Rams chat with Jim Thomas: 12/1/15

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These are selected questions and answers only. To read the whole chat click the link below.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/Rams_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_43645594ebd2?Page=0

Rams chat with Jim Thomas

Do we have enough cap space to resign the players we want to keep this off-season? Do you think players who are up for a new contract would prefer to leave for a team with a recent winning trend?

The Rams have about $7.5 million available under this year's cap, and projections are for good cap space in 2016 as well. So I certainly think they can re-sign many of the pending free agents on this year's roster. Obviously it takes two to make a deal. Some players may want to take their chances on the market _ it looks like that's what Janoris Jenkins wants to do for example.
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How big of mistake was signing Foles extension before the season?

Well, it makes it difficult to discard the contract if the Rams want to make a change after this season, that's for sure. Again, I don't know why you would extend a guy before even seeing him throw even a preseason pass.
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Saw Greco starting for Cleveland last night. Did the Rams give up on him a bit early?

I don't know if you'd call it giving up on him too early _ he was with the team for three years. They just never let him play.
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This team actually has talent in spots but their discipline is what is killing them.
the defense is still pretty good but cant get off the field. the o-line is young, inexperienced and now banged up. There is hope. They are closer then people think...if they had a new head coach.


I think the Rams have good enough talent to win with in most places, particularly on defense. I know there are some people around the league who feel they could win a lot of games with this group.
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How much better would this team be if we drafted Blake Bortles instead of Greg Robinson?

I've watched Bortles a little this season, and he certainly has some potential. But as ugly as it looks right now, I'm not ready to give up on Robinson yet.
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If the NFL is serious about concussions and not just paying lip service to the issue, Why didn't they do anything in regards to the Case Keenum situation?

What would you have them do? Fines? Suspensions? Firing the press box observer? The circumstances weren't as obvious as they appeared on television replay _ in slow motion. I think the simplest answer is to give the press box trainer more power. Call the medical timeout, and get the quarterback over to the neutral sideline doctor to take a look at the player. The whole idea of this is to take the decision-making on checking out the player out of the hands of the teams involved, isn't it?
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Bengals offense is good but Rams defense isn't that bad. I know they are saying all the right things but it looks like they don't have the effort anymore. Jeff Fisher comments notwithstanding.

I think it's the easiest thing in the world to question is the effort when things don't go well. And 95 times out of 100 that assumption is dead wrong. Nothing personal but it's kind of a knee-jerk fan reaction. Did the Rams seem as passionate and intense as ever at Paul Brown Stadium? No. But it's one thing to say that and another thing to say they've quit on the coach.
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How much playing time has Nick Fairley had?

HIs playing time has gone up over the past five games. He was playing less than 1/4th of the defensive snaps in games 1 thru 4, then moved up to about 33 percent in games 5-6. But starting with the San Francisco game, he has been playing about 50 percent of the snaps.
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What are the 5 biggest mistakes Jeff Fisher has made during his tenure?

Well, off the top of my head I don't know if I can give you 5 right away. But going totally young on the offensive line would have to be one; and trading for Foles would have to be two (at least not with bona fide competition for the No. 1 QB spot on the roster. And I guess signing Foles to an extension before he'd even thrown a preseason pass would be 3.
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I know it was mop up time but the kid looked good Sunday, nice zip on the ball. If ( when ) we get blown out in the first half will fish give him a shot in the second half?

Mannion does have, I believe, the strongest arm among the quarterbacks. And he did get the ball out quick. But keep in mind, the Bengals were playing soft coverage by then. With the big lead they just wanted to keep the ball in front, prevent the big play, and keep the clock running.
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What would it take for you to predict 10 wins next season?

I can't see myself predicting 10 wins for the Rams for a long time.
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G Robinson is not a let tackle. why not line up w/saffold at LT, Rob at LG, find a new center and have Brown and Havenstein on the right side next year? seems like a much better lineup...not perfect but GRob certainly appears to be not a tackle. this would allow the rams to use their draft picks on QB, which increasingly looks plausible in the 1st round as they keep getting a higher position,

then both 2nd round picks on offensive talent like a WR and a TE, if available? drafting another LT seems like a lost cause with this team, for whatever reason they can't get it right. also, do you think Long will have to take a pay cut to stay? Cook and Britt also likely will be cut for more cap space next year. If players are available they could load up.....they are not that far, just some offense, thanks.

