CaliforniaRam: Jim ,
Hello and thanks,
Any small tiny tidbit on Coach Shanahan.
There's nothing in the media suggesting Ram interest. Then again I have not heard of any other teams with their eyes on him either.

To me thats a little hard to digest.
Not as hard as watching a Ram game in 08 ,
but hard never the less

Cram

Jim Thomas: Shanahan basically has let it be known that he's sitting out 2009.

smackuprams: hi jim..im watching the cars. and panthers game.kurts looking great.i just want to say kurt not comming back to my beloved rams..so fans get over that,and i really mean that.i hope he does it again and win it all.great guy,he shook my hand,even got a picture of that.so if you had to draft a qb,late in the draft who would you take.because i think the qb that aren't on radar are your best bets.what do you think ......ty.....rick

Jim Thomas: I haven't really studied the draft-able quarterbacks yet. And let's see who else comes out before the deadline for declaring on Thursday.

David: I'm lost. When did Haslett and Martz bury the hatchet, and how did their relationship progress so much that Haslett is the only person Martz is willing to coach for, even on the team that ran him out so dramatically four years ago?

Jim Thomas: Most of the ill-will generated between the two came when the teams were in the same division. That was seven years ago. I think the two have come to realize and appreciate that they are both very competitive coaches. As for Martz saying Haslett's the only coach he'd consider working for as a coordinator, OK, maybe Martz was laying it on a bit thick.

rams26: Hello Jim -

Of the 5 finalists, how would you rank them in terms of most likely to get hired? I hope it comes down to Spagnoula and Ryan.

Thanks!

GO RAMS!!!!!!!!

Jim Thomas: I really don't know how to call it. Devaney hasn't tipped his hand. Plus, I think the candidate field turned out even better than initially imagined by the Rams. For one, Spagnuolo became available when the Giants lost. And I think Cleveland picking Mangini and Denver picking McDaniels worked in the Rams favor. I don't think either would have been "finalist" type candidates in St. Louis (even though McDaniels had that preliminary interview scheduled with the Rams.)

dominic: Hey Jim:
Its crunch time for hiring a new coach! I know you have to be professional,but if you were an average fan,who would you like the Rams to hire?
I want Rex Ryan because I love the 3-4 defense and maybe he can bring in Terrel Suggs and Jim Leanord for the defense and to be his leaders of the team.
And Ram fans should be excited no matter who they hire because Billy Devaney is running the draft and bringing in free agents.Proven commodity compared to the past evaluators who made these decisions.See Jay Zygmunt.
And no thank you to Jason Garret!!
Appreciate you!

Jim Thomas: Personally, I think haslett, frazier, ryan and spagnuolo are all good candidates.

GoRams2001: JT,

Have you heard anything on how the HC candidates went from a random group of unknown assistants to 5 well-known finalists overnight? Was someone growing impatient, or did the Bronco's hiring force them to get on the fast track?

Thanks again for your hard work and fact-checking. You're the only source I trust on this HC search.

Jim Thomas: I wouldn't say anything materialized overnight. Haslett, Frazier, and Ryan were always on the Rams radar. Spagnuolo became available when the Giants lost. (Plus, it doesn't seem like the market for him was as great as some anticipated.) Even Garrett was always in the mix; we (the media) just didn't know about it.

West Coast Ram: Jim,
I like Dom Capers as a DC, do you think any other candidate other than Haslett would bring him in as the DC? With many of the candidates being first time HC do you think that BD will make the new coach hire OC and DC that have already held at least that position? I hate that the Rams have been so poor the last few seasons but it sure makes the off season interesting.

Jim Thomas: I'm sure an important part of the interview process for all of the coaches will be staffing, particularly the OC and DC positions. Who knows? If it's a close call between a couple of candidates, it could make or break a candidate. As for Capers, I don't think he's the guy that Ryan would bring in. But not really sure.

