Around the Horns

Things are settling down a bit at Rams Park in the midst of an offseason that has been busy and, it would appear, productive. Coach Scott Linehan revamped his staff, and the front office delved into free agency with a plan. And perhaps most important, an experienced personnel man – Billy Devaney – was brought in. Let’s look at these three areas:

>>Linehan, clearly on the ropes after the club’s inelegant 3-13 pratfall in ’07, made a bold stroke in hiring Al Saunders as offensive coordinator. Saunders not only brings a wealth of experience, but the move also signals that former OC Linehan truly is committed to immersing himself in his HC role and finally leaving the offense to others. Now, both of Linehan’s coordinators are former NFL head coaches, an indication that he’s not afraid to surround himself with key aides who tote long and impressive resumes. That’s an important asset for any leader.

According to several sources, Steve Loney should be a significant upgrade over Paul Boudreau as offensive line coach, an area of vital importance heading into the coming season. QBs coach Terry Shea has a solid reputation and should be able to help fine-tune Marc Bulger’s game, something his predecessor, Doug Nussmeier, was unable to do.

Art Valero (running backs/assistant head coach) gives Linehan another veteran NFL mind to tap into, and Ron Milus (secondary) was ready for a promotion.

>>The addition of Jacob Bell, the presumptive starter at left guard, provides Loney with several options. Mark Setterstrom figures to get a long look at center. If that doesn’t work, Richie Incognito could move back to center, with Setterstrom sliding over to his spot at right guard. And incumbent Brett Romberg certainly is in the picture at center, too.

Kicker Josh Brown is a more-than-suitable successor for the retired Jeff Wilkins, and Anthony Becht could be the hard-blocking tight end that Linehan has been seeking since arriving here.

The Trent Green signing also makes sense, particularly since Linehan has given up on the two-quarterback strategy that backfired last season and figures to bring in a young QB for grooming.

>>The team took a bit of a gamble a couple of years ago on Tony Softli, whose personnel experience was mainly limited to college players, and it didn’t work out well. Devaney has plenty of pro and college experience, and he will be the clear leader in personnel matters, something that had been lacking.

Of course, as promising as the offseason moves appear, their true value won’t be determined for some time. Plus, the Rams still have plenty of work ahead of them in shoring up several obvious areas of need (e.g., defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver) on the field.

Can all be addressed in the draft? Probably not. So, the shopping bag might still be open.

***

Watching Brett Favre’s retirement news conference brought the release of Isaac Bruce even more into focus. It’s a shame that Bruce couldn’t have finished his career with the Rams, but loyalty and emotion don’t have a place in the big business of pro football these days.

The Rams simply couldn’t afford to keep Bruce at the salary he was due. With so many areas to address, they badly needed the cap space. It was the right decision, however wrenching it might have been to Bruce’s fans.

How strange will it be to see Bruce in the Niners’ red and gold . . . with Mike Martz perched on the SF sideline?

All for now. . .

When team president John Shaw assured that Scott Linehan would return as the Rams’ head coach, it became a foregone conclusion that some assistant coaches would be jettisoned. That’s just how it works in the NFL after a lousy season.

And so it’s begun, with the firing of offensive line coach Paul Boudreau and the removal of Greg Olson as offensive coordinator. Olson could be reassigned on Linehan’s staff, but why would Olson want that? He’s been given the OK to talk with other teams, and it seems a good bet that he’ll find another job elsewhere.

Linehan rolled the dice a bit with Olson, who hadn’t been a coordinator previously. But it seemed like a logical move at the time, because Linehan was a former OC and would be running the offense anyway. That was before he learned just how demanding the duties of a head coach are.

So now he apparently is looking for a stronger presence in that role, a la Jim Haslett on defense. The names that have come up initially as potential candidates include ex-Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron and former Raiders head coach Bill Callahan. Both have impressive pedigrees as OCs.

