So everybody is talking about Kobb, Vick and Reid

So, Andy Reid made the decision to bench Kobb and go with Vick. I was shocked as hell. Frankly I see both sides of the argument well. Ultimately, somewhat reluctantly, I concur with Reid's decision.

First, I can understand why Kobb would be pissed as hell. They traded McNabb to give him the starting job, they upped Kobb's salary, they put Vick in his place, they handed the job to Kevin. Now, after a single quarter performance--that did not go well--the job now belongs to Vick. If I were Kevin, I would feel like a horse's ass. I would feel like the biggest damn idiot of all time. Why did I believe in these people? Why did I buy into this coach? This is humiliation.

However, with that said, there is plenty of justification. Vick is playing amazing football. Furthermore, the West Coast Offense doesn't work anymore. As I mentioned once before, Reid had one hell of a retro-moment against the Packers. He attempted to run a fully Kosher WCO just exactly the way Bill Walsh and Joe Montana did it back in 1981. That was the first time I saw that style in quite some time. As we know, the experiment did not go well. The Packer defense ate them up.

Then Vick comes in and we see the WCO playbook go on the BBQ fire. It is always a night at the improv with Michael Vick running the show. This worked extremely well. Vick caused the Packer defense some serious problems. He also did an amazing job against the Detroit Lions who were game for victory.

There is a large crew of serious analysts out there who believe that only Michael Vick can do the things Steve Young once did... I happen to be one of those guys.

In any case, I have the Eagles with Kobb short-shrift. I can't ignore the Eagles with Michael Vick. I think the Eagles will win the division if Vick remains at the helm for the next 14 games. The sky is the limit. The Cowboys are not playing well. The Redskins are playing well, but I don't think they will keep it up at this pace. The Giants are just too tender and under-done on defense to give me serious hopes for them.

The Eagles with Vick will probably win the division.

So we are agreed that the Rams should take Suh at the top of the first

Ah the media... will they never cease to rumor mill in the name of having something to talk about during the off season? Absolutely not!

I felt bad for Michael Lombardi this evening. He drew the shortest straw before they recorded NFL Total Access today. He was forced to advocate Sam Bradford as the #1 pick. Our panel of experts did not agree. Marshal Falk declared that Bradford is damaged goods and Suh should be the man. Takeo Spikes was emphatic that Ndamukong Suh is a team changing force.

It was interesting that the real Michael Lombardi came out at the end of this discourse. He openly cast doubt on the notion of who is a franchise QB by raising the spectre of Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers. As he stated, if this draft were held over again, Aaron Rodgers would be the overwhelming #1. This was his little suggestion to us all that true franchise blood can be found lower than the #1 pick.

Unless the media is intentionally trying to help the Rams run a trickeration on the rest of the league, effectively conning the Redskins into making a deal with us, they are simply talking themselves into a position which is empirically unfounded. D'Marco Farr has already busted the NDA. The Rams are going to select disregarding need. It is going to be on the basis of a strict mathematical grade. Anyway you slice it, that has to be Ndamukong Suh. Unless...

I heard a rumor that Suh had not one but 2 knee surgeries. I could only find evidence of 1. Evidently, he had one before spring practice began in 2009. It kept him out of Spring drills, but did not result in any missed playing time. He played in all 13 games, and a was a crushing force. I would have a close look at that knee, but I suspect it is nothing. If he had a minor Athroscopy he will pass all the medicals. Since no one is talking about it, and he busted a tremendous 40 time, I suspect he passed all the medicals.

So why is the football media speaking as if the Rams may draft Sam Bradford? They are simply talking themselves into it. Of course, verdict they reach has nothing to do with the verdict the Rams reach. They can decide that the Rams will select Brandford as often as they please. They may be shocked come draft day. It is interesting to watch them wander so far away from the empirical indicators the organization is flashing at them.

So why don't I want the organization to draft Bradford? Well, I will tell you once more:

1. Bradford has a surgically repaired throwing shoulder
2. We do not have an offensive line that can protect him
3. There will be no plugin play rookie QB solution for the Rams in 2010
4. If we select Bradford, he may well become the next Jim Plunkett story
5. I want to trade a condition 2011 pick to the Eagles for Michael Vick
6. I want to Draft Tim Tebow with the #33 pick in 2010
7. I want to fire Pat Shurmer
8. I want to tap Mike Leach as our new OC

There you have it ladies and germs. I am all in favor of drafting a QB in 2010. I just want to do this in the 2nd round, not the first. Fixing our QB problem is very important to me. I just need you media guys to come off it and recognize that Sam Bradford--good as he is--is not workable fit for the St. Louis Rams. Once again, I don't like criticizing Bradford. I think he is one hell of a good kid. I just know he is going to die if we draft him. If you love the kid, you don't want that for him. Neither do I. It doesn't advance our cause to kill Sam Bradford, and it sure doesn't do him any good does it?

