A few bits of NFL News

RIP Bubba Smith

Bubba Smith finished his football career in the era before I was old enough to watch the game. Like so many Americas, I saw him scores of times in movies and television. He was a dear character actor in Hollywood.

As you all know, Bubba was found dead at the age of 66 today in his Hollywood home. The circumstances were not suspicious, and it is believed he passed away from natural causes. We are awaiting official confirmation of these preliminary conclusions, but the outcome looks certain. Rest in peace Bubba. We will all be joining you sooner or later.

Marc Bulger retires

As you all know, I was a Marc Bulger advocate and defender during the 2010 draft cycle when the Rams were preparing to replace him. I always said the Rams destroyed Marc Bulger, not Bulger the Rams. If I said it once, I said it a hundred times.

Marc surprised everyone in the football world today--except perhaps his friend Kurt Warner--by abruptly retiring. Marc's name was one of the hot ones on the NFL Network during the long hot lockout summer. The consensus on the NFL Network was that he would probably be a starting QB again in 2011.

I had hoped that these voices were correct, but I also knew the magnitude of the beating Bulger took in St. Louis behind that wretched OL we had. I was a little doubtful he could heal up as Jim Plunkett once did. As you know, remnants of that offensive line still remained at the start of 2010, and they were the chief reasons I didn't want to take Sam Bradford in the 2010 draft.

Although no one has said so, I suspect the magnitude of those injuries are greater than any of us thought. How else do you explain the lack of interesting signing him after each of his couple stops?

Kurt Warner gave us one tiny nugget during this summer suggesting that Marc might be better off stepping away from the field, using his time to tend to family and his charity foundation. This was only signal we got that Marc might be considering retirement.

We're not happy to see you go, brother, but enjoy your retirement.

The Rams Sign Cadillac Williams

I would like to welcome Cadillac to the Rams, but I want to caution all of you out there who think this is a big acquisition. Cadillac Williams is a 29 year old running back with a ton of millage on him who was replaced by an undrafted rookie free agent last season in Tampa. He is more than 1 full-year older than Steven Jackson, and he has suffered much worse injuries during his career. When I first heard the news, my first question was "Will he make the team?"

Don't expect Williams to change the fortunes of our organization.

Sam Bradford's report card

I was going to publish this report card on Sam Bradford at the three-quarter mark of the season. I decided to postpone until after the Saint game for several reasons. I was expecting that to be a bad loss. The Saints are beginning to peak, and the Rams have lost several key players on defense. I expected them to put a lot of points on the board, more than they actually did, thus leading to considerable down turn in Ram-fan moral.

Having a look at the accomplishments of this season should snap them out of it in time to make this stretch run through the final three games. We have good reason to be optimistic about these final three regular season games of the 2010 season.

Does anybody remember Edwards' Law?

Months ago, I wrote a piece laying down a framework for grading Sam Bradford's rookie year. I quoted Herman Edwards liberally in that entry. Edwards' law says that a franchise Quarterback is worth 4 more victories than you would have had without him.

Under that principle, we would project the Cardinals 6-10 football team in 2010 due to the retirement of Kurt Warner. I said 5-11 due to other loses. If the Rams actually acquired a franchise QB in the 2010 draft, we would expect the Rams to finish +4 at 5-11 in 2010.

What actually happened this year? Sure enough, the Cardinals have fallen hard, and worse than expected. At this point it seems unlikely they will reach 6-10. 5-11 might be difficult as well. On the other hand, the Rams are already 6-7, hold first place in the NFC West. Further, many believe they can win out against Kansas City, San Francisco and Seattle. The Rams continue to be the projected eventual winner of the NFC West.

The Rams are already +5 over last season with three more shots at victory; three shots in which we will be favored to win. You have to admit, that looks awfully good. What would you say to an 8 game turn around for the Rams? How does a 9-7 winning record and an NFC West title look on that resume? I would have to vote for Spags as the coach of the year, and Sam Bradford for AP Offensive Rookie of the year.

Even if this turns out to be a 7 game turn around, I would still favor Spags for coach of the year and Bradford for AP Offensive Rookie of the year.

Herm Edwards law is looking pretty good, and maybe even better than expected. In truth we shouldn't give all the credit for these changing records to the presence of a franchise QB, or lack thereof. The Cardinals lost Anquan Bolden, Karlos Dansby, and Antrell Rolle. The Rams also acquired Rodger Saffold, Barret Robbins, N'ail Diggs, and Michael Hoomanawanui.

