2010 is going to be the year I kick the Ram-habit

I think 2010 is the year I am going to kick the Ram-Habit.

Most would say it's a bad habit. I've been a Ram-fan since late 1979 and early 1980. We played the Steelers in the Super Bowl XIV that year. For better or worse, the spectre of that defeat shadowed my youth. Jimmy Carter was running against Ronald Regan back in those days. Vince Ferragamo got paid $52,000 a year as the starting QB of the Rams in 1980.

I've been a fan ever since. Through two moves, oppression at the hands of the 49ers, many bad seasons, a Super Bowl victory, and another Super Bowl defeat; I've stuck with the Rams through thick and thin. I've seen us at the bottom of the league twice: 1996-1997 and 2009-2010.

Now I am calling it quits. Just pull the plug. Disconnect. Get out of the market. Pull-up stakes and leave. Legally separate. File the divorce papers. Tune out. Throw in the towel. No mas! I am done. It's finished. This is that magic moment when Sara Brightman and Andrea Bocelli singing "Time to say goodbye" on PBS.

So why now? Many would say "why not now?" It would seem like an opportune moment. The Rams are a one-victory team at the bottom of league, who just blew the big draft of the decade in which they were selecting #1 in every round. Just about all power-rankings [be they expert-driven or fan-based] have the Rams occupying the #32 spot.

That's dead-last folks. Obviously, they don't think much of Billy Devaney's 2010 Draft or free agency moves. The consensus on these moves amounts to "no felt impact in 2010". Most would say that this is a good moment to sell your stock, cut you losses, and protect assets.

Mike Mayock says that missing on an absolute #1 picked quarterback will cost you five (5) years of lost franchise history, primarily because of the money involved. That is estimated to be some $80m with $50m guaranteed. That's a lot for a small-market team like the Rams. I could hire a regiment of 1,538 Vince Ferragamos in one year for that price tag. I could also have Battalion of 256 Vinces for 6 years for that price tag. Vince was good, too.

I think we missed. It's not Sam's fault that he will become a medical bust. It's Devaney's fault. Goodness of fit is the absolute issue. Sam is a bad fit for the Rams. The Rams are a bad fit for Sam. It is a classic mismatch. I never bought into Devaney's theory. I'll tell you why, one last time.

Over the past 10 years, no team has surrendered more sacks that the Rams. Our OL has allowed 40+ sacks each year and every year for the past 10 seasons. O-Linemen have come. O-Linemen have gone. One thing has remained constant: we have allowed copious sack totals each year and every year. The reason is obvious. We are a rooty-poot organization with no commitment to building a steel-reinforced concrete bunker for our quarterbacks. That is a fact, not a theory. The facts are indisputable.

Given the proven fact that we are a rooty-poot organization with no commitment to building an all-pro offensive line, the logical mind is faced with certain absolute restrictions regarding what sort of QB we may and may not select in the draft and free agency. Specifically, the organization is restricted to fast, evasive, athletic, running quarterbacks. As a rooty-poot organization with no line, you also need quarterbacks (plural) that are highly robust mesomorphs who, like Timex, have proven that they can take a licking and keep on ticking.

This means guys like Tim Tebow... and maybe Michael Vick. Alone among QB candidates in the 2010 draft, Tebow had the unique combo of winning-character, muscle mass, speed, running ability, toughness and evasiveness to make him successful with the Rams. Tebow was never really on Devaney's radar. This speaks volumes about Devaney.

Given the robust fact that we are a rooty-poot organization with no commitment to building an all-pro offensive line, there are certain fruits that are absolutely forbidden to us. Namely, we cannot take a fragile, injury prone, surgically repaired high-precision passer with questionable ability to take a hit. If you do so, you are one stupid, drunken riverboat gambler throwing paper money (on fire) into the muddy Mississippi.

