Filed under: Rams, NFC West, NFL Rumors, NFL Hall of Fame

In light of recent comments by Marshall Faulk, coupled with recent news about the Rams interest in offering Stephen Davis another year tender - it's hard not to sit back and dream a bit about an unprecedented legendary scenario that could actually come to pass this year in St. Louis.

Picture if you will ...

"Marc Bulger leans in to take the snap - he rolls out to the right in an option and pitches the ball to Stephen Davis - he's gonna throw it - he's got Marshall Faulk on an out pattern, he laterals back to Jackson who's got blockers - and down the sideline he goes and no one even wants to think about getting in front of that load of dreadlocks. One man to beat, and Jackson puts a stiff-arm to the chest of the defender - and no ones stopping to count the bodies baby - ring up six for the good guys."

Ahhh, I have to calm down. Okay I'm better now.

As much of a fantasy as that play is, the pieces of that puzzle could very well fall into place this year and the Rams could have the most talented and tantalizing backfield in NFL history.

Steven Jackson - The most exciting young all-purpose back to come along in years.

Stephen Davis - NFL rushing leader and three time Pro-Bowler with nearly 9,000 rushing yards and counting.

Marshall Faulk - MVP, future Hall of Famer, plus dozens more accolades that would take too much room to fit in this small blog.

Just the mentoring and leadership of having Faulk back on the Rams sidelines would be so huge to the many youngsters on the squad - you can't buy that kind of motivation at any price.

Then throw in the small detail of another pair of future Hall of Fame receivers in Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt, and the anticipation starts to lead one's head into the clouds.

A few defensive pieces to boot and next year's team could really be one for the picture books.

Here's to next year baby.

GO RAMS!!

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West, NFL Media Watch

You can see it in his eyes whenever the subject is brought up, though just seeing his body language is enough to tell the truth that shines like a beacon in his eyes; that unmistakable twinkle akin to a child staring up at the ice cream man.

When St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writer Bryan Burwell got a moment to sit down and talk with the long-familiar subject from his years of beat writing in St. Louis, there were no brave-faced structured answers, but rather more of unguarded candor.

And then came probably the most repeated question one man has ever had to endure, and of course he knew it was coming.

"Will you play again?"

He smiled when he heard the question and nodded his head. Faulk wants to come back because he hasn't exhausted his love for the game. He doesn't want to be one of these guys who retires and then a few years later wonders if he left too early.

"I don't know," he said with a sly smirk. "It's all health-related. I have my good days, and I have my bad days."

Faulk has not played football in more than a year. He had minor surgery on both of his knees about a year ago. "Clean up" surgery, he called it. But his left knee did not respond, and he missed the Rams' mini-camps and off-season workouts. Then he had reconstruction on the left knee in August, forcing him to sit out the 2006 season.

Everyone thought his 12-year playing career was over. Everyone, that is, except Faulk

But even if he does decide to give it another go, what role would he fill in St. Louis, where he is arguably the best player in Rams history?

"That's up to Scott (Linehan)," Faulk said. "He has to decide what he wants to do."

Faulk says he wouldn't go anywhere else. It's the Rams or nothing, even if Mike Martz calls.

"I love Mike," he said, laughing, "I really do. But Mike doesn't own any team, does he? So that's the end of that."

God bless Mike Martz for what he has done for the St. Louis Rams, but seeing Marshall Faulk sporting a Lions jersey?

That just would be wrong.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West, NFL Coaching

Last year when Scott Linehan first began assembling his staff, he had a vision of the names he wanted to see on his payroll. That list originally included a man be the name of Al Roberts. But Linehan was unable to coax his target out of the Northwest and into St. Louis.

But this year Linehan finally got his man, and this year Roberts will try his hand at figuring out what has over the last few years become a Special Teams nightmare in St. Louis where the Rams have finished at or near the bottom in every category since 2004. The Rams couldn't get Bob Ligashesky out the door fast enough, and the former Special Teams coach was hired immediately by the Steelers.

An old pro with many years of NFL experience, Roberts was contented and happy with the position he has held for four years; coaching an inner-city football team at Garfield High School in Seattle. But this year Roberts will be back in the big-leagues for another go for the first time since his coaching days with Cincinnati.