Much depends on how the Rams finish, but I can tell you this: Herm Edwards' Law is looking pretty good, and Sam Bradford is looking pretty good according to Herm Edwards' Law.

How does Sam compare to Marc Bulger?

If you look at some game film of 2009 and 2010, you see quite a stark contrast in the Rams' offense in these two seasons. Under Bulger et al, the Rams were a run first and run second team. We threw the forward pass only as a last resort. In 2010 the Rams are very much a pass-first team, with counter-punch alternatives provided by the running game. Last year we were nominally a West Coast Offense team, but much more a grind 'em out running team. This year, you can actually say--with some intellectual integrity--that the Rams run a version of the West Coast offense.

Does that show up in the stats? Yep, you bet it does.

In 2009 Bulger completed 140 of 247 passes for a paltry 1469 yards, 5 TDs and 6 ints. In just 13 weeks, Sam has completed 286 of 474 passes for 2,884, 17 TDs and 12 Ints. Marc Bulger finished 2009 with a QB efficiency rating of 70.7. After 13 games, Sam Bradford has an NFL passer rating of 79.123. It was higher before the Saint game, nearly 81.

Most importantly, Bulger et al managed to produced a total of 175 points last season, an average of 10.9 points per game. This year, Bradford's offense has managed 245 points in just 13 games, or an average of 18.85 points per game. We are on pace to score 302 points in 2010.

Remember, Sam still has three games to pad his margins.

The conclusion is pretty clear cut. In slightly less than twice the number of attempts, Badford has more than doubled completions and yardage. He has more than tripled our number of touchdown passes, whilst only doubling the number of interceptions. As a result, point production has nearly doubled.

Last year, the Rams were dead-last (32nd) in points scored. This year, we are 25th in the league. Whilst a 25th in the league ranking is nothing to boast about , it is much better than last year, and better than I expected.

During the deep off season, I set down some goals for the Rams, and I hoped that we could nearly double our scoring from 10.9 to 20 points per game, for a total of 320 points. We are close to achieving this goal. If we win-out during this stretch run, we could very well make the 320 point goal.

A few words about the Playoffs

Some guys are ridiculing the notion of the Rams in the playoffs, detesting the fact that good team like the Packers may be left out because the NFC West gets an automatic bid. The same thing was said the Cardinals two years ago. Don't think I am predicting a Super Bowl, I am simply saying that those locked out of the playoffs always find a way to complain about their outcome.

Should we win-out and take the NFC West, We may well become road-kill for another team in the playoffs, but I wouldn't count on it. If we should happen to get a team like the Bucs, which is still hypothetically possible, we could and should be favored to win. It is more likely that the Giants and the Saints will be the NFC's two WC teams. Either would be a very difficult opponent.

Ultimately, the outcome of the playoffs is of no importance. The 2010 season will be a very memorable one indeed if we just get to 9-7 and make the playoffs. Most of us did not expect anything like this sudden turn around. Most of us didn't think the club had made anywhere near this level of progress during the off-season. No one in his right mind was talking about us contending--even for the NFC West--this season. Even the most sanguine among us believe the team needs one more super-strong off season before we can compete seriously in the NFC.

Just remember, if the 2010 season proves anything, it proves this: One more super-strong off season in 2011 will put us in position to dominate the NFC West and contend in a serious way.

If he was, they would

I think Marc Bulger is finished as the Rams QB. I do not say that with any pleasure or anger. Regret over what might have been is the primary feeling. My statement is just a recognition of the unfortunate fact. But Coach Spagnuolo just said he is still on the roster and it is premature to make any moves at the QB position? I agree that it is premature to release Bulger. There is no reason to rush and do this unfortunate thing immediately. However, the lack of speed in releasing Bulger doesn't tell you anything about the Rams' 2010 roster.

Steve Wyche wrote a nice piece for the NFL's main website following up on a video report that he did for the NFL Network. The key quote is simple: "...coach Steve Spagnuolo or general manager Billy Devaney haven't said Bulger is their guy. If he was, they would."

Like Wyche, I doubt Bulger will line up at QB for the Rams in 2010. There are some scenarios where it could happen:

1. Philly won't trade Vick
2. Philly asks for a King's random
3. We don't have a rookie we can play

Scenario 3 is the most unlikely scenario of them all, so scratch that off the list now. With a dogshit offensive line and a thin receiver corp, playing any rookie would border on suicidal insanity. I don't care if we select Bradford, Tebow or McCoy. No rookie can play behind our line. We can't protect him, period. It would be damn stupid to try that... but then again, it is stupid to try Bulger again in this role after he just suffered a broken leg last year.

