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Rams coach Mike Martz loves offense and all the tinkering that goes with it.
The game-planning and preparation for an opponent. Calling the plays during a game. Martz gets so engrossed in the offense, there are those who wonder about his game-day decisions from an overall coaching perspective.
Still, Martz is grooming his successor from the offensive side, even if it takes several years for there to be drastic changes.
Martz said earlier in the offseason that offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild could very well call the plays in the preseason.
Asked about Fairchild's role as the team concluded its offseason workout program, Martz said, "Steve is capable of doing it all. Steve can call all the plays, he can do all the game-planning, he can run this offense completely. At this point, he's more than capable of doing that and doing it a very high level."
But how much will he do?
"There's some parts of this I'm just not ready to give up on," Martz admitted. "It's really fun for me, I still love being involved in the game-planning, calling plays. By the same token, he's got an awful lot to offer in those areas, too. He'll have input during the games in terms of play selection. He may call several if not all of our preseason games, I don't know yet."
Whatever happens on that level, Martz made it clear how much Fairchild currently does.
Said Martz, "There's a lot that he does that people don't know about. Just the organization of putting game plans together during the week, getting the staff together, ideas and putting them in. I can't always be in there. And he's taking on more and more of that role. He's taken on more of a role in leadership with the players on offense, running practice. I don't feel like I've got to be involved in a lot of the drills, so I can take more of a head coach's role in practice. He's been very effective; he's really what I was looking for."
NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES
—Linebackers coach Joe Vitt is pleased with the development of second-year linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.
Said Vitt, "Pisa has picked up the system, he communicates well in it. Pisa's the kind of kid, you want to introduce something new, there's a lot of players in this league where panic sets in. They know what they know and they don't want to learn anything new. Pisa really embraces new things, and things that can make him better. That's going to make him a better player."
—The Rams were stymied in signing one University of Pennsylvania tackle, so they opted for another.
After reaching agreement with Jeff Hatch recently, the contract was contingent on Hatch passing his physical. He had missed the 2002 season because of back surgery. After the physical, the Rams deemed it too much of a risk to sign Hatch.
They then signed 6-4, 300-pound Ben Noll, who started three seasons for the Quakers, and is an undrafted free agent.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "With those Rams' teams, sure we had great players. But those great players never had the 'look at me, this is about me' attitudes. That was what was so unique and special about that point in time. The focus always was on the team, and that's what I think made us a great team." - Former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner on what the team was able to achieve in a five-year period before his departure.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FRANCHISE PLAYER: OT Orlando Pace (tendered at $7.021M).
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers): QB Scott Covington; S Jason Sehorn; CB Fred Weary.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED: QB Marc Bulger; CB Jerametrius Butler; TE Cam Cleeland; S Rich Coady; C Andy Eby; DE Bryce Fisher; P Sean Landeta; WR Dane Looker; LB Jeremy Loyd; TE Brandon Manumaleuna; OG Adam Timmerman.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: QB Chris Chandler; S Nijrell Eason; DT Bernard Holsey; S Justin Lucas; DE Sean Moran.
PLAYERS LOST: LB Jamie Duncan; S Kim Herring; OG David Loverne; OL John St. Clair; S Shane Walton; QB Kurt Warner; DE Grant Wistrom; DT Brian Young.
DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED: S Jason Shivers; C/G Larry Turner.
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
The game-planning and preparation for an opponent. Calling the plays during a game. Martz gets so engrossed in the offense, there are those who wonder about his game-day decisions from an overall coaching perspective.
Still, Martz is grooming his successor from the offensive side, even if it takes several years for there to be drastic changes.
Martz said earlier in the offseason that offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild could very well call the plays in the preseason.
Asked about Fairchild's role as the team concluded its offseason workout program, Martz said, "Steve is capable of doing it all. Steve can call all the plays, he can do all the game-planning, he can run this offense completely. At this point, he's more than capable of doing that and doing it a very high level."
But how much will he do?
"There's some parts of this I'm just not ready to give up on," Martz admitted. "It's really fun for me, I still love being involved in the game-planning, calling plays. By the same token, he's got an awful lot to offer in those areas, too. He'll have input during the games in terms of play selection. He may call several if not all of our preseason games, I don't know yet."
Whatever happens on that level, Martz made it clear how much Fairchild currently does.
Said Martz, "There's a lot that he does that people don't know about. Just the organization of putting game plans together during the week, getting the staff together, ideas and putting them in. I can't always be in there. And he's taking on more and more of that role. He's taken on more of a role in leadership with the players on offense, running practice. I don't feel like I've got to be involved in a lot of the drills, so I can take more of a head coach's role in practice. He's been very effective; he's really what I was looking for."
NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES
—Linebackers coach Joe Vitt is pleased with the development of second-year linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.
Said Vitt, "Pisa has picked up the system, he communicates well in it. Pisa's the kind of kid, you want to introduce something new, there's a lot of players in this league where panic sets in. They know what they know and they don't want to learn anything new. Pisa really embraces new things, and things that can make him better. That's going to make him a better player."
—The Rams were stymied in signing one University of Pennsylvania tackle, so they opted for another.
After reaching agreement with Jeff Hatch recently, the contract was contingent on Hatch passing his physical. He had missed the 2002 season because of back surgery. After the physical, the Rams deemed it too much of a risk to sign Hatch.
They then signed 6-4, 300-pound Ben Noll, who started three seasons for the Quakers, and is an undrafted free agent.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "With those Rams' teams, sure we had great players. But those great players never had the 'look at me, this is about me' attitudes. That was what was so unique and special about that point in time. The focus always was on the team, and that's what I think made us a great team." - Former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner on what the team was able to achieve in a five-year period before his departure.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FRANCHISE PLAYER: OT Orlando Pace (tendered at $7.021M).
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers): QB Scott Covington; S Jason Sehorn; CB Fred Weary.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED: QB Marc Bulger; CB Jerametrius Butler; TE Cam Cleeland; S Rich Coady; C Andy Eby; DE Bryce Fisher; P Sean Landeta; WR Dane Looker; LB Jeremy Loyd; TE Brandon Manumaleuna; OG Adam Timmerman.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: QB Chris Chandler; S Nijrell Eason; DT Bernard Holsey; S Justin Lucas; DE Sean Moran.
PLAYERS LOST: LB Jamie Duncan; S Kim Herring; OG David Loverne; OL John St. Clair; S Shane Walton; QB Kurt Warner; DE Grant Wistrom; DT Brian Young.
DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED: S Jason Shivers; C/G Larry Turner.
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
