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These are selected questions and answers only. I left out the snarky questions and comments about Kevin Demoff and Stan Kroenke, so if you enjoy that read it for yourself. To read the whole chat click the link below.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_9?Page=0
NFL chat with Jim Thomas
That CB from the Titans looks terrible on tape. What's the draw other than Tennessee?glad they still make dumb decisions in LA
There is a Gregg Williams connection here (from Tennessee).
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best guess on where Kaepernick ends up? Also RG3?
Strictly guesses. I'm gonna say Kaepernick to Cleveland and RGIII to San Francisco.
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What do we all seem to be missing about Case Keenum? In your up close view, can this guy really be the future answer for the Rams at QB? I just don't see it.
I enjoy interviewing Keenum. He has leadership skills, intangibles, and he does bring some energy to the huddle. But I don't really see it either. I think he's a good backup who can get you by for a few games as a starter. He doesn't have great arm strength, and from what I've seen in games just so-so accuracy.
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does Ogleetree have the football IQ to play MLB in williams system. Calls for an awful of recognition and audibles. Really supprised they got rid of both CL91 and JL55, how about you? did they even try to rework their contracts, in an interview CL had mentioned he would be willing to rework his.
Yes, I do think Ogletree has the football IQ to be a successful middle linebacker. Especially during his first two seasons with the Rams, he was like a sponge _ soaking up everything around him, watching and learning very carefully from James Laurinaitis, whose locker stall was just a few feet away. Ogletree would even watch Laurinaitis' media sessions with the media intently.. I think Ogletree has some leadership potential as well. But saying all that, I don't disagree with what you're saying about Long and Laurinaitis. There is a leadership void to fill with those two.
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regarding Kevin Demoff's comments about the Rams falling out of playoff contention last year' didn't John Shaw make the same comment a while back that winning wasn't necessarily a good thing?
The Shaw remarks your referring to were in reference to making a Super Bowl run. I'm paraphrasing here, but Shaw said that the Rams didn't really make money by going to the Super Bowl. When Mike Martz brought this up during that tumultuous 2005 season, it led to Martz's demise.
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You think Shad Khan will be interested in coming to STL in a couple of years with his Jaguars?
I really don't see that happening in the near future. Khan made that pretty clear to Nick Wagoner and myself in a late-night interview session in Houston the night of the relocation vote. I think Khan might have his eyes on London first, and only failing that, might think about St. Louis.
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Do you have any respect for Jeff Fisher and the Rams organization after they straight faced lied to you about the Sam Bradford situation?
It was difficult in the particular circumstance that you're talking about, but you never take those things personally in my line of work. You can't afford to. That doesn't mean you don't file things like that away and learn from them. So yeah, Fisher and I have had some bumpy moments but still managed to have a decent working relationship.
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Why are Fisher and Snead so hesitant on the offensive side of the ball especially in Free Agency? Also, % Fisher gets a new deal.
It is puzzling to me. I know there wasn't a ton to chose from at QB and WR, but there were some options. And there were some decent to good tight ends available as well. I'm gonna say 60-40.
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Two questions. (1) In light of Rodney McLeod's free agent departure, who do the Rams replace his position with? (2) What are the Rams' potential of re-signing Nick Fairley, since he apparently has not signed with another team after 1 week of free agency? Keep up your excellent work.
Reggie Nelson of Cincy is still out there, and I think he'd make sense on a short-term deal. And there's always the draft. Cody Davis made a lot of strides last season. But he has played very little from scrimmage and I don' think the coaches view him as starting material. As for Maurice Alexander, his size and playing style make him more suited to strong rather than free safety. He also made great strides last season, particularly I think in terms of preparation and the mental aspects of the game. I'm not sure if the coaching staff feels like he could play free safety, but I'm sure it's something that's crossed their minds.
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Give me your honest answer.. If Fisher signs a 2 year extension and the rams go 8-8 or 7-9 / Kroenke would keep him? After spending Billions of dollars wouldnt the natives get restless? Kroenke is all about the almighty dollar!
I thought anything less than 8-8 would have Fisher in trouble in the 2015 season, even with the relocation looming. Shows you what I know. If LA fans are true to their reputation as a fickle crowd, and quickly abandon the team in a losing 2016 season, I would still think all bets are off on Fisher returning for 2017 _ even if he gets a contract extension.
