Tackleberry: Gordo,

Three Questions:
1. Any chance the Rams cut ties with Bennett?
2. Chavous is gone, right?
3. The pick at #2 is Jake Long?

Jeff Gordon: I'm guessing this regime will want to give Drew another look, but the man was albatross for Linehan this year. So you never know. The Rams could use a big hitter in Chavous' spot, for sure. Haslett insists he has played well, but finding people who agree is difficult. Long would be a nice pick at OT; he wasn't penalized once this season and he allowed just one sack.

tc22: Hey Gordo,

Love your column! What about our Cardinals? I'm extremely disappointed and disgruntled with their lack of action on the trade front! We free up some big money with the trade of Jimmy Edmonds and tell everyone that the team is going to spend more and we sit pat and do nothing! Should we expect nothing concerning trading for a front line pitcher and the excising of the cancerous Scott Rolen? Who would play 3rd "when" he departs? This team has done next to nothing to address our horrible starting pitching situation and to expect Mulder to be anything more than a sub .500 starting pitcher is ludicrous! Is Colby Rasmus remotely ready to assume a starting role in CF and bat leadoff? What do you think the Cardinals are waiting for? Should I expect a 71-91 record in 2008?

Jeff Gordon: As the Cards stand today, they are not a strong team. I don't blame them for refusing for overspend on so-so starting pitchers. I applaud their willingness to develop Colby Rasmus instead of dealing him. Ditto for Duncan and Ankiel. I appreciate their dilemma with Scott Rolen.

But I expect this team to have a $110 million payroll this season, not counting the money owed injured OF Juan Encarnacion or money owed anubody else not on the team. If the ownership fails to spend a solid $110 million this year, then you can expect constant protest from this corner of cyberspace.

Glenn Turner: Jeff:
Wainwright, Looper, Piniero, Reyes, Mulder(inj). That = a90 to 100 loss season. We need at least one and in my opinion 2 starting pitchers!!! Who will we get? Clement??(inj issues), Colon? (inj issues), Benson? (inj issues), Jennings?? (inj issues)Fogg?? (I hope not just go w/ Reyes)...

Jeff Gordon: At the moment, even Brad Thompson is an option for the rotation. Not good enough. The Cards will add a couple of guys, for sure, but they will be less than sure bets. I would expect 2007 to be an adventure, but I'm not ready to predict 90 to 100 losses.

Glenn Turner: Rams- clean it up at the top or they are going to get really bad. No good free agent that wants to win will agree to join this mess!!! Seattle/Arizona and even the 49r's are laughing at us. Seattle is a solid team now. Arizona adds another solid draft year and a key free agent or two and they have the foundation of a very good team. The 49r's have a good defense.

Will changes be made???

Jeff Gordon: Yeah, but Tom Donahoe for Tony Softli isn't going to cause a seismic shift in how things are done at Rams Park. This could be a long and difficult offseason for this team.

Scott L: I was hoping you could help me to understand what Backman was doing on the ice against Dallas. I was at the game and given his number of shifts I was wondering if coach Murray was also there.

The last regulation goal by Dallas that almost won it for them appeared to be directly the result of Backman losing his positioning and shifting over to the wrong side of the ice, Roberio is only Dallas’s leading scorer and had an easy tap in.

Additionally, Backman may have had more ice time in overtime than any other defenseman, more than E Johnson, more than Brewer and more than Wagner, one of the better blues D man and a player who should be very adapt at 4-4 given his offensive and defensive sense, never hit the ice.

If I am looking for 4-4 defenseman Brewer, Wagner and Johnson make it on the ice, is not like Murray strictly goes by normal D pairings in the extra period.

Jeff Gordon: Poor Christian. It's not happening for him with this staff. At some point, changes will be made to allow Murray to give his up-and-coming defenders a chance to succeed where this guy has failed.