JT/Wagoner Tweets from Cignetti/Fisher Presser

[RamBill]

Read in reverse order by author--

Jim Thomas @jthom1 ·

Fisher said Cignetti has been working as OC for about 10 days.

Fisher also said Jeff Garcia interview went well for QB coach (it took place Thurs. and also today). Fisher has another candidate....for job, may make decision next week.

And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved.

Cignetti also stressed that he won't deal as much with the QBs as Schottenheimer did as OC.

All things considered, Fisher said promoting from within and continuity were important factors in hiring from within.

Terminology, playbook, won't change much.

To wit, Cignetti says he's always been a big believer in a strong running game.

Fisher said there will be some change in offense, but overall philosophy will remain the same.


Another interesting thing: Rams plan to simplify offense reduce volume of playbook from Schottenheimer tenure.


Cignetti/Fisher press conference just ended: One thing that came out strong was that Rams fully plan to have Bradford on roster for '15.

=========

Nick Wagoner @nwagoner ·

Cignetti said foundation of playbook will remain same. Terminology won't change much.

Fisher said Sam Bradford has been in building (Rams Park) every day since the season ended. And Fisher talked to SB before hiring Cignetti.

Fisher emphasized that need for offense isn't so much changing what they do as doing what they do better. (my thought: well, yeah.)

Perhaps most of note, a lot of talk about "reducing and simplifying" the offense. Feeling that last year's O too complicated at times.

Asked about finding a QB to challenge Bradford, Fisher said (paraphrasing) it's not so much about challenging Sam as having options.

Fisher said Rams will indeed hire a quarterbacks coach. Garcia interviewed Thursday/Friday but Fisher said more interviews coming.

Both Fisher and Cignetti talked repeatedly about Sam Bradford in the offense for next year. There is little doubt he'll be in STL in '15.

As you'd expect, lots of buzzwords like continuity and stability throughout the presser. Fisher pointed to his history of promoting within.

Fisher acknowledged that he only had one in person interview (Nathaniel Hackett) and a couple of phone conversations (Gase, K. Shanahan).

Fisher said "no doubt in my mind the replacement was on staff." Says he wanted to go in house whole time. Decision between Boras/Cignetti.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Just finished watching this. The most interesting thing was about making the terminology less complex, and that they felt that it was a problem last year at times.

 

[RamBill]

Jeff Fisher introduces Frank Cignetti as the St. Louis Rams new offensive coordinator.

Watch the Fisher/Cignetti Presser

 

[jrry32]

Just finished watching this. The most interesting thing was about making the terminology less complex, and that they felt that it was a problem last year at times.

Hopefully, that will lead to less mental errors.

And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved.

Cignetti also stressed that he won't deal as much with the QBs as Schottenheimer did as OC.

Terminology, playbook, won't change much.

To wit, Cignetti says he's always been a big believer in a strong running game.

Fisher said there will be some change in offense, but overall philosophy will remain the same.

Another interesting thing: Rams plan to simplify offense reduce volume of playbook from Schottenheimer tenure.

Perhaps most of note, a lot of talk about "reducing and simplifying" the offense. Feeling that last year's O too complicated at times.

I'll say this much...they're saying the right things. These are the complaints I had and heard with Schotty.

Glad that he'll let the QB Coach focus on the QBs so he can focus on the offense.

And I definitely think Schotty's playbook was overly voluminous and his terminology was overly complex. Two good things to change.

I like that we're simplifying. I think it'll make things easier on rookies as well as some of our younger players like Quick, Stedman, Greg, and Tavon.

 

[Alan]

"And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved"

Could that be anything other than a dig on Schotty?

 

[Corbin]

"And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved"

Could that be anything other than a dig on Schotty?

Nope.... It seems we have a answer to that million dollar question.

 

[HometownBoy]

"And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved"

Could that be anything other than a dig on Schotty?

Not really a dig, I don't think it counts as a dig if it's a fundamental flaw that most people complained about with Schott. Digs are like what Harbaugh and the Whiners are doing, taking shot after shot at each other even though it's all said and done. This is more like learning from your predecessor's mistake.

 

[Alan]

Corbin not seeing an implied dig:
Nope.... It seems we have a answer to that million dollar question.

I looked at that as saying two things. He (Tavon) wasn't as involved as he should have been and Cig has a plan to rectify that . A plan that I assume he brought up to Schotty that was rejected. Do you have a different take on it?

HometownBoy with his take:
Not really a dig, I don't think it counts as a dig if it's a fundamental flaw that most people complained about with Schott. Digs are like what Harbaugh and the Whiners are doing, taking shot after shot at each other even though it's all said and done. This is more like learning from your predecessor's mistake.

You could be right. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but it smacked of a veiled dig to me.

 

[-X-]

"And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved"

Could that be anything other than a dig on Schotty?

I don't think so. Could simply be his preference, or saying the right things in light of recent criticisms.
If it is a dig at Schotty, then this guy's kind of a dick.

 

[Tron]

Reporter: "Tavon hasn't lived up to the hype of an early first round choice so far. Now that it is year three and he is more acclimated to the NFL and the offense, do you plan to get Tavon involved more?"

