Spagnuolo Takes His Turn
Posted >Sat, February 27, 2010 11:13
by Nick Wagoner

INDIANAPOLIS -

- Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo took his turn at the podium a day after general manager Billy Devaney and he discussed a wide variety of topics from keeping Oshiomogho Atogwe to lightening the load for Steven Jackson to all things draft. Here's a big chunk of what Spagnuolo had to say.

- I'll flesh this out in story form a bit later. For now, enjoy...


(Opening statement)
It’s always exciting to be here. It’s great to see all the coaches, scouts, people you don’t get to see during the year. This is very important with the combine and the draft coming up. We are sitting in an important spot, looking forward to it. We don’t want to be there next year but looking forward to it this year.

24th-27th Day 1 Arrivals*: Grp 1(PK, ST, OL), Grp 2(OL), Grp 3(TE)
Wednesday Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews Thursday Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews Friday NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, *PK/ST Workout*, Interviews Saturday Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

25th-28th Day 2 Arrivals*: Grp 4(QB, WO), Grp 5(QB, WO), Grp 6(RB)
Thursday Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews Friday Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews Saturday NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews Sunday Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

Posted by Tucker19--

Disclaimer alert: In no way am I endorsing any prospect or saying that he likes or dislikes any player. I'm just reporting what I heard and observed.

Ok on with it:

Very intimate setting at Jbucks in Clayton, MO. About 20-25 people I would guesstimate. Everyone was kind of half circled around him.

Very down to earth, seemed very happy to be there talking about what he likes best: the draft.

1) First question I asked:

Tucker: "billy, first overall pick a DT? Kinda shaky history there right?"

BD: "name 1 dt that played in the superbowl?"

Tucker: "anthony hargrove"

General Manager Billy Devaney, Stlouisrams.com
Hello everyone. Sorry for the slight delay. All the scouts are in and we are in combine preparation meetings but it's good to spend some time with you.
Danny, Vancouver WA.
12:35 PM CT
Billy, It's Danny the Rams fan in Seahawk country, I just wanted to say If you draft Suh your drafting a winner, I know this because he grew up in Portland and went to the same school that I did. However if you trade down please go Dez Bryant or Shipply in a late round. Don't forget you got my gas money if we get skunked against the filthy birds next year. Good luck in the draft, go Rams.

General Manager Billy Devaney, Stlouisrams.com
Hey Danny, I agree with everything you say about Suh. I remember you and hope to see you when we are in Seattle.

(Opening Remarks)

“It’s been six weeks, so we’ve had a little bit of time between the last time we visited and today. It’s been a great six weeks. I told you we evaluated the team and we started looking at free agents. We’re kind of still in the middle of that. The coaches and scouts went down to the Senior Bowl. The weather was actually great, which was good. I actually spent a day in Miami the Friday before the Super Bowl. (Senior Director of Communications) Ted (Crews) dragged me down there, so I went down there and visited Miami but it was great. As coaches, we always say you don’t want to go to the Super Bowl site unless you’re playing in it and that’s true. You want to be playing in it. It was good to go down there and see people. The NFL having an event like that, is great to be apart of. There have been two new hires within the organization. We hired a wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell, who name I know a lot of people recognize. He played here for the Rams a little while back. Obviously, we hired an athletic trainer, Reggie Scott, who joined us on Monday. He officially started yesterday, so he’s up and rolling. He has already put his hands on most of the guys here in rehab and that’s a good thing. Next week, we’re rolling into the combine, which is exciting. That brings us right up to the draft and away we go into OTAs, mini camps, etc. You guys all know that the NFL now is all year around, it’s not seasonal. It’s year around, which I think is a great thing. That’s why I’m standing here today to entertain all of the questions that you guys are begging to ask for.”

The Rams began the decade as kings of the NFL but ended it the lowest
of the low, capping off the worst three-year run in NFL history with
another lackluster loss to another division rival. Rags to riches to
rags. Dirty, smelly rags.


