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: Do you believe Michael Vick should be reinstated and allowed to play football again in the NFL? And, do you think you’ll ever see Vick again as a starting quarterback in the league?

BILL COATS
If I were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, I’d keep Vick out for another year, just to see if he “gets it” after he returns to the real world. Even then, Vick would be only 30, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he got another shot at starting in the NFL.

JEFF GORDON
Michael Vick should absolutely be reinstated. He paid a heavy price for his crime. He has paid a much heavier price than, say, Leonard Little paid for taking a person’s life in a drunk-driving crash. As for the quarterback part, the suddenly popularity of the “Wildcat” formation could give him new life. He may lack the polish to be a top 10 NFL quarterback in the traditional sense, but he could be devastating as a “Wildcat” quarterback. He is still in his athletic prime, so I expect that he could regain football conditioning easily enough.

KATHLEEN NELSON
I’m the biggest dog lover on the staff. My screen saver is a picture of My Guy Spud, wrapping his long pink tongue all the way around his black Lab snout. It’s lovely. So, the thought of setting one dog against another doesn’t even compute with me. How could anyone find pleasure or thrills in that? The authorities nailed Vick but good.

However, he’s done his time, so you have to forgive. Denying him a second chance would be rather stiff-necked and close-minded.

The answer to the second part of the question is totally up to Vick. He wasn’t a prototypical quarterback to begin with, and his skills have deteriorated. It’s hard to imagine him as a starting quarterback, but if he gets himself in shape and stays out of trouble, some team will give him a chance. Maybe he’ll be a backup; maybe he’ll be a gimmick-play guy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the field again, albeit sporadically.

REID LAYMANCE
When the U.S. government deems that Vick has payed his debt to society, the NFL shouldn’t prevent him from rejoining the league. And if he still has the skills, a team should give him the chance. If you look at some of the QBs around the league, it would certainly seem that Vick, even with time away from the game, has enough to compete.

DAN O’NEILL
I believe if I was producing the “Dog Whisperer” with Cesar Millan, I would be on the phone with Vick’s agent right now, trying to get him on the show. That said, I think Vick should be reinstated. He has served his debt to society. He made a horrible choice, got nailed for it and paid the price. I have no doubt there will be an NFL team willing to sign him and, given the sorry state of quarterbacking in the league, I would not be shocked to see a team try him at quarterback.
Who would be more entertaining to watch, Marc Bulger or Michael Vick?

STU DURANDO
I’ve thought all along that he would be allowed to return to the league after he served his sentence and appeared to have his life straightened out. When he has things in order, give him another shot. If Leonard Little could get a second chance, Michael Vick should. And as difficult a time as some teams have finding a good quarterback, this guy is just too talented not to be starting again at some point.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Rams fans seem to be enthused about having a defensive-minded head coach taking the helm of this team. Speaking just in terms of defense, what remains to be done this offseason that will enable Steve Spagnuolo to turn around the fortunes of the Rams defense?

JIM THOMAS
So far, strong safety James Butler is the only new starter on what was one of the NFL’s worst defenses last season. Help at middle linebacker, nose tackle, and cornerback would be nice.

JEFF GORDON
There is much work to do, especially with the front seven. The Rams still must get stronger at the point of attack. The most critical need is an impact linebacker — ideally for the middle, which would allow Will Witherspoon to move outside and make better use of his pass-rushing skills. Still another linebacker would help as well. This team needs another run-stuffer to stick in the middle of the line, supporting and pushing Clifton Ryan and Adam Carriker. The Rams also need to develop another pass-rushing end to ultimately replace Leonard Little and work across from Chris Long. And this team needs more depth at cornerback, where Tye Hill and Justin King are attempting comebacks.

BILL COATS
Draft Aaron Curry and put him at MLB. Find a beefy defensive tackle for the rotation up front. Get some depth — and possibly a starter if Tye Hill disappoints — at cornerback.

KATHLEEN NELSON
The pecking order at linebacker needs to be straightened out. Spagnuolo has said that he will move Will Witherspoon outside and move Chris Draft to the middle. The latter feels a bit like Tony LaRussa’s switch of Skip Schumacher to second base. The Cardinals have declared that move a success, but the Rams will need to see how it works and adjust if necessary.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The main thing the Rams need on defense is a super-sized linebacker, someone who can be a dominant physical presence on game day. This linebacker would be someone for the middle, ideally, but more important than the specific position he plays is whether or not the player is the kind of impact talent the team needs. Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry would fit the bill, as could several others in the draft depending on how things fall.

I’d also like to see more depth on the defensive line and perhaps another cornerback added to the mix as well, though it may not be possible to address everything before training camp.

There are a lot of good players on the Rams’ defense but as things stand right now none of those players are dominant, nobody is a star. Chris Long may develop into that kind of player, but whether it is him or not, somehow this teams needs to find “The Guy” that makes it all work the way it is supposed to.