George Alicea: Hi Jim,

As a Rams fan since 1969, I have seen every transition the Rams have made. I can tell you that no matter what changes are made in the front office and on the field, the problem is that Mark Bulger will never reach the Superstar level that is needed to create a lasting winner. He is a great backup quarterback but he will never reach the level such as Kurt Warner. I was totally against the quarterback change and I turned out to be correct from day one. I think that the bungling of the quarterback situation has set the franchise back for at least 7 to 10 years. I think that the Rams should cut their losses with Bulger and trade for Kurt Warner. The team should also draft this Ryan kid from Boston College and let him learn behind Kurt. I also think that management made a big mistake in changing the Turf. The team was built for speed and by going with the slower field, created a total disadvantage. I don't know who is making these decisions but if the front office wants to win, they should consider interviewing me so that we can avoid any future common sense disasters.

Jim Thomas: There's no doubt that good quarterback play is the No. 1 element in winning championships, but to say that Bulger is a backup QB is ludicrous. Until this season, what had Warner not in then the NFL since his release from the Rams. Very little. Scout after scout. Coach after coach that I talk to marvel about Bulger's accuracy and touch. What you need is consistent offensive line play to protect him. Is Bulger at his best equal to Warner at his best? No. But I think he's good enough to win a lot of games with.

Mark in NY: Jim, thanks for letting me write...

I understand the family needs time to grieve and all, but I'd bet this has also been a hot topic between Georgia, Stan, and Chip for many months if not years. When will something be announced?

Also, is this Chris Long kid the real deal? We need a "can't miss" player desperately, and if he is a "disruptor" on defense he would be worth the #2 pick.

Lastly, I think Madison Hedgecock's interview was the last nail in Linehan's coffin. How much better would the Rams offense have been if Hedgecock was opening holes for Steven Jackson, and do the Rams have any credibility left in the league?

Jim Thomas: Chip automatically has taken over ownership of the team. That was part of Georgia Frontiere's will. I'm sure Chip will speak when the time is right.

Don't know enough about Chris Long yet to say he's the real deal. But right now he makes the most sense to me at No. 2 overall.

Was it a bad move to cut Madison Hedgecock and replace him with Richard Owens certainly? But I think we're all getting a little carried away with Hedgecock's impact. He was a C+ fullback _ certainly not a battering Ram like the Hammer (James Hodgins), and certainly not an all-around fullback like San Diego's Lorenzo Neal.

The problem is, if you replace a C+ player, you've got to replace him with at least a C+ player. The Rams replaced Hedgecock with a D player (Owens).

bash-on: Chris Long's name keeps coming up as a top pick in the draft. Yet, when I saw him play in September, he had one sack, (which forced a field goal), three solo tackles and three assists. A solid outing but certainly not a stellar performance. Also, most of his plays were against a first year sophmore tackle making his first start. This leads me to believe that if Glenn Dorsey is sitting there at #2, it's a no brainer to take him over Long. With the resources at your disposal, have you had time to research these guys and form an opinion either way?

Thanks,

Bash-On Regardless

Jim Thomas: I don't think you can judge a player by one game. But there are those in the Rams organization who (at least right now) think Dorsey is the best player in the draft. So it's certainly not out of the question to think that the Rams could take him at No. 2.

Mike: What is the source and how serious is the rift between Haslett and Linehan? Could it cost Haslett his job?

Jim Thomas: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! There is no "rift" between Haslett and Linehan. Haslett does voice some opinions behind the scenes _ not unlike Charley Armey used to. But like Armey, it's just who Haslett is. Haslett only has one year left on his contract, so it won't cost him his job.

Mike: Certainly, the Rams aren't going to pay big money to Saunders to run Linesham's offense. Could they also be promising him stong consideration as the next head coach should Linesham get fired at the end of the '08 season?

Jim Thomas: Interesting question, because just two years ago, the Rams weren't interested in giving Saunders an interview for Mike Martz's replacement. (The job went to Linehan.)
I don't think there were any promises made. But Linehan is now surrounded by strong-minded former NFL head coaches on both sides of the ball in Saunders and Haslett.