BY JEFF GORDON
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
We’re all in on the Rams’ hiring of
Scott Linehan as head coach.
As your cyber-correspondent noted earlier this week, he appeared to be the strongest of the three finalists for several reasons-– including his Mike Martz-like aggression as an offensive coach. The strength of this team is still its skill position players, so the Rams need a head coach committed to exploiting them,
However, there ARE lots of questions we are dying to ask.
If I were in Georgia Frontiere’s shoes today, I would fall down. (I’ve never worn high-heel showgirl shoes, even at office parties.) When I got back up, here are the questions I would ask Linehan before rubber-stamping his hiring:
* Whom do you want to hire as defensive coordinator? And will you give this man the resources he needs to rebuild that unit?
* Will you hire a real offensive coordinator, or a Shemp in coordinator’s clothing?
* Will you try to call your own plays on the sideline, or will you concentrate on managing the game while the offensive coordinator makes the calls?
* Are you in love with empty-backfield formations? Or you do believe quarterbacks deserve at least some protection against blitzes, so they can live long enough to see their grandchildren?
* Do you understand the importance of special teams in a league featuring so much parity and so many close games?
* Do you value timeouts, or view them as disposable as Handi Wipes?
* Do you prefer a whimsical approach to calling for replay challenges? Or will you take input from a coach or executive actually reviewing the replays?
* Do you intend to hire a local media personality to be your right-hand man, or will you hire from the ranks of proven football men?
* If Marshall Faulk wants to play for another year, could you find enough things for him to do?
* Should the Rams keep Isaac Bruce at his stiff salary, or gamble that Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald are ready to step up?
* Will you become easily distracted by what is written in newspapers, presented on the Internet and said on radio and TV? Or will you stay focused on the job at hand?
* Do you plan to get wrapped up in the turf battles and petty in-fighting that inevitably flare up within an organization? Or will you set the right example by remaining focused on your job?
* If you start hearing voices and seeing ghosts roaming the halls of Rams Park, will you promise to get more sleep? If that fails, do you promise to seek medical attention?
* Do you promise not to bring Gus Frerotte with you from Miami?
* Would you move players from wide receiver and cornerback to play safety, or would you hire actual safeties to play safety?
* Do you promise to never say the words, “Shoot, we’ll fix that.”
* So what is Ricky Williams really like?
* On scouting trips, will you promise not to fall in love with peripheral prospects that catch your eye during campus workouts? Will you trust the evaluations of scouts that view hours and hours and hours of game tape?
* Do you promise to spend every draft pick this spring on the “best available tackler” left on your draft board? Or will you add superfluous running backs and receivers with your high picks?
* Will you insist that John Shaw create a front-office structure that supports the coach and gives the Rams the best opportunity to win?
We’re not sure Georgia will ask all those questions. She may leave some of them for media types to ask after Linehan is hired.
Rams Nation can’t wait to hear what he says.
Linear Mode