Given these lawful restrictions, what did Devaney do? He took Sam Bradford. Sam is unquestionably the worst sliding quarterback 'Chucky' Gruden has ever seen. That statement is on video-tape, by the way. He takes a lot of hits, and he gets hurt. Our line will certainly let him take plenty of hits, but maybe his body wont.

So now that Devaney has chosen Sam Bradford what has he done to logistically support that decision? Did he sign Alan Faneca? Did he sign Bobby Bell? Is he trading for Stephen Neal? Did he trade for Jammal Brown? Did he sign Flozel Adams? I could go on folks. The answer is no, no, no, no, no and no. I am tired of making suggestions. Devaney is not entertaining reason at this time. He is not open to reason.

The results are highly predictable. We are going to absolutely destroy a good kid who should have a wonderful NFL career. We are going to destroy Sam Bradford the way we destroyed Marc Bulger. In fact, no sooner had we completed the absolute destruction of Marc Bulger than we began the plot to destroy Sam Bradford.

Mike Mayock says that missing on an absolute #1 picked quarterback will cost you 5 years of lost franchise history. Ram-fans are staring right down the gun barrel at 5 years of lost franchise history. I refuse to go through this. I never signed up for this. I was against it all the way. Right up until the very last split-second, I was hoping Roger Goodell would come to the podium and announce the trade with Cleveland. I had hoped we would accept Mike Holmgren's gracious offer. I am not on-board with this decision, even now.

I want to know who the idiot was who invented the fanciful campaign slogan, "The Rams have to take Sam Bradford; they need a QB to give their players and fans hope for the future." That asshole didn't know anything about the Rams or football.

I don't want this. I don't need this. I don't like this. I was never on-board with this decision. I did not sign off on this decision. I non-concur. If this were the Senate, I would have filibustered this draft pick. I don't intend to watch this carnage. I am not going to witness this travesty unfold. I don't want to see a good kid, in flames, at the hands of a stupid GM. I don't want to be disappointed anymore. I am not going to blow another Sunday morning watching the fiasco in progress. I am resigning.

The first move is to cancel the NFL Super-Fan package. I have DirectTV. I have had the Super-Fan for the past three years: 2007, 2008, 2009. I am scheduled for automatic renewal. It's not going to happen. I am canceling. I don't want it. I don't need it. It's a small token of resistance that will certainly be lost among a slew of cancellations on the second dip of a W shaped recession. It's not much, but it is the best I can do.

Someday soon, I will be able to say with honesty and without venom "I used to be a Ram-fan, but not anymore. Now I am just an impartial football fan. I like the sport, not any particular team".

'Tis the laughing season

The overwhelming majority of all human beings who have passed through this veil of tears have been illiterate and innumerate. For those who don't know, this mean that they could not read write or perform the most basic arithmetic. In many cultures there are only 3 recognized numbers: One, two and many. We should also be advised that the distribution of intelligence in human populations follows the bell-curve pattern. There are some extremely stupid people, a lot of average people, some smart guys, and just a few exceptional individuals.

I'm exceptional. As such, it's always hilarious for me to read the trade deals offered up by GMs and fans alike. I'm still shocked that the Eagles traded McNabb inside the division. I still can't believe the Steelers gave Holmes away for a 5th. Stunning... just stunning. I still can't believe La Canfora's report that the Steelers would make an exploratory phone call to the Rams, asking us to consider Roethlisburger and the Steelers' first rounder for the absolute #1. Tis the season to give shit away. I still can't believe the Broncos have dismantled themselves completely. I still can't believe the Redskins are/were shopping Albert Haynesworth around for a 3rd.

With that said, the deals suggested by fans are even more preposterous... at least in some ways. I read a deal suggestion made by some Redskin fan in which the Rams should offer the Redskins the absolue #1 for Albert Haynesworth and Jason Campbell. So you get the #1 pick, and we carry out your garbage? No, no, no! You'd get the best DT in football and a proven Pro QB! Right... then why don't you keep them.

