Kaspers Korner

The Saint Louis Rams have become one of the worst teams in the league, and the choice of head coach was just a glaring example of the Rams problems in the past.  Today’s news has shown that the Rams are no heading in the right direction.

The Saint Louis Post Dispatch is reporting that owner Chip Rosenbloom will conduct a broad search for the Rams next head coach.  They are also reporting that executive vice president of player personnel Billy Devaney will head up the search, and make a recomendation to the Rams owners.

This is the best news possible for Rams fans the reason being that general manager, and president of football operations Jay Zygmunt was never a football guy.  Zygmunt came up the ranks in the Rams as the Salary Cap manager, which is nothing more than a glorified accountant.

Zygmunt does not understand the little nuiances in what it takes to make a football team be successful.  That was obvious when he hired Scott Linehan to be the head coach of the Rams.

Linehan before becoming the head coach of the Rams was the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.  The Dolphins before this year have been a disaster, and to hire someone from a mess of a team is just plain stupidity.

Player look up to their head coach for guidance, and to lead them in the right direction just like any parent would do for their children.  When you hire someone that has never been successful before players will not respect it, becuase soon as they step in leaders of the team that have been successful can just smell that the guy is not good.

Devaney on the other hand has a magnitude of experience going back  more than a decade as he was part of the front office of the San Deigo Chargers franchise that went to the Superbowl.

Whoever Devaney chooses should be way more qualified than Linehan ever was, which should give hope to Rams fans.

The Saint Louis Rams are in rebuilding mode.  However, Rams fans are looking at the wrong position for what is wrong with the team.

While reading through the Saint Louis Post Dispatch’s Jim Thomas chat I learned that many Rams fans are looking to quarterback Marc Bulger to rectify the offense in Saint Louis.  The real people that they should be looking to is the offensive line of the Rams.

The offensive line is critical to any team.  For instance the Bills, many teams have taken away the running game of the Bills, thus forcing quarterback Trent Edwards to make costly mistakes.

There are even times where the Bills cannot even pickup one yard.  The reason being is that they are horrible run blockers.

So, when it is an obvious long distance passing situation many teams then only rush four, and drop back everyone else.  That makes it almost impossible to make a play.

Simply, if a offense is to thrive a offense must have a running game.  Then be able to protect its quarterback. 

Without either a team is doomed to failure.  Just ask the Bills, because they are on their way to the basement of the AFC East thanks to their offensive line.

The Saint Louis Rams were one of the worst teams in the league last year.  It may be a new year for the Rams, but things haven’t changed if anything they have gotten worst as a star player lashed out at teammates in the media.

Wide receiver Tory Holt is a well respected player around the hole league.  However, that has not stopped him venting his fustration to the media as he on friday blammed the offensive line for the horrible play of the offfense.

The fact being that Holt has blasted teammates in the media does not bode well for head coach Scott Linehan.  It means that he has no control over his house.  When the inmates run the asylum it usually not long after the head coach gets shown the door.

It is not surprising to see Linehan’s team in disarry.  When he was the head coach of the Washington Huskies Linehan covered for current Tampa Bay Buccaneers tighte end Jeremy Stevens, who raped a girl while in college.

What is more serious is the number of hits that quarterback Marc Bulger.  According to the Saint Louis today the Rams quarterback is on pace to get sacked 80 times this season.  The record is 76, which happened in 2002 to quarterback David Carr when he was the Houston Texans quarterback.

What that means is that if those kinds of sack numbers are constantly put up, then it is only a matter of time before Bulger has to call it quits.  After all Bulger is not a young quarterback anymore in football years.

The Saint Louis Rams and the Buffalo Bills are both in a situation that has a lot of things in common.  With that being said it looks like both players could miss the start of the regular season.

Rams running back Steven Jackson, and Bills tackle Jason Peters, mean a lot to their football team.  Also, both are holdouts, with the same agent Eugene Parker.

