The “Final Say” At Rams Park
Rams GM Jay Zygmunt has taken a beating from irate Rams fans and media. By trade, he’s been an attorney and the team’s salary-cap specialist. So what is the guy doing making personnel decisions? Why does he have power on the football side of things?
The issue of Zygmunt having “The Final Say” at Rams Park has been the rub with fans and media.
Zygmunt’s response to all of that came in two separate stages, and I will give them to you in reverse order:
1. Three times during a 30-minute interview on our Team 1380-AM radio show Monday, Zygmunt said this: “I am not a personnel guy.”
2. Over the weekend, Zygmunt hired Billy Devaney to serve as executive vice president over player personnel at Rams Park.
It’s becoming clear to me that even if Zygmunt was hung up on having power before, he seems to be getting over it.
That’s why Billy D is on board.
Zygmunt wouldn’t have recruited Devaney unless he valued Devaney’s football judgements. He didn’t bring Devaney in here to toss aside Devaney’s recommendations on free-agent signings and draft choices. He has too much respect for Devaney.
(OK, you may be asking… what about Tony Softli? Didn’t the Rams hire him to coordinate the draft, and wasn’t Softli supposed to have considerable influence at Rams Park? So why will it be different for Devaney? The easy answer: Devaney is an established talent evaluator in the NFL, and has made his reputation over a 25-year period. He has a track record. Softli was a relative unknown when the Rams hired him. And the Rams hired him after being denied permission to speak to seven other candidates employed by other NFL teams. To be blunt: Softli wasn’t what the Rams thought they were getting. They took a shot. It may not work out. But with Devaney, they KNOW what they are getting. Big difference between the Softli hiring and the Devaney appointment).
So if you are worried about Jay Zygmunt throwing his power down on Devaney as if it were a hammer, I’d suggest that you reevaluate the situation.
More than anything, J-Z realized he needed help.
And he went out and got it.
Don’t ask me
Head coach Scott Linehan said so on Monday at Rams Park. Speaking to a few reporters off to the side, after Devaney’s introduction, the newly candid Linehan offered this:
“I needed Billy Devaney to come here. And I think Jay needed Billy, too. We need his help.”
Linehan explained that, as a coach, he gets too attached to players. He doesn’t always make the best judgements. He wanted someone like Devaney to come in and lead the way, and to offer meaningful input that may prevent the coach from making personnel mistakes. Linehan also said that Devaney’s well-rounded personality was a good fit for the Rams; Devaney, who has experienced the very best and the very worst of the NFL, knows the delirium of victory and the depression of defeat. He’s got a healthy perspective. Linehan said one of his problems is brooding too much after defeats…not being able to shake off defeats… letting the losses affect his mood, his coaching. And Linehan sincerely believes that Devaney can be a positive force behind the scenes, to keep the coach centered.
Zygmunt is the same way; losses just destroy the guy. Devaney’s fresh voice, and approach, will be good for J-Z. Linehan and Zygmunt now have a touchstone at Rams Park. Someone who has been through the grind, who has won Super Bowls, who has also been fired, and who can help guide them through the twists and turns of a season. When people talk about B. Devaney, they mention his football acumen, but his people skills rank a close second. He has some Dick Vermeil in him.
Above that, Zygmunt also knows the Rams must achieve more success in rating free agents and draft picks. And that’s why he aggressively went for Devaney. Again, he didn’t bring Devaney in here to be a cheerleader. He plans on making Devaney the point man on all football stuff. On our Team 1380-AM radio show, Zygmunt said Devaney would “absolutely” be in charge of the Rams’ War Room on draft day. And Zygmunt added that he and the coaches are turning to Devaney for guidance before making decisions on the upcoming free-agent class. If Zygmunt has the so-called “Final Say,” it exists only in theory. Because if Zygmunt goes along with Devaney’s recommendations, and I believe he will, then the “Final Say” is never in play. It’s only a veto, really.
Look, I spent the last six months of 2007 flogging J-Z and Linny for all the mistakes that were made that led to a 3-13 record. I wouldn’t take any of it back.
