+49
The Rams' roster is in flux with the recent completion of the 2012 NFL Draft.
In order to stay under the 90-man offseason roster limit, the St. Louis Rams cut five players on Monday. They are:
. . .CB Chris Smith, RB Quinn Porter, DT John Henderson, CB Nate Ness, and TE Demarco Cosby.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) April 30, 2012
Related: Rams Release Five Players To Make Room For Rookies
Some additional information from SB Nation's Rams blog, Turf Show Times:
The players released were: TE DeMarco Crosby, DT John Henderson, CB Nate Ness, RB Quinn Porter, CB Chris Smith. All five were on the fringes of the roster. Porter is the one fans would be most familiar with as he saw some reps due to injuries at the position last season.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Sure, Randy Moss's comeback tour has begun with the New Orleans Saints, and sure, a retired 35-year-old Hall of Famer who seems to harbor no particular love for the game of football seems like an unlikely pick for a St. Louis Rams team whose recent high water mark is seven wins. But don't the Saints owe us after that whole Gregg Williams thing? I'm pretty sure "owing us" is sufficient cause for them to sign Moss, then immediately turn him over to the Rams, for Sam Bradford's use as a star-making number-one wide receiver.
Okay: I'm not sure it makes any sense for Moss, but a veteran wide receiver available at a discount for extracurricular reasons and capable of performing at a Pro Bowl level seems like the perfect risk for a Rams team desperate for receivers more dynamic than Danny Amendola to take. The worst-case scenario, so far as I can tell, is that a locker room currently being torn apart by the potential expulsion of its brand-new defensive coordinator for putting out a hit on Kurt Warner is disrupted by a guy who's petulant and moody a lot.
After interviewing 10 different candidates over the course of several weeks, the St. Louis Rams have hired Les Snead as their new general manager. Snead previously worked for 13 seasons in the player personnel department of the Atlanta Falcons and spent the last three years as the director of player personnel. He helped to sign or draft 16 different players that went on to earn Pro Bowl honors, and he will replace former Rams GM Billy Devaney, who was fired after a disastrous 2-14 season and a 10-38 record in three seasons.
Snead will immediately take over all aspects of the the football operations in St. Louis, and Rams Executive Vice President of Football Operations/C.O.O. Kevin Demoff had this to say about the hiring to the team website:
"Les Snead is a rising personnel star whose passion for scouting and innovation differentiated him throughout the search process," Rams Executive Vice President of Football Operations/C.O.O. Kevin Demoff said. "His vision for making the Rams a sustained winner resonated with our entire organization and the energy and leadership he brings to our building is infectious. He has spent 15 years preparing for this opportunity and we are confident he will deliver the results our organization and fans deserve."
Snead will "direct all aspects of football operations and, working with Head Coach Jeff Fisher, will have final authority over all personnel decisions related to the signing of free agents, the selection of players in the NFL Draft, trades, terminations, and related decisions."
quotes via Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com.
An introductory press conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The news came out on Saturday afternoon that one of the two finalists for the vacant St. Louis Rams general manager position, George Paton, had accepted a position as the assistant general manager for the Minnesota Vikings.
A short time later, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reported that a source indicated the Rams hired the other finalist for the job, Les Snead. Snead was formerly the director of player personnel with the Atlanta Falcons organization.
Paton was rumored to be the early favorite in the process, but his promotion within the Vikings organization took him out of the running immediately. The Rams will hope to install a new GM in time for the NFL Scouting Combine and before the start of free agency in March.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams had reportedly narrowed their search for a new general manager down to two final candidates. The early news on Saturday was that Minnesota Vikings director of player personnel George Paton had emerged as the favorite to get the job.
Later on Saturday, the Vikings officially announced that Paton had been promoted to be Minnesota's assistant general manager.
"George has been an integral part of our personnel department since he arrived in 2007," Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said on Saturday. "His work ethic, leadership , professionalism and keen eye for identifying talented football players will continue to be a major asset for our organization as we take on the challenges of competing in the NFC North and winning the Super Bowl."
Now that Paton is out of the running, it may be an inevitability that the other finalist for the Rams job, Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead, will be offered the GM position.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. For updates and perspective on the Minnesota Vikings, head on over to The Daily Norseman or SB Nation Minnesota. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams have been deliberate and thorough in their search for a new general manager, but now your organization has finally narrowed their list of candidates down to two men. Minnesota Vikings director of player personnel George Paton and Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead are the two finalists, and both have returned for second interviews already, but now it appears the team is focusing in on Paton as the lead candidate for the job. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, multiple sources within the organization have said that "it's Paton's job to lose."
What makes Patton -- who has spent the past five seasons as the director of player personnel with the Minnesota Vikings -- the best man for the job? Ryan Van Bibber of SB Nation's Rams blog, Turf Show Times, provides the context to the latest development in the GM search:
And what has Paton standing above the other candidates? His reputation for working with others has reportedly earned him an endorsement from new head coach and football czar in St. Louis, Jeff Fisher. His work as a personnel man in Minnesota speaks well of his ability too, despite the Vikings' miserable record.