The Rams on one hand have a good shot at getting Jackson extension done in time for the season opener.  The reason being that have been in contract talks with Jackson’s agent

However, for the Bills that does not look like it is going to happen.  The reason being that the team has had very little discussions with Parker about Peters, and the team has not even talked to Peters.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement players are encouraged to work out new deals when in camp.  For Peters that is not going to happen, and who can blame him.

The insulting part about Bills COO Russ Brandon admission is that he has not once even to bothered to call Jason Peters.   Seriously, how do you not call your franchise left tackle.  

Now, many people will say that Brandon never said that he did or did not place any calls to Peters.  However, if Brandon did place phone calls, then he definately would have used it in his response in an interview on WGR 550 in Buffalo, NY.

In the end both general managers will cave, because if they do not get their guy in, and do not make the playoffs, it will be all their fault.  That could easily get each other fired.

The Saint Louis Rams last year went a dissapointing 3-13.  This year they are hoping to improve on that, eventhough they made very little moves.

The offense is the unit that could make a drastic turn around.  The reason being soley of that being the Rams signing Al Saunders as their offensive coordinator.  Saunders is one of the best in the business when it comes to being an offensive coordinator.  Last year the Redskins were ranked 15th overall.  Considering they had a starting quarterback in his third year, and two short starting wide receivers, that is pretty darn good.

The offense has all the weapons in place to make up an outstanding offense.  That being a solid starting quarterback in Mark Bulger.  A stud running back in Steven Jackson.  A excellent wide receiver in Tory Holt, and one of the better tight ends in the league in Randy McMichael.  Also, in the draft they added in the second round wide receiver Donnie Avery who just adds to the arsenal.

On the defensive side of the ball the big addition is defensive end, or maybe outside linebacker, Chris Long.  This might be the unit of weakness.  However, the thinking might be that if the offense can be one of the elite units in the league, then as lond as the defense is not terrible they will be fine.  Obviously, the prime example of this being the Superbowl winning team that was more famous for its offense than its defense. 

No matter how good their offense is the reality is that unless their defense changes direction completly they will not win the Superbowl this upcoming season. 

 http://boomp3.com/listen/bgjrpbp/kk-rams-may-thirteenth

In todays National Football League to many players it is all about the almighty dollar.  So, when Saint Louis Ram wide receiver Torry Holt mentioned he wants to play for the Carolina Panthers when his contract ends it came as a shock to many.

Holt could be possibly one of the rare few that starts, and ends his career with the same team.  However, if Holt has his own way he will end it with the Panthers.

According to the Associated press Holt said this at minicamp, “The real story is that I have this year and next year and hopefully I can finish those years out,” Holt said. “Then I will see where I am at. I will see where I am at physically and emotionally and financially. Then, if they would like to do something here I will consider it.”

It will be sad, and very dissapointing to see Holt end his career with the Panthers.  However, this is Holt’s life, and he is a totally different person than most NFL players.

For once it is good to see someone putting their values in front of money, and in this case it is all about family.  It is very rare to see this out of an athlete, and most likely we will not see it again for a long time.

If the rest of the NFL would learn from Holt then the NFL would be a much better place.

Many thought that teams in the top five would not be able to trade down.  However, that is not the case as the New Orleans Saints has made an offer to the Saint Louis Rams for the number two spot.

The Rams obviously have many holes to fill on their team. However, many feel that the fall is to big for the Rams to take as the Saints hold the tenth pick in the first round.

The Rams would be foolish not to take the offer from the Rams.  Exactly what the Saints offered to move up is not clear.  Speculation is a first rounder next year, and probably something this year.  The draft is not that deep, except for tackles, which is what the Rams want according to the Saint Louis Post dispatch.

What the Rams fail to realize is that it is not about the talent it is about the money.  The Rams would have to spend considerably less, which means that they would have a lot more money to resign their own players.

Why do you think that the Patriots have been at the top for almost a decade.  The secret is that they do not tie up a lot of money in just one player.

 The last trade two trades within the top five were four and five years ago in 2004 and 2003.  In 2004 the Giants and Chargers swapped quarterbacks.  Then in 2003 the Jets traded up to get Dwayne Robertson.

