Arturo: Hi Jim,
My name is Arturo I live in Mexico, been a Ram fan since 1950
My question is with the problems Orlando Pace is have with his shoulder, how much longer can we count on him being their for every game, do we have a vailable back=up
Thanks A

Jim Thomas: Arturo--I think a lot depends on how Pace makes it through the season. If he continues to have problems once the regular season starts, the Rams have to think about replacing him at the end of the season. Keep in mind, his current injury is in the same shoulder but is unrelated to the season-ending injury that required surgery last fall. Adam Goldberg has played very well this camp as a backup for Pace at left tackle. I think the Rams will still be looking for a fourth tackle on the waiver wire once the final cuts are made over the weekend.

Bob: Jim -
Drew Bennett dropped a tough pass and an easy one in Saturday's game before going out with another injury. On one of those I saw a very disgusted look from Bulger.
With Avery and Burton's impressive performances, do you think the Rams and Bulger are losing patience with Bennett, and could he be cut?
Thanks

Jim Thomas: There's probably not a person at Rams Park who isn't disappointed in Bennett's play so far _ including Bennett. But it's way to early to give up on him. Now, I'm not saying that if Burton and Avery continue to impress, that you don't cut into Bennett's playing time or even bench him at some point. But you don't do that based on one good preseason game by Avery and Burton. (Burton, by the way, is the guy who is backing up Bennett's spot. Avery is behind Holt.)
Besides there are some financial ramifications in cutting Bennett. For one, you've already paid the guy a $1 million roster bonus (early in the offseason). For another, $500,000 of his $2.5 million base salary for this year is guaranteed. And for a third, you would have to take a $5 million cap hit on unamortized signing bonus money.

bassrecord: Linehan always says positive things. It's the PR spin. I understand he cannot be negative and motivate people but just how accurate is he? News media accounts seem to truncate his real meanings. Carriker and Long are typical examples. How much smoke is he blowing about them, if any? How accurate do you think Linehan really is talking about this team right now?

On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 means things are way WORSE off than he says, 5 he is right on and 10 things are way BETTER than he says (if that's possible)- Where do you think overall, on average, things really are compared to Linny?

Thanks
John

Jim Thomas: Geez, you're making this way more complicated than it should be. Almost every coach tries to accentuate _ or even exaggerate _ the positive. Dick Vermeil is the classic example. Rarely did you hear him rip a player publicly, which made it all the more noteworthy when he did.
Now I do think coaches, including Linehan, sometimes strain their credibility when they go too far out on the line about a certain player and unit. On the Long-Carriker credibility scale, where 1 means things are worse, and 5 means he is right on, I'd say Linehan is about at a 3 to 3 1/2.

jguev003: How does Tanard Davis look out there playing and what are his chances on making the team?

Jim Thomas: He sure looked good on that blitz against Baltimore but I don't think he stands much of a chance.

james: Hi Jim,

Do you think the defense has improved from last year and do you think they have the depth for the rest of the year? I really don't see too much improvement. Losing Wroten (pick I didn't like), Justin King, no depth at the linebacker position. And do they know how to tackle and is it Hasletts job or the position coaches job to teach them?

Thank You

Jim Thomas: Well, based on what we've seen the past two games, I'd say there is some cause for optimism that the defense will be improved. The team has tackled much better in the past two games. The first-team defense has given up only one TD all preseason; and the overall red zone play has been exemplary. On the minus side, we still haven't seen any takeaways by the defense. And I still think physical, power running teams will give the Rams trouble.

Rambunctious: Hi Jim! Presumably there are alot of teams out there that could use a Pro Bowl lineman .. There must be a reason Bentley is still available. Do you think the Rams are seriously interested in this guy or just window shopping?

Jim Thomas: There are seriously interested in the guy. But there are concerns about his knee. Because of that, and the risk involved, you don't want to go way out there in salary on the guy.

