THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: There has been an intense amount of criticism aimed at quarterback Marc Bulger this offseason from Rams’ fans. Do you think Bulger’s numbers last year were the result of declining skills, injury, lack of team chemistry, a woeful offensive line, a combination of all these things or something not even mentioned here?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Since the start of the 2007 season Bulger is 38th among NFL quarterbacks (minimum 10 games) in QB rating, 37th in completion percentage, and 39th in yards per attempt. That’s pathetic. And to blame that all on the O-line, receivers and coaches is ludicrous. He has to play better. He has to be a leader. He must to do his part to elevate his team. And Bulger hasn’t done that since 2006. He hasn’t done it since signing a big contract.

JIM THOMAS
For most of the past two seasons, everything around Marc Bulger has been substandard, from the offensive line, to the play-calling, to injury-depleted lineups most Sundays. This has been especially true when Steven Jackson has been out of the lineup — and he’s missed eight games entirely and most of two others over the past two seasons. The defense and special teams haven’t helped, either, when it comes to field position. But Bulger’s accuracy has been down, his footwork and decision-making have deteriorated, and he isn’t seeing the field as well. With a stronger lineup around him, maybe Bulger can get it back.

BILL COATS
Bulger had several things working against him last year: an injury-riddled offensive line, young receivers trying to adapt to the NFL, a disconnect with head coach Scott Linehan and offensive coordinator Al Saunders, and the cumulative effect of getting pounded over the last few seasons. Working behind a decent line in a system he believes in would do wonders for Bulger.

JEFF GORDON
Bulger was not the same quarterback for a lot of reasons. The cumulative beatings in recent years took a toll on him. So did the emotional and mental strain of losing. He was not as confident and decisive in the pocket. Physically, he could still make accurate throws. Under fire, however, he wasn’t the same guy. Then you mix in all the mistakes made by his rookie receivers — running the wrong routes, making incorrect reads — and you had a total disaster. Some of this can be fixed as Bulger works with his still-learning receivers during this offseason. But the real progress must be made in games. If the Rams run the ball well, put him in favorable down-and-distance situations and keep him off his back, will he regain his Pro Bowl form? That is NOT a given.

KATHLEEN NELSON
This one has more ingredients than my mom’s Irish stew. Bulger never found a groove for many reasons. A suspect line put Bulger in danger too often. Through injury and/or age, Torry Holt wasn’t the same receiver and Drew Bennett was never a factor. Bulger and the young receivers probably haven’t had enough time to develop chemistry. Being benched didn’t help. Being restored to No. 1 didn’t seem to help. Quarterbacks always draw more than their fair share of criticism. This situation is no different.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: With Drew Bennett already cut and now Torry Holt asking for his release, how early do you see the St. Louis Rams targeting a wide receiver in this year’s draft? Are there still quality options after Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin are gone, or will the Rams have to consider striking early for a quality WR?

JIM THOMAS
Let’s see what the rest of free agency brings, but there aren’t really many options left, at least younger ones. As for the draft, the problem with taking a wide receiver at No. 2 overall is that you still need an offensive tackle. If the Rams opt for a receiver at the top of the second round, Kenny Britt of Rutgers and Brian Robiskie of Ohio State are possibilities.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Barring a trade or free-agent signing, the Rams will have to make WR a priority in the draft. If they don’t go for Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree in the first round — hopefully after trading down — they’ll have to take a hard look at WR in Round 2. But they can’t pass on a better player at another position. They can’t force it. Finding a taller more physical receiver might have to wait for next year’s wish list.

JEFF GORDON
Crabtree is an option, of course, but LB Aaron Curry looks like a great pick for the defensive side — and you have to believe Spags will push for him. The Rams are going to run a ground-control offense. This will be a run-first team. Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton both have nice upsides. The free-agent wide receiver pool isn’t great, but the Rams ought to at least add depth with a veteran and then pick somebody later in the draft for more depth.