But now I see two guys who realized they needed help, and in a big way.
And so they did something about it.
And I commend Zygmunt and Linehan for taking swift action. First Al Saunders, and a coaching-staff shakeup. And now this.
The hiring of Billy Devaney was a meaningful step for this franchise, which is now under the direction of new owner Chip Rosenbloom.
“When we met with Chip recently,” Zygmunt said, “What was really important to him was getting the Rams back on track. He asked, “What can we do to get the Rams back to where they should be? Whatever it takes, do it.’ Chip wants the Rams to be champions again.”
And that’s the real Final Say.
Thanks for reading…
–B
[...] STLtoday - Sports placed an observative post today on BERNIE’S EXTRA POINTS: The "Final Say" At Rams ParkHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
It is refreshing to see J-Z and Linehan recognize their mistakes and make a concerted effort to change. That is a huge step in the right direction for this franchise. It was nice hearing the comments from Chip Rosenbloom. Now if we can go out and have a good draft then I will be excited for the 2008 season to start. Obviously it will help if we can stay healthy next year as well. That is very important in having a good season. If things fall in place I could see the Rams going from 3 - 13 to 9-7 or 10-6 and maybe make the playoffs. I know it is hard to even consider but the way the NFL is today you can be a bad team one year and make the playoffs the next year if things fall in place. I can honestly now say I am looking forward to this year’s Rams draft.
So let’s see. We let the guys, Shaw and Zygmut, burn the house down and when they decide it is time to build it back, they finally realize they don’t have the skills to do so. You are such a homer.
So let me ask you this: did Tony Softli do a good job or not? It seems like he did. So why do we need another cook in the kitchen? To Cover Zygmut, Shaws and Linehan”s failures. The only cure is to clean upper management. Zygmut must go;Shaw must go and Linhan should have been fired.
You description of his problems is not a justification for getting him help, it is justification for firing him. Enjoy all the freebies the Rams and the Cards provide you. Maybe if your lucky you can sit with John Hadley (sic) who is the biggest homer of them all. But you are a close second.
Ken
Sir, i don’t receive any “freebies” from teams that I cover. As always, I praise these teams when warranted and criticize when warranted. I’ve ripped this bunch at Rams Park plenty of times, but it isn’t my fault if you’re unable to keep up with the storyline, or if you fail to remember the critical things I’ve written about the Rams. Please try to pay closer attention from now on. It would really help. And then we could have an actual conversation instead of the usual Springer-show-audience level of discourse. But I can do Springer if needed. I be versatile! Thanks!
-B
I agree with Bernie period, us fans screamed for a front office shakeup coaching changes, etc. Now the Rams are doing it, they are attempting to fix things. So for right now lets give the the benefit of the doubt and be happy with some of the changes.
Now lets see how we do in the draft, and free agency.
I think Ken makes a good point in that over 25 years with shaw and zagnut we have only had 3 good years. When Vermiel (football guy) came in things impoved.
If I were Chip Rosenbloom I would look Zagnut in the eye and say lets get the rams back to the top, but it was implied if you can’t do it we will find somebody who can.
The changes are long over do and Zagnut has probably figured out the next change is him leaving.
He has had a nice gig for 25 years and has produced poor results and the fans have suffered.
So yes after 25 years they fiqured out they needed help.
Actually, if you want to be truthful and accurate about the record, in the years that Shaw and Zygmunt have been employed by the franchise the Rams rank among the top 10 in the NFL in most times qualifying for the playoffs.
The organization did a terrible job - those guys included - during the downturn following the Super Bowl run. But Shaw in particular played a major role in igniting that Super Bowl run with his intervention following the 1998 season.
Those who have paid attention are familiar with the details of Shaw’s famous meeting with DV, but again … I simply cannot help those who are incapable or unwilling of following a storyline or examining an entire body of work.
The fair thing to say about Shaw and Zygmunt is that they’ve had extreme fluctuations in results. They’re either really on a roll, or really in the pits. Their organization has put together some really good runs, but they’ve been unable to avoid drought phases. They have at times been slow to react.