Cig: "yes"

Or maybe it just went like this-

Reporter: "Will Tavon have a more expanded role this coming year?"

Cig: "yes"


Im just guessing it wen't something like that. could be horribly wrong or close to reality.

Or he is just saying what all us fans want to hear.

 

[Alan]

-X- with another view:
I don't think so. Could simply be his preference, or saying the right things in light of recent criticisms.
If it is a dig at Schotty, then this guy's kind of a dick.

"Maximizing the talents of a player like Tavon is an ongoing process that we intend to ramp up another notch now that he's a little more experienced."

That's an example of how I would word it if I was merely being politically correct. I sure hope he's not a dick.

 

[TheDYVKX]

I never got the sense that he's a dick. The whole time he was emphasizing the staff as a team, and I thought he made it pretty clear that the staff as a whole every offseason works to figure out what they need to do better and how to better use personnel, regardless of whether Schotty is the OC or he is. He made it clear that the staff as a whole (since they all have input on game planning and what goes on) didn't use Tavon as effectively as possible, and that he's striving to do so.

Just the impression I got watching it.

 

[Alan]

You're probably right @TheDYVKX , I only read that transcript so I might have missed some audible clues.

 

[Boffo97]

"And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved"

Could that be anything other than a dig on Schotty?

It could be a lot of things other than a dig on Schotty, and probably is.

Since even if Cignetti agrees with a lot of the IRF's* opinion on Schotty, I would hope he'd be more professional than to go there in the media.

*Internet Rams Fandom

 

[RamBill]

Fisher says Rams' offense needs tweaks, not overhaul
From AP

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...itzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnfl-topstories

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jeff Fisher had several phone conversations with outside candidates for the St. Louis Rams' opening at offensive coordinator. Only out of curiosity, he says.

Just one of those people was brought in for an interview. Staying in-house and promoting quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti reflects Fisher's desire for fine-tuning rather than a system overhaul.

"I love to lead," Cignetti said Friday at his introductory news conference. "I don't know why we can't be great. We want to go from good to great."

Among the tweaks, Cignetti will have less hands-on involvement with the quarterback than predecessor Brian Schottenheimer, and the playbook probably will be simplified. Continuity is a major factor.

"We are going to change, but change is good," Fisher said. "This change is going to be very, very good for our offense."

Fisher fully expects the starting quarterback to be Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick of the 2010 draft who's rehabbing from a second straight season-ending left knee injury — and entering the final year of his contract. Fisher said he discussed the Cignetti promotion extensively with Bradford, adding the move wouldn't have been made if Bradford hadn't approved,

The coach also backed off remarks from his season-ending news conference in which he said the Rams would seek to bring in a quarterback to compete for the job, and that Bradford would also have to rework his contract. In the final installment of a six-year, $78 million deal, Bradford is set to make a base salary of nearly $13 million, with a cap number of $16.58 million.

"It's not as much from a standpoint of challenging, it's to have options," Fisher said. "We don't know what that looks like right now, whether that's draft or free agency."

Fisher said Bradford has been rehabbing daily at Rams Park since the end of the season.

Shaun Hill and Austin Davis shared the starting job last year and it's unclear whether the Rams want either player back.

Fisher interviewed Jeff Garcia for the vacant quarterbacks coach job the last two days and said the Rams would interview "several others." Like the Cignetti hire, he appeared in no hurry to finalize that spot, though he added Cignetti had been on the job more than a week before the introductory news conference.

"We have some really solid options in place, but again we're going to probably take a little bit of time before we make that decision," Fisher said.

The Rams (6-10) struggled particularly in the third quarter and on third downs. They were outscored by 88 points in the second half, among the worst in the NFL.

"We need to do it better, we need to execute, we need to minimize mistakes," Fisher said. "We need to reduce the amount of information that we're giving to the players and go out and execute."

Like Schottenheimer, Cignetti wants to get wide receiver/return man Tavon Austin more involved.

"I saw him this week, fired up to get working with him," Cignetti said. "Tavon Austin's a playmaker."

 

[yrba1]

The most interesting thing was about making the terminology less complex, and that they felt that it was a problem last year at times.

That's what I've been lobbying for for quite a while. Schotty's system worked well in theory but when the players have to think, they will look slower and predictable on the field, especially receivers. The first 6 weeks of our defense was bad but once they meshed into Williams's system, they were fast and vicious. I certainly hope the terminology is simplified because Tavon Austin certainly isn't the brightest of the bunch.

 

[ReddingRam]

"And yes, Cignetti says he plans to get Tavon Austin more involved"

Could that be anything other than a dig on Schotty?

I think it's just more of a reality of the question as a whole ... They need to learn what TA does best and use him in those ways. Last year it seemed like they were trying to "force" how he was used, even though it wasn't working. Be creative. Find the ways but don't force them.

 

[WestCoastRam]

So many nuggets to parse over here. They probably don't mean much but here's my conspiratorial 2-cents: maybe the slow development of our WRs has been - in part - due to the overly complex terminology and number of plays in the playbook.

