Rams OL in 2014 is ranked 31st per PFF

[Alan]

flv with this:
It's a guess. In addition to Barksdale we got a good year out of Turner at C & LG in 2012. We had a decent year from Richardson at RT in 2012. We had better performances from Shelley Smith than you could reasonably expect from a FA. Williams was poor for us but we got more out of him than the Bears did. Boudreau has had finished vets and some rags to work with. Expecting improvements in Wells and Long was unrealistic. Expecting more from cast-offs was probably unrealistic too. It's hard to tell what he achieves with late round picks and un-drafted rookies because they haven't stayed healthy. I can't identify a good player deteriorating from a technical standpoint to demonstrate him failing. Wells might be that guy but i'm more inclined to put that down to health. I have to give Boudreau a pass or at least a non-failing grade for coaching.

Again it's a guess but when it comes to talent evaluation and personnel decisions i'm on the other side of the equation. Giving Smith a 4th year had to be on Boudreau. Playing Ojinakka had to be on Boudreau. All our signings look like Olympic athletes rather than OL from around the league so i'd guess the decisions were all made by the same person. If so tough call for Fisher to overrule him if he says Wells and Joseph are the best we have.
It's all a guess. None of us knows what really goes on. Personally i've have Boudreau a bit in the red. Whoosh! There goes the bus. I think the personnel decisions have hurt us more than the coaching has helped us. I didn't call for either of our coordinator's heads so I certainly won't be calling for his head. Ultimately it's all on Fisher. If he picks Boudreau then in Boudreau we trust.

Anecdotally I love the 'Who's on First' sketch. I used it when I spammed NFL.com. 105 posts on 2000+ otherwise unused boards. Well it killed an hour and it didn't do any harm.

Abbot and Costello were great. I grew up with them.

Saying a guy who didn't cause anyone's play to deteriorate is doing a good coaching job is setting a pretty low bar isn't it?

I kind of forgot to add a paragraph in my last post. It's that time of night. I agree with you about the stubbornness. I just don't which one it is. Maybe it's both of them cause you know, they're both old like me. We all know how stubborn old guys get.

My bottom line with Bou is that while I don't see anything to get excited about with him. I also don't see any reason to replace him either. But and it's a big but, either he can't coach up the guys we have (which begs the question of why we have them in the first place) to replace the likes of Wells and Joseph or he has coached them up and we already had better options. But if that's true then Bou is letting Fisher completely disregard his advice or he's the one being stubborn about using the vets. I know that most would think that Fish is the boss but why would he micromanage down to that level? Who would know who is better than the O-line coach?

 

[Alan]

flv touching on what is his most endearing quality:
I'd love to blame Schottenheimer for everything, purely because he's gone, but I think he was probably between a Boudreau rock and a Fisher hard place.

He is convenient isn't he.

 

[BriansRams]

I hear you loud & clearly, for those you have known me for years will tell you that I have always been critical of this Ram organizations lack of effort & total failure on fielding an decent starting OL unit. They have failed across the board in this area in so many ways.

What was this Ram organizations biggest investment over the last half decade? Sam Bradford. Been saying that if you sink close to 80 million $$$ in a non mobile, "sitting duck" without good pocket awareness skills, already seriously injured shoulder twice & surgically reconstructed & now a few yrs later often injured QB like Sam Bradford.............& not follow up with a full valid thought out OL plan investment wise in good UFA's & thru the draft you have set your course for multiple loosing seasons . Your biggest investment is a non producer because you have not placed him in an friendly operational environment for him to be able to return your largest investment back to the team. Most know this is a serious big business with mega amounts of $$$$ from all areas being invested here. Now going into the 5th yr with this 80 million investment coming to an end can anyone say this was handled in a good way overall? What did we get from this investment?

Is it too late to save or savage Sam Bradford's NFL career??? I say the odds are not very good in favor. BIG Shame because I think Sam in the right type offensive environment could have been outstanding. Fisher went in another direction with most of the first & second day draft capital going defensively (7 picks) & skilled offensive toys (4 picks) i.e. WR Quick & Austin & RB's Pead & Mason. Only one out of Fisher's high draft picks going for Sam Bradford protection ...& that one just arrived less than a yr ago.

Fisher did bring in two well seasoned vets high $$$ ex all pros UFA's from the Packers & Miami both 24 mil & 34 mil both 4 yr contracts. Both of them have been injury related washouts(fails) with both Ol'ers having been IR'd for 2 season each. Wells (2012 & 2013) & Long (2013 & 2014).

You see it BriansRams I see it, some other see it but then others do not agree. I still see where a large majority still clamour for another WR to help this team win, in 2014 it was WR Sammy Watkins, just like with WR Tavon Austin in 2013, same in 2012 with WR Justin Blackmon. Very few wants a OL in the first round.

Fisher will get one more opportunity to here with Sam Bradford in 2015. The OL is still in very poor shape as it was in 2012. In reality I do not see any evidence here to say that Fisher can or will fix the OL issue to save or savage Sam Bradford.

Hey wait. Are you me? Because you think exactly like me. Thanks for explaining. I'm on board with HEAVY efforts to upgrade our OL, before ANY other position.

 

[BonifayRam]

Hey wait. Are you me? Because you think exactly like me. Thanks for explaining. I'm on board with HEAVY efforts to upgrade our OL, before ANY other position.

I feel that if there is any additional cap $$$ that can be freed up to be used in 2015 March's Free Agency the Offensive Line is the #1 priority over all other units. That's IF Sam Bradford is the main & highly probable starting Ram QB in 2015.

In 2012 Fisher added one high quality all pro center UFA, Wells ended up on the IR. Fisher also added 3 lower quality UFA's Richardson,Turner & Hunter all three left the team after 2012.

In 2013 Fisher added one high quality ex all pro OLT UFA, Long ended up on the IR & Wells joined him for a second season in a row too. Fisher also added 1 lower quality UFA's in Williams who depart after the season ended.

In Fisher third season 2014 Fisher re added one OL'er Saffold a high quality UFA. Where Saffold aggravated the chronic shoulder issue that led to a failed physical with the Oakland Raiders last off season. Saffold has structural damage in his shoulder & played the entire 2014 season with one working shoulder & Jake Long went on IR for the 2nd yr in a row. Fisher also added 1 lower quality UFA's in Joseph who has departed too.

Fisher's track record on signing successful UFA OL'er's may be the worse in the NFL.Not so sure that any high quality UFA OL'er really wants to add his name to the above.