Gotta go to work 2008!

So guess what the theme is for 2008?  You guessed it.  Our old and now current Offensive coordinator Al Saunders has tee-shirts printed for the Rams this year that say: "Gotta go to work".  Which was our theme in 1999-2000. So now that we have the same theme, will we have the same attitude?  And will we have the same talent with that attitude?  Probably not, but still...  Hopefully the Rams work hard and put a good product on the field for 2008.

I think things will be better and maybe we can make a push for a playoff run.

Supposedly, the coaching staff is satisfied with our current LB situation.  Spoon, Pia, and the otrher boys are ready (supposedly).  Who knows?  I think our CB's are as good as they have been in awhile, but our Safety's are a little above average.  The problem lies again with tackling. 

I really like Al Saunders running the O and Jim Haslett running the D.  Hopefully after we are 2-6, they will fire Linehan and then we can get hot.  Our schedule is brutal this year at the beginning.

The good news is in our beloved NFC WEST you only need about 9 wins or so to take it.  Our D-fense should be much improved from last years team.  Brown should be there to begine the season, Little should be healthy.  Now that our weak spot ( D-line ) has become our strength on that side of the ball.  I feel we should show improvments aginst the pass as well as the run!

If our O-Line stays healthy and we find a #2 and #3 WR we should roll this season.  I hope we can sign Steven Jackson before the season starts.  I'm not sure what our plans on special teams are.  But I wouldn't be surprised not to see Dante Hall on the roster.  We can save some money and let some of these young players show what they have.

I do see a big improvment this season with a winning season or at worst 8-8.  I also Don't see us firing Scott Linehan in the middle of the season.  I would bet he's back next year as well. Lets see what he can do with a Healthy O-Line and good D.

It sure was fun to see in the paper that Al Saunders was wearing a "Gotta Go to Work" t-shirt during minicamp.  Yeah, that brings back excellent memories, doesn't it?

I'm not sure what the Rams will do this year.  Years of poor drafts and personnel decisions have caught up to them big time.  I do expect a much better product than last year.  I'd still rate Seattle, though, as the clear favorite in the division.  Obviously, I'd love it if I was completely wrong about that.

I'm thinking right now, six or seven wins for this team in 2008 sounds about right.  But, hey, if the boys want to knock my socks off like they did in 1999 when they weren't picked by anyone to do anything, I'd be delighted. 

The 1999-2000 season was alot of fun.  The tailgating, yelling at the yop of my lungs on 3rd down so our defense could light someone up, watching Warner to Bruce, and of course the Marshall was always in town.  I don't know if we have the talent that team had, but I would just like to see some old school football.  Some hitting, 70-yard bomms to Torry Holt and running over people! 

I like this team.  I just like Jim Haslett and Al Saunders running it more than I like Scott Linehan.  We shall see.  But if San Fran (Mike Martz) and other teams come into town and beat our a$$, Linny is gone.  He will have a short leash this year for sure.

"Pisa, Witherspoon, Culberson sound like a legit LB corps to me. But we need depth. Mr. Irrelevent David Vobora, Chris Draft and freakin Tim McGargile aren't enough."     &nbs p; 

Agree Rammer. The lack of depth doesn't jive with Haslett's smarts and experience. Seems like only possible additions are summer cuts or undrafted prospects.

But I'm probably wrong, since I also struggle to rely so much on 34-year-old, injury-recovering Little.

Offense can be special if Pace shakes off injury bug.

jermaine, I totally agree about the LB situation. One hope is that it is so bad it can't be serious. Meaning Rams plan to add LBs somehow.

Maybe they first want to see how much cap they can free up after watching players in training camp. Someone mentioned cutting D. Hall as an example. Maybe that'd be wrong, but something like that.

Spikes would be a good addition.  As far as dropping Dante Hall I like that too - his golden days are over.  If the WR's show up and are strong, we need to drop Drew Bennett and his contract as well.  Sounds like Donnie Avery could be another Hall.  I say we cut him and sign a LB.  Jeremiah Trotter is another LB at 31/32 that could clog up the middle.  We need some help. 

I think Haslett will have these guys playing pretty solid like they did last year.  Especially if our D is not on the field the entire game, because our offense should be better.

STL Post-Dispatch:      Seven-time Pro Bowler Torry Holt wasn't inclined to grant fellow wide receiver Donnie Avery, the Rams' second-round pick in last month's draft, much latitude during minicamp this past weekend. "He came to me a couple of times, shouting at me," Avery reported.

Asked his early impressions of Avery, Holt said tersely, "Right now, I don't have any impressions of Donnie Avery. ... Hopefully, during training camp he'll show me something."

It's not that Holt is unhappy with Avery; he just wants to let him know that he has to prove himself before he can run with the big dogs. Which is fine with Avery. "I like that," he said. "When other people are strict on me, it brings the best out of me."

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Sounds like Torry is taking the role of veteran seriously.  I like it!  Isaac Bruce is not arond anymore so Holt is stepping in and letting his voice be heard.