Ian Roberts: Jim, I read a report that said Wade was in line to be the teams nickle back this season. This would mean that he is ahead of bartell, or that brown is going to miss the season opener. Firstly, is there any truth to it, and secondly, how do you see his progress so far?

Also, on the secondary, do you see King's injury as maybe a blessing after all, since he was raw and will now have more of a chance to develop before he fights for a nickle or starting position next season?

Jim Thomas: Wade is the nickel only if Brown continues to be sidelined. King was ahead of Wade before his injury. Wade has looked inconsistent to me.

Matt: I read in Bill Coats' column this morning that O.J. Atogwe sat out of practice yesterday with a hamstring again. I thought he was practicing again last week and would try and start this week against Baltimore. Did he reinjure it? Do you think he'll be staring against the Eagles in week 1?

Jim Thomas: With one exception, Atogwe has been out since the start of camp. He tested it one day in practice in Mequon and found that it wasn't ready to go. That's the only time he's been on the practice field since the original injury. Atogwe is targeting Philly, but right now, there's no guarantee.

Matt: I haven't heard much about Brett Romberg’s broken hand except for the fact that he's not playing and Nick Leckey is. How long is Brett supposed to be out and do you see him getting his starting job back once he's healthy again (given Nick's strong showing so far)?

Jim Thomas: I'm beginning to think this is a horserace. The most impressive thing about Leckey was how well he played against San Diego. I say that because the Chargers run a 3-4, meaning Leckey had a DT right over him every play (unlike a 4-3). Granted, that man wasn't Jamal Williams or Luis Castillo, but Leckey held out very well. As for Romberg's hand, the problem is that it's his snapping hand. If it was his other hand, he could just pad it up and go. I think, Romberg will try to give it another go next week.

YoMurphy: Hi Jim,
What should we know about Todd Johnson that might ease our mind about depth at Safety? Is Haslett the one who is high on him?

One request: Say it isn't so about Setterstrom!

Has anyone at Rams park tipped their hand and put some blame on Jackson for the holdout?

Jim Thomas: Yo--Johnson is more strong safety than free. He's a hard hitter, for the most part a sure tackler, but he's not great in coverage. He's more of a box safety.
At this point, no one's blaming Jackson for anything except perhaps poor judgment in holding out.

ken B: I am very excited that the Rams pick up Trent Green. I don't think that the Rams are going to go very far with Marc Bulger as the starting quarter back. Marc Bulger can not motivate the team and is he a team leader. It's time for a change at quarter back. Trent is our "MAN"

Jim Thomas: All this after two preseason games?