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* INTERVIEW WITH QB COACH RAMSDELL (Aug 31)
How ready is Kurt Warner to take over?
Kurt will handle it very well. He doesn't like the way it happened obviously, but he knew this was a possibility, he's been anticipating this and he is prepared for it.
What was Kurt's demeaner in practice yesterday?
He was in a take charge mood yesterday. He has the abilities and he needs to instill confidence in his teammates and that's what he's doing right now.
What are Kurt's characteristics as compared to Green?
Kurt has very good natural abilities. He does have a stronger arm than Trent. He is a very accurate passer and has good mechanics and a quick release. What made Trent Green so good in this offense that we saw glimpses of this preseason was that he had just unbelievable management and execution. What Warner doesn't have and what he can't have at this point is just that game experience. He hasn't seen all the different defensive sets and adjustments that he will see, and we can't prepare him for everything, he has to experience it on the field. The key for him will be how he responds to the things that he hasn't seen from NFL defenses.
(FE note: I immediately thought back to an interview with Ike Bruce a week ago... Ike said that the thing that Mike Martz excells at as a coach more than anything else is his ability and forsight to prepare his players for all the many different defensive sets and alignments that they will face in the games. That takes on critical importance now.)
Tell us about Paul Justin...
Paul Justin is a very bright guy. He's very intelligent and right now he just has to get started learning our language. He has actually played in 8 different offenses in 9 years in the league, so he's seen alot. But now he has to get accustomed to our terminology.
And what does Joe Germaine have to do to prepare to play?
Germaine just has to understand what we are doing here, and the same holds true for Kurt to some extent. They have to learn what we call the mental gymnastics. That's the reads and the progressions that we have and the quick decisions that have to be made in the face of a new defense that he hasn't seen before. Our whole thing is making quick reads and quick decisions and keeping it up tempo. The quarterback cannot be indecisive with the ball or we lose that advantage.
What's your opinion of our defense?
We have alot of good ability and some speed over there. We've got a good pass rush group, there's alot of talent and tenacity over there.
What about the other options you looked at as far as QBs to bring in?
Well, you have to understand, there are 31 teams in this league and in our opinion, there are not 31 proven starters, so there is a real lack of quality quarterbacks out there. If a guy is out there at this point, then they are out there for a reason. So you go to guys that you are familiar with. Mike Martz was Paul Justin's college coach and he has a real good feel for him.
What does Kurt Warner have to do to be ready to start for this team?
Kurt does not have to take it all on his shoulders. This is what we've stressed to him. Just keep it crisp, manage the team and maintain. He is not a very different style quarterback than Trent, he just does not have the experience reading defenses at this level. When Trent when down on Saturday night, Kurt went in for a couple of plays, but then we pulled him out and he spent the rest of the game on the sidelines next to me and I was telling him what he needed to be thinking about. Don't play outside yourself, just manage the team, play within the scheme and let your playmakers make the plays.
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*BALZER versus CLAYTON, BY FAST EDDIE (Aug 31)
Frank Cusamano interviewed John Clayton of ESPN this morning. I don't know that Clayton's opinion is especially valuable for any reason. But it is an outside opinion from a supposed NFL expert. He thinks the Rams can fold up the tent, they're done for the year, and ultimately Vermeil is done because they won't win enough games to save his job.
He thought they could win 8 or 9 games with Trent Green. Now he thinks the offense will be cut down to "40 or 500f what it would have been." The defense took a hit in order to make the offense that good, except now the offense is not going to be that good.
The Rams are still looking for a quarterback on the phone. "Their saving grace may be Jeff George", but the Vikings will keep him unless they get good value for him in return.
Clayton also said that in his opinion, the fans have no right to be critical of the Rams for giving up on Tony Banks, because the fans are the ones who pushed him out. All the Rams did was cater to the popular opinion and do what the fans wanted.
Immediately after Clayton got off the phone, Howard Balzer called Cusamano from Rams Park and said he was "beside himself" over what he had just heard. He said he loved John Clayton, but he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
First of all, Jeff George is the last guy that the Rams would want leading this team.
Secondly, in Denver, they have a 2nd year player who was a late round draft pick last year starting at quarterback now (Brian Griese) and everyone thinks they still have a shot at the Super Bowl because of the talent around him. And yet, Trent Green goes down and they all want to "throw the Rams on the scrap heap?!? Give me a break!"
Other notes from Howard:
Patton is still an option, but it depends on what he's willing to play for. It's a cap decision and he'd have to be willing to play for near the minimum, which he may have to do wherever he goes.
Howard likes the progress of the offensive line a lot, however. The question is... will Warner be able to take the pressure off the line the way that Green was expected to with this scheme. That will be determined by how fast Warner can make his reads.
Trent took alot of sacks in Washington last year in the same offense it is argued, but Balzer maintains that that is because the receivers were not getting themselves open. That won't happen with the Rams wide receivers. These guys will get open and Warner just has to find them.
Balzer is not gloomy in the wake of Trent's injury. "it's still a good offense, it's a good scheme, Mike Martz is a very good coach, and they have alot of talent that will surround Kurt Warner." He just hopes the fans show some patience and don't jump Kurt's back after the first interception at home.
The injury settlement that the Rams are working on today is not Flannery. It is either David Thompson or OG Jeremy McKinney. So don't expect any cap relief to come of it, but it will get them to the necessary roster size without additional cuts until next week.