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Is robinson start LT day one? How do you feel he improved over the year, should we be worried? Options if he flops? Saffold? Kick Havenstien over?
Yes, I think GRob starts Day1 at left tackle. Having a veteran at LG (in the form of Reynolds) helped. The learning curve was steep for him. And to a large degree it's about recognition and technique for him. I think Saffold probably is the first option at LT if something happens to Robinson.
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Does WR Quick effectively gaurantee he's on the roster Week 1 or does it leave the Rams with some good options?
It's just a one-year deal for Quick, with only $1.5 million guaranteed. So do I think he's safe? Yeah, probably. But it's possible he could get cut if he struggles in camp and the preseason.
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In your opinion, is the new FA CB better than Gaines? Thinking he looks like a nickel cb at best.
A healthy Gaines beats him out. Sensabaugh does have some experience at nickel. But so does Gaines.
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I understand that you had an office in Rams' HQ. I assume that made it easier to get access to players and coaches. Were there any downsides to that arrangement, like the PR police having other Rams personnel on lockdown?
I still have an office at Rams Park in Earth City, at least for the next couple of weeks. I'm sitting in the media room right now for this chat. By NFL standards, access was pretty good here. And the PR staff was almost always helpful. I'll just say this: spending a lot of time at Rams Park you're always able to pick up information that you might not get by working elsewhere.
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Did the rams try to rework Long or Laurinaitis ' contract, they went from team leaders to cut in a short amount of time? Obviously they thought Barron and Hayes/Sims was an upgrade at LB and DE? But i think they could have provided much needed depth.
To my knowledge, the Rams did not try to rework either contract. There really wasn't much of a need to with Laurinaitis because his cap number was a relatively modest $6.4 million this year. Bluntly stated, the Rams though Long and Laurinaitis were players in decline. There are some in the building who felt that keeping Laurinaitis was holding the defense hostage to a degree. I'm not saying I agree with those assessments, but that was the feeling by some on the football side at Rams Park.
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Don't you think RGlll would be an interesting option with Gurley, and Tavon in the mix? The mis-direction and power running combo prove effective and open up the passing game. IMO
Yeah, you could mix in some read option. But a couple of things here. After those knee issues, doe RGIII move around as well as he did in 2012? Also, has RGIII shown that he can be a pocket passer in the NFL, reading defenses and progressing through options? I think that's still debatable.
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Do you think Daniel has a chance to beat Bradford out?
Yes, especially if Bradford misses some games do to injury.
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How does free agency negotiations work? It seemed to me there was a time when teams wouldn't let a player leave without signing a contract, which suggest players knew offers before visiting. But I understand Giant free agent WR Randle is leaving the Rams, not because they couldn't agree on an offer but because he promised to visit other teams. How does it really happen?
First off, it has become very rare for the top shelf players to even take a visit. The days of the Reggie White tour of America are long gone. So most _ not all _ but most of the free-agent visits come during the second wave of free agency. In terms of visits resulting in contracts _ it's still a mixed bag. Sometimes teams aren't ready to make offers during visits. Sometimes the players want to make a few stops before deciding. Sometimes the players have an idea of what the team might offer, sometimes they don't.
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Do you have any idea what Rams are going to do about their QB situation? Why haven't they cut Foles, already? Are they prepared to go with the three they already have? Are they bringing in one or two for competition? Would they cut Mannion under any circumstance? Have they decided which QBs--free agents or college--that they want to target or are tehy still evaluating? Do they just have a QB budget and hope someone will take that offer or are they willing to pay what the right guy wants?
It makes no sense to cut Foles until you have an alternative, that is, a replacement. There's next to nothing left in free agency, so as each day goes by it seems more likely the team will look for a QB via the draft. The Rams cast a wide net at QB at the Combine in terms of their allotted 60-player interviews. The had formal interviews scheduled with Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook, Jared Goff, Cody Kessler, Cardale Jones, Kevin Hogan, and Jacoby Brissett
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Any free agent WR's worth a look?
