Eric Dickerson on the Rich Eisen Show (Firing Fisher, Trading for Faulk, and possibly becoming a GM)

[LACHAMP46]

ED comes from waaaay before my time as both a Rams fan and a living, breathing human being.

I don't know anything about him in all honesty except for the impression he's given me these last few weeks.

This won't be popular but that impression isn't a very good one.

ED is obviously a FAN first, and foremost. Dude probably knows more football than most...And like Les said below \/

But he was arguably the best pure runner the NFL has ever seen.

Easily top 5

and I would like to put Billy Sims, and Bo Jackson in there, but no longevity on those two...But trust me lumber tubbs, if you like backs, you'd love Sims...and Bo wasn't human.

I'd love to have some actual FOOTBALL PEOPLE on this staff...Not pine riders at Auburn...Not suck ups and liars...Straight shooters that tell it like it is. Competitive sports isn't nice...I mean, dudes feelings get hurt every day...You're not getting it done, by....Hey JJ, we really love what you do here, what can we do to make you stay? You know we want to put a team around you...But you are the #1 priority...Can I get you, Tru and McLeod (and I don't miss McLeod)...to help us out?? This sneaky, behind the back, deny every thing then backtrack, excuse riddled team needs a fucking enema...to wash all the bullshit out. ED will bring that...Hell, any REAL FOOTBALL GUY...Why does everyone LIKE Mike Singletary? He tells the fucking truth...He also built a pretty good roster in SF too.

 

[JIMERAMS]

ED is obviously a FAN first, and foremost. Dude probably knows more football than most...And like Les said below \/

Easily top 5

and I would like to put Billy Sims, and Bo Jackson in there, but no longevity on those two...But trust me lumber tubbs, if you like backs, you'd love Sims...and Bo wasn't human.

I'd love to have some actual FOOTBALL PEOPLE on this staff...Not pine riders at Auburn...Not suck ups and liars...Straight shooters that tell it like it is. Competitive sports isn't nice...I mean, dudes feelings get hurt every day...You're not getting it done, by....Hey JJ, we really love what you do here, what can we do to make you stay? You know we want to put a team around you...But you are the #1 priority...Can I get you, Tru and McLeod (and I don't miss McLeod)...to help us out?? This sneaky, behind the back, deny every thing then backtrack, excuse riddled team needs a freaking enema...to wash all the bullcrap out. ED will bring that...Hell, any REAL FOOTBALL GUY...Why does everyone LIKE Mike Singletary? He tells the freaking truth...He also built a pretty good roster in SF too.

Mike singletary? He was the worse coach I have ever seen and your right ED is just like him. Great player but not good for anything else. They are all about themselves and think they know everything

 

[tempests]

Does Eric ever turn down an interview? Man loves to hear himself talk.

 

[badnews]

ED is obviously a FAN OF ED first, and foremost.

I'd love to have some actual FOOTBALL PEOPLE on this staff...Not pine riders at Auburn...Not suck ups and liars...Straight shooters that tell it like it is. Competitive sports isn't nice...I mean, dudes feelings get hurt every day...You're not getting it done, by....Hey JJ, we really love what you do here, what can we do to make you stay? You know we want to put a team around you...But you are the #1 priority...Can I get you, Tru and McLeod (and I don't miss McLeod)...to help us out?? This sneaky, behind the back, deny every thing then backtrack, excuse riddled team needs a freaking enema...to wash all the bullcrap out. ED will bring that...Hell, any REAL FOOTBALL GUY...Why does everyone LIKE Mike Singletary? He tells the freaking truth...He also built a pretty good roster in SF too.

And I want Marshall Faulk to be our HC.
But that's just me, as a fan, speaking.
In reality there is no correlation between star players being better Coaches or GMS than others.

Your dislike of Fisher is fine but to suggest that we didn't have "real football people" is just... well, not reality.
Our salary cap guy wasn't a football player... so beyond Demoff, I'm not sure who you are talking about. Snead?

What makes you think Dickerson would be good at a FO or even a Coaching job? He has done nothing to suggest he would be good at it.

And also, real professionals don't air their dirty laundry in the media.
Just because you don't hear Mike Wauffle call out guys on the radio doesn't mean he doesn't do it.

You like ED and dislike Fisher and I totally understand that.
I just don't understand why talking shit and "calling it like it is" is suddenly an important criteria for running a football team?

I'll take a Dick Vermeil over a Mike Singletary type any day of the week and twice on Sundays... and I really like Singletary. But going around and talking crazy and dropping pants doesn't win games, it just creates a distraction.

To each his own though.
I just hope they get it right and build a winner and I'm sure we agree on that Go Rams!!!

