NFL to LA: Who Do You Want?

By the fall of next year the NFL landscape could be completely different thanks to the result of NFL to LA.

This January in Houston, it is likely that the Oakland Raiders , San Diego Chargers, and St. Louis Rams will submit for relocation to Los Angeles for the 2016 season.  This means for the first time in twenty years the NFL will have one and maybe two teams in the second largest media market in the United States.

Last night in St. Louis, the Rams played in their last home game of the season, and maybe their last in St. Louis, were serenaded with chants by their fans to the tune of “Keep the Rams.”

On Sunday in San Diego, it may be even more emotional as the Chargers maybe playing their last game in San Diego; going back to 1961 when they were still part of the American Football League.

For Raiders fans in Oakland, they’ve already had their team leave and comeback; losing them again to Los Angeles may be the last cruel act that in their saga to find a suitable playing venue for the modern NFL.

For NFL fans in Los Angeles eager to call a pro team their own the promise of the NFL returning and the creation of new venues seems too good to be true after all of the false starts, but for fans a good question to ask is which team do you want?

As of this week, the three teams are a combined 15-25 for a combined winning percentage of 0.375 — with one team on the rise, another in decline, and one stuck in a rut.

For fans in LA who have waited this long for pro football the current lows may not matter but future success will be on the minds of fans and their loyalties may be incumbent on how the new teams do when they arrive.

Currently, it could be argued that the Raiders may have the promise for future success. They have a young dynamic QB-WR duo in Derek Carr and Amari Cooper and on defense Khalil Mack has shown he can be terror, racking up a team record 5 sacks in an upset win over division rival Denver Broncos.

The Rams have for years been picking in the top-5 of the NFL Draft, yielding promising young assets that should have signaled a rise in fortunes. But having played in NFC West that has been dominated by the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, the Rams have yet to fill their potential.

If the Rams do make their way back to Los Angeles they will bring with them the dynamic Todd Gurley who has broken out as a star running back and they bring a tough rugged defense.

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The Rams also bring a lot of question marks as well, who will be their quarterback, will coach Jeff Fisher survive another playoff less years, and will the fans clamoring for a return stay loyal if they stay in their mediocrity rut.

The San Diego Chargers certainly look like a team on the decline as they will likely finish last in their division and miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

They also have a quarterback on the bad side of thirty-four as Philip Rivers has started a slow decline.  If the Chargers move to LA will their recent struggles will fans embrace a poor playing team or will the Chargers move be sunk before they get here.

Bottom Line: NFL to LA is more than just an idea — it’s a coming reality.

Those are the prospects for the teams trying to move Los Angeles, and in the end we know it’ll come down to a tough decision.

Let’s hope that the wait is worth it.