Stltoday.com

Roberts was with the Bengals from 1997-2002, but when Marvin Lewis took over as Bengals coach in '03, he brought in his own special teams coach.

Roberts also worked in the NFL with the Cardinals (1994-95), the Jets (1991-93), the Eagles (1988-90), and the Houston Oilers (1984-85).

The Rams also hired Mike Cox, who will replace Joe Baker as Linebackers Coach this year. It will be his first stint in the NFL after working the same job at Michigan State for the last four years.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Even when you get down to the numbers, letting Mike Furrey go on down the Free Agent pathway was a mistake. Forget the re-structure effort; forget the visions of a new grandeur as justification from first-year Coach Scott Linehan. Forget if you can what a blessing Furrey was to the St. Louis Rams.

Good luck with that.

Furrey traveled the outcast pathway along with Mike Martz to Detroit before the beginning of last year and in doing so joined the likes of Ricky Proehl and London Fletcher as some of the biggest boo-boos by Ram hierarchy in letting key personnel get away. And soon to join that list will be another super-hot burning spark plug by the name of Kevin Curtis, who likely will join the Lions receiving corps in 2007 - and flourish in much the same way Furrey did.

Furrey was a huge fan favorite in St. Louis and it wasn't because he was any kind of a diva or even a big play guy. But he, much like Proehl played his heart out every single down and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time in the clutch, and always made the most of his chances.

I for one knew from the very moment I heard he was off to Detroit that he was going to be a huge impact in Mike Martz gun-slinging offensive ways. And his 98 catches this year was tops in the land and you know what? It couldn't have happened to a nicer, more deserving guy.

So congratulations to you Mike Furrey for finally getting the corporate respect you have deserved for a long, long time. This guy's throttle is stuck wide open, and I still scratch my head when I try to understand why in the world the Rams ever let him go. But players like him are too few in this league.

I wish him many more star studded seasons like '06

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Rams special teams coach Bob Ligashesky spared no horse-power getting himself set up with another gig in Pittsburgh.

The ink on the pink-slip barely had time to dry when the Steelers announced him as their newest addition to join Ken Whisenhunt in Pittsburgh's own revolving hierarchy.

Rams Coach Scott Linehan officially let Ligashesky go on Thursday, but the fact that he interviewed two unnamed candidates at this year's Senior Bowl is evidence that the decision was actually made long ago.

Stltoday.com

"He's a good coach with a bright future," Linehan said Thursday. "But we need to make some improvements on special teams. Sometimes change is good for both parties."

Ligashesky, 44, is a Pittsburgh native who played football at Indiana (Pa.) University and coached at the University of Pittsburgh from 2000-03.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West, Super Bowl

Not much comparison really.

When you think of the representatives of an entire football conference in the Superbowl, you would think that you are looking at the best of the best, at least when you're talking about the key play-makers. And what player is more a key to a team than their quarterback?

Of course there is much more to a "team" than just one player, and in the case of the NFC representative Chicago Bears, there are many key players. It doesn't just come down to one MVP.

Obviously.

So what does it take to be a QB these days in the big show? Not much more than it took to be Billy Carter, wayward brother to an American president.

So I thought I'd take a look at a little side-by-side comparison of the Bear's Rex Grossman and the 8-8 Rams QB Marc Bulger.

Rex Grossman started all 16 games this year, completing 54.6 percent of his passes for 3,193 yards. Not bad. Marc Bulger also started 16 games this year, completing 62.9 percent for 4,301yards.

In a championship year, Rex had 7 games with a QB rating over 100. Bulger had 8. But Train-Rex also had 3 games with a rating of not more than 10.2, while Bulgers lowest rating of the year was a 55.9.

Grossman threw 20 interceptions this year; Bulger threw 8.

Bulger is going to the Pro-Bowl, because he deserves it; Grossman's going to the Super-bowl on a free pass and a note from his mother.

The difference is Grossman's defense bailed him out this year while Bulger spent most of the year trying to bail out his defense.