 

[RamFan503]

In reality there is no correlation between star players being better Coaches or GMS than others.

Can you say Magic Johnson?

Yeah - ED was a thing to behold when he was playing. I've never seen anyone glide like that and then finish off a run by trying to fuck up a LB or DB's day. But him as a GM? Just don't see it. I suppose I'd have to see what his actual qualifications are besides being a great RB, jacking his jaw, and holding out for more money.

 

[Ramstien]

I always thought Faulk would be a good GM.

 

[badnews]

Can you say Magic Johnson?

LOL his record as the LAKERS HC was 5-11.
Sounds like our kinda guy.
Get him on the phone Stan!!!

 

[RamFan503]

I always thought Faulk would be a good GM.

Marshall may be. I don't view ED in the same way. Of course I thought Scott and Magic were both going to be good HCs for the Lakers. Yeah... I think they are better off not listening to me.

 

[JIMERAMS]

Marshall has more football knowledge in his little finger than ED has. Also a guy like Peyton manning may be a good gm but not many can do it

 

[Mikey Ram]

ED comes from waaaay before my time as both a Rams fan and a living, breathing human being.

I don't know anything about him in all honesty except for the impression he's given me these last few weeks.

This won't be popular but that impression isn't a very good one.

I DO go back to (and way before) Dickerson's time...I guess everybody here loves him cause he was a great RB and bashes everything Rams that he isn't responsible for...I never heard a peep from him when this team was in St. Louis...Spare me the ugly responses here, I think he's been acting like a prima donna narcissistic bitch...So now he's on a mission to get Snead fired so that they'll beg him to be the GM ??? Next I suppose he'll refuse to go to a game until Stan gifts him a free ownership share...Yeah, I know he's revered by everybody here, just not me...

 

[JIMERAMS]

I DO go back to (and way before) Dickerson's time...I guess everybody here loves him cause he was a great RB and bashes everything Rams that he isn't responsible for...I never heard a peep from him when this team was in St. Louis...Spare me the ugly responses here, I think he's been acting like a prima donna narcissitic bitch...So now he's on a mission to get Snead fired so that they'll beg him to be the GM ??? Next I suppose he'll refuse to go to a game until Stan gifts him a free ownership share...Yeah, I know he's revered by everybody here, just not me...

1000 likes to you for that post.

 

[Dodgersrf]

ED would not be a good talent evaluator. He has a radio show and he's not even prepared for that. He just bases his opinion with very little insight.
Love him as a former Ram, but that is all.

 

[LACHAMP46]

But him as a GM? Just don't see it. I suppose I'd have to see what

I guess Les IS a professional talent evaluator ....and ED can't do better ....
Shoot me

 

[LACHAMP46]

singletary? He was the worse coach I have ever seen and

Yet he built a team that went to the NFC West championship game 3 years in a row after he left ...shoot me again

 

[Merlin]

Always thought the Marshall Faulk trade was too shrewd for Shaw and Zygmunt to envision and cook up. Makes sense that they had a little help.

 

[RamFan503]

I guess Les IS a professional talent evaluator ....and ED can't do better ....
Shoot me

If you insist. I suppose by definition you are right. Les is a professional. But I'm trying to see where I said ED couldn't do better. I don't see him doing better but I'm pretty sure I also said they shouldn't listen to me so... But that's cool. Ignore what I'm really saying while still not offering how and why you think he could actually do the job. I sure hope the Rams use that kind of reasoning.

 

[RamFan503]

Yet he built a team that went to the NFC West championship game 3 years in a row after he left ...shoot me again

So if someone comes in and starts winning with this team, you are saying Fisher was a brilliant coach? I'm not sure even Singletary would say he was great HC for SF. Maybe he would be on his second go 'round but jury is still out on that - no?

 

[RamFan503]

Yet he built a team that went to the NFC West championship game 3 years in a row after he left ...shoot me again

Just curious also. Did he actually have full control or final say on personnel? My guess is no with him never being an HC before that.

But nice form on the "shoot me" BS. It makes for great discussion.

 

[tempests]

Always thought the Marshall Faulk trade was too shrewd for Shaw and Zygmunt to envision and cook up. Makes sense that they had a little help.

Eh. Dickerson heard something from Irsay and passed it on to Shaw at the Pro Bowl. That was the extent of his involvement.

If you want to know how it went down, here it is.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_29d281fd-4f62-5190-8148-e1fb2b5bca75.html

The seed was planted in Hawaii of all places, 12 years ago this week. John Shaw didn't attend many Pro Bowls, but for some reason the Rams' president was there following the 1998 season.