A Steeler fan was shocked by the report Jason La Canfora gave us yesterday. In all honesty, so was I. Said Steeler fan insisted that the only way the Steelers would ever deal Roethlisburger is in a big trade deal like the one Chicago gave to Denver last year. Right... So somebody is going to give you a kings random for your serial rapist... er... massive PR head ache? You are forgetting that Cutler was 3 years younger, had a smaller contract. His team put him on the block for no particularly good reason. That's what broke the deal.

This Steeler fan does not understand the rules of the pawn shop. Pawning is bad for the guy pawns.

Then a Cleveland fan suggest the Browns should deal Shawn Rodgers, their #7, and a no-name linebacker to the Rams for the absolute #1. Right... So you get the #1 pick and we carry out the garbage for you. We take your gun toting, 35 year old nose tackle, fresh off re-constructive knee surgery, a no-name linebacker, and your pick. Right...

Lest I show too much partiality to my own, let me say a word about my Rams. My Rams plan to take a frail passer, who hasn't played much in 18 months, fresh off surgical repairs to his passing shoulder, put him behind a weak line, immediately, and expect improvements. Right... Oh did I forget? He's not the top ranked athlete in the draft, and we're going to have to give him something like $80 million with maybe $50 million guaranteed. Oh, did I forget that he has only one #2 type receiver to throw at? Nice...

I'm going to come right out and tell you: That's a laughable pick. No bullshit. If any man can free his mind from the hype of ESPN and the NFL Network, he would clearly see that this is a laughable pick. How cloudy our football judgement becomes when we practice mass-media marketing by the star system.

Do you think you can do any better, Dave? Fuckin'aye! You goddamn betcha I think I can do a lot better than that... fresh out of bed in the morning... without coffee... after taking a couple of Norcos... whilst blindfolded... and hungover... with a concussion... and a common cold... and a massive arthritis attack... and no breakfast...

If you think I am filled with pessimism about where the league and my team is headed, you're right. These are some fuckin' stupid people, and I'm not kidding. There is a fine, fine line between the deals GMs offer each other and the deals fans talk about on the message boards.

So what if we get Bradford? What then?

Slowly, degree by degree, I am growing used to the notion that the Rams will select Sam Bradford. I don't like the plan. I think it involves to many predictable, known points of failure to be considered a rational or reliably plan. Nevertheless, whether I like it or not, I am starting to believe Devaney will go this way.

Suppose the die is cast and we will selected Sam Bradford #1 in the draft? What then?

1. We better sign Bobby Williams of the Bengals. What is the hold up here? His negotiations with the Bengals are in a stalemate position. Let's swoop in and get him.
2. Our 2nd round pick has to be Maurkice Pouncy of Florida. We will need interior linemen. Given Williams, Pouncy and Brown, we should be good through the mid range of our offensive line.
3. Our 3rd round pick better be Dexter McCluster. Sam needs weapons and Donnie is not enough.
4. We should consider resigning Torry Holt. I am not sure why we released him in the first place. Let's ask him back. Sam needs weapons.

Finally, we need to change our offensive philosophy. Just because Sam is the top ranked QB in the draft does not indicate that he is a perfect fit for the Faux West Coast we are currently running. We need to dump the West Coast and move on to greener pastures. I want to see us run the K-Gun offense that the Bills used to run. Let's run with the Zebra shotgun at a quicktime pace. This will maximize Sam's comfort level, and give us a legit threat of a passing game.

For those who do not yet know it, I do not believe in the run-first philosophy we have practiced. 1-15 disasters emerge from the run-first philosophy these days. The good teams who can pass will always outscore you in the final two minutes if you practice the smash-mouth running style. As Joe Montana often said [needling the Rams] you can't come from behind in the final two minutes by running the ball. As St. Lombardi said, a study of NFL history will show that most meaningful games are won in the last two minutes of the first half and of the second half. That is a big admission by a running guy. The law of the playoffs is now clear: You throw it or you go home.