Pondering all these chess pieces on the board, I grow more and more convinced that Rams will try to work a deal for Vick. He is the best looking solution for 2010, and he helps us to engineer our future in the several ways I spelled out yesterday.

The only real alternative is to try to make due with Keith Null. I wouldn't mind giving the kid a chance... but it sure ain't much of chance. It's a lousy chance if you ask me. It seems to me it would be more like feeding the young man to the lions, tigers and bears. It would also result in another loss-heavy season where we are no where close to the break-even point.

I heard Marc Bulger cleared out his locker today

I want to emphasis that I am not happy to hear this. It doesn't hit as hard as the loss of Warner or Everett, but there is a sting. It is the end of another epoch. Bulger is a good man. He had/has an excellent arm. He was/is very accurate. He just doesn't have a body constructed to survive the battle of ProFootball. If God had given him 3/4ths of Brett Favre's physical durability, Bulger might well be working on a Hall of Fame career. He was an excellent passer.

I regret the fact that we let his line go to shit. I regret the fact that we allowed his receiver corp to dwindle down to nothing. We have to accept a large share of the responsibility for what happened to Marc.

I wish you well in what ever you do next, Marc. Whether this be another team like the 49ers, or anything else for that matter.

Marc Bulger has a fractured Tibia

So, I went to my penultimate physical rehab session yesterday around 4:30pm. The owner/manager and senior therapist is a guy named Jeff. He is a big Steeler fan. He has Fatheads on the walls at this facility. He also has a 50 inch LCD which is constantly set on ESPN. Naturally, this is Monday night. Naturally, ESPN is prepping for Monday Night Football.

Toward the end of my session the announcement comes: Marc Bulger has a fractured Tibia. He is out for at least 3 weeks; maybe the season. Boomer cracked a wicked funny: "Well if Bulger is out, there goes the Rams' playoff spot." Of course, he is speaking of a 1-9 football team. I have never seen a 7-9 football team make the playoffs, so I am close to saying that is a mathematical impossibility.

I immediately asked Jeff, the owner/manager senior therapist, if he believed a man could come back from a fractured tibia in just 3 weeks. "Absolutely not", said Jeff, "I wouldn't let a guy run around or take a hit for at least 2 months after such an injury." You best believe Bulger is done for the season. I can do one better than that: Maybe Marc has thrown his last pass in a Ram uniform.

So why do I think Bulger is done? After about 26 injuries in 6 seasons, you have to say that the man simply does not have a body constructed for NFL football. It would have helped him a lot of he had an offensive line once upon a time, but he still does not have a body constructed for pro football. Bulger may have a nice throwing arm, but it never stays well for very long. Like Mr. Glass, he shatters at the slightest contact. At the end of the day, the Marc Bulger story makes us appreciate the importance of durability in assessing a QB prospect, or any NFL prospect. A similar story is currently unfolding with the Colts' own Bob Sanders. Hush your mouth, Dave, but something similar may also be unfolding with Troy Polamalu.

It should be noted that the 49er faithful are already scheming to acquire Bulger. He may have another job lined up soon. I wish him well, but I don't think it will work out. The Ram line has improved. The 49er line hasn't much improved. The prospects don't look good. He will have better weapons, but not better protection.

So here we go. The time has arrived. We now at the point where most Ram faithful expected us to be a little bit earlier. Bulger is out for the season. It is now Kyle Boller's watch. Show us what you've got kid. Do us proud. Let's win some games. Don't obsess about your performance. Just win baby. Remember what Al Davis told Jim Plunkett in 1980: It is not important whether you play well. It is important that we win games.

I know you don't have many weapons to work with, but we are going to fix that in the 2010 draft. Do your best, and we'll take it from there. Just be oportunistic. Look for chances to steal the game.

So did I hear that right? Did everybody pick my Rams to win this weekend?

I sit hear a bit dumbfounded at the moment. Jamie Dukes, who has a perfect record in upset specials this week, picked my Rams over Detroit as his upset special. Some may complain that this is cheating, as a Ram victory over Detroit may not actually constitute an upset victory. Why? Because Brian, Sterling and Joe all picked the Rams to defeat Detroit also. They did this right at the top of the show on this weeks NFC Matchup.