"I ran into Eric Dickerson, and Eric told me that they might want to trade Marshall Faulk," Shaw recalled. "Eric and Marshall were friends."

Dickerson, of course, is the Hall of Fame running back who started his career with the Rams before being traded to Indianapolis. Faulk, who could become a Hall of Fame back this Saturday when the selection committee meets in Dallas, started his career with Indy before being traded to the Rams.


Dickerson's "tip" may have piqued Shaw's interest; then again ...

"You hear a lot of rumors," Shaw said in a recent interview. "You never know. I never thought anything would materialize. It was just one of those things that you heard. It wasn't until a couple of months later that I really started talking to Bill Polian."

The Rams certainly needed the help in the backfield. During a dreadful 4-12 season, the team's rushing leader was June Henley. With a measly 313 yards.

The '98 Rams had a playoff-caliber group on the other side of the ball, finishing 10th in the league in total defense with a solid nucleus that included Kevin Carter, D'Marco Farr, Michael Jones, Todd Lyght and Keith Lyle. But on offense, they could barely avoid tripping over their own feet. In what was then a 30-team league, they finished 24th in scoring, 27th in total offense and 29th in rushing offense.

Late in the '98 season, in an otherwise empty locker room at Rams Park, Carter and Farr desperately pleaded for playmakers on offense if the team was going to end its string of nine straight losing seasons. The infusion of offensive talent from the '96 draft had turned out to be a disaster.

Troubled running back Lawrence Phillips already was gone. Quarterback Tony Banks and wide receiver Eddie Kennison were headed out the door. With just nine victories in his first 32 games, coach Dick Vermeil was squarely on the hot seat. The honeymoon was over among Rams fans, too, as the no-show count climbed into the thousands each home game.

Even the players weren't buying in. There was a near revolt at the start of the '98 season over Vermeil's grueling three-hour practices. At the end of the season, several players skipped the flight home from the finale in San Francisco in a clear sign of disrespect.

So there was a lot of pressure on the front office to make things right. What followed was one of the most dramatic makeovers in NFL history.

"It was unbelievable," Shaw said. "It all just kind of came together."

Free agency started in February in those days, and the Rams made two quick moves, signing Washington quarterback Trent Green and Green Bay offensive guard Adam Timmerman. At the NFL scouting combine, the team traded Kennison to New Orleans for a second-round draft pick.

"And we brought Mike (Martz) in that year as offensive coordinator," Shaw said. "That was a key piece. But while you're doing it, you still don't think that you can make a big enough move."

And what about running back? Were the Colts really trading Faulk?

The No. 2 overall draft pick in '94, Faulk already was established as one of the league's top running backs. In his first five seasons, Faulk topped 1,000 yards rushing four times and made three Pro Bowls. His '98 season was his best to date, with 1,319 yards rushing and 908 yards receiving.

Even so, he had an image as a malcontent, had knee issues and wanted a new contract that would pay him at a level commensurate with an elite back. In March, Dickerson's words to Shaw in Hawaii went beyond the stage of insider's gossip.

"The first I heard of it was when we were at the NFL owners' meetings in March," Vermeil recalled. "John Shaw said that Marshall Faulk was going to be available for a trade. Should we be interested? I said, 'You bet we should be interested.' So all of us went to work on it, and just continually shared our responsibilities in communicating with the powers to be in Indianapolis."

Shaw continued his discussions with Polian, the Colts' president. Vermeil worked on Colts head coach Jim Mora, whom he had known for a third of a century.

"And it would be on again, off again, on again, off again," Vermeil said.

"They were looking for a 'one' when we first talked," Shaw said. "And we had a very high one."

For the fifth season in a row, the Rams began an offseason with the No. 6 overall pick.

"There's no way we were going to give up the No. 6," Shaw said. "My recollection is then they wanted both twos."

The Rams had their original pick in the second round, No. 36 overall, plus the No. 41 overall pick they had acquired from the Saints for Kennison.

"But the team needed to build," Shaw said, meaning the Rams were unwilling to part with both second-rounders. "As things developed the conversation became a two, plus something."

That in itself was astonishing to Shaw, given Faulk's body of work. At the time, the Rams' personnel department had only Detroit's Barry Sanders and Denver's Terrell Davis, fresh off a 2,000-yard rushing season and second straight Super Bowl title, rated ahead of Faulk in the NFL.

"Now, not in a million years, when you hear that Marshall's going to be traded do you think that you could do it for a two," Shaw said.

Of course, while the Colts were talking to the Rams, they were also talking to other clubs, so things moved slowly. Good fortune as much as anything helped the Rams get Faulk for a bargain. Two of the teams most interested that offseason — Miami and New England — played in the AFC East along with Indy at the time. (Realignment wouldn't send the Colts to the AFC South until 2002.)

