FanHouse FakhirBrown

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

The 2008 season was an unmitigated disaster for the Rams. They had their star running back hold out, only to be re-signed and get injured -- an injury which lingered far too long. They fired their coach after four embarrassing games, won two straight under his replacement, but then dropped their final 10.

It was hard to find a strength on this team. The offense ranked 27th in the league, while the defense was 28th. Then again, Donnie Jones was one of the best punters in the league. So there's that.

There is a rumor going around that the St. Louis Rams are actively trying to trade WR Torry Holt. If they cannot get him dealt soon, they may just release him.

The tip came from the utmost reliable source: a caller to a talk radio show.

Wednesday morning an anonymous tip came to a local sports-talk station saying the Rams had released cornerback Fakhir Brown. The caller knew what he was talking about. The following morning, the same voice called at about the same time and said Linehan was trying to release or trade wide receiver Torry Holt because the two despise each other.

Normally, you scoff when crazy things like this are heard, but when this dysfunctional situation is analyzed, the realization hits you that anything is possible.

Like that excerpt said, it is crazy to believe that kind of rumor ... but you cannot totally dismiss it. Remember, this comes on the heels of Holt rolling over on his coach about the benching of Marc Bulger. This also comes after Holt made comments during the offseason that he wants to bolt St. Louis to join his brother in Carolina.

It would seem if there was a organizational decision to choose either Holt or head coach Scott Linehan, the Rams would chose Holt. Especially since there is a rumor that Linehan could be fired after their game with the Buffalo Bills today.

St. Louis Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown has won an appeal of a failed drug test and will not be suspended for the 2008 season, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting, via PFT.

Brown was suspended for four games during the 2007 season, and another failed drug test would have led to a yearlong suspension. But Brown was at the team's practice facility Monday and is apparently in the clear for 2008.

Brown is the second player known to have won an appeal of a failed drug test recently, following Travis Henry of the Denver Broncos. Although the NFL has a reputation for heavy-handedness in dealing with player discipline, the Brown and Henry cases show that it's still possible for a player to get a fair hearing in front of the commissioner.

And so the gossip keeps flying. Adam Schefter reported last night that the Saints have inquired about what it would take to move from their spot at 10 to the Rams' at two.

Schefter believes the Saints are eyeing Glenn Dorsey or Vernon Gholston. A trade involving Dorsey would seem more likely -- they love him, and if it only takes their second-rounder or perhaps their third and right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett drafted, it'd be worth it. But Gholston makes no sense. That rumor is based on defensive end Will Smith's hold out, but the Saints would have to pay Gholston comparable money to what Smith is seeking, and those slight savings aren't worth risking a Pro Bowler for an unproven rookie.

As far as the Rams are concerned, the deal makes more sense. If they're hell-bent on getting a tackle and Jake Long is gone, the Rams could save money and get Jeff Otah, Branden Albert, or Ryan Clady (or Stinchcomb). They could also grab Leodis McKelvin or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with rumors that Fakhir Brown will be suspended for the season, or even Devin Thomas to replenish their receiving corps.

All in all, I don't buy it. For one, if the Saints are positioning themselves to grab Dorsey ahead of division rival Atlanta, what would stop Atlanta from offering less and assuring the Rams a smaller drop? Secondly, Jim Haslett left New Orleans on very bad terms, and though he doesn't call the shots I'd be surprised if he'd hand the Saints a player he also covets, one that could help his own unit tremendously. File this as unlikely.

Guys go down to injury, guys come back from injury. It's the circle of life. Sort of.

This Sunday marks the return of Tye Hill, the Rams' 2006 first-rounder and top cornerback, from broken bones in his back that caused him to miss four weeks. The Rams got their other starting cornerback, Fakhir Brown, back from a four-game suspension last week.

Though Hill will be reinstated in the defense gradually, starting with nickel packages, his and Brown's returns are a godsend for a defense that is woefully bad at creating turnovers. Entering this week, the Rams share the second-worst interception total in the league with three. Two of those belong to Brown, and they came just last week.

So, yeah, I'm pretty sure Hill is being welcomed back with open arms.

Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.

This week I sat down with Brett Knight of RAMblings, a Most Valuable Network column that covers the St. Louis Rams.

Dan Benton: "For many, the Rams offseason expectations were extremely high. How frustrating has it been to watch your team struggle for the first quarter of the season?"

Brett Knight: "Obviously, with so many pundits picking the Rams as a darkhorse playoff team, it's been difficult to watch the team stumble thus far, with no end in sight. But I don't know what's been harder to deal with: all the forces that have been out of our control or all the blown opportunities. It's one thing to watch your offensive line crumble and your Pro Bowl backfield taken out of games by injury - it's tough, sure, but there's really nothing you can do about it. It's a whole different story, though, to sit through the sloppy play this team has been exhibiting this year: penalties, turnovers, blown coverages, missed tackles, awful play-calling. For all the talk of the talent on this team, it's really been a shock to see such a lack of fundamentals. It's been said that the mark of a good team is how it responds to adversity; with that in mind, I'm not sure how to respond to this team."

To get you ready for week 2, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the St. Louis Rams/San Francisco 49ers preview.

2007 Records:

St. Louis Rams: 0-1 (t-4th in NFC West)
San Francisco 49ers: 1-0 (t-1st in NFC West)

Last Meeting: Rams 20, 49ers 17

When the Rams have the ball: Last week was pretty much a disaster for the Rams offense. Not only did they do nothing of any substance against the Panthers, they lost two key members of their offensive line for extended periods of time. Not the way any team wants to start the season.

That could haunt them a lot this week. The 49ers switched to a 3-4 defense this offseason, and if last week's game was any indication, they're going to blitz. A lot. They sent 4+ blitzers more often than any other team in the season's opening week.

The 49ers face a much tougher test tomorrow in Steven Jackson (provided, of course, he can hold onto the ball), but they dominated a pretty dangerous Cardinals passing attack. Marc Bulger is a ball-control quarterback, but he's going to be under a lot of pressure, and the 49ers have two very Pro Bowl-worthy corners waiting.

When the 49ers have the ball: If Alex Smith is to break out as expected this year, he'll have to play much better than he did against Arizona. Luckily, this is the type of defense to gain some confidence against. The Rams are playing without their top two cornerbacks, Tye Hill (injury) and Fakhir Brown (suspension). And they've never been good at stopping the run. Ashley Lelie might fool fantasy owners into picking him up with a couple of big catches, as the Rams struggle with speedy receivers, and Frank Gore could very well run for 200 yards, especially with outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa out.