One of the reasons for their pick may actually be invalid. Joe noticed that the Rams like to throw to the outer flats. Detroit seems to have particular difficulty in covering this spot. Donnie Avery happens to run several different routs to this point, and he runs them extremely well. Joe and Sterling focused on how well Bulger throws to these two spots on the field.

As of this would be very well and good, except it would appear that Marc just might have had his last strike last week against the Colts. That failed 4th down conversion combined with with an utterly stupid pick-6 turned a modest loss into the worst blow-out of the day. Both plays were courtesy of Marc Bulger.

The current scuttlebutt says the following things:

1. Don't be surprised when you see Kyle Boller start on Sunday.
2. Don't be surprised when the Rams look around for a quality veteran free agent quarterback early in 2010. I haven't the slightest clue who that would or could be. There is no such critter scheduled to enter the market this off season. I only hope we don't bring in Jeff Garcia. Likewise, I hope it is not Chad Pennington. God forbid that Brett Favre should retire and un-retire again with the Rams. It would be best if simply stick with Kyle Boller. Regrettably, other teams may be smacking their chops in anticipation of acquiring Bulger, believing that they can protect him better than we can.
3. Don't be surprised at all when the Rams spend the #1 or #2 pick overall on a Quarterback. The presumptive favorite is Texas Longhorn QB Colt McCoy, although I would greatly prefer it to be Tim Tebow.

Ergo sum, Bulger will probably not be making throws to the outer flats this weekend. Hopefully, Boller will be making those throws to the outer flats where Donnie Avery will be waiting for the rock. Hopefully, we will prevail. It should be noted that Detroit is working a young and star studded offense right now. They have some really beautiful weapons in their offensive arsenal. The key issue is their defensive weakness, and in particular, the weakness of their secondary.

So if I were to write Bulger's epitaph with the Rams right now, how would I phrase it? I would say that Bulger was a fugacious epiphenomena of Mike Martz. Martz simplified the game enough for Bulger to be successful. He told him things like "I want you to count to five and throw to this spot here." Martz made the rest of the play work. The moment Bulger was called upon to read progressions of adaptive routes in a sophisticated ball control passing attack (one which may not actually work anymore) it all went to hell in a hand basket for him. Although the soft spoken Bulger comes off as a fairly intelligent chap, it is clear that he is not a thinking man's QB. This guy does not have the mind of Joe Montana, or even Jeff Garcia.

We also need to consider the proposition that the 49er West Coast offense doesn't actually work anymore. As Coach Brian Bilick says, everybody runs a little West Coast, and nobody runs it as Bill Walsh did. The reason is clear: Quick ball-control passes are still helpful in acquiring a few first downs, but you can't do that all game long. The counter measure is just too easy.

As I have said several times before, a certain dude by the name Belichick figured out how to stop this offense in 1980's when he was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. He invented a thing called the 40 yard box. The notions is simple. You defend 40 yards from the line of scrimmage and no more. The first 20 yards are called the Red Zone. The second are called the Yellow Zone. You defend the Red Zone with hard man-on press coverage. You defend the yellow zone with a soft-zone coverage, notorious for knocking teeth out of mouths, and creating major concussions. If a receiver goes outside the 40 box, you let him go. You dare them to wait for the long pass, because you have a blitz or two or three headed for the QB on every play. If the QB holds the ball, you will get a Leonard Marshall vs. Joe Montana situation soon.

I should remind you that Marshall's hit on Montana effectively terminated Joe's career with the 49ers. It was more or less Steve Young's show after that play.

There is no way to solve the Belichick 40 yard Box unless you have all three of following elements:

1. An extremely mobile QB who can run for good yardage, just like Steve Young, Randell Cunningham or maybe Michael Vick.
2. An all-pro offensive line that can really defend the QB.
3. A deep-strike speed burner who can get out of the box in big hurry. Torry Holt was precisely this sort of man, which makes his release even more inexplicable this season. Marshall Faulk was also this sort of player.

Absent these features, I see no reason to believe Coach Walsh's masterpiece system will work in the modern league against a fully-modern 3-4 defense. Furthermore, we can say that its success is entirely dependant upon the bomb. If you can't nail a few good bombs per game, you cannot force the defense out of the Belichick Box. This is why Dan Fouts says that the first precept of the Don Coryal offense is the Bomb. The bomb is that which makes everything else possible.

