Bryan: I remember back in early 2002, during the Rams / Patriots Superbowl coverage, there was a short article about how some people in New Orleans put a voodoo curse on the Rams. Well it seems to have worked. Is there anybody who can remove this curse on them when the team travels down to New Orleans?

Jim Thomas: I thought that curse occurred in 2000, when the Rams-Saints rivalry was at its height, Haslett and Martz hated each other, and the teams were battling for the NFC West (which was won that year by Haslett). Maybe we could get Howard Balzer to sing God Bless America on Sunday in the Superdome.

JJG: Thanks for your time(i live in Los Angeles) so you guys are my ears.....nobody has asked the coach (at least not that I have read) much about why we did not bring in more free agent offensive lineman at the end of last season...some of this was forseeable with age and some of the quetionable players(barron'/incognito) yes talented but problematic....Pace down last year. ..loss of A.T....its suprising that after spending 65mill on Bulger .(i am sure Bulger would agree after last week)..that the Rams gambled
on the cards they had at oline? I think its not a stretch to say when are oline has a few all-pros and is top tier....the team has a winning record........

Jim Thomas: Pace, Setterstrom, Romberg, Incognito, Barron---that was supposed to be the starting o-line
Steussie, Goldberg, McCollum, and either Terrell or M. Brown were the backups (both Terrell and Brown made the final 53 when Steussie was hurt at the end of the preseason)

Of that group of 10, only Romberg, Barron, McCollum and Brown are still left _ and Romberg has missed one full game and parts of 2 others with ankle injuries. So I think the Rams thought that they had pretty good depth on the o-line. They were worried about backup tackle, in part because of Steussie's age (36). Saying that, I don't know why the Rams didn't bring back Timmerman. He played pretty well last season. Also, I would like to see the team spend more high draft picks on o-linemen. Barron, Incognito and John St. Clair are the only "first day" picks (top 3 rounds) since Orlando Pace was taken No. 1 overall in 1997.

JJG: In my opinion Pace and Timbermann(who was the first Ram guard to handle B.Young DT of the niners) were not given enough credit in the rise of the greatest show on turf? Do you think because the Ram's head coach used to be an O.C. he focuses too much on the periphery (WR,RB,QB) instead of the "core" positions. If he fired how much could be atributed to ingnoring / neglecting the oline?

Jim Thomas: There's no doubt the Greatest Show o-line of Pace, Nutten, McCollum (Gruttadauria), Timmerman, Miller (Tucker) does not get enough credit. They were very good. The best line this town has seen since Dierdorf, Dobler, Banks, etc., in the '70s. But I don't think Linehan has neglected the line. They were simply wiped out by injuries. As I pointed out in an earlier post, six of the 10 are gone through injury (and in the case of Terrell, arrest). Next season, the Rams need to make finding a third offensive tackle a priority. Romberg is scheduled for unrestricted free agent _ Steussie and McCollum could retire _ there are injury concerns with Incognito. This is a major need area.

don: Jim, Your Sunday feature nailed the Rams woes right on the head. Do you or any of your colleagues sense that Shaw & the rest of Rams management see the problem? Any chance they will revamp the entire football operation and bring it into the 21st century? On another note, what is your sense of Byrd? Does he look good in practice? Will he ever develop into a real-time player in your opinion? Throw this dog a bone!

Jim Thomas: This may scare you, but I'm not sure that Rams management views themselves as part of the problem.
Byrd, in my opinion, is a coach killer. Flashes talent, but lacks the consistent work ethic, maturity and professionalism needed to be an NFL starter. Rams coaches are hoping he grows up, but their patience is wearing thin.

Jingles: Jim:

When the Rams bring an offensive lineman "off the streets" for a tryout, is that really better than promoting someone from the practice squad? What kind of practice do these free agents have? I guess the market for offensive lineman is pretty thin right now, but why pay a guy like Bulger all that money and not protect him? I'm sure they didn't figure on all the injuries, but with the makeshift lines, it seems like they're just trying to survive until next season.

Jim Thomas: It doesn't speak well for the guys that are on the practice squad, does it? To a degree, I could see it with Dustin Fry. He didn't look ready coming out of camp. I'm told he has progressed. But what do you think if you're Jeremy Parquet? The guy has been around a little. Played, and played well, in the now-defunct NFL Europe. A million guys around you get hurt, and you still can't get promoted to the varsity.