We need to spread it out. We need to run out of the shotgun. Steven Jackson needs to take his position as the offset back. We need to run our offense at a quick-time pace. We need to rip defenses in the seams of the zone, as Sean Payton does in New Orleans. We need to do the old double post forcing a deep safety to pick his poison. We need to attack, attack, attack the way we did in 1999.

This strategy is not likely to produce a winning record in 2010, but it can get us 5 or 6 more victories than last season. A careful study of the statistics will teach us all that doubling the Rams point total from 10.9 to 21.8 is sufficient to produce an 8-8 season, possibly even 9-7 in our division. Doubling our point total has to be the absolute goal and objective of the 2010 season.

A worthless free agency class in 2010

It is free-agency Friday 2010... and what a worthless one it is too! More than 200 players who should have been unrestricted free agents--including Brandon Marshall and Jayri Evans--are now restricted due to the death of the CBA. You might argue that the moment the owners opted out of the CBA, this free agency class was fucked to the gills. However, they still might have worked out a new deal by March 1. No such luck. When the clock struck 12:00:00 on March the 1st, this free agency crop was plowed under.

If you are a Ram fan, there is not much reason to get excited about this moment in history. The best we can possibly due is to sign two veteran free agent guards in the 30s: Stephen Neil of the Patriots and Bobby Williams of the Bengals. That is as good as it gets. There is no reason to get excited about A.J. Feely. He's going to be bench-rider unless somebody gets hurt... which is an eventuality unless we sign Stephen Neil and Bobby Williams.

What happens if we get these two veteran guards? You will see my nature rise, that's what. I am cautious by nature. I don't like to exaggerate the value of a couple of free agents. However, there is good reason to believe that our line may suddenly harden like slag-aggregate concrete if we add these two gents. We will have two competent, mature and profession men at the guard positions for the first time since our quality years between 1999-2002.

The right or the left tackle will still be a problem, depending upon which one Jason Smith IS NOT playing. However, if we go through with our plans to make Jason Smith the LT, Adam Goldberg can hold down the right, as he has for many of our games lately.

Speaking of which, what about Alex Barron's fate? We are dangling him in front of the league for the price of a 2nd round draft pick. I am pessimistic on the notion that anyone will take the bate. If so we are in luck. If not, I guess he will be back with the team in 2010. If he is back at Left Tackle we better hope we have two southpaw QBs who look to that side of the field. Vick would not be too concerned about Barron at the LT. A.J. Feely would be a dead meat.

Looking down the list of players, there isn't much there that we might get. The receiver class is utter and abject shit. We don't really need a running back. We are pretty set at the linebacker position. There are a couple of nice DBs on the list but they are almost sold. I did like Aaron Kampman, there are medical concerns about his knee, and it seems very likely that we will draft Ndamukong Suh (or Gerald McCoy), sharply reducing our need for defensive linemen. Further, reports indicate the Eagles are moving quickly to close a deal with him.

Bill Devany on NFL Total Access yesterday

Bill Devaney was briefly interviewed on NFL Total Access on 2/23/2010. He was quiet, subdued, maybe even a bit depressed. He may be anticipating a long and difficult season that may hurt his long term chances in life. The ownership situation and power vacuum in St. Louis also means some financial difficulties, hampering the rebuild of the team.

Devaney was very non committal on most subjects, but here is a short interpretation.

1. There have been no talks with Tampa Bay. He would like to talk with anybody and everybody about scenarios, but there have been no conversations as yet.
2. Devaney shed questions of drafting a QB with hardly a word, simply mentioning that Marc Bulger was still a member of the team. (!)
3. Michael Vick is under contract with the Eagles, and any discussion of him could be deemed tampering. However all scenarios are on the table.
4. The Rams will proceed in sequence from the combine, through free agency, through trades, and through the draft to fill each need. Move B cannot be planned until move A has been made.