So apparently you don't necessarily have to do anything but show up in uniform in some cases. But come Sunday when Rex faces off with a real quarterback in Peyton Manning, there will be no more coddling.

Colts - 33 Bears - 17

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Maybe the real reason Tyoka Jackson left the Rams at the end of last year didn't have anything to do with broadening his horizons. Maybe he just got sick of scruffy flight attendants getting in his face on flights into St. Louis.

StlToday.com:

A male flight attendant filed a million-dollar lawsuit this week against Tyoka Jackson, claiming the former Rams football player knocked him across an airplane two years ago as it approached St. Louis.

After flight attendant Gary Rihn repeatedly asked Jackson to stow his carry-on bag, Jackson shoved Rihn so hard that he was knocked across the aisle and landed, feet in the air, against another passenger, according to a Federal Aviation Administration letter that proposed a $20,500 fine for Jackson.

Tyoka's lawyer Tom Magee call B.S. saying that Rihn poked him with his finger and harassed him when he chose to keep his bag under his seat, obviously so he could protect it from the evil man-waitress.

It has also been suggested that maybe the plane's in-flight movie "Meet the Parents" with Ben Stiller might have put paranoid ideas into the former Ram-lineman's head.

Stewardess: Sir you will have to stow your bag before we can take off.

Stiller: It's my bag and I don't have to give it to you. You people lost my bag last time and just about ruined my life, so I'm keeping my bag right here with me - step off bitch!

Rihn's lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, asks for $250,000 in actual damages and $750,000 in punitive damages. Rihn's wife, Bonita Rihn, asks for $200,000 more, for "loss of consortium."

The suit says Jackson injured Rihn's head, shoulder, arm, knee and back and cost him over $6,300 so far on medical expenses. The suit says Rihn also suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Being christened as the new savior of Ram-Nation doesn't come without a huge price tag, and Steven Jackson will be paying from day one. With the order of execution still yet to be determined, one thing we know for sure is that the road in 2007 will be anything but peace and tranquility.

The Rams, other than visiting the obligatory divisional stadiums (and that in itself will be a whole new and wild animal in '07) will be heading off to some of the most unfriendly confines with some of the most up-and-coming teams the league.

New Orleans Saints - These guys were the upstarts of '06, but were hardly a flash in the pan. They will be returning the future MVP of someday, Reggie Bush, along with Drew Brees and Coach of the Year Sean Payton. It will mark the first visit back to the Superdome for Jim Haslett. One more year after Katrina, but the Saints are and still will be the lifeblood of the people. There will be no friends to be made on this Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals - They fell short last year, but Carson Palmer is still the most fundamentally sound Quarterback in the league. Chad Johnson, the NFL's second favorite diva will be healthy and Rudi will be running. We better hope the Rams have a defensive unit put together and in full motion on this day.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Not quite the unit they wanted to be. But you can rest assured that Jon Gruden will not be coach of and underachieving team for very long. And with the history of any Rams team in South Florida, this has all the makings of a trap game at any point in the season.

Baltimore Ravens - What else is there to say here but "Oh crap!" Easily the Rams toughest game of the year. Legendary defense that never seems to give anything but the same hard time to the entire league every year since the turn of the century. And now they actually have a quarterback in Steve McNair. So what if he looks like Hootie from the Blowfish; it doesn't take much when you have a stingy attack like that. Yikes on this day.

So you can see that 2007 won't be any friendlier to the Rams than '06. The only equalizer will be how the Rams prepare for the league in their free agent and draft performances.

Either way, the whole deal will ride on the back-and the legs- of Steven Jackson this year. Let's hope he can bring it like he did last year.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

When Bill Cowher officially retired there was much speculation in St. Louis that Jim Haslett wanted his name in the pool of potential Head Coach candidates. This led to much criticism on his level of dedication to his own still new job as Defensive Coordinator with the Rams.

Haslett took alot of second-guessing by media and fans alike in Ram-Nation - and why shouldn't he? Even before the ink was dry on the last box-score of the season, the rumors of his departure we already circulating.

But now it appears Haslett has put those rumors to bed and says he wants nothing more than to see his family and get back to work.