Should we pick a QB this season, and I have every reason to believe we will, we need to keep in mind Coach Bill Parcell's super formula for selecting a Quarterback. The guy had almost matchless success in finding these guys through all of his many travels. Let's pay close attention to the Big Tuna. When selecting a QB, the Tuna demands all of the following criteria be fulfilled:

1. The candidate must have graduated from college
2. The candidate must have been a 3 year starter in college
3. The candidate must have made a minimum of 3o starts as the first string QB of his college team.
4. The candidate must have won a minimum of 23 games as the starter in college
5. Candidates who did some graduate course work after receiving a Bachelor's and before entering the draft will be preferred.
6. The candidate cannot have had any run-ins with the Police blotter.
7. The candidate must come highly recommended by his college coach.
8. Character issues are paramount, and the candidate must impress us as a leader figure.

Fortunately, I do believe that both Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow will be able to fulfill these criteria. Much depends upon whether these guys graduate on-schedule academically. I believe they are on course to do so. We need to make sure that this is true.

A few thoughts on what could be the eve of the apocalyse

Tommorow the Rams play the Redskins. For the second straight year, we have to play them in Washington. This absolutely confounds me. The Skins are not in our division. We should not play them 2 years in a row. Second, if we traveled to Washington last year, they must come see us this year. Somebody had better pimp-slap the fuck out of the schedule maker. He needs a boot up his ass. Said gentleman is AFU.

Last year we upset the hell out of them in Washington D.C. and that is no mere figure of speech. Donnie Avery made one hell of clutch catch, and Josh Brown belted a long 50+ field goal which should have been a chipshot. It wasn't a chipshot because Richie Incognito felt the need to taunt the officials before the game winning field goal. I never saw anything that stupid in my life. Troy Aikman warned us this would happen a good 2 minutes before it did happen.

No team has upgraded it's defensive line as much as the Redskins. They have yet to show a lot of bennies for the upgrade. Most of us--including me--believe that is just a matter of time. Tomorrow could be the day that the Redskins see some low-hanging fruit. Albert Haynesworth, Anthony Montgomery, Andre Carter and Lorenzo Alexander expect to score some sacks tomorrow. Let us not forget #1 draft pick Brian Orakpo, a virtual Lawrence Taylor type, and our former middle linebacker the Fletch.

This would be the ideal moment for the Rams line to find their sea-legs, pump some testosterone out of their balls, and knock the skins loose in every direction. That outcome is very doubtful. Everyone is hyping the 1-on-1 match between Haynesworth and Jason Brown. They have met many times before. They are not strangers. I am more concerned about Orakpo blitzing and Feltch hitting us with a delay blitz while spying. I think those moves will produce sacks. I regret saying this.

The Rams OL versus the Skins DL will determine the outcome of this football game. Most people view the Skins as the prohibitive favorites because of this fact. This is one of those ideal moments when the Rams line can change the nation's perception of them. They will have to fight their asses off all game long to do it.

The alternative is that Bulger will get injured again, perhaps for the season. We have already established that he is a Chinadoll. What happens when Orakpo and Haynesworth arrive simultaneously from different directions and crush Bulger?

Quick thoughts about the pre-season

So the month of August is winding down to an end, and I realize that I have only blogged some 5 times during this month. It has been an incredibly busy time. I have been working late every night on a major project at work involving WPF, I took advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program, and I am preparing to buy my first shogun and townhome. Wow... that is a lot of stuff in just one month.

Item #1: Bulger breaks his right pinking finger. Well, here we go again. It has often been said Buger is a china doll. How many QBs have busted the pinkie finger on their passing hands taking snaps from a Pro-Bowl center? This is not a good sign. Our guys have not mastered the West Coast, and now we are loosing precious practice time necessary to get it right.

Item #2: Coach Cable busts his assistant's jaw. Well what can I say about this? The scuttlebutt says that Defensive assistant Randy Hanson is Al Davis's personal snitch. This is the dude who reported all of Lane Kiffen's sayings to Al Davis. Rumor has it that Mr. Hanson was continuing in this role under the Cable administration. Cable found out about the leak and busted Hanson's jaw. The X-Rays show a clean fracture. Yesterday, it was reported that Hanson is cooperating with the police and the police intend to question Cable about this incident. Wow... I do have a new found respect for Cable. This is a man's man. He's don't take no shit from his subordinates. Gotta feel bad for the Raider fans. Just as they appear to be getting it together, it seems to be coming unglued again.

Item #3: Tom Brady looks like shit in his return from the IR. The NFL Network showed split screen side-by-side comparisons of Brady throwing during his historical 2007 season and during the 2009 preseason. It is clear that Brady's movement and comfort level are not the same. Specifically, he is not planting and stepping into his throws correctly. Why? Because it hurts like hell, that's why. The results have been some wildly off-course throws sailing well over the head of Randy Moss.

