Blues Fan: Gordo:

I have two questions. Can you explain the reasoning behing the Blues trade of their best and most reliable defenseman in Salvador for a talentless goon? Was that the best they could get in return for a quality defenseman?

Why does Murray continue to Brad Boyes on the point on the first PP unit? I know he has a good shot but Boyes is not suited to play the blue line as evident in the short handed goal they gave up against the Sharks on Saturday. There have been a number of times that the Blues have given up a breakway or an odd man rush on the PP because Boyes is not a defenseman.

Jeff Gordon: It is always tricky putting a forward on the PP point. A lot of teams do it out of necessity. Ideally, the Blues will develop somebody to play across from Erik Johnson on the first unit next year. Then Boyes could use that big shot curling into the high slot or off the half boards into the circle. Perhaps Wagner could fill that role next year.

As for Salvador, he WAS the team's steadiest D this year. But he was headed to unrestricted free agency. The Blues signed Jackman instead, largely due to their age difference, then moved Salvador for a useful hit man. Janssen will do a fine job in his role and become a fan favorite.

Craig: Jeff,

I need a free agent update. Are the Rams coming close on offers and just not getting the nod or what? It seems like a lot of guys never make it past their first trip. So, do you see any signings probable? It would seem that a bunch of fans (or perhaps crazy dillusional message board posters) thought we were somehow going to pick up Samuel, Faneca, Smith, and Moss; now you'd think it was the end of the world that we didn't. All I know is that as bad as this team was last year, talent was not the biggest issue. We had tons injuries and more importantly horrible coaching schemes. So please Jeff, say something, anything, rational. I need to hear it.

Jeff Gordon: I repeatedly warned Rams fans not to expect big free-agent scores. A lot of players were going to stay put (Lance Briggs!) and others were going to look for better situations (Samuel, Faneca. That said, the Rams will end up with more than an upgrade at kicker. There are still some solid possibilities out there.

G Money: Have to agree with your article about the Blues not making moves at the trade deadline. I would have prefered another draft pick to the player obtained for Salvador. Jackman is younger and has more upside than Salvador. Is Polak up from the minors yet? Time to play the young guys and let them learn. Perron, Wagner, etc...

Jeff Gordon: Polak, just back from the injured list, is getting a look now. He is a big part of the future, as is Wagner. Perhaps Woywitka and Walker will stick around as well.

I agree about the kids: Play them all down the stretch. Get ready for next season.

G Money: Rams seem to be making the right moves. The roster needs a lot of youth. Bruce is a tough loss but he is in his golden years. How much cap space do we have? Why looking for a guard? Isn't OT a biger need? Maybe J. Long is their pick. His workouts have been very good. I like Dorsey

Jeff Gordon: With Pace and Barron coming back, the Rams are looking for depth at OT but not a starter. Bell would be a nice get because he could compete for a starting guard slot and fill in at tackle if needed. Targeting second-contract free agents is a good plan for rebuilding.

Randy: Hi Gordo,
Why are the Rams trying to snow ball the fans into thinking they are making any of the right moves? They let go Isaac Bruce and cleared up all this cap space with other moves and they only thing they have done is get a kicker! They are trying to get us to buying into Bennett replacing Bruce. Anyone that saw the Rams last year knows Bennett was the biggest bust and moronic move the Rams have made since they came to St. Louis. I know Bruce was getting a little long in the tooth but he is 3 times better than Bennett ever will be. We already needed DE, LB and OL but now we need another wide receiver. There are not really any other free agents out there worth looking at and now management seems to have come to depend on the draft to be our savior. Even if they do sign any of the remaining free agents they are not really any better than we have now. The way most knowledgable football fans will have to look at it is the Rams are going to stink for the next 2 or 3 years because they are to cheap to spend money on free agents. Here we are 20 million under the cap and have not done a thing while other teams are making moves to improve themselves while we take 3 steps backwards! I am trying not to complain but BONEHEAD moves frustrate the heck out of us die hard Rams fans with nothing to look forward to but losing.

Jeff Gordon: There are some useful free agents out there, but the top guys ARE gone. And this wasn't a great group to start with. All along, I figured the draft would be critical. Also, this team has to rehab its injured players and get some more of the young veterans over the top.