THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: With the injuries mounting quickly at key positions, who must step up for the Rams right away for them to have any chance against San Francisco this weekend?

JIM THOMAS
The Rams absolutely, positively have to get their passing game going. That means Donnie Avery must step up, and Kyle Boller, too. On defense, it’s up to the front seven to keep Frank Gore’s replacement, Glen Coffee, from beating them on the ground.

BILL COATS
Here they are, in alphabetical order: Donnie Avery, Ron Bartell, Kyle Boller, Josh Brown, Keenan Burton, Craig Dahl, Steven Jackson, Donnie Jones, James Laurinaitis, Leonard Little, Chris Long and Randy McMichael. Seriously . . . the Rams will need to get solid outings from all their most vital performers. Their margin for error is razor-thin.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Keenan Burton. The 49ers will be keying on Steven Jackson, so a receiver will need to make a few plays to keep the defense honest. Burton has just six receptions and to this point has contributed less than the other 2008 draft choice, Donnie Avery. A big game from either would help loosen the 49ers’ defense, though.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
There is no one person who needs to step up, at least in my mind, but there is a unit that needs to step up: the offensive line. The best chance the Rams have at winning this weekend in San Francisco is controlling the line of scrimmage and pounding the Niners with their best player, Steven Jackson. If they can’t run the ball — and do so with authority — the Rams won’t win.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: With the Rams expected to play their starters the entire first half tonight against Atlanta, what areas of play or specific players will you be watching most closely for signs of improvement for this team?

JIM THOMAS
The Rams were respectable — no, make that more than respectable — on run defense last week against the New York Jets. Can they do it again tonight versus an Atlanta team that has one of the league’s best running games? Better third-down play on both sides of the ball is a must. And the defense must avoid giving up the big play. Individually, No. 2 overall draft pick Jason Smith probably will make his first Rams start at right tackle. How will Kyle Boller do at QB in place of the injured Marc Bulger? What will we see from the wide receiver corps and the backup running backs?

BILL COATS
I plan to watch most closely rookie tackle Jason Smith, who figures to get his first real action against a first-team NFL defense. I also want to see how the competition for the backup spot at running back goes, after Samkon Gado’s big game last week vs. the Jets, and curious to see if any of the healthy wideouts begin to separate from the pack.

JEFF GORDON
There is plenty to watch. Is Kyle Boller a viable alternative to Marc Bulger? We’ll know a lot more about him later tonight. Also, we’re know more about the WR corps. This is a primary concern to fans for obvious reasons. Is Laurent Robinson legit? Can Keenan Burton become a playmaker? Does Ronald Curry have anything left? The return teams will be interesting too. Once the starters leave, I want to see what this team has for depth at safety, offensive tackle and linebacker.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The play of Jason Smith and the play of the defensive line. Because of Alex Barron’s injury we’re going to see what Smith looks like “running with the 1’s” and I’m very curious to see how that goes. After all, he was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft and, as such, is a player who should be expected to start. If he plays well tonight perhaps he can elevate his status on the team. If not, well, that would be disappointing.

Atlanta was an outstanding rushing team last year and I’ll be interested in seeing how this Rams team does in that regard after struggling to stop the run the last two seasons. It’ll also be important to see some kind of pressure on passing downs. This team has some players taken very high in the draft who need to start turning into impact players here shortly and tonight would be a good time for those guys to start showing a little something.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Though camp is still in its very early days, who is one offensive player that you think could surprise St. Louis Rams fans this season?

JEFF GORDON
Richie Incognito became a popular target of criticism last year, due to his undisciplined play. But the guy is a beast. I can see Steven Jackson running right behind Incognito and Jason Smith all day. That is a formidable tag team. Sandwiched between the two Jasons — two potential team leaders — Richie could finally come into his own.

BILL COATS
That could be tight end Daniel Fells. He’s knocked Joe Klopfenstein, a former No. 2 draft pick, down the depth chart with his stout play during practice. He has very good hands and is an adept blocker. The only question for Fells is, can he do it on Sundays?

