mr. starks: Hey, first off I am worried because I have read rumors of an uncapped season in the near future or possibly a lock out. The salary cap is getting out of hand. Just a few years ago it was in the 80 mil range and now its up to 115 mil. If it keeps rising then that means more money for tickets and fans like myself cant really afford this. When does it stop? Do you see a lockout or uncapped season possible? PLEASE NO!!! If we have no cap that means the Cowboys will be in the Superbowl every year since they can afford to pay players ridiculous amounts of money. I dont want this to turn into the MLB.

Also, I was thinking the other day and got a really legit thought. I think it would have made more sense to resign Curtis and let go of Bruce a couple of years ago when his contract ran out. I know he is a piece of history but he didnt perform worth 5 mil a year. I think Linehan HAD to keep Bruce since it was his first year as head coach because if not, Rams fans would have hated his guts. Now we have Holt and Bennett with no real slot guy.

And lastly any news on Jackson or Atogwe extension?

Jim Thomas: Several owners didn't like the CBA extension two years ago. Some feel Tagliabue rushed it through because he was about to retire, and wanted to have labor piece in place as part of his legacy. So the owners are threatening to "void" the CBA in November. (A gradual process which I think would lead to an uncapped year in about 3 years.)
While this is not an issue to take lightly, I think this is more a case of saber-rattling than anything at this point. In the end, the players and owners realize they have a golden goose. It is in both parties' best interest to perpetuate this good thing instead of jeopardizing it.

In hindsight, it would've been great to keep Curtis. I'm sure Curtis would've stayed had he known the Rams would pay $30M for Bennett and cut Bruce the next year.

Haven't heard anything new on Atogwe and Jackson.

John D: Do the Rams consider Brian Leonard a better running back or full back?

Jim Thomas: Not sure on this one.

John D: What is going to happen with Brian Leonard? Do you think that he was worth a second round pick? Why did the Rams coaching not start him at running back latter in the season when Steven Jackson got hurt and went out of the game? Isn't he a better running back than Pittman or was he out played?

Jim Thomas: I too was a bit confused as to why Pittman got all the carries as the No. 2 instead of Leonard over the second have of the season. Other than that one long run against New Orleans, Pittman didn't do a whole lot. I'm not sure what Leonard is at this point. He was good enough to gain 100-plus yards in the first Arizona game. But by the end of the season, he was limited to special teams and the third-down back in some passing situations. That's not a very big role for a second-round draft pick.

Armen Dacity: Jim,

I'm trying to get to the bottom of the Fakhir Brown situation. Yesterday, I asked Jeff Gordon about it in his chat, and he said that all he knows is that Brown is one strike away from a suspension. That's nothing new. We've known that since the middle of last year.

Others (Bernie, Karraker) are talking like they KNOW something has happened, though they won't specify what. Can you clarify this? Has Brown violated the substance abuse policy again, or is it all just speculation?

Jim Thomas: See my earlier answer. I'm not at liberty to say what I know. We'll know in due time.

Brian from Las Vegas: Do you think the Rams could be proactive and get contract extensions done this year for Barron, Incognito and of course Steven Jackson?

Jim Thomas: Barron has two years left on his contract, so the Rams will wait until after the '08 season at the earliest. As for Incognito, I'm sure the Rams want to wait-and-see what he does in '08 simply because of his injury problems and his anger management issues. Re-signing Jackson is a priority before the start of the '08 season.