 JIM FADLER'S MONTAGE (Nov 29) |
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THE
SAINTS GAME. I think the key to the first half was the Rams ability
to misfire and yet still avoid turnovers. Warner was was off the mark but did not throw a
pick and that helped the team hold onto the lead until the offense kicked in. *The front four is playing better than any Rams unit in the last 20 years imho or since about 1978....they are the key to the defense.... the coverage was ordinary or poor at times but they continually kept Hobart from striding into his passes. * Hanifan worked very hard in his 15 minutes at hte half to fix the blocking mistakes on pass protection...Nutten whiffed once and dropped his assignment in the first half. * Clearly Vermeil has become one of the best motivators in the league...I hear the half time speech yesterday was masterful and the players just as clearly want to do well for him now. SOME PLAYERS. The Rams have seemingly forgotten about Roland Williams the last two games, & Conwell is going to be active for game 12. It will be interesting to see who is going to be inactive to make room for him on the roster. The depth of the team is startling this year in terms of contributions. * Although it would mean sitting Amp Lee down I would like to see Justin Watson active again. * Faulk is my favorite player right now and is easily my pick for team MVP with apologies to Ike and Warner. * Hodgins doesn't look like such a silly idea anymore does he? * I think Leonard Little is a star in the making but the question is where? I loveTodd Collins and I think his tough and physical play was just what the team needed...Mike Jones is a leader and very smart and under-rated team player on the other side..... I can see Collins breaking down physically at some point with his history of injuries but hope not. * The linebacker corps has been a position of strength this year as opposed to so many of the previous problems. Is there a MLB playing better than London Fletcher this year? THE VIKINGS? The Rams match up better against the Vikings than a lot of people are going to give them credit for.....Lyle will be an enormous factor and I will put a lot of faith in him rather than that airhead Jeff George. The Viking corners cannot cover the Rams WR....no way no how. FUTURE CAP MOVES. I recall seeing somewhere that the anticipated increase in the salary cap is going to be at or around 6-8million this offseason. In addition I think we can count on the following happening: 1. Ricky Proehl being cut. 2. Amp Lee being either cut or traded (very sad but you can see it coming) 3. Lorenzo Styles being cut. Given that Warner's leverage is not to the point where he is going to get an enormous bonus they should be able to keep just about everyone and still get Carter or Bruce signed to an extension....but obviously they are not going to be in a position to be players for any impact free agents like last year. They might lose someone like Gruttadauria or Miller but I still hear that Miller is going to be the first guy they sign after the season is over. CHARLIE ARMEY. Dick Vermiel said on two different occasions during the offseason that it took him a while to get used to the differences in size, strength andspeed among the 90's players. His exact words on the first occasion were that some of the busts would have been stars in the 70's and that it was thishurdle that was the largest for him to get over. Vermeil also really thought that Phillips and Kennison were players inthis league. He thought that Wiegert and Gandy were at one time deserving oflong term contracts...its a mixed bag. All the street free agents are almost exclusively the work of Charlie Armey and Vermeil will attest to that. Agnew was an Armey move from their days together with the Patriots. At the time of the deal the defensive coaches including Carl Hairston questioned the amount and length of the deal...so did just about every columnistin the nation...so did most of the fans. At one point last year I asked Bernie if he thought Armey could be the GM that I felt the team so desperately needed at the time. Bernie told me no that he did not think that Armey had the financial background for the job and could not/would not want to negotiate contracts. He told me at the time that Armey was happy where he was and was neither ambitious nor did he have hidden agendas. I get the sense from those around the office that there is unity right now....to say that someone is Shaw's boy or in Vermeil's camp is a misnomer. Of course that is easy to accomplish when you win but there clearly is euphoria in Earth City. |
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