Audio clip:

"Every association has it's own agenda, they're looking for certain types of people. And who knows, with the right situation anything can happen. But right now I'm enjoying my time here. I haven't seen my family in about a year and a half with this situation and the situation in New Orleans last year, and I'm just looking forward to spending some time with them and then getting back to work here."

This Rams defense has come a long way, but obviously still is very much a work in progress. It's nice to hear that Haslett wants to keep his focus on continuing the defensive rebuild.

God knows it needs more attention.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Amazing is what it is, just amazing.

The Colts became the first team to go to the Superbowl with a run defense that was ranked dead last in the regular season. The Rams were only slightly better at number 31.

What was the difference? Better play as a team for the Colts, and a tremendous amount of heart as a group of men. The Rams can take this as an example that anything is possible if you believe in the man next to you and never lose sight of the ultimate goal.

But then something really amazing happened. That run defense shored itself up, and after allowing over a hundred yards per game in each regular season contest, has not allowed a hundred rushing yards in either of their post-season contests.

It goes to show what a strong leader Manning is for his team, and the Rams, who have struggled with leadership roles and have been questioned about their "heart" would do well to take the Colts example of teamwork and focus as personal lessons.

I know that I have made fun of these guys some but the fact is that I really hope that Peyton Manning finally gets that elusive Lombardi trophy. It would be a fitting compliment to the NFL's best student of the game. I also hope he thanks the people who helped him get there and realizes that the big man is smiling on him this year. So here's good luck to the Colts and congratulations to the pillar of great team leaders and just plain good men, Tony Dungy.

One game to go.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West, NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl

After a careful and full five minutes of serious thought about the quality potential of this years Superbowl, I have come to one staggering conclusion.

There just may be two losers this year.

I've got a great idea, why doesn't the NFL just re-name this year's contest the Futility Bowl?

First you have the very charismatic Peyton Manning of the NFL's first family Mannings. I mean for all the hype and props these guys get every Sunday, you'd think they must have a good ten titles between them. But we all know under the pressure of the playoffs Peyton Manning sucks, Eli sucks and way back in the stone age Archie sucked before either of his boys learned how to swallow ... or choke.

There not say boo - they're saying Looo-ser.

Then of course there's Rex the Bear hex. This guy can be really on when he's on as the Rams found out that fateful day in their own crib. But when he throws a rod, he can exude funk like a ten foot break in a sewer line. How many games did he pilot back there with ratings under 40? Many I think. But the real question is how do you manage a 1.3 rating and a full-on 0.0 and still go to the Superbowl?

Wow.

Well, it should be entertaining if nothing else provided Rex doesn't get hung by any angry scared mobs patrolling Chicago's miracle-mile before miracle Sunday. And of course provided Peyton doesn't hurt himself tripping over his running back or cry because he broke a nail on one of his lineman's helmet. But don't expect too much out of a post-season Manning.

It's okay Peyton, just rub some dirt on it baby.

This opinion is expressed for the sole purpose of pissing off the masses and is enjoyed by me more than anyone else because I'm slightly unhinged and love making fun of people. Not to be taken seriously.

And yes I do realize I need Jesus.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West, NFL Playoffs

Every time I see Rex Grossman, and then realize that his ineptness and bumbling ways behind center still somehow led him to Forrest Gump his way to the 2007 Superbowl, well it just makes me cringe.

How can someone so dumb find the keys to one of the otherwise best teams of the century and ride their coat tails to the biggest game in the land?

It's a head shaker.

What it tells me more than ever before is that with just a little bit of more of a twist in the good/bad luck department, the Rams and Marc Bulger could be right where he is now. But then again, so could the Cowboys, the Seahawks or the Saints.

Sure the Bears were the better team today against the Saints. But it was one of those games where field conditions played a major role, and the doomed domed team couldn't make the adjustment. And yes once again the Bears found a way to turn the tide and run away with a game that strangely even though they won by 25 points, still didn't leave you with the feeling that they were the better team.

It's Grossman, he reminds you of a guy who inherited a powerhouse with no clue how to run the machine. Now they will be in the big show against the biggest post-season bumbler of all time - Peyton Manning.

