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: Many believe the third preseason game to be the most important of these exhibition matches as most starters don’t play much in the fourth and final game. The Rams obviously have a number of areas they are still trying to shore up. With that in mind, who is one player you will be watching very closely tomorrow night and why is that player’s performance vital to the success of this year’s Rams?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I want to see how the defensive tackles play. I can’t single out one guy; all of them are on the spot as far as I’m concerned. This team will be virtual waxpaper against the run unless, and until, it can find DTs who are big enough, wide enough, strong enough, and tough enough to win the interior battles. The Rams have some solid (or better) linebackers. But the Rams LBs will get mauled, just like last year, if the defensive line (and especially the tackles) can’t stop the stampede of blockers. Atlanta absolutely bullied these people in the second preseason game; let’s see if they can put up some resistance in Cincinnati.

BILL COATS
I’ll be keeping an eye on Tye Hill. He’s trying to come back from two injury-shortened seasons and also hoping to prove that the Rams didn’t make a mistake when they drafted him in the first round in 2006. If Hill falters, the Rams will have to make a major secondary adjustment, and that certainly won’t help a rebuilding defense.

JEFF GORDON
I am watching two players: Jason Smith and Chris Long. As second overall picks, they must become difference makers for this team. So far that hasn’t happened. It’s early for Smith, but his inability to run block with any consistency last week was disappointing. We all understand it will take time to develop pass blocking skills at this level, but he ought to run block right out of the box. As for Long, he needs to become a Pro Bowl defensive end ASAP. So far he has just been solid.

BRYAN BURWELL
I will be eyeballing rookie MLB James Laurinaitis and comparing and contrasting him with Cincy rookie MLB Rey Maualuga. Which one looks like the sort of disciplined playmaker that could be a defensive star for the next six years?

KATHLEEN NELSON
Samkon Gado, and by extension the rest of the backs competing to back up Steven Jackson. Gado looked great at Lindenwood and in the first game, and the coaching staff used him as fullback to increase his versatility and usefulness to the team. He was unremarkable last week, though. Either he or one of the other hopefuls has a chance to take ownership of the role.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Tye Hill. I loved him as a playmaker coming out of college but he hasn’t developed into anywhere near the same thing at the NFL level. The team needs another corner to emerge opposite Ron Bartell and I’m sure they’d also like to get something of substance out of a player they spent a first-round pick on. I realize injuries have affected him and playing injured while “out on the island” is a bit of a problem for sure. That said, it’s time. He appears to have the confidence corners need and now he needs to show that he’s got the skill and durability required to be a starter in this league.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Offensive tackle or linebacker? Linebacker or offensive tackle? The debate rages on about the No. 2 overall pick. But the Rams have many, many needs to address in this draft: offensive and defensive line, wide receiver, linebacker, backup QB and RB, defensive back … the list goes on. Which side of the ball do you think the Rams will have invested in most heavily come the end of next weekend’s NFL draft?

JIM THOMAS
The Rams have so many needs, it really depends on who’s available at each pick that is a good value (highly rated) in each particular round. For example, say the Rams take an offensive tackle in the first round. What they do in the second round might depend on whether wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, defensive tackle Ziggy Hood, edge rusher Larry English or even Ohio State middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is available. But on balance, if the Rams are serious about a drafting a quarterback and a backup running back, there shold be a tilt towards offense.

BRYAN BURWELL
When you end up drafting in the No. 2 slot in the first round in back-to-back seasons that means you have huge holes all over your roster. But despite Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive background, I won’t be surprised if his GM Billy Devaney goes slightly towards filling in the most holes on offense. The Rams need starters on the offensive line, immediate help at WR, a useful RB to spell Steven Jackson, QB for the future … and did I already say how badly they need more big and talented offensive linemen?

JEFF GORDON
Over the course of the draft, the Rams may end up with a bigger offensive investment. They have to add at least one tackle. Receiver is a glaring need. They could use a better No. 2 running back and another quarterback. On defense, they need a middle linebacker, a beefy defensive tackle, depth at cornerback and perhaps a developmental pass-rushing end. But the Rams put the franchise tag on O.J. Atogwe, spent heavily to keep Ron Bartell and filled their safety void in free agency.

BILL COATS
It’ll be close, but I think the Rams’ draft will lean toward offense. They need significant help on the line, at wide receiver and running back, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a quarterback in the later rounds.

KATHLEEN NELSON
I think the correct answer is “line,” on both sides of the ball. But since that’s not a choice, I’ll go with offense. The Rams are more likely to use the first pick on an offensive lineman, and there are so many good wide receivers in the draft, one is likely to be the “best player available” by the time they pick in the second round.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Rams signed cornerback Ron Bartell to a 4-year, $28 million contract Monday. Is Bartell really a $7 million a year player?

JIM THOMAS
Any time you make a deal in the first week or so of free agency, expect to overpay. It’s just the way it works. And New Orleans was ready to step up with a very similar offer anyway. The Rams couldn’t afford to be left short at corner, a thin position depth-wise even with Bartell under contract.

BRYAN BURWELL
There is a very reliable standard in sports that determines if an athlete is worth it: Did he get it? If he did, he’s worth it. Bartell is an ascending player who deseerves the money he has gotten from the Rams.

BILL COATS
Maybe not. But when you’ve won just five games over two seasons, you’re often going to have to pay a bit more to lure — or in this case, retain — players during free agency. Bartell is the Rams’ best cover corner, and they really couldn’t afford to lose him. So, they had to pony up.

