3zine.jpg (21333 bytes)THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE, BY PHANTMJOKR (Oct 10)
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THE GAME: After work and this game I am so drained...but it feels pretty good.

When it went to 21-3 I got teary eyed. This was probably the best sporting event I've ever witnessed. The ones that come close? When I was a Buckeye they defeated #1 Iowa to take over the top spot. That was pretty big. Michigan weekend that year. Al MacInnes' redline slapper to tie the Wings two year ago. Brock's single season stolen base record game(I think I was 8)...

This was great and Kurt Warner might be one of the all time great feel good sports stories...

The Rams? I liked this. Articles on the game: through the writing you could tell Isaac Bruce was really surprised at single coverage. Someone was going to have to try it though. It was getting inevitable and one can see the results. Yowtch! Isaac Bruce is the man right now. I don't believe that there are more than a few, if any, players that can impact a game the way he does. He is a black hole defenses cannot help but gravitate to to try and stop...or suffer the consequences. Cover him, and to do this you need several guys working in close tandem,  and then other Rams are wide open.

The linebacking is pretty darn good. All these guys are probably generally underrated. Todd Collins can hold up the LOS with the best of them and does an almost unbelieveable job in handling blockers. He can steer plays behind a block,  which is rare,  and then he's able to shuck the guys and make plays. He and Wistrom make for a very different weakside combo but I think it's pretty effective overall. Kevin Carter is such a monster that Mike Jones can play the strong side. His grab was fab...

with Taje Allen stepping up it looks like the Rams might be as deep in the secondary as any team in the league. Bly made a play. McCleon looked a little rusty but he's got play in him.

THE FUTURE? This might be the last year for 14-2 with Ray Agnew. His salary baloons up pretty good next year. His structure has paid him around 1.6 and 1.8 mil in these first two years. That's 3.4 mil on a 8 million dollar deal...He plays well and if they keep him his number will be a concern. They could ask for restructureing. I like him. They are getting some cohesion but it's known that good teams get raided and prices, for guys like Todd Lyght and Kevin Carter are going up with every win...fortunately Warners status probably gives them a big break...

Someone from this "dream team" that is contributing right now is probably gonna go play for someone else and weaken a position...

The offense has a good core that are mostly locked up. I think they would feel that keeping Bruce on the team is probably the top priority. Carter. Lyght. It'll be interesting to see how the future all shakes out.

They get and make a couple a breaks in signing some guys up and trading would carry into extending the teams fortunes. Even though I think we are going to see the Rams have to deal with some heavy FA questions sooner I think I am still looking at the Green contract and its duration as the defining time frame and defining issue facing this team. This quarterbacking situation is a good thing. Some keep saying this even as it's debated. Warner is very interesting in relation. He's still an exclusive rights  player. (He's only able to sign with the Rams next year and the following year is still restricted). And unless he sits out, he  cannot sign with anyone but the Rams. Warner and Green IMHO cover each other well and the Rams CAN afford to keep them until Warner goes restricted. That's a good thing for any team especially if it looks to contend. Ask Parcells. Warners price will then probably go high,  perhaps VERY high,  and the Rams will have to choose to do something within  this time frame. As absolutely great as Warner has been it might still be possible that he's the best trade candidate. He might return so many high round picks that it would I believe benefit to move him while you extended Green at value under him...and I still have a suspicion that underneath this all that Germaine, tutored for a couple a years under this offense, might be in the range of doing well in this system...or you might even get a shot at a top pick at a QB spot with what you might get for Warner. Green could have trade value later too if you get a nice extention with Warner...Pull off something here and a very nice team might could use the picks to add great depth and more quality youth...

Sorry if this mad little run at dynasty building has given anyone any feelings that I'm not just stoked by the performances by just about everyone. The backfield has a lot of talent. Folks Amp Lee isn't even being used yet and his late presence will I believe confound a lot of people with even more problems. A guy like that with Warner, exploiting the spaces Bruce and company create, may make this offense that much more flexible.  I like Holcombe and think he's got much better still in him. One day the light will shine on, and he will act instead of pondering and he will be a multi-dimensional threat and a REAL load...I hope Faulk is nothing more than bruised. I don't think he's shown us near the best of the Marshall Faulk that we will see...

THE NFL: I watched three great football games today. I followed the Rams game with some hot wings, beer, and a good chunk of the Miami-Indy barnburner. Later I wake up at home and catch most of the Packer-Buc shootout. Both really great games. Favre is working another mojo this year. He's visibly hurting, the Packers are in the midst of a lot of change, he's working with new targets...and he's winning. The man has brought out the moxie...and he's got some...Peyton Manning vs Dan Marino. WOW! I think you want to try and catch those folks. No wait. Look at the AFC East. Marino, Manning, Flutie!, Bledsoe and...Rick Mirer. Every one a story...

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