The presentation was carefully crafted to say "We don't know what we are going to do aside from chase opportunities as we find them." I am sure this partially true. You never know what the market may offer you. Sometimes you get Jerome Bettis for a 2nd rounder. Sometimes you get Marshall Faulk for a 2nd and a 5th. Sometimes you can have Michael Westbrook and LaDanian Tomlinson for free. I know he knows more than he is letting on. Methinks he is planning ahead as a chess player, but he is not going to telegraph his punch.

I find it interesting that he shed the question of drafting a QB with hardly a word, mentioning Marc Bulger. If you read that statement as a psychiatrist would, it means Devaney would rather stick it out with Bulger for 1 more season than draft a rookie starter this year. If you read that statement as a military tactician would, Devaney may not want to discuss who he likes in this draft, and prefers to keep those plans confidential.

It is interesting that he immediately raised the spectre of tampering charges regarding Vick, but wouldn't squelch the rumor. The more I roll that over in my mind the more interesting that is.

Most interesting is the fact that he livened up when discusing the two DTs at the top of the draft. Mentioning Suh and McCoy ignited a small fire in the man.

Carefully considering what I saw in Devaney's interview, I think I saw:

• A shy man.
• A man who is depressed about the present moment.
• A man who is worried about his future.
• A man who is worried about the future of his franchise.
• A man who is not sure of what is around the corner.
• A man who would like to talk about deals with other GMs.
• A man who wants to take 1 of the 2 top DTs in the draft
• A man who disdains the entire idea of drafting a rookie QB in the first round, or starting a rookie QB in 2010.
• A man who has some plans to talk to Philly.

The off-season NFL business is more important than regular season games

My, my, my, we are headed into the biggest off-season in the history of the NFL. If you tune out now, you are fucked-up stupid bitch. This is going to be vastly more important than the 2009 regular season, and more dramatic than any Super Bowl, for sure.

For those who do not know, SB44 shattered a television record which has stood for some 31 years. Because 98.1 million viewers tuned in to SB44, the absolute final episode of MASH now drops down to #2 on the all-time most watched program list. Personally, I am miffed that it took so long. Most of us knew that the Super Bowl was destined to shatter the MASH record sooner or later. I am shocked it took 31 shots to gun MASH down. In a real sense, this means the NFL is on an all-time high. The NFL owns the airwaves like nobody else does, and they can prove it.

On the cusp of this hyper-success we now have a voided collective bargaining agreement, a demand for an 8-18% pay-cut from the players, the threat of an uncapped 2010 (which will fuck free agency), and the threat of a lockout in 2011.

Whether you know him or not, PA boss DeMaurice Smith is the focal point of our attention. Some say the NFL owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement to immediately test this new boss. Run right at him, so to speak, and see if he can make a tackle. Others say that our present distress has been driven by the mighty recession we are living in. Some say it is the fact that tickets cannot be purchased by the average citizen-fan of the NFL. One dreadful study indicated that only 2% of all dedicated fans have attended the games at some point. Most fans never go to the Stadium. The prices are just too high. Others say that the big market owners--such as Jerry Jones--don't like the revenue sharing protocol they must live with.

I used to wear #63 when I played football. That was because of Gene Upshaw, LeRoy Selmon, and Ernie (fat) Holmes. Upshaw was my favorite OG. When playing on the offensive side of the ball, I wanted to play like him. Although we had a couple of bad work-stoppages under his leadership, Upshaw presided over the labor union during an remarkable epoch of peace and wage growth. Despite heavy criticisms thrown at him by men like Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, you cannot deny that NFL salaries are drastically higher now than they were before Upshaw. In the final analysis, you must say that he did one hell of job for the players.

