Bulger vs. McNabb

[moklerman]

With an influx of NFC East coaching to the Rams, I got to thinking about about how the Rams might be looking in the near future. The Cardinals have had a real advantage vs. them for a few years now and I'm real curious to see how that Eagles offense is going to look with Bulger(maybe?) at the helm. Honestly, if all other things were equal, that offense might be real scary with a QB like Bulger who has, albeit in the past, been one of the most accurate intermediate/short passers.

Do the Rams instead actually make a play for McNabb? Either way, I think the rivalry is going to be a lot more competitive real soon.

 

[Spielman]

With an influx of NFC East coaching to the Rams, I got to thinking about about how the Rams might be looking in the near future. The Cardinals have had a real advantage vs. them for a few years now and I'm real curious to see how that Eagles offense is going to look with Bulger(maybe?) at the helm. Honestly, if all other things were equal, that offense might be real scary with a QB like Bulger who has, albeit in the past, been one of the most accurate intermediate/short passers.

Do the Rams instead actually make a play for McNabb? Either way, I think the rivalry is going to be a lot more competitive real soon.

Huh?

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I think the Rams have a long way to go.

I think the Seahawks are going to be the team that no one knows how they will come out next year.

and your biggest rivalry will be the Niners. That is if and only if Frank Gore stays healthy.

 

[moklerman]

Huh?

Spagnuolo is the new HC and was the DC from the NYG. Pat Shurmur is the new OC and has been the QB's coach for the Eagles since 1999.

 

[moklerman]

I think the Rams have a long way to go.

I think the Rams are a very Dolphins-esque team. They had some blowout losses but they also showed that they could win some games if they were motivated and healthy. I've never thought much of Haslett so I'm not surprised he couldn't pull it all together but aside from being traded to a new team, Bulger should benefit from a (likely) new scheme. The WCO fits his skillset perfectly and the team already has some pretty good talent at the skill positions.

I'm pretty sure that Spagnuolo will focus on the o-line/d-line right away and even if it takes him more than one offseason to get the players that he wants in place, a little discipline and a better line situation will make them pretty formidable in the NFC West.

 

[Mulli]

Spagnuolo is the new HC and was the DC from the NYG. Pat Shurmur is the new OC and has been the QB's coach for the Eagles since 1999.

Please explain how Bulger ends up in Philly, and McNabb in STL.

 

[moklerman]

Please explain how Bulger ends up in Philly, and McNabb in STL.

I wasn't suggesting Bulger would be in Philly, just that the Rams will likely be running the same offense that the Eagles do.

With rumors swirling about McNabb on a yearly basis, it isn't too much of a leap to think he might follow the QB coach that's been with him since he came into the league in '99.

 

[Mulli]

I wasn't suggesting Bulger would be in Philly, just that the Rams will likely be running the same offense that the Eagles do.

With rumors swirling about McNabb on a yearly basis, it isn't too much of a leap to think he might follow the QB coach that's been with him since he came into the league in '99.

K thanks. Just didn't really understand what you were talking about.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I think the Rams are a very Dolphins-esque team. They had some blowout losses but they also showed that they could win some games if they were motivated and healthy. I've never thought much of Haslett so I'm not surprised he couldn't pull it all together but aside from being traded to a new team, Bulger should benefit from a (likely) new scheme. The WCO fits his skillset perfectly and the team already has some pretty good talent at the skill positions.

I'm pretty sure that Spagnuolo will focus on the o-line/d-line right away and even if it takes him more than one offseason to get the players that he wants in place, a little discipline and a better line situation will make them pretty formidable in the NFC West.

The Dolphins had some sort of a resemblence to an offensive line and defensive line before this year. And they had a decent defense as a whole.

And remember the Dolphins had a very easy schedule this year. Playing the AFC West and NFC West helps that record look better than most. Plus if you look at their season ( http://www.nfl.com/teams/miamidolphins/schedule?team=MIA&id=2700 ) it took a GREAT coaching & defensive effort to get into the playoff. Tony Sparano, was robbed as coach of the year. (Remember it is a regular season award, cause Whiz is the MAN)

I give the Dolphins credit for there season, cause as I said that defense was pretty good.