Sheesh. What hurts the most is the way the Rams finished out the season on such a tear. They could be there instead of Mr. Gump and the bad news Bears.

That's all I have to say bout that.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

How wild will the NFC West be in 2007 you ask?

Pretty wild baby - bet on it.

Of the four teams in the West, there are at this point none that stand out as clear favorites to come away with the next division banner.

The Seahawks have the last three, which is a travesty in itself seeing as how the Rams won the wild-card entry in '04, losing the division by one game to the Hawks - then promptly went to Seattle and spanked them on their own playoff turf for the third win out of three tries that year. '05 was the only year the Seahawks earned the division head and shoulders above the rest of the competition in the NFC West. Their '06 showing was a prelude to the typical down-hill ride. They really didn't belong in the playoffs any more than the Rams did, and it showed plenty in the miracle escape from Dallas, before the law of averages caught up to them in Chicago despite a heroic albeit dysfunctional effort in the divisional round. Shaun Alexander is aging and becoming more brittle. Look for him to do the Curtis Martin fade next year, leaving the Hawks increasing O-line even more challenged to create miracles.

The Rams seem to be best poised to take back the division crown and bring it to where it has enjoyed most of it's off-seasons. The emergence of Steven Jackson (barring injury) means the Rams running game will come into the year even more solid than the days of Marshall Faulk (how powerful is that statement?) Throw in the encouraging year-end play of the offensive line and the Rams needs are relatively small and are focused mainly on a couple of large space-eating run stoppers and some special teams help. They do figure to be the team to beat in the West next year.

The 49ers are also on the rise in a big way with Mike Nolan and Norv Turner set to create more havoc. They were a surprising upstart this year with their own big-play threat in Frank Gore. After sweeping their own season series, they knocked the Broncos out of the playoffs at the end of the year themselves. They will be looking for a big wide-receiver to compliment their young QB Alex Smith. Look for them to finish second in the division.

The Cardinals will be bringing a new coach into the mix next year. What that means for them is a new system to learn and implement on the fly in '07. As we all well know, the Cards have all the offensive weapons a team could dream of, and if they are successful in acquiring some badly needed offensive line pieces, second year pro Matt Leinart will be poised to usher in the most successful Cardinal era ever. However, given the complexity of the major upheavals they are facing, I look for them to once again finish last in the west.

NFC West Final 2007 Standings

Rams 10 - 6

49ers 9 - 7

Seahawks 7 - 9

Cardinals 7 - 9

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

The St. Louis Rams have some decisions to make very soon regarding their own list of perspective restricted and non-restricted free agent. But the nice thing about their situation is the fact that few of the players on the long list are impact players. If the Rams play their card as so, they will open up many roster spots that can aid phase two of the new generation St. Louis Rams rebuild on-the-fly.

Keepers:

Stephen Davis - His experience and leadership go well with his durability when used as a situation player. And invaluable veteran backup for Steven Jackson.

Isaiah Kacyvenski - A key cog towards making progress in coverage units on special teams. His leadership ability is also an asset to a team that needs it's captains to help offset the youth influx.

Matt Turk - A no-brainer. The Rams searched a long time before finding Turk, who has transformed the punting unit into a non-issue - finally.

Todd Steussie - Did much better when relegated to guard. Can continue to provide quality depth, while having more of that big-game experience.

Raonall Smith - Showed flashes of big-play capability towards the end of the season. Smith shows some promising ability but must continue to work hard to develop his level of play.

Brandon Chillar - Was also forced into a starting role due to injuries at LB. Has become a quality second-stringer as well.

Aaron Walker - While the Rams still used their TE's on a limited basis, that part of the playbook will only get bigger in '07. I think Dominique Byrd will be the starter, but Walker will provide needed depth as well.

Of course I would like to see Kevin Curtis stay, but it isn't going to happen. He'll end up with a much bigger role on another team, much like Mike Furrey in Detroit and Ricky Proehl before him. Shaun McDonald can still be useful as a number four receiver, but he's likely to be lured away as well.

