- Joined
- Feb 9, 2014
- Messages
- 20,922
- Name
- Peter
http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/Rams_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_75?Page=0
Rams chat with Jim Thomas
These are selected questions and answers. To read about the draft and stadium issues click the link.
***************************************************************************
Nick Foles, just the start of the what-will-the-Rams-do-at-QB rumors. But, hard to come up with a better solution. Would you take him? At what price?
Foles doesn't do a whole lot for me. Keep in mind, the trading period doesn't start until March 10. So I wouldn't read too much into this rumor. But rest assured, it won't be the last. I'm thinking maybe a third-rounder for Foles.
There's no way the Rams are trading a No. 10 overall for Nick Foles.
---------
So what's the latest with the OC position now that Chud is staying with Indy.
Nathaniel Hackett is in for a second interview today. And then there's in-house candidates Boras and Cignetti. I'm told there won't be an announcement this week. And who knows, maybe Fisher has an unknown candidate or two up his sleeve.
---------
I read an article on Grantland on the Pats drafts since 99. Apparently Tom Brady was a compensatory pick the Pats received after the Rams signed LB Todd Collins. As a Rams fan that is some painful irony. Don't you think?
I know Brady was a compensatory pick _ but not sure if it as for Collins. That would be something if true.
--------
Kraft was adamant that he wanted an apology if it was deemed this deflategate was untrue, did he say what he would do if it was true, if not, could you ask him?
Yeah, that was a pretty amazing statement by Kraft. No I didn't get a chance to ask him if he'd apologize. When you've already been convicted for breaking the rules, and have been accused of rule-breaking on a couple of other occasions, you're always going to be under suspicion. I'm sure Kraft knows that.
---------
Who do you think is better, Sherman or Revis?
I've got to go with Sherman, because of his ball skills. I will admit, I watch him play a lot more than I do Revis.
---------
Can we please blame Martz for losing Superbowl 36? I'm so sick of this cop out mentality that Spygate cost us the game. Martz's terrible coaching caused more damage than any video tape, and his awful drafting buried this franchise for years to come. Let's place the blame where it belongs.
Where have you been the last 15 years? I think Martz has gotten plenty of blame for the Super Bowl 36 defeat, much more than he deserves actually. Martz's terrible coaching resulted in a 56-36 record, one Super Bowl berth, two division titles, and four playoff berths. What's the team's record since then? Oh, yeah, right.
---------
Sam Bradford's banged (the same knee) in two consecutive years, resulting in missing nearly all of his time. Is it realistic to believe he can come back and can you think of any past NFL QB s in the same boat that recovered.
I cannot think of any QB off the top of my head. But at linebacker, Carolina LB Thomas Davis has recovered from torn ACLs three years in a row and is still playing and playing at a high level.
---------
Will the Rams cut Scott Wells? Will Barrett Jones ever be healthy again?
I think that's still to be determined on Wells. Jones is healthy now. So I guess the question is, can he make it through the 2015 season healthy.
--------
Is the difficulty of finding a new OC more related to Fisher, or the uncertainties of team's future location? Or something else, like lack of a QB?
I don't think it's seen as a very attractive job at this point. Plus Fisher is usually pretty deliberate on hires.
---------
Why would the Eagles trade Nick Foles? And what would it take to trade for him?
The Eagles don't really have a replacement for Foles as we speak. So I wouldn't sweat this much at this point.
---------
From where you stand right now, what are the chances of Barksdale returning? He's probably never going to make all-pro but I think the rewards of keeping him far outweigh the negatives of having to find another starting caliber RT.
Right now, I see it as kind of a tossup. I really think the Rams are going to go only so far in terms of what they offer. If another team offers him $6 million a year I think he's gone. I agree w/you in saying it may be tougher to replace him than you think.
---------
Any sense who the rams will be looking at in Free agency?
I really can't give you any names right now. As for positions, I think they will be looking long and hard at offensive linemen _ particularly on the interior.
---------
Has Jake Long done all the necessary surgery/ rehab to get back to 100% next year? Is it a possibility that he would retire instead of putting in all that work to get completely back?
No, he's still got a lot of rehab work to do before he's ready to play. I had heard some speculation that he was contemplating retirement, but I think that was more of a sentiment right after the injurry, and that he's beyond that now and wants to continue playing. Again, I'm not speaking for Long here _ but that's what I've heard.
--------
do you think some people enter these chats under the influence of mind altering substances?
