NEW: New Year Resolutions For St. Louis Rams

[STL-Rams]

K, I read it. I agree with a lot of it, but there are obviously some things I disagree with. Specifically:

You can't eliminate "coaching chaos" by bringing in another coach after three years. That creates (or adds) to chaos. It's kinda the very definition of chaos, really. Whether or not Spagnuolo is that guy, this Organization rarely sticks to one guy for very long. Some of that is justified (Linehan) or not (Martz, Spags). When a coach has a specific vision, you should (as an Owner) try to help him achieve that goal instead of cutting it short before it's realized. And giving coaches power they shouldn't wield (the draft) is a recipe for disaster. The chaos can be eliminated by sticking with a plan and then just letting coaches coach. Just coach. As such, you should have touched upon a team President as part of the solution.

Kroenke isn't going to say anything definitive about staying in St Louis. He may pay it lip service, but that's about it.

I'd take it easy on the comparison to the Packers unless you're going to illustrate how long they've been in the same system, how much continuity and stability that Organization has enjoyed over the past several years, and how their depth at skill positions have allowed them to continue on after suffering any kind of injury (sans QB). Which, incidentally, hasn't been near as impactful as the injuries here have been.

Mark LeVoir is on the Rams already - not in Baltimore.

When assessing free agent needs, you should probably campaign for guys who have a familiarity with the scheme here. If not, it's quite possible that some of those guys you want will struggle to learn this system - even WITH a full off-season. I'd make a mention of the complexity of both systems here too. Remember, these are two guys who coordinated in a Superbowl, and one guy shut down one of the more prolific offenses in history that day. These aren't easy systems to learn, so big names aren't always the right choices. Would have been cool if you mentioned the "big names" who were on that Superbowl winning team at linebacker. Because they weren't big names at all.

Other than that, I thought it was good. I shared your feelings on a good deal of it.

Points well taken regarding the "coaching chaos" slide and I understand your sentiments. However, for long-term stability I believe that stability will come by bringing in a proven head coach and I believe that chances are good after doing so that the individual will be here for a long time.

As for free agent needs, I did not mention who I would want... Just picked a few of the bigger names that could be options... (and with a potential coaching change, at this point we don't truly know what our schemes will be so picking in regard to scheme wouldn't do much good at the moment imo.)

As for LeVoir, thanks...

Finally, in regard to St. Louis, depending on how the lease situation disussion go, we should know A GREAT DEAL more regarding the long-term future of the Rams in St. Louis. If they work out the lease, even by addding several years to it, that bodes well and "says it's St. Louis" to a great degree.

I wasn't in any way asking or expecting Kroenke to "say it's St. Louis" right now, but through his actions by the end of the lease discussion process this year...


Thanks for the read, X, and feedback. Happy new year.

 

[-X-]

No Strahan on the Rams. If memory serves Brady went into that Super Bowl obviously injured. Even with Brady obviously injured it took the most freakish reception ever for the Giants offense to keep a drive alive to score the winning TD.

Strahan's not a linebacker. Thus, not really my point. And however the Giants' offense was able to win, it was the fact that the Patriots' offense was held to 14 points in the SB after averaging over 5 TD's a game that year. Context, man. Context. My point was, (is) that both McDaniels and Spagnuolo are proven commodities in the NFL on offense and defense. It would be a shame, and quite frankly a travesty, to break up that team before they even had a chance to get their schemes clicking together on the field. But such is the norm around here. If it doesn't work, keep trying to fix it.

 

[Anonymous]

No Strahan on the Rams. If memory serves Brady went into that Super Bowl obviously injured. Even with Brady obviously injured it took the most freakish reception ever for the Giants offense to keep a drive alive to score the winning TD.

Strahan's not a linebacker. Thus, not really my point. And however the Giants' offense was able to win, it was the fact that the Patriots' offense was held to 14 points in the SB after averaging over 5 TD's a game that year. Context, man. Context. My point was, (is) that both McDaniels and Spagnuolo are proven commodities in the NFL on offense and defense. It would be a shame, and quite frankly a travesty, to break up that team before they even had a chance to get their schemes clicking together on the field. But such is the norm around here. If it doesn't work, keep trying to fix it.

