Eric Schweiss: Good afternoon Jim!
Has anyone updated the health status of Steven Jackson? Is he 50% healed and is there a chance that he plays in the next week or two? He could be a stabilizing piece to this offense, even though he struggled out of the gate.
Thanks for your time and expertise. |
| Jim Thomas: Jackson has been ruled out for the Baltimore game. The Rams are becoming more and more guarded about giving information on injuries. Why I'm not sure. Linehan declined to put a timetable on his return Monday. When Jackson originally was injured, after the Tampa Bay game, Linehan would only refer to it as a week-to-week injury. Sources subsequently told me it was a 40 percent tear of the groin muscle with a minimum 2 to 3 week recovery time. Well, this makes 3 weeks. I will try to check with Jackson this week. |
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Art Pineda: Hello Mr. Thomas,
I cannot keep quiet anymore the Rams are a team that have some good players but bad coaches the head coach shouldn't be a head coach this was a bad hiring.
The GM should be gone as well as the owner who has no clue or has never had a clue she about running a team she ran this team into the ground when they were in Anaheiem she got rid of anybody with football sense so we are stuck with this team!
She is doing the same thing in St Louis with the people who are hired to run this team!
Dick Vemeil was the best coach that they hired in St louis but had to step down to keep Martz as the head coach who was agreat offensive coach but lacked head coacing sense he is now goneand we get Linehan who doesn't know how to run a team he was hired becuase he didn't cost too much to hire!
He two year record is very poor we will not get any better untill Georgia sells the team or we get rid of the dead weight in the front office!
This is an embrassment to all Ram fans from the past to the present! |
| Jim Thomas: I can understand your frustration. I still think it's too early to pass judgment on Linehan. And as upset as you are over management and ownership, they did bring two Super Bowls and one Super Bowl championship to St. Louis _ something most St. Louisans thought they would never see. I think a lot of fans are looking for someone to blame, and one or two areas (or people) to point the finger at. But there are many reasons for the teams 0-5 start. Including the fact that the Rams got next to nothing out of their drafts in 2000, 2001, and 2002 _ players who should be the backbone of the team at the moment. |
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| cj cully: please list the top five positions, in priority, that need to be addressed during next year's off season either through free agency or draft. |
Jim Thomas: I'll take a crack at it, but keep in mind this is a moving target that could change between now and the start of free agency:
1.) WR--Rams need a big fast WR who can get yards after the catch.
2.) DE--A pass rusher. The Rams just aren't getting much pressure with a four-man rush.
3.) MLB--It's taken me longer than most, but I think I've finally come to the conclusion that Witherspoon is better suited for the outside than the inside. Move Pisa to strongside, and go out and get a thumper inside.
4.) OT--This moves to No. 1 if Pace decides to retire, which I don't think will happen.
5.) S--The Rams need a thumper and a blitzer at the strong safety position. |
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Mo: Hey Jim,
Did Shaw and exec crew hire the wrong coach? It seems Haslet has a NFL track record and Linehan has nothing but being an Offensive Coordinator?
It's time for Shaw to go!!!! He is awful he has had a tiny window of success going back to LA to St. Lou??? |
| Jim Thomas: Linehan may indeed prove to be the wrong choice over time, but what exactly has Haslett down to distinguish himself with the defense, currently ranked 27th in the NFL? Again, I wouldn't call the Greatest Show on Turf a tiny window of success. |
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| cheryl weldon: just would like to know how long are the rams gonna keep that sorry coach and the defensive coordinator? after the get to 0-8 |
| Jim Thomas: Cheryl, if you check out my story in today's P-D, John Shaw will not even contemplate making a change until the end of the season, and even then, it sounds as if Linehan will get at least another season. |
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Lew: Hi Jim,
There are bad teams (see '06 Raiders) And good teams gone bad( see '07 Rams) Do you think the fans in St. Louis have been supportive due to the fact that we see a team that still plays hard? |
| Jim Thomas: First off, if fans pay for their tickets they have the right to do anything they want. Boo, cheer, boycott games. Then again, I thought Shaw's comments about being disappointed at the blackouts interesting. I think he was hoping the fans would hang in there a little more. I think from his vantage point, it's not as if the team has been in double-digit losses for the past six years like the Lions. |
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ed: first why not give more touches to Brian Leonard.He looks like the only one on the team that has heart and gives 110%.
Second what chance do we have getting rid of the owner and moving the team back where they belong in LA |
| Jim Thomas: Leonard was surpringly good against an Arizona defense that had limited Willie Parker to 37 yards on 19 carries I think the week before against Pittsburgh. I don't think Leonard got back-to-back carries in any series until the fourth quarter. But I think you'll find that Linehan is less committed to the run than Olson in general. |
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| Jack Cramond: Hi Jim. It is no secret that we have needed front office changes for YEARS. You know...people who know how to put a good product on the field of play. Unfortunately and in order for that to happen, we really need a 0-16 year. Its very sad when you hope your team of 40 years loses every game it plays. But unfortunately, the front office is not willing to do anything unless something reall bad happens on the field. We need a new GM who lives and breathes football. Someone who's desire for excellence on the field is greater than his desire for personal riches. The existing front office doesnt give a damn about wins and losses. But when their revenues start dropping, maybe, just maybe something positive will happen. |
| Jim Thomas: I do think the front office cares about winning. The Rams have spent to the cap every year they've been in St. Louis. Caring about winning, and knowing how to win are two different subjects, however. |
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James Arnold: Jim:
When is enough-- enough? Why does Linehan still have a job? It is overly apparent that he has been out coached the entire season. Does this ownership have the cahones to try and sign bill cowher or marty schottenheimer? If so, at what point do you fire linehan? 0-5, 0-8, 0-16?
Please do not apologize for linehan. |
| Jim Thomas: Do you really think 21 games is a long enough time to fairly assess a head coach. Does he not deserve even the least bit of a mulligan because of all the injuries? And what coaching candidate do you think the franchise will be able to attract if you're getting less than 2 years to get it right? |
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William Watkins: What I Did Last Sunday.
9:15am: Took Metro from Shrewsbury to Laclede's Landing Station. Joined tailgaters on 2nd Street lot. Tried to sell extra tickets...no takers. Tried to give away tickets...no takers.
11:15am: Walked to Dome. Security was on high alert. NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED IN DOME, said the sign. The screener frisked me and asked me to remove my cap. He was disappointed, I guess, but I had moved the King Size Snickers I usually kept in my cap to the secret compartment in my underwear.
11:20am: Arrived inside the lobby where I was given a Rams knit cap. I weaseled two more caps when I flashed my unused tickets at the nice lady. Cap fits me like a yarmulke. What the hell, it's free, right?
11:25am: Climb to my seat. This was gonna be good! I got three seats and not another fan near me...I get to spread out, stretch my legs and relax. Thank God for No-Shows.
11:45am: 15 minutes before game time and maybe 10,000 fans in the seats. Anticipating a fabulous halftime show. What will it be...SIU Marching Band, Pee-Wee Football, THE FRISBEE CATCHING DOGS???
11:55am: Pretty girl(star of stage, screen and TV, who I never heard of), sings National Anthem. Does a good job. Better looking than Howard Balzer, too.
HIGH NOON: Game time, and boy, are we gonna stick it to those Desert Rats! Our guys are beat up, but sick and tired of losing. Coach promised to fix it. Coach wouldn't lie, would he?
