Rick R: How can we really get excited knowing that all we have done is remove a coach? If they were to rally around Haslett and win then we would have to question their effort in the first four games. My personal opinion is that little will change and losing will continue until offseason major player changes along with other management changes take place. What is your opinion?

Bill Coats: There's no doubt that Haslett has more of a command presence than Linehan. And he has more experience as an NFL head coach. But when it comes to Sunday in Washington, the Rams will be sending out the same players (minus McMichael) against the Redskins. I hope we're pleasantly surprised, but it's still tough at this point to see many wins. FYI, one of the Vegas betting lines has the over/under on Rams victories under Haslett at 2 1/2.

Corrtb: Hi Jim

Well it was sad to see Scott Linehan go out like the way he did. I wish him the best of luck. I think this season is a wate, hopefully they can pick it up and win some games. I liked when Scott put in Trent Green, he did a good job for the Rams. I was hoping that he would do that. You think Haslett would bench Bulger if he continues to loose games, granted it is not his fault. He has to play with more passion, he just looks like he is just out their going through the motions maybe I am wrong. It is just not him it is the whole team at times. I like Haslett, but next year I am hoping the Rams go after Marty Schottenhimer. He would be a great fit for the Rams. What are the possibilities of the Rams going after Marty?

Thanks Tom Brady

Bill Coats: I have no idea if the Rams are intersted in Schottenheimer. There's no doubt he has a proven track record in the regular season. I emphasize regualar season because his playoff record leaves a lot to be desired. He just turned 65 _ two weeks ago. Does he still have the fire in his belly to continue as a coach?

Denny Offner: Noting that there are 4 NFL teams that drafted in the first 3 rounds in the last 10 years 9 or 10 O line positions, all 4 teams making the playoffs in 08, the Rams during that same period drafted 4 (there are last time I checked 5 O line positions), the "specialists" handling the Rams draft are apparently unaware that success in the NFL starts with the O-line. Comment? .

Bill Coats: No doubt, the Rams have largely neglected the offensive line position in the first three rounds this decade. Trust me on this one: If Jake Long had been available at No. 2 overall, he would've been with the Rams right now instead of Chris Long. The Rams were that high on him. But taking o-linemen high in the draft isn't a prerequisite for success. Take the Rams' '99 Super Bowl championship team. The left guard, Tom Nutten, entered the league as a 7th-rounder. The center, Mike Gruttadauria, was undrafted. The right guard, Adam Timmerman, was a seventh-rounder. The right tackle, Fred Miller, was a fifth-rounder. Of course, the left tackle, Orlando Pace, was a No. 1 overall. pick.

bluesteel: Will the Rams cut Tye Hill after this season?

Bill Coats: That might depend on who the next head coach is.

oBam: It has been mentioned that there are 2 mystery candidates for the President's position. You have any clue who they are and how quickly would they be hired?

Bill Coats: I wouldn't expect any movement on this front until the end of the season.

cardsnumber7: Hello Jim,
When can Dante Hall be released?
contributes nothing except dropped passes for 1st downs, and 15 yd kickoff returns.

Thanks
Todd W.

Bill Coats: My sense is that Dante Hall is on a very short leash.

cardsnumber7: Hi Jim,
Who will be the 2 starting cornerbacks this Sunday?

Thank you
Todd W.

Bill Coats: Unless Fakhir Brown re-signs, it will be Ron Bartell and Jason Craft starting at cornerback, with Ricky Manning Jr. as the nickel back.

Kevin: Jim,

Previously, I was a Bulger supporter. I thought Martz made the right decision to start Bulger over Warner. However, I have lost all respect for Bulger based upon the way he handled his benching. I contrast Bulger's response to his benching to Warner's response and it appears that Warner handled it better. I welcome your comment

Bill Coats: I just think Bulger should have said something within a day or two of his benching. Bulger is a very savvy guy. Maybe he figured Linehan could be fired with a loss against Buffalo and he could be reinstated as a starter if that happened _ and he just wanted to wait it out and see what happened. Once he talked, his comments were fine. But he still should have talked right away, if only to say "I don't agree with the benching."

