Rams get down to business

[RamWraith]

By PFW staff
Jan. 14, 2008


Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the Rams’ annual summit meetings in Los Angeles, scheduled to begin Monday. Equal parts a review of the just-concluded season and a strategy session for the 2008 campaign, the meetings will be attended in their entirety by team president John Shaw, president of football operations-GM Jay Zygmunt and head coach Scott Linehan and partially by Dale “Chip” Rosenbloom, the son of ailing Rams owner Georgia Frontiere.

In addition to discussing game plans for the upcoming draft and free-agent market — which some say could include the hiring of a personnel heavyweight to help replenish the team’s roster which is aging in many key spots — the Rams’ powers-that-be are also expected to spend more than a little time discussing candidates for the team’s offensive-coordinator vacancy.

Linehan told the local media late last week that he was looking forward to his first summit meetings, but he might feel like he needs a month’s vacation a week from now, after likely being grilled on a number of sensitive topics, most notably the offense’s major decline in ’07, the defense’s sharp drop-off down the stretch and Linehan’s increasingly tense relationship with key players such as QB Marc Bulger and WR Torry Holt.

The PFW spin

Regardless of what comes out of this meeting, there are many close to the team who believe the Rams have already wasted precious time in their efforts to clean up a mess that continues to leave a very bitter taste in the mouths of many of the team's fans. With an unsettled coaching staff following the firings of offensive coordinator Greg Olsen and offensive-line coach Paul Boudreau, the team lost a chance to coach one of this year’s teams at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, which would have given it a great up-close-and-personal opportunity to evaluate many of the best players in the upcoming draft.

After producing only one Pro Bowl performer in their last five drafts, RB Steven Jackson, the pressure is on big time for the Rams to hit a home run with the second overall pick in this year’s draft.

The pressure is also expected to be on Linehan to find a quality offensive coordinator after already indicating that whomever he hires will be entrusted with calling plays from the get-go — a task he took over after removing Olsen of those duties four games into the ’07 campaign. Candidates reportedly include recently fired Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron (who team sources believe is the preferred choice of the Rams’ higher-ups), Bill Callahan, Chan Gailey, Mike Mularkey and Ken Zampese.

How comfortable Cameron or any of the other candidates might feel hooking up with a head coach in Linehan who will almost certainly be fired next year if he suffers another losing record remains to be seen.

[laram0]

By PFW staff
Jan. 14, 2008

The pressure is also expected to be on Linehan to find a quality offensive coordinator after already indicating that whomever he hires will be entrusted with calling plays from the get-go — a task he took over after removing Olsen of those duties four games into the ’07 campaign. Candidates reportedly include recently fired Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron (who team sources believe is the preferred choice of the Rams’ higher-ups), Bill Callahan, Chan Gailey, Mike Mularkey and Ken Zampese.

How comfortable Cameron or any of the other candidates might feel hooking up with a head coach in Linehan who will almost certainly be fired next year if he suffers another losing record remains to be seen.

I would think that any OC would jump at the opportunity to take over an offense that hit rock bottom last season. There's no place to go but up and a healthy RAMS offense will be potent regardless of who the OC is.

Just one mans opinion.

[RAMarkable]

I would think that any OC would jump at the opportunity to take over an offense that hit rock bottom last season. There's no place to go but up and a healthy RAMS offense will be potent regardless of who the OC is.

Just one mans opinion.

Excellent point: And just who would get most of the credit: that's right, the new OC. It's kinda like buying a stock when everybody else is bailing out of the market. Some times those are the best pickings. This is almost as close to a can't miss for the new OC. Well, provided of course, that Linny doesn't screw things up!!

WHAT SAY YE?

[Mooselini]

Excellent point: And just who would get most of the credit: that's right, the new OC. It's kinda like buying a stock when everybody else is bailing out of the market. Some times those are the best pickings. This is almost as close to a can't miss for the new OC. Well, provided of course, that Linny doesn't screw things up!!

WHAT SAY YE?

Hmm youre right. Let new coaches take the credit for the upcoming Rams' season if we steal the show. I honestly think if it is Cameron, we'll have a splendid year if we stay healthy.