Much the same as last year, I think we can expect to see many more departures than just FA list. Expect to see a plethora of new faces as the re-tool enters the "Show-me" sophomore season for Scott Linehan and the rest of the new movement.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Even back a couple years when Mad Mike Martz was still in charge, Marc Bulger was busy proving to the world that he is force to be reckoned with behind center; and that was no easy task.

Those were days which will fade into distant memory quickly for Bulger. They were days when he was asked to hold the ball and extra-long time on a regular basis to allow his deep-threat receivers to get down the field and into big-play territory, which while it did make for many and exciting play, it also meant many blind-sidings and potato-sackings which left Bulger on the sidelines every year prematurely.

That's bad news, and it showed in the Rams fade from playoff competition during that period.

But things are much better these days for Bulger. It took nearly the whole year to work out the bugs of a new offensive system, but when he got hold of it - it was off to the races for Bulger again. But problems with injuries kept his Offensive line in shambles for most of the year, which stymied the passing game and short circuited the play-action ability. But going into the last few games of the season, Coach Linehan finally got a solid, and even more important, young core of play-makers who appear to be solidifying their spots on the line. With Adam Goldberg's quality play and Richie Incognito's maturation into his natural role at Guard, the Rams scored big on the seventh-round pickup Mark Setterstrom's run-block talents in the last few games.

What that means is come next year, Steven Jackson will be running like a wild boar again with proper blocking ahead of him, and Bulger will be given time to throw again without feeling like he's standing on the freeway.

This year was the first time in Marc Bulger's career that he was able to complete a full sixteen-game schedule without missing due to injury.

Just wait till next year baby. It's on!

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West, NFL Injuries

After years of getting no respect, mostly for committing the immortal sin of being a nice guy, Torry Holt has always been able to say he's gotten someone's attention on Pro-Bowl weekend.

It's gotta be nice being able to jaunt off to Hawaii when the rest of us are stuck in the middle of winter.

But Holt will not be making that trip this year.

After suffering a knee injury in the Rams game at Oakland, Holt was facing the prospect of surgery for the second time in his career. He's apparently elected to have that surgery rather than make the trip over the big-blue with his team-mates Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson.

Priorities - what else would you expect from such a consummate professional?

In his place, the Lions' Roy Williams will get the nod to make the trip.

Nice job Roy.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Now that the games are over, there is a new man who will be thrust into the forefront when it comes to player decisions. Tony Softli is a guy who is more like an evil genius when it comes to evaluating and as sneaky as they come when it comes down to seeing what a player does when he knows he's being watched ... and even when he doesn't.

Stltoday.com:

Softli gets answers to those questions and others by talking to everybody he can on campus - coaches, athletic trainers, strength coaches, secretaries. Watching practice reveals a lot as well.

"I'll trick 'em," Softli said. "I'll stand in front of them and watch, so they can see me. Because they know who you are. Then, I'll go on the other side of the field and look from afar."

Does the player tone it down once he thinks the scout has left? Or does he just have one speed?

Tony Softli, nicely acquired from the Carolina Panthers for just this type of assignment, even has his own innovative computing formula he developed for assessing the value of players he's interested in. He used the first phase of this program while still with Carolina, but the second phase is rolling out for the first time this off-season.

While all this is going on, Softli has been evaluating potential free agents with Armey and former Rams player Ray Agnew. Before the NFL scouting combine in February, Softli will present a list of the top five prospective free agents at each position to Linehan, president of football operations Jay Zygmunt and the coaching staff. Linehan's staff will come in with its thoughts on potential free agents, and they'll have a meeting of the minds.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

Now that the financial torture that is the Christmas season is over and the majority of us are doing our best to catch up on our over-extravagances to give our loved ones just a bit more than was reasonable, it's getting just about time to start looking forward to the Christmas season savior - namely tax return season.

The Rams, though they did get much for their spent dollar in '06, surely have some ill placed funds they would like to have back. And there is some real justification to some of those wild checkbook regrets.

