Ramfrank: Hello Jim --

Question, sir: If you were a betting man, what do you think the chances are of Billy Devaney returning as GM/personnel man, as opposed to Chip bringing in a team president-type like Ron Wolf??

Finally, what are the odds of Haslett returning as HC at this point??

Jim Thomas: Devaney will be back.
Not sure on Haslett. These next four games may be meaningless to a lot of fans, but they're critical for him and his staff.

Young Ram: Have there been any thoughts on starting Berlin the rest of the way to see what he can do.He might not be the greatest in practice, but Bulger is and look how he looks on the fielg.Please don't put too much stock in practice.

Jim Thomas: No.

peoriaspitfire: It seems every pass to the endzone is targed for Holt who is sometimes triple covered. If Holt is getting doubled, is Avery getting open?

How much rest does SJ need? You think he would want to be in the game during redzone possesions, no matter how tired he was... I can't think of many RB's who wouldn't want to score a TD...

Jim Thomas: Avery's also getting doubled.
Players all over the league get gassed and come out for a play or two. And with five touches on the first seven plays _ after missing most of five games _ I could understand that Jackson was winded after a 16-yard catch and run.
But TDs and red zone trips are so rare, and Jackson was running so well at the start of the game, I would've called a timeout right there. Had plenty of time to come up with a good play to run down there, and let Jackson catch his breath.

Gotham Knights: Any talk of Brock Berlin getting a look this season?

Jim Thomas: No. This team, these coaches, these players are DESPERATE for a victory. If the coaching staff really thought Berlin was the answer don't you think they'd play him?

El Centro Ram Fan: Jim,

Thanks for these chats in another long and frustrating season (I've been a Rams fan for over 20 years, so I've seen my share). Anyway, my question is about the defense. In the past, there seemed to be a conscious decision to go for smaller, faster players because the Rams played in a dome. I think that has led to the defense being referred to as "soft", even in the GSOT days. Do you know if this way of thinking is still prevalent in the front office and whether Devaney subscribes to this philosophy?

Jim Thomas: Interesting thought. I've often thought the Rams to some degree have been left with some remnants of the Cover 2 model used by Lovie Smith here _ smaller, faster players. That type of player doesn't really fit what they're trying to do right now. I know for a fact that Devaney wants to get bigger _ across the board.