any free agent needs??

[RamWraith]

June 1st is around th corner and there looks to be like a few vets will be cut. Do we have any more glaring needs?? Will the team go after any new and cheaper blood this go around of free agents?

[Nick]

I'm not convinced we'll make any signings, but I've heard some rumblings that the Rams are looking at defensive end Chad Bratzke. Not sure how legitimate that one is though.

[general counsel]

At the risk of repeating myself from prior posts, i would love us to find a punter to bring in if one is available after the cuts at a reasonable price. I read this week that landetta was dead last in net punting last year. I continue to believe that the lack of hang time was one of the big issues affecting the coverage last year and i dont think he was that great on directional punting either. He has reached the point where in order to get the 40 yard distance he just has to kick it as far as he can, without regard to the hang time.

Landetta has had a productive career. I dont know that he will ever live down the whiff against the bears at the goal line in the playoffs, but he was very solid over the last 37 years that he has been in the league. However, the time has come to either find a veteran who wants a shot at a title for short money or possibly see if ray guy wants to come out of retirement since i am not sure we would be worse off.

Rumours abound that we will also sign the vet DT from new england whose name is escaping me at the moment (we had him in to workout)

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[evil disco man]

Rumours abound that we will also sign the vet DT from new england whose name is escaping me at the moment (we had him in to workout)

Rick Lyle.

I don't expect the Rams to sign any starting-caliber players after June 1, as they've said they will sit pat with the roster they have now.

[moklerman]

I think a scrap heap TE might be in the cards for post June 1st. I was disappointed that the Rams didn't make any moves for Byron Chamberlain after he was cut by the Redskins. He's got to be an improvement over an aging Cam Cleeland. Man, does that guy know how to drop a football.

[Nick]

I think a scrap heap TE might be in the cards for post June 1st.

Do we have any idea of what post-June 1st tight ends will be out there?

Sort of unrelated, but I was disappointed when Kleinsasser resigned with the Vikes the day before free agency began. I really think he could have been a major addition to the offense.

[moklerman]

I agree about Jimmy K., but I never wanted to get too excited about the Rams going after him because I knew he was going to cost more than the Rams could spend. He's a stud H-Back that would fit perfectly into the Rams offense, though. I see him as the next level of Jeff Robinson. JK is in the same mold but in addition to versatile, hard working and full of heart, I think he has more talent/ability than JR. I was sad to see Robinson go too, but he's not worth the millions that Dallas forked out.

[elAcky]

how about a new head coach

[coy bacon]

We need a proven DT. If a good one were available, we should sign him and dump Lewis or Kennedy (yeah yeah I heard it all before about JK improving... we'll see)

We need a proven LB. We are thin there.

I'd like to see us pick up a proven DB... we're young there, and thin, as well.

For the last couple years I always felt that our defense was playing above their heads, and they they performed better than their aggregate talent. I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop on the defense. I hope I'm wrong, but in my guy, I think this isn't going to be a good year for the defense. Then again, I tend to be pessimistic about this kind of stuff.