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These are excerpts only from the Q&A. To read the entire chat click the link below.
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http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/Rams_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_99?Page=0
Rams chat with Jim Thomas: 9/8/15
I remember hearing, best case scenario is Barrett Jones wins the starting job at center. What happened?
Don't know what you mean by "best-case" scenario. I think most of us thought he'd be a slight favorite for the job based on pedigree. But he got outplayed. And the feeling I get is that the Rams also think Barnes and Rhaney are better at playing the guard position (if they're not playing center) than Jones was.
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Who will the starting center be Sunday?
I'd be very surprised if it's not Tim Barnes.
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Mcdonald has really flashed a few times this preseason, really excited to see if he can start off where he ended last year. Your thoughts? And what are your thoughts on ogletree this year? How do you think he looked this preseason?
McDonald is a good player, and really, the Rams have the potential to be pretty good at safety. Ogletree has tons of talent. He's inconsistent in coverage and needs to be more disciplined (especially in zone coverage).
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Last time Barnes played C vs. Seahawks he got manhandled. Any reason to think that he's gotten a lot better since then? Versatility is one thing, being a good center entirely another.
Sure. That was a couple of years ago, and the Seahawks front four at that time manhandled a lot of people. I'm sure every play won't be a picnic on Sunday, either. I do think Barnes has gotten stronger over the years.
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Do you think the Rams would have been better long term compared to what has played out if they won SB36?
Darn SpyGate
Of course. For one, I think it strengthens the Hall of Fame candidacies of Pace, Warner, Bruce, and Holt. The impact that loss had on Mike Martz, and on the Martz relationship with Jay Zygmunt, was significant.
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Any reason to be hopeful that the offense will be anything other than below average to just plain bad? I'm just not seeing it this year.
I think it could be ugly early. But I believe _ maybe I'm in the minority here _ that the Rams receivers can be better than average. By midseason, Gurley should be going pretty good. And I do think Brown and Havenstein will get better over time.,
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how does nick fairley look, I haven't really heard to much about him this past camp?
I was told he was starting to make pretty good progress in learning this system _ and who Mike Waufle wants his D-linemen to play _ until he got nicked up.
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I don't blame Martz for bringing up Spygate again. Let's him deflect blame for not running Faulk enough against the Pats.
You know I still don't totally buy this let's blame Martz for not running Faulk enough. Faulk did have 22 touches in that game. Not 2. Not 12. But 22.
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Mason going to play. Really hate relying on Pead and Cunningham against the Hawks, don't see much success their the horses.
We'll see on Mason. But when someone even tweaks a hamstring, it's pretty rare that they're able to come back full-speed in just two weeks. Fisher says Mason is a quick healer. No matter who's out there, the yards never seem to come easy on the ground vs. Seattle.
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What is your take on the OL switching???? I think it was to split up lack of experience on right side.
Possibly. Most of all, I don't know why it took so long to realize that Saffold might be better at RG and Brown at LG
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Do you see any improvement out of LT Greg Robinson over last year ?
Yes
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SI picked Rams 11-5 Pipe Dream?
They must be smoking something in that pipe.
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Make a guess on Sunday's attendance?
43,750 tickets distributed.
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if Cunningham is the starting back Sunday will he still return kickoffs too?
Possible. But equally possible we see Pead or Givens doing so.
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Have you seen anything in practice that would indicate the Rams are going to use a lot of schemes to help out O line.
The switch to more of a zone blocking scheme should help the o-line. So should simply getting the ball out quick.
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Seahawks secondary is hurting, Foles likes to go deep, plus a dash of Tavon Austin... or are we going to get more Schotty ball in memorium?
Plus the passing game looked better than the running game in the preseason.
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Jim, if the Rams come out and lay an egg in the opener like they did last year against Minn I believe, do you think that may be a final straw for this team and the remaining fans just mail it in? I know its only one game, but boy, eventually all of the negatives of this team and situation have to break even the most loyal of fans
I think the hard core will still come out.
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Are you surprised Rams didn't make an attempt at any veteran OL that were cut? Any cuts or practice squad players that caught you off guard?
I was surprised the Rams didn't sign at least one veteran O-lineman _ an instant starter if you will _ earlier in the offseason at the start of the free agency period.
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was the Barrett Jones cut a surprise to you? Also, it seemed like Fischer has no interest in seeing Austin Davis in the pre-season. possible Fischer doghouse?
Barrett Jones' demise was a mild surprise. As for Davis, I don't know what he could've done to receive doghouse treatment. But it seems like once the Keenum trade was made and Mannion was picked in the third round that the writing was on the wall for Davis. I wish him the best.