Gabriel 2 Snow: Hello Jim, great to hear that Cadet Sgt. Thomas continues to do well.
Three questions please.
1.) I have been unable to get a definitive answer on the length of Jacksons contract. If the voidable years do indeed void as expected, exactly when would SJ's contract expire?
2.) Does Lance Ball have a shot at the regular roster?
3.) Having always loved the no-huddle, it was great to see it employed successfully by the first team Saturday. I was not aware of Saunders using it previously. Is this an indication that it will be a regular part of our offense?
Thanks Jim, GO ARMY!

Jim Thomas: 1.) The contract runs for six years through 2013. But if Jackson reaches certain performance incentives, it voids after four years (or after the 2011 season).

2.) I see the 5 RBs on the final 53 as Jackson, Pittman, Leonard, Kreider, and Minor. Ball could have really helped his cause against Baltimore if he hadn't fumbled. I think he could find a spot on the practice squad.
3.) I believe it will be part of Saunders big bag of tricks.

Flipper Anderson: Still not impressed with Tye Hill. Is Lito Sheppard still available. The Eagles need a receiver, how about Bennett for Sheppard? The Rams wouldn't have to cover Bennett in the opener since he drops everything so it would free up a defender for blitzes. Then the Rams could keep Caldwell or Stanley on the roster.

Jim Thomas: See my earlier post. The cap ramifications are very restrictive on cutting on dealing Bennett.

Cullen Bryant: Does Gradkowski have trade value?

Jim Thomas: I doubt it. But it's a conditional seventh at best.

isiahrobertson58: hey Jim,
I read somewhere that the great Jack Youngblood had expressed interest in coming in to help Chris Long. Any truth to this?

Jim Thomas: Hadn't heard that one. But if Long needs any help beyond the Rams' coaching staff, I believe he has a Hall of Fame father who played defense.

Rich: Hey Jim,

Do you see Staley having a shot to make the team?

Hall may be a better return man; however, in my mind Staley is going to be a far better option at WR in the long run.

Not to mention, Hall has had a penchant for ankle injuries two seasons running now.

Thanks for hosting these question and answer sesssions.

Rich

Jim Thomas: I see Stanley on the practice squad. He has really had some shining moments on the practice field, particularly in Mequon, but he simply hasn't done much in games.

djjr11854: Jim,

We never/rarily hear from Haslett about how the defense is doing. Does Linehan have a gag order on all the coaches? Since I'm a fan from Connecticut I don't get to see any games, just what I read in the paper. How does the defense look so far? I read that both Carriker and Long are taking longer to adjust. That concerns me not so much in Long's case as he's a rookie but more so in Carriker's case.

And as always thanks for you insight.. the St. Louis Today paper is my only lifeline to the RAMS.

Jim Thomas: I have used a few quotes from Haslett from time to time and have talked to him a few times during camp and the preseason. But you do make a good point. A Haslett state-of-the-defense article might be a good thing after the final preseason game.

Ian Roberts: Bennett is useless and Hall is injury proned, what are the chances of one or both of these are not on the final roster.

Also, do you have an update on the LB competition. Thanks.

Jim Thomas: They both make the final roster.
I think the Rams keep 7 LBs and that Chamberlain, McGarigle, and Vobora are in. Vobora susprises me a little, but that's what I'm told. But also, I would certainly think this is a position where the Rams scan the waiver wires on final cuts to see who's available.

Buzz: Jim,
I'm not that worried about depth at Guard with the Rams having drafted Greco and Schuening. Tackle is a different matter. With Brandon Gorin done for the year, who would be the top backup Tackle after Adam Goldberg? Thanks.

Jim Thomas: Tackle is a different matter. Right now, Greco is the tackle after Goldberg, and he's not really ready to play tackle. This will be a prime position where the Rams scan the waiver wire after final cuts for a tackle with at least some experience.

bjsgolf: Jim,
What do you think are the Rams biggest weaknesses right now? I would say LB, OT, and SS. I think a worse case scenario for the Rams would be Pace not recovering, Pisa getting hurt again and Chavous having to make open field tackles. Also, can Greco play tackle?