Claude Terrell - Now here is a guy who has so much potential, but burned not only the team, but every member of Ram-Nation at once. After getting special permission to go back to Texas to take care of the issue regarding his injured wrist, he arrived back from is AWL (Absent With Leave) in no better shape medically than when he left. He still has a limp wrist, as dysfunctional as ever. Seems to me with all the time he took to himself without thinking of the team, he would have sought the use of that wrist for ... something to pass the time with. But in the end it was only wasted time and money in his name this year.

Anthony Hargrove - Here is a guy that still has me baffled as to what he did that was so bad. Yes he got caught up in some mysterious rift with Coach Linehan over from what we can best discern was a poor choice to go gambling with his buddies and blow off a practice or two. But in the end it ended up costing him his job, which is curious since he was a ingriugely talented lineman with occasional playmaker flashes and great potential. The Rams ended up practically giving him to the Bills for nothing in return.

Travis Fisher - What a waste of space and cap-room this guy turned out to be. One of my favorite prospects from '05, he turned out to be such a liability in the secondary that it was, dare I say, a relief to see him go on IR. What turned out to be a train-wreck of a season will ultimately end up with those of us who believed in him so much hoping that he did get an education in his time at Central Florida, so that at least we know he won't end up like that guy from Milli-Vanilli he looks so much like. Didn't that guy kill himself?

J.R. Reed. - Man I hate to include this guy in the list, but as much as I was behind him and loved his comeback story, the powers that be for some reason just black-balled him right out of town as fast as he appeared. He didn't ever really get much of a chance to show his stuff, and what he did show was really no worse or better than any other kick returner this year. Maybe that was the problem.

So when Georgia the trip makes out her forty-eight page tax return this year, she might see what she can do to get paid back for paying into the casualty fund on these guys. Of the four, only Terrell still has a shot of hanging around, though he doesn't deserve it in the least as far as I can see. But what do I know - I've been wrong before.

I think it happened on a Tuesday last year.

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Filed under: Rams, NFC West

With so much focus being placed (and rightfully so) on the defensive side of the ball, it's easy to get caught up in dream-land with the hot young picks coming out of the schools.

But there is much more to consider when our number comes up on draft day.

The Rams do need much defensive help - there is no doubt about that. But not necessarily out of the draft. Most of the defensive needs should be addressed in the free agent pool. There, they can find experienced help that will have an immediate impact. Sure you want to go with a quality youth movement to some degree and get youngsters to develop and bring along, but that can be done via the later rounds.

Let's not spend our early pick on a defensive player.

Instead, the Rams need to focus on getting some young offensive play makers to start developing behind some of their aging superstars.

For instance. Isaac Bruce showed this year that his regiment of off-season conditioning is paying huge dividends for him by allowing him to still be a major play maker - but he isn't getting any younger.

Ted Ginn Jr.- WR - Probably won't be around when the Rams pick at number 13, but what a package player this guy is! Not only an exciting receiver, but a return man extraordinaire. He is like a taller Steve Smith. This is a guy that has all the potential to be the next HOF receiver in the Rams late great parade of talent in St. Louis. Check out this highlight reel.

Joe Thomas OT- Do we really think that Orlando Pace is going to live forever in the Rams backfield? He is one of the leagues greats, but is showing signs of age with injuries and timing issues this year. Thomas is another run-block expert that would mesh really well with the renewed ground effort the Rams are trying to convert to. He would help eventually to maximize Steven Jackson's expanding dominance. Give him some reps and spend a season or so developing his pass-block skill from the great one and we finally have the makings of a Pro-Bowl caliber offensive line.

JaMarcus Russel - QB - Now is the time to begin thinking about a quality young player to develop at QB. Now don't get me wrong, I love Marc Bulger, but Gus Ferrotte isn't getting any younger, and it's pretty obvious that Ryan Fitzpatrick will never be more than a back-up. This guy Russel is a monster, a gunslinger; he has broken fingers on his wide receivers with the rocket balls he throws. What a weapon to develop behind Bulger and Ferrotte. Nice knowing you Ryan.

Defense will get attended to just fine in FA and supplemented with lower draft picks. But the Rams need to go after tomorrow's offensive players today.

We were all spoiled by Kurt Warner a few years ago, and Steven Jackson this year. It's important to keep that fire burning by getting the hot shots now.

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