Eddie1999: Hi Jim. Love this chat! First time caller, long time listener. I was wondering if you think Haslett wanting Martz as the OC was what he thinks is best for the team or if it was out of desperation. Afterall it seems to go against the idea of a power running game but would get fans approval of having Haslett as the head coach. It kind of reminds me of McCain nominating Palin. I for one would love to have Martz back. Even if they don't win at least they would be entertaining. I also don't buy into the thought process that we need a power running game because our defense is so bad we need to control the clock. Even it that the case, build the team for success a year or two down the road, not just next year. We all saw what Martz can do with the right personnel and Jackson can catch the ball even though not quite a well as Faulk. Thanks!

Eddie

Jim Thomas: I think Haslett has genuine respect for what Martz could do on offense. The question, of course, is whether Martz could stay committed to the running game. And keep in mind, Martz was just one of several names floated as a potential offensive coordinator by Haslett during his "finalist" interview last week.

fcoprado: Jim, How are you?
From 1983-1990, the Rams arn the 3-4 defense, under the late great Fritz Shurmur, remember him?In 1991, Jeff Fisher was hired as DC by coach John Robinson to run the 4-3, his only season with the Rams(Robinson quit after the season,Fisher went to Frisco).I believe if Ryan is hired he will run the 3-4.I don't think the other hires will run the 3-4.What do you think?

Jim Thomas: Among Frazier (Minnesota), Spagnuolo (NY Giants), and Ryan (Baltimore), the Ravens are the only ones who run the 3-4. But Ryan mixes the fronts and presents multiple looks. For example, I'm told that when Adalius Thomas was there, he spent a lot of time with his hand on the ground, giving the Ravens a 4-3 look. But there's no doubt, there will have to be some adjustments made personnel-wise if Ryan comes here and runs a 3-4 base.

ctramsfan: Jim, any news on possible free agents that the Rams mite make a strong push for?

Thanks for your time

Jim Thomas: It's pretty quiet on that front now. We're still about six-seven weeks away from free agency, and Devaney is spending almost all of his time on the coach search.

Steve: hey jim, say the rams make the right hire for head coach. the new coach turns things around in two-three years, wins the west, wins a playoff game, etc. the new coach ends up staying for years as has dungy, shanahan, reid, and holmgren. the rams make consecutive and numerous playoff appearances in the next 7-10 years. will this success have any impact on the rams getting a new/updated stadium by 2015 and, as a result, staying in st. louis? or is the sale of the team and the future location, st. louis or elsewhere, have more to do with economy, willing buyer, location of buyer, etc.?

Jim Thomas: A run of success helps on all fronts. It can't hurt any efforts to get a new/updated stadium built, and might convince Chip and Lucia that owning an NFL actually is fun. Obviously, the economy has a lot to do with everything as well.

Kerman Ram fan: when do negotiations begin with Awtogwe, Bartel and other players that were considered priorities to sign, or are still waiting for the new head coach to come on board?

Jim Thomas: Right now, things are on hold while the head coach is being selected. I'm not even sure if the Rams have decided on who will do the contracts and the negotiating.

28-Blast: It seems to me that the Ram's biggest need is not for a head coach or a decision as to what position to use the #2 pick for, but instead to find a new strength, conditioning and agility coach.
Each year it seems that the Rams suffer way too many injuries, many of which are season ending injuries. Other teams don't seem to have as many or as serious injuries. Is it just coincidence or are the Rams doing something wrong?

Jim Thomas: I'm not saying any blame should be placed on the strength and conditioning coaches, but for the second year in a row, the Rams have had more than their share of injuries. The Rams finished the season with 12 players on IR, and all told, players missed more than 150 games because of injuries. Something has to change. Keep in mind, too, the fact that the Rams change surfaces every year at the dome _ in essence, they're renting a tuf every year _ probably contributes to the injury total.

stlfourlife53: Hi, I was thinking that if the NFL Network report was correct about the Rams possibly getting their HC either Thurs. or Fri. and Spags is scheduled to be interviewed on Thurs., does that means all the signs are pointing to Spags being the Rams HC?

After all him and Bill has a good friendship, plus Spags went through the interview process with Bill last season when he was doing the search with Atlanta.

Thank You!