Young Ramer: Hi Jim,

I have 3 questions. 1)Please Jim, tell me why did the Rams cut Lance Ball while keeping Travis Minor and Brian Leanard?! Ball seems to have good vision (as a runner) and has a knack for making plays. 2)Do you think the rams should utilize screen passes more to help this struggling offense? 3)Do you think Tye Hill can ever become a good corner? I somewhat remember Dexter McKleon being pretty bad for period of time and he became a pretty good (and so did has front seven).
Thanks alot Jim

Bill Coats: 1.) Minor is on the roster mainly because of his special teams work. He's a tough player. Ball had some special teams gaffes during the preseason, one of which led to a blocked punt. In order to have made the opening day roster, Ball wouldn've had to show more as a special teams player.
2.) Screen passes, misdirection, trick plays. Whatever it takes.
3.) Hill was a decent corner during his first two seasons, despite some injury problems. He runs well, is competitive, and there's some physical toughness to him. To me, his confidence appears shot. He needs to get his confidence back, develop mental toughness, and work on being consistently technique sound.

Rita from South County: Hi Jim,

Thanks for hosting this chat every week. Now that Linehan is gone and Shaw and Ziggy are going, what vibes do you pick up from the staffers at Rams Park? That is, are they happy, neutral, or sending out resumes?

Also, Dan Dierdorf said on Bernie's show that he's "cautiously optimistic"
about a local ownership group buying the Rams. Again, what are the staffers thinking about all of this?

Bill Coats: Rita, Haslett met with the entire building _ staffers in marketing, sales, accounting, video, community relations, etc. _ on Monday and talked to them as a group in the team auditorium. He wanted to stress to them that they are all important to the success of the team. He welcomed them to watch practice, each lunch at the same time as the players (in the past that has been forbidden at Rams Park _ the players eat by themselves, at a separate time). Keep in mind, Linehan also reached out in such a fashion, although perhaps not as extensively, when he was first hired. But the buzz from the staffers at Rams Park is very positive so far regarding Haslett. Of course what happens on Sunday is what really has the most impact on this building.
As for any news on the sale, the sentiment at Rams Park obviously is to have the team remain here. But they're basically in the dark on the subject and have some of the same questions and concerns as most fans.

Ram-Man: Hey Jim,

Hopefully you will be able to answer this question for me.
Why is it that so many fans bash Bulger, but refuse to give little if any blame to the offensive line? So many fans are upset the Bulger is back being the Ram's starter, even though he gives the best chance of winning. Now, I am not saying that his play hasn't declined, because it has. I think after getting about three seconds to get rid of the ball has reduced his confidence a bit. Not to mention all the sacks. The change at HC and the fact he probably is a little ticked for having to sit last week, is most likely going to set a little fire under his butt this week. Anyway, I was just wondering how come fans give the O-line a free ride and the QB is always the one to come unto fire. Is it because fans see the result and not the cause? Or is it because he is getting paid over 60 mill that he should be able to achieve invisibility? It's not like the Rams don't pay the O-line a lot of money too.

Bill Coats: For one, Bulger has had a tough act to follow in Kurt Warner. Not only did Warner take the team to two Super Bowls with a spectacular offense, he also did it in a folksy, media (and fan) friendly way. That's just not Bulger. He's very reserved. Doesn't get a particular kick out of dealing with the media. It's just the way he is. But I think the performance by Trent Green against Buffalo _ and nothing against Green _ should show that there are more issues at work than just the quarterback play. The Rams still scored only 14 points, and Green's passer rating for that game (64.1) was lower than Bulger's season average (73.2).

Jim_in_PA: Jim,
Is the it true that Scott Linehan was awaken by a phone call at 1:00am to be fired?

Bill Coats: Uh yeah. We reported that a week ago.

Fletcher: What is the likelyhood Of Chip R. making a very strong effort to get Marty S.in here. Who are the top 3 Gm's we could hope to get in your opinion? Will the search for a quality Gm slow up our race in getting a top notch coach like Marty?. Meaning won't the coach want to know who's in place and that persons vision before he agrees to come?.........How is our offensive line, in your opinion, it seems hard to gage from my standpoint? Thanks!

Bill Coats: Don't count Billy Devaney out of the mix as GM.

Tackleberry: Do you anticipate major changes in the secondary after this season? Isn't it time to pay for a proven #1 cornerback and time to find a hard-hitting safety to replace Chavous?

Also, do you think the Rams will ever address the need for a true middle linebacker?

Bill Coats: Those would probably be two good places to start.

dnags: Hey Jim,

Thanks again for hosting these chats! I was wondering if you could comment on Jay Glazer's report during the Fox NFL Pregam show this past sunday. He said that the Rams hired a PR firm to help them handle the firing of Scott Linehan but that it was totally bungled and that Linehan was treated rudely being woken up at 1:00 am and told to come to a meeting immediately. He also reported that Jim Haslett threatened his coaches in the first post-linehan meeting, saying in effect, "if any of you feel loyal to Linehan then pack your bags."