If they do not pull of this trade then the characters Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels played in the “Movie Dumb and Dumber”.

Jake Long has become a hot commodity, since it has been reported that he has enter negotiations with the Miami Dolphins.  Eventhough, this is the time of year where National Football League teams send up smoke signals one thing has become certain is that Jake Long will not make it past the number two pick

Saint Louis Post Dispatch’s Jim Thomas said this in a live chat, “I think the Rams are seriously considering taking Jake Long. Obviously, if the Rams were to trade Barron, they’d have to wait until draft day to make sure Long was available. I’m not sure what Barron gets in a trade. Maybe a third-rounder. Maybe Lito Sheppard. But would it be wise to trade Barron _ especially on draft day _ not knowing if Pace will be healthy or stay healthy?”

The Rams are in dire straights when it comes to the tackle position.  If they cannot protect the blind side of quarterback Mark Bulger then they are going to have another long season.  Especially, if Bulger is out for an extended period of time.

They have to pick a tackle at some point in this draft.  So, if Long goes to Miami at the number one spot, then they will most likely pick up a tackle in the second round.  That is due to a deep draft at the tackle spot.

However, the fate of the Rams pick lies in Miami.  Who Miami takes will clearly rest on which prospect blinks first, and takes Miami’s offer.  If Long knows this then he will not blink at the Dolphins, and will be the Rams pick.

However, stranger things have happened in the NFL draft.  Just look at what happened to the  Minnesota Vikings when they took to long to pick.

The Saint Louis Rams had an awful season last year, because of a lot of injuries as well including starting quarterback Mark Bulger, and running back Steven Jackson.  With that the Rams will pick second overall in the National Football League draft, and will most likely trade down.

The second spot in the draft will most likely be a hot commodity.  Thanks in part to the top players in the draft being close in talent, and the drop off in guaranteed money. 

Rams VP of personnel Billy Devaney was on Bernie Miklasz’s radio show, and said that he expects to field calls before the draft, and on day of draft, for teams looking to move up that No. 2 pick, and will listen.  As positive as Devaney sounds it is actually hard to trade now, due to the top picks receiver such high guaranteed money.

Devaney went on to mention that they do need an offensive lineman.  With offensive tackle being so deep expect one to be taken in the second, or possibly third rounds.

The Rams will definately not use their first pick on a defensive tackle.  Devaney cited that defensive tackles have to change systems, and used Dwayne Robertson as an example. 

The Rams will take DE Vernon Gholston if they trade down, and if they are stuck at number two then they will take OT Jake Long, which Devaney called a B+ athlete.

In the end the Rams will have to hit on a lot of picks if they are going to get back to the level they were at earlier this decade.

Nobody likes to lose, but it feels even worst when you come off a bad season, and then nobody wants to come to your team.  With a bad season last year Saint Louis Rams fans are learning that if you are going to build it will be through the draft.

The same thing is happening to the Rams that every team goes through when they had a terrible season, and that is no top free agents want to come to your team.

Jeff Gordon of Saint Louis today had this to say about fans, “In my regular live Monday chat here at STLtoday.com, scores of fans targeted guard Alan Faneca as one of the must-have free agents. We tried to shoot down those expectations, reminding fans that the Rams are coming off a 3-13 season with a head coach in the final year of his contract.”

The fact of the matter is that top free agents want to win ball games in addition to getting paid.  So, they will choose the team that has a good chance to win at the same time paying them.

It is never a good position to be in.  To be blunt it down right sucks.  I know that being a Bills fan, and seeing what the Bills did in free agency prior to their shopping spree before the 2007 season.

People are not going to want to come in, and if you are going to get them there then you have to significantly over pay them.  In the end that leads to dissapointment as fans expectations are never met.

The best way will always be through the draft, and no matter how good free agency looks Rams fans it will never be the better alternative. 

If you do not believe me go ask Redskins owner Dan Snyder how many championships he won by going out on shopping sprees yer after year.