Paton made the move to acquire Jared Allen. He also let the oft-injured, but super talented Sidney Rice walk away in free agency rather than tie up big bucks to keep him. That qualifies as making a tough decision, something he would likely have to do with the Rams as the new staff turns over some big contracts on the roster.
Arizona's Steve Keim had some inside the organization lobbying for him.
The Rams had interviewed nine different candidates for the job, but Jim Thomas noted that the other seven men have been eliminated from consideration and the team has notified all seven that they are no longer in the running.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Interviews continue for the St. Louis Rams' vacant general manager position, and according to Jim Thomas, St. Louis brought George Paton back for a second interview Monday. The team also will speak with Tom Gamble of the San Francisco 49ers.
49ers director of player personnel Tom Gamble interviews for Rams GM job Tuesday; Minnesota's George Paton got second GM interview Monday.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) February 6, 2012
Paton's second interview came a week after his first meeting with the Rams.
Related: Rams GM Search: St. Louis Interviews Joey Clinkscales And George Paton
Gamble has 24 years of experience working in the NFL, and he's spent the last seven with San Francisco. He was promoted to director of player personnel in February of last year.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
According to Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Rams added another candidate to their list of potential general managers:
Add another to the list: Rams interview NFL exec and longtime scout and player personne [sic] exec Ron Hill for their general manager position.
Hill is the vice president of football operations for the NFL, and he has also served time in the front offices of several teams. He also interviewed for the Tennessee Titans general manager job back in 2007 when Jeff Fisher was still the head coach there.
Related: Rams GM Search: St. Louis Interviews Joey Clinkscales And George Paton
Thomas also is reporting that Indianapolis' Tom Telesco is no longer a candidate for the Rams GM position.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas reported that the St. Louis Rams have hired John Fassel to be the team's new special teams coach. Thomas also offered an update on the wide receivers coaching search.
Confirmed: John Fassel will be special teams coach for Jeff Fisher in St. Louis. Ray Sherman as Rams WR coach not finalized at this point.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) January 31, 2012
John Fassel -- Jim Fassel's son -- has been coaching in the NFL since 2005, where he got his start as a special teams assistant with the Baltimore Ravens. From there he moved on to the Oakland Raiders, and he served as the team's special teams coordinator from 2009 through 2011.
Related: Rams Hire John Fassel As Special Teams Coach
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
According to Jim Thomas of STLToday.com, the St. Louis Rams have officially interviewed the VP of the New York Jets college scouting, Joey Clinkscales, and the director of the Minnesota Vikings player personnel, George Paton, on Monday.
The Rams fired their previous general manager, Billy Devaney, after the team won a combined 12 games over the last four seasons. The Rams have spent the last several weeks interviewing and exploring a pool of candidates that include Steve Keim of the Arizona Cardinals and Les Snead of the Atlanta Falcons.
Thomas reports that two other potential and rumored candidates -- Mike Ackerly of the Houston Texans and Rich Snead of the Tennessee Titans -- are in fact not in the running for the GM position.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
According to Ron Clements, the St. Louis Rams are expected to have a second meeting with Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead. The team is also planning to meet with several other candidates for the job.
Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead is expected to have a second interview soon and the Rams could have Jets VP of college scouting Joey Clinkscales and directors of player personnel Brian Gaine of Miami and Tom Telesco of Indianapolis in next week.
Snead has held that position with Atlanta for the last three seasons, and he has spent the last 13 years in the Falcons' personnel department.
Related: Les Snead Will Have Second Interview, Other Names Emerging
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receivers coach Ray Sherman is a candidate to join the St. Louis Rams' coaching staff, according to Rams sideline reporter and ESPN 101 radio host, Tony Softli. Since hiring Jeff Fisher as head coach, the Rams have moved quickly to assemble a staff around him. Earlier in the week they finalized the contract with Brian Schottenheimer to run the offense, so if Sherman is going to join the staff it would likely be as an assistant and a wide receivers coach again.
Ray Sherman has been involved in NFL coaching since 1988, when he first broke on the scene as a running backs and then wide receivers coach for the Houston Oilers. He has worked as offense of coordinator for the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings in the past, but most recently coached wide receivers for the Dallas Cowboys from 2007 to 2010.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams have stayed busy lately, hiring Jeff Fisher as its new head coach, and quickly filling out his staff with coordinators— Brian Schottenheimer for offense, Gregg Williams for defense— and position coaches. But it's been quiet on the general manager front as efforts involving the coaching staff ramped up, but according to 101 ESPN's Tony Softli, the Rams will pick up their search for a new GM sometime early next week.
Rams source said Coach Fisher and new staff didn't make it to this years Sr Bowl.