Here’s a fun fact: Cameron and Callahan have the same agent, Gary O’Hagan. That could be interesting.

Could Al Saunders be in the mix, too, in the wake of Joe Gibbs’ resignation in Washington? Saunders, the Redskins’ OC, has a solid history with the Rams.

One thing we know for sure: Mike Martz won’t be returning; he was hired by the 49ers on Tuesday as their OC. Not that Martz had any chance of rejoining the Rams as long as Shaw was in charge anyway.

Candidates to succeed Boudreau could include Hudson Houck, most recently of the Dolphins; Drake head coach Steve Loney, a longtime Linehan friend and confidant; Mike Solari, recently out in KC; and Jim Chaney, the Rams’ assistant OL coach the last two years.

More staff changes probably are coming, but nothing further is expected this week. Stay tuned.

All for now. . .

GLENDALE, Ariz. - In what almost surely was his last game in a Rams uniform, 37-year-old center Andy McCollum was one of the team’s four captains for the pregame toss. McCollum made the right call - heads - and the Rams received to start against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Rams got a 37-yard Jeff Wilkins field goal and a 3-0 lead on that first series. But the Cardinals evened it on their opening drive, and the Rams never led again in a 48-19 loss in Bill Bidwill’s barrel-cactus-shaped stadium in the desert.

At 3-13, the Rams finished with their worst record since moving in 1995 to St. Louis - from where Bidwill had vacated in 1988. Times might be rough for the Rams right now, but consider this: Sunday’s win gave the Big Red an 8-8 record and only its third non-losing mark in 20 seasons here.

Afterward, wideout Torry Holt wondered whether in addition to McCollum, he might’ve seen the last of fellow wideout Isaac Bruce and perhaps even kicker Jeff Wilkins as teammates.

“That’s an interesting question. Obviously there’s been some speculation about quite a few of the guys who have been around for a while,” Holt said. “The organization is going to have some decisions to make. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.”

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Rookie Derek Stanley, who has been returning kicks lately, got in his first snaps at WR. He didn’t have a ball thrown his way, but he picked up 5 yards on an end-around carry.

>>The visiting  media “contingent” consisted of three Post-Dispatch writers. Channel 4’s Steve Savard, who does the Rams’ play-by-lay on radio, was the lone TV reporter in the building; no representative from a St. Louis radio station was on site.

>>Did you see T Alex Barron’s tackle “try” on Antrel Rolle’s 47-yard interception for a TD in the second quarter? Any matador would’ve been proud.

>>FS Oshiomogho Atogwe nabbed his eight interception (and returned it 52 yards for his first career TD). It marks the most Rams picks in a season since CB Dexter McCleon had eight in 2000.

All for now. . .

Humor hasn’t exactly been a staple at Rams Park during this season of discontent. But the mood was light Friday, as the team went through its final full practice of the year.

Coach Scott Linehan again had high-decibel music pumped into the indoor facility, and a number of players exchanged jerseys for the workout. “I guess it’s the World Cup,” Linehan quipped. “It was all fun. This is the last time really practicing in here together. . . . It was interesting to see some of those guys fit into some of those uniforms.”

Such as 315-pound tackle Alex Barron squeezing into wide receiver Marques Hagans’ jersey. Hagans goes about 205.

As for the players who wore their regular numbers? “I guess they have no friends,” Linehan said.

***

While some fans would prefer that the Rams roll over Sunday at Arizona, thus assuring a higher first-round draft pick in April, that notion is foreign to the players, veteran wide receiver Drew Bennett stressed.

“We’re all professionals here, and I think that you owe it to your teammates and your coaches to play like you would if we were headed to the playoffs,” he said. “I don’t think anybody is going into this game wanting to lose or not caring if we win or lose. The competitive nature of all the guys in this locker room still lets you compete, still lets you want to win.

“Granted, there’s a different kind of energy around the game because it is two teams not headed to the playoffs. But it’s still competitive athletes on the field.”