Let's close the deal for Michael Vick tomorrow

Michael Vick will be owed a $1.5m check if he is still on the Eagles' roster as of 12:00:01 AM Friday March 5th, 2010. If the Eagles have any intent to trade him, they will be at one of their motivation points tomorrow. If we hear the term 4th rounder for Vick, we should not hesitate to clasp hands and sign the documents. Fax them right over to headquarters on Park Avenue and complete the deal.

I understand my guru Mike Mayock believes it is our best interest to string this thing along create as much confusion as possible. This is the best way to snooker the Redskins or the Bucs into making a deal. The only problem is that I have run all those probabilistic scenarios a few times in a simple game model. The table looks real bad for game players. We have very little chance of dealing the #1 pick to the Redskins and less chance of dealing the pick to the Bucs. We are talking about a very low order of probability.

The bottom line is that Ndamukong Suh is special, but he plays the deepest position in this year's draft. If there were no other DTs in this year's draft, there would be a chance of catching an addict in the Joneses. Nobody is Jonesing for DT this year. There are plenty. Worse, this is probably the last draft where you will need to dish out $10-$12m for a #1 pick. Just our luck to be taking there this year. The pick is radio active. We ain't dealing it. I just don't think trickeration is going to work here.

So why waste time and breath? Why fuck around?

Closing the deal for Vick will solidify our 2010 plans, and it will cease the endless and unproductive babble of the need-based draft theorists. We know we ain't taking a QB at the top of the first round this year. Let's show them why.

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.

Are we hot for Vick?

I don't think 'hot' is quite the right word for the situation at hand. I think we've reached the point where we are ready to give it a try. Some of believe it is a logical, albeit uncomfortable, fit given our present circumstances... which are difficult to say the least.

Consider the following facts:

• The Rams averaged only 10.9 points per game in 2009. That made us #32 in scoring, or dead last in the league.
• Quarterback play was terrible. Only 4 teams passed for less than we did.
• We were a mono-dimensional running team, with just one weapon: Steven Jackson
• The line was suspect last season, even with Alex Barron, Jacob Bell, and Ritchie Incognito. Incognito is now gone. Barron is sure to follow. Bell will likely return... but with a really bad hamstring problem. We are in deep shit on the offensive line.
• Our receiver corp is very thin. We may have two good men. We may draft another. We will still be very thin unless we acquire someone like Brandon Marshall.
• Marc Bulger, our starting QB for the past 8 season, just cleaned out his locker. We are expected to cut him because he is set to make $8.5 million and cannot stay healthy.
• Regrettably, Kyle Boller was ineffective last season. He is now an unrestricted free agent.
• Dealing for Vick allows us to avoid playing a rookie QB.
• Dealing for Vick guarantees us free resources to select Ndamukong Suh.

Given this scenario, what in the hell are we supposed to do? Acquiring the fastest damn QB who ever played the game is pretty good move considering this scenario. Just like any other QB, Michael Vick would greatly appreciate an all-pro offensive line. Unlike most QBs, he doesn't die a pigs death when he lacks this advantage. Vick's speed and pocket awareness has made him one of the most difficult QBs to sack in each and every season he has played in the league. It also forces at least one 'Green Dog' to stay in the shallow zone and spy on him when ever he drops back to throw. This fact would make life easier for our thin receiver corp.

Vick has been described as a throwing tailback who would rather carry than throw the football. That reputation is detrimental in many places. Not in St. Louis. In St. Louis it might be the only shot we have at scoring just 10 more points per game. When you have a thin corp of receivers who can be smothered, you need a QB who can run. When you have a poor line, poor receivers, and an immobile QB, you experience travesties like the one we experienced last season.

Imagine the Rams have a 3rd and Goal situation on the 3 yard line. Imagine we run a naked bootleg where the fake Packer-Sweep goes right, and Vick + the football go left. The defense will respect Steven Jackson near the goal line. You are ill advised not to. Vick can either throw to a trailing tight end or run it in. The Falcons ran this play quite a bit when they had Vick. More often than not, Vick just sprinted into the endzone. He made it look easy.

Does Vick plug a ton of holes? Not exactly, but he can do reasonably well in spite of our terrible holes. Can Vick 'make it work in St. Louis'? It depends upon what you mean when you ask that question. If you expect the Rams to average 28.7 points per game next season, forget it. If we can average 20 per game that would be a huge moral victory. If you think we can go 9-7 with Vick next season and get the 6th slot in the NFC, you should dial down your expectations. 20 points per game might get us to 7-9... maybe... Vick can make the offense work better. Don't expect the Greatest Show on Turf.