— Tony Softli (@SoftliSTL) January 25, 2012
It's unclear at the moment where the team stands in its search, but last we heard the team was bringing in Arizona Cardinals director of player personell Steve Keim in for an interview.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
In his first interview since being named defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, Gregg Williams pledged to bring a "culture change" to his new team. While being careful not to put down ex-head coach Steve Spagnuolo, Williams insinuated that he believes the Rams defense, and franchise, needs some external motivation.
"I’m going to do everything in the world to put as much external stress on the staff and the players as I can," he said. "You’ll hear a lot of hollering and screaming, and a lot of intensity come out of me. But on game day you’ll never see that because those players and those coaches that are working in those stressful conditions, they don’t need any more external stress."
(via Pro Football Talk)
Whether Williams' tactics will work remains to be seen, but there's certainly not many places the team can go but up.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Jeff Fisher continues to put together a staff in St. Louis, and according to Jim Thomas, the Rams have spoken to Henry Ellard about becoming the team's wide receivers coach.
League sources say Rams have talked to Henry Ellard about WR coach job, but no offer has been made. James Lofton also could be in the mix.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) January 24, 2012
Ellard has a long history with the Rams organization, both as a player and a coach. As a player, Ellard spent 11 seasons as a wide receiver for St. Louis and had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He finished his NFL career with over 13,000 receiving yards.
Related: Rams Considering Henry Ellard For WR Coaching Job, Per Report
As a coach, he worked for the Rams from 2001 to 2008 before moving on to his current position with the New York Jets.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
According to the Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas, the St. Louis Rams have a general manager candidate coming in for an interview this weekend.
Arizona director of player personnel Steve Keim scheduled to interview Saturday for Rams GM job.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) January 24, 2012
Keim has been working for the Arizona Cardinals since 1999, when he started out as a regional scout.
Related: London, Los Angeles And The Rams
He became the team's director of college scouting in 2006 and assumed his current title in 2008; in his current capacity with Arizona, Keim coordinates the college and pro scouting departments under the direction of the team's general manager.
In his playing days, Keim was a two-time All-ACC player at N.C. State and spent a brief period in the NFL.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has ruffled some feathers by making no assurances that the franchise will stay in St. Louis over the long-term during the introductory press conference for new head coach Jeff Fisher. Kroenke has ties to Los Angeles and the team's stadium lease with the city's Convention and Visitors Commission on the Edward Jones Dome contains a provision that would allow the Rams to leave if it is not deemed a "first-tier" facility among the top eight stadiums in the NFL. Then the Rams announced a three-year deal to play one game annually in London as a part of the NFL International series.
Now Bill Shaikin of the LA Times is reporting that Kroenke is known to have considered a bid on the Los Angeles Dodgers before Monday's "soft" deadline for opening bids. The story cites "two people familiar with the sale process" in saying that the Rams' principal owner "explored whether to bid" but it was uncertain whether he did submit a formal bid before the deadline. There "more than 10" opening bids, and it is entirely Kroenke put himself in the running to purchase the franchise, so be sure to stay tuned for more.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Confirming reports from Monday morning, the St. Louis Rams have officially announced the hiring of two new assistant coaches:
Rams have officially hired Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator and Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator.
— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) January 23, 2012
The Rams finished the 2011 NFL Season with a 2-14 record -- good for second-worst in the league. Shortly thereafter, they fired head coach Steve Spajnuolo and GM Bill Devaney, replacing Coach Spags with long-time Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher in mid January.
Gregg Williams joins Fisher after spending the previous three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. Brian Schottenheimer, the son of former San Diego Chargers head coach Morty Schottenheimer, takes over as the Rams offensive coordinator after serving that same role with the New York Jets for the last six seasons, twice designing offenses that finished in the top 10 in rushing yards.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
It's far from a secret that the St. Louis Rams have hired Brian Schottenheimer and Gregg Williams to be their offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively, but the team is expected to make an official announcement today, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas.
Rams expected to announce official hiring of Brian Schottenheimer, Gregg Williams, and perhaps other members of Jeff Fisher's staff today.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) January 23, 2012
With those two hires in the books, Fisher has continued to fill out his staff, recently hiring offensive and defensive line coaches. Schottenheimer is coming to St. Louis after an extended stint coordinating the offense of the New York Jets, and Williams comes over after a run with Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints that included a Super Bowl win.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
eff Fisher continued to fill out his coaching staff this weekend, hiring Paul Boudreau to coach the offensive line, and Mike Waufle to coach the defensive line, according to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.
In addition to Schottenheimer and Williams as coordinators, Rams hiring Paul Boudreau (OL) and Mike Waufle (DL) #insideslant
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 22, 2012
Boudreau was most recently with the Atlanta Falcons, but was let go by the team earlier this week. The Falcons line was considered one of the team's strengths before being ravaged by injuries last season. Waufle has coached the defensive line for both the Oakland Raiders (twice) and the New York Giants, including when the team won the Super Bowl, in the past decade and change.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The rumors had swirled for several days, but now the St. Louis Rams Reportedly hired former New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as their new OC, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Jets head coach Rex Ryan recently told the NY Daily News that "the verbiage that we had last season was probably a little much" in speaking on Schottenheimer's offensive system, but the coordinator did have a decent amount of success with the Jets.
