With the 10th anniversary of their Super Bowl championship season approaching, St. Louis cut the final tie the current team had to the Rams prolific offense -- "The Greatest Show on Turf."

The release of veteran wide receiver Torry Holt was another step in a youth movement for a rebuilding team that was just 2-14 last season. The new-look Rams will have a new defensive-minded head coach and an offensive coordinator with a background in the "West Coast" offense.

"The Rams are a rebuilding team, one that plans to make the running game the center of their offense. Hanging onto an aging wide receiver with a pretty hefty contract just isn't a luxury they have," said VanRam from Turf Show Times.

"Holt, deservedly so, wants to finish out his Hall of Fame career with another shot at a Super Bowl, something the Rams can't reasonably deliver in the near future.

"Watching players leave that you've grown attached to over the years is always disappointing, but that's the business. I think every fan would rather have a winning team than hang on to fading icons."

They will certainly look back at Holt and the other key pieces of the Super Bowl XXXIV team, though, during the anniversary season.

"It was the total package," VanRam said. "It was the thrill of watching the Rams score 30 points a game and making it look easy."

Under offensive coordinator Mike Martz, the Rams led the NFL with 526 points, an average of 33 per game. During the regular season, they scored more than 40 points in three games, and over 30 in nine more. The offense also ranked No. 1 with 6,412 yards from scrimmage.

The Rams had the most dangerous offensive weapon at the time, running back Marshall Faulk.

Faulk rushed for 1,371 yards and seven touchdowns, a very good season by those numbers alone. But he was also the team's leader in receptions, with 87, and he finished second in yards, with 1,048. He added another five touchdowns through the air.

"Each of us has a player we most identify with the era," VanRam said. "It was just as enjoyable to watch Faulk catch passes as it was to see him weave through the middle of the field."

Behind center, quarterback Kurt Warner was a breakout star, winning the NFL most valuable player award in his first year as a starter. He threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

"For all the hype surrounding Warner and the Cardinals receivers in the Super Bowl this past year, it never matched the magic between Warner and the Rams receivers. Sometimes, it looked like the ball was on a string, zipping assuredly into the hands of Bruce or Holt."

Bruce was in his sixth season, and he caught 77 passes for 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a rookie, Holt had 52 catches for 788 yards and six touchdowns.

Az-Zahir Hakim was a second-year returner and No. 3 wide receiver, and he finished with 36 catches for 677 yards. Hakim spread the field, with an 18.8 yard-per-catch average, which ranked third in the NFL.

A decade later, with Holt the last to go, the Rams have a very young and inexperienced corps of wide receivers and a new offensive system.

When former New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo got the head coaching job with the Rams, he brought in Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur as the offensive coordinator. Shurmur is well versed in the West Coast system, after spending seven seasons under Eagles coach Andy Reid.

"It doesn't compare to the old 'Turf Show,' not at all, and that's okay," VanRam said. "I think it's always a mistake to try and recreate the past. The Rams have been a team in steady decline for five seasons, and now we're in the process of rebuilding a much tougher football team.

"It's funny, the West Coast offense, or some version of it, has become so common in the NFL, it's really more of a back-to-basics approach for the Rams."

Quarterback Marc Bulger is in the process of learning the new offensive terminology and he may have to rely on a green group of receivers to be successful.

Rookie Donnie Avery caught 53 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie last year. The only other wideouts on the roster with a reception in the NFL are Keenan Burton (13-for-172, one touchdown) and Derek Stanley (6-for-119, one touchdown). Stanley is entering his third season, and Burton was a rookie last year.

"Donnie Avery stands to really benefit from the change to the West Coast offense," VanRam said. "With a tougher offensive line, teams will have to be more accountable for running back Steven Jackson, giving Avery the chance to get behind defenses and do some damage.

"Keep an eye on Keenan Burton. The Rams will be counting on him to play more of a possession role and keep the chains moving, especially in the new offensive system. Tight end Randy McMichael might finish the season with the most receptions, though."

There are some veteran receivers on the free agent market, if St. Louis is interested, and the team has the No. 2 pick in next month's draft.

"The Rams will add another wide receiver before the season, but I don't think they'll use a first-day draft pick for one," VanRam said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a flyer on veteran, especially a guy with some experience in Shurmur's system, before the start of the season. Drafting a receiver in the middle rounds is a very likely possibility even if they do sign a free agent."