Again, I’m just trying to be fair, though i realize fairness is no cure for jaundice.
Thanks!
-B
Bernie, thanks very much for providing me some clear perspective on the Devaney appointment and also how Zyggy is going to deal with it. I too have been one of the critics of how the front office has malfunctioned and my hesitance toward Devaney coming in was if he would be handcuffed by JZ.
With Saunders coming in and the realization from Linehan regarding his head coaching performance, I cannot cast stones at the Rams because, even if this doesn’t spell 10 wins next season, they are pushing buttons and trying to right the ship.
I would love to see Chip Rosenbloom take the reigns with enthusiasm. I would love to see him get competitive with the team while jockeying with other NFL owners for the Lombardi Trophy. I’m a little fearful his ‘real’ job will prevent him from being prominent with the Rams, but I guess we can cross that bridge in the future.
Again, the insight on the current situation at Rams Park is much appreciated! I hope you had an enjoyable and pleasant vacation!
Scott Antle
StL
Bernie,
You are factually correct as always, but that really does not tell the whole story; these management “shake-ups” are new window dressing, but the view hasn’t changed yet. And, if you count just the years they have been in St. Louis, they have not had many winning seasons.
Linehan lost this team last year. Bruce, Holt, Bulger and Wilkens all have issues with the coach and these veterans are the core of the team. Linehan is doing what most coaches do that want to save their job, they are firing and rehiring other coaches. The same goes for JZ and Shaw although I guess neither of them is in danger of losing their jobs, but they do know that ticket sales and their jobs do have some connection. So, I for one am not getting too excited about next year. I have 6 season tickets, had them since 1995. Since the price did not go up, I will most likely buy them again, but the Rams are “on probation” with me” for one more year and frankly, I don’t see them doing anything different with the same head coach.
And on another note, was I the only person who watched Linehan keep Wilkins on the bench and go for two in a meaningless final season game when Wilkins was one PAT away from breaking the record for consecutive PAT’s? What a classless thing to do.
It does look like these guys realize they have been in absentia too long. I don’t know if Linehan is capable of coaching this team, and I will reserve judgement. I think the front office made an huge mistake allowing a first time coach to assume the extreme number of duties that Linehan was allowed to execute the last two years. If he wanted to be an OC, he should have kept that job. If he wanted to be an HC, then he needed to delegate those other responsibilities. The same goes for Zygmunt. He didn’t realize how much he had relied on Armey in the past as a “football guy.” He and Martz ran Armey off, and this organization has gone steadily downhill since then.
Now Zygmunt hires in Devaney to finally correct the mistakes his own arrogance caused. Linehan has brought in Saunders to allow him to concentrate on the duties that are his responsibility. Maybe they have learned their lessons. I guess we’ll see. It’s a shame that it took so long for these guys to recognize that. They have alienated a lot of fans in this city while overcoming their own egos.
All of this shaking up reminds me of the Big Red. Terrible year after terrible year, with some form of action taken place towards the end of the season to give just a glimmer of hope for the following year. Maybe a big win on the last game of the season, or perhaps a hyped draft pick to give some hope for the next year. I don’t want to judge the actions taken by current management until time has run its course, but if we are 3-13 or 4-12 in ‘08, then this is just another boneheaded move. It’s tough to be a football fan in this town. Do I re-up the $2000 for seats for the ‘08 season based on these front office/coaching moves? Towards the end of the season, every scibe for the P-D painted nothing but horrific pictures of what the future holds for this franchise, nearly making me make my decision to NOT renew my season tickets. But then I remembered something, I bought my PSLs to bring football back to the Lou, regardless of playoff appearances. Afterall, I supported Billy Bidwell for years, and obviously not for the playoff appearances. Try and remember the Lou with no pro football, those were dark days.
Once again good article Birnie. I like the effort the Rams are making, its long over due. What I like about the changes is that if the Rams don’t show improvement this year, I think Linehan…….well, the real problem will be exposed.
