Where to Look

In the last few weeks the Rams have made additions to their coaching staff and front office. The pieces are in place, so it's time to start looking elsewhere for improving the team.

Free agency opens on Feb. 27th.

The Rams have players of their own to try and sign, but they need so much help on defense, they need to set their sights on a few players and go after them. There are a few linebackers that are out there that would be good additions.

Eric Barton (Jets), Jonathan Vilma (Saints), and Michael Boley (Falcons) are young with a lot of upside. Ray Lewis is on the market, but he is in the twilight of his career.

On the defensive line, Julius Peppers (Carolina) is the stud that everybody wants. I don't think the Rams are interested for financial reasons. Albert Haynesworth (Titans) and Rocky Bernard (Seattle) along with Bertrand Berry (Arizona) are the best of the bunch.

The Rams secondary has not been deep for years. At this point I'd like to see them get anyone under 30 years of age, over 6 ft. tall and can run a 4.3 or 4.4 forty. I'll take anyone that can fit that criteria.

Spags and his new coaching staff will be very busy in the next week. As long is they can figure out what to look for, maybe they can find out where to look.

"See you on the hit side" #21

The Staff is Coming Together

The Rams are tweaking and adding to the new coaching staff. Since naming Pat Shurmer offensive coordinator and Ken Flajole defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo has added a few more pieces to the coaching puzzle.

Head coaches and coordinators always get more press than other coaches. It's like any other business, the ones at the top get the headlines, good or bad.

The Rams have hired Paul Ferraro from the Minnesota Vikings as their new special teams coach. This area needs just as much attention as the defensive side of the ball. The Rams have also hired Dick Curl as asst. offensive and quarterbacks coach. Hopefully he can calm Bulger down.

They have also added Frank Leonard as their tight end coach. Spagnuolo said "all three are exactly what we are looking for. All are of high character and all about team. We feel very fortunate to add to our staff great teachers with tremendous experience." The Rams have also Charlie Baggett as their receivers coach. He has 10 years of NFL experience & has had a 1000 yard receiver in 9 of those ten years. The down side is that he took the place of one of my all time favorite Rams, Henry Ellard. Ellard has moved on and joined the Jets staff.

Steve Loney has been retained as offensive line coach. I don't envy his job at all. last year he worked with a banged up group, & (I have a feeling) he will be working with a lot of new faces very soon.

Most Rams fans might not care about all of these new faces. I take an interest in it because it starts to mold the new attitude of the Rams and I believe the staff is coming together.

"See you on the hit side" #21

Changes

Well Rams fans here we go again. New coaches, new outlook, new expectations.

The Rams have hired head coach Steve Spagnuolo as their head coach. Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator for the N.Y. Giants the last two years. In 2007 the year the Giants won the Superbowl, they were ranked 7th overall in the NFL in total defense. This past year they were ranked 5th in total defense.

It's about time the Rams looked to someone to help the defensive side of the ball. The Rams haven't hired a defensive minded head coach since Ray Malavasi. Yes, it's been that long.

If you read this column on a regular basis, you know how I preach defense. I'm not saying that my prayers have been answered, but it is a step in the right direction. Rams fans have to realize that this is no longer "the greatest show on turf". It hasn't been that way for 5 years. Get over it and move on please!

Spagnuolo has hired Ken Flajole as defensive coordinator and Pat Shurmer as offensive coordinator. Flajole came from the Carolina Panthers as a linebackers coach. Linebackers? What are those? The Rams haven't had a good corp. of linebackers for years. I expect a lot of focus on this area from Flajole.

Pat Shurmer's offense will be a shock to Rams fans that still live in 1999. Get ready for a vanilla offense with a heavy dose of Steven Jackson.

As Spagnuolo settles in as head coach, he will be putting the remaining touches on his coaching staff. It will be interesting to see who he targets in the free agent area. Whatever he decides, I think it will be a huge change from their offensive mentality, and I think that change will be what the Rams need.

"See you on the hit side" #21