| Editor’s note:
Periodically during the offseason, a Q&A with PFW contributing editor and personnel
analyst Joel Buchsbaum will appear exclusively on the Pro Football Weekly Internet
Edition.Q: What impact will the
retirement of Dick Vermeil and the appointment of Mike Martz as the new head coach have on
the Rams next season?
Buchsbaum: It’s very hard to say because Martz has never been a head coach before.
One thing that’s troubling is that very often, when a man becomes a head coach for
the first time whose strength was as a coordinator, he becomes much more conservative on
that side of the ball.
Q: Do you think Kurt Warner will be a dominant quarterback next season?
Buchsbaum: No, I don’t.
Q: Why not?
Buchsbaum: I think this was a year when everything went perfectly for him and
everything fell into place. I think he’s a good quarterback, I think he’s tough,
I think he has intangibles and I think he’s accurate.
Q: Torry Holt really came on in the postseason. Do you think his numbers will jump
next season?
Buchsbaum: As long as they throw him the ball more. Whenever they threw him the ball,
he produced, although he did have a slight problem with dropped passes and fumbles.
Q: What do the Titans need to do to get over the hump next season?
Buchsbaum: They need to get a top wide receiver who’ll really threaten the
defense, they need to develop Steve McNair’s ability to throw the long ball more, and
they need to upgrade a little bit at linebacker and their depth on the defensive line.
They also have to sign their free agents, like OT Jon Runyan.
Q: You talked about McNair’s need to improve throwing the long ball, but how
much did he grow as a player this past season?
Buchsbaum: He grew because he won, and he grew because he realized he was not a great
drop-back passer, and he was willing to do what Kordell Stewart wasn’t willing to do
— and that’s when the situation called for it, he was willing to become a
running quarterback and use his greatest asset, which was his running ability.
Q: Where do you see Jacksonville improving its team in order to take another step
forward?
Buchsbaum: The Jaguars need help in the interior of the offensive line. They had to be
very disappointed in the play of their guards and center this past season. They’re
very firm at tackle, but they’re not very good inside. ORG Zach Wiegert, the big
free-agent signing from St. Louis, was a disappointment. |