KATHLEEN NELSON
I think the Rams first might try to get one of the geezer wideouts to provide a little stability. Drafting a first-rounder and throwing him immediately into the fire would be unfair to the draftee. Remember when the Rams drafted Torry Holt? Isaac Bruce was the man, and Holt had a role model from whom to learn. I wonder how Torry would have fared as the undisputed No. 1. I’d bet not as well as he did; Bruce took the pressure off Holt

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

HOLT AMONG GAME’S ELITE? I heard a ridiculous discussion on the radio last night about whether or not Torry Holt was one of the game’s “great” receivers during his time in the league. Are you kidding me? As Jim Thomas pointed out in his story today, Holt, the No. 6 overall pick in the 1999 draft, has caught more passes (817) for more yards (11,872) than any receiver in the NFL this decade. Need more perspective … Thomas provided it. Over Holt’s 10-year career, his average of 80.1 yards per game is the highest for any WR in league history. At the age of 32, Holt is 11th overall in career receptions (869) and 14th in career receiving yards (12,660). It’s guaranteed he’ll continue to build on those career numbers and move on up the list.

Anyone who looks at those numbers and doesn’t believe Torry Holt has been one of the league’s elite receivers over the last decade should just stop watching football. Right now. Turn it off. Watch rugby.

Now, with that said, it’s hard to say if the Rams would be making a mistake to cut Holt now. He is coming off his worst season ever. But generally speaking, WRs don’t necessarily deteriorate at the age-30 plateau as quickly as, say, RBs. Many WRs continue to put up decent numbers into their mid-30s. And how many of Holt’s reduced numbers in 2008 were a product of him losing a step, and how many of them were the product of a completely dysfunctional offense where the QB spent more time on his back than on his feet?

There are no easy answers here, and I believe Holt has played his last game as a Ram. But rather than celebrating his departure, I think Rams fans should celebrate all he gave this team for 10 years. Other than grumbling a bit at the end of last season as he was worked out of the offense, Holt was always a classy guy. There is no arguing the production he put up while here.

IT ALL STARTED WITH MADONNA: Long before the steroid revelations and the tearful apologies, I told you the A-Rod kingdom would fall sooner than expected … and it was because of the bad mojo he brought on himself for dating Madonna. Now, just days after saying A-Rod had a cyst on his hip that needed to be checked out, ESPN is reporting that Rodriguez needs surgery and will be out up to 10 weeks. This is the same cyst that earlier this week Yankees manager Joe Girardi said A-Rod had played with all last season. Of course, ESPN doesn’t have the news nailed down yet, and they are sourcing the story completely on something A-Rod’s brother said. So we’ll have to wait and see what’s really going on here.

I’m just thinking out loud here, but if I had a relationship with Madonna and I had a “cyst” on my hip, I’d be asking doctors to do all kinds of tests on that thing to find out exactly what it is. I’m just sayin’.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

CAN YOU IMAGINE? So we’re sitting here in the office this morning discussing Terrell Owen’s divorce from the Dallas Cowboys. Trouble has followed T.O. everywhere he’s been, like Schleprock in the Flintstones who always walked around with the dark cloud over his head. That said, his prolific numbers keep teams coming back for more. Which team, we wondered, would take a chance on T.O. My first thought was crazy Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders … but with a young coach and young QB, that might be too much for even the Raiders. And then this was mentioned: How about the Patriots? Holy cow, can you imagine the knocking knees of DBs if you were facing a Patriots offense with T.O. lined up on one side of the field and Randy Moss on the other … and with Tom Brady throwing them the ball. Unstoppable … on the field, at least. But chances are they’d never get that far as T.O. and Moss would likely implode the Patriots before mini-camps were even completed. Still, it’s an interesting thought and Patriots coach Bill Belichick has a record of making guys buy into team first … who knows.

Regardless, according to the Dallas Morning News this morning, Terrell Owens had to go. Some interesting thoughts considering how vital he was thought to be to the Cowboys and QB Tony Romo just a short while ago.

Just curious, if Torry Holt were to be released, would any Rams fans like to see T.O. end up in St. Louis?