Jim Thomas: Since the last of the interviews concludes Thursday, I think it's safe to assume that the new coach could be in place by the end of the week, whether it's Spagnuolo or anyone else. Then it becomes a question of whether the Rams decide to wait until Sunday and see how Rex Ryan and the Ravens do.

timmeno: I wanted to put my two cents in! Of the five? REX RYAN and Mike Martzs running the Offense with Al Saunders as the qb coach and Wilbert Mongomery coaching Rb's and Henry Ellard coaching wr's Guy Macintyre coaching O-line(former 49ers og) no passing drops over 5steps and bring back the 3step and draft another rb of add Maurce Morris(sea) as the main backup and move Leanard to Fb and 3rd rb. Resign Byrd and move him to Fb,can catch out of the backfield and Terrell the og we drafted some time ago.

Jim Thomas: Obviously, I don't know for sure. But I don't think Ryan would bring in martz.

ram4life: Jim, Jason Garrett has had a "cadillac" in Dallas and he has driven it like an old jeep. Why, after two years of Dallas collapsing under his offensive leadership, would we want to hand the keys over to him?
He seems to ignore Barber, there most physical player, and he gets pass happy in the grueling NFC East. What makes him so special, other than Dallas is always in the news?

Jim Thomas: Good questions. Maybe you should be in the interview room with Garrett on Wednesday in LA.

vanvaley1: Has the Ram front office received any request from other teams to interview Hasslet as a head coach or defensive coordinator? If not...what's the reason? If so...why hasn't he been allowed to interview?

Jim Thomas: You know, I've never gotten to the bottom of this. But I do know, Green Bay has some interest in him as a defensive coordinator.

larry wilson: Jim

Could you put out your best guess as to which players currently on the Rams roster will start next season?

My guess is:

OFF - Bulger, Jackson, Avery, Burton, McMichael, Pace, Greco, and Bell. I don't think Holt will return, and I'm hoping Bennett won't either. I think Barron could be moved... maybe Richie too.

DER - Long and Carricker at DE, Ryan at T, Witherspoon and Pisa at OLB, Bartell at DB and OJ at FS. I'm hoping Little gets a 1-2 year deal and is used situationally at DE.

Jim Thomas: A lot of this depends on the next head coach.

JWM: Hey Jim!

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I want to know what Leslie Frazier brings to the table as a finalist in the Rams HC search. Is he a fiery guy or more of a calm, assured Tony Dungy type? Do we have any indication as to what devaney sees in this guy? I really favor Ryan as the next coach, and think he understands the power running philosophy Devaney claims we need in STL. His days in baltimore have surely taught him the value of grinding it out on the ground combined with an aggressive, cutthroat defense.

Thanks again!

Jim Thomas: Frazier won a Super Bowl as a starting cornerback with Chicago; he won a Super Bowl as an assistant coach with Indianapolis. In his 10 years as an NFL assistant coach, he has been part of only one team that finished with a losing record.
He played for Buddy Ryan, and coached under Jim Johnson (Philly def. coord.) and Tony Dungy. In Minnesota, his defense combines elements of Johnson's aggressive blitzing tactics with Dungy's Cover 2 scheme.
He has been compared to Dungy in terms of his relatively low-key approach _ one that generates respect from the players while still demanding on accountability.
The Vikings have finished first in run defense the past two years under Frazier.

Joe Gordon: Hi Jim, I've been reading through a lot of the forums and it seems like every fan has a plan to rebuild the Rams. Most of them involve 'simply' signing quality free agents like T Jordan Gross and C Matt Birk. What's the likelihood of actually luring them to St Louis? Somehow I think it's not as easy as they make it out to be.

Jim Thomas: Money always talks. But the problem is, many _ if not most _ of these upper-tier free agents will be re-signed by their teams before the free agency period begins Feb. 27. Or they will be given the franchise tag designation.

SALLIEMAN5: Jim: With all these top candidates for the Head Coach position of the Rams is Haslett still the front-runner? I hope he is not but I'm willing to bet he comes out on top, I really think this is a dog and pony show for the purpose of trying to keep fans in the seats. Let's face it, this ownership group "IS NOT" going to spend on the other choices. What is in your opinion the best way to "get rid" of John Shaw out of this organization? Does he have pictures of the family? This man is worst that cancer.