KATHLEEN NELSON
Wide receiver Keenan Burton. He had a few injuries that held him back last year, but he’ll be pushed by the veterans the Rams have signed in the offseason, especially Laurent Robinson and Ronald Curry.

ROGER HENSLEY
Can you call a team’s No. 1 wide receiver a surprise? Given just one year of experience — and that being on a team that had trouble moving the ball through the air last season — I’d say yes. So I’ll go with Donnie Avery. His numbers as a rookie weren’t bad — 53 catches for 674 yards and three TDs. But that was with Torry Holt lining up on the other side of the field to relieve some pressure. Now Avery is being asked to be the man. With Steven Jackson pounding the ball between the tackles with any consistency and if Marc Bulger can get any time in the pocket and rediscover the accuracy he showed just a few years back, Avery should find room to roam through defensive backfields. I believe he’ll be a difference-maker for the Rams this year. Oh, did I mention that Bulger hit Avery for a 50-yard touchdown pass in practice Sunday? Stay tuned.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Randy McMichael. Before coming to St. Louis he was a significant weapon for the Miami Dolphins, recording 195 catches from 2004-2006. He’s still only 30 years old and he’s got a chance to be the possession guy for Marc Bulger. If he can stay healthy, McMichael could well be the team’s most consistent receiving threat and with his size could also be a top option in the red zone.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: As training camp gets set to open this week, what do you think is the most important question the Rams need to get answered before the regular season begins?

JIM THOMAS
WHO WILL CATCH THE FOOTBALL? Yes, tight end Randy McMichael is healthy. And certainly running back Steven Jackson will continue to be a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. But even with the recent addition of Ronald Curry, there is next to nothing in experience and proven talent at wide receiver. The Rams must find two starters and a reliable slot receiver among the likes of Curry, Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Brooks Foster and Tim Carter. Not exactly, Bruce, Holt, Hakim, and Proehl, is it?

JEFF GORDON
Wow . . . we won’t know where Marc Bulger really is until he starts getting hit for real, so it won’t matter how good he looks in limited preseason action. So I’m most curious about the linebackers. Can these guys give Spags enough to work with? Will Witherspoon should be a beast in this defense, but the Rams could have a rookie at middle linebacker and a journeyman next to him. Also, it’ll be interesting to see if CB Tye Hill can get his career back on track.

BRYAN BURWELL
The single most important question in my mind is whether the upgraded offensive line can protect QB Marc Bulger and keep RB Steven Jackson injury-free.

BILL COATS
Whether the revamped offensive line, with Alex Barron at left tackle, Jason Smith at right tackle and Jason Brown at center, will jell and provide sound protection for Marc Bulger and open lanes for Steven Jackson.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Rams minicamps run today through Saturday. What impact, if any, will player performances at this minicamp have on the Rams draft later this month? Will the coaches be more closely evaluating areas of need during this period?

JIM THOMAS
It’s one thing to watch a player on tape; quite another to see him in person. Even though the Rams aren’t in full pads over the weekend, watching the players drill and practice in five practices over three days will help coach Steve Spagnuolo and his staff evaluate the current roster. What happens here isn’t going to change how the Rams feel about their needs at offensive tackle and wide receiver, but it could have an impact on how they feel about some positions.

BRYAN BURWELL
Between the OTA’s and this first minicamp, the Rams coaches and front office will have plenty of time to evaluate the veteran talent. This will be the first critical looks in more competitive situations and it will definitely be an evaluation process that will provide plenty of answers about what direction to go in the draft.

BILL COATS
The biggest reason the Rams are having their extra minicamp (you get three instead of the usual two if you have a new coach) now is to further evaluate on-hand personnel in advance of the draft. So, these five practices over three days will have a major impact on their approach come April 25-26.