Added Linehan: “We’re going out there with the intention of winning the football game and basically set our goals for 2008. At the end of the game we’re going to be focused on that right away. We want to be very lofty and have high standards (as far as) our goals. That’s what our plan is going to be, not wait until the offseason to get us going.”

***

Notes & quotes:

>>A noticeably slimmer Adam Timmerman was a locker-room visitor Friday.

>>Even if Brandon Chillar (calf) suits up Sunday, he’ll probably be in an emergency backup role. Look for rookie Quinton Culberson to start at strongside LB.

>>The Holt Foundation - Rams WR Torry and Cards FS Terrence - will present a $50,000 check Sunday in a pregame ceremony to help create a Kidscan! Cancer Support Program in partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. The program will provide educational and emotional support for children whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer.

All for now. . .

Give the Rams coaches credit for at least one thing: They felt that if veteran defensive tackle La’Roi Glover were called on for fewer snaps, he’d be more effective, and they were correct.

Glover, 33, already has topped last year’s totals, with 56 tackles (he had 47 in ‘06) and 6.0 sacks (4.5 in ‘06). The emergence of rookie tackles Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan allowed the Rams to use Glover more as a rotation guy.

With 83 sacks over his 12 seasons, Glover ranks sixth among active players.

***

If Brandon Chillar’s strained calf muscle keeps him on the sideline Sunday at Arizona, the Rams would be able to suit up only four healthy linebackers. The starters would be Will Witherspoon in the middle, Chris Draft at weakside, and rookie Quinton Culberson at strongside. That would leave second-year man Tim McGarigle as the lone reserve.

“It’s going to be fine if we don’t have more than one guy have any problem during the game,” coach Scott Linehan said. “We’ll probably end up, if we have to go that way, carrying an extra defensive player, whether a D-lineman or a secondary player for special teams.”

The Rams use linebackers liberally on special teams, so they’d have to modify that. “We’ll have to make up for that with somebody or a couple of players at different spots that aren’t going to be linebackers,” Linehan said.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>CB Fakhir Brown has been out with a stomach ailment (bad fruitcake?), but he should be ready to go Sunday.

>>Expect Derek Stanley to return kicks and Brandon Williams to return punts vs. the Cardinals.

>>The Rams have four players that were on Arizona’s roster last year: O-linemen Milford Brown, Brandon Gorin and Nick Leckey, and special-teams regular Hanik Milligan.

>>For his two weeks on the active roster, recently re-signed RB Rich Alexis is due to receive $51,176 plus change.

All for now. . .

After being shut out Dec. 9 at Cincinnati, wide receiver Isaac Bruce has put together two strong games. He picked up 72 yards on four catches Sunday vs. the Packers, then tacked on 87 yards on seven receptions Thursday vs. the Steelers.

Bruce, who is in his 14^th season (all with the Rams), is rapidly ascending the NFL’s career lists. He now stands No. 3 in receiving yards (14,070), is tied with Art Monk for No. 6 in catches (940) and, after scoring on a 12-yard pass Thursday, is in a five-way tie for 13^th in touchdown receptions (84).

This season, Bruce has caught 53 passes for 694 yards and four touchdowns. Still, he’s 35 and is due to receive $5 million in 2008, including a $2 million bonus if he’s on the Rams roster when the league season begins in early March.

So, could that have been Bruce’s last game at the Edward Jones Dome in a Rams uniform Thursday? Coach Scott Linehan was noncommital Friday when asked about Bruce’s future with the team.

“It’s all speculation,” he said. “We do all of our personnel evaluations, and players make their own decisions, once the season is over. I really don’t have any comment on anything as far as what’s going to happen when the season is over.”

***

Linehan also had little else to add about the sideline kerfuffle that he and Torry Holt had late in the game. The normally placid Holt was seen shouting at Linehan, an ugly scene that was shown over and over on the telecast and during sports highlight shows later in the evening.