I really liked Jermaine Kearse. Big, physical, clutch player. Undervalued and underutilized in a system that doesn't throw the ball that much. But he re-signed w/Seattle for a pretty modest price. Rueben Randle, who was paying a Mon-Tues visit to the Rams, would help. Not the end-all, be-all. But I think if you're the Rams you can make the case you need to add two WRs to the mix, especially with Stedman Bailey's status still unclear.
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Any news on interested teams for Cook? If not, do you think he comes back?
Haven't heard a peep in terms of any interest in Cook, or any visits. I would be very surprised if Cook returned to the Rams. While recognizing that the combination of Cook's size and speed makes him a matchup problem for defenses at the position, I think if you put the truth serum into the coaching staff/front office, I think they would say Cook's play was inconsistent and disappointing.
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I am baffled by some of the Rams' moves during the past few weeks. Did they clear all that cap space just to resign some of their present players, or do you think they were hoping to sign others that they missed out on?
Well, for one, free agency isn't over. I know almost all of the top players are gone, but we're only a week in. I did think the Rams' main emphasis would be trying to re-sign their own. You don't pile up all those extra picks through the RGII trade and spinoff deals and not try to keep at least some of those guys when their contracts are up. But I did think the Rams might try to make a splash move or two on outside free agents, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
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Can you see Mo Alexander taking the Free Safety spot in camp.
Don't know. I think that's a possibility.
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Has Danario Alexander officially retired from the NFL? I know he had another knee injury in 2013 so wasn't sure if we was trying to come back.
Not gonna happen because of the knee problems.
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Any chance we can create a package to pry a starting QB from anyone? Matthew Stafford would seem like a prime candidate, they lost Megatron, they are going to have to rebuild.
Can't see that one happening.
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Jim, please give me your opinion of hybrid linebackers. Do you agree that because they have to play at a lighter weight to be fast they eventually run an increased risk of injury by being run over by offensive lineman that outweigh them by 25 or more pounds?
It's a relatively new phenomenon. We'll see what happens over time with players such at Barron with the Rams and Deone Bucannon with Arizona (although I don't think Bucannon is used there as much as Barron was last year). Curious to see how Barron holds up playing a full 16 games this year at LB, playing at more like 80 to 100 pounds lighter than most O-linemen.
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Pretend you are someone with little morals or scruples. What item are you stealing from Rams Park on your last day there?
OK, I would like to have that Lombardi Trophy from the trophy case in the main lobby. But it's already gone, as are the rest of the contents from the trophy case.
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is sted still on the roster, how's his recovery going?
Well, he's still under contract with the team. I think his rehab's going pretty well at least from what he posts occasionally on social media. But I can't tell you if he'll be ready to practice with the team during OTAs in June.
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you think the LA Rams retire Kurt Warners number?
Don't know why they haven't already.
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Looks like the Bash Bros are back in?
I guess I got too excited over the prospect of Bates and Ray Ray reunited. There was nothing like them dancing to the music before kickoffs. No matter what the score, no matter what the game circumstances, they couldn't help themselves. Alas, I had forgotten that the Boom King left Oakland and is now with the 49ers.
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any guesses on where Chris Long ends up - personally I would like him to go to a team with a real chance to win it all - he is a quality guy.
Not really. His goals are to play for a contender and have a chance to be a full-time player (you know, starters reps). I wish him the best.
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A lot of folks are not wanting to jump ship on the Rams because they believe they are on the verge of breaking through. I don't see it though. Offensively they have zero receivers. Britt is old, Quick is either not going to work or they don't trust him, Austin can't or won't play slot and really isn't used more than 1a running back/screen receiver.
Gurley kind of reminds me of SJ39 where he is great but going to waste years getting 55-60% of the snaps for a team that may see .500. And the QB situation is bleak which only further compounds aging any real talent currently on the roster. I know the D stacks up but how long are these guys going to stay together to put it all together. Am I crazy or?
Again, let's wait and see what the draft and the rest of free agency brings.
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Word is out that the NFLPA is hoping to take away disciplinary authority from Roger Goodell in favor of a three-person arbitration panel. Seems like a good move after the way Roger has handled all of the Patriot's attempts at cheating, Ray Rice, etc. What say you?
Without knowing what the structure is of the new disciplinary setup, I think it's an excellent move. Goodell has enough on his plate, and many of his decisions with respect to discipline obviously seemed random and arbitrary.