JEFF GORDON
The new staff is doubtlessly eager to assess young receivers Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, since they head the depth chart as we speak. Also, a guy who played hurt all last year, Adam Carriker, is an interesting player for the new staff. I’m sure he didn’t impress on tape. Offensive line coach Steve Loney is a holdover from the previous staff, so Steve Spagnuolo should already have the book on inconsistent starters Alex Barron and Jacob Bell. Overall, though, the Rams need help at almost every position. Nothing that happens at the minicamp will change that.

BONUS ROUND:
BERNIE MIKLASZ SHAREs HIS THOUGHTS ON MINICAMP
I want to see the young veterans step up and take control of this team. It’s their time to be the leaders of the new generation of Rams. Chip Rosenbloom, Billy Devaney and Steve Spagnuolo have done their share, so far, to give this franchise a needed makeover. And now it’s the players’ turn. The talented young crew featuring guys such as Steven Jackson, O.J. Atogwe, Ron Bartell, Chris Long and Jacob Bell (to name a few) have to take ownership of the locker room. The same applies to the top free-agent recruits, Jason Brown and James Butler. In particular, I’m intrigued by how all of the changes will affect Steven Jackson. Torry Holt and Orlando Pace are gone, and Leonard Little is on the downside, so to a large extent the Rams are Steven Jackson’s team now. He’s The Franchise. He’s an immense talent. He’s a good person. He has a lively personality. I’d like to see him maximize his talent and persona to emerge as the Rams’ boldest and most constructive leader.

MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

MY LAST HOLT RANT: For the life of me I cannot understand why the new Rams’ regime is so eager to see Torry Holt go. They haven’t said so, but new coach Steve Spagnuolo has made his position clear with his silence concerning Holt. Yes, Holt was disenchanted at the end of last season as he seemed to get phased out of the offense, but who on that Rams team wasn’t disenchanted last season?

Holt, who has caught more passes (817) for more yards (11,872) than any receiver in the NFL this decade, is not done yet. Sure, he’s 32 years old and is coming off his worst season as a pro (64 receptions, 796 yards with three TDs.) But how much of last season’s production can be laid at the feet of Holt? Consider this:

1. The patterns Holt was asked to run in offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ offense last year did not match up with Holt’s skills — not when he was 32, not when he was 22. Where were the slants and hot reads that were Holt’s bread and butter over the years?

2. The team’s quarterback had a terrible year. Marc Bulger’s 71.4 QB rating ranks him 27th in the league among QBs who threw at least 300 passes. (That puts Bulger just ahead of former Rams’ third-string QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had a 70.0 QB rating for the woeful Bengals.) Also, Bulger’s 57% completion percentage ranks him 27th among NFL quarterbacks last year. Remember, folks, there are only 32 teams in the NFL … so how well are your WRs going to do when your quarterback ranks in the league’s cellar in QB rating and completion percentage?

3. Without a respected threat like Isaac Bruce on the field to complement Holt, team’s could easily roll their coverage onto him like a blanket. Who was there to relieve the pressure, the so-called “teen” squad? Puh-leeze. Rookie Donnie Avery had a decent year, but his stat line of 53 catches, 674 yards and 3 TDs ranked below Holt across the board (and he had the advantage of Holt drawing the coverage away from him.) Keenan Burton? 13 catches, 172 yards, 1 TD. Nice. Oh, and then there’s the always consistent, always pedestrian numbers of Dane Looker — 23-271-2. And, the team even lost it’s tight end threat when Randy McMichael went down after only 11 catches for 139 yards. I’m not even going to mention Drew Bennett. Bottom line … Holt had no real protection against consistent double coverage.

4. If a 35-year-old Terrell Owens can shuffle off to Buffalo and still be a wide receiver, you cannot convince me that a 32-year-0ld Torry Holt doesn’t have a few good years left in those legs. And he’ll do it without always stirring up stuff, belittling teammates and coaches or blaming his plight on the QB.