3:00pm: We lost. Somewhere between all the obnoxious big screen video commercials and bad music, the guys let it get away. Did I mention there was no halftime show? What ever happened to halftime entertainment?
3:30pm: Arrive back at tailgate. Talk turns to the draft. THE DRAFT!!! What are you guys thinking? The season just started! (Apparently, no one thinks we can go 11-5).
4:00pm: Riding the train, thinking about the future. So many unanswered questions. Will the Rams ever win a game? Will the Dome protect us from contraband food? Will halftime entertainment return? How much will a Cheesehead pay for three tickets to the Packers game? |
| Jim Thomas: Interesint day you had W.W. I thought it was a pretty entertaining game. |
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Buzz: Jim,
1) First, a positive comment. Some people had doubts about spending a 2nd rd pick on Brian Leonard. I don't doubt that choice any more. Leonard gives the Rams a solid backup who can turn in a solid performance when Jackson is out. Heck, he can even play fullback at times.
2) I noticed my old friend Milford Brown was back at RT. Didn't he allow the pressure that resulted in the Frerotte INT for a touchdown? Why did he play instead of Gorin? I assume it's because he's more of a roadgrader, but what about pass protection? Thanks. |
Jim Thomas: I liked the Leonard pick from the get-go. He can block, run, catch passes, play fullback and play tailback. He's progressing very well for a rookie.
I was surprised to Brown in at RT. He's not a RT. He's a guard. I thought Gorin played pretty well the previous week in Dallas when he had to replace Goldberg. |
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tater: Jim,
I honestly think the Rams could win 5 games this year. What are your estimates?
But, if we win 5 games I'm torn. Since we won't sniff the playoffs why not lose more to get a better draft pick. Am I the only one tormented or is this general thinking once a shot at the playoffs is gone? |
| Jim Thomas: Obviously, you've got to play the games to win. Plus, what makes you think the Rams will get the high draft pick right anyway. |
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Kevin: Jim,
I have been impressed with Brian Leonard: good blocker, runner, and receiver. I think they made a good selection with him. I welcome your comments. |
| Jim Thomas: See my answer above. I liked the pick from the beginning. |
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| David Feldman: Seeing as the Rams look to be headed towards a possible 1st overall pick, I thought Glen Dorsey could be a very great player for the Rams. The Rams need a standout defenseman and a person who can put pressure on the QB, and this guy can do both. We can move Carriker to DE, then put Clifton Ryan at nose tackle, and all of the sudden our d-line is a big force. What do you think about the possibility of getting Dorsey? |
| Jim Thomas: Geez, another DT? If the Rams take a d-lineman at the top of the draft, I would love to see them take the best pass-rushing DE available. Little isn't getting any younger; so far James Hall has been OK. The Rams can't seem to get much consistent pressure with a four-man rush. |
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Frank: Jim -
Love your work and your sense of humor. Referring to what Bernie said in his column today about Shaw and Zygmunt being in over their heads in trying to run a football operation.... Just HOW BADLY does this organization need a football man at the top and when are we going to see one?
Frank |
| Jim Thomas: Trust me on this: Shaw and Zygmunt won't be fired. They have been with the Rams' organization way to long. Georgia Frontiere has the utmost trust in them. Saying you need a football man at the top is one thing; getting one is another. Other than Bill Polian and Scott Pioli, who out there is a sure thing as a GM type? It's tougher to identify and pick good front office men than it is players or coaches. |
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Bryan: Now that the Rams have to pull more bodies off the street, who is out there for safety?
Also, why do they keep 4 tight ends plus a fullback/halfback when they do not use them?
-Bryan |
Jim Thomas: Bhawoh Jue and Dovonte Edwards were in for visits recently. (The Rams routinely bring in street free agents on Tuesdays for look-sees, physicals, workouts, etc.) Anyway, I'm hearing that it is Bhawoh Jue that the Rams will sign.
I don't know why the Rams keep 4 TEs, plus a FB. McMichael, Owens and one of the other TEs (at first it was Klopfenstein and now it's Walker) are the only ones getting any PT. |
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Murat from PA: Hello Jim;
Here is what I (and hopefullu Linehan) learned so far this season:
1) Do not play your quarterback with broken ribs
2)There is no such thing as too many "good" corners and safeties (unlike tightends)
3) If you offensive coordinator is calling a lame game, you shouldn't wait 4 games to take over
4) Having 100-yard rushing in a game no longer guarantees a win for the Rams
5) Never have too few offensive ends at the start of the season.
Please comment. |
Jim Thomas: 1.) I would've sat Bulger after the San Francisco game.
2.) Did you watch the Monday Night game between Dallas and Buffalo. It looked like Jerametrius Butler did a pretty good job.
3.) I liked the no-huddle against Arizona, but why did it take 1 1/3 seasons to get to the no-huddle?
4.) I thought Leonard should've gotten the ball more.
5.) "Offensive" ends? Do you mean wide receivers? |
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| jimmyboyz123: Jim: I like Linehan, and if you were to take a poll, I think more people would lean towards keeping the coach for one more year...injuries, coupled with an ineffective quarterback are the causes for this teams woes..but I might be wrong...anyway, after looking at the oncoming schedule, I don't see any chance for the Rams to win more than three games this year...and I'd be willing to bet money on it! |
| Jim Thomas: Which are your three wins? If the Rams could just get through two or three games without any appreciable injuries, and start to get some players back, I think things might go better. But that hasn't happened yet. |
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valhalla: Jim-
So, let me get this straight, a just under mid 5 figures working class schlub like myself has a better video replay system that the employee whose job it is to decide a game run by a multi-billion dollar corporation? C'mon, can't the NFL at least pony up for a Sunday TIcket subscription for these guys, I could plainly see both calls that led to the 2 ARI rushing td's.
On a serious note, please tell me that Mike RUmph has not deboarded a plane to have a tryout @Rams Park. What free agents are they bringing to fill the defensive backfield? |
Jim Thomas: Man, that's a good point. There are many more cameras available for the top games. (You know the Buck-Aikman contests.) Why should the teams playing in the non-marquee games be penalized by fewer cameras _ and fewer camera angles?