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Are the Rams looking TE in draft free agency or roster
Well, as you may have heard, they had Zach Miller in for a free-agent visit although he ended up re-signing with Chicago. They did have formal visits scheduled with several TEs at the Combine, If memory serves me right that list included Beau Sandland of Montana State, Tyler Higbee of Western Kentucky, Austin Hooper of Stanford, Nick Vannett of Ohio State, and Henry Hunter of Arkansas. So it's definitely a position they're looking at.
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What are Fisher's shortcomings as a coach? For example, can he break down film and determine a successful game plan that will attack an opponent's weaknesses (like Wade Phillips or Belichick)? Can he make in-game adjustments? He has a mediocre record. Can't just be the players' fault.
A players coach. Players enjoy playing for him, and with rare exception play very hard for him. But his teams have a tendency to be undisciplined (you've seen the penalties), and so you wonder if there is enough accountability in the building. We all know about the conservative approach on offense. With the exception of some trick plays, these aren't the most creative/aggressive offenses in the book. And thirdly, there's the tendency _ at least of his St. Louis teams _ to fare much better inside the division than outside the division.
Why does the team do poorly against less familiar opponents? Is this the fault of game-planning? And why does the team have a tendency to pull off a big upset or two every year but also lose to two or three inferior opponents each season as well? While realizing the week-to-week nature of the NFL, there seems to be more inconsistency in this area than you want from Fisher teams.
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Are the RAMS required to meet a certain payroll minimum based on the latest NFLPA agreement?
Yes. I can't tell you what that exact figure is off the top of my head, but they've met it.
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Where does Snead rate when it comes to draft and talent assessments. He seems adept at trades but I can't figure out if some of the big misses or hits in the draft && FA are on him? or all Fisher?
You're on to the crux of it with the final points in your post. It's hard to rate how Snead has done, because more often than not it's Fisher who has the final say in personnel moves.
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Do the players, coaches or front office staff get some type of cost of living increase with the move to LA?
There's no adjustment for the players. Don't think there's anything for the coaches or higher-ranking front office people either. I had heard that rank-and-file workers both on the so-called football and non-football sides were offered a 14% cost of living increase, but I don't know for sure if that was the case across the board.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_9?Page=0
NFL chat with Jim Thomas
That CB from the Titans looks terrible on tape. What's the draw other than Tennessee?glad they still make dumb decisions in LA
There is a Gregg Williams connection here (from Tennessee).
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best guess on where Kaepernick ends up? Also RG3?
Strictly guesses. I'm gonna say Kaepernick to Cleveland and RGIII to San Francisco.
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What do we all seem to be missing about Case Keenum? In your up close view, can this guy really be the future answer for the Rams at QB? I just don't see it.
I enjoy interviewing Keenum. He has leadership skills, intangibles, and he does bring some energy to the huddle. But I don't really see it either. I think he's a good backup who can get you by for a few games as a starter. He doesn't have great arm strength, and from what I've seen in games just so-so accuracy.
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does Ogleetree have the football IQ to play MLB in williams system. Calls for an awful of recognition and audibles. Really supprised they got rid of both CL91 and JL55, how about you? did they even try to rework their contracts, in an interview CL had mentioned he would be willing to rework his.
Yes, I do think Ogletree has the football IQ to be a successful middle linebacker. Especially during his first two seasons with the Rams, he was like a sponge _ soaking up everything around him, watching and learning very carefully from James Laurinaitis, whose locker stall was just a few feet away. Ogletree would even watch Laurinaitis' media sessions with the media intently.. I think Ogletree has some leadership potential as well. But saying all that, I don't disagree with what you're saying about Long and Laurinaitis. There is a leadership void to fill with those two.
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regarding Kevin Demoff's comments about the Rams falling out of playoff contention last year' didn't John Shaw make the same comment a while back that winning wasn't necessarily a good thing?
The Shaw remarks your referring to were in reference to making a Super Bowl run. I'm paraphrasing here, but Shaw said that the Rams didn't really make money by going to the Super Bowl. When Mike Martz brought this up during that tumultuous 2005 season, it led to Martz's demise.
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You think Shad Khan will be interested in coming to STL in a couple of years with his Jaguars?