Thanks!

Jim Thomas: I think the way this candidate field has shaped up hasn't been good for Haslett. The best scenario would've been for the Giants to win (all but keeping Spagnuolo off the market) and for Frazier to get snapped up by Denver or Detroit.
Every week I'm asked to rate Haslett's chances on this chat, and this week I'm lowering it fromm 40-60 to 35-65.
As for Shaw, as long as Rosenbloom owns the team, Shaw will be around.

ram4life: JT, so much for the mystery candidate huh?, I spent all evening, after i found out there was one, trying to figure out what big name was out there that noone had mentioned in a while. I started thinking JOe Gibbs, with the recent Nascar cut backs, and i said "nah, that just doesnt figure."
What do you think of Garrett? My opinion is he's not as polished as Sean Payton, and he seems to completely ignore the running game. Your take.

Jim Thomas: I think Garrett is a good coach who didn't have a very good year. Certainly he deserves some of the blame for the underachieving ways of the Cowboys' offense this season. I'm not sure if he's "ready" to be a head coach.

rich: Good afternoon Jim,

What is your take on Steve Spagnuolo? He went from arguably the "rock star" of this years head coaching candidate pool to an "also ran".

I read he his last two interviews were less than impressive.

Thanks for these chats.

Jim Thomas: I wouldn't call Spagnuolo an "also ran" but he certainly hasn't generated the kind of interest that was originally anticipated. And if his Denver and Jets interviews were marred by the fact that he was too busy preparing for the playoffs, he won't have that as an excuse this time around, particularly since he's the last of the finalist interviews (thurs.).

bfulton: Of the five finalists, who has head coaching experience at any level?

Thanks.

Jim Thomas: Only Haslett (New Orleans Saints, 2000-2005, and last 12 games of '08 with the Rams) and Frazier (Trinity College, 1988-96) have head-coaching experience.

COGzilla: please tell me they hope to retain james hall.im sure you noticed, but many fans didnt see how much of a monster he was when he got in there this year, played tackle suprisingly well too. surprised he didnt get more pt.

Jim Thomas: Hall is under contract for 2009, so I would assume he stays put.

Playmaker: JT,

This is all I have to say to Bill Devaney about the five finalsts in the head coaching search.

If you want the flavor of the month, go with Steve Spagnulo.

If you want to make the popular choice, go with Rex Ryan.

If you want to make the Scott Linehan part deux choice, go with Jason Garrett.

If you want to lose a large portion of the fan base, go with Jim Haslett.

But...if you want to make the right choice, if you want to hire the candidate that has a long history of success at multiple NFL franchises. If you want a man with high charecter, high morales, not just a man that can X's and O's. If you want a leader of men and a master motivator, If you want a coach who was groomed by Tony Dugy who has been the most respected NFL Head Coach in the history of the NFL, than you need to choose Leslie Frazier.

Jim Thomas: Interesting comments. I do think it would be a mistake to sell Leslie Frazier short in this process.

ramway: Hello Jim, Guess you have been pretty busy lately! You and the PD staff have done a great job keeping the fans up to date on the caoching search.

My question is where did the mystery choice Jason Garrett come from? Does BD have some kind of connection to him and what makes him a good candidate?

Jim Thomas: Garrett has been in the mix all along. It's not like he's some "late in the fourth quarter" addition who just materialized this week. Devaney says he knows Garrett well _ "He's a Jersey guy." Exactly how he knows him well, I'm not sure, since to my knowledge they've never worked together. Personally, I just think Garrett is too green. He's only been an NFL coach for four seasons, and has just one year as a college assistant. There's no doubt he's a bright offensive mind, but I'm not sure about his leadership capabilities.

COGzilla: hey,maybe this front office isnt doing such a poor job like all of the chicken littles around here claim!!
jim,any info on mike williams that they look like they are going to hire for the pro personnel dept? solid football guy?
so pro personnel guy basically scouts free agents and practice squad guys and what not?
thanks.