JEFF GORDON
Bartell is a very solid cornerback on a horrendous defense. He also became a free agent at just the right time — when the free-agent cornerback pool was shallow. So, sure, he is a $7 million player. The Rams had to overspend a bit to prevent another leak from forming in the team’s secondary. I don’t know if this guy will ever become an elite “shutdown” corner, but at least he had enough pride to play at a consistently good level on a team that tanked two years in a row. Not many of his teammates can say the same.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Bernie Miklasz used an impressive array of stats in Tuesday’s Post-Dispatch to prove that Bartell is in the upper echelon of cornerbacks. From that perspective, he’s worth it. I think the opposite of the hometown discount (would that be the Stay-At-Home Surcharge?) applies to the Rams. With a 5-27 record the last two years, maybe they have to pay a little more to keep talent, as well as lure talent.

TOM ACKERMAN (Sports anchor on “Total Information A.M.” on KMOX)
Bartell is a dependable cornerback, so he’s worth the market price for such a player. Domonique Foxworth, for example, recently signed with the Ravens for a similar number. Bartell’s contract is incentive-laden; he’ll have to prove that he’s a $28 million corner. I’ve always liked Bartell. He’s worked hard to develop into an NFL-caliber defensive back. He always seems to be around the ball, and that instinctive ability should help him flourish in Steve Spagnuolo’s structured defense.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

A MILE HIGH, OR JUST HIGH? Can someone please explain to me why the Denver Broncos are so eager to kick QB Jay Cutler to the curb? All the former first-round draft pick did this past season — his third in the league — was pass for 4,526 yards, 25 TDs with only 18 INTs. Oh, and he was named to his first Pro Bowl. Still, Denver totally screwed up this past weekend by including Cutler’s name in a three-team trade involving New England and Tampa Bay that would have shipped Cutler to Tampa and brought Patriots QB Matt Cassell to Denver … where he could work with new head coach and former Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel.

Personally, I wouldn’t trade Cutler and his rocket arm straight up for the dink-and-dunk quarterbacking of Cassell, who by the way hadn’t started a game since high school before taking over for Tom Brady when he went down last year. And if including Cutler’s name in those trade talks wasn’t insult enough for the young QB, now word from the Minneapolis Star Tribune is that the Vikings are interested in attaining Cutler and talks are believed to be ongoing.

I just don’t get it. If the Broncos were to deal Cutler, their QB depth chart would consist of Patrick Ramsey (failure everywhere he’s been) and Darrell Hackney (really, Darrell Hackney?) As a rookie head coach, McDaniels made a major blunder causing this fissure with his 25-year-old franchise QB so soon after his arrival in Denver. Perhaps they’ll kiss and make up for P.R. reasons, but you can’t tell me Cutler’s now not going to want to take the first train out of Denver asap … and who can blame him?

If I’m missing something here, I’d love to have someone explain it to me.

SPEAKING OF QBS: Former St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner is getting the red-carpet treatment from the San Francisco 49ers as they try to lure him to yet another NFC West division rival. Warner reportedly has been offered a two-year, $20 million contract to return to the Cardinals, but according to the San Francisco Chronicle is seeking closer to $30 million for two years, a salary cap number the Niners could easily accommodate. How much is a two-time MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback worth? Stay tuned to find out. Meanwhile, check out the royal treatment Kurt and Brenda received in San Francisco.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

BLUES, WINGS AND THE TRADE DEADLINE: I’ve read and heard a lot lately saying the decision of whether the Blues are buyers or sellers at tomorrow’s trade deadline depends largely on how they perform tonight against Detroit. I don’t really understand that rationale, and frankly, hope it’s not true. With 19 games remaining after tonight, why would this one game against the Wings carry such import? Are the Blues supposed to prove tonight they can hang with the likes of Detroit? Well maybe they can for one night, but I don’t think that necessarily signals this is a playoff team, and it certainly isn’t an indicator of whether or not they could actually contend if they were to make the playoffs. All year long we’ve heard coach Andy Murray say to not look forward, don’t watch the standings and the only thing that’s important is that the team gets two points in their next game. So why would emotions run so high for tonight’s game that one would make club-altering decisions based on this singular outcome? Makes no sense to me. But as I’ve said before, I’m no GM, so perhaps the “experts” see something here that I don’t.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be at the Scotty tonight and am looking forward to a rowdy crowd and great game. And who wouldn’t want to see the Blues pull one off under such circumstances? I just don’t see the logic in basing anything about the club’s future on the outcome of this one game. I’m just sayin’.

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STAT OF THE DAY

38 — Most home runs hit by a player in his first season. That distinction is held by Frank Robinson and Wally Berger — both hit 38 home runs in their first seasons. Many folks mistakenly think it’s Mark McGwire, who belted 49 HRs during his rookie season in 1987. However, while McGwire holds the rookie record, 1987 wasn’t his first season. He had 53 at-bats in 1986.

Here’s a look at the top 10 players who hit the most home runs in their “first” season:

Player/HRs/Year

1. Frank Robinson/38/1956
2. Wally Berger/38/1930
3. ALBERT PUJOLS/37/2001
4. Ryan Braun/34/2007
5. Jimmie Hall/33/1963
6. Ted Williams/31/1939
7. Pete Incaviglia/30/1986
8. Joe DiMaggio/29/1936
9. Evan Longoria/27/2008
10. Dan Uggla/27/2006
(Source: Baseballreference.com)