Over and against the Upshaw model is a growing perception that DeMaurice Smith is reckless, and perhaps, an adventurer in search of quest. It would be a very bad thing if this turns out to be true. Certainly his response to the question regarding the probability of a lock-out in 2011 indicates drama at best, and recklessness at worst. When asked to evaluate the probability of a lockout in 2011 on a scale of 1-10, DeMaurice replies "14". This was during Super Bowl week when all media forces were assembled to hear this. The Commish had to move to squelch a Super Bowl spoiler.

If we don't get a labor accord in just 19 days, there will be no salary cap and no salary floor in 2010. What does that mean? It means small-market teams like the Bengals, Rams and Jags may well dump all manner of expensive players to create financial savings immediately and cap room in years to come... assuming that there is a cap. This would mean a very miserable 2010 season of football in the smaller and un-profitable markets.

Worse still, this means that a whole host of restrictions will be placed on 4th year players (like Brandon Marshall and Jayri Evans) who would otherwise go free. This would make these gents plenty miserable, and would make the job of rebuilding so much more difficult for bottom teams like the Rams and Lions.

If DeMaurice Smith decides he wants to make his 14 prediction come true in 2011, this will be the moment when we really shit the money bed. Blow up the goldmine, why don't yah? As I mentioned before, the league is riding an all-time high right now. Nothing will fuck fan relations like a good strike or lock-out. The Super Bowl will not break any records in 2012 if there is a stoppage in 2011, I will assure you of that. Both sides have copious amounts of money to loose.

What happens if it does come down to a lock-out in 2011? Who will win? I am not sure anybody will win. Both sides will both come out with nasty bullet wounds in their chests. However, I would suspect that the players will come out worse for it.

Why do I say that? Does anybody still remember 1987? Nope, of course not. Tim Tebow and Jevan Snead were born in this year, ergo most of the current players cannot remember that far back. Even retired guys like Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin were not in the league at that time.

As one of the elders who does remember 1987, let me tell you what happened. The NFL organized scab games and went ahead with their plans to play football. A host of young men who never made it from college came out to live their fantasy of playing in the NFL. The regular players were pissed, however, they began crossing the lines immediately.

How about a tale of two Raiders? Howie Long rejoined the Raiders almost immediately. Vets like Todd Christiansen who stayed resolute were cut by Al Davis and driven out of the league. Howie remained one of Al Davis's favorites for years to come, and Al is still pissed about Howie's early retirement. I have never heard Al speak of Todd Christensen. It is as if he never existed.

It is worth noting that the Super Bowl that season was one of the epic duds for the ages. The Redskins defeated the Brocos 45-17.

The strike broke down after 4 weeks. In general, I think it is fair to say that a lot of players crossed the lines in a lot of cities, and the reason was that they could not afford to go without that 1/16th of their annual salary that comes with each game played. Players don't seem to manage their money well at all, and without that next check, they find it impossible to maintain that lavish lifestyle that they are hooked on. This is our one hope that (if worse comes to worse) it will be brief.

In the meanwhile, we also have just 73 days until the NFL Draft 2010. This is a pivotal moment out there for all 20 teams left out of the playoffs this season, but none more so than my Rams. This is one of those rare moments when there will probably be a change or two at QBs. We may acquire Mike Vick. We will also probably draft a future signal caller this year. Let's hope that is Tim Tebow. Mistakes in this area are absolutely deadly. Many a headcoach has been fired because of a bad draft decision vis-a-vis a QB. The fate of Steve Spagnuolo may hang in the balance here.

Folks, the crucial moments are now upon us. We are living in them. Now that we have all this Super Bowl non-sense out of the way, we can get down to some seriously dramatic business.

The Rams and Ndamukong Suh

So I just finished reading a piece in which a Florida sports writer claims that the Bucs will not lay down to get Ndamukong Suh. The tone of the piece is glum, frustrated, and irritated. Such is life with so much loosing.