What do you make of his report. Do you think the Rams treated Linehan poorly with the way he was fired? Are there coaches loyal to Linehan on this team and it will that mean the "poisonous" environment we all read about has not changed one bit?

Bill Coats: To me, there was nothing earth-shattering in the Glazer report. As soon as the decision was made to fire Linehan, they informed him. It just so happened to be at about 1 a.m. as the Post-Dispatch reported a week ago. Would it have really been more "humane" to wait until 8 a.m., 9 a.m. Linehan is being paid about $2 million a year. He still gets that money _ this year and next. That's one of the reasons why coaches get paid that much, because the endings rarely are pleasant. Keep in mind, Glazer is one of Linehan's "guys." The dude used to be allowed to work out in the Rams weight room when he was in town!! As for staff issues, sure there are some guys brought in that were Linehan guys, most recently offensive line coach Steve Loney and running backs coach Art Valero. But they're veteran coaches who have worked for plenty of other coaches before. I don't see a problem.

Gabriel 2 Snow: Hello Jim, hope cadet Thomas continues to do well.
I had lost faith in Bulger & I remain somewhat skeptical that he will be able to provide the leadership we need from that position without major O-line upgrades. Of course the question is "could anybody do better". I don't have that answer, but we both know our 60 million dollar man will be on the ropes, whether he deserves it or not, if the rest of the year looks like the first 3 games. That being said, I thought Hasletts first move as HC, naming Marc starter for the rest of the year was exactly right. It should help Marcs confidence, & it immediately distinguished Haz from Linehan, (cut Fakir? PLEASE!). I don't expect wins for awhile, but the verbage from the players is good, the conditioning drills were needed, & if they play with at a better tempo on O & fire on D, the product will be much more palatable. We've heard it all before, it sounds great, but do you see signs that this HC change will actually produce discernable change for us fans?

Bill Coats: I'll be as curious as the next person to see how the Rams respond to Haslett, particularly playing on the road against a tough Washington team this Sunday. I especially want to see how they respond _ and hold up _ when something goes wrong, like a sack, a turnover, a busted coverage, etc. Will they have the mental toughness to hold up, which is something Haslett has been stressing?

midnighter67: Will Stanley replace McMichael on the roster?

Bill Coats: Tight end Daniel Fells, who was on Tampa Bay's practice squad, has replaced McMichael on the active roster. If Stanley is promoted, I think it would probably be at Eddie Kennison's expense. (Or maybe Dante Hall.)

midnighter67: Is there any indication anyone in particular is interested in buying the team? Can we expect a new owner by next summer?

Bill Coats: I'd be a liar if I said I'd done a lot of poking around in this area; I've had my hands full just keeping track of the day-to-day travails of this club, and there's been plenty to keep me busy on that front. But I have heard the Rams have had a couple of serious inquiries, and I'm now of the opinion that the sale might come sooner (say by next summer) rather than later (four or five years down the road). But this opinion is hardly based on hard-and-fast evidence.

Ram_Malavasi: Hey Jim - thanks as always for taking the time.

Question about the future of the Rams - is there any possibility that the team will move and resurface under another name (as with the Houston Oilers becoming the Tennessee Titans and the original Cleveland Browns becoming the Baltimore Ravens)?

Bill Coats: If he sells, Chip Rosenbloom seems very committed to selling to ownership committed to keeping the team in St. Louis.

steve: hey jim, thanks for your time. looking at the schedule, do you see the rams favored in any game? do you see a possible 'w' on the schedule? if so, which game? i'm thinking 0-16 is a real possibility. even with the coaching change, the next four games are gonna be very tough to win. the team's attitude and effort may again sag to a point of no return should they lose badly in the next three games. any chance the rams sneak up on the redskins as they did the saints last year after the bye week?

Bill Coats: Boy, it's hard to see a W. What once seemed like strong possibilities _ Atlanta, Miami _ now look like much-improved teams. The Jets have new life with Favre. Mike Martz at least has the 49ers scoring points. Chicago seems to have stabilized with Orton at QB. Arizona's offense is perking with a revived Warner. I don't know, maybe Seattle at home on Dec. 14.
And you do make a good point. Even with spirits up in the early days of the Haslett regime, they could very well sag if the Rams lose _ as expected _ in the next three games against Washington, Dallas, and New England. Those three teams are currently a combined 11-3, and two of the three games (Wash. and New England) are on the road.

rams26: Hello Jim -

How would you describe the relationship between Haslett and Saunders? It was reported in Haslett's first practice last week that he was telling the offense to step it up. I thought Saunders was a fiery coach already that was usually telling the offense those types of things. Why would Haslett have to get involved? Was Saunders subdued when Linehan was around, or is there a conflict between Haslett and Saunders?