Jim Thomas: I know very little about Mike Williams, but I believe the job is his if he wants it. I'm not sure exactly what Williams' job would entail, but obviously it would include the areas you mention.

rkw729: Before the start of this season several emailers criticized the Rams' pick of Brian Leonard over Ryan Kalil. Your response was something to the effect of, "What has Kalil done, he's not even a starter". A week later Carolina cut their starting center and made Kalil the starter. He went on to be the starter for the year and for one of the best running teams in the NFL.

Any different views of the Leonard over Kalil pick now?

Jim Thomas: Obviously, it looks like I was dead wrong on Kalil. Not that I'm ready to put him into the Hall of Fame based on one season. And obviously I made those comments before Leonard had further shoulder problems that proved to be season-ending.

Joey: Can Bill Devaney save the Rams? Do YOU believe he has the acumen to change this mess?

Jim Thomas: We'll see. I think he's off to a good start.

J Smith: What kind of message will ownership and Bill Devany be sending to the fans if Jim Haslett is hired as the head coach instead of going with new blood?

Jim Thomas: The message would be that he thinks Haslett is the best option to lead the franchise out of this mess. Change just for the sake of change is a pretty simplistic approach. Wasn't Scott Linehan "new blood" in 2006?

Bryan: Jim thanks for taking my question, I was wondering if you would be able to handicap this coaching race for me. Don't you think that if the Rams really think that Ryan is the guy that can turn this franchise around, shouldn't they wait for him to get him. In my view who cares if you have to wait until after the super bowl, especially since if the Ravens make it there it will be mainly due to his defense. I understand the argument about needing to hire coordinators, but if he has his guys who he wants and want to be with him, then shouldn't that be fine.

Also can you tell me what you think about this trade Torry Holt to the Eagles for Lito Sheppard. The Eagles were wanting to get rid of him after signing Assante Samuel last offseason and they are always in need of a big name receiver and we all know that the rams need help in the secondary.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Jim Thomas: To me, Sheppard's stock seems to have declined dramatically. Is he even playing much for the Eagles? I don't think I'd make that trade straight up.
As for Ryan, if the Rams have other candidates rated similarly, why wait?

wilson777: Hi Jim, things may be looking up. This time next week we will be talking about the Rams new coach. My concern is with ticket sales. When I bought my PSL a dozen years ago we knew the team would be here at least til 2015. You average the cost of the PSL over that many years and it was o.k. Now I want to upgrade my PSL but to spend several thousand dollars and have a chance that it might have to be spread over only a few seasons has made the PSL of very little value. I called the Rams office about upgrading and paying full price for the PSL'S with some type of pro-rated refund deal if they would move in the next few years and they have nothing like that in place for new PSL owners. Do you think the PSL'S are sunk until stability is found in ownership?

Jim Thomas: Interesting points, and I don't know what the answer is for PSL holders.

KC in Bham: Hi Jim, this is my first time posting and I really appreciate your articles and discussions. Do you have any idea what coordinators (offensive and defensive) that are out there may be appealing to Spags, Ryan, Frazier, etc? Second, which free agents would they likely attract that we can afford? Third, which two candidates are you leaning towards and why? In addition, which candidate is most likely to get the most out of his players?
Thank you for your comments, KC

Jim Thomas: I have some insight on Ryan's possible coordinators, but I'm not at liberty to share them. As for the others, I honestly don't know.
As for free agency, a logical place to start might be looking at prospective free agents on each club. For example, LB Bart Scott, FS Ed Reed and I believe LB Terrell Suggs are prospective free agents in Baltimore. Assuming they all get along with Ryan, could he bring one or two of them with him to St. Louis? With the Giants and Spagnuolo, I believe SS James Butler is a pending UFA.
As for candidates _ as I've mentioned before, I think Haslett, Ryan, Frazier and Spagnuolo, in no particular order all have merit.
Lastly, I simply don't know enough about some of the candidates to say who could get the most out of his players.

holt_lankford: Thank for for taking our questions Mr. Thomas.

I glance at these chats all the time and remember reading a few times where you said Devaney would like a 1B type of running back.

Could Derrick Ward be at the top of the Rams wishlist this free agency? Giants have Bradshaw and Jacobs so I doubt they'll make a huge effort to resign him. He's a bigger guy at 225-230 pounds.