Item #4: Brett Farve looks like shit in his first outting with the Vikings. Well... what can you say about this? He looks like a dead man walking. He looks like a guy with about 1,000 injuries. The debut was last Friday night at the Metrodome. It was terrible. On Saturday night, the Packers played the Panthers at home in Green Bay. The cheese-heads in the stands were waving signs saying "Cash for clunkers: The Vikings are paying Brett Farve." Rumor has it that there is now an insurgency in the locker room. Some Viks want Tavaris to be the QB.

Item #5: Kyle Orton looks like shit in his first two outings with the Broncos. I suppose owner Pat Bowlen will come to Shannahan on bent knee asking him to take his old job back at the end of the 2009 season. Orton looks obnoxiously bad. I mean he sunk up the joint like a dead skunk. Phil Simms son Chris should be the man for the Broncos this year.

Item #6: Tony Romo looks pretty damn fine in the Texas opener. I have to say that the Cowboys looked pretty damn fine destroying the Titans 30-10 in the grand opening of the new Taj Mahal of professional football. On the opening drive, the Cowboy starters jammed the football right down the throat of a starting Titan defense that was absolutely determined to stop them. The Titans weren't fooling around either. Dallas just knocked them off the line of scrimmage on running plays, and Romo made some tremendous throws in the passing game.

Item #7: Stafford is struggling a bit. I really like Matt Stafford. I really hope he will be the solution for the long suffering Lion fans. There is nothing I would like better than the Lions and the Rams to be the Miami and Atlanta of this 2009 season {except maybe for the Cardinals to win SB44}. May the meek inherit the NFL. Still, Matt is struggling right now. He's doing exactly what Mike Mayock said he was prone to do. He makes one sensational throw that takes your breath away. He then makes one bone-headed decision which results in an Interception. Matt Stafford may become the new Brett Farve. Detroit will accept that and embrace that if it happens. Brett Farve is better than anything they have had in 50 or 60 years.

Item #8: Sanchez looks pretty good: Sanchez has already been declared the opening day starter. I think it is a good decision. The Jets have one of the finest offensive lines in football. Mangold, Faneca, and Ferguson are the best left side of a line since Dalby, Upshaw and Shell. Sanchez's ass is covered. Let him learn how to play and prosper.

Item #7: It looks like Packers vs Dolphins in the Super Bowl.

If we look hard at the preseason results, the most outstanding teams early have been the Packers and the Dolphins. A strong nod should be given to the Colts and the Saints also. We know preseason football is largely meaningless because of the number of scrubs playing. However, 1-vs-1, these four teams have looked superior. If I was to call it I would say that the Saints face the Packers in the NFC Championship, and the Dolphins face the Colts in the AFC Championship.

Item #5: Ocho Cinco kicks pretty good. We know the Bengals occupy one of the smallest markets in the NFL. They might well also be in the poorest of the 32 NFL cities. I think the Bengals should save money and improve their special teams by letting Chad kick all the time.

Mike Vick to the Rams? Part 2

So guess what? Jamie Dukes of the NFL Network just reignited the rumors about Michael Vick going to the Rams. In a lengthy discussion with Solomon Wilcots about Michael Vick's future, Dukes stated that he believes Vick makes sense for the Rams because:

1. The Rams don't have a backup
2. The Rams have a questionable situation with Marc Bulger.
3. Vick is weapon who can help... presumably a lot
4. Rams general manager Billy Devaney is the guy who drafted Vick at the Falcons

I hate to sound snarky, but how much to you think Devaney regretted making that selection when Dogfight-Gate went down in Atlanta some two years ago? I really don't intend that to be a snarky zinger. I mean this as a serious question. There is no reason to suppose that Devaney is still in love with Vick, if he ever was. I was always under the impression that Vick was chosen by Coach Dan Reeves. In his many interviews with NFL Films, Reeves has always made it sound that way. Further, when the Titanic hit the iceberg in Atlanta, you have to suppose Devaney was second guessing himself (kicking himself in the ass) for drafting Vick.

No slight is intended to Dukes. Do you know that Jamie Dukes is my favorite analyst in the NFL network? I think Dukes almost always has the most accurate take on just about every subject. If he were a QB, he'd have a completion rate of about 93%. Of course, I like Solomon Wilcots also. He's a hell of an analyst. He is an L.A. kid who grew up a fan of the Rams, so we have something in common there.

