Haslett gets face time with new TE starter

[RamWraith]

By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Oct. 01 2008

The ink on his new contract had barely dried when Rams coach Jim Haslett got in
tight end Joe Klopfenstein's face.

"Here's a kid that started 16 games his rookie year, then he kind of falls off
the face of the Earth," Haslett said Tuesday after conducting his first
practice as Scott Linehan's successor. "I told Joe he needs to get back out
there and start playing like the guy we drafted in the second round: be
productive, block, run the right routes.

"I'm expecting Joe to step up to the plate."

First-team tight end Randy McMichael broke a bone in his lower right leg Sunday
against Buffalo and will be out at least eight weeks. McMichael had 11 catches
for 139 yards, and the Rams are counting on Klopfenstein to maintain a similar
pace after the bye-week break.

"When somebody goes down, they expect you to fill that role and not take a step
back at that position at all," he said. "You've got to be able to do what the
starter was able to do."

The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Klopfenstein, the 46th overall pick in the 2006 draft,
started every game that year. He caught 20 passes for 226 yards and a
touchdown, but struggled with his blocking chores.

McMichael arrived as a free agent the following March, knocking Klopfenstein
from the lineup. McMichael, who averaged 56 catches and 619 yards in five
seasons with the Miami Dolphins, fell off to 39 receptions for 429 yards last
year, when injuries on the offensive line required that he be used more as a
blocker.

New offensive coordinator Al Saunders was determined to get McMichael more
involved in the offense this year. Now, that role belongs to Klopfenstein.

"We can't scale down our offense and take our tight end out of it, because
that's what we worked on all spring and all camp," quarterback Marc Bulger
said. "Joe doesn't have a choice; he's going to be our guy."

Klopfenstein is just happy to get another chance after catching just two balls
last year.

"It seems like it's been forever since I've been a starter," he said. "It was
kind of like I was in the shadow a little bit. I've always been ready, waiting,
to do whatever they asked me to do."

INJURY REPORT

Tackle Orlando Pace and linebacker Will Witherspoon won't practice until next
week, Haslett said. Both are experiencing shoulder soreness. Wide receiver Dane
Looker (concussion) also will be out until then. Cornerback Tye Hill had knee
surgery to repair torn cartilage and is expected to miss three or four games.
Jason Craft worked with the first-team defense Tuesday in Hill's spot.

BROWN'S DEAL

The Rams want to bring back cornerback Fakhir Brown, who was released in a
surprise move last week. It might cost them, though. Because Brown is a vested
veteran and was cut after the regular season started, his $1.95 million salary
for 2007 is guaranteed, even if he doesn't play another down. Brown, who has
started 27 games for the Rams since 2006, wants a pay hike to return. Talks are
continuing.

RAM-BLINGS

Running back Lance Ball, an undrafted rookie, was released from the practice
squad Tuesday. … After today's practice, the players and coaches will be off
until Monday.

[Dr. Defense]

The ink on his new contract had barely dried when Rams coach Jim Haslett got in
tight end Joe Klopfenstein's face.

"Here's a kid that started 16 games his rookie year, then he kind of falls off
the face of the Earth," Haslett said Tuesday after conducting his first
practice as Scott Linehan's successor. "I told Joe he needs to get back out
there and start playing like the guy we drafted in the second round: be
productive, block, run the right routes.

"I'm expecting Joe to step up to the plate."

I wasn't sure how this whole firing linehan and replacing him with haslett experiment would go. But hearing something like that gives me hope. I love that Haslett got in his face about it and is pushing him to produce, that's something that I don't think Linehan would have done.

[TekeRam]

BROWN'S DEAL

The Rams want to bring back cornerback Fakhir Brown, who was released in a surprise move last week. It might cost them, though. Because Brown is a vested veteran and was cut after the regular season started, his $1.95 million salary for 2007 is guaranteed, even if he doesn't play another down. Brown, who has started 27 games for the Rams since 2006, wants a pay hike to return. Talks are continuing.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I hate Scott Linehan. We're already paying him for his whole season, and he was by far not the worst player back there. Now, we're going to have to probably come up with another million under the cap and give him a whole new signing bonus to come back.

SLOP still lives in my book...

[eldfan]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I hate Scott Linehan. We're already paying him for his whole season, and he was by far not the worst player back there. Now, we're going to have to probably come up with another million under the cap and give him a whole new signing bonus to come back.