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Why didn't the Rams sign Barrett Jones to their practice squad, Steelers obviously thought he was worth it.
If you're Barrett Jones, and you've not only lost the starting job but a job _ period _ with the Rams, why would you possibly want to re-sign with the Rams?
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Is this team the healthiest that one has come out of training camp in a while?
Pretty much so, yeah.
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FULL grape again? Getting them out of the way before the season starts? Eugh
OK, so it's not just me. I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em. The Rams will have a couple of throwback uniform games this season. I'm not sure when, though.
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Please help us understand after watching him in preseason why Sean Mannion is a better option then Austin Davis ?
I'm sure the Rams feel Mannion has more upside, more potential as an NFL quarterback. Just like you can't rate Austin Davis based on how he performed in the preseason, I don't think you can overreact to Mannion's shaky performance vs. Kansas City.
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Which of the UDFA that made the team do you think was the biggest surprise.
I'd have to say the OT Darrell Williams and the WR Bradley Marquez. In the case of Williams he basically beat out Isaiah Battle, whom the Rams expended a 5th-round pick on in the July supplemental draft. And Marquez just on the fact that Fisher has been known to keep only 5 WRs in the past.
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how do you think Akeen Ayers has looked through training camp and preseason and is he an upgrade from Dunbar
I think the feeling is that Ayers will be better in coverage than Dunbar.
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I hate being negative but I just don't see us putting up much offense yet again. The defense can only stand on their head for so long. How do you see the season going? I see us 3rd at best in the West. Hope I'm wrong.
So then you're telling me that maybe Schottenheimer wasn't the root of all evil?
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I think it was foolish/stupid to let go of Dunbar. Your view, please?
Didn't make much sense to me either. The basic explanation is that Dunbar doesn't play special teams. And Fisher is big on special teams and figures Cameron Lynch can help there. But the Rams have no experienced depth behind the 3 starters at LB.
I know Laurinaitis and Ogletree are very durable, but what if one of them goes down? Or Ayers goes down? Then you're talking about Lynch (undrafted rookie), Bryce Hager (rookie, 7th rounder), and Bates, who's hurt. Maybe they figure Dunbar will still be available if that's the case.
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Looks like Spygate is back in the news. Any comment on Martz's interview from ESPN's "Outside the Lines"?
A few years back, Mike told me that he was asked/encouraged by league to come up with a statement basically exonerating the league in its investigation. To this day he is haunted by that Super Bowl loss, and a part of him just wanted it to go away. Anyway, he swore me to secrecy, and I respected that. That's how you work sources. You have to develop their trust, and vice versa.
Also, at that time, I think he was still hoping to get back in the league, and maybe he didn't want to say anything at the time that might hurt those chances. So I was surprised he went public. It could be however that he now realizes he's not getting back in the league, so what the heck, why not go public? Now as for the part where he told ESPN that his statement was altered _ that's the first I've heard of that.
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Do you feel like the Rams can cover Jimmy Graham in both sub package and base in week 1? I think I would try and bracket him and take chances somewhere else. Thoughts?
They did a very good job against him in St. Louis two years ago. (This was pre-Greg Williams).
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For those who don't think Spygate has an effect; no Spygate, Rams win. Rams win, legacy started. Legacy started, Rams popularity soars. Rams popularity soars, suites and seats are sold to a healthy fan base. Healthy fan base, building a stadium is much, much easier
Hard to argue with. . . .
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ESPN investigative reporters have uncovered more signs of Patriots spying, and more is surfacing about how the league ordered possibly incriminating evidence destroyed in Spygate. Interesting comments today from Mike Martz as well. Do you think the truth ever comes out about NE cheating during that Superbowl? Seems a lot of owners were upset about Patriots' behavior then, so maybe more is known than we thought.
No. I don't think the full truth ever comes out.
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What's the potential impact Barron can have on this D? Key cog or just a situational guy?
How about an impactful situational guy? Good in run defense. Good blitzer. Hard hitter. Big enough to be used basically like a linebacker.
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How many more years does Chris Long have left in him?
I'd say three or four. But this is a big year for him coming back from the injury, to re-establish himself as a player.
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I think Jeff Fisher has done a lousy job as coach!! Why hasn't he lost his job?
I think this is the year that we see whether he's done a lousy job or not.
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Can Quick ever reach his potential (as the Rams saw him when they drafted him) or is he damaged goods now?
I think he can still get there.
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When does it get to a point where Cook is best used on the bench then actually on the field playing? His inability to block, or IMO his unwillingness to block, is to the point where this team has to have better options.
Neither Cook, nor Britt looked too, uh, "engaged" in that KC game. I'll leave it at that.