Because Dukes said it, I actually sat up on my couch suddenly listened like hell. This is not the sort of guy who would drop a bullshit rumor. Wilcots rejected the argument claiming that Vick will not be welcomed by any team where he might create controversy. Only teams with a stable QB situation will welcome Vick to the club. This would eliminate St. Louis, as Bulger is questionable.

Well, after considering this for an hour now, let me tell you what I think:

1. Spagnuolo is entirely focused on building team character.
2. Team character, perseverance, integrity, and courage has been a persistent problem for the Rams, with a brief respite during the glory of the team Dick Vermeil built.
3. Vick may be a reformed man. He may have a humble and contrite spirit. He may be ready to go bigger than ever because of this attitude adjustment. Still, bringing him in would send precisely the wrong message to the team. It would say that almost anything will be tolerated if you can help us on the field.
4. This is how you develop bad character problems. This kind of message causes a team to spiral out of control
5. I think that the team with the worst QB situation in the NFL is the most likely team to sign Vick.
6. I think Vick's greatest incentive is to sign with the team having the worst QB problems in the NFL. This is how you become a starter again quickly. This is how you get a nice sized contract. I am not talking about a giant contract either, but one large enough to get out of bankruptcy.
7. If you think the Rams have the worst QB situation in NFL, you're on crack. We're not even close to the bottom.
8. Denver, Buffalo, Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa, and San Francisco are all far worse off than the St. Louis Rams.
9. I remind you that Bulger made it to two Pro Bowls under Mike Martz, and was considered the franchise savior after... we let Warner go. Don't make me cry. Bulger also lit the Pro Bowl with 5 TDs and was elected the MVP by the winning side. Of course, nobody cares about this.
10. I have said repeatedly that Bulger has been killed by our formerly dreadful line. I can't count the times he has been hit in the face on a blitz up the middle on a quick 3 step drop. Why do you think the first priority was to grab an expensive free-agent center like Jason Brown? Because we had to stop the blitz up the middle. Why do you think we drafted Jason Smith with the #2 pick in the entire draft? Because we had to lock down either the right or left tackle.
11. Hopefully, our line will be substantially better this year, and Bulger will return to form.
12. If not, we will select Tim Tebow next year. We'll get a franchise QB and great character also.

What about Farve in Minnesota? I wish Brett well, however, if he comes back this time, his Ironman streak is toast. As I said, the Vikings have a far worse situation than the Rams. The Vikings would be better served if they got Vick.

Now, what if the Rams acquired Michael Vick? What happens then? Well, there would be a controversy. Some fans would be irate. Some would want to start him immediately. It would divide the locker room. Bulger would probably fail in this situation. For Vick, this could potentially be an ideal situation. He can't wear number 7, but he would have a powerful running back behind him. He would have the West Coast Offensive he once talked about wanting to run. He would have a revamped offensive line that would be strong enough to give the scrambler sufficient protection to avoid a sack.

Setting aside the vicious locker room politics this would create, the Rams would also have a guy who could potentially run the West Coast well. Vick always believed that he could be the second coming of Steve Young. He's left handed. He has an arm just as strong as Young. He can run even better than Young could. That is saying a hell of a lot, but it is true.

To be quite frank with you, Bill Walsh's offense doesn't work so well anymore. This is why nobody plays it in the pure form these days. Today, no NFL defense concedes the short pass. The quick slant, the shallow cross, and the dump off are all contested plays these days. To make the West Coast work, you must throw the ball deep and get the big play. Defenses cannot be allowed to guard a 40 yard box against you. To break the 40 yard box defense, you must throw it deeper than 40 yards. The deep pass is now a necessary addition to the West Coast. Bulger can do this. So can Michael Vick.

However, to make the 49er offense really, really, really dynamic, you have to have a QB who can run. The 49er offense was never more powerful, never to be feared more, never more dynamic than under Steve Young. If you covered his short guys with a 40 yard box, he went deep. If you covered his short and his deep guys, he simply took off and ran with the balll... 65 yards to the end zone.

There is a serious school of thought out there that thinks only Vick has a prayer of doing what Young did. Vick is the only mobile south-paw who can throw. Like Young, he stood accused of being a throwing tailback. Like Young, he might breath some new life in an aging system that doesn't work so well anymore without dynamic talent.

I must admit, that vision of the 1992 San Francisco offense up and running in St. Louis are passing through my head. However, I think it will be another mobile Southpaw named Tebow who will do this eventually.

