FanHouse

It looked like the Rams were shooting themselves in the foot a few weeks ago, taking forever to fill vacancies in their coaching staff, the biggest hole being offensive coordinator. Well, all that fishing might have paid off; a big one might be on the hook.

The team is negotiating with Al Saunders, formerly of the baffling Redskins, on a deal to run their offense. Saunders is considered a bright offensive mind, and served as receivers coach for the Rams from 1999 to 2000, overseeing the group during their Super Bowl championship season. So he's familiar with Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, but these ain't the same guys Saunders used to coach.

It's actually not the same team at all; there are a lot more problems than solutions. Saunders faces a mess. He's also known for having a slightly complex offense (though not of Martzian proportions). The Rams -- or shall I say, Scott Linehan -- don't have the luxury of wasting a year while the offense adjusts to a new system. So it's possible Saunders is out of a job again next year, or working for a new coach at the very least.

The one snag in Saunders' hiring is that he's currently making about $2 million, about the same as Linehan. But those sans ego have made it work.