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Posted Jan. 13, 2012 @ 3:46 p.m. ET
By Dan Arkush
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/01/13/rams-nation-can-breathe-easier-with-fisher-on-boar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/0 ... er-on-boar</a>
[pfw]1389647465001[/pfw]
Rams Nation can stop sweating. Jeff Fisher, widely proclaimed the "Belle of the Ball" on this year's head-coaching carousel, finally decided Friday to return to the head-coaching ranks as the new Rams head coach. Fisher's hiring ended an intriguing week-long drama, as observers leaguewide woke up Friday morning having no real clue as to whether the former Titans/Oilers head coach for 17 seasons would choose the Rams, armed with the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft and a ton of cap money to boot, or the Dolphins, whose owner, Steven Ross, reportedly was willing to pay Fisher up to $8 million annually to come to South Beach.
Fisher interviewed with Rams owner Stan Kroenke one week ago and toured Rams Park last Sunday. But upon leaving town, he made it clear that he was torn between St. Louis and Miami and ended up taking an entire week to make sure that his next job met all of his requirements to a tee, both in terms of money and power. Some resentment was starting to build in St. Louis as the week wore on, as Rams fans, already feeling betrayed following baseball star Albert Pujols' exit to Anaheim, were getting tired of waiting for Fisher to make up his mind. But owner Stan Kroenke's ultimate one-upmanship of Ross should make any hard feelings quickly disappear.
The PFW Spin
Although the Rams had come up with some very interesting alternative candidates lined up like Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinksi and Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, there was never any question that Fisher, a rock-solid proven commodity, offered the best solution for a franchise in dire need of a steady hand at the top. The upgrade from Steve Spagnuolo, who never quite measured up, as evidenced by his terrible 10-38 record in three seasons at the helm, to Fisher, who compiled a 142-120 record with Tennessee/Houston that included a 23-16 loss to the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV among six postseason appearances, is considerable.
What should really excite Rams fans is Fisher's supposed plan to put together a "rock star" coaching staff possibly including the likes of Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis, who both worked with Fisher in Tennessee. After being forced to put up with weekly coaching efforts this season that earned consistent "F" grades from the top on down — the jobs turned in by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, offensive line coach Steve Loney and special-teams coach Tom McMahon were particularly putrid — a high-quality coaching staff will send a strong message to the Rams' competition.
But Fisher and a great staff alone is not going to turn around a Rams team with personnel that overall must be considered inferior to that of the other teams in the NFC West, in great part because of the lackluster drafting that has hamstrung the Rams for the past decade. Enter the next GM, an important hire that is guaranteed now to have Fisher's firm fingerprints all over it. With the news of Fisher's hiring still hot off the presses, it's not a stretch to conclude that either Titans VP of football operations Lake Dawson or Titans VP of player personnel Ruston Webster have become the front-runners among the eight reported GM candidates, considering their prior history with the Rams' new boss man.
Dawson is one of three GM candidates to have been interviewed by the Rams at this writing, along with Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead and Eagles director of player personnel Ryan Grigson, who subsequently was hired as the new GM in Indianapolis. Others in the running include Webster, Cardinals director of player personnel Steve Keim, Jets vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales, Dolphins director of player personnel Brian Gaine and Colts director of player personnel Tom Telesco.
As far as the money Fisher will be receiving, there was never any question that Kroenke had the financial resources to outbid Ross if it came to that. The best guess among league observers is that the $7 million per year that Pete Carroll is bringing down with the Seahawks is a parameter that came into play.
On the field, Fisher's offensive m.o. is a power running game that sets up an efficient play-action passing game — a style that sets up well for three-time Pro Bowl RB Steven Jackson and QB Sam Bradford, who should benefit from a system that won't be as complicated as the one McDaniels employed. If Williams is indeed the apple of Fisher's eye for the defensive coordinator job, an aggressive, gambling system featuring multiple looks and disguised coverages could be in the offing.