I never said Strahan was a LB. Strahan as a DE anchored his position. At best we have an emerging Strahan in Long (yes what a stretch but this is a "Hardcore Homers" site). My point about Brady being obviously injured has everything to do with not scoring much in that Super Bowl. That is context. As for McDaniels, much like Weiss....it looks like Belichick is the brains at NE. McD wasn't exactly good at Denver considering the Rams beat them in Denver last season. As for Spags he's had 3 years with his system here and our run D is WORSE.

Context as of beginning of this season:

Youth movement reversed via player cuts ad veteran FA signings....injuries.....bad game planning.....veteran FA busts....practice squad infusions.....back to youth and possibly a 3-13 season.

 

[-X-]

No Strahan on the Rams. If memory serves Brady went into that Super Bowl obviously injured. Even with Brady obviously injured it took the most freakish reception ever for the Giants offense to keep a drive alive to score the winning TD.

Strahan's not a linebacker. Thus, not really my point. And however the Giants' offense was able to win, it was the fact that the Patriots' offense was held to 14 points in the SB after averaging over 5 TD's a game that year. Context, man. Context. My point was, (is) that both McDaniels and Spagnuolo are proven commodities in the NFL on offense and defense. It would be a shame, and quite frankly a travesty, to break up that team before they even had a chance to get their schemes clicking together on the field. But such is the norm around here. If it doesn't work, keep trying to fix it.

I never said Strahan was a LB. Strahan as a DE anchored his position. At best we have an emerging Strahan in Long (yes what a stretch but this is a "Hardcore Homers" site). My point about Brady being obviously injured has everything to do with not scoring much in that Super Bowl. That is context. As for McDaniels, much like Weiss....it looks like Belichick is the brains at NE. McD wasn't exactly good at Denver considering the Rams beat them in Denver last season. As for Spags he's had 3 years with his system here and our run D is WORSE.

Context as of beginning of this season:

Youth movement reversed via player cuts ad veteran FA signings....injuries.....bad game planning.....veteran FA busts....practice squad infusions.....back to youth and possibly a 3-13 season.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, but that's probably my fault. I didn't expect you to jump in the middle of a discussion I was having with Shane, and as such, I had no idea what you were referring to. You just kinda came in with this "No Strahan on the Rams" thing, so I assumed you were talking about what I said about Spagnuolo's linebackers.

As far as Brady is concerned, I guess you don't remember a lot of that game. Pressure up front (quick penetration) made him hurry his throws, and his corners were all over Moss as a result. Welker had his underneath zones, but they kept him contained between the 20's for most of the game. The pressure up front also resulted in about 50 or so yards of rushing, so it was Brady's game to win or lose, and that's the way Spagnuolo dialed it up.

Yeah, or, Brady was hurt, so the world collapsed.

As for the rest, I didn't expect you to say or think anything different. It's cool.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Out of curiosity, Squeaky what would you rather have, a top 10 rush defense and a last place pass defense, or a top 10 pass and a last place rush? The run d is concerning, but that seems to be the biggest thing to you.

 

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity, Squeaky what would you rather have, a top 10 rush defense and a last place pass defense, or a top 10 pass and a last place rush? The run d is concerning, but that seems to be the biggest thing to you.

Terrible choices you present......but since rushing the ball is more secure and keeps the clock running and the defense on the field the nod has to go to the rush defense. Now let me pose this to you:

How would have this season been if the Rams pass defense was the same but their rush defense was middle of the pack? I'd say remarkably better. And injuries are not an excuse for the terrible rush defense this year.

 

[STL-Rams]

Out of curiosity, Squeaky what would you rather have, a top 10 rush defense and a last place pass defense, or a top 10 pass and a last place rush? The run d is concerning, but that seems to be the biggest thing to you.

Terrible choices you present......but since rushing the ball is more secure and keeps the clock running and the defense on the field the nod has to go to the rush defense. Now let me pose this to you:

How would have this season been if the Rams pass defense was the same but their rush defense was middle of the pack? I'd say remarkably better. And injuries are not an excuse for the terrible rush defense this year.

good thoughts... although the run D has a long way to go to get to the middle of the pack