The complexity stems from the fact that he is influenced by Don Coryell's aerial attack reliant on precise route combinations and good protection from the offensive line. Rams fans are no doubt familiar with the system, which worked to perfection back when Mike Martz coordinated the team's offense, so perhaps Sam Bradford will take two steps forward after taking at least one backwards in the 2011-12 NFL season.
For Schottenheimer this is a reunion of sorts, as he got started with his NFL coaching career in St. Louis in 1997.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
In a chat with Rams fans on Friday afternoon, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff said that the franchise will start conducting interviews for the vacant general manager position late next week:
The GM search is going to pick up steam next week as we interview candidates beginning Thursday or Friday. We have six to eight candidates we are interested in meeting with who are emerging stars in the personnel world. We will also speak with Les Snead and Lake Dawson again now that Coach Fisher is here.
Demoff added that they "hope to make progress by the Super Bowl," but what exactly he means by that is tough to say. At any rate, it appears that the process is set to speed up in the next week.
Related: London, Los Angeles And The Rams
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Stan Kroenke has immense power as the principal owner of the St. Louis Rams, but he made no assurances that the franchise will stay in St. Louis over the long-term during the introductory press conference for new head coach Jeff Fisher. As pointed out by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the team's stadium lease with the city's Convention and Visitors Commission on the Edward Jones Dome contains a provision that would allow the Rams to leave if it is not deemed a "first-tier" facility among the top eight stadiums in the NFL.
When asked about his long-term plans, Kroenke chose his words carefully:
"I think this is all out there. The chronology of what occurs with the lease is public knowledge. I think for me to comment on that process is particularly (un)timely. The city, or the (stadium) authority, they're dealing with their side of it. And they present a proposal to us by Feb. 1. So there's a team in place that deals with all that. So we'll see how that process sorts itself out. But it's a thing that takes place over time."
via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kroenke did mention that he has been in St. Louis for 20 years with the franchise, but when asked if he sees the franchise in the city for another 20 years, he responded only by saying "we'll see how that process works out." With so much suddenly going right for the Rams, from the Jeff Fisher hiring to the number two overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, there is still a dark cloud looming over the process until Kroenke gives more information on his long-term plans with the franchise and whether he will take the team to Southern California when he gets a chance.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams introduced their new head coach in a press conference on Tuesday. Long-time Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher joined Rams owner Stan Kroenke behind the microphone as the two discussed the hiring and the future of the St. Louis franchise.
"My goal is to bring this franchise back to relevance," Fisher said in the press conference simultaneously broadcast online and on the NFL Network. Fisher also said he looks forward to bringing "disciplined, tough, physical football" to St. Louis.
On what attracted Fisher to the Rams, he said he was looking for "a good owner" and "a quarterback," adding: "It's going to be a great ride." Concerning the long term future of the Rams in St. Louis, Fisher said he felt the franchise would stay in St. Louis, but Kroenke appeared less committed, only saying: "We'll see how the process works out."
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Jeff Fisher got busy making a difference big difference before he even signed his contract to become the St. Louis Rams' next head coach. On Sunday night, Fisher was first to arrive on the scene when a 17-year old driver lost control of her Nissan Altima and crashed into a pole, overturning the car and ejecting a 13-year old passenger. WKRN-TV Nashville reports that Fisher provided aid to the injured teens until emergency staff arrived on the scene. He declined to speak on camera after the professionals arrived. The 17-year-old driver is was treated at a local hospital and has been released, while the13-year-old passenger was last listed in critical but stable condition.
The new head coach of the St. Louis Rams will be introduced in a formal press conference at 1 p.m. CST on Tuesday afternoon.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher will be officially introduced as the organization's new head coach on Tuesday afternoon, and according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fisher's deal is expected to be worth $35 million over five years. Anything close to the reported deal would easily make Fisher the highest-paid coach in franchise history, but for Fisher the focus has always been on the level of control and input he would have on personnel decisions. Indeed, the Rams are believed to have prevailed over the Miami Dolphins in the bidding for Fisher's services because Miami was unwilling to promise the coach any authority to weigh in on personnel moves.
Well, if the Rams are giving any such power to their new head coach, it may be in an unofficial capacity. He is not expected to receive any additional title beyond head coach -- such as Executive Vice President -- so any sway he might have with regards to the construction of the roster and front office will likely be back room negotiation. Then again, perhaps Fisher will explain his level of input at the introductory press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. CST.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Browns have reportedly reached an agreement to hire the current defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, Gregg Williams, to work as the defensive coordinator for the Rams in 2012.
