matt from GC: hey Jim. second time poster.

ok. here we go. With Witherspoon baically our team mvp this year. do you think the Rams will go after A big name MLB this off-season and move him to the outside still? And who do you think the rams could and would go after?

thanks buddy. Go Rams.

Matt from GC

Jim Thomas: As I mentioned in a previous post, Haslett seems wedded to Witherspoon at MLB. So if this staff returns in '08, I think Witherspoon stays inside. As for possible free-agent pickups, the only inside name that comes to mind is Karlos Dansby of Arizona. He has some size, and plays aggressively. But it's still a little early to start contemplating free agency. Teams are still working on re-signing a their own, and the list could look at lot different in even the next month or so than it will at the start of March.

Dave in Atlanta: Hey Jim,
I'm one of your Golf-addicted Nephew in Tampa's former drinking buddies from The Cape. He said I should say hello! So, "hello!"

My question is, now that you screwed the pooch in the Dorsey Sweepstakes by winning a game, where (position-wise) and who do you see the Rams looking at with say a 2nd to 5th pick in the first round?

Jim Thomas: I still think the Rams are headed for a top 5 pick. Here are some of the top senior names right now: DT Dorsey of LSU; DE Chris Long of Virginia; DT Sedrick Ellis of Southern Cal; OT Jake Long of Michigan; ILB Dan Connor of Penn State; OLB Keith Rivers of Southern Cal. But keep in mind, it's V-E-R-Y early. Even the NFL teams at this point aren't sure what the top 10 players look like, particularly since the sophomore and juniors have yet to declare. (Which doesn't happen until January). Certainly, if RB Darren McFadden of Arkansas comes out early or Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston comes out early that changes the board as well. As for what positions I think the Rams should consider with a top 5 pick, I would say in no particular order--OT, WR, DE.

sid: Thanks for this forum, question that I have is about the game clock, doesn't a penalty or going out of bounds stop the clock until the next play. There were times in the 4th quarter when New Orleans had the ball that the clock didn't stop when this happened.

Jim Thomas: Sid--This is straight from the NFL's "digest of rules" _ With the exception of the last 2 minutes of the first half and the last 5 minutes of the second half, the game clock will be restarted following a player going out of bounds on a play from scrimmage, or after declined penalties when appropriate on the referee's signal.

JerseyRamFan: Hey Jim,

Okay, lets get to it. There are basically five questions that every Ram fan needs the answer to.

1. Where was this play calling the first 8 games?

2. Did the players have temporary amnesia and simultaneously woke up and remembered how to play?

3. Why go conservative on Defense in the last quarter?

4. Steven Jackson TD? No turnovers? Wilkins goes 3-3 including a 49 yarder? 4 of 5 in the red zone? Linehan wins a critical challenge? Saints held to only 43 Yd's rushing? Okay, you got me, these aren't questions but after 0-8 it deserves a retort.

5. Do we loyal fans get a game ball for sticking it out through this mess?

Jim Thomas: 1.) Locked in a vault in Earth city.

2.) Yes.

3.) Makes no sense.

4.) Like I said before, if I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it.

5.) You do deserve a game ball _ but I think the Rams gave them all away after Sunday's victory.

Dave in Atlanta: Jim: Holt and Bruce....where do you put those guys relative to other top receivers in the league as far as current (i.e. I need someone to start this week to win a game) performance? Top 10? Top 25? Not even top 25?

Jim Thomas: Holt is still top 10, even with his bad knee. Healthy, he's top 5 easy. Bruce is top 30.