Jim Thomas: There certainly are depth issues at OT, LB, S (overall, not just strong), and CB. Chavous, in his defense, has been very solid in camp and the preseason.

George M.: Hi, Jim:

The Rams apparently are taking a pass on LaCharles Bentley. Does it appear that he has regressed so much during his two year hiatus that the Rams reserves are better, or do the Rams have medical doubts?

Jim Thomas: Don't count them out on Bentley just yet.

virginiatom: One third of the game is special teams, and it seems that in every game the Rams play there is at least one long kick off or punt return that ends in the opponent having great field position and eventually scoring. And unfortuantely I saw this the other night with another long return by the Ravens. Why is it that the Rams haven't been able to figure out special teams play since Dick Vermeil left?

Jim Thomas: All I can say is it takes real toughness to run down the field on special teams. The Rams have to continue to find those kinds of players. Field position _ largely special teams induced _ was a problem against Baltimore. Five of Baltimore's 12 possessions started either in Rams territory or from the Baltimore 40 out. That's not going to work against teams like Dallas, New England, the Giants, on the schedule.

Jeremy (Denver): Jim,
Who do you think will be our starting C for game 1?

Jim Thomas: Leckey _ Romberg hasn't started since the Tennessee game. Even if Bentley signed tomorrow, he wouldn't be in game shape for Philly.

TD51: 1) W/ injuries, etc - who do you see as the starting WRs wk 1 + who makes up final WRs roster? 2)looked @ Bentley - do you see team picking up add'l vet lineman 3)what about add'l vet LB? 4) do they start working on extending Atogwe contract? Thanks for the forum!

Jim Thomas: I'll just answer the ones I haven't addressed earlier.
1.) If Hall and Bennett aren't ready to go for Philly, I believe it will be Looker in the slot (Hall's spot) and Burton starting for Bennett.

4.) Atogwe--Wouldn't be a bad idea, although I'm not sure right at this moment how much cap space they have left after the Jackson deal.

Jeremy (Denver): Jim,
Who do you think makes the team at WR and in the Secondary?

Jim Thomas: Wide Receiver _ Holt, Bennett, Hall, Avery, Burton, Looker
Secondary _ Brown, Hill, Bartell, Wade (at corner); Atogwe, Chavous, Johnson (at safety). I think the Rams scan the waiver wires following final cutdown for another corner or another safety. If they can come up with nothing there, I'd then say Macklin at corner and Bassey at safety.

jon from kentucky: Thanks for your time and answers Jim. We seem to have some depth on the defensive line this year in carriker, long, hall, little, glover, Adeyanju or however its spelled.. would it be in our best interest to start adeyanju over glover? why? why not? How many sacks do you see the defensive line snagging this season. Chris Long?

Jim Thomas: Adeyanju at about 280 isn't big enough to play inside on an every-down basis. End is still his natural spot. And he still is a below-average pass rusher, although he has gotten some penetration during the preseason. Haslett and Baker like to rotate d-linemen, so Adeyanju will get a lot of work.
As for sacks. I think Little to date has shown he's capable of getting back into double figures. Even at this advanced stage of his career, Glover is still good for five or six. I say Carriker gets 2-3, Ryan 1-2, and the Long-Hall combo about 8.

lstein: Thanks for taking my question. Bennett is cap protected. What about Hall? Is there any chance of him being released/traded to open a spot for Stanley or another WR/returner?

Jim Thomas: Hall is in the final year of a contract the Rams inherited when they made the trade with Kansas City. So there is no cap hit. But I don't think Hall is going anywhere. He has a history with Saunders, and has been very good on the practice field and in the presason before the latest injury.

Bob: Jim-
From your observation, are Torry and Linehan on good terms now, or are they just co-existing with Saunders as the middle-man?