As I mentioned in an earlier post, it looks like Bhawoh Jue will be signed at safety. He's already on "campus" at Rams Park. He's a former Packer and Charger, the Rams tried to sign him a couple of years ago (but he opted for San Diego instead at the time.) |
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Greg Smith Jackson, Tennessee: Jim,
Since Linehan has taken over the play calling, has it changed Greg Olson's credibility given the Rams offensive output last weekend? I firmly believe Linehan is a good person, I just question his hiring of "friends" instead of the most qualified individual possible. Thank You for your time. |
| Jim Thomas: We ran a chart last week comparing Linehan's 10 games as playcaller to Olson's 10 games. The stats were almost identical, in fact they were slightly better for Olson in most categories. One difference, though, was that Olson stuck with the run more. Keep in mind, as bad as things were the first four games of this season, the team went 4-2 and averaged 28 points a game with him calling plays at the end of the season. Despite Linehan's comments about Olson being one of his best friends, it's not like this is a classic case of a buddy system hire. In fact, I don't think Olson and Linehan had ever worked together before last season. |
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| Billy C: We need fire & heart / we need Bill Cower Hell make him coach & GM . at least I trust his decisions . Shake up the Front Office / and hire some scouts who know talent .This is /was /a class act . Lets get the gleam back . And talk about class you still have to love Kurt . He is one class act . I love Marc and he is my man at QB . We will be back but only with BIG changes in management / good luck . Football is a big business now / you can make more money by Not paying to get a better team / but if you loose the Fans you are lost and have to move on to a new City . I hope we keep the Rams and they make the Right moves . //// Billy C. Old School Ram Fan |
| Jim Thomas: There will be no new coach in '07, and probably none in '08. The only big changes in management is if Shaw and/or Zygmunt resign. They will not _ repeat, NOT _ be fired. The Rams have spent to the cap every year since the move to St. Louis. |
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| jerry: If the Rams get the first pick in the draft this time (expected,) what position should they draft to first? The top three positions they need to draft to, I say, are QB, O-line LT, and WR. That will be repacement of a too old-to-cut-the mustard player (Pace, Bruce, and Bulger.) Who are the top colege players that might make impact players in these three positions? I follow college football and would like to start looking at the top players in those three positions. |
| Jim Thomas: The Rams just signed Bulger to a $65 million contract extension. They will not be looking for a QB any time soon. I agree with you on LT and WR as first-day picks, although the need for an LT in the first round disappearts I think if Pace decides to return. Right now, I'm engulfed with covering this team and don't get into the draft until the season ends. Plus, half of the first round will be juniors that come in late December and January. |
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Thuy: Hi Jim,
Do you think that Linehan and Bulger should take all the blames from fans for the drought of this season?
To me,the OL injuries should be the main reason.I've been watching Brady,Romo,Manning ..to name a fews...Those guys have a ton of times in the pocket..Bulger has not..that was the main cause for his downfall this season and fans should have seen that before jumping all over our coach and our QB..
Another thought,do you think as a coach,Linehan should be at least show a little fire after all these lost games instead of his rather sleeping comments that being repeated over and over like a sore loser time after time?
Thanks Jim...you are the best. |
Jim Thomas: There are about a dozen reasons for what's happening now. Play-calling, not playing regulars in the preseason, Bulger, offensive line, slow start by Little, Holt not 100 percent due to knee surgery, two-game slump by Wilkins, injuries in the secondary, and just plain buzzard's like.
I think Linehan shows more fire than you think. What's he supposed to do, light his hair on fire? |
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| Joe H.: Hey Jim, I know Leonard isn't the Raw talent that SJ is, but if he continues to produce 100+ yard games...IF...will there be a running back controversy? Will we start to see more of him, anyway, in certain situations when SJ returns? |
| Jim Thomas: No RB controversy. But Leonard certainly is proving his worth. I will guarantee this _ the rushing yards will be much tougher against Baltimore. The Ravens are allowing only 66 yards per game on the ground. |
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Youngblood: On the last touchdown drive we are down by 11 and then we score a TD and Linehan sends out Wilkins and the extra point team for the kick. Then Gus runs over to him and points to the scoreboard to tell him we need to go for 2. One I can't believe that people aren't talking about this with how lost he is on the most basic of coaching decisions. Two I have lost total confidence in him now. Even a ten year old on Playstation knows when they are down by 11 with little or know time that they need to go for 2!!
Please help me understand why people aren't concerned about this!! |
| Jim Thomas: Yeah, we noticed this. It could've been a glitch. But do you really think Linehan's game management is worst than Martz? |
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| Jeff: It's two days later and I'm still mystified and irked by the referee calls from Sunday. The Cardinals fumbled, piled on and executed horrible clock management and were rewarded with 14 points by a baffled referee crew. Winning and losing is such a razor's edge in this league...why anyone would want to be a coach in this league is beyond me! We are some ill-timed turnovers, a rash of injuries and some horrible officiating from possibly being 3-2. The drafts the last two years, especially this year with Softli, have already yielded a better crop from top to bottom with some real potential long term quality players. I think Linehan is a good coach and game planner and has made a lot of improvements on the team and around Rams park...it will all come together. Okay - here's my question : What's the over/under on total yards by Richie Incognito this year? At what point, no matter how good the player, do you sit someone down because they are hurting the team with continous emotional mistakes? I'm pulling for him but man...you just can't keep doing that stuff. Thanks! |
Jim Thomas: I looked at the three disputed calls on game film Monday night and here's how I rank them:
1.) Torry Holt's "pass interference." Easily the worst call. The ball's out very quick on the screen. Arizona DB Eric Green initiates contact with Holt with his right arm _ trying to jam Holt. By the time Holt turns to block Green the ball is well on it's way to Leonard. Green lobbied the official immediately after the play, and apparently talked him into it because it was a very late flag. Remember, it's first and goal at the 5 if the play stands. Instead the Rams settled for a field goal narrowing their deficit to 27-23.
2.) Wells' "fumble recovery" in the end zone. Game film seems to show Wade on the ball, in possession, and in a defenseless position when Wells comes in. He should have been down by contact. It was as if the officiating crew was paralyzed by the entire sequence. They didn't know if it was a fumble by James, if he crossed the goal line, or what happened with Wade and Wells in the end zone. I really believe they didn't know what to call.
3.) The delay of game. Time had expired in the half by the time Ron Bartell kicked the ball. But it was definitely a deliberate kick, and a dumb play by Bartell. Warner did some lobbying with the refs on this one.
And finally _ Incognito. The guy has a lot of talent. But anger management has always been a problem with him. If he can't tone it done, I think some team will pick their spot and go after him. Because of that, he should be worried about his health even more than a spot on the bench. |
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Pat: Pat - The first shot has been taken by Shaw partially blaming Ram Fans for their lack of team support as he is "disappointed " for the (fans) failure to support a team in a "down cycle".
* The winning percentage under Frontiere/Shaw over the past 30 years is .462 . Under Malavasi, Robinson,Knox, and Vermeil.
* That is not a down cycle but a long history of failure by Frontiere / Shaw to manage a team in a manner that is conducive to winning.
* Their record is to hire coaches that will not make waves or speak out unfavorably against Management. The exception - Martz who had a .609 winning percentage.
* It seems clear that Frontiere/ Shaw fear an outspoken proven big name coach. And are out to lunch re professiona Football managers in the FO.
* So whats the soultion here ? And why support a team whose top people historically have provided a sub standard product and yet raise ticket prices every year.
* Any blame for failure does not rest on with the Fans.
* Its clear major changes are necessary. Whats the chances of that. |
Jim Thomas: Let me play devil's advocate here. The Rams still have a winning record in St. Louis. They've won three division titles, two NFC titles, one Super Bowl, and earned two wild-card berths in St. Louis. This is over a 13-year period. Does this quality as a long history of failure?
Can you really say that St. Louis is a football town? Did you see the Monday night football game in Buffalo? When was the last time the Bills have been any good? Did you see the atmosphere? Did you hear the crowd? Did you hear Tony Romo's comments about the crowd? When was the last time you saw something like that in St. Louis? |
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| mike in atl.: hi jim. I understand that shaw said we were in this situation because of injuries. I agree, but do we forget it was the play calling that got our starters hurt. poor play calling,submiting our players to undo situations, like a general leading his men in battle, a poor plan kills the men. for him not to let haslett take over if we go 0-7 or worse, he cant do much worse, he at least is proven as a head coach. I have been a rams fan since back to the early 70s. I do not want to see that team any more. |
Jim Thomas: Wait a minute? Did you just say poor play-calling got all the starters hurt?