SLOP still lives in my book...

I read on another post he cut him to spike Haslett that just don't make any sense.

[OldSchoolRamFan]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I hate Scott Linehan. We're already paying him for his whole season, and he was by far not the worst player back there. Now, we're going to have to probably come up with another million under the cap and give him a whole new signing bonus to come back.

SLOP still lives in my book...

I couldn't agree more....SL is going to be costing us for a while. This is just the first actual $$ hit.

[general counsel]

Giving Brown a raise to come back makes no sense. Play Wade or whatever other guy you have. Brown is not part of our future. We can finish last with him or last without him. I would however be willing to take back hedgecock and give him a raise.

By the way, i heard richard owens got a job as linehan's personal assistant.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[ScottD413]

The Rams want to bring back cornerback Fakhir Brown, who was released in a
surprise move last week. It might cost them, though. Because Brown is a vested
veteran and was cut after the regular season started, his $1.95 million salary
for 2007 is guaranteed, even if he doesn't play another down. Brown, who has
started 27 games for the Rams since 2006, wants a pay hike to return. Talks are
continuing.

That would be stupid. Let him go, he isn't worth more money

[Goldenfleece]

BROWN'S DEAL

The Rams want to bring back cornerback Fakhir Brown, who was released in a
surprise move last week. It might cost them, though. Because Brown is a vested
veteran and was cut after the regular season started, his $1.95 million salary
for 2007 is guaranteed, even if he doesn't play another down. Brown, who has
started 27 games for the Rams since 2006, wants a pay hike to return. Talks are
continuing.

I'm still confused about what exactly happened here. One week we throw him in the starting lineup in front of Hill. The next we outright cut him. A week later, Linehan is gone and we want him back. It seems like it must have been Linehan who wanted him gone, but knowing that the coach was on thin ice, I'm surprised the front office went along with it.

It's no surprise that he wants more money, though. Right now he can either come in and work for that money, or he can sit on his couch eating cheetos and still receive his checks. Since we already owe him that money one way or another, he'd practically be coming back for free if we didn't give him some kind of raise.

[Mooselini]

I am having a good feeling about Haslett. He obviously has the mentality to be a head coach. He's doing something Linehan never did before until he knew his time was over. Hope Klop shows us he's worth the pick.

[HUbison]

I'm still confused about what exactly happened here. One week we throw him in the starting lineup in front of Hill. The next we outright cut him. A week later, Linehan is gone and we want him back. It seems like it must have been Linehan who wanted him gone, but knowing that the coach was on thin ice, I'm surprised the front office went along with it.

It's a complex equation.

Linehan = Zygmunt
Haslett = Brown

Linehan hates Haslett, therefore, Linehan cuts Brown. And in the decision process....

Zygmunt > Haslett

So at the end of it all.....Brown gets cut.

[BIG-BLUE]

I'm still confused about what exactly happened here. One week we throw him in the starting lineup in front of Hill. The next we outright cut him. A week later, Linehan is gone and we want him back. It seems like it must have been Linehan who wanted him gone, but knowing that the coach was on thin ice, I'm surprised the front office went along with it.

It's no surprise that he wants more money, though. Right now he can either come in and work for that money, or he can sit on his couch eating cheetos and still receive his checks. Since we already owe him that money one way or another, he'd practically be coming back for free if we didn't give him some kind of raise.

Welcome to the inner circle of the St.Louis Rams

[punahou]

BROWN'S DEAL

The Rams want to bring back cornerback Fakhir Brown, who was released in a
surprise move last week. It might cost them, though. Because Brown is a vested
veteran and was cut after the regular season started, his $1.95 million salary
for 2007 is guaranteed, even if he doesn't play another down. Brown, who has
started 27 games for the Rams since 2006, wants a pay hike to return. Talks are
continuing.

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F*** that

this is the MAIN problem with athletes. 1.95 million NOT ENOUGH? WTF is wrong with you. Come out, stay clean, play hard, play like a PERRENIAL PRO BOWL CALIBER CB and then lets re-talk.

play the game because you like to-- money is a nice benefit for playing a GAME for 17 weeks a year.

Give me 100,000 to play in the NFL, lift weights, do cardio, and watchgame film and Im there.