B you could be right about the rams being top 10 in making playoffs during shaw and z tenure.
I do know it was between the rams and bengals for being the worst teams during the 90’s.
The bengals probably won the honor by the rams having a great 1999.
The rams had good years when vermeil and arney (football people) had more control.
I can’t recall how much control shaw and z had during the 80’s.
I have to agree with the Big Man in his assessment. All you doubters need to first cut Linehan some slack, unless that is, you were calling for Dick Vermeil’s head with the same ferocity after the 1998 season, because the circumstances are nearly the same.
DV of course, had more experience, but don’t forget that he himself was coming off a loooong coaching hiatus, prior to which his biggest downfall was…that’s right…trying to do too much; not delegating; mistakes very similar to those which Linehan has fallen guilty in his first two seasons at the Rams helm.
The good news is, like DV did, Linehan has taken steps to correct his errors in judgement, bringing in quality assistants who only came to the Rams on the understanding that they’re input would be heard and followed. Let’s see if history has a chance to at least come close to repeating itself, or more accurately, a proven solution has a chance to correct a common philosophical error.
And regarding J-Z, he too has seen the error of his ways and has taken steps to self-correct. Don’t under-estimate John Shaw’s direction in making the Billy Devaney signing happen as well.
And please, don’t delude yourselves into thinking that John Shaw will ever be actually fired by anyone in the Rosenbloom family. He is like an uncle to Chip and was a saint to the family’s late Matriarch, Georgia Frontiere. Shaw would most definitely retire voluntarily before he would ever be fired by Mister Chip.
Finally, can you honestly look at the Rams’ personnel, even after the past two dysfunctional seasons and say that they were as bad as their record? No way! Injuries, misdirection, bad coaching decisions and the like were more than enough to derail them. And as Devaney has already said, this team is NOT in rebuilding mode. Retooling maybe, not rebuilding.
I believe the difference, next year, will be dramatic. I believe the Rams will be a wildcard team or very close to it, and within two seasons, I believe they’ll be back as an elite team in the NFC.
That is all of course based upon management and coaching truly learning from their mistakes and not repeating them, taking advantage of the position they are still in to rebound quickly.
We’ll see, but I for one, am hopeful.
Good article, Bernie. The one question I’m left asking is - what is Linehan’s role now? It’s not calling plays, it’s not personell, it’s not drafting, and he has been given an army of babysitters since the season ended.
But hey give him credit, he makes a lot of money to call timeouts and issue challenges.
my problem with management is ,who or what ran dv off after the superbowl?
was that the lomax that was excited about the fenix move? if so ,I’ll never forget your victory or hanifans over the raiders(17 points down!)
Bernie,
So far so good, I think the Rams have made some smart moves so far this offseason. Hopefully this will translate into at least a .500 team next year.
GO RAMS!
It’s called saving your job. New ownership is suddenly in place and you start to review your recent past deeds….which in this case have been dreadful. Now you do all you can to bolster your position. You hire new people, take a new direction, buckle down and say all the right things to the press, you know, all the stuff the fans want you to say.
Chip may be a Rosenbloom, but that doesn’t mean he’s a Georgia clone. Shaw & Zyg know this. They also know that minority owner, Stan, possibly has some say in matters. The next two years should at least be interesting to watch. The LA Times reports that Chip is being quietly courted by those with big money in LA.
Only time will tell what happens to the Rams.
Why hire someone from Atlanta…wasn’t anyone available from Miami or Minnesota?
Bernie it’s good to see you’re on top of things at Rams Park, I am so ready for free agency. I hope we move quickly in shoring up our offensive line, we should not be scrambling mid season to address our lack of depth at that position and I’m afraid Orlando Pace cannot be counted on to complete a full season. I also believe this year’s draft is a golden opportunity to install the players we need for the future of our club, to get us back to our respectability. As a Rams fan, I am also tired of seeing cheese heads and bears fans, filling up our seats. Thanks for listening Bernie, just needed to vent.
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