And last time I checked, Haslett's defense was ranked No. 27 in the league. What makes you think he's a magic wand? |
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eldiablo: I'm loving JTL??? But give it up, Jimbo. This has got to be purgatory for a beat guy, going into a season covering a team with (too) high expectations then watching things crash in the first five weeks. How does it complicate your job? Even for a pro like yourself, how does it challenge your motivation? This has to be a tough gig. And how do you handle it when broadcast types continually cut in line at the Rams Park feed line?
Kudos to your chat. JSL!!! must be a tough act to open for. Rumor has it JTL??? has bumped Bird Land off the podium for most popular P-D chats. Congrats. |
Jim Thomas: Eldiablo, huh? That sounds menacing, like a Prince of Darkness thing. Anyway, as any beat writer covering any sport knows, it's always tougher covering a losing team. Everyone's grumpy. Players, coaches, and the media when things go sour. But I've been doing this a while _ and I've covered some lousy teams before. (18-47-1 in six years covering Mizzou from 1985-90.) So you just keep grinding. There's always something to write about, and fans interested in what's going on with the team.
As for the feed line, since the Rams altered their practice schedule with the arrival of Linehan, the usual free Wednesday lunch isn't served until 2 p.m. So I go across the street in Earth City _ Quizno's; Imo's, McDonald's, Chinese place, Mexican place.
As for popular chats, I do know my place in this town. Only during the Greatest Show on Turf days did it cease being a baseball town. So I'm sure that Strauss guy, I don't know him very well, rules the roost when it comes to live chats. But I do hear that Bill Coats "Around the Horns" has become the most popular blog. |
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JerseyRamFan: Hey Jim,
I am positive that Mike Pereira received an early Monday morning call from Scott Linehan. My question is, what is it going to accomplish? They certainly are not going to say redo! So what is the purpose? To let Mike know that Gerald Austin and crew really botch the game last Sunday? Are there any fines or demotions that can be placed on the crew? That was just inexcusable. I never seen a case of officials huddling, and essentially guessing what the calls should be. Can officials be suspended? |
| Jim Thomas: Almost every week, the Rams sent in a report on plays they weren't happy with, or plays that they want further clarification on. You'd be surprised at how many times the league admits they blew a call. It happens a lot. But it doesn't do much good by then. Officials do get reviewed on each game, and that can affect their ability to work playoffs games. I don't know about fines, but officials can certainly be removed of their duties if they continue fouling things up. Suffice it to say it was not a good day for Mr. Austin's crew. The Alphonse & Gaston act resulted in 14 points for the Cardinals in the final 4 minutes of the first half. |
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Mitch Brian: Jim, no Magna Carta this time! But a couple of things that I stated last week seemed to hold true this week, or at least one thing. Scott Linehan's strength is as an offensive coordinator. His play calling last week was MUCH better than we've seen all season. We saw a 30 point game which I'm sure everybody loved.
I have a few questions: 1-How unique is it for the head coach to call the plays? 2-When is Steven Jackson scheduled to come back? 3-How long do you think Bulger will be out?
The defense and special teams impressed me last week and I think with Jackson and Bulger back, we may be able to put together a few wins and at least compete. |
Jim Thomas: 1.) A colleague of mine at the San Diego Union did a survey on this at the start of the regular season. At that time there were 10 head coaches in the NFL calling their own plays. Linehan makes 11.
2.) Rams being secretive on Jackson. At the outset, my source told me a minimum of two to three weeks. I emphasize "minimum." We are now at three weeks. I don't have a firm answer for you, but I wouldn't be stunned if he didn't return until after the bye week.
3.) I don't think Bulger plays this week. After that, I'm not sure. Of course, if Frerotte starts lighting it up, I'm sure the coaches will want to give Bulger "extra" time to heal. |
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Ram rod: Jim,
Rams fan since 69. Scott is not the guy for this team. First, he was unproven. What had he really done as an offensive cordinator? He never made at least to a super bowl. To sum it up. You've given the keys to a Lamborghini Gallardo to a guy who drove a Chevy big block a couple of times. Think of the story around the NFL if they were to bring Martz back...unless you go get another guy who knows how to drive this thing ... we should have never let Lovie go ... |
Jim Thomas: Whoa! This was a Lamborghini? It was a good offense, maybe a very good offense, but certainly not the Greatest Show, and with several aging core players (Timmerman, McCollum, Pace, Bruce).
If I look out my window here at Rams Park and see pigs flying, then I know they'll be a chance for Martz to come back. That's not going to happen unless both Shaw and Zygmunt are gone.
As for Lovie, how can you prevent a guy from becoming a head coach? |
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| Randall Dillman: Will Steven Jackson play this week and if not, when? |
| Jim Thomas: Jackson out this week. Could be another week or two as well. |
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| William Nardoni: Jim has John Shaw lost his mind when he said he is dispointed about fan suport on a down year? This organization has know idea what a good player looks like.THis city has hard workeing people who pays big dollars to see a bad team play with bad coaching:and now its about injuries.This city has giving this organization a lot and continue to give >This organization wants a coach they can control and all this friendship thing is a bunch of crap you hire coaches who can do the job not friends>because when you have to fire a friend you can't>THey go out and hire a player personal man and he can't make a move to get any talent on this team>What free agent would want to play for a team that has pencile pushers running it? Thanks |
| Jim Thomas: Again, let me play devil's advocate. Again, fans have the right to do whatever they want. But check out the attendance figures in Detroit. Or Cleveland. Or Buffalo. And check out their won-loss records recently. Is this really a football town? |
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Arick: I'm offended. After reading John Shaw's comments regarding fan support. Does this guy really expect people to shell out 50-100 dollars to watch lousy football? I am a huge football fan and have certainly gone to games when the team is losing, but this isn't just about losing games, it's about bad football. I've seen high school games with more excitement and offense than this year's Rams!
Sorry, I guess there really isn't a question in here, just a great deal of frustration with a team president who has the audacity to make comments that this market just "can't support a team going through a down cycle." Maybe he should look at who/what caused this down cycle and fix it ASAP! |
| Jim Thomas: How much do fans shell out for Cardinals baseball tickets? For 81 games? What was the Cardinals record this year? |
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| Ron Romer Sr.: Jim, Vermeil had a couple tough seasons but was prompted to bring in Martz as offensive coordinator and things took off as they say... why wouldn't Linehan do the same thing... fire Olson and bring in a different perspective and maybe turn things around next season... |
| Jim Thomas: I guess firing Olson is one possibility. But I don't think Olson's coaching had anything to do with not playing regulars in the preseason, or the injuries to Bruce, Bulger, Bennett, Jackson, Pace, Steussie, Goldberg, Incognito, Setterstrom, Looker, Dante Hall, and Torry Holt's slower than anticipated recovery from knee surgery. |
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Matt: How long can we expect Steven Jackson to be out?
If he comes back this week will he be any good?
THANKS JIM! |
| Jim Thomas: Jackson out this week. |
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| Peter Viehmann: I know it's early in the week but what do you think the chances are of Steven Jackson playing this week at Baltimore??? Thanks, Peter V. |
| Jim Thomas: Jackson out this week. |
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Dave Martin: Hi Jim!
Will the Rams actually start the same O-line 2 games in a row, or is banged up that I missed? Is Richie on a short lease?
Dave |
Jim Thomas: Richie should be on a short leash, but I can't say that he is.
