Buzz: Jim,
Do you know if Linehan plans on adding a DB coach, or will he promote Ron Milus? The thought of Milus as the main guy concerns me. I did a little research on him. In 05, his Giants finished 26th in the league in pass defense with only two interceptions. This led to his firing by Tom Coughlin. He can't possibly be an upgrade over Willy Robinson, can he? I figured Linehan probably fired Robinson because some of the young CBs failed to progress enough under him. What are your thoughts on Milus as THE DB coach?

Jim Thomas: You can't always judge a position coach based strictly on stats. I think Haslett likes Milus and believes he was ready. Willy Robinson had some gruff ways about him, but I thought he was a pretty good DB coach. Linehan will add a DB coach _ it remains to be seen if the new guy is the No. 1 secondary coach (like Robinson was) or if Milus gets promoted.

donsods: Jim,
Now that the Super Bowl is over, what can we expect on the Rams recovery front in February? Anything good brewing?

Jim Thomas: The offseason really gets going here in a couple of weeks. The Scouting Combine starts two weeks from Wednesday and the free agency period begins on Feb. 29, or just three days after the conclusion of the Combine. Call this the quiet before the storm.

Buzz: Jim,
Have you heard anything about Marshall Faulk entering the Rams FO? I realize he is smart and really knows his football, but I would be a little concerned about his lack of experience personnel-wise. We have certainly seen extreme results when ex athletes have gone from the booth into management. He could be another John Davidson or another Matt Millen. Still, he ought to be an improvement over Shaw and Zygmunt. What do you think of his prospects if given the opportunity? Thanks.

Jim Thomas: The question is, if Faulk enters the front office will it be a ceremonial/pr type post, or a position with some real duties and responsibilities. As if pointed out before, if it's the latter _ say in the personnel department _ Faulk won't suddenly be named GM. Even a guy like Ozzie Newsome, who has gone on to have great success with the Ravens in personnel after a great playing career, spent years paying his dues in the scouting department. Is Faulk willing to put in those kinds of hours. Is he willing to grind the type, go to the college campuses all over the country, and scout players? There's no doubt Faulk is very bright and has a good football mind. But there's more to front office work than just showing up and saying, where's my desk?

Mike: It's unbelievable now to think that the Giants players were in near revolt against their head coach just a couple years ago. Remember the verbal abuse he took from Barber, et al? Well I guess the joke's on Tiki. After all the bs from him about the coach (and Manning too?) being a problem it seems he was the problem. As soon as he retires and Shockey goes on IR, the players come together and achieve the ultimate goal. I'm happy for Coughlin and I hope the Giants organization now appreciates what they have. As we Rams' fans know all too well, a good coach is hard to find.

So it seems a few bad apples can spoil the barrel. Did you see Shockey in the booth with a beer instead of on the sideline supporting his teammates in the biggest game of their careers? I hope the Rams brass was watching and they don't hesitate to rid this team of the poor effort, bad attitude players this offseason. With a the right off-season moves and a fresh attitude this team could get back to respectability next season.

Jim Thomas: Yeah, I did notice Shockey in a suite during the game. Why wasn't he on the field with his teammates? It seems that the Giants have done just fine without Mr. Barber as well. There are a few weeds _ as Dick Vermeil used to call them _ that Linehan can pull from the Rams roster. At the risk of continually picking on Dominique Byrd, he's one example. I don't think there's many players in the locker room who respect him as a player and a professional.
Linehan can also learn from Coughlin's example in how to adjust his coaching style. Coughlin turned down his intensity just a bit, and started listening more to the veteran players with the establishment of a leadership council. It would seem that Linehan needs to turn UP the intensity just a little bit, but also needs to get the veterans back on board.

Mike: Bill Belichick is the most classless person in all professional sports. What a piece of **** this guy is. I would call him the most classless man but the way he ran out on his players before the end of the game gives me doubts as to whether that term applies. He isn't big enough to stay with his guys until the end or give his opponent the props they earned. I know it is unlikely but should the NFL find that some inappropriate behavior by the Patriots occured before Super Bowl XXXVI then Belichick deserves at least a yearlong suspension. I'm sure it won't happen, though, because the league has been kissing Kraft's ass for years.

Jim Thomas: Belichick flaunts league rules whenever he wants, and seemingly gets away with it. Take Tom Brady's ankle injury for example. All week long during Super Bowl week, Brady's ankle is not listed on the injury report. Yet he apparently tells Fox the night before his game that his ankle is bothering him. The Patriots should be fined for lying on the injury report _ plain and simple. The Patriots also repeatedly flout the league's media access rules. And from some of the phone calls I've made, I think the Patriots did tape the Rams' walk-through the day before XXXVI. The key, however, is proof, because the Patriots will deny it and have denied it. I would love to see Belichick, the video guy Walsh, and others called before Sen. Specter to testify on the subject.