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

MARCH 5, 1973 — New York Yankees pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich announce that they have traded wives, kids and dogs. While Peterson eventually marries the former Susanne Kekich, Marilyn Peterson and Kekich soon part. (Source: “This Day in Baseball” by David Nemec and Scott Flatlow)

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Does the Rams’ release of wide receiver Drew Bennett have any impact on whether or not Torry Holt is back with the team next season, or do you think this just means the team will seek a WR earlier in the draft or try to target a veteran in free agency?

JIM THOMAS
Absolutely none. Even had he stayed, Bennett would have had to prove himself all over again in St. Louis. Similarly, Bennett’s release won’t really have much of an impact on what the Rams do draft-wise or free agent-wise with the position.

BILL COATS
I don’t think it affects Holt’s status, because the Rams saved virtually nothing in the salary cap by releasing Bennett. Still, the team is going to have to round up some wide receivers in the next few months, via free agency, the draft or otherwise. Right now, they’re very young and very slim at that position.

BRYAN BURWELL
The release of Drew Bennett is totally independent of what the Rams front office plans to do with Torry Holt. One (Bennett) was a totally unproductive mistake of free agency who never proved to be an effective weapon or leader for this struggling offense. Cutting him shows that GM Billy Devaney and head coach Steve Spagnuolo won’t waste much time keeping anyone who can’t help this franchise win. The decision on Holt — and by extension Orlando Pace — will come down to only one thing: Can they still help win ball games? That’s exactly how the decision should be made.

KATHLEEN NELSON
I think Bennett’s departure has no effect on Holt’s future, if what our own Jim Thomas reported a few days ago remains true about Holt being unwilling to restructure his deal. I also agree with Jim that the Rams might feel that after delivering seven Pro Bowl seasons, Holt deserves another shot — soon — at glory. That’s more likely to happen elsewhere. Free agents Laveranues Coles and T.J. Houshmanzadeh might be worth talking to, since the Rams could use a veteran, steadying hand at receiver, but the cupboard is pretty bare after those two.

TOM ACKERMAN (Sports anchor on “Total Information A.M.” on KMOX)
If Holt doesn’t restructure his contract, I don’t see how he stays in St. Louis. Torry still has some good football left in him, but that’s a hefty price tag for the Rams if he isn’t their No. 1 receiving option anymore. The offense will revolve around Steven Jackson, anyway, so the offensive line is a priority. The Rams need a defensive identity, too, and that will require money. Second-year wideouts Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton are intriguing, but they need a veteran on the roster. I wish there was a way to keep Holt around, but I envision the Rams searching for a free-agent veteran WR at a lesser price.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

IT’S MANNY’S WORLD: And apparently he’s just sharing it with the rest of us. Poor Manny Ramirez, the player without a team. Remember a few weeks back when Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols was lobbying for Manny to join the Cardinals because his out-of-work friend said no teams wanted him? Poppycock.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers have reapproached Ramirez with a new offer: a two-year deal that would pay Ramirez $25 million this season and a player option at $20 million next season. That means Ramirez can “choose” whether or not to accept the $20 million next year. But at this point Ramirez has not accepted the deal and it’s reported his agent Scott Boras is still in “negotiations” with the Dodgers on the contract.

Negotiations? What exactly more does Ramirez want? Unquestionably he’s been one of the game’s bigger sluggers over the years (when, that is, he actually feels like playing.) But what more is he looking for? Does Ramirez and Boras think the Dodgers should pony up for a four- or five-year deal for an outfielder (I use the term loosely) who’s going to turn 37 in May?

I’ve always kind of enjoyed sitting back and watching the theatrics that come along with Manny being Manny, but the excess and largesse surrounding this whole offseason with Ramirez is just too much. If he does sign the deal with the Dodgers, it’s only a matter of time until Ramirez finds something else to pout about and holds the team hostage to his demands. Look around, Manny, you ain’t got it so bad.

MANNY, PART DEUX: The satirical online magazine The Onion reports today that agent Scott Boras was able to get Manny $20 billion in economic stimulus funds from the U.S. government. Oh, and there are incentives. Check it out.