St. Louis has begun a massive overhaul of their personnel following a highly disappoint 2-14 season: The team has already hired long-time Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher and, after several days of speculation, has also acquired Williams.
Williams has been coaching in the NFL for 15 years, serving as the Buffalo Bills head coach from 2001 through 2003, sporting a 17-31 record as a head coach. He has most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins (2004 through 2007), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2008) and the New Orleans Saints (2011).
The Saints defense gave up 5895 yards in the 2011 NFL season -- 6th worst in the league -- but only allowed 339 points -- good for 13th best.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
This isn't something you get to say very often, considering the Football Cardinals' nearly total disappearance from the sports scene in the decades following their move—the St. Louis Rams' new offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, has some admittedly vague St. Louis Cardinals roots. The connection: He's considered by many to be a follower of the "Air Coryell" offense, which began in part during Don Coryell's 1970s run at Busch Stadium.
He's unlikely to prove as eccentric a follower as the iconic airborne-Rams OC, Mike Martz, but the time he spent as quarterbacks coach of the San Diego Chargers gives him no small amount of credibility for fans of a more complex, risky offense.
Which is good news, unless you're still steaming over Pat Shurmur's departure from the Rams following The Year of Danny Amendola Catching Three Yard Tosses. The Rams have been a lot of terrible things during their time in the wilderness, but I'd hate for them to add "boring on offense" to that list on a semi-permanent basis.
Fear not, Josh McDaniels fans (and, uh, stop fearing not, Josh McDaniels haters), the St. Louis Rams have decided to replace their failed big-name, pass-heavy offensive genius with another big-name, pass-heavy, controversial offensive genius, hiring Brian Schottenheimer from the New York Jets just in time for Jets fans to tell Rams fans how terrible he is.
They hate him, in case you were wondering, for the same reasons a lot of Rams fans ended up hating Josh McDaniels: Poor reaction to the personnel around him—Mark Sanchez apparently isn't an All-World, Throw-it-Deep quarterback—inexplicable play-calling, failure to establish the run even when it was the only thing that worked.
So in case you were hoping for another high-risk, high-reward, high-complexity offense for Sam Bradford to learn over an admittedly longer offseason, your wish was the Rams' command; if anything, it's looking like the Jeff Fisher offense to which Eddie George's knees regrettably became accustomed is unlikely to show its face inside the erstwhile home of the Greatest Show on Turf.
For what it's worth, I feel nearly as happy about that as Steven Jackson. But your mileage will vary as much as expectations about that two-tight-end thing Josh McDaniels was going to do did with reality.
Former New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer met with Jeff Fisher on Sunday, and the meeting apparently went well, as the NFL Network's Michael Lombardi is reporting that Schottenheimer is expected to become the offensive coordinator for the Rams.
All that's left to make it official is for the contract to be completed, according to the source.
Schottenheimer's modest record of results with the Jets may prove a source of controversy with this hire, and as Turf Show Times points out, this move does not signal the return to a West Coast offensive style that had been desired by many fans.
Schottenheimer, who spent the last six seasons with the Jets, got his NFL coaching start in St. Louis in 1997.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams are looking forward to next season, which will be their first under new head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher spent over 16 seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he built a reputation as a proponent of a staunch run-first offense. That reputation will likely carry over to his new position in St. Louis, where at least one Rams running back can stand to benefit from a new style of play.
Robert Neely of the National Football Authority posted a column on Sunday where he discusses the possibilities of a reinvigorated running game under the Fisher regime. Neely points out that Fisher made superstars out of running backs Eddie George and Chris Johnson while at the helm of the Titans, both of whom turned out monster yardage for years.
The Rams already have an incumbent yardage-producing running back in Steven Jackson, who has passed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last seven seasons of his eight-year professional career. He's also versatile, which may also appeal to Fisher. Both George and Johnson caught their fair share of passes in Tennessee.
Jackson will be 29 in the upcoming season, as Neely points out. If his body is still up to the task, Fisher could target Jackson as the new workhorse of the St. Louis Rams in 2012. It is a safe bet that the new head coach will be taking a good long look at the veteran and seeing how the running back fits into the plans for his new team.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more on the Rams, check out Turf Show Times, SB Nation's St. Louis Rams blog.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher is scheduled to meet with ex-New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Sunday about filling the same position in St. Louis. Schottenheimer coordinated the Jets offense for six seasons before resigning from his position after a 2011 season that saw the Jets fall to 29th in total offense and was colored by a stagnancy, if not an outright regression, in Mark Sanchez's progression.
Schottenheimer has also reportedly been in talks with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Jacksonville Jaguars, but the appeal of the Rams, with a franchise QB in Sam Bradford and a new, secure head coach may win out. Whether Rams fans will feel like accepting the director of 2011 Mark Sanchez is another story.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more on the Rams, check out Turf Show Times, SB Nation's St. Louis Rams blog.
1. Whatever happens in the Jeff Fisher Era, I will always be at least a little bit sad that the Rams didn't bring Mike Martz back around.