What you're saying about the O-line makes some sense, but what makes you think Saffold can stay healthy at LT? Not sure what the Rams do with Long, Cook, and Britt _ especially the first two.
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How would you compare the state of the team now versus when Sneed/Fisher arrived? Frankly, I don't see much progress.

I don't think there's any doubt about this being the most talented Rams roster in their four years here. Obviously, the progress isn't there in terms of the record. But it's tough to win in this league without at least decent quarterback play.
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You've watched Foles practice. Does he miss open receivers during practice or just when it matters?

Yeah, he misses some receivers during practice.
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Maybe they gave up on Austin Davis too early too...huh? He'd have to be better than what Rams currently have at QB.

I didn't watch any of that Browns-Ravens game, but I guess Davis did pretty well during his stint. The most surprising thing to me about Davis this past offseason in St. Louis was that it was never really a competition with Keenum. It's as if Fisher's mind was made up as soon as Keenum was back on board.
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Wins and losses aside how do you think the Rams coaches have done with the development of talent on their offensive side of the ball ?

I don't blame Boudreau for what's happening on the offensive line. I mean, what do you expect with a meeting room full of rookies. I'm not as down on the WRs and TEs as many of you are. I do wonder if the WRs could've been brought along more quickly. And you have a first-time NFL offensive coordinator and a first-time NFL QBs coach, That's not necessarily a good thing.
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Jeff seemed to be willing to experiment with a more pass-oriented approach a couple seasons ago but jettisoned it quickly. Has he ever trusted an OC to take over the offense since he himself is clearly not neing successful as an offensive strategist? He doesn't show any signs of self-doubt. In the press conference he seemed to insinuate that run-blocking is the major reason for his offensive woes? Has he ever empowered and delegated to his OC? Is it true that many offensive coordinators didn't want to work in Fisher's program?

I don't think Fisher is a meddler on offense, unless things are going wrong _ as they obviously are now. But it is his overall philosophy that's in place, and it's a conservative philosophy.
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Aside from our offensive woes, is it time to cut ties with CL, JL, JJ....? None of them making any kind of impact. How could Jan Jenkins leave AJ Green uncovered? Unfathomable!

On that Jenkins play, why would you jump the underneath route when there's no help behind you? It is unfathomable that plays like that would still be happening 4 years into a program. We'll have to wait and see on Long and Laurinaitis.
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Can you explain the role of the GM vs the coach when it comes to draft decisions and other non-game day tasks. For example, I know its always the head coach and scouts in the "war room" on draft day. Does that mean the coach is making all the decisions? If so, what exactly is the role of the GM in the NFL? ...It seems like the coach has a lot more autonomy in the NFL than in other sports like MLB or NHL where the coach has almost no input on the draft.

It varies from team to team in the NFL. In some organizations, the GM has more say over the draft picks. In some less. Certainly at Rams Park, Fisher has the say. So the GM, finds out the type of players a coach likes or wants, he scouts and looks for and evaluates those types of players. The GM, scouting department, and coaches then talk about all the prospects leading up to the draft. By draft day, any arguments should've already taken place, and there should be a clear direction on which way to go.
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I know there is a lot of “Fisher/Snead must go” sentiment these days (people saying the team is horrible and hopeless). My opinion is Fisher/Snead did a good job rebuilding this roster considering what they inherited. There is a lot of talent on this team. However, I think Fisher has reached his Zenith as far as the COACHING of this team goes. He just does not seem to have the ability to take this team to the next level. With that said, I think we should just thank Fisher/Snead for their contributions and effort and move on to the next candidate(s) to run this organization. It’s not a sin to have tried your best but fail.

Thanks for playing. . . .
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Arians strongly dislikes the Rams, or more accurately, Jeff Fisher. If we lay an egg again this week I think we will gladly run up 50+ points if he could. Agree?

Let's put it this way, I doubt we'll see the backup quarterback in handing off the football at the end if it's a lopsided game.
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Does Fisher last this long under any other owner?

Hard to imagine.
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Do you agree this offseason will consist of an offense heavy draft and a change of the offensive system/gameplan? Will Fish budge at all? Meaning hand the offense over to someone a little more proven in that area.

Offense certainly looks like the priority, but keep in mind, you have 3 of your 4 starters in the secondary with contracts about to expire, not to mention Mark Barron, not to mention both of your backup defensive ends. I don't think Fisher will budge unless someone makes him budge. (See: Vermeil Rams, '98-99 offseason).
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Any chance we DON'T draft a center?

