MM: Has any ball carrier made a positive impression so far in camp? If today were the first day of the season, would J. Hall or C. Long start at right end? Has A. Barron progressed to the point where it could be said that he will not commit as many false starts as in the past year? Which wide receivers have made positive impressions? Thanks.

Jim Thomas: Let me put it this way: It's still a big drop off from Jackson to everybody else at running back.
Chris Long would start at right end. He's starting to come on a bit.
Seeing will be believing on Barron and the false starts.
Holt, Hall, Bennett, Looker and Stanly have all had their moments.

Newkirk: How long could this Steven Jackson holdout continue - is he so high on himself that he will miss out on part (or all) of the regular season? If he continues to miss practice in a new offensive system, I can't see him being very effective, especially in his pass-protecting duties. Do you think he will be ready to go in a month?

Jim Thomas: Emmitt Smith missed the first two regular season games of 1993 in a holdout.
Eric Dickerson did the same thing, I believe, in 1985. So Jackson could be out for a while. There's no magic number for how much time a player needs to get ready for a season, but I think most NFL people will tell you, that two to three weeks _ in general _ is a minimum requirement. Jackson has youth on his side and takes care of his body, so he might not need that much.

Tyler: Do you think Linehan is finally fitting in to his head coach role?

Jim Thomas: So far, he looks much more relaxed, much more confident, and more head-coach like than he did at just about any point last season. But he still has to show he can lead a team under fire, under pressure, under adversity, and we're not going to know for sure on that until the regular season.

Hey, I've got to go now. Bill Coats and I are getting in the car to drive to Chicago for our flight out tonight to Nashville. See you next week. Be sure to catch Bill Coats' incredibly popular "Around the Horns" blog on Stltoday.com.