Jim Thomas: I think they're fine. Holt's attitude has been very good all throughout camp and the preseason. I think what you saw late last season was just a lot of frustration boiling over. We'll see what happens once the regular season starts.

Steve B.: Jim: Thanks for these chats. It really helps those of us who don't have access to the St. Louis broadcast media.

From what I can see, the Rams only have five NFL caliber linebackers, one of them a rookie (Chamberlain). McGarigle has done next to nothing this pre-season. Who do you see making the final roster, and will they keep seven Lb's or only six?

Second,with Gorin out and Pace hurting, do they just keep three true tackles and hope Bell or Greco can fill in if needed, or has any other tackle in camp shown enough to stick?

Finally, I thought Chris Long looked a little better against the Ravens, and I'm wondering if you agree.
Thanks.

Jim Thomas: Actually, after a bad first game in Tennessee, McGarigle has rallied with solid games against Baltimore and San Diego.
As I've mentioned in earlier posts, the Rams think Greco is pretty much game-ready at guard, but not at tackle. So I think they'll scan the waiver wires on final cutdown day Saturday. (Keep in mind the Rams pick second on all waiver claims of younger players, behind only Miami.) Also Fred Miller, the former Ram, could be a possibility as well. He's still on the street.

JMAN: Jim -

Why is Trent Green not getting any work in pre-season games? Even if Bulger plays well, you know he will get injured at some point this season. The team will need to count on Trent at some point this year. Will he see any significant action this Thursday?

Jim Thomas: I'm writing about Trent Green for Wednesday's PD. In it, I'll get into why he hasn't played much this preseason. But just to let you know: He's starting Thursday at Kansas City.

jon from kentucky: Which of these guys are most likely to miss to the final cut..I like all of them, who ever you think is most likely, please explain why. Thanks for your time again.

1. Lance Ball- Good vision, the way he saw the feild and made cuts reminded me of Faulk, just not as good.
2. Derek Stanley-the speed the youth, maybe a hakim, to avery and burton.
3. Darius Vinnett-small but could be useful in a weak LB corp depth wise.

Jim Thomas: I think all three get cut, but all three could find themselves on the practice squad.

1.) Ball--the fumble didn't help. Beaten out by Travis Minor who has had a strong camp and preseason, and also is one of the team's better special teams players.
2.) Stanley--inconsistent on the practice field despite some flashy plays. Hasn't done much of anything in the preseason.
3.) Vinnett--lack of size hurts; he's also currently sidelined with a sprained knee. Didn't practice Tuesday.

Mark in NY: Jim, I'm so used to complaining that I don't know what to say after a game like that. Wow! The offense showed that it can play.. the defense appears strong.. this team could win some games if everyone stays healthy.

My question is how is Orlando Pace really doing? I sure hope this isn't the end for Big O. Will Lance Ball make the team? How has he looked so far in camp? What about the fullbacks? Does Saunders offense utilize a blocking fullback? Thanks!

Jim Thomas: Yeah, except for some special teams glitches my thought after the Baltimore game was: OK, we've seen enough. Now let's get onto the regular season.
Pace--I think he'll be OK.
Ball--Don't think so.
At fullback, Kreider will make the roster. He's a hard-nosed throwback type FB who can also catch the ball. Saunders does like to use a fullback about one-third of the time. A true lead blocker will help SJax.

Armen Dacity: Assign a probability (by %) for each of the following to be in the starting lineup on opening day:

Orlando Pace
O.J. Atogwe
Fakhir Brown

Jim Thomas: --Barring any further injury setbacks--
Pace--100 percent
Atogwe--100 percent
Brown--50 percent

Brian: Jim,

2 big injury developments for the 1st 2 games of the year. Curtis and Umenyora go down.....I think the Rams have a great shot in the first 2 games now. What aspect of the game will the Rams have to excel at to beat Philly on opening day? What can the Rams exploit on the Philly defense to put up a W?