Yes. Rams do like Rhaney.
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Who might start at running back for the cardinals this weekend? I hope they don't promote someone from their practice squad who then runs for a bunch of yards. That's happened to us a couple times before...

Unless the Cardinals make some kind of move, looks like it would be David Johnson, the rookie from Northern Iowa.
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Fisher may assert he's not concerned with job security at his presser. But to me, that comment tells me frustration's settled in and with the weighted schedule he faces to the end, he knows from a public relations standpoint he's likely a goner with little to show for his 4 year stretch. Just my humble opinion.

We'll know soon enough.
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Last year when the Rams were out of the playoff hunt they didn't permit players like Tim Barnes to get stating opportunities. If the Rams lose to the Cardinals what players would you like to see get more playing time for evaluation and experience. Also are all of the free agents unrestricted free agents or are some restricted.

I'm not a big believer in holding preseason games in December. I say play the guys who give you the best chance to win.
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What is the difference between a normal time out and a 30 second time out and why?

Interesting question. Timeouts usually are 2 minutes in length. But based on the number of TV commercials taken it can be reduced to 30 seconds. Check out this link for more information: static.nfl.com

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Absent injuries to Saffold, Brown, Quinn, Long and Ogletree, I don't think this team loses four straight. Sure, Fisher hasn't fixed the QB situation but since there aren't enough QB's to go around in a 32 team league, that's as much luck as coaching talent. Do you think the team should cut him loose?

Probably not. But teams go through injuries all the time. The Rams lost to a Baltimore team, for example, that had something like 17 players on IR.
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now that the season is half over, what do you think of the new PAT placement? Has it accomplished what it was supposed to?

I like it. It puts a lot more pressure on the kickers, though. It's not quite an automatic point any more.
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Have any of the young linemen shown potential. I agreed with going o-line heavy in the draft. On the QB with Foles' contract, Mannion a 3rd round pick waiting, can they afford a first or second round pick on another QB?

Yeah, I think almost all of the drafted O-linemen have potential. The issue is not having any veterans mixed into the lineup with them. As for drafting a QB in the 1st_ or 2nd-rounds, 1st-round draft picks are a lot cheaper than they used to be before the new CBA.
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if the Rams don't make the playoffs this year, but they do next season under Fisher does he get a contract extension. Any new feelings on the matter?

If the 2016 Rams reach the playoffs under Fisher, I think he most certainly would get an extension.
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Fisher can spin this any way he wants but these are his players, his coaches, and his system. This is on his shoulders. A former defensive back as an off coordinator the tv analyst were laughing at that. So why doesn't he change something, anything is he that bull headed?

Cignetti has had lots of experience in college as an offensive coordinator.
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At this point, do you think the major difficulty of the Ram's horrid 32nd level offense is the inferior offensive line play or lack of skill players/creativity to do anything other than run Gurly with defenses keying in?

I'd say mainly combination of line play, quarterback play, and I think you've got to throw in play-calling/scheme at this point. And by not including receivers by no means am I saying that's the greatest group ever assembled. I'm just saying I don't think they're as much of the problem as some others do.
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Of the Rams first round picks since 2012, how many do you think they regret?

Well, probably not many. Here's the group we're talking about: Brockers, Austin, Ogletree, Robinson, Donald, Gurley. Other than Robinson at this point _ and I'm far from ready to put the bust label on him _ it looks like a pretty good group, don't you think?
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Hey Jim, in the past when asked how you thought Greg Robinson was doing and will do in the future you consistently answered, "He's been ok" and "I think he'll be ok". Still feel that way? Because he is seriously one of the worst tackles I've seen play in the NFL and I've been watching for about 30 years.

Again, even in this rough stretch, I'm not ready to give up on the guy.
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Was Fisher cussing at YOU directly JT? Did you look him in his eyes? Like a Holm vs Rousey stare down? Are you scared of Fish? Seriously?

I didn't ask the question that set him off Sunday.
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What happened to Foles? Is he hurt? I am fine with an average quarterback on this team, but he is awful. No zip on the ball and looks lost out there.

He says he's fine physically.
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How much does Kroenke have to do with the day to day operations of the Rams?

Pretty much nothing. It has always been his managerial style to hire people and let them do their jobs.
 

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You've watched Foles practice. Does he miss open receivers during practice or just when it matters?

Yeah, he misses some receivers during practice.
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