Thank you!

Bill Coats: Well, I think it's Haslett prerogative to get involved now that he's head coach. I think he and Saunders get along well enough.

Gary Nguyen: Jim,

What do you think of the Rams' chances of drafting for major offensive line help in the first round with Left Tackle Michael Oher and Center Alex Mack for 2009? Because if the Rams don't have a true center to make line calls, their offense is going nowhere and teams will stack the box against them.

Bill Coats: I haven't even begun to study draft prospects, but there's no doubt the Rams need help at both tackle and center. Even on a roster that needs help at a lot of positions, I think those would have to be priorities either via the draft or free agency.

Tim: JT -
Other than RB - is there a position where the Rams have even adequate talent? It's alarming. In my opinion- The O-Line, QB, WR, and TE are all subpar. The D-Line dones't get much pressure, the linebackers don't make plays, the DB's are getting torched, and the Safety's are out of position.

Is there any hope???

Our kickers are very good. But, that's not much hope.

I guess the bright side is they can draft ANY postion next year, and that person will play.

Bill Coats: No doubt, the Rams need help all over the board. But I think they need to have this season play out to have a more precise idea of where they need the most help. For example, can the squeeze out another season or two from Pace and Little. Same with Holt, who's contract expires after '09. Will the young receivers (Avery, Burton) show enough, or should the Rams consider going back to WR in the draft (Maclin?). Will Long show enough as a rookie, or should the Rams consider another pass-rushing end to eventually replace Little. And what about cornerback, where Ron Bartell's contract is up after this season, Hill is slumping, and Brown is in limbo. At safety, is Chavous done? And should the Rams re-sign Atogwe, who's contract is up after this season?

rams26: Hello Jim -

Another question. How would you describe the mood of team at Rams Park since Linehan has been fired?

Thank you!

Bill Coats: Some breaking news unrelated to your question. The Rams have released Eddie Kennison, the veteran wide receiver. Barring an unexpected injury in practice, I would expect them to promote Derek Stanley from the practice squad by the end of the week. Still nothing up on Fakhir Brown. The Rams have signed WR Nate Jones (U. of Texas, was with Minnesota as undrafted free agent during camp) to their practice squad.

The mood at Rams Park is good. Everyone was under a lot of pressure in the days and weeks leading up to Linehan's dismissal. There seems to be a collective exhale.

davulture24: Everyone is talking about the Rams being 0-4 and how horrible it would be for us to be 0-8. Did many people actually expect us to be more than maybe 2-6 midway through the season? I was hoping for a win or two, but realistically I was just wanting the Rams to survive the first eight games. We have only lost one game within the West and still have a huge chance to pull out several wins within our division. No, we are not going to the Big Game, but with a few upsets within the division we can still have a successful season. Wouldn't you agree?

Bill Coats: Well, it's not so much the four losses, but is the way the Rams have lost all four. By lopside margins. Even with the good play against Buffalo for 2-plus quarters, the Rams still fell apart in the fourth quarter.

dfwramsfan: JT,

Do any of are veterans (Little?)have trade value at seasons end in a total re-building mode for first day draft picks

Bill Coats: I would say that depends on how players such as Holt, Pace, and Little perofrm the rest of the season and what the mindset of the new coaching staff (whether it's Haslett or somebody else) is with regards to those players. All three are on the back ends of contracts, so any salary cap implications would be minimal.

CT's only ram fan: Hi Jim
Any predictions on how FrankenKlop will respond as a starter? I like the fact that Haslett has some lead in his pencil! I predict a more aggressive product from this team...your thoughts?

Bill Coats: Klopfenstein has dropped quite a few passes in practice recently. I think if he just relaxes a bit, he'll do OK. I do think the team is responding favorably to Haslett so far. But how that translates into game day remains to be seen. They've got a lot of bad habits (physically and mentally) to shake, and it probably won't happen overnight.

Big Billy Bob: I know this premature but have there been any names thrown out for a replacement for both John Shaw and Jay Z?

Bill Coats: You know I've heard a couple names thrown out, such as Dan Dierdorf and Ron Wolf, but don't know if there's anything to it.

CT's only ram fan: James, James, James

In your opinion how is Carriker progressing? Incognito? Is our starting center too undersized for the NFL or is he holding his own? Any chance for any type of legislative bailout for this current squad?