Personally, I think we (the Rams) aught to be perfectly willing to deal the pick, or Ndamukong Suh himself, which ever works out. If the Bucs want him, let's make a deal. This is intended as no slight against Suh, who I regard as the best defensive tackle prospect since Mean Joe, and a true piece of championship material, but I just don't think he is the man we need. All else being equal, I would love to have him, but all else is not equal.

Our defense is very good, and there are a boat load of linemen in free agency this year, many of whom would like to play in Coach Spags' 3 and 4 defenseive end system. Our defense would be clearly statistically solid if our offense would stop setting them up for failure. I can't count how many times our horrendous offense has setup the other team on a short field, thus setting our defense for failure. Our offense is absolutely wretched. I mean totally puke-nasty, disgusting, rotten, bad, aweful. Our offense almost couldn't be worse.

Clearly, we are in need of an offensive overhaul, and I do mean overhaul. We are in absolute rebuilding mode offensively. In our skilled positions I see only two survivors: Steve Jackson and Donnie Avery. On our OL, I see only two survivors: Jason Smith and Jason Brown. This means 7 of 11 starting positions need to be replaced. The key focus has to be on the omni-important QB position.

Some of our offensive players should stick around, but not as starters. Danny Amendola should become our Steve Tasker, if he isn't already. He can make a good #3 reciever, maybe he can even be a Wes Welker as so many have suggested. I do like him. Daniel Fells is a good second tight end. He should stick around. Adam Goldberg should remain as a backup lineman.

To acquire 7 new starters you need both free agents and good solid draft picks. This has to be an offense-focused draft and free-agency. I think 4 + 4 would be a good formula. The top 4 picks need to be offensive players. Our top 4 free-agents need to be offensive players. Who should those men be?

1. Trent Williams or Russel Okung
   
2. Tim Tebow
3. Dexter McCluster
4. Seyi Ajiratutu

If Jevan Snead and Jahvid Best come out, we need to get them. Who should our Free Agents be?

1. Brandon Marshall
2. Jahri Evans
3. David Baas
   
4. Deuce Lutui

If we were to do this things, we would gain a very young offensive unit, in need of a lot of molding, but loaded with playmakers. Steven Jackson and Brandon Marshall would be the two most grizzled veterans of the bunch. We could have 5 or 6 good years with a unit like this, provided we have the right offensive coordinate.

This is why I once again call on Mr. Devany to fire young Pat Shurmur. He just wasn't the right choice in the first place. He wasn't prepared for the job, and he plays an old-fashioned offense that no longer works: A run biased West Coast. Neither Shurmur's short passing game, nor the run component are really effective anymore. By that I mean it is an invalid approach, not a question of personnel. We need to restore The Greatest Show on Turf. The focus has to be on exact routes for WRs, the use of motion and formation to construct mismatches, and scoring with the big play. For this job I would summon Trent Green, and give him control. I would suggest Mike Martz, but I just don't think we can give him a demotion on a team where he was once the Head Coach.

A Free Agent Strategy for the Rams

Today, the Rams finally released Richie Incognito. I would have done it after he taunted the official for the game-winning field goal in Washington back in 2008. Never really seen a guy that far out of control. It is too bad. He had physical talent and strength. Frankly, he makes Conrad Dobler look St. Francis of Assisi. We should have known he was the bad seed when Nebraska kicked him off the team for anger management reasons.

It appears that Jacob Bell is also gone for the rest of the season with a tear in his hamstring. That is bad. That is a really bad injury. Bell didn't have a ton of drive in his legs before this injury. I doubt he he will have more drive afterward. I would be looking for a replacement, if I was the Rams' GM.

The two facts have to condition our moves in free agency. Our offensive line, which is a work in progress, has taken a significant setback. We need guards. We need at least two of them.