Linehan hinted strongly that McCollum would start at LG _ team is w-a-y down on Terrell. I don't know about Milford Brown or Brandon Gorin at RT. |
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| Nick: Either you and or Linehan indicated in discussing the fuble/touchdown/touchback in the Cardinal game that the ref indicated certain replay review(s) that millions saw were not available to the officials. I was amazed as I thought a central reason for having replays was not only to avoid wrong calls but also to avoid riots when millions could see what a call should have been. Your or Linehan's futher comment was...so what can you do?...THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE....AT THE LEAST LET A 16 YEAR OLD WITH ACNE OVERULE THE REPLAY OFFICIAL IF THE NFL IS SO STUPID AS TO NOT MAKE JUMBOTRON AND ALL TV REPLAYS AVAILABLE TO THE OFFICIAL...OR.....LET COACHES USE THEIR SECOND CHALLANGE TO DRAG THE DUMBASS TO A TV! Seriously...HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN AND WHY CAN IT NOT BE CORRECTED!!! Worse call I may have ever seen since replay has been utilized. |
Jim Thomas: Actually, it was referee and crew chief Gerald Austin who told me (I was the pool reporter) that it was his understanding that a later TV replay seemed to show the Edgerrin James' elbow was down, meaning it probably shouldn't have been ruled a fumble in the first place. (Austin probably got this info from the NFL Observer, who watches the officials and files a report on the game. The Observer watches the game in the press box, but can also watch the game on TV at the same time.)
As I mentioned before. It was not a good day at the office for Mr. Austin and his crew. |
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| Section 111: Do the Rams still submit a weekly complaint report to the league office on questionable calls by the game officials? If so, is the response available to the P-D? It's not going to change anything but would like to know what they think. |
| Jim Thomas: Rams still submit the report. And they submitted one on Monday. The league doesn't like the team to submit their findings (they don't like it to be public knowledge that their refs messed up). But I'll try to find out later in the week. |
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Don: Jim,
The Arizona game was heartbreaking becuase the Rams actually showed some good things. Sure they made some mistakes, but they also executed some things. Ferrotte looked good. Sure some rookie mistakes--but this is a guy who hasn't started a game in years. I think Lienhan must keep Ferrotte as the starter until Bulger is 100% physically & mentally. 2 huge bad calls by the refs. The James fumble that was recovered by Wade, then taken away was bush league--my son's Pop Warner league doesn't have calls that bad. I actually didn't see the Holt pass interference call--but it seemed pretty weak as well. Let's hope the Rams build on this game and not let it put them into another funk. |
| Jim Thomas: The problem with this team is that it's always something. The Rams have been in good position in the fourth quarter to win four of the five games, and have come up short each time. It's a fourth-quarter league, and this team doesn't know how to finish. |
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J.D.: Jim,
I am a huge Rams fan and I had high hopes going into this season. With everything that has happened so far do you feel that we have any shot of winning atleast 4-5 games this season. Also I hate to look to next year but if so what is the main concern we need to address in the draft and free agency? By the way what is your take on Leonard's performance Sunday?
Thanks |
Jim Thomas: It's hard to see even four or five victories unless the team start getting some of the injured players back. Right now on draft: WR, OT, S, DE in my mind should all be first day considerations.
Leonard is a good, solid running back. So far he's giving the Rams exactly what they hoped he would. But again, don't look for any miracles against the Ravens _ they're No. 2 in the league in rush defense. |
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Nick (Ca): With the injury situation at DB as bad as the O-line, how about moving Pisa to SS in certain situations, allowing Draft to come in? This would greatly increase the run defense while minimizing the loss to the pass defense. I would run this the entire game, but it would be a nice change in certain spots. It seems we have better depth at LB than any other spots.
Also with the WRs slammed with injuries are Ricky Proehl and Az Hakim still available? At least we can rekindle some fond memories if we are going to have to ride the roller coaster, heck maybe Aneas is around somewhere. |
Jim Thomas: A few years ago, Mike Martz talked about moving Pisa to safety, but the "switch" didn't even last the offseason. Pisa has good coverage and change of direction skills for an LB, but not for a safety.
As for your nostalgia yearnings, Proehl and Hakim would have been good choices in 2003. Same with Aeneas, who I believe still is in town, by the way. |
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| D. Washington: How far along is Stephen Jackson in his rehab? Is he running yet? Don't you think it will be best for the Rams to make sure he's healed and let him come back after the Bye Week? |
| Jim Thomas: Jackson out this week and maybe one or two more. With a groin, the Rams certainly need to make sure he's healed. |
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Todd: Hi Jim,
How much longer until Steven Jackson returns? Thanks |
| Jim Thomas: Jackson out this week, and possibly another week or two. |
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| virginiatom: For the past several years, the Rams have had an obvious inability to score touchdowns from the red zone, settling instead for field goals. Although its 3 points on the board, its a psychological victory for the opponents to have the Rams drive down the field only to be stopped from getting it into the end zone. This was a problem with Martz and its a problem with Linehan. The one constant is Bulger. Why does he have problems making the passes into the end zone that other quarterbacks seem to do with ease? |
| Jim Thomas: Bulger had 21 TD passes in the red zone last season and zero interceptions. The Rams finished 8th in the NFL last year in red zone TDs. |
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Paul Ostrander: On the Edgerrin James fumble and recovery for a touchdown by the Cards the discussion has centered on whether Wade recovered the ball before the Cardianl lineman wrestled it away from him. What I haven't seen discussed is the fact that the fumble occured at the 1 yard line and was recovered in the endzone. This is an advance of a fumble by the offensive team. I thought that fumbles by the offense could not be advanced. What am I missing?
thanks, |
Jim Thomas: Here's the rule:
On fourth down, only the offensive player who originally fumbled the ball is allowed to recover it beyond the line of scrimmage.
After the 2-minute warning in either half, only the offensive player who fumbled the ball is allowed to recover it beyond the line of scrimmage.
In the case of Sunday's fumble by James, there were 3 minutes 48 seconds left in the first half and it was second down.