SOMETHING TO PONDER

FREE AGENCY AWAITS: The NFL free agency period opens at midnight tonight. You’re likely to see a lot of movement around the league this year. Make sure you check out Jim Thomas’ report in the Post-Dispatch tomorrow morning where he breaks down not only the Rams’ needs in free agency, but also highlights the top five free agents at every position.

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STAT OF THE DAY

41 years — Before Wednesday night, that’s how long it had been since Northwestern University men’s basketball team had beaten Indiana at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The Wildcats had been 0-33 in Bloomington since their last victory there in 1968.

THE WATERCOOLER

Question: What was Jay Zygmunt’s best move and worst move with the Rams?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Jay’s best move was his work on the trade that brought cornerback Aeneas Williams to St. Louis on the day of the 2001 draft. There were a whole bunch of bad moves including the phasing out of Charley Armey, his role in the demise of Mike Martz, any number of bad draft picks, the decision to let middle linebacker London Fletcher leave as a free agent, and the Drew Bennett debacle. Just a disastrous reign of error. But his worst move was reaching to grab a job that he wasn’t qualified for. A man’s got to know his limitations and Zygmunt wasn’t a football guy. That didn’t stop him from making himself the football czar at Rams Park.

BRYAN BURWELL
His best move was packing his office up and heading towards the door. His worst move was believing that he was a football man and accepting the GM job, which sent this franchise on this downward spiral.

JIM THOMAS
Following the disappointment of a wild-card berth in 2000 — yes, expectations were much higher back then — Zygmunt went into full Trader Jay mode. He helped engineer the trade of franchise player Kevin Carter to Tennessee in March, and on draft day sent quarterback Trent Green to Kansas City. As a result, the Rams had three first-round picks in the 2001 draft. As a topper, he completed a deal on Day 2 of the draft that brought Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl cornerback Aeneas Williams to St. Louis.
The worst move? Allowing his relationship with Mike Martz to deteriorate to the point where one of them had to leave the organization. Obviously, Martz left after the 2005 campaign. Granted, Martz was high maintenance, but also one of the league’s most creative offensive minds. The offense has disintegrated since he’s left.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Before the 1999 Super Bowl season, in the days before anyone claimed to be a mastermind, Zygmunt played a major role in reorganizing the staff of coach Dick Vermeil, in particular the hiring of Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. Among Zygmunt’s worst moments was the 2001 draft, in which the Rams whiffed on three first-round picks: Damoine Lewis was a bust, Adam Archuleta flamed out after a couple years, and the team gave up on Ryan Pickett, who blossomed in Green Bay.

JEFF GORDON
Best move: Not letting Kevin Carter manage the salary cap for him back in 2000. King Kevin moved on to Tennessee in 2001 and had a mediocre season for the Titans. The Rams kept their other cornerstone players, won 14 games in ‘01 and went to the Super Bowl.
Worst move: The massive Marc Bulger contract. This gift keeps on giving. The Rams can’t really move Bulger out now, so the team can’t throw much money at that position for next season. Pity the next coach in 2009.

BILL COATS
Although other front-office folks were involved too, Zygmunt’s best move was his role in the trade that brought Marshall Faulk to the Rams in the 1999, arguably the key cog in the Rams’ improbable march to the Super Bowl championship. His worst move was letting free agents London Fletcher and Ryan Pickett walk. The Rams sure could use a solid middle linebacker and a stout defensive tackle these days.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

INTERESTING TAKE ON FUENTES: Buster Olney at espn.com has an interesting look at the Brian Fuentes derby and how the Angels’ could get involved if they don’t end up with Mark Teixiera. Olney has the Cardinals at the top of the list for now but a lot of others who might spend more are now included.

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STAT OF THE DAY

229 — The Rams have been outscored by 229 points with only one game left in the season. Since 1990, only four teams have been outscored by more points over a full season. Thank goodness the Lions are just as bad. They have been outscored by 239 points. This week, the Rams are at Atlanta and Detroit is at Green Bay.