After the game, Linehan chalked it up to a “heat of the moment” reaction, and he didn’t waver on that view Friday.

“Sitting here at 3-12, I’m the first one to say that things are not all that pleasant. No one likes losing,” Linehan said. “Exactly what I said last night is what I say today and I’ll say tomorrow. You can ask me that question any way you want, and I’ll have the same opinion on it as I did last night. . . .

“Torry doesn’t like to lose. He’s a competitor. I don’t think anybody on our football team is happy with our record and the results of the game. I’m not surprised that people are frustrated. It doesn’t surprise me at all. I’d be disappointed if guys weren’t frustrated.”

Asked what Holt was complaining about, Linehan said: “It was nothing specific. It was the situation we got in and the fourth down (an interception by Pittsburgh’s Ike Taylor for a touchdown), and that was it. The rest of it’s between him and I. It’s over as far as I’m concerned.”

Holt declined to comment after the game and was unavailable Friday.

All for now. . .

It took fellow NFL Network analyst - and fellow future Hall of Famer - Deion Sanders to impress on Marshall Faulk the impact of Thursday night’s halftime event at the Edward Jones Dome.

“Yesterday I was telling Deion that I have to do this and that,” Faulk said Wednesday. Sanders advised Faulk to slow down and consider how meaningful it is to have his number retired by the Rams.

“He said that not many people get their number retired,” Faulk said. “We were walking through the hall (at Rams Park) and I said to myself that that was true. . . . It’s a very special occasion for me. I am without a doubt honored.”

Faulk’s No. 28 will be hoisted to the rafters during a ceremony to be emceeed by Bob Costas. Here are other excerpts from Faulk’s press conference:

>>On what it means to be the seventh Rams player whose number is retired: “It means a lot, because as a kid playing football you think about winning a Super Bowl, scoring touchdowns or just playing in the NFL. To get your number retired is an honor you don’t even think about. . . . As I move on in my career in broadcasting, thinking about it, seeing it and hearing it, each year further away from the game, it’ll become more and more special.”

>>On his seven seasons with the Rams: “The time I spent here, although it seemed fast, for me it was long because it was so much fun and exciting. Often when you play sports or do a job, you don’t get an opportunity to do it how you want to do it. How I envisioned myself playing the game of football, having fun whether that be win or lose, I got an opportunity to do it here with a bunch of great guys, guys who weren’t selfish, didn’t care who got the ball and (who) wanted to win and have fun. That time compared to my five years in Indy, it was long. It was drawn out because I made sure of that. I lived in the moment, I enjoyed it, I tried not to look back. Every time I reflect on being here, it’s always something good.”

>>On the Hall of Fame: “Being honest, the guys that are in the Hall of Fame, I can never see myself with those guys. I look at them and I think that they embody what football is all about, especially when you look back in the day with what those guys went through, how the game was before you made the money that . . . they make now. You played this game because you loved it, you had a second job, you enjoyed it and that was what it was all about. I just don’t see myself, never have, with the likes of those guys.”

>>On whether being considered one of the game’s smartest players means as much as his statistical achievements: “It means more to me. Being that kind of player required work that goes beyond what’s asked of you. We’d sit in the meeting room, and it’s easy to watch the run game and understand why it works. But . . . to play the game and understand the chess match that goes on, it’s so much fun. It made the game easier for me and at times when I could share that information with my teammates, it made the game easier for them.”

>>On his retirement: “Actually, I think if we had won the Super Bowl (in 2002), I probably would have retired after that year. But we didn’t and I felt like we still had it, so I came back. I was prepared to retire way before I did. All the time beyond then was bonus time for me. It was time to just continue to enjoy the game.”