I've got to go for now. Thanks again for all the questions. I'll try to return tonight and answer some more. |
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| Larry Arce: Hey Jim thanks for taking some time to answer some questions for us die hards. How much of this fiasco of a season falls on managements shoulders and how much is Linehan and staff to blame? |
| Jim Thomas: At 0-5, there's plenty of blame to go around. The fact that Linehan didn't play his starters much in the preseason contributed to the slow start. He was a couple of weeks too late in replacing Bulger with Frerotte. The game plans were too conservative against Carolina and Tampa Bay. The defense started out decently but has reverted to form to some degree in these past couple of games. So Haslett hardly qualifies for a gold star, either. Management brought us Lenny Walls and let Jerametrius Butler and Ryan Pickett go. The Rams have almost no one left from the 2000 through 2002 drafts _ those should be the five, six and seven-year vets that should be the backbone of this team. But we can't blame it all on Mad Mike. He had nothing to do with the 2006 draft. In free agency, the club seems too intent on signing "name" players that are past their prime instead of up-and-coming players about to hit their prime. And all the injuries _ well, I don't know if you can blame that on anyone. |
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Long Island Ram: Jim,
Haslett said earlier this week that Ryan was a NT and that Carriker's best position was the 3 technique. Why did the Rams cut Louis Leonard? Now if they want to start Carriker and Ryan together, Carriker becomes the backup NT. Leonard played well against the Rams in preseason. |
| Jim Thomas: I'm sure the Rams were hoping Louis Leonard wouldn't get claimed by Cleveland. Yes, he played well against them in the preseason, but that hardly means he's destined for Canton. With Claude Wroten coming off the NFL's suspended list this week, Leonard was probably going to be released this week anyway. But they felt he had to go last week to make room for another offensive lineman (C-G Nick Leckey) due to all the injuries at that position. |
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| Ruben: Jim, thanks for taking my question. Based on the comments that Shaw made yesterday regarding fan support, it looks like he has given up on the season and embracing a "down cycle". A leader never accepts mediocrity. For a team to be successful, you need focus(plan) & commitment(desire). I don't see it from the top, so is it getting down to the coaches/players? |
| Jim Thomas: I don't think he's "embracing" a down cycle. Shaw is a realist to the core. He sees an aging group of core players (Bruce, Pace, Little, McCollum, etc.) and realizes there's no easy way to replace all these guys. (While also realizing too many failed draft picks and misfires in free agency have also failed to replace these aging veterans.) |
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| Steve Dalton: Appears the rams will have a very high draft pick coming in april. what is the rams most pressing need besides a good head coach? |
| Jim Thomas: At this moment, and keep in mind it's a moving target, I would say WR, OT, S, pass-rushing DE are all first-day priorities. |
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| Todd: Jim - I read your article in this mornings paper and I'm also puzzled at Shaws comment about being puzzled why the fans aren't supporting a losing team. Maybe if he got his butt to St.Louis & stays here until the season is over maybe he will understand and also 5 years of not having a winning season is well short of a cycle more like a trend. Bernie is right, it has to start at the top if this team is going to turn it around. |
Jim Thomas: There's no doubt it starts at the top.
But last time I checked the late Lamar Hunt spent most of his time in Dallas, not Kansas City, where his Chiefs play. There are plenty of absentee owners. The Rams' restructuring of the front office following the '99 season was done because Shaw did not want to be responsible for the day to day football operations of the team. That responsibility was handed over to Jay Zygmunt. Shaw is involved in all the big decisions, but he is more of an overseer, not the hands on guy. Again that's Zygmunt. |
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Roger Cromwell: Hi Jim,
I have been a Ram fan for 25 years and watched the Rams win and lose. However, it's seems like the owners have a very important part in the over all success of the team. We all know that good owners motivate good management down to the players themselves.
For example, did you watch the competitiveness of the Cowboys owner last night, biting fingernails, jumping up and down, even bursting out in anticipation for his team. Perhaps we need to look closer at how the team owner for the Rams is interested in WINNING more and having nice guy players, and coaches less.
I do think this team has been built on the kinder gentler notion rather than competitiveness as seen in the off season. I would love to see more attituids like Richie Encognito's, who by the way opened most of the holes our running back ran through.
I still follow the Rams with great anticipation regardless of my disappointments in the gental approach. We don't need to get along! we need to get mad! ITS NOT TO LATE! |
Jim Thomas: There's no doubt, passion is important in football.
One thing about Martz, he wanted to win at the highest level. His goal always was Super Bowl or bust, and that high standard made upper management nervous.
Incognito plays with passion, but he's also earning a reputation as a cheap-shot artist throughout the league. Incognito may have opened up holes, but he also was responsible for 50 yards in penalties. That's half a football field? If he keeps that up he will be back on the bench. He had anger management issues in college, and it appears he hasn't learned much since then. |
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| Luis G: do you think bartell has a future at saftey? and how do you feel about Bartell and atogwe as our safties of the future? |
| Jim Thomas: I just haven't seen enough of Bartell at safety to know for sure. I'm not sure he's physical enough to play safety. And I know this for sure: he'd rather not play safety. |
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| Mark: What is a realistic return date for Marc Bulger? Is there any chance the team moves more slowly or shuts him down for the year if they start 0-6? |
| Jim Thomas: I don't think they would shut Bulger down this early in the season. Unless Frerotte goes wild against Baltimore and throws for 300 yards and 3 TDs, I would expect Bulger back in the lineup against Seattle _ or Cleveland at the latest. |
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dodgerram: Hi Jim,
with Bruce and Looker out and Hall questionable will Linehan give some playing time to Hagans and Stanley at WR ? In addition they could return punts and kickoffs respectively.
And why haven´t we seen Pittman at running back yet ?
Minor looks looks shot and Pittman was highly touted coming out of college.
Thanks and take care. |
Jim Thomas: Dante Hall is questionable. I believe he has a high ankle sprain and will be out for the next several weeks. Holt's knee is still sore and Bennett's quad still isn't 100 percent. That leaves one (1) healthy wide receiver _ Marques Hagans.
The Rams signed Hazelwood East High (that's in St. Louis if you're not from the area) product Brandon Williams as a receiver-punt returner on Tuesday. Somewhat to my surprise, neither Dominique Thompson nor Stanley were promoted from the practice squad. I think Linehan wanted someone with NFL experience _ Williams played the '06 season for San Fran and was with San Fran early this season before being cut. (A muffed punt in St. Louis in Week 2 helped cost Williams his job.)
I'd like to see Pittman, too. Minor is a good special teams player, but he hasn't brought much to the table so far at RB. |
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| Jerry: Jim, I know teams send in tapes to the NFL after a game when there are disputed calls, like Sunday vs the Cardinals. What are the results if any? By the way, I have been a Rams fan for over 40 years and I really like reading your comments. No B.S. just the facts, thanks. |
| Jim Thomas: Rams sent in a rather lengthy report to the league about disputed calls, but they don't expect to hear back from the league until the end of this week. Contents of the report generally aren't made public, but I'll try to find out. |
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Louis: Jim, all the other postings seem to beg the question, when is upper management going to get a clue?
Please tell me that some investor will step in and purchase the team away from Georgia!
You were correct last week in saying that 1999-2001 were good years for the Rams but never answered the question about what they have done at depth for the long term?
My dad played for the Rams many years ago and he like me would rather us dominate the weak division we are in than become the laughing stock of the league.
Nobody even mentions us anymore! Isn't that embarassing?!? |
Jim Thomas: Until now, the Rams have had only one losing season since 2002. Does that qualify for laughing stock?
But there's no doubt the Rams have failed to adequately groom replacements for their aging core players. And there's a lot of people to blame for that. |
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John: O and Five and in the Creampuff NFC West Conference! And it's going to get worse! From cautious Linny optimism in the Post-Martz meltdown era we're now in big time free-fall! Whew! There are so many problems with this franchise, starting with Georgia and down to and including the waterboys, the woes aren't worth repeating.
But one thing has not been mentioned. Linny is NOT a motivator. He is NOT able to get this team to play ABOVE their ability; he can't even get them to play AT their ability level. Do you agree?
In the NFL a crippled or a weak team with MO can knock off a much stronger team that plays DOWN to the weaker team but only if the coach can motivate them. This entire organization is really sad in this respect isn't it? |
| Jim Thomas: I'm not sure about Linehan as a motivator He did however get them out of a 1-7 slide a year ago. But overall, it's hard to argue with your logic. |
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LA Rams Fan: John Shaw is by all accounts a smart guy.
Can you shed some light on how anyone with greater than a single-digit IQ could be confused about eroding team support in St. Louis? After the Super Bowl, we had an arguable dynasty systematically ripped apart by negligent front-office decisions.
What other recourse does the average fan have to convey his displeasure?
Also, someone who professes to be bright should remember this whole affair is eerily familiar to what happened in LA. I know this well as a season ticket holder in the '90s. When fans in LA stopped showing up after similar front-office snafus, Frontiere/Shaw used this as reasoning for the St Louis move.