The most important aspects of acquiring Vick are the long-term bennies. As you well know, I am a major advocate of drafting Tim Tebow. The Rams have already featured him several times on the official corporate website. I am very happy this is so. As we all know, Tebow will require 1 full red-shirt season in the NFL, and perhaps 2. Vick will make it possible to draft Tebow and be patient. Better still, he prepares the way for a Tebow era in several important ways:

• Vick is a mobile southpaw, and Tebow is a mobile southpaw. Vick is much faster and Tebow is much more powerful, but their approaches are not dissimilar in concept. To get anything out of these two gentlemen the offensive will have to be re-jiggered to work well for an athletic mobile southpaw.
• Vick loves to operate from the shotgun. So does Tebow. Having these two on the depth chart will force us to use more of the shotgun, wildcat and spread. This is a good thing.
• Lefties spin the ball in the opposite direction of the righties. Believe it or not, receivers are impacted by this fact. Just ask Jerry Rice. Jerry will tell you he experienced a significant adjustment period when Steve Young became the QB in SF. Having Vick and Tebow will allow our WRs to get used to a consistent left-handed spin.
• Our Right Tackle will always be the blind-side protector, and he will know that. He will be able to prepare himself accordingly. Incidentally, we better keep Jason Smith there.
• Hopefully, by the time Tebow is ready, we will have enhanced our offensive line a great deal. Even if we haven't, Tebow is a big, strong, robust young man who can escape and run if he has to.
• The cost of acquiring Vick is said to be a 3rd or a 4th round draft pick. Our 3rd needs to be Dexter McCluster. If they will take a 4th, acquiring Vick is a very cheap transaction indeed. Our odds of selecting a QB better than Vick in the 4th round are slim and none. It could happen, but the probability is very low.
• There is another rumor circulating today which states that the transaction for Vick will only occur after the 2010 draft if finished and done. This gives the Eagles a chance to shop for a new young QB, and it gives the Rams the ability to pay later by mortgaging a 2011 pick or two. This has advantages for both sides.
• Jamie Dukes believes that Vick would increase Steven Jackson's production by 300 yards. This is due to the fear of the bootleg which would force backside defenders to stay at home. Vince Young had a similar impact on Chris Johnson this season.
• Vick has had seasons where he ran for 1,000 yards all by himself. Supposedly this would make us the #1 rushing team in the league.
• In a best case scenario, Jackson rushes for 1,700+, Vick rushes for 1,000+, and between the two of them we average something like 168 yards on the ground per game.

The more important fact is that Vick paves the way for Tebow. Vick will be 30 years old on June 26th. Baring unforeseen injury, he will easily be able to play until Tim Tebow is ready.

In summary, these are the logical reasons why the Rams should be willing to trade for Vick this season.

So Vick is coming to the Rams...?

Bouy... the once proud Yahoo! Sports section is really circling the drain now. According to unnamed and sundry sources inside some Fantasy Football league, the Eagles are planning to deal Vick to the Rams.

According to these 'sources', Jason La Canfora is biting on a piece of trickeration. The Eagles will deal Vick, and the Rams are the leading contenders to acquire Vick's services via trade. This is because Billy Devaney was in Atlanta during the time Vick was QB there, and Spagnuolo was a defensive assistant to Jimmy Johnson for years. Allegedly, this means he can mine Andy Reid's mind for useful nuggets about Vick.

All this proves that a deal is going down. Yep...

When Adam Schefter and Jason La Canfora report the deal is in the works, I will believe it. When Yahoo! sites fanboys who have yet to move out of their mother's basement, I just can't believe the reports. Further, I am astounded that Yahoo! sports would report a story with this kind of credibility gap in the sources.

No Michael Vick for the Rams

Last night, Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network surprised me, and everyone else who follows the NFL, with the following juicy tid-bit. The Eagles love having three good QBs, and they have every intention of maintaining the status quo. Although Michael Vick has publicly stated that he wants to be a starter again, the Eagles have no intention of trading him, and Vick is not on the trading block. The Eagles feel that they are poised for a Super Bowl run in 2010, and they don't want any hiccups if Donovan McNabb should happen to be injured for a couple of games.

When asked what they will do with Vick on a game-to-game basis, Andy Reid indicates that he is going to go back to the drawing board and re-work the Wildcat program that didn't quite work in 2009. He intends to try it again. If at first you don't succeed...