2. If Mike Martz were to come back to the Rams, he'd probably do it with a really strong fake to Jeff Fisher. Just saying.
Now that Jeff Fisher is the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams, you can expect him to lure some talented coaches to follow him while he builds a staff in St. Louis. New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is the first name to surface, and according to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, the Rams are "expected to add longtime Fisher friend Gregg Williams as defensive coodinator."
Williams and Fisher have worked together in the past, as the defensive coordinator serve done Fisher staff in Tennessee and help propel the team to Super Bowl XXXIV. The Saints are preparing for a playoff game against the New York Giants this weekend, but Brad Biggs of the National Football Post relays some quotes made by Williams to a local New Orleans newspaper that confirm the good relationship between him and the Rams' new head coach:
"I love here; this is a great organization," Williams said, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "I will tell you this about Jeff: he's my best friend in coaching. The National Football League needs him coaching, they need for him to be a head coach in this league, there's not very many people as good as he is at what he does. I'm anxious to see where he's going to go. I don't know, I don't know any more than you guys. I don't talk to him, I don't mess with him at this time of the year. He doesn't mess with me at this time of the year."
The move may not happen today or tomorrow, but when the Saints are eliminated from the playoffs you can apparently expect Greg Williams to join the St. Louis Rams' staff.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more on the Rams, check out Turf Show Times, SB Nation's St. Louis Rams blog. For more details on the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, be sure to drop by Mocking the Draft.
Jeff Fisher has agreed to become the next head coach of the St. Louis Rams, and while he hammers out the details of his contract with the team, his new players have been weighing in on the hiring. Though I'm sure players from the spurned Miami Dolphins would have different things to say, it appears everyone on the Rams is excited about the addition of the veteran coach. Kathleen Nelson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch did a wonderful job capturing the reaction of Rams players, and here's a little taste of what some players had to say:
CB Ron Bartell
"I'm feeling a little bit of everything: a little relief, but definitely excited. This is a great hire. Mr. Kroenke and Kevin did a great job. It's a great day to be a Ram."
"I think he helps stabilize the franchise. It's been rough for a few years, but to bring in a guy with his credentials is huge. If you're able to stay 16 years with one team, that says as much about you as a Super Bowl ring."
WR Greg Salas
"He had to do what he thought what was best for him. Sure, it's a weird feeling, not knowing who will coach the team. But that's over, and I'm excited. I'm sure everyone's excited."
"The second phase can begin. Now, it's a matter of finding out who the offensive coordinator and the rest of the staff will be. Then, we'll know a little about the offense we'll be running next season."
RB Steven Jackson
"The coaches that I had after Mike Martz were coordinators that were very successful at the time, but Jeff brings stability. He brings credibility. He's played in the league, and he was one yard away from winning the Super Bowl."
"I'm pretty sure he's thinking along the lines of Eddie George when he thinks of coaching me and having me in his offense: downhill kind of guy. He's going to put me in position where I can be at my best. ... I think he'll do a good job of utilizing the talents we have."
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams finally got their man Friday afternoon, signing Jeff Fisher to a multiple-year contract after a long tangle with the similarly headless Miami Dolphins for the longtime Titans head coach, but much of the facts about his actual arrangement remain nebulous. Luckily, Bernie MIklasz went on a tweeting spree for the ages Friday night, offering the following insights:
"The idea of Fisher as a kingpin in charge of everything at Rams Park is being overstated... not certain that Fisher demanded total control over personnel. For sure wants a say in hiring of GM."
Sounds like the after-the-signing cool-down version of the rumors that were flying earlier—Fisher won't be the all-in-one team svengali, but he will want to have a say in whom the various sub-svengalis turn out to be. Whatever happens, Bernie's final tweet of the night ends on a strikingly optimistic note for Rams fans who haven't gotten many: "Bradford is fired up. Continuity. Finally."
So there's that. For more, you'll probably want to follow the Post-Dispatch's coverage on this one.
Jeff Fisher decided to join the St. Louis Rams instead of the Miami Dolphins, and he spoke with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Friday about why he wanted to coach the Rams and how he reached his decision. Fisher takes over a team that went 2-14 last season, but also one that owns the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. According to the article, Fisher actually informed Rams owner Stan Kroenke on Thursday that he wanted to become the next head coach, but what did he have to say when the news became official on Friday? Jim Thomas and Kathleen Nelson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch relay what the new head coach had to say:
"The process has been lengthy, but for good reasons. I took a lot of time looking at and exploring in detail the non-economic issues of both clubs. I'm really excited that the Rams are the best fit for me. I hope I'm the best fit for the Rams, and am looking forward to finalizing the (contract) details and coming to work."