Also if you had to rank the coaching candidates most likely to get the job how would you rank them? Mine would be 1. Spags 2 Frazier 3. Haslett 4. Garrett 5. Ryan

Thanks in advance.

Jim Thomas: It would take some money, but Mr. Ward sounds like a VERY good idea to me.

ncdc: Dear Jim,

Your comments on the following, please;

1) Free agent status/contract progress with Atogwe, Bartell, Adeyanju, Incognito, and Setterstrom.
2) Likelyhood of Pace and Barron being moved.
3) Direction of the draft (OT, MLB, DT, etc.)

Thanks

Jim Thomas: Let's wait till the new coach is on board. That could change a lot of things.

donsods: Jim--I am confused. Was Rex Ryan's interview on Sunday a "finalist" interview, or must he still interview with ownership? If so, how would hat work logistically?

Jim Thomas: Ryan's interview was not a finalist interview. I think if the Rams and Ryan could have worked it out logistically, they would have flown him out to LA to meet with ownership and John Shaw. But since the Ravens won, that made Sunday the only way he could interview. And with the Jets also interviewing him on that day, there was no way on LA.
If the Rams wait until Sunday, and Baltimore loses, the Rams could always fly him out to LA on Monday or Tuesday.

Bob Lowe: Jim,

The QB from Georgia has rare talent and will be a star. Where will he go in the draft? I know they have many other needs, but do you think the Rams would be interested? Do you have a favorie of the five finalists? Rex isn't as bombastic as Buddy, is he?

Jim Thomas: I would think Stafford almost certainly would be a first-rounder, but I haven't really studied him. He sure didn't have a very good bowl game, though. Not sure if the Rams are interested. Don't have a favorite.
Relatively speaking, I hear Rex is much more low-key than Buddy.

NoBSwithAC: Let's go under the helmet a little bit...How much do you bench press?

Jim Thomas: You're creeping me out.

Encino: Are Avery and Burton, in your opinion, the type of youngsters who will spend the off-season studying film, learning from their mistakes, and maintaining optimum physical conditioning so that, come springtime, they will be ready to get to the next skill level?

Jim Thomas: Yes. All indications are that these guys are very hard workers and very much interested in their craft.

Todd from Michigan: Hi Jim and thank you
Jim I have been hearing the reason the Packers did not hire Mike Nolan or Greg Williams is McCarthy is waiting for Haslett who was his head coach for 2 or 3 years.

Jim Thomas: Let me just say this: you could be on the right path.

Jim Lindstrom: Hi Jim

Just a few questions:
1)About how much cap room do you think the Rams will have when free agency begins?
2)How much access do you have as a beat writer to the people around Rams Park and the Ownership?
3)Dose Billy Devaney have a timeline for the hire to take place?

Thanks for the great job you do.

Up North Ram Fan

Jim Thomas: 1.) Tough question, because it's a moving target. If they don't re-sign Atogwe or Bartell by the start of free agency, I believe it could be in excess of $20 million. But I'll try to get a better number for you as we get closer to free agency.
2.) I have pretty good access, but it's not like I'm invited to the staff meetings. I have fairly regular correspondence, mainly via e-mail, with Chip Rosenbloom.
3.) I would be very surprised if we're still wondering about the next head coach by next week at this time.

Nick: Is there a player or position that you think might sway the Rams from taking one of the big four left tackles in the draft with their first pick? The only position of extreme need combined with available athlete that I can see them even considering is the MLB from USC and then taking the tackle from Baylor or Ok State in the second round.
Do you see the Rams considering centers Mack or Unger (or the kid from Arkansas?) in the second or third rounds, or will they working to bolster the defense with playmakers?

Jim Thomas: Well, let's just say the Rams land a starting OT in free agency. And let's say they believe Maluaga (sorry for the spelling) of USC has the speed to play every down in the middle. Then it's a possibility.

Art from N.J.: Hi Jim,

Here we go!
What is the chance of a leading candidate besides Haslett getting the job and Haslett possibly becoming Defensive Coordinator?

Who do you think will ultimately get the job if you were a betting man?