Jim Thomas: Haven't given Philly too much thought. Even us beat writers go one day at a time. But I'd say 2 keys to beating Philly:
1.) Contain Westbrook. (Not stop up him; just keep him from going nuts.)
2.) Handle the exotic blitzing schemes of Philly coordinator Jim Johnson.

elderamfan: Can you go over the strategy on what kind of depth is given to each position when it comes to paring down to the 53 man roster? Is the practice squad (5 players?) considered part of the 53 man roster, and how many players are on the active list each game day?

Jim Thomas: Here's a general guide to the 53-man:

3 QBs
3 TEs
5 RBs/FBs
9 or 10 Offensive Linemen
6 WRs
7 or 8 Defensive Linemen
6 or 7 LBs
9 or 10 DBs
3 specialists (P, K, long snapper)


The practice squad is eight players _ and they do not count against the 53-man roster limit, but they cannot play in games.

On game day, you are allowed to designate 45 active players plus a third QB (meaning 7 players on the 53-man roster must be declared inactive 1 1/2 hours before kickoff).

JEFF: Jim,
How well do you see chris long and adam carriker lining up against divisional Offensive lines, do you think they can be productive enough to stop Julius Jones, Frank Gore, Edgerin James?

Jim Thomas: I can't give you a definitive answer. I guess we'll find out. But keep in mind, Hall or Adeyanju could fill in for Long, and Ryan could get more reps in place of Carriker if it came down to it.

John: Haven't heard much of Clifton Ryan during the preseason games. How's his progress and what are the coaches saying about him.

Jim Thomas: You know, I haven't really asked the coaches about him, but he seems to be having a decent camp and preseason. I'll try to ask the coaches. He has kind of gone under the radar this summer.

LA Ramsguy78: I was impressed with Berlin's performance on Sat. night. What's your thoughts on no.3?

Jim Thomas: It really looks like Berlin's job to lose. He's put points on the board. He's done well in the 2-minute. He threw that nice deep ball to Burton. I've got to say, the guy's been impressive. I would think, Berlin would have to stumble and Gradkowski would have to deliver a knockout punch in Kansas City for Berlin not to the get the job.

Haden: Hi Jim. I had one more question. I have watched Dane Looker during the pre-season and have come away thinking that he deserves a lot more playing time. Sort of like Mike Furrey got in Detrooit and ended up with 90+ catches. Given the issues with Bennett, what do you see as Looker's use and role this season?

Jim Thomas: Looker has been sharp this preseason. I think he's kind of been underutilized ever since that 2003 season, in which he caught 40-plus balls for the Rams' last division championship team. If Hall isn't ready for Philly, I think Looker is the slot receiver versus Philly.

Gary Nguyen: Hey, Jim

What do you think of the Rams Offensive Line and Depth so far? What grade would you give them - Average or Below Average? And what happens when the OL is one shoulder or knee away from getting injured and the season is over?

Jim Thomas: I'd give the o-line a B grade for its overall performance so far this preseason. Depth is a C following the injuries to Setterstrom and Gorin, with nothing resembling a fourth tackle on the roster. If Greco's future is indeed at guard and not tackle, then the Rams really didn't address OT last year in the draft. And I still say Pace and Jackson are the two most irreplaceable guys on the roster.

Aussie Ram: Greeting from Australia,

Jim,
The rams run defense over the past few seasons has been porous, and ranked near the league bottom. Is this the year that Haslett's unit comes together? Is Q Culberson ready to take his game to the next level?


Aussie Ram

Jim Thomas: So far, Culberson does look like he's capable of becoming a solid starter.
This is the third year for many players in Haslett's system. I think that helps a lot. If Pisa stays healthy, I think the front seven can be pretty good.

luvmywammies: Chris Long isn't strong enough to beat DE's with power, or quick enough to beat them around the outside. I have a feeling he won't even be as good as Wistom. Another wasted #1. What do you think ?

Jim Thomas: Way too early to tell.
But I like you, expected to see more at this point.

I've got to go work on tomorrow's story. Very good questions today. See you next Tuesday.