What "non-economic issues" did Fisher care about? It turns out the Dolphins were not willing to give him as much control over personnel as he wanted, so it made his choice that much easier to join the Rams. As for the contract details, there are conflicting reports on how far the negotiations have advanced. One report from ESPN Radio personality Tony Softli has suggested the contract will be "in the range of a five-year deal at $6.6 - $7.2 million per year," but ESPN's Adam Shefter says the parties had not discussed figures as of Friday afternoon.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
I am deeply confused about this: Jeff Fisher, according to reports mentioned by Jim Thomas and Kathleen Nelson on the Post-Dispatch's website, took less money from the St. Louis Rams to take their job over the Miami Dolphins. He says: "I'm really excited that the Rams are the best fit..." I say: How?
Don't get me wrong: I am a Rams fan. I am hopeful that they will remain in St. Louis and thrive with Sam Bradford. But if I were a head coach—a head coach who's already experienced relocation, with the Tennessee Titans—I wouldn't base the next major phase in my career on being hopeful.
The only hint that suggests friction between Fisher and the Dolphins is the suggestion that the Dolphins' owner "kept pushing and pushing" as Fisher's decision-making process dragged on; if Fisher was concerned about having unmitigated control over the direction of the franchise I suppose that could have bothered him.
All this will come out eventually, but in the meantime I'm having trouble even speculating. Maybe he's a really, really, really, really, really big fan of Sam Bradford?
Veteran NFL head coach Jeff Fisher has reached an agreement in principle to become the next head coach of the St. Louis Rams, but when it comes to compensation there are conflicting reports on how far negotiations have advanced. Adam Shefter of ESPN insists that the two sides "had not discussed figures" as of Friday afternoon, while St. Louis Rams sideline reporter and ESPN Radio personality Tony Softli has suggested the contract will be "in the range of a five-year deal at $6.6 - $7.2 million per year." Fisher's agent, Marvin Demoff, is the father of the Rams executive negotiating the deal, so expect the process to move quickly and smoothly regardless of where it stands at the moment.
Related: St. Louis Rams Hire Jeff Fisher
Fisher reportedly chose the Rams because they offered more control over personnel that the Miami Dolphins were willing to cede, so it will be interesting to see how Fished plans to attack the 2012 NFL Draft. The Rams finished 2-14 and have the No. 2 overall pick, but need help on the offensive line, at wide receiver, and in the defensive secondary.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Jeff Fisher! The St. Louis Rams! Finally happening, according to various and sundry reports! We don't know yet what he'll be doing, when, or for how long, but the Rams' ability to get their man is the first bit of legitimizing news around the benighted franchise since—well, since the last time they got their man, and drafted Sam Bradford. The question is how long it'll last.
Fisher, for all his—tenure, isn't exactly Canton-bound as he stands. He's at the front of the line in the Tennessee Titans Hall of Fame, but if the Rams' troubles with Scott Linehan and Steve Spagnuolo are any indicator the Rams will be unwilling to grant him as much slack as those Oilers did at the beginning.
Because legitimacy-by-experience is one of those things with an expiration date. If the Rams don't show signs of life in 2012, this hire gets contaminated by all the awfulness it's supposed to signal a clean break from. If Fisher turns things around in St. Louis, at least, he'll finally be deserving of the reputation he's gotten since the Rams' near-bidding-war with the Miami Dolphins began.
Jeff Fisher has finally made his decision between the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins, and has agreed to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams, according to Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Adam Schefter of ESPN. Rams owner Stan Kroenke targeted Fisher as his top candidate from the beginning of the search, and now the franchise has their man. Here is the definitive tweet from Peter King :
Fisher to the Rams.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) January 13, 2012
Related: The search for the next St. Louis Rams General Manager continues
Rumors had swirled that Fisher might choose to Miami, and the Rams continued to interview other candidates for the position through Thursday, but the veteran NFL coach eventually chose to hitch his wagon to Sam Bradford, Chris Long, Steven Jackson and a roster otherwise in flux. One big reason Fisher chose the Rams is the control he will have over personnel in St. Louis, something he couldn't secure while talking with the Dolphins. Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports explains the deciding factor in Fisher's decision in the following way:
Fisher was willing to meet halfway on personnel control, but Ross wouldn't budge. He's an Ireland man. And now Fisher is headed for The Lou
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 13, 2012
The Rams went 2-14 in the 2011-12 NFL season and are slated to select No. 2 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, so Fisher figures to have plenty of input on how the organization uses its premium picks in April. Fisher has 17 years of head coaching experience and has a winning percentage of .542, which is a stark departure from the two failed rookie head coaches the Rams experimented with before hiring Fisher to run the show.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is nearing a decision on what his coaching future will entail, and it appears that he'll be choosing the Miami Dolphins, according to Michael Lombardi of NFL.com. Fisher had previously limited his options down to just the Dolphins and the St. Louis Rams, but it appears that he'll be choosing to join the former.
With Fisher refusing to commit until now, the Rams have continued to seek out possible alternatives should Fisher choose to go to Miami. With that possibility now looking more like a reality, St. Louis will have to look in a different direction as it tries to find a new head coach.