By Dan Arkush
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/01/13/rams-nation-can-breathe-easier-with-fisher-on-boar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/0 ... er-on-boar</a>
[pfw]1389647465001[/pfw]
Rams Nation can stop sweating. Jeff Fisher, widely proclaimed the "Belle of the Ball" on this year's head-coaching carousel, finally decided Friday to return to the head-coaching ranks as the new Rams head coach. Fisher's hiring ended an intriguing week-long drama, as observers leaguewide woke up Friday morning having no real clue as to whether the former Titans/Oilers head coach for 17 seasons would choose the Rams, armed with the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft and a ton of cap money to boot, or the Dolphins, whose owner, Steven Ross, reportedly was willing to pay Fisher up to $8 million annually to come to South Beach.
Fisher interviewed with Rams owner Stan Kroenke one week ago and toured Rams Park last Sunday. But upon leaving town, he made it clear that he was torn between St. Louis and Miami and ended up taking an entire week to make sure that his next job met all of his requirements to a tee, both in terms of money and power. Some resentment was starting to build in St. Louis as the week wore on, as Rams fans, already feeling betrayed following baseball star Albert Pujols' exit to Anaheim, were getting tired of waiting for Fisher to make up his mind. But owner Stan Kroenke's ultimate one-upmanship of Ross should make any hard feelings quickly disappear.
The PFW Spin
Although the Rams had come up with some very interesting alternative candidates lined up like Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinksi and Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, there was never any question that Fisher, a rock-solid proven commodity, offered the best solution for a franchise in dire need of a steady hand at the top. The upgrade from Steve Spagnuolo, who never quite measured up, as evidenced by his terrible 10-38 record in three seasons at the helm, to Fisher, who compiled a 142-120 record with Tennessee/Houston that included a 23-16 loss to the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV among six postseason appearances, is considerable.
What should really excite Rams fans is Fisher's supposed plan to put together a "rock star" coaching staff possibly including the likes of Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis, who both worked with Fisher in Tennessee. After being forced to put up with weekly coaching efforts this season that earned consistent "F" grades from the top on down — the jobs turned in by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, offensive line coach Steve Loney and special-teams coach Tom McMahon were particularly putrid — a high-quality coaching staff will send a strong message to the Rams' competition.
But Fisher and a great staff alone is not going to turn around a Rams team with personnel that overall must be considered inferior to that of the other teams in the NFC West, in great part because of the lackluster drafting that has hamstrung the Rams for the past decade. Enter the next GM, an important hire that is guaranteed now to have Fisher's firm fingerprints all over it. With the news of Fisher's hiring still hot off the presses, it's not a stretch to conclude that either Titans VP of football operations Lake Dawson or Titans VP of player personnel Ruston Webster have become the front-runners among the eight reported GM candidates, considering their prior history with the Rams' new boss man.
Dawson is one of three GM candidates to have been interviewed by the Rams at this writing, along with Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead and Eagles director of player personnel Ryan Grigson, who subsequently was hired as the new GM in Indianapolis. Others in the running include Webster, Cardinals director of player personnel Steve Keim, Jets vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales, Dolphins director of player personnel Brian Gaine and Colts director of player personnel Tom Telesco.
As far as the money Fisher will be receiving, there was never any question that Kroenke had the financial resources to outbid Ross if it came to that. The best guess among league observers is that the $7 million per year that Pete Carroll is bringing down with the Seahawks is a parameter that came into play.
On the field, Fisher's offensive m.o. is a power running game that sets up an efficient play-action passing game — a style that sets up well for three-time Pro Bowl RB Steven Jackson and QB Sam Bradford, who should benefit from a system that won't be as complicated as the one McDaniels employed. If Williams is indeed the apple of Fisher's eye for the defensive coordinator job, an aggressive, gambling system featuring multiple looks and disguised coverages could be in the offing.
