By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

The Rams have used at least three quarterbacks in a regular season game in each of the past two seasons. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the position and made it difficult for the offense to find a rhythm.

Marc Bulger is set as the team’s starting quarterback heading into 2006. There is no doubt about Bulger’s ability to succeed in the NFL and some believe he is only getting better and could soon be one of the top signal callers in the league.

Veteran Gus Frerotte and youngsters Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jeff Smoker are behind Bulger on the depth chart. Frerotte is a solid backup, but probably doesn’t have much in the tank as far as being a starter again in the league.

Fitzpatrick got some limited experience in replacing Bulger in 2005 and had his ups and downs. While Fitzpatrick has a big arm and good athleticism, he struggled some after his dynamic opening act against Houston.

Smoker bounced back and forth between the roster and the practice squad after initially being released in the preseason. He has a good arm and athletic ability, but never really got much of a fair shake with the previous coaching staff. Now, with Doug Nussmeier as the quarterbacks coach (he coached Smoker at Michigan State), Smoker will likely at least get a chance in training camp this time around.

All of that said, there is certainly the need to add some help at this position. While Bulger is clearly talented and a good leader, he has had recurring shoulder problems and that is an obvious concern. The new coaching staff is going to make a concerted effort to keep him protected and he is working in the weight room to make the shoulder stronger so it can take more of a beating if need be.

And though Bulger has struggled with injury issues, he is closing in on the end of his contract. Both of those items make his future a little harder to get a read on than, say, a year ago at this time.

This year’s draft is fairly deep at the quarterback position, headlined by three players that have set themselves aside from the rest of the pack. USC’s Matt Leinart, Texas’ Vince Young and Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler are the top three prospects and expected to be gone by midway through the first round.

Rams’ coach Scott Linehan is high on all three prospects.

“You have the phenom (Young), obviously,” Linehan said. “I think he’s going to be something special for somebody next year. Then you have the guy who is the proven guy in Leinart. Then you have the guy who goes across the map and all of a sudden is the best quarterback in probably the best conference in football in Cutler. They are going to be highly coveted in this draft. It’s different than last year. These guys are all unique and different.”

While Young and Leinart are almost certain to be gone by the time the Rams come on the clock at No. 11, the team does have interest in Cutler. Cutler’s stock went soaring this past season when he displayed a strong arm and fiery competitiveness.

Cutler was scheduled for a visit with the Rams this week and is a serious consideration should he last until No. 11. With the uncertainty of the future of the position, Cutler could come in and develop behind Bulger with the potential to take over in a few years or should Bulger get hurt again.

The need for a quarterback probably isn’t great enough to warrant a first-round pick, but it could happen if the Rams have the quarterbacks rated much higher than the next player on the board.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Rams made a move on a quarterback at some point in the draft, even if it is a more developmental prospect. Other names to keep in mind include Bowling Green’s Omar Jacobs, Missouri’s Brad Smith and Alabama State’s Tarvaris Jackson.