Bill Coats
Things are settling down a bit at Rams Park in the midst of an offseason that has been busy and, it would appear, productive. Coach
Scott Linehan revamped his staff, and the front office delved into free agency with a plan. And perhaps most important, an experienced personnel man – Billy Devaney – was brought in. Let’s look at these three areas:
>>Linehan, clearly on the ropes after the club’s inelegant 3-13 pratfall in ’07, made a bold stroke in hiring Al Saunders as offensive coordinator. Saunders not only brings a wealth of experience, but the move also signals that former OC Linehan truly is committed to immersing himself in his HC role and finally leaving the offense to others. Now, both of Linehan’s coordinators are former NFL head coaches, an indication that he’s not afraid to surround himself with key aides who tote long and impressive resumes. That’s an important asset for any leader.
According to several sources, Steve Loney should be a significant upgrade over Paul Boudreau as offensive line coach, an area of vital importance heading into the coming season. QBs coach Terry Shea has a solid reputation and should be able to help fine-tune
Marc Bulger’s game, something his predecessor, Doug Nussmeier, was unable to do.
Art Valero (running backs/assistant head coach) gives Linehan another veteran NFL mind to tap into, and Ron Milus (secondary) was ready for a promotion.
>>The addition of Jacob Bell, the presumptive starter at left guard, provides Loney with several options.
Mark Setterstrom figures to get a long look at center. If that doesn’t work,
Richie Incognito could move back to center, with Setterstrom sliding over to his spot at right guard. And incumbent Brett Romberg certainly is in the picture at center, too.
Kicker Josh Brown is a more-than-suitable successor for the retired Jeff Wilkins, and Ben Becht could be the hard-blocking tight end that Linehan has been seeking since arriving here.
The Trent Green signing also makes sense, particularly since Linehan has given up on the two-quarterback strategy that backfired last season and figures to bring in a young QB for grooming.
>>The team took a bit of a gamble a couple of years ago on Tony Softli, whose personnel experience was mainly limited to college players, and it didn’t work out well. Devaney has plenty of pro and college experience, and he will be the clear leader in personnel matters, something that had been lacking.
Of course, as promising as the offseason moves appear, their true value won’t be determined for some time. Plus, the Rams still have plenty of work ahead of them in shoring up several obvious areas of need (e.g., defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver) on the field.
Can all be addressed in the draft? Probably not. So, the shopping bag might still be open.
***
Watching Brett Favre’s retirement news conference brought the release of Isaac Bruce even more into focus. It’s a shame that Bruce couldn’t have finished his career with the Rams, but loyalty and emotion don’t have a place in the big business of pro football these days.
The Rams simply couldn’t afford to keep Bruce at the salary he was due. With so many areas to address, they badly needed the cap space. It was the right decision, however wrenching it might have been to Bruce’s fans.
How strange will it be to see Bruce in the Niners’ red and gold . . . with Mike Martz perched on the SF sideline?
All for now. . .
Linear Mode