I really don't see that happening in the near future. Khan made that pretty clear to Nick Wagoner and myself in a late-night interview session in Houston the night of the relocation vote. I think Khan might have his eyes on London first, and only failing that, might think about St. Louis.
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Do you have any respect for Jeff Fisher and the Rams organization after they straight faced lied to you about the Sam Bradford situation?
It was difficult in the particular circumstance that you're talking about, but you never take those things personally in my line of work. You can't afford to. That doesn't mean you don't file things like that away and learn from them. So yeah, Fisher and I have had some bumpy moments but still managed to have a decent working relationship.
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Why are Fisher and Snead so hesitant on the offensive side of the ball especially in Free Agency? Also, % Fisher gets a new deal.
It is puzzling to me. I know there wasn't a ton to chose from at QB and WR, but there were some options. And there were some decent to good tight ends available as well. I'm gonna say 60-40.
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Two questions. (1) In light of Rodney McLeod's free agent departure, who do the Rams replace his position with? (2) What are the Rams' potential of re-signing Nick Fairley, since he apparently has not signed with another team after 1 week of free agency? Keep up your excellent work.
Reggie Nelson of Cincy is still out there, and I think he'd make sense on a short-term deal. And there's always the draft. Cody Davis made a lot of strides last season. But he has played very little from scrimmage and I don' think the coaches view him as starting material. As for Maurice Alexander, his size and playing style make him more suited to strong rather than free safety. He also made great strides last season, particularly I think in terms of preparation and the mental aspects of the game. I'm not sure if the coaching staff feels like he could play free safety, but I'm sure it's something that's crossed their minds.
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Give me your honest answer.. If Fisher signs a 2 year extension and the rams go 8-8 or 7-9 / Kroenke would keep him? After spending Billions of dollars wouldnt the natives get restless? Kroenke is all about the almighty dollar!
I thought anything less than 8-8 would have Fisher in trouble in the 2015 season, even with the relocation looming. Shows you what I know. If LA fans are true to their reputation as a fickle crowd, and quickly abandon the team in a losing 2016 season, I would still think all bets are off on Fisher returning for 2017 _ even if he gets a contract extension.
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Is robinson start LT day one? How do you feel he improved over the year, should we be worried? Options if he flops? Saffold? Kick Havenstien over?
Yes, I think GRob starts Day1 at left tackle. Having a veteran at LG (in the form of Reynolds) helped. The learning curve was steep for him. And to a large degree it's about recognition and technique for him. I think Saffold probably is the first option at LT if something happens to Robinson.
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Does WR Quick effectively gaurantee he's on the roster Week 1 or does it leave the Rams with some good options?
It's just a one-year deal for Quick, with only $1.5 million guaranteed. So do I think he's safe? Yeah, probably. But it's possible he could get cut if he struggles in camp and the preseason.
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In your opinion, is the new FA CB better than Gaines? Thinking he looks like a nickel cb at best.
A healthy Gaines beats him out. Sensabaugh does have some experience at nickel. But so does Gaines.
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I understand that you had an office in Rams' HQ. I assume that made it easier to get access to players and coaches. Were there any downsides to that arrangement, like the PR police having other Rams personnel on lockdown?
I still have an office at Rams Park in Earth City, at least for the next couple of weeks. I'm sitting in the media room right now for this chat. By NFL standards, access was pretty good here. And the PR staff was almost always helpful. I'll just say this: spending a lot of time at Rams Park you're always able to pick up information that you might not get by working elsewhere.
------------
Did the rams try to rework Long or Laurinaitis ' contract, they went from team leaders to cut in a short amount of time? Obviously they thought Barron and Hayes/Sims was an upgrade at LB and DE? But i think they could have provided much needed depth.
To my knowledge, the Rams did not try to rework either contract. There really wasn't much of a need to with Laurinaitis because his cap number was a relatively modest $6.4 million this year. Bluntly stated, the Rams though Long and Laurinaitis were players in decline. There are some in the building who felt that keeping Laurinaitis was holding the defense hostage to a degree. I'm not saying I agree with those assessments, but that was the feeling by some on the football side at Rams Park.