********************************************************************
http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/Rams_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_99?Page=0
Rams chat with Jim Thomas: 9/8/15
I remember hearing, best case scenario is Barrett Jones wins the starting job at center. What happened?
Don't know what you mean by "best-case" scenario. I think most of us thought he'd be a slight favorite for the job based on pedigree. But he got outplayed. And the feeling I get is that the Rams also think Barnes and Rhaney are better at playing the guard position (if they're not playing center) than Jones was.
-------
Who will the starting center be Sunday?
I'd be very surprised if it's not Tim Barnes.
-------
Mcdonald has really flashed a few times this preseason, really excited to see if he can start off where he ended last year. Your thoughts? And what are your thoughts on ogletree this year? How do you think he looked this preseason?
McDonald is a good player, and really, the Rams have the potential to be pretty good at safety. Ogletree has tons of talent. He's inconsistent in coverage and needs to be more disciplined (especially in zone coverage).
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Last time Barnes played C vs. Seahawks he got manhandled. Any reason to think that he's gotten a lot better since then? Versatility is one thing, being a good center entirely another.
Sure. That was a couple of years ago, and the Seahawks front four at that time manhandled a lot of people. I'm sure every play won't be a picnic on Sunday, either. I do think Barnes has gotten stronger over the years.
-------
Do you think the Rams would have been better long term compared to what has played out if they won SB36?
Darn SpyGate
Of course. For one, I think it strengthens the Hall of Fame candidacies of Pace, Warner, Bruce, and Holt. The impact that loss had on Mike Martz, and on the Martz relationship with Jay Zygmunt, was significant.
-------
Any reason to be hopeful that the offense will be anything other than below average to just plain bad? I'm just not seeing it this year.
I think it could be ugly early. But I believe _ maybe I'm in the minority here _ that the Rams receivers can be better than average. By midseason, Gurley should be going pretty good. And I do think Brown and Havenstein will get better over time.,
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how does nick fairley look, I haven't really heard to much about him this past camp?
I was told he was starting to make pretty good progress in learning this system _ and who Mike Waufle wants his D-linemen to play _ until he got nicked up.
-------
I don't blame Martz for bringing up Spygate again. Let's him deflect blame for not running Faulk enough against the Pats.
You know I still don't totally buy this let's blame Martz for not running Faulk enough. Faulk did have 22 touches in that game. Not 2. Not 12. But 22.
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Mason going to play. Really hate relying on Pead and Cunningham against the Hawks, don't see much success their the horses.
We'll see on Mason. But when someone even tweaks a hamstring, it's pretty rare that they're able to come back full-speed in just two weeks. Fisher says Mason is a quick healer. No matter who's out there, the yards never seem to come easy on the ground vs. Seattle.
-------
What is your take on the OL switching???? I think it was to split up lack of experience on right side.
Possibly. Most of all, I don't know why it took so long to realize that Saffold might be better at RG and Brown at LG
-------
Do you see any improvement out of LT Greg Robinson over last year ?
Yes
-------
SI picked Rams 11-5 Pipe Dream?
They must be smoking something in that pipe.
--------
Make a guess on Sunday's attendance?
43,750 tickets distributed.
-------
if Cunningham is the starting back Sunday will he still return kickoffs too?
Possible. But equally possible we see Pead or Givens doing so.
-------
Have you seen anything in practice that would indicate the Rams are going to use a lot of schemes to help out O line.
The switch to more of a zone blocking scheme should help the o-line. So should simply getting the ball out quick.
--------
Seahawks secondary is hurting, Foles likes to go deep, plus a dash of Tavon Austin... or are we going to get more Schotty ball in memorium?
Plus the passing game looked better than the running game in the preseason.
--------
Jim, if the Rams come out and lay an egg in the opener like they did last year against Minn I believe, do you think that may be a final straw for this team and the remaining fans just mail it in? I know its only one game, but boy, eventually all of the negatives of this team and situation have to break even the most loyal of fans
I think the hard core will still come out.
---------
Are you surprised Rams didn't make an attempt at any veteran OL that were cut? Any cuts or practice squad players that caught you off guard?
I was surprised the Rams didn't sign at least one veteran O-lineman _ an instant starter if you will _ earlier in the offseason at the start of the free agency period.
--------
was the Barrett Jones cut a surprise to you? Also, it seemed like Fischer has no interest in seeing Austin Davis in the pre-season. possible Fischer doghouse?
Barrett Jones' demise was a mild surprise. As for Davis, I don't know what he could've done to receive doghouse treatment. But it seems like once the Keenum trade was made and Mannion was picked in the third round that the writing was on the wall for Davis. I wish him the best.
--------
Why didn't the Rams sign Barrett Jones to their practice squad, Steelers obviously thought he was worth it.