Not sure. But sometimes I've wondered if mind-altering substances might help me get through them.
---------
Jim- you mentioned just before the trade deadline that the Rams had received a few calls regarding Langford. Do you think he is traded this off-season, and for what?
Maybe I'm getting forgetful in my advancing age, but I sure don't recall saying that the Rams received a few calls regarding Langford.
---------
Jim would you say our WR corps might actually be under-rated? I tend to think that Britt/Quick on the outside with Bailey/Austin in the slot is a pretty good combination of styles. Give us upgraded pass protection and stability at QB and I think we got a respectable passing offense.
I don't know about underrated, but I wonder what would've happened had Quick stayed healthy and Bradford played 16 games. There is potential there.
---------
Was Schotty pushed or did he jump on his own?
Schotty told me Fisher wanted him back.
---------
do you think peyton manning finally looks washed up?
If you ask me, he looked like it was time to retire judging by how he played in the AFC title game.
---------
Jim, your Superbowl prediction. I call this the lesser of 2 evils Superbowl.
Seattle by six.
---------
With Marshon Lynch repeatedly rebuffing the NFL by answering in succession (27 times I heard) I'm only here so I don't get fined.... sure seems like the ultimate blowoff. Wouldn't a fine be appropriately levied anyway?
Here's the thing. I know many fans could care less whether a player talks or not to the media. But part of every signed contract by a player _ no matter how much or how little they make _ includes language on cooperating with the media. If Mr. Lynch disagreed with the language in his contract, and is unwilling to fulfill what's in the contract, maybe he should find another line of work. Then he doesn't have to talk to anybody.
---------
Is there a defense that plays Russell Wilson better than the Rams? Seems every game we're able to contain him but lose due to the offense's struggles.
The Rams do play him very tough.
--------
In your opinion does an "in-house" hire for the OC post translate to "more of the same" on offense?
In terms of overall approach yes.
---------
how many writers and talk show hosts are in phx this week?
I think there's always a couple thousand.
---------
Also, what if any enthusiasm do the Rams have about the center D. Raney (Ramey?), whom they put on I.R. very, very quickly. Did he need to get stronger? Is he a little undersized?
Yeah, they like his potential. It was an injury that was going to take a while to heal, so they basically made it a redshirt year for him.
Rams chat with Jim Thomas
These are selected questions and answers. To read about the draft and stadium issues click the link.
***************************************************************************
Nick Foles, just the start of the what-will-the-Rams-do-at-QB rumors. But, hard to come up with a better solution. Would you take him? At what price?
Foles doesn't do a whole lot for me. Keep in mind, the trading period doesn't start until March 10. So I wouldn't read too much into this rumor. But rest assured, it won't be the last. I'm thinking maybe a third-rounder for Foles.
There's no way the Rams are trading a No. 10 overall for Nick Foles.
---------
So what's the latest with the OC position now that Chud is staying with Indy.
Nathaniel Hackett is in for a second interview today. And then there's in-house candidates Boras and Cignetti. I'm told there won't be an announcement this week. And who knows, maybe Fisher has an unknown candidate or two up his sleeve.
---------
I read an article on Grantland on the Pats drafts since 99. Apparently Tom Brady was a compensatory pick the Pats received after the Rams signed LB Todd Collins. As a Rams fan that is some painful irony. Don't you think?
I know Brady was a compensatory pick _ but not sure if it as for Collins. That would be something if true.
--------
Kraft was adamant that he wanted an apology if it was deemed this deflategate was untrue, did he say what he would do if it was true, if not, could you ask him?
Yeah, that was a pretty amazing statement by Kraft. No I didn't get a chance to ask him if he'd apologize. When you've already been convicted for breaking the rules, and have been accused of rule-breaking on a couple of other occasions, you're always going to be under suspicion. I'm sure Kraft knows that.
---------
Who do you think is better, Sherman or Revis?
I've got to go with Sherman, because of his ball skills. I will admit, I watch him play a lot more than I do Revis.
---------
Can we please blame Martz for losing Superbowl 36? I'm so sick of this cop out mentality that Spygate cost us the game. Martz's terrible coaching caused more damage than any video tape, and his awful drafting buried this franchise for years to come. Let's place the blame where it belongs.
Where have you been the last 15 years? I think Martz has gotten plenty of blame for the Super Bowl 36 defeat, much more than he deserves actually. Martz's terrible coaching resulted in a 56-36 record, one Super Bowl berth, two division titles, and four playoff berths. What's the team's record since then? Oh, yeah, right.