-----------
Don't you think RGlll would be an interesting option with Gurley, and Tavon in the mix? The mis-direction and power running combo prove effective and open up the passing game. IMO
Yeah, you could mix in some read option. But a couple of things here. After those knee issues, doe RGIII move around as well as he did in 2012? Also, has RGIII shown that he can be a pocket passer in the NFL, reading defenses and progressing through options? I think that's still debatable.
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Do you think Daniel has a chance to beat Bradford out?
Yes, especially if Bradford misses some games do to injury.
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How does free agency negotiations work? It seemed to me there was a time when teams wouldn't let a player leave without signing a contract, which suggest players knew offers before visiting. But I understand Giant free agent WR Randle is leaving the Rams, not because they couldn't agree on an offer but because he promised to visit other teams. How does it really happen?
First off, it has become very rare for the top shelf players to even take a visit. The days of the Reggie White tour of America are long gone. So most _ not all _ but most of the free-agent visits come during the second wave of free agency. In terms of visits resulting in contracts _ it's still a mixed bag. Sometimes teams aren't ready to make offers during visits. Sometimes the players want to make a few stops before deciding. Sometimes the players have an idea of what the team might offer, sometimes they don't.
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Do you have any idea what Rams are going to do about their QB situation? Why haven't they cut Foles, already? Are they prepared to go with the three they already have? Are they bringing in one or two for competition? Would they cut Mannion under any circumstance? Have they decided which QBs--free agents or college--that they want to target or are tehy still evaluating? Do they just have a QB budget and hope someone will take that offer or are they willing to pay what the right guy wants?
It makes no sense to cut Foles until you have an alternative, that is, a replacement. There's next to nothing left in free agency, so as each day goes by it seems more likely the team will look for a QB via the draft. The Rams cast a wide net at QB at the Combine in terms of their allotted 60-player interviews. The had formal interviews scheduled with Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook, Jared Goff, Cody Kessler, Cardale Jones, Kevin Hogan, and Jacoby Brissett
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Any free agent WR's worth a look?
I really liked Jermaine Kearse. Big, physical, clutch player. Undervalued and underutilized in a system that doesn't throw the ball that much. But he re-signed w/Seattle for a pretty modest price. Rueben Randle, who was paying a Mon-Tues visit to the Rams, would help. Not the end-all, be-all. But I think if you're the Rams you can make the case you need to add two WRs to the mix, especially with Stedman Bailey's status still unclear.
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Any news on interested teams for Cook? If not, do you think he comes back?
Haven't heard a peep in terms of any interest in Cook, or any visits. I would be very surprised if Cook returned to the Rams. While recognizing that the combination of Cook's size and speed makes him a matchup problem for defenses at the position, I think if you put the truth serum into the coaching staff/front office, I think they would say Cook's play was inconsistent and disappointing.
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I am baffled by some of the Rams' moves during the past few weeks. Did they clear all that cap space just to resign some of their present players, or do you think they were hoping to sign others that they missed out on?
Well, for one, free agency isn't over. I know almost all of the top players are gone, but we're only a week in. I did think the Rams' main emphasis would be trying to re-sign their own. You don't pile up all those extra picks through the RGII trade and spinoff deals and not try to keep at least some of those guys when their contracts are up. But I did think the Rams might try to make a splash move or two on outside free agents, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
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Can you see Mo Alexander taking the Free Safety spot in camp.
Don't know. I think that's a possibility.
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Has Danario Alexander officially retired from the NFL? I know he had another knee injury in 2013 so wasn't sure if we was trying to come back.
Not gonna happen because of the knee problems.
-----------
Any chance we can create a package to pry a starting QB from anyone? Matthew Stafford would seem like a prime candidate, they lost Megatron, they are going to have to rebuild.
Can't see that one happening.
-----------
Jim, please give me your opinion of hybrid linebackers. Do you agree that because they have to play at a lighter weight to be fast they eventually run an increased risk of injury by being run over by offensive lineman that outweigh them by 25 or more pounds?
It's a relatively new phenomenon. We'll see what happens over time with players such at Barron with the Rams and Deone Bucannon with Arizona (although I don't think Bucannon is used there as much as Barron was last year). Curious to see how Barron holds up playing a full 16 games this year at LB, playing at more like 80 to 100 pounds lighter than most O-linemen.
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Pretend you are someone with little morals or scruples. What item are you stealing from Rams Park on your last day there?