 

[WestCoastRam]

And that comment about not being involved with the QBs as much as Schotty... that was VERY interesting.

I'd tell you when that would be a problem: when your QB coach is telling you to pay attention to one thing and the offensive coordinator is telling the QB to pay attention to something else.

 

[Blue and Gold]

Fisher, Cignetti support Bradford
• By Jim Thomas

[www.stltoday.com]

One of the most noteworthy things to come out of Friday’s introductory press conference for new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti was how strongly both Cignetti and coach Jeff Fisher came out in support of quarterback Sam Bradford.

Based on what was said Friday, there appears to be little doubt that Bradford will be with the team next season — and be the starter.

One exchange was particularly telling during the 20-minute session at Rams Park. When asked if Bradford was kept in the loop during the process of hiring an offensive coordinator, Fisher replied:

“I had a lengthy discussion with Sam, yes, prior to making the decision. It was part of the information gathering process. Sam was very forthcoming. He had some firm opinions. I really enjoyed and appreciated his input.”

So would Cignetti have been promoted to coordinator (after three seasons as QB coach) if Bradford had voiced objections?

“We wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” Fisher replied.

“As it should be,” Cignetti chimed in.

If you were seriously considering trading Bradford, or even releasing him, none of that probably would’ve taken place.

So the Rams definitely want him back in ’15?

“That’s correct, yes,” Fisher said. “He’s been in the building since the season ended. He’s doing well.”

Fisher even backed down from his end-of-the-season comment that there will be competition for Bradford on the roster next season, competition that’s currently “not in the building.” The plan still calls for at least one new face on the quarterback depth chart in 2015, but on Friday having competition became having options.

Here’s what Fisher had to say Friday when asked about bringing in an outside QB.

“It’s not as much from the standpoint of challenging Sam,” Fisher said. “It’s to have options. We don’t know what that looks like right now. We don’t know if that’s draft, if that’s free agency, or what that looks like. But when we line up in September, we’ll have somebody there.”

Fisher’s altered stance may be partly to do with the fact that the free-agent market is lean, there don’t seem to be many concrete trade options developing, and the 2015 draft is neither deep nor strong at the position.

(Sunday’s Post-Dispatch will explore the free-agent and trade markets at quarterback.)

Continuity and stability on the offense were cited by Fisher as one of the main reasons he chose to promote from within at coordinator, selecting Cignetti in a close call over tight ends coach Rob Boras for the job. In the end, Boras was promoted to assistant head coach/offense while still maintaining his duties as tight ends coach.

“Same system for Sam, same system for the rest of his teammates,” Fisher said. “That was very, very important, and it was about how we get better. How we become more productive.”

All told, Bradford’s name came up a half-dozen times at the press conference, often without prompting by media members.

“We’re looking forward to Sam moving forward,” Cignetti said. “He’s doing a great job in his rehabilitation. When you go back to last year, he had an outstanding offseason. He had a great training camp. Unfortunately, in Cleveland he got injured. Moving forward, getting Sam back healthy again will greatly increase our chances of winning.”

The team remains optimistic that it can restructure Bradford’s contract for 2015 — the final year of his original deal — in a way that is more cap friendly.

When the Rams get on the field for spring practices, Bradford and the rest of the squad will find some changes in approach and playbook compared to how things were done for three seasons under Cignetti predecessor Brian Schottenheimer.

For one, the playbook will be simplified. There will be less volume than was the case under Schottenheimer, who left in January to become OC for the Georgia Bulldogs.

In discussing changes being made on offense, Fisher said: “We need to reduce the amount of information that we’re giving to the players, and go out and execute.”

So was there too much volume in the playbook previously?

“I think we agreed that there was at times,” Fisher replied. “I’m confident that our system will be such in April ... that it will be simplified but appear to be much more complex.”

As a rookie in 2013, wide receiver Tavon Austin remarked that the playbook was like Spanish to him. By minimizing terminology in the playbook, Cignetti hopes for better results.

“The foundation of the playbook’s the same,” Cignetti said. “Coach Schottenheimer’s put a terrific system in place here, the same system I was part of when I was with the San Francisco 49ers (as QB coach in 2007).”

But Cignetti added: “Whether Coach Schottenheimer was still here or whether it was myself leading, every year you look at ways of doing things better. Something that we talked about was how could we minimize terminology? There’s certain things that we did in my past that we’ll be able to minimize terminology.”

Another change from Schottenheimer’s tenure is that Cignetti — as coordinator — won’t be as hands-on with the team’s quarterbacks.

“I’m not going to be as involved with the quarterback as much as Coach Schottenhiemer was involved,” Cignetti said. “That would probably be the biggest difference (in approach).”

Fisher added: “Frank’s going to allow the quarterback coach to spend more time with (the QBs) in the meetings and on the field, which will be a little different than how it has been in the past.”

Fisher confirmed that he interviewed Jeff Garcia for the quarterbacks coach job on Thursday and Friday. Fisher said he has at least one other candidate in mind for Cignetti’s old job, but didn’t give a definite timetable on when that position would be filled.