 JIM FADLER'S MONTAGE (Dec 7) |
||
| Back
to the Main Page FEATURES- The E-Zine's Quarterback Watch- -Front Office Debate- Ram-ble's Offseason Analyses Zack Neruda's FOD Analysis "E-ZINE" Fan Profiles- GRITS Ram Fan Smack Chick The HERD's home- RAMS Message Board Add yourself to The HERD's Official Roster (guestbook), if you think you are man enough! The HERD's ULTIMATE link page-add your favorite here! |
1.
THE PLAYERS * Orlando Pace threw some incredible blocks in the Panthers game...he really sealed off the side on running plays. * The holding call on Torry Holt looked dubious but the angle was hard to tell on TV. * Kevin Carter destroyed the Panthers rookie OT again...on one early play he just pushed him to the outside and steam rolled straight to the QB. * I saw both Mike Jones and Todd Collins bang away at Wesley Walls in that game...the Rams don't usually try and get that physical with the tight ends but they really went after him in that game......with mixed results, but he had to feel it after that game. * The TD throw to Roland Williams was a real thing of beauty. I taped the game for once and re-watched it...he released the ball well before Williams had cleared anyone. In fact I doubt that he could even see Roland when he released the ball. * Jeff Zgonina is a really good guy to have on the team...great special teams blocker and a superior fill in at defensive tackle. What I cannot explain is how no one will keep him around besides the Rams...very odd. * McCollum should start over Nutten....Spikes will start over both eventually. * Holcombe is playing very well at fullback but unless it is extremely short yardage he is almost useless at this weight at tailback.....short yardage he can bang in there and push the pile for one-two yards. 2. FUTURE ROSTER MOVES? * Some local writers are optimistic that the Rams will be able to keep everyone this offseason in free agency. As far as speculations about an impact free agent next year---there ain't going to be one! They have to keep Lyght, Gruttadauria, Fred Miller and then set themselves up to keep Bruce and Carter. * What Randy Karraker has said is correct...the Rams have some sort of tag/matching right with both Bruce and Carter. Carter has repeatedly said that he wants an extension next year and does not want to go into the last year of his contract.... * I fully expect the Rams to franchise Lyght but negotiate a 3 year deal with him and not use the tag to keep him. * The Rams have resisted renegotiating and what I call the deficit spending that has so hamstrung the 49ers in the cap business. They do have some dead money in the cap this year with Toby Wright but it is not all that much in terms of Y2K dollars. That contract was pretty cap and team friendly. * I have been saying for quite a while that I still feel that Trent Green is the superior QB....and to some extent I still do. But Warner's pass to Williams made me wonder how Green could play any better than Warner already is. I think that Green is better than Warner in play faking and looking off but I have to honest and say that it is highlydoubtful that the results could be any better with Green than Warner....and you clearly have a team and staff that believes in their man right now....why upset the chemistry? According to one new source Green will not be ready for contact by the start of training camp but will be by the start of the season. I think the cap hit is just too huge to trade him next year..... basically three years of bonus money rolled into one....but I suppose you could make it work by doing the trade after June 1. But I would keep both next year. 3. PLAYOFF SPECULATIONS *Vikings---The Rams offense is simply too much for the Vikings D and if Randle plays end he will screwed into the ground. I have the utmost faith that if J. George tires to throw jump balls in that game that Keith Lyle will be the MVP of the game. The careless way Jeff George threw the ball right into Donnie Abraham last Monday is why I have always disliked Boy George. He has this casual, careless way of throwing into coverage or dangerous situations that always gets him into trouble. He has this ultimate faith in that rocket of an arm of his and IMHO he will always be a coach killer. Bring him on in the playoffs. *Tampa Bay---I think highly of Tony Dungy but obviously his offense gives me no pause. *Green Bay----Looks rather ordinary to me and Favre is resorting to some of his old bad habits in desperation to make something happen. He has a tendency to throw uphill sometimes when he presses and that is when he will get picked off. *Dallas---Ordinary *JAX---Depends on Fred Taylor *Indy---This team I fear. 4. AROUND THE LEAGUE. * Carolina. Their cap situation has been all screwed up and the draft picture is terrible all due to past decisions. But I would not be surprised in the least if they still do finish 8-8 or even 9-7. [Remaining games---at Green Bay, SF, at Pitt, NO] * Jets & Falcons. I think that Parcells eventually wears out his players. I think you can see that at both New England and the Giants. I think that Reeves is such a obstreporous jerk that he wrecks his teams after initial success. I think that he is so disagreeable that he will insult his starting running back needlessly and/or alienate his GM or starting QB no matter price it makes the rest of the team pay. 5. FRONT OFFICE STUFF * Why didn't John Shaw fire Vermeil last year? Apparently a large factor was all the heat that agents and prospective head coaches gave John Shaw in 1996 after he fired Rich Brooks. I am sure you remember how painful it was to watch interview after interview end with no one apparently wanting to take the job to coach our team. According to a lot of the local reporters John Shaw was blistered by a lot of those candidates for pulling the plug on Rich Brooks so early. Shaw felt that if he fired Vermeil the interview parade would be even more painful than in 1996 and the Rams would become known as the place all head coaches go to die. Still IMHO Brooks and Uncle Orty had to go....I care not that a bunch of agents and coaching candidates think otherwise. They made terrible player decisions and another year would have been unconscionable. * Vermeil and Rhome were never on the same page and there was a great deal of enmity between the two at the end. * It is my understanding as to the Banks/Green/Vermeil issue that the night before the Green press conference Vermeil wanted to back out of the deal and keep Tony. He did not want to be forced into a trade of Banks by the deal for Green. It is also my understanding that Zygmunt told him it was too late and that at that point Zygmunt took over the decisions and forced through the Green deal and the agreement to trade Banks. It is also my new found understanding that Vermeil gave up total control over the football operation at Sedonia, Arizona in the Winter meeting....but that is not to say that I think Vermeil is or was out of the loop at any point. He came on board for the Green deal and the trade of Banks and since that point it is my understanding that he has been the focal point of any and all decisions. * I am sure we are going to get some very interesting books and Rams toys after this season....videos, hats, and lots and lots of books. A lot of what we have been speculating about [in the Front Office Debates] should or could be answered in those books. |
|