THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: After weeks of talking about it, the NFL draft finally begins tomorrow. Rather than predicting who the St. Louis Rams will take, I’d like you to put your GM hat on. If you were running the Rams draft, who would you take with the No. 2 pick and why?

JIM THOMAS
All signs point to the Rams taking a tackle. But Aaron Curry is the best player in the draft. The Wake Forest linebacker would bring attitude, leadership and charisma to a defense lacking in all of those areas. He’d be my pick.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I would take USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, because he’s ideal to run the West Coast offense and he displays outstanding leadership qualities. He’s an ideal fit and the Rams can’t be sure they’ll have such an attractive option at QB in the 2010 Draft. In the end, though, the Rams will decide to make one more attempt at reviving Marc Bulger. And they’ll make the safer, more pragmatic choice by grabbing Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

BRYAN BURWELL
I would go offensive tackle, and I’d be happy with either Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe. I want to get massive up front to dominate games. I would probably go OT in second or third round, too. I want enormous folks whose entire families are big-boned too.

JEFF GORDON
Going against conventional wisdom, I would select Aaron Curry and stick him in the middle of that defense. The Rams have a woeful linebacker corps beyond Will Witherspoon. Steve Spagnuolo is a defensive-minded coach who knows how to maximize his talent on that side of the ball. Then I would take an offensive tackle with the second pick — and I would look to move up into the first round to get a little more quality there. There is risk in doing that, since the better tackles will leave the board. But it is a risk worth taking.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Eugene Monroe: I’ll confess that I haven’t watched film, but the scouts who have seem to give Monroe the edge as a pass blocker over Jason Smith. I’m sure either will develop into an anchor for the offensive line, but the recurring image of Marc Bulger on his back or side, writhing in pain, makes me think pass protection is a more urgent need. Just don’t expect either Monroe or Smith next year to be Orlando Pace in his prime.

GERRY FRALEY
USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, in a heartbeat. The Rams are not going to win with Marc Bulger. He has taken a horrific beating and is regressing. Bulger also lacks the aura of a big-time quarterback. No need to worry about that with Sanchez. He’s good and knows it, which is not all bad when it comes to a quarterback.

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.

THE WATERCOOLER
(Post-Dispatch columnists and beat writers share their thoughts on a question of the day.)

Question: What personnel area do you think the Rams most need to address this offseason?

JIM THOMAS
The Rams are set at punter and place-kicker. Everything else should be subject to review. But it all begins in the trenches, and with the exception of some decent pass blocking, the Rams showed nothing in the Arizona desert to change their major overriding need: Help on the offensive line. An offensive tackle — preferably one who can show up on time to team meetings — and a center should be a minimum requirement.

BILL COATS
Offensive tackle. Orlando Pace, 34, has been solid on the left side this season, but he’s showing signs of wear and tear. Alex Barron, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2005, is just an average right tackle. His contract is up after next season, and he probably won’t be back. The Rams need quality as well as quantity to shore up this vital position.

JEFF GORDON
I would start with offensive tackle, since elite prospects loom at that position at the top of the ’09 draft. Orlando Pace offers great risk with his age and injury history. As we saw this week, Alex Barron cannot be counted on. John Greco is better playing inside. Adam Goldberg is a fine back-up, but not a bulwark to build around. This is a difficult position to fill, so the Rams should make it the top priority.

BRYAN BURWELL
Anyone who has watched this sad offense bog down every week knows that the most glaring weakness is on the offensive line. Until they can put together a unit that can control the line of scrimmage, this team will continue to struggle.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Those guys are the experts, so who am I to argue? I know it all starts up front, but there’s just nothing sexy about an offensive lineman. Where are the “skill” position players? The Rams need those, too. I’d start with a young QB to build around … Georgia’s Matt Stafford or Florida’s Tim Tebow, anyone? Or maybe Sam Bradford, he looked pretty good last week against Mizzou — though I guess having 10 seconds or so in the pocket every snap helped. (By the way, my call for the “skill” positions probably shows why I’d be about as successful as Matt Millen as a GM.)

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

MADDUX HANGS THEM UP: Pitcher Greg Maddux announced his retirement Monday after 23 seasons and 355 victories (one more than Roger Clemens, by the way.) In his illustrious career, Maddux won four consecutive Cy Young awards from 1992-95 and made 8 All-Star appearances. Known more for his pinpoint precision than his power, Maddux also collected 18 Gold Gloves in his career. No surprise here, but Derrick Goold says, “There is a place in Cooperstown already reserved for Maddux. He’ll be in almost the moment he’s eligible.”

IT AIN’T SO FOR JOE: Fan favorites Joe Torre and Ron Santo did not receive the votes necessary from the Veterans Committee to be included in this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame class. There were two different committees voting this year, one charged with voting on players that played pre-1943 and another on players who played post-1942. Joe Gordon, a nine-time All-Star second baseman for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians and an American League MVP (pre-1943), was the only candidate elected.

A look at the voting for those players who played post-1942 (48 votes needed):
Ron Santo - 39
Jim Kaat - 38
Tony Oliva - 33
Gil Hodges - 28
Joe Torre - 19
Maury Wills - 15
Luis Tiant - 13
Vada Pinson - 12
Al Oliver - 9
Dick Allen - 7

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A FEW THINGS TO PONDER

PLAXICO SHOULD’VE USED ANOTHER WEAPON … HIS BRAIN: Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp points out that NFL players are justifiably fearful for their safety because they are targets. He cites a number of incidents in the last year alone, including: the murder of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, Jacksonville offensive lineman Richard Collier losing a leg and being paralyzed after being shot 14 times, Oakland receiver Javon Walker beaten senseless in a robbery. And there are other examples. Sharp points out that athletes have the same right of self-defense as the general public, but he says the strongest defense rests with what lies between their ears rather than what they’re possibly packing in their pants.

THAT’S A BUMMER: I was hoping to get my first live glimpse of the Baby Blues playing together at tonight’s game vs. Nashville. But Tom Timmermann is reporting this morning that T.J. Oshie will not play. The exact nature of Oshie’s latest injury has not yet been disclosed, but he was injured during Saturday night’s game vs. Phoenix. Stay tuned for details.

TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES: The Associated Press has put out its annual ballot for newspaper editors to vote on the top male athletes of the year. Following is the list of candidates for 2008:
• Michael Phelps
• Eli Manning
• Kobe Bryant
• Padraig Harrington
• Lewis Hamilton
• Jimmie Johnson
• Rafael Nadal
• Usain Bolt
• Francisco Rodriguez
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Bode Miller

Is Michael Phelps the runaway winner here? I was pretty captivated by Usain Bolt during the Olympics, too. And, man, what a year K-Rod had. Who would you cast your vote for?

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STAT OF THE DAY

21 — Seasons Jerry Sloan has been the head coach of the Utah Jazz. The other 29 NBA franchises have made 222 coaching changes since Sloan became coach. Sloan is the longest-tenured coach with one team in the four major sports, according to the Associated Press. Leaders in the other sports include Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves who has completed 19 seasons, Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans who is in his 15th and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres who is in his 12th.

Amazing feat … living 21 years in Utah, that is. (I jest. I jest.)