OK, I would like to have that Lombardi Trophy from the trophy case in the main lobby. But it's already gone, as are the rest of the contents from the trophy case.
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is sted still on the roster, how's his recovery going?
Well, he's still under contract with the team. I think his rehab's going pretty well at least from what he posts occasionally on social media. But I can't tell you if he'll be ready to practice with the team during OTAs in June.
--------
you think the LA Rams retire Kurt Warners number?
Don't know why they haven't already.
----------
Looks like the Bash Bros are back in?
I guess I got too excited over the prospect of Bates and Ray Ray reunited. There was nothing like them dancing to the music before kickoffs. No matter what the score, no matter what the game circumstances, they couldn't help themselves. Alas, I had forgotten that the Boom King left Oakland and is now with the 49ers.
----------
any guesses on where Chris Long ends up - personally I would like him to go to a team with a real chance to win it all - he is a quality guy.
Not really. His goals are to play for a contender and have a chance to be a full-time player (you know, starters reps). I wish him the best.
----------
A lot of folks are not wanting to jump ship on the Rams because they believe they are on the verge of breaking through. I don't see it though. Offensively they have zero receivers. Britt is old, Quick is either not going to work or they don't trust him, Austin can't or won't play slot and really isn't used more than 1a running back/screen receiver.
Gurley kind of reminds me of SJ39 where he is great but going to waste years getting 55-60% of the snaps for a team that may see .500. And the QB situation is bleak which only further compounds aging any real talent currently on the roster. I know the D stacks up but how long are these guys going to stay together to put it all together. Am I crazy or?
Again, let's wait and see what the draft and the rest of free agency brings.
----------
Word is out that the NFLPA is hoping to take away disciplinary authority from Roger Goodell in favor of a three-person arbitration panel. Seems like a good move after the way Roger has handled all of the Patriot's attempts at cheating, Ray Rice, etc. What say you?
Without knowing what the structure is of the new disciplinary setup, I think it's an excellent move. Goodell has enough on his plate, and many of his decisions with respect to discipline obviously seemed random and arbitrary.
--------
Are the Rams looking TE in draft free agency or roster
Well, as you may have heard, they had Zach Miller in for a free-agent visit although he ended up re-signing with Chicago. They did have formal visits scheduled with several TEs at the Combine, If memory serves me right that list included Beau Sandland of Montana State, Tyler Higbee of Western Kentucky, Austin Hooper of Stanford, Nick Vannett of Ohio State, and Henry Hunter of Arkansas. So it's definitely a position they're looking at.
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What are Fisher's shortcomings as a coach? For example, can he break down film and determine a successful game plan that will attack an opponent's weaknesses (like Wade Phillips or Belichick)? Can he make in-game adjustments? He has a mediocre record. Can't just be the players' fault.
A players coach. Players enjoy playing for him, and with rare exception play very hard for him. But his teams have a tendency to be undisciplined (you've seen the penalties), and so you wonder if there is enough accountability in the building. We all know about the conservative approach on offense. With the exception of some trick plays, these aren't the most creative/aggressive offenses in the book. And thirdly, there's the tendency _ at least of his St. Louis teams _ to fare much better inside the division than outside the division.
Why does the team do poorly against less familiar opponents? Is this the fault of game-planning? And why does the team have a tendency to pull off a big upset or two every year but also lose to two or three inferior opponents each season as well? While realizing the week-to-week nature of the NFL, there seems to be more inconsistency in this area than you want from Fisher teams.
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Are the RAMS required to meet a certain payroll minimum based on the latest NFLPA agreement?
Yes. I can't tell you what that exact figure is off the top of my head, but they've met it.
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Where does Snead rate when it comes to draft and talent assessments. He seems adept at trades but I can't figure out if some of the big misses or hits in the draft && FA are on him? or all Fisher?
You're on to the crux of it with the final points in your post. It's hard to rate how Snead has done, because more often than not it's Fisher who has the final say in personnel moves.
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Do the players, coaches or front office staff get some type of cost of living increase with the move to LA?
There's no adjustment for the players. Don't think there's anything for the coaches or higher-ranking front office people either. I had heard that rank-and-file workers both on the so-called football and non-football sides were offered a 14% cost of living increase, but I don't know for sure if that was the case across the board.
