10 Big Questions for 2008

**AvengerRam** · #1 (**permalink**) -31-12-2007

In no particular order...

1. Will we see an ownership/management change?
With Georgia Frontiere's failing health, and John Shaw's failing performance, perhaps there is a new ownership/management team in the Rams near future. We can only hope that it happens, and that the transition is smooth. I fear it will be a bumpy and unpleasant ride.

2. Who will the Rams take with the #2 pick in the draft?
Right now there seem to be three schools of thought. (1) Take Chris Long as an immediate impact pass rusher; (2) Take Jake Long to bolster the O line and prepare for Orlando Pace's final demise; (3) Take Darren McFadden to gain leverage against a possible "break the bank" stance by Steven Jackson. I favor #1 heavily.

3. Will the Rams be active in FA?
With only Brandon Chillar and O.J. Atogwe needing to be re-signed immediately, and the ability to clear some cap space, the Rams can be active in FA if they wish to be. Will the "lame duck" regime of Shaw/Zygmunt/Linehan take "who cares" attitude, or will they try to go out with a bang?

4. What happens to the vets?
Isaac Bruce, Orlando Pace, Jeff Wilkins, Corey Chavous, L'Roi Glover, Leonard Little, Andy McCollum... Its a safe bet that some of these players will be asked to restructure, and some will be gone. The old guard is fading fast. Let's hope not too fast, thought.

5. Will Linehan get some help?
If Linehan is going to stay, will he get some help at the OC spot? Its looking more and more like Cam Cameron will be out of work in Miami. I have been arguing for weeks that the Rams should snatch him up as their OC if that hapens. Here's hoping.

6. Will Haslett stay?
While the Rams defense was improved in many respects, they faltered in the last few games. With few coaching vacancies expected, it seems unlikely that Haslett will be offered a HC job (unless there's a college job waiting for him somewhere). So, more likely than not, he'll be back.

7. How much emphasis on developing a QB for the future?
Marc Bulger is the Rams' QB. There's no (legitimate) argument there. However, the Rams do need to be proactive in developing his successor. Now is as good a time as any. I'd keep an eye on this spot in the 4th round of the draft.

8. Healthwatch!
The Rams need to keep a careful eye on the progress of Orlando Pace, Mark Setterstrom and Richie Incognito. The Rams really need them back in 2008, or really need to replace them with some front-line talent.

9. Will Jackson trade security for max value?
The Rams should attempt to lock up Steven Jackson long-term before the draft. With his injury-plagued season, and no urgency, the price would likely be lower than it would be in 2009. If Jackson wants the security of signing now, perhaps he'll take a bit less. Worth asking.

10. Can the team retain its fan base?
Diehards will always be diehards. But there is a segment of the fan base that will rise and fall with the overall "mood" of the team. Right now, morale is as low as its been in a decade. The FO needs to do SOMETHING to get the fans excited again. There are many ways to do this, but doing nothing is a dangerous move right now.

*eldfan* · #2 (**permalink**) -31-12-2007

"2. Who will the Rams take with the #2 pick in the draft?
Right now there seem to be three schools of thought. (1) Take Chris Long as an immediate impact pass rusher; (2) Take Jake Long to bolster the O line and prepare for Orlando Pace's final demise; (3) Take Darren McFadden to gain leverage against a possible "break the bank" stance by Steven Jackson. I favor #1 heavily. "

I like Chris Long our pass rushing problems goes without saying. Unless Jake Long is drawing Pace comparison I would not take him at # 2. I have read McFadden comarison to Bo Jackson. We need a grate football player regardless of position I would not hesitate to take Mcfadden if Chris Long was gone. NO took Bush when they had McAllister. We need a game changing player.

*moloch41* · #3 (**permalink**) -31-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by AvengerRam

6. Will Haslett stay?
While the Rams defense was improved in many respects, they faltered in the last few games. With few coaching vacancies expected, it seems unlikely that Haslett will be offered a HC job (unless there's a college job waiting for him somewhere). So, more likely than not, he'll be back.

Of course he'll stay. His two years with the Rams defense has done nothing to warrant him getting another HC gig and I don't see many opportunies out there anyway. He basically took a terrible defense and made it mediocre- I haven't seen the kind of improvement with this defense as I had expected when we hired him. I didn't know what to expect when we got Linehan (which apparently has been answered with "very little"), but when we picked up Haslett, I was excited and expected much more than he has done in his tenure. He might land a college job, but I don't see any NFL team giving him another shot just yet.