So what do I ultimately think? I think the Rams are not going to do it. If they do do this, they better cut or trade Bulger. That won't happen because Bulger has a giant contract. It would be a massive salary cap hit to cut him, and no team will take that contract. It is cheaper to keep him, and not on the bench. The Rams have cash flow problems that aren't helped any by recession, inheritance taxes, and rumors that they are going to move back to Los Angeles. The money factor makes any move at QB extremely unlikely this year.

This is why Spagnuolo already met with Bulger and assured him that he is the starting QB in St. Louis in 2009. He has no reason to fear for his job.

What is all this absolute bullshit about Mike Vick and the Rams?

I would really rather comment on the explosion of rumors regarding the pending sale of the Rams to some interested party, but before I do that, I just want to quash the bullshit started in the bloggosphere about Michael Vick returning to the NFL with the Rams.

These rumors have absolutely no basis in fact. They have been launched by no-name bloggers who cannot correctly conjugate the verb 'to-be' and have not been reported by any credible source in the real media. It is wishful thinking on the part of two strange Ram fans who idolize Vick for some strange reason.

Spagnolo stated emphatically that the first order of business was developing the character of the team. Like the Giants he came from, he would would rather have a collection of anonymous workmen than glamorous and flashy showboats. He wants dependability, reliability, durability, longevity, certainty, credibility. I don't think Vick quite conforms to this objective checklist.

Although he has not specifically said so, I dare it safe to say Spagnolo doesn't want a rap sheet. He does not want a probation officer around the team. He doesn't want the Ft. Levanwoth Kansas Oxycontin recovery program calling him to ask how Vick is doing. He doesn't want Oxycontin induced delusions of godhood and legal invincibility. I don't think he wants 35 tons of attitude. I don't think he wants animal rights activists disrupting practice and games with protests.

In years past, I would say the Raiders are the only potential home for Vick. I don't know about that today. Al is out to prove that he didn't make a mistake with Jamarcus Russel. Frankly, Al would be better off with Michael Vick. That could be the spark that sends the Raiders over the top. Still I don't believe it will happen.

So, just a brief comment or two about Vick. Yes, Vick is a less dastardly criminal than a bunch of chaps I can mention in the NFL history. Certainly, he cannot be compared with O.J. Certainly, he cannot be compared with the two drunk driving manslaughter cases around the NFL right now. Vick is not as bad as that. Also, 'tis true that society has beaten the living shit out of him. He has been personally laid to waste by this series of judgements against him. The NFL should lift the suspension. He should be given a chance to seek employment somewhere. Honestly, despite the fact that 20 teams have serious problems at the QB position, I don't know who will want a throwing tailback with ponderous baggage.

There are many sayings about pro football. It is a game of inches. It is a game of momentum. It is a game of emotion. Now hear this saying: It is a Public Relations game. Like it or hate it, the Quarterback is the default face and identity of your football team. If you bring Mike Vick on as your starting QB, you are making him the default face and identity of your football team. That brings some ponderous baggage with it. This is one of the several reasons why I have suggested that Vick may not be able to find employment unless he is willing to play the slash like Paul Hornung or Cordel Stewart. Certainly, there are teams would embrace him in this capacity. Perhaps even Miami. He would make one hell of a Wildcat back.

Much has been said about Marc Bulger's 22 TDs and 17 INTs over the course of the past two seasons. We could have easily drafted Mark Sanchez as we were faking we would. We did not. Everybody knew it was pure draft deception intended to pimp the New York Jets into doing a deal with us. Spagnolo has already met with Bulger and told Marc he has no reason to fear replacement in 2009. 2009 belongs to Bulger. 2010 is not guaranteed to anyone.

Why? Why shouldn't 22 & 17 over two seasons get Marc the fucking boot? Because Marc has been able to argue very persuasively from the video tape that he has been trying to pass from a horizontal position in the air. As I have said many times here and everywhere, the Rams have been the second worst team in the NFL for 2 straight years because they have had the worst offensive line--period--for two straight years. Marc has suffered a pocket so poor that, at times, he has been unable to complete a simple 3 step drop without getting hit in the face by blitzes up the middle.

The Rams have upgraded the two most important positions on the offensive line. This is not nearly enough. The Rams still lack a pair of guards. At this time, they are likely to be Adam Goldberg and Ritchie Incognito. Barely adequate at best, even if they stay healthy.

The 2010 draft is the moment when the Rams will next select a serious candidate at the QB position. We'll see whether that is Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford or (my personal favorite) Tim Tebow.