Offensive Linemen

Jahri Evans, OG New Orleans Saints, #73, 6-4 318 pounds, 27 years old: Jahri is a bad man. He is one of the best men on a very good offensive line. He is young, he is strong, he is a positive guy, and he would make a great partner for Jason Smith. The Saints love him and are going to try to keep him. If they win the Super Bowl, and I expect them to do so, it will be hard for them to retain Jahri. Everybody will want a pay hike. The Saints may franchise Jahri anyhow. We need to make a hard move to get him. As far as I am concerned, he is the cream of the crop in OL free agents. If we get him, our offensive line will take a massive step forward.

David Baas, OG San Francisco 49ers, #64, 6-4 330 pounds, 28 years old: David Baas is the starting Left Guard for the 49ers. He has been their LG for about a year and half now. He is massive and powerful. He played an instrumental role in Frank Gore's stand up and shout performance against the Cardinals yesterday. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent, and the 49ers probably won't go that far to resign him. A good offer will bring him to the Rams. Getting him means weakening a divisional rival, which is good.

Deuce Lutui OG, Arizona Cardinals, #76, 6-4 338, 26 years old: Deuce is an excellent guard who might be able to play tackle if we give him a try. He became a starter in his rookie year, and he has been a good durable starter ever since, missing only 1 game. Getting him means weakening a divisional rival, which is good.

Wide Receivers

Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos, #15, 6-4 230 pounds, 26 years old: Marshall's trials and tribulations with the Broncos are well documented. So are his triumphs. Would I take a risk on this guy? Fuck yes! This is a major big time play maker. He is tight-end sized wide receiver with speed moves & athleticism. Only Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson are like him. I would tell you he is better than Calvin at this point, but not as good as Andre. Still he is one hell of a player. This is the playmaker we need to activate our passing attack. With Laurent Robinson and Donnie Avery, we might have 3 good threats on the field. For documented reasons, owner Pat Bowlen has been very reluctant to tear up his rookie contract and give Brandon a major pay hike. Brandon has wanted to leave town for some time. Given the fact that he will need to use the Franchise tag on Elvis Dumervill, we should be able to acquire Marshall if we want him.

Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (37): What do I need to tell you about this man that you don't already know? Every Ram fan knows this man, and we need to bring him back home to finish his career.

Malcom Floyd, San Chargers, #80 6’5”, 225 pound, 28 years old. This is another wide receiver in a tightend body. Does a great job getting vertical down the sidelines to make grabs in single coverage. He uses his height and balance to come down with the ball more often than not. Many call him a #2 receiver. I think he is a #1.

Defensive Linemen

Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers, #74 6-4 265, 30 years old. Kampman suffered a terrible reversal of fortune this year. He was one of the star pass-rushing DEs in the league and then Dom Capers decided he should be a linebacker. I was intrigued by the prospect, but Kampman wasn't. He firmly believes he was born to have his fist in the dirt. He hated it. Then he suffered a terrible knee injury ending his season. His replacement, rookie Brad Jones #59, is doing one hell of a job. Some even say that the Packer defense came together when Brad Jones hit the scene. I think it is clear that the Pack will not resign Kampman. Kampman is a pass-rusher galore who has expressed admiration for coach Spagnuolo's 3 and 4 DE configurations. I say we get him.

Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders, #92, 6-6 310 pounds, 30 years old: Very little is known about Seymour's current contract with the Raiders. His name has not yet been removed from any of the major 2010 free agency charts. This would tend to indicate that the Raiders have not yet signed him to an extension. Seymour has been one of the best defensive players of this decade. He is a high character guy, and a motivational leader. If it is at all possible to get him, we should.

About NFL Free Agency in 2010

Just had a look at who will be available in the free agency pool. It is a hyper bonanza year for wide receivers. A fella could put together the greatest show on turf this year if he wanted to. There are that many play makers available.

It does not look like a good year for offensive linemen. There are a few out there. Most of the guys come from sub-par units. They have physical talent, but they lack performance. The Rams are probably going to dump Alex Barron into that pile. There are 7 or 8 carbon copies of Barron in the pool.

We'll talk in some detail about a good free agency strategy later today.