If you're Barrett Jones, and you've not only lost the starting job but a job _ period _ with the Rams, why would you possibly want to re-sign with the Rams?
-------
Is this team the healthiest that one has come out of training camp in a while?
Pretty much so, yeah.
--------
FULL grape again? Getting them out of the way before the season starts? Eugh
OK, so it's not just me. I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em. The Rams will have a couple of throwback uniform games this season. I'm not sure when, though.
--------
Please help us understand after watching him in preseason why Sean Mannion is a better option then Austin Davis ?
I'm sure the Rams feel Mannion has more upside, more potential as an NFL quarterback. Just like you can't rate Austin Davis based on how he performed in the preseason, I don't think you can overreact to Mannion's shaky performance vs. Kansas City.
--------
Which of the UDFA that made the team do you think was the biggest surprise.
I'd have to say the OT Darrell Williams and the WR Bradley Marquez. In the case of Williams he basically beat out Isaiah Battle, whom the Rams expended a 5th-round pick on in the July supplemental draft. And Marquez just on the fact that Fisher has been known to keep only 5 WRs in the past.
--------
how do you think Akeen Ayers has looked through training camp and preseason and is he an upgrade from Dunbar
I think the feeling is that Ayers will be better in coverage than Dunbar.
--------
I hate being negative but I just don't see us putting up much offense yet again. The defense can only stand on their head for so long. How do you see the season going? I see us 3rd at best in the West. Hope I'm wrong.
So then you're telling me that maybe Schottenheimer wasn't the root of all evil?
-------
I think it was foolish/stupid to let go of Dunbar. Your view, please?
Didn't make much sense to me either. The basic explanation is that Dunbar doesn't play special teams. And Fisher is big on special teams and figures Cameron Lynch can help there. But the Rams have no experienced depth behind the 3 starters at LB.
I know Laurinaitis and Ogletree are very durable, but what if one of them goes down? Or Ayers goes down? Then you're talking about Lynch (undrafted rookie), Bryce Hager (rookie, 7th rounder), and Bates, who's hurt. Maybe they figure Dunbar will still be available if that's the case.
--------
Looks like Spygate is back in the news. Any comment on Martz's interview from ESPN's "Outside the Lines"?
A few years back, Mike told me that he was asked/encouraged by league to come up with a statement basically exonerating the league in its investigation. To this day he is haunted by that Super Bowl loss, and a part of him just wanted it to go away. Anyway, he swore me to secrecy, and I respected that. That's how you work sources. You have to develop their trust, and vice versa.
Also, at that time, I think he was still hoping to get back in the league, and maybe he didn't want to say anything at the time that might hurt those chances. So I was surprised he went public. It could be however that he now realizes he's not getting back in the league, so what the heck, why not go public? Now as for the part where he told ESPN that his statement was altered _ that's the first I've heard of that.
--------
Do you feel like the Rams can cover Jimmy Graham in both sub package and base in week 1? I think I would try and bracket him and take chances somewhere else. Thoughts?
They did a very good job against him in St. Louis two years ago. (This was pre-Greg Williams).
--------
For those who don't think Spygate has an effect; no Spygate, Rams win. Rams win, legacy started. Legacy started, Rams popularity soars. Rams popularity soars, suites and seats are sold to a healthy fan base. Healthy fan base, building a stadium is much, much easier
Hard to argue with. . . .
-------
ESPN investigative reporters have uncovered more signs of Patriots spying, and more is surfacing about how the league ordered possibly incriminating evidence destroyed in Spygate. Interesting comments today from Mike Martz as well. Do you think the truth ever comes out about NE cheating during that Superbowl? Seems a lot of owners were upset about Patriots' behavior then, so maybe more is known than we thought.
No. I don't think the full truth ever comes out.
--------
What's the potential impact Barron can have on this D? Key cog or just a situational guy?
How about an impactful situational guy? Good in run defense. Good blitzer. Hard hitter. Big enough to be used basically like a linebacker.
---------
How many more years does Chris Long have left in him?
I'd say three or four. But this is a big year for him coming back from the injury, to re-establish himself as a player.
-------
I think Jeff Fisher has done a lousy job as coach!! Why hasn't he lost his job?
I think this is the year that we see whether he's done a lousy job or not.
--------
Can Quick ever reach his potential (as the Rams saw him when they drafted him) or is he damaged goods now?
I think he can still get there.
-------
When does it get to a point where Cook is best used on the bench then actually on the field playing? His inability to block, or IMO his unwillingness to block, is to the point where this team has to have better options.
Neither Cook, nor Britt looked too, uh, "engaged" in that KC game. I'll leave it at that.