Bottom line, as I asked at the beginning of this rant, why exactly are the Rams so eager to send Holt packing? Yes, Holt has asked to be released. But I believe that’s mostly because he’s been made to feel unwanted. Here’s a guy who was the team’s No. 6 overall pick in the 1999 draft and who gave the team 10 great years, in which time he established historial NFL rankings of 11th overall in career receptions (869) and 14th in career receiving yards (12,660). And I don’t believe he’s done yet. If I thought that, I would say, “Go ahead and release him.” This is not a sentimental argument.

I understand the Rams could save some salary cap money if they release Holt. But chances are, as soon as they do, another team will step up and pay Holt that same money. And are you telling me you don’t think Holt could have an excellent season catching passes from Tony Romo down in Dallas while lined up on the field with WR Roy Williams and TE Jason Witten?

And therein lies my main point: I do not believe Torry Holt is done. I believe his one bad season is a byproduct of a dysfunctional team that had bad leadership and a bad QB in 2008. This guy is not ready to be put out to pasture.

And if I’ve totally swung and missed on this one come the end of the 2009 NFL season, you can let me hear about it. But if I’m right, I’m going to re-run this little rant just to remind the haters what they so eagerly chased out of town.

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THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: If you were coaching the Blues, what would you be focusing on right now to help increase scoring for this team?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
Shoot the puck and keep the lines together as much as possible. The Blues are 26th in the NHL in shots per game with 27.8. That’s only a smidge better than the last-place team in the league, Minnesota, with 27.6. Blues coach Andy Murray has conducted entire practices with the theme of shooting the puck, and they do in practice. But when game time comes, the Blues are often hesitant to shoot the puck . . . 5 on 5 and on the power play. I don’t know what else you can do as a coach except take away ice time from those who pass up shots. Also, I would keep the same guys playing together. In private, most players will tell you that they would prefer to play with the same linemates for an extended period of time, more than three or four games. Sometimes it’s been out of necessity, but Murray has mixed up the lines more than a lot of players would like.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Shooting the puck. Yeah, it seems simplistic but so what? It may also be an easy answer because it’s something Andy Murray has talked about, but it is most certainly true. Keeping things simple is the right way to go here. Even with a couple of bad performances in the past week the Blues are still 15-10-5 in their last 30 games, so I don’t think it’s necessary to overthink the situation. That’s a 98-point pace since Christmas and even though there are some things Coach would like to see his team do more consistently I’d have to say things are going pretty well.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, Team 1380)
Even though the Blues are far from being considered an explosive offensive hockey club, I don’t look at scoring as being the major issue. It’s not like the Blues are getting shutout or losing games 2-1 night in and night out. Everyone’s familiar with the saying “you can’t score if you don’t shoot” and I think the Blues at times over-pass and fail to direct pucks on net when the opportunity presents itself.

With that being said … The Blues style of play is not conducive for a team looking to open up the game and doesn’t emphasize an attacking aggressive forecheck. The Blues, in my opinion, would generate more scoring chances if the club generated more speed through the neutral zone and played more on their toes as opposed to allowing the opposition (on many nights) to initiate the play. The Blues rely heavily on their shutdown players who don’t spend a lot of time in the offensive end and therefore don’t create a whole lot offensively. We’ve recently seen players who the Blues need to rely on for offense such as David Perron, Patrik Berglund, and David Backes taken out of their element and placed in a fourth-line role. It doesn’t help when Keith Tkachuk is struggling offensively and when Brad Boyes goes nearly ten games without a goal. The Blues need more offensive consistency from their “top players” and, oh, by the way, the club receives virtually no offense from the back end. That certainly doesn’t help.

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ON THIS DATE

MARCH 10, 1995 — After hitting .202 in Double A ball, former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan announces that he is leaving baseball behind and returning to pro basketball. Jordan had been playing with a White Sox affiliate. (Source: “This Day in Baseball” by David Nemec and Scott Flatow)