I think it is disingenuous for a smart guy like Shaw to feign confusion over the current lack of support. I also think St Louis fans should be concerned about the future location of the Rams.
Thoughts? |
Jim Thomas: "Dynasties" come and go quickly in the NFL. New England and Indy are the only teams in the salary cap/free agency era that have been able to maintain any sort of consistency. And that has a lot to do with their QBs, don't you agree? Philly had a great run, and now that McNabb looks out of gas, where are the Eagles headed? San Francisco has yet to rebuild from it's dynasty. What has Tennessee done since Steve McNair and Eddie George lost their magic. And where do you think the Rams would be if Marshall Faulk was still Marshall Faulk, and Warner was throwing the ball around like it was 1999?
Although I agree with you that the trends don't look promising _ they look downright ominious in fact _ it's not as if the Rams have gone 2-14 for the last five years. They are 42-26 since the '01 Super Bowl season, including the 0-5 start this season. That's a rut of mediocrity, not a free fall. However, I have serious doubts about what lies ahead because I don't see immediate successors to Pace, Little, Bruce _ in other words _ the team's aging core _ anywhere on the horizon.
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Greg Smith Jackson, Tennessee: Jim,
Just wondering what kind of guy is John Shaw? Is he a numbers man? Does he care anything about football, I'm asking because I know nothing about the gentleman |
| Jim Thomas: Very bright. Has accounting and law degrees. Interesting sense of humor. Realist to the core. Has more power in the Rams organization than probably any team executive in the league. He cares about winning, but he's certainly not what you'd call a "football guy" in the strictest sense of the word. |
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| Mark: I feel for the team and its current situation, but honestly I dislike the fact Mr. Shaw even discussed the coaching situation at this point. I just want your thoughts concerning Linehans future. I like Linehans candor, but has Mr. Shaw actually opened the door to changes sooner than later with his recent interview? He never said it, but is there underlying thoughts of change here? |
| Jim Thomas: I went back and forth on whether 0-5 was the right time to get Shaw's "state of the union." And decided to do so. I'm, oh, 90-percent sure that Linehan gets another year, no matter what happens the rest of the year. But Shaw certainly left the door open, wouldn't you say? |
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| Tom O.: Any word on Bulger's return? Suppose Bulger was healthy by Week 7. In your opinion, what kind of performance would Linehan need from Frerotte next week in order to give the Week 7 starting job to Gun instead of a healthy Marc? |
| Jim Thomas: Gus gets the Baltimore start, but I think all bets are off after that. If Frerotte has a heck of a game _ and that's doubtful against the NFL's No. 4-ranked defense given the team's injury situation _ then maybe Bulger gets another week or two to rest those ribs. |
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Mitch Brian: Marked improvement could mean a win versus Baltimore!
The offense seemed to show some signs of life, the no huddle mixture worked well, and Gus seemed ok with the exception of a couple of passes he just should NOT have thrown. Keep in mind that Holt should have caught his and McMichael missed a key easy grab for a red zone first down.
What is your take on the Baltimore game? I watched them struggle with the 49ers and neither team looked good. The best weapon Baltimore has is Mason, old, slow, and injured. Their strength is their defense but I'm not sure it's the OLD Ravens defenese that was so feared.
Could this be the week? Could the Rams put a "w" on the board? |
| Jim Thomas: It's so tough to win on the road. The Ravens' D is starting to get creaky, but from afar it still looks pretty darn good. The offense is average even on a good day, but the Ravens seem to do better offensively at home. Keep in mind the Rams will be playing without Dante Hall (and almost certainly no Bruce as well) in this one. No Jackson. No Pace. No Bulger. Holt's knee is still sore. Bennett's quad still isn't 100 percent. That leaves Marques Hagans as the only totally healthy receiver. And Brian Leonard, despite his 100-yard outing against Arizona, will be butting heads with the NFL's No. 2 rush defense on Sunday. |
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| RESPECT: ah, the Greatest Show on Turf... wasnt that a collective group that Vermeil got to mesh via coaching just about the time we called for his boot. how soon we forget the good old days. i believe most of that was great coaching... Martz, Hannifan (defense has always been suspect) NOT UPPER MANAGEMENT. in '99 we made it to the big show with 1 significant trade (SUPERMAN himself). other than that, we did it with vets and 3rd & 4th rounders who were humble, played hard and believed in the coaching staff. They cant pull of the big trade or aquisition. i say roll out Shaw and bring in Jocketty, its worth a shot! |
Jim Thomas: The Rams also benefitted from a lot of high draft picks. Kevin Carter (No. 6 overall); Torry Holt (No. 6 overall); Grant Wistrom (No. 6 overall); Orlando Pace (No. 6 overall). There were some blockbuster trades _ moving up for Pace at No. 1. Landing Faulk for a 2nd and 5th rounder. Trading for Aeneas Williams. Getting a No. 1 for Trent Green.
But there certainly were a lot of role players and guys from out of nowhere who contributed _ Mike "The Tackle" Jones, D'Marco Farr, London Fletcher, Ricky Proehl, and some guy named Warner. |
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| BayAreaRam: not sure if this question was asked before but with all the injuries, are we not conditioning our players right? |
| Jim Thomas: A great question. But I don't know if there's an answer. I would think the Rams would re-examine all aspects of their offseason conditioning program, minicamps, OTAs, weight-training, training camp, and preseason approach after all this stuff happened. |
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| San Diego John: Has the time come for the Rams to think about trading veterans? |
| Jim Thomas: Which veterans, though? McCollum, Chavous, Glover, Bruce and to some extent Little near the end of the line. Pace has had serious injuries the past two years. Bulger, Pisa, Witherspoon, and Little are early into multi-year contracts, so there would be cap ramifications to any trade. |
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| Jim from San Jose: Thanks for taking my question, Jim. What is the current state of the tight end position? Is Linehan finally conceding they blew it taking Klop and Byrd in last year's draft? Klop can't block, and Byrd can't stay out of trouble. I saw alot of Aaron Walker against the Cards, is he now ahead of the other two on the depth chart? Are they still planning on bringing in Conwell? |
| Jim Thomas: Geez, I've completely forgotten about Conwell. I'll have to check on that one. Klop barely played from scrimmage against Arizona; I think Walker's a much better blocker. As for Byrd, to me has displayed classic "coach-killer" tendencies _ flashing potential but unreliable and unproductive. He's got a couple of trial dates coming up in the near future as well. |
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| Tom: Hi Jim: With Carriker playing at the UT position most of the Arizona game and earning kudos from Haslett as perhaps Adam having his best game yet, this would imply that Cliff Ryan has claimed the starting NT spot. What is your take on this ..? Is he our nose tackle? Thanks! |
| Jim Thomas: Those were very interesting comments by Haslett. Ryan has played better than expected, but I'm not sure the job is his just 5 games into his rookie season. Carriker bounced back against Arizona and has still been on the field much more than Ryan. The dynamic should change some this week as well because Wroten will be back in the mix. |
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Craig: Jim,
Thanks for the time....Ram fans appreciate it.