>>On whether coaching could be part of his future: “I don’t see myself coaching. I don’t know if I could deal with what’s being asked of coaches today in the league - to baby-sit, the hours they have to put in, the time frame in which you have to win. Some of those things are just unrealistic. Probably the No. 1 thing that I can’t deal with is the player that feels like he can’t when he hasn’t tried. I wouldn’t know how to relate to that player.”

All for now. . .

This isn’t Torry Holt’s biggest season, but it just might be his best. He’s been fighting a balky knee, and is playing in an inconsistent offense that has included three different starting quarterbacks.

Yet Holt has been selected for a seventh Pro Bowl.

“This is probably the most special one,” he said. “Coming off the knee surgery and getting back and then losing players, having a 3-11 record, the constant change at the quarterback position, the constant change of the offensive line, certain things like that and to still be able to hang in there and try to stay somewhat consistent and then to be thought of by your peers and by the coaches and the fans as an all-pro guy is a treat.”

Holt heads into Thursday night’s game vs. the Steelers with 83 catches and 1,055 yards - both top-10 numbers leaguewide. At that pace, he would finish his ninth NFL season with 94 catches and 1,205 yards (his career highs are 117 and 1,696, respectively).

***

Punter Donnie Jones is a second alternate. But neither middle linebacker Will Witherspoon nor free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, both of whom are putting together standout seasons, received mention. Apparently it’s easy to overlook players on cellar-dwelling teams.

***

The Rams don’t have much to be proud of this year, but running back Steven Jackson identified at least one positive area.

“I’m proud that the guys aren’t giving up,” he said. “Sometimes you look around the league and a team isn’t winning and it has no shot at making the playoffs, and guys shut down. I think this team is still playing tough football.”

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Brett Romberg takes over for Andy McCollum as the first-team center this week. Romberg finally has recovered from injuries to both ankles. McCollum’s knee, reconstructed last year, has bothered him at times.

>>Brandon Williams (ankle) should be able to go vs. the Steelers. Marques Hagans and Derek Stanley were less than impressive in their shots as primary return men.

>>Asked whether he was experiencing any lingering symptoms from the concussion he suffered Dec. 2 vs. Atlanta, tackle Rob Petitti said, “I feel a little slow . . . but I always feel a little slow.”

All for now. . .

With biting temperatures, snow on the ground and Cheeseheads patrolling downtown, you’d have thought you were in the shadow of Lambeau Field. Sunday’s Rams-Green Bay game was played inside the Edward Jones Dome, but the atmosphere was decidedly pro-Packers.

That fact did not escape the hometown players.

*Running back Steven Jackson: “It’s a joke, simple as that. The whole first level was Green Bay Packers fans. And then we’re allowing them to put up signs. It’s a joke . . . it’s a joke.”

*Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe: “It is what it is. I have no control over the crowd. . . . We can’t force anyone to do anything.”

*Linebacker Will Witherspoon: “That’s a sad story. . . . It was a little surprising to see more people in your house than your team. It just makes it a road game for us.”

*Quarterback Marc Bulger: “Our fans that came, we appreciate them. We know how loyal the Green Bay fans are. . . . (The Packers are) having a great year. Their fans are excited; you could hear them pregame, all the chatter. It looks like an exciting time to play for that team. It reminds you of college a lot.”

***

Atogwe had two more interceptions, giving him seven for the season and tying him with Seattle cornerback Marcus Trufant for the NFC lead. Atogwe has picked off passes in five of the last six games.

After his second interception Sunday, he got a congratulatory hand slap from QB Brett Favre. “He just basically slapped my hand and I slapped his hand; it was just like, “good play, good play,’” Atogwe said.

Still, he was thrilled by the gesture. “Brett Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play this game, so it’s an honor for me to receive an interception from him,” Atogwe said. “I was excited to get one, and to get two, it’s truly a blessing.”

