Superjim: Hey Gordo,

I know Holt is our best receiver and this won't happen but...I'd trade him. Do I relish the notion of having an unhappy, partially injured player earning millions on my roster? No. What happens if we start badly (with the schedule not beyond the relams of possibility), say 1-5. Will Holt stay quiet until week 16 like last year? or will he mumble after 5 or 6 weeks and create a division in the locker room? This off-season has been about getting high character players into the Franchise and while old Holt fits in with this, does the Torry Holt of the last 3 months? I'd actively shop him, try a trade with Cinci for Houshmandzadeh who's a free agent in 12 months, or if carolina want him then they have some defenders we could sure use...
To summarise, I think we can do without Holt this year given the two receivers we got from the draft and Bennett with Jackson chipping in a-la 2006, and if we got a player like Housh then I see nothing but upside. It'd be a shame for Torry not to retire a Ram but he doesn't want to wear the shirt anymore and if that's the case then, to me, the only option is to show him the door. Your thoughts?

Thanks Gordo

Jeff Gordon: The ideal answer, of course, is for Saunders to revive this offense and help Holt, Bulger and Jackson play up to their Pro Bowl levels. Last year was hard on Torry. But dealing him is not the answer. Getting this team back on a winning track is the answer.

Matt Berry: Jeff,

Do you have confidence that Pace will be able to come back as a pro-bowl caliber player this year, or are his days numbered in your opinion? There is alot of emphasis put on Saunders helping Holt, Bruce and Jackson play at their top levels, but Orlando has been a huge part of the successful seasons St. Louis has had. Is he going to come back and make an impact once again?

Thanks Gordo

Jeff Gordon: I'll give you a qualified "yes" to this question. O.P. worked hard to rehab his latest injury, which was a freakish deal. He was on the field for mini-camps. He'll be fine. But will he last? That is the tough part, but his injuries seem mostly unrelated and odd. Has he become brittle or is he just unlucky?

Craig: What are they putting in the Wheaties of pitchers these days? Maybe that's not a funny joke, considering we are talking baseball. But seriously, it seems like every NL pitcher has forgotten he's not supposed to know how to hit this year.

Jeff Gordon: Hey, there are a lot of days when the Cards need that pitcher to hit -- given the production of their starting shortstop and back-up catcher.

Ryan Judd: Follow up from earlier regarding pitchers. I appreciate the response but I think one inning pitchers versus guys starting every other day and throwing nine innings are two vastly different situations. Guys take far better care of their arms these days and should be able to pitch more than they do without getting injured or needing additional rest.

Jeff Gordon: Some guys are cut out for this, some aren't. I'd safe a safe maximum should be pitch back-to-back, day off, pitch, day, pitch, day off, day off and start over. Of course, some of these guys throw 28-pitch innings which don't help. The periodic eight-pitch would help, no?

Matt Berry: Very good point. He seems to be hungry to get out there and compete at a high level again, and he certainly has the skill. I think if he comes out and has a solid year, we will hear alot less about the struggling O-line, and alot more about the limited amount of time Bulger spends on his back. Let's face it; Mark could use a bit of a break on the bang ups. Thanks for the discussion session. great stuff in here!

Jeff Gordon: It was interesting to see Barron working at left tackle at the mini-camp, as the potential heir apparent. He is reaching the make-or-break portion of his career. He could make a LOT of money if he becomes good enough to replace O.P at left tackle in '09 or '10.