It should be noted that Yahoo Sports categorically rejects Jason's report, but they do so on logical rather than factual grounds. Mark J. Miller simply declares that it makes no sense to pay such a large figure to Vick in 2010 when he is just a backup. He still believes that Vick will be traded or released in the Spring of 2010.

Mr. Miller may be forgetting that the Commish has stated in no uncertain terms that 2010 is going to be an uncapped year. Normal rules do not apply or pertain to 2010. The Eagles can spend the money if they want too.

I listened to these reports with substantial disappointment. Those who read this blog know that I am not a particular fan of Vick, and that I favor Tebow as a long term solution to the Rams' QB needs. Still, all of us Tebow fans know full-well that Tebow is going to require at least one full Red-Shirt season in the NFL to work on mechanics. I was hoping that we could acquire Michael Vick as our starter for (at least) 2010. This would allow us to construct our offense entirely around the concept of having a mobile Southpaw Quarterback. This would make our line adapt to blocking for mobile Lefty, and get all our receivers used to the reverse spin on the Football.

Just as I became used to the idea of this perfect fit, the Eagles went and snatched it away from me. Let's hope the Yahoo's Mike Miller is correct about this, but I think La Canfora is the better source.

So Jamie Dukes is trying to put Mike Vick with the Rams again?

For (at least) the second time in recent history, Jamie Dukes is campaigning for the Rams to give Mike Vick a hard look. Vick will be an unrestricted free agent come this off season, and he is not at all happy as a backup. He wants to be a starter.

The QB market was a sellers market just 1 year ago. Now the market is getting harder. As has been often stated this season, 2009 has been a winfall for QBs. Some say that we are living at the apex of QB efficiency. One team that clearly has shit for quarterbacks is my Ram team. We have two Chinadolls who cannot stay healthy and show great signs of phobia on the field.

There is little doubt that few teams have a worse QB situation than my Rams. Buffalo might be one of them. Carolina might be one of them. If I were Vick, I would campaign for the Carolina job. You get a better team, nice weather, and it ain't far from Virgina Tech. I am not sure why Dukes is so insistant that Vick should go to the Rams. Perhaps it is because our offensive line is (once again) dirt squat poor, and Vick's scrambling ways can be justified fully under the circumstances.

I would be willing to look at Vick as a short-term solution. I would not be willing to commit the indefinet future to Vick. I am still greatly in favor of acquiring a strong young quarterback (or two) in the Draft (e.g. Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Jevan Snead) and developing these young men for 2012; the year the Rams return to Los Angeles.

Mike Vick to the 49ers?

Most of the NFL news today revolves around the release of Michael Vick from the U.S. Penal system. He is now a free man. So where does he go from here? Many sports writers are advocating his reinstatement. I doubt that will be much a problem. I happen to think he will be reinstated without much delay.

One reason to predict a quick reinstatement is that Roger Goodell knows Vick won't have an easy time finding a job. Animal rights activists are a bitch. Taking two prime years out of an athlete's career is also a bitch. The life & times of a black quarterback who runs a lot is not exactly easy either. Vick has the reputation of being a throwing tailback. That is as difficult to live down as the dog-fighting rep. Goodell probably won't hesitate to say yes because his yes won't guarantee Vick a future in the NFL.

So in view of this, where can Vick play quarterback in the NFL? In a previous blog entry, I advanced my theory that the team with the worst QB situation in the NFL is the team most likely to sign Vick. So who the heck is that Football team? There are several candidates, but I think that one of them stands out head and shoulders without a peer: The San Francisco 49ers.

Let's face the facts jack, the 49ers ain't got nothing at the QB position. They have shit-squat, poodly squat, and cock-squat at the three QB slots on their depth chart. To you 49er fans out there: This is not a Ram fan breaking your balls. It is what it is, as Peyton Manning would say. You know that this is the truth. Your biggest single problem in life is the fact that you don't have a QB. Most 49er fans in the know openly lament this fact. I have heard considerable weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth on the radio up North, and it is all about the QB situation. Gone is Joe, gone is Steve, gone is Elvis, gone is Bono, gone is Jeff... they have all gone away. Several 49er fans I know would kill for the second-coming of Steve DeBerg.

With that said, the 49ers have already stated emphatically, absolutely, and categorically that they have no interest in Michael Vick. You better re-evaluate that decision. Unless Coach Singletary categorically refuses to work with this guy, you should sign him. If Coach Singletary is open and receptive to the idea, you better sign him. Right now, this is your only-ist wing and a prayer of coming up with the Franchise QB in time for 2009.

On the other hand, I am beginning to suspect that Vick will become a Patriot. This is probably the Patriot's only-ist hope of getting back into the Super Bowl in 2009. Vick will probably accept as it is an opportunity to win a big [blank]ing ring.

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.