***

Outtakes from the 33-19 loss that dropped the Rams to 3-11, with Pittsburgh coming to town Thursday night:

>>TWO FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: On the same day that Brett Favre broke Dan Marino’s NFL record for career passing yards, Rams WR Isaac Bruce moved into fourth place in career receiving yards. Favre, 38, threw for 227 yards, giving him a total of 61,405 for his 17-year career. “I’m honored,” Favre said. “To pass a guy like Dan Marino . . . I’ve never considered myself in the same league as Dan Marino, maybe the greatest passer ever.”

Bruce, 35, had four catches for 72 yards, pushing his total to 13,983 for his 14-year career. He passed Indianapolis’ injured Marvin Harrison. Bruce declined to speak with reporters after the game.

>>PLAY OF THE DAY: Leading 20-14, the Packers faced third-and-10 with just over 6 minutes to go in the third period. The Rams blitzed Favre, and he hurriedly lofted the ball down the middle of the field. Because of miscommunication between Atogwe and CB Ron Bartell, WR Greg Jennings was wide open some 15 yards behind the defense. He hauled in the pass and waltzed into the end zone for a 44-yard score and a two-TD Packers edge.

>>GAME BALLS: Rams - RB Steven Jackson (24 carries, 143 yards, 46-yard TD run; four catches, 27 yards). Packers - LB Nick Barnett (13 tackles, including two sacks, in the unofficial press box stats).

>>HE SAID IT: “When you jump offsides and get holding calls and give up a sack, and you have to overcome that plus go 80 or 90 yards each time, it’s hard to score points.” - Scott Linehan.

All for now. . .

Previously concussed quarterback Marc Bulger is going to start Sunday against the Packers. According to the many “doctors” on various message boards, this is a bad idea.

Memo to the faux docs: First, Bulger is a smart guy. When it comes to a head injury, he wouldn’t put himself in a position to risk further damage. That’s why he didn’t play last week after his symptoms recurred.

Second, Scott Linehan is particularly cognizant of what repeated blows to the head potentially could mean. One of his brothers, who had suffered concussions, died at an early age of Alzheimer’s disease - although there is no proof that a direct link exists.

Third, specialists - plural - have told Bulger that it’s safe for him to return.

So, please, understand that the proper safeguards are in place and have been followed stringently. Time to stop the second-guessing.

***

He’s the smallest guy in the locker room, but 5-8, 170-pound Darius Vinnett is making a big impression on special teams. The speedster from Arkansas, an undrafted rookie, had a team-high three special-teams tackles last week in Cincinnati.

“Coming in here, I knew that was going to have to be my role,” Vinnett said. “I’ve just got to get in where I fit in.”

A cornerback by trade, he played on special teams only briefly for the Razorbacks. But he’s grown to like the assignment. “It’s fun to go out and have the opportunity to make plays,” he said. And what makes him so effective?

Well, his 4.32 40 speed helps a lot. But also . . .

“To be a special-teams player, you have to have the want-to,” Vinnett said. “I pride myself in everything I do on the field, and just try to go down there and make plays when I can.”

Of course, the ultimate goal is to carve out a spot for himself on defense. He fervently rejects any notion that he’s too small to play corner in the NFL.

“I don’t think my size will hold me back. If it was all about my size, I wouldn’t be here,” Vinnett said. “I just have to be patient and wait for my opportunity, and when I get my opportunity, be ready.”

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Brett Romberg (ankle) finally is healthy, but Andy McCollum will start at C on Sunday.

>>Thanks to a large influx of ticket-buying Packers fans, the game is sold out and will be televised locally on KTVI, Channel 2.

>>Rob Petitti (concussion) will sit again, meaning that Brandon Gorin likely will go the distance at RT.

>>You have to feel good for rookie WR/KR Derek Stanley, who was promoted to the 53-man roster this week and could be the primary returner vs. the Packers. Stanley, a seventh-round draftee from D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been on the practice squad all season.

>>Former Rams DT Ryan “Big Grease” Pickett is having a standout season for the Packers.

All for now. . .