One of Lombardi's sources reiterated one of Fisher's possible concerns with St. Louis, and that's the team's possible relocation to Los Angeles. Lombardi adds that Fisher could announce his decision as soon as Wednesday, so we could have an official announcement on the matter pretty soon.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
It's increasingly difficult to follow the St. Louis Rams' extended courtship with Jeff Fisher, which the 24-hour news cycle has successfully distorted to near-irrelevance. Late last week Fisher seemed nearly certain to be the new head coach of the Rams; now, as Ryan Van Bibber aggregates, the Miami Dolphins look to be all the way back into this—despite the continued impression of the NFL at large that the former Tennessee Titans coach will make his decision this very week.
For another few days, then, Dolphins and Rams fans will have to wait to figure out what their foundering franchises will look like in 2012.
In the Rams' favor: they have the second overall pick in the draft and their franchise quarterback and a veteran running back that Jeff Fisher could run all the way into the ground. In the Dolphins' favor: They play in Miami, they won six games in 2011, and they got nice seasons from Matt Moore and Reggie Bush, even if those guys aren't quite Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson.
The St. Louis Rams will hire former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher to be the team's next head coach, according to Michael Hiestand of USA Today. Referencing a report from Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Rams will apparently announce Fisher's hiring some time over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Fisher, 53, spent 17 years as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans before agreeing to leave the team in January of 2011. His teams posted a combined record of 142-120 over those 17 seasons, including six postseason appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
It appears that the only possible hangup between the St. Louis Rams hiring Jeff Fisher to be their new head coach is the team's possible move to Los Angeles in the near future, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Rams have long been rumored as a potential option for the city of Los Angeles, which has gone years without an NFL team despite being one of the largest markets in the United States.
Fisher, the former longtime head coach with the Tennessee Titans, parted ways with his former team in January of 2011. He spent 17 seasons at the helm in Tennessee, guiding the Titans to a 142-120 overall record, six postseason appearances and one Super Bowl appearance. He only interviewed with two teams this winter, the Rams and the Miami Dolphins, even though there are numerous other coaching vacancies in the league at the moment.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
With Jeff Fisher visiting the St. Louis Rams today, it seems as if maybe the Miami Dolphins are taking some sort of hint. Fox's Jay Glazer reported today that the Dolphins, believing that Fisher will choose the Rams, are moving on with their head coaching search after wooing the ex-Tennessee Titans coach earlier last week.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, it is possible that any word from Fisher's camp that he's leaning towards the Rams may just be a play for leverage in contract negotiations with either franchise, though time will tell. If the Dolphins miss on Fisher, Glazer reported that they would look at Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer or Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
With free agent head coach Jeff Fisher in St. Louis on Sunday, the speculation that he is close to becoming the Rams head coach should reach overdrive at some point. But according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Fisher's presence in St. Louis doesn't necessarily mean that he's leaning towards picking the Rams over the Miami Dolphins, just that he's attempting to learn as much as he can about the Rams.
Fisher being in StL today, as I said last night, doesn't sway him to StL. Just an effort to know as much abt Rams as Mia before making dec.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) January 8, 2012
By all accounts, though, Fisher is expected to come to a decision one way or the other sometime next week.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
The St. Louis Rams fired head coach Steve Spagnuolo early Monday morning, wasting little time getting to what has been considered inevitable for weeks. The firing was reported first on Monday by Fox's Jay Glazer and confirmed later by local sources. Despite a report late Sunday night that both Spagnuolo and GM Bill Devaney were going to be let go, there has been no official word yet on the fate of Devaney.
Spagnuolo will leave the Rams having gone 10-38 as the team's head coach. In 2010, the team went 7-9 and narrowly missed the playoffs, but that season was sandwiched by ones in which the Rams finished 1-15 and 2-14. The 2011 season was especially disappointing, with the Rams widely considered to be the favorites to win the NFC West.
Stay tuned to Turf Show Times, SB Nation's St. Louis Rams blog, for all the latest updates on the upcoming coaching search.
Rams GM Les Snead Hires New Director Of Pro Personnel, Director Of College Scouting
St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead executed his first NFL Draft for the Rams this season, but there will be a new staff supporting him next time around. Vice president of player personnel Mike Williams and two scouts -- Russ Bolinger and Brandon Schwab -- have been let go by the Rams, John Mancini has been demoted to assistant director of college scouting and two front office members that previously worked with Snead for the Atlanta Falcons have signed on in St. Louis, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Ron Carthon -- who worked as a pro scout for the Falcons in 2008 -- has been hired as the new director of pro personnel, and Taylor Morton -- who also worked as a scout for the Falcons -- has been named the new director of college scouting. Things are changing rapidly in St. Louis as Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher put their stamp on the organization, and hopefully they are building a solid foundation for sustainable success that starts with scouting and pro personnel and flows onto the NFL field and into the win column.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.
May 10 9:33a by Steve von Horn