---------
Sam Bradford's banged (the same knee) in two consecutive years, resulting in missing nearly all of his time. Is it realistic to believe he can come back and can you think of any past NFL QB s in the same boat that recovered.
I cannot think of any QB off the top of my head. But at linebacker, Carolina LB Thomas Davis has recovered from torn ACLs three years in a row and is still playing and playing at a high level.
---------
Will the Rams cut Scott Wells? Will Barrett Jones ever be healthy again?
I think that's still to be determined on Wells. Jones is healthy now. So I guess the question is, can he make it through the 2015 season healthy.
--------
Is the difficulty of finding a new OC more related to Fisher, or the uncertainties of team's future location? Or something else, like lack of a QB?
I don't think it's seen as a very attractive job at this point. Plus Fisher is usually pretty deliberate on hires.
---------
Why would the Eagles trade Nick Foles? And what would it take to trade for him?
The Eagles don't really have a replacement for Foles as we speak. So I wouldn't sweat this much at this point.
---------
From where you stand right now, what are the chances of Barksdale returning? He's probably never going to make all-pro but I think the rewards of keeping him far outweigh the negatives of having to find another starting caliber RT.
Right now, I see it as kind of a tossup. I really think the Rams are going to go only so far in terms of what they offer. If another team offers him $6 million a year I think he's gone. I agree w/you in saying it may be tougher to replace him than you think.
---------
Any sense who the rams will be looking at in Free agency?
I really can't give you any names right now. As for positions, I think they will be looking long and hard at offensive linemen _ particularly on the interior.
---------
Has Jake Long done all the necessary surgery/ rehab to get back to 100% next year? Is it a possibility that he would retire instead of putting in all that work to get completely back?
No, he's still got a lot of rehab work to do before he's ready to play. I had heard some speculation that he was contemplating retirement, but I think that was more of a sentiment right after the injurry, and that he's beyond that now and wants to continue playing. Again, I'm not speaking for Long here _ but that's what I've heard.
--------
do you think some people enter these chats under the influence of mind altering substances?
Not sure. But sometimes I've wondered if mind-altering substances might help me get through them.
---------
Jim- you mentioned just before the trade deadline that the Rams had received a few calls regarding Langford. Do you think he is traded this off-season, and for what?
Maybe I'm getting forgetful in my advancing age, but I sure don't recall saying that the Rams received a few calls regarding Langford.
---------
Jim would you say our WR corps might actually be under-rated? I tend to think that Britt/Quick on the outside with Bailey/Austin in the slot is a pretty good combination of styles. Give us upgraded pass protection and stability at QB and I think we got a respectable passing offense.
I don't know about underrated, but I wonder what would've happened had Quick stayed healthy and Bradford played 16 games. There is potential there.
---------
Was Schotty pushed or did he jump on his own?
Schotty told me Fisher wanted him back.
---------
do you think peyton manning finally looks washed up?
If you ask me, he looked like it was time to retire judging by how he played in the AFC title game.
---------
Jim, your Superbowl prediction. I call this the lesser of 2 evils Superbowl.
Seattle by six.
---------
With Marshon Lynch repeatedly rebuffing the NFL by answering in succession (27 times I heard) I'm only here so I don't get fined.... sure seems like the ultimate blowoff. Wouldn't a fine be appropriately levied anyway?
Here's the thing. I know many fans could care less whether a player talks or not to the media. But part of every signed contract by a player _ no matter how much or how little they make _ includes language on cooperating with the media. If Mr. Lynch disagreed with the language in his contract, and is unwilling to fulfill what's in the contract, maybe he should find another line of work. Then he doesn't have to talk to anybody.
---------
Is there a defense that plays Russell Wilson better than the Rams? Seems every game we're able to contain him but lose due to the offense's struggles.
The Rams do play him very tough.
--------
In your opinion does an "in-house" hire for the OC post translate to "more of the same" on offense?
In terms of overall approach yes.
---------
how many writers and talk show hosts are in phx this week?
I think there's always a couple thousand.
---------
Also, what if any enthusiasm do the Rams have about the center D. Raney (Ramey?), whom they put on I.R. very, very quickly. Did he need to get stronger? Is he a little undersized?
Yeah, they like his potential. It was an injury that was going to take a while to heal, so they basically made it a redshirt year for him.
