Fisher should decide to draft a Cook or Goff or any other QB, some analysts doubt an open QB battle between Keenum, Nick Foles, and whomever they draft on a HBO special would benefit the team - or its fans.

"We have one of the youngest teams, a lot of talented players -- back-to-back rookies of the year -- that we want people to start to get exposure to. What better way to do that than 'Hard Knocks'?" Demoff told The Times on why he felt it would be smart to host the HBO series.

While the Rams have had a phenomenal turnout from two players early in their careers - Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley - placing the young team under the spotlight of an HBO special could expose the lack of veteran leadership the team needs in order to keep the young stars focused on ultimately what the end goal is for the team: a Super Bowl.

Leadership remains a question mark over the team after management's decision to release two of their best leaders in Chris Long and James Laurinaitis earlier this off-season.

But such concerns don't seem to worry Fisher too much: when asked about whether he thinks a film crew would be a distraction for his team, he responded "I don't think so. I've talked to enough coaches over the years that have done it and a couple of days into it, it's a non-factor."

Fisher may be on to something.

The last six "Hard Knocks" teams have equaled or improved their season record from the previous season, and the Cincinnati Bengals , New York Jets and Houston Texans all made the playoffs in the season they were featured.

The Rams, on the other hand, finished 7-9 last season, and haven't made the playoffs since 2004. Perhaps a season of "Hard Knocks" could help catapult the team to the postseason in its first season after returning to L.A.

The hour-long "Hard Knocks" will air on Tuesdays starting its eleventh season on Aug. 9 and going all the way through until Sept. 6.