* QB: It was a day for Keith Null (7-17-57 yards, 50.4 rating) to
forget, and thanks to a partial concussion suffered after getting
battered for two-quarters-plus, he may not remember this game by the
time he gets up Monday morning. And he won't want to, though the
really scary thing is, I think Null did about everything he could do
today. He didn't commit a turnover despite relentless 49er pressure.
He scrambled (or tried) a few times after a few games of being glued
to the pocket. He took charge at the line of scrimmage with audibles
and did his best to keep the 49ers off balance with hard counts.
Null's game is still progressing. Unfortunately, though, if I may try
to read Null's mind, the day went a lot like this: “OK, drop back...
first option, not open... second option, he's not open, either...
third option... GAAAH!” The 49ers stopped Steven Jackson and Null
didn't get any help from his receivers or much from his offensive
line. He earns the blame for only one of the FIVE times he was sacked
(and don't forget his scrambling saved a couple more). He only took
about a 3-step drop during a screen play in the 3rd, and when the line
turned Justin Smith loose, he was already practically in Null's lap.
Deep drop on the screen, rook. Unfortunately, Smith's hit knocked Null
out of the game and brought back the uninspiring Kyle Boller (4-11-23,
44.9 rating) one last time. Boller missed a couple of rare open
receivers, though in his defense he was also under siege just about
every play. Poor blitz recognition was Boller's downfall. Jackson ran
smack into a blitz for a five-yard loss in the 3rd and immediately
turned around after the play and chewed Boller out. A veteran QB's got
to recognize that coming and check to something else. Boller missed it
again late in the 4th when Dashon Goldson blitzed in for the SEVENTH
of San Francisco's EIGHT sacks. Boller came in cold, and also avoided
committing a turnover, but comparing how the veteran handled the 49er
pass rush today to how the rookie did, I can't make much of a case for
keeping Null behind Boller any more, or, to shorten the sentence,
keeping Boller any more. The Rams didn't gain anything with him on the
field this season in any capacity.

(Opening Remarks)
“Before we get going here, I want to…there was an accident here in the Dome where I believe a couple people fell. I thought it was quite serious, but I think they’re going to be ok. They’re on the way to the hospital with one of our doctors I believe. Our prayers, good wishes go to those one or two people, I think it was two. There’s many more things in this world and life besides a football game and that’s one of them, so we’re hoping they’re ok.”

“Injury-wise, (WR) Donnie Avery, they called it a concussion and with the rules the way they are, they did not want to put him back in. (G) Roger Allen’s got a knee issue. They’re MRI it and check it, and we’ll know tomorrow. (QB) Keith Null was fuzzy as well. I don’t know if they used the term concussion, but he was a little bit fuzzy. (WR) Ruvell Martin just got the wind knocked out of him, so he was ok.”

“With the game itself, it’s a hard way to finish, especially after you…but three and half quarters it was toe-to-toe with a good football team. They played good defense, they played physical (49ers Head Coach) Mike (Singletary) does a great job. I give them a lot of credit. They won the football game. And then to have it kind of get away like that at the end is, you know, I’m hoping we can erase those seven minutes in our mind and think about all the other things. But the bottom line is we lost the football game and the season’s over. We were hoping to finish on a high note and weren’t able to do that. But after tonight, we’ll get back together tomorrow as a team. We’ll wrap it up, there’s a lot of things we got to do and we’ll think about next year. And hopefully, and I know the guys will, I know the coaching staff will, and I know the organization will learn from the adversity that we went through this year, so that’s what we need to do. I’ll open it up.”

(Opening Remarks)

“As usual here, the guys that did not practice today were (CB) Quincy Butler, (RB) Steven Jackson, (DE) Leonard Little, (G) Mark Setterstrom. The guys that were limited today were (WR) Donnie Avery, (LB) James Laurinaitis, (LB) Paris Lenon. He did get a little bit in there with his toe. (DE) Chris Long was okay and (T) Jason Smith did a little bit. I believe that takes care of everybody from that end. We got through a week of practice okay. It is hard to be indoors all three days. We wanted to get outside, but decided to stay inside with it. Looking forward to the game and with that, I will open it up.”

(Opening Remarks)

“The same guys that did not practice yesterday did not practice today. (CB) Quincy Butler, (RB) Steven (Jackson), (DE) Leonard Little, and (G) Mark Setterstrom you knew. (LB) Paris Lenon did not go today. Everybody else was either limited or going so we are pretty much okay. (T) Jason Smith went through the same thing. He did some limited things, but really didn’t have any contact. Other than that, it didn’t change too much.”

“What’s today? Is it some kind of holiday? Am I supposed to know something? Happy Holidays. I’ll open it up.”