Bill Coats: Carriker showed some signs of life against Seattle, but so far it's been a slow go. Remember he's coming off January shoulder surgery. Leckey is doing OK; he's scrappy, but he occasionally gets engulfed by the 330-pounders. The best bailout for this team would be about 20 draft picks next season.

Clyde Duncan: Jim, do you know if the Rams have plans to add a corner this week or does the new head coach really believe in Bartell/Craft/Manning after showing no faith in Manning the first three weeks? Can you explain the intricacies around attempting to re-sign Fakhir Brown? And, if you were a betting man, where would you place on your bet on 2.5 wins the rest of the year? Thanks.

Bill Coats: The Rams did have CB Ronnie Prude (LSU/Baltimore Ravens) in for a physical and workout today (I'm told he had a good workout). Prude was not signed. I'm still trying to get at the Fakhir Brown "intricacies." (I believe it has to do with termination pay.
I think the Rams will go over 2.5. (Just don't ask me where they're coming from.)

Bob: how did the 3 and thirteen Rams get this brutal schedule?

Bill Coats: Fourteen of the 16 opponents were determined in advance. The Rams were scheduled to play the entire NFC East and the entire AFC East this season according to the league's rotating schedule. (The entire NFC West faces those same opponents.) The only opponents that are determined by how the Rams finished in 2007 were the last place team in the NFC South (Atlanta) and the last place team in the NFC North (Chicago). What's hurting the Rams is that their schedule has been frontloaded with NFC East teams, with the NFC East easily the toughest division in football right now. (I believe the East's combined record against outside opponents is 9-1.)

owen: what do you see as the greatest need. a true middle lb which allow us to move witherspoon back outside a free safety with great range which would allow us to move atogwe to ss or a left tackle and center.

Bill Coats: Can I answer all of the above?

UCityDave: Jim - Thanks for the column. I know that video study has become easier, but I wonder how much study is done by coaches versus how much is done by players, and whether the Rams do more of this, or less, than other teams. It occurs to me after watching every single, awful minute of every Rams game this year that some of the players could benefit by doing more of this. They often seem to not know what's about to happen around them, and perhaps more study could improve this. (So could better players, but we already own the video machines.)

Bill Coats: Besides film study during the day in meeting rooms, CDs of game tape are made available to every Rams player to take home. Whether they do it or not, I don't know.

Daniel: Hi Jim,

We have not heard from Torry Holt in awhile. Is he just disgusted with the whole situation at Rams Park? Do you think he just wants out? I can't believe Linehan tried to trade him.

Bill Coats: Torry seems to be doing fine. He generally talks to the media every Friday. And he's usually around after most games. The "trade" stuff with Torry was just a rumor. But I know for a fact Chip Rosenbloom never would've signed off on it, even if there was substance to the rumor.

Rams fan in NC: I watched London Fletcher play this past sunday. He has never missed a game in 11 yrs. You could really sense his leadership on that defense. Huge mistake letting him walk.

Bill Coats: I watched the game, too. Fletcher looks like he hasn't missed a beat since his days with the Rams. I think he's the key to that Washington defense. To this day, letting him go was the biggest free agent mistake for the Rams since the move to St. Louis.

Charlie: What's the status on the resigning of Fahkir Brown? When Drew Bennett returns from injury what do think will happen to the playing time of Avery and even Burton?

Bill Coats: I'm still trying to find out exactly why on Fakhir Brown (I think it has to do with termination pay), but he will not be signed this week. I have that on good authority. I think Avery's in the lineup to stay. Burton's probably a couple of weeks away (perhaps New England); I think Bennett's a week or so even further out than Burton from returning, so we won't have to worry about that for a while.

Da Rams28: This is an awful slow chat. What's taking so long to post the replies?

Bill Coats: Doing the best I can. There are always way more questions than I can answer. And I'm also making (and taking) some calls in between. Those calls have led to some of the developments I've reported on the chat today, such as the Kennison release, and the signing of Nate Jones to the practice squad, etc. Thanks for your patience.

COGzilla: I simply want to know what cap implications there are towards dealing bulger during the season or some point after. this a qb hungry league, and i believe we could get something for him if a new regime comes in and wants their guy at qb.

Bill Coats: Don't hold your breath on that one. The trading deadline is next Tuesday (Oct. 14). Regardless of what you think of Bulger, it's not going to happen in seven days.

That's all for now. I've got to get back to work on newspaper stuff. See you all next week.