The Colts probably could have gotten more from the Dolphins or Patriots for Faulk, but Faulk agent Rocky Arceneaux and Rams vice president of player personnel Charley Armey, among others, said Polian was unwilling to trade Faulk to a division rival.


And there were two marquee backs in the draft that year in Ricky Williams and Edgerrin James. Their potential availability may have lowered what teams were willing to offer for Faulk, and may have even made the Colts — who picked fourth overall that year — willing to take less.

"It's kind of like the stars lined up for us," Shaw said.

But with just a few days remaining before the draft, there was still no deal.

"I remember being in Charley Armey's office with Charley, myself, Jay Zygmunt and John Shaw talking about it," Vermeil said. "And we were just sort of at a standstill. A stalemate. And I said, 'Wait a minute guys, I'm going to go call Jim Mora.'"

Vermeil went back to his office and called Mora, who was much more than a potential trading partner — he was a longtime friend. They were on John Ralston's Stanford staff in 1967, and when Vermeil became head coach at UCLA in 1974, Mora was his linebackers coach. The two old friends cut through the posturing and gamesmanship.

• Vermeil: "Jim, can we get this done?"

• Mora: "Yeah, I think we can. What are you offering?"

• Vermeil: "A second and fourth."

• Mora: "Let me find out."


Vermeil stayed on the line, while Mora went to get his answer.

"Jim comes back on the line and he says, 'It's a deal,' " Vermeil recalled.

Vermeil then walked back to Armey's office and said, "Guys, we just traded for Marshall Faulk. All the work you guys have put in, hey, it paid off.

"And John Shaw said, 'What did you give up?'

"And I said, 'A second and fourth.'

"And he said, 'That's too much. Let me talk to 'em.'

"John Shaw moved it from a second and fourth to a second and fifth. And then we all sort of high-fived and we knew we were getting a running back."

Martz, the new offensive coordinator, thought it was a prank when he found out about the deal.

"I didn't believe it," Martz said in a phone interview Saturday. "I thought they were teasing me. I wasn't involved in any of that. I just went in my office every day and closed the door, put my head down and went to work."

They weren't teasing. On Thursday, April 15, just two days before the '99 draft, the Rams announced the trade. Armey still can't believe how cheaply Faulk had come.

"A Hall of Fame player for a second-rounder and fifth-rounder?" he said earlier this month. "You'd give your mother up for that kind of a trade. He was the missing link for our team. We didn't have a running back at that point."

The Rams ended up using that No. 6 overall pick for wide receiver Torry Holt, putting the finishing touch on what would become one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history. Mike Ditka and the New Orleans Saints traded their entire remaining '98 draft to move up to the No. 5 spot for Williams, who had declined to meet with the Rams at the combine.

And at No. 4, the Colts ended up taking James, who had a lot of success in Indianapolis.

"But I tell you what, Edgerrin James is no Marshall Faulk," Armey said. "That might be one of the best trades in the history of the National Football League for value. I can't remember many trades as valuable as that one, for what you gave up and what you got."

Still, the trade wasn't immediately viewed that way by some.

"The market for Faulk wasn't great," ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported at the time. "I've talked to a lot of teams that didn't have strong feelings for Faulk. They felt the same thing as the Colts, that he only had one year you could maybe get excited about, and you don't give that kind of money to a running back who has two or three shelf-life years left, especially if you have doubts about his potential."

Alarm bells were even sounded in St. Louis after Faulk let it be known at his inaugural Rams news conference that he wouldn't report to minicamps or offseason work in St. Louis without a new contract.

Rams May Live to Regret Trade for Faulk read one headline in the Post-Dispatch.

But less than a year later, with the Lombardi Trophy sitting at Rams Park and the brief but spectacular Greatest Show on Turf era under way, it became known as the best St. Louis sports trade since Ernie Broglio for Lou Brock.

 

[LesBaker]

I DO go back to (and way before) Dickerson's time...I guess everybody here loves him cause he was a great RB and bashes everything Rams that he isn't responsible for...I never heard a peep from him when this team was in St. Louis...Spare me the ugly responses here, I think he's been acting like a prima donna narcissistic bitch...So now he's on a mission to get Snead fired so that they'll beg him to be the GM ??? Next I suppose he'll refuse to go to a game until Stan gifts him a free ownership share...Yeah, I know he's revered by everybody here, just not me...

I think you have it right.

1000 likes to you for that post.

Give him money. LOL.

Yet he built a team that went to the NFC West championship game 3 years in a row after he left ...shoot me again

Singletary was just the coach, he had nothing to do with personnel at all.