Thank you,

Art

Jim Thomas: Nice question. Don't know the answer. But I'd doubt it given everything that has happened around here over the past year. The new head coach would have to be awfully secure to hire someone who was a rival for the job, particularly someone who was so popular not only with the players but in the building.

marvin white: Hi Jim met you at one of the team practices at Concordia U,I told you that my brother plays for the college,I was wondering if you heard anything about the possibility of Coach ELLARD returning to coach the wr's.

Jim Thomas: If Haslett's back, I'm sure Ellard's back. With anybody else, it's unclear. Obviously, most head coaches bring in their own guys, although Ellard did surive the switch from Martz to Linehan.

MikeB: Let's talk offensive line:

If the Rams draft an OT at #2, what happens to Pace? The new OT can't go to RT. Has that high a pick ever gone to RT? (even for one year?)

Any chance Bell can be a good, run blocking RT, or is his future still at guard? Is he too light for RT?

Do we still have Barron and Cogs for another year on their contracts?

Thanks

Thanks

Jim Thomas: I think Pace could be in limbo.
Under Haslett, the Rams were going to at least look at Bell at tackle in the offseason. They do want him heavier, however, even if he stays at guard.
Barron has one year left on his contract; Incognito is a restricted free agent, meaning the Rams can match any outside offers on him if they make a one-year tender offer.

Offsides: Jim,

Is there any way, in your mind, that the Rams would wait until after the Super Bowl to hire Ryan if the Ravens
made it that far? Will there be a new Rams coach by the end of this week?

Jim Thomas: No to the first question.
Maybe to the second.

SoCal Bill: Jim,

Curious on your thoughts of the Rams trying to start a ground and pound running game with a fragile back like Jackson. We have all seen what kind of back he can be, it is just he won't be a bulldozer all game and eventually get hurts.

Jim Thomas: I wouldn't call Jackson fragile, but they certainly need a strong No. 2 RB if they're truly serious about this power running game thing.

Jeff in Iowa: Hi Jim....I just want to ask your thoughts on how Chip has handled everything so far. It's a tough thing to be involved without being to involved if you know what I mean. Kudos to him for putting Devaney in charge and for clearing the air on the money issue for a head coach. I think it's important he publically back Devaney's choice for a HC, whoever it is, even if personally he and/or Shaw would prefer someone else. Your thoughts?

Jim Thomas: I think Chip clearly has had the best interests of the organization at heart in everything he's done over the past year. He's had to make some tough decisions. Obviously, he will back the choice. And I'm not sure Devaney will go with somebody that Chip has strong objections to.

bobincorona: Jim,

Why isn't shwartz in the final 5?

Jim Thomas: All I can say, is that the Rams liked the other five guys better.

rams1579: Jim,

any word on the interview with frazier? have they been forthcoming with info on the interviews as their has been very little released (as one would expect), devaney seems to be a pretty straight forward guy who would answer a question if he thought it wouldnt hurt him...

Jim Thomas: To the best of my knowledge, the interview is still taking place. Keep in mind, it's only 1 p.m. LA time.

rams1579: jim,

saw you on espn classic the other night, top 20 draft busts of all time...ahh lawrence phillips...question, which draft was worse, the phillips kennison year or the damione lewis, archuletta, etc...year?

Jim Thomas: I would say the Phillips, Kennison, Tony Banks year _ hands down. At least the Rams got some decent seasons out of Archuleta, Pickett and Polley.

tbux: Jim- everyone keeps saying we go OT with the first pick- when in my mind- Defense is BY FAR our biggest need to upgrade at MLB,SS,DT,cb much more so than a OT- I think C is more pressing actually than OT- your thoughts?

Jim Thomas: Pending what happens with free agency, I'd still go OT.

Mr. Gildersleeve: Excerpt from Todd Bowles in Detroit today:

Bowles said he's scheduled for an interview with the Rams latter this week but the Lions job is the one "he really wants.''

Bowles also said that he would like to change Detroit's defense from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 alignment.

Liar. Liar. Pants on fire?

Jim Thomas: I think the train has passed Bowles.
That's all for now. Got to go. Talk to you all next Tuesday.