I found it a little incredulous that Shaw is wondering why fans are not selling out all the games. Doesn't he realize that 6-10, followed by 8-8, followed by 0-5 isn't going to put butts in the seats? Does he think he can sellout the Dome forever based upon performances from '99 thru '03? Thoughts? |
Jim Thomas: Don't get me wrong. My family gave up their PSLs this offseason. And were were there through thick and thin from 1995 on. If Shaw really wanted to show the fans he was serious about winning, he should do something like this: Tell the fans of St. Louis the club will not raise ticket prices again until after the Rams have another winning season.
Even so, it's not as if the Rams have fallen off a cliff. You can make the numbers do all kinds of different things with the Rams. They are 42-46 since the 2001 Super Bowl season, with one division title and two playoff berths. They have had only one losing season since 2002. Although that will change, in a month or so. Should they be doing better? Even with all the injuries, most certainly. Does the future look ominous because of the failure to groom replacements for core players? Yep.
But I'm still surprised the fan base is eroding so quickly. Again, look at the fan support in Buffalo for the Monday Night game. They were going bonkers. And what have the Bills won lately? You see teams like Detroit and Cleveland, and Tennessee, the Jets and Giants, Kansas City, continue to support their team in lean times, and you wonder what kind of a football town is St. Louis? |
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| dan: name three things that would be easy for the rams to do better for the next game. Thank you. |
Jim Thomas: Continue to use the no-huddle.
Take more chances on defense, including more blitzing _ on both running and passing downs.
Try some "slash" plays with Marques Hagans. |
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Greg: Jim,
Is Shaw blind or just not with the program? Taking a shot at the fans?!?!
Look, the Rams had a nice run for about 3-4 years around 1999, but if you look at the overall body of work since 1990, this team has been a JOKE more than a serious threat for a title. Can the man see it is time for a change at the top?
I will NOT be renewing my season tickets unless the Rams management changes. |
| Jim Thomas: Why are you using 1990 as the cut-off point? Do you realize the Rams went to the playoffs seven times during the 1980s with the same management team? Isn't that part of their resume? |
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| RON: Jim, the rams had a safety that could blitz and a thumper and his name is Jon Alston. This is why there is so little confidence in this coaching staff. Did they experiment at all with this b4 his release. |
| Jim Thomas: Nice point, although I'm not sure what Alston is doing for the Raiders these days other than the fact that he was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad a couple of weeks ago. But to me, Alston has much more of an upside at LB (he's not really a safety) than LB Raonall Smith. |
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Greg: Jim,
Are you not giving management WAY too much credit for 1999-2001? What about 1990- 1998? 2002-2007?
"Management" brought us Rich Brooks, Tony Banks, Lawrence Philips, etc. Let's not sing their praises for a few good years. The Rams have been a BAD franchise for about the last 18 years. Can we PLEASE look at Shaw's body of work instead of just 1999-2001??
Shaw and Ziggy are the leaders of this franchise the buck should start and stop with them. They need to go. |
| Jim Thomas: I'm not giving them way too much credit. But I think many fans are brushing it off as if it were no big deal. And I'm not saying in any way shape or form that management shouldn't be under a lot of heat right now. No one's saying 0-5 is acceptable. And the future looks ominous. But as of right now, the Rams have had two losing seasons since the end of the 1998 season. Let's just have a little perspective. And if you're looking at Shaw's body of work, why are the 1980s excluded? The team went to the playoffs seven times in that decade. |
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Greg: Jim,
You point to the drafts of 2000, 2001, and 2002 - Martz and a management are to blame. Well Martz is gone, can we PLEASE hold management accountable?
What about Jimmy Kennedy? We have all read the stories that he was management's pick when others want Troy Polamalu. |
Jim Thomas: Charley Armey wanted Kennedy, in fact, I believe he had him rated as the top player in the draft. I'm not aware of anyone that wanted Polamalu. This sounds like revisionist history.
Martz may be gone, but those drafts should be the backbone of the team right now. And where are those players now?
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Greg: Jim,
Nobody loves this team more than I do - I live in New Jersey yet I have the "pleasure" of being a season ticket holder.
I can't give my tickets away since nobody wants to see this disaster that is the 2007 season. When will Shaw realize the he and Ziggy are the problem? I hope there are more Packer, Steeler, and Brown fans at the home games.. maybe the management team will be forced to realize they need a football man runing this team and not a couple of accountants. |
| Jim Thomas: They aren't going anywhere unless they choose to resign. They will not be fired, not as long as Georgia Frontiere owns the team. |
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Greg: Jim,
You keep talking about how the Rams spend to the cap ever year. Spend it on what? Coakley? Mike Rumph? Lenny Walls??
They need a FOOTBALL guy in the front office that knows how to spend those cap dollars. Once they do that they can put a winning product on the field. |
| Jim Thomas: Let's see_ Marc Bulger, $65 million; Drew Bennett, $30 million; Orlando Pace, $50 million-plus; Holt, $40 million plus. McMichael $3 million a year; James Hall $3 million a year; Tinoisamoa $20-plus million total; Little, about $20 million; Kyle Turley $10 million signing bonus; Glover and Chavous more than $10 million apiece. Walls and Rumph were minimum wage guys _ they both cost about half a million. |
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| james: Are there any vocal leaders on this team to get in other players faces for not playing well? |
| Jim Thomas: I think that's big part of the problem. I don't think there are many strong leaders in the locker room. |
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Greg: Jim,
Bernie called out the front office on Monday, when will you do the same? Can't you admit that Ziggy and Shaw have not done a good job with this team? |
| Jim Thomas: I am not a columnist. It is not my job to provide opinion. While I doexpress some opinions on this forum, it's more to provide perspective. |
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Pascal: Jim,
I've read between the lines in your comments that you believe the Super Bowl run indicates some management qualities that may re-emerge to bring that sort of fun back to St. Louis. I've seen nothing before or since from Georgia and team to recommend that sort of benefit-of-the doubt.
Rather, looks more like they stumbled onto a perfect storm of coach, coordinator and hall-of-fame offensive performance. How they handled that success speaks volumes about their ability to identify what made that work and repeat it.
Show me where I'm wrong. |
| Jim Thomas: I think you're reading way too much into my commments. |
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| Mitch Brian: Is it just me or does Torry Holt look like he's still hurting? He doesn't seem to be even close to where he was two to three years ago. Slower, limping, gimpy. Maybe I'm not seeing it clearly. |
| Jim Thomas: He's still hurting. |
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| Jim from San Jose: Now that Shaw has admitted the Rams are in a "down cycle", do you think the team will continue to raise ticket prices? |
| Jim Thomas: My suggestion to John Shaw would be this: The Rams will not raise ticket prices again until they have a winning season. |
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Istvan: Jim, why do you support upper management and defend them all the time!
You keep talking about well the Rams did a few years back....and that is exactly the mentality management has!!
Quit living up the past and let's buld a powerhouse that will stay in tact for awhile!
Don't remember Carrol Rosenbloom having these problems! |
Jim Thomas: I think you're misunderstanding much of what I'm saying. I'm not supporting, nor am I defending anyone. I'm just trying to provide some perspective on the situation. I can understand why fans are angry. But I'm not a fan. I'm a sports writer.
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Buzz: Jim,
Can you tell me anything about C Nick Leckey, who the Rams picked up recently? He was rated the second best C in the 04 draft by Mel Kiper. Why was he on the street? Injuries? |
| Jim Thomas: Don't know much about the guy, but I was told he didn't look to be in very good shape at his workout. For what it's worth his addition makes it three Arizona Cardinals castoffs on the offensive line currently on the Rams' roster (joining Milford Brown and Brandon Gorin). |