Plus right now I am currently the pot calling the kettle black because the Cardinals are in the same boat, but while we had an easy road to the playoffs we had a tougher schedule.


The problem with the Rams is they do not have a defense. It is HORRIBLE. Not to mention the Rams offensive line reminds me of one of our lines from the McGinnis era.

That is why they have a long way to go.

I personally think Bulger, and Jackson have pro bowl potential. But there is no protection or run blocking. Plus when you are down 50 pts before the half it makes it hard to play balanced football.

It will take more than one offseason for the Rams to fix this mess.

2 yeard from now ? With Stephen Jackson running the ball, I could see them turning the corner then. Look at what Singletary did in San Fran. Get a good defense, a decent offensive line, and run Gore until his legs fall off. Find a QB to manage the game. The Rams have the RB to follow that game plan.

With Singletary, Spagnuolo and Whiz all in the same division, the NFC West could be power football central in 2 or 3 years.......except we have the difference makers at WR.

 

[moklerman]

I personally think Bulger, and Jackson have pro bowl potential. But there is no protection or run blocking. Plus when you are down 50 pts before the half it makes it hard to play balanced football.

Like everything in football it's cyclical. I agree with just about everything you're saying but I don't think they're as bad as their record indicates. We all saw what a team plays like when they're head isn't in the game. There are a lot of pieces already on that team and the NFC East connection makes me believe that the o-line will be a priority(obviously) and more importantly, scavenging from the Eagles and Giants FA's could turn that offense around real quickly.

Much of that turnaround will depend on Bulger's reclimation, which of course is a giant question mark, but that's what I think is most worrisome about the situation. If the Rams start running an offshoot of the Eagles offense, I think Bulger will be much better protected by the scheme alone. Lots of screens and stuff over the middle which is what he has exceled at. All those quick passes will keep him from being hit and that would pay major dividends.

Not to mention, getting rid of the ball quickly will make whatever line they have look a lot better.

Their defense has some weak spots but this year is a deep FA market for LB's which I think they'll target. The need a safety too and I think there will be some available as well.

Shaw is still in the front office but Zygmunt is gone and the division that ate at the team from the inside out should be gone. Devaney and Spagnuolo are in sync and know each other and the usual GM knifing the President stabbing the head coach stuff looks like it's a thing of the past. This will be their first draft together and they will be aided by a HC that's been learning from Coughlin who hasn't missed too much in recent years.

It's gonna be interesting. I agree that a year may be too quick for a turnaround but by year two I think the Rams are gonna be tough.

 

[Spielman]

K thanks. Just didn't really understand what you were talking about.

That's what I thought he was talking about too. Confused the crap out of me.

 

[Spielman]

I actually think that Bulger is/was far more suited to running a Philly-style West Coast style offense than he was to running Martz's offense or even the much more conservative Linehan approach that he had a ton of success with in 2006.

I'm betting that if he's put in that system and given an offensive line that isn't utterly putrid, that he's got a chance at a career resurrection. I've got two big reservations, though.

1) Bulger's not that bright about new systems. Linehan had to adapt everything in 2006 to call the plays in the same style that Martz did, using numbers to describe routes, because Bulger apparently just didn't grasp things well enough to keep things straight otherwise. I'm not saying he's terribly stupid, but there's likely to be some growing pains there.

2) Bulger's accuracy went away the last two years.

Rams fans are very fond right now (some of them, anyway) of pointing out Warner's resurgence and saying the same thing could happen with Bulger.

Thing is, with Warner, the passing never went away. He put up one (partial) bad season throwing the ball in 2002, still completed 65.5% of his passes, and then had passer ratings in the mid-80s in '04, '05 and '06. Without the hand and the fumbles, he wasn't throwing the ball badly. And his completion percentage, barring the abortive '03 year that he barely played, was always quite good.

Bulger, on the other hand, has put up passer ratings as bad as Warner's in '02 twice now, and his completion percentage has dropped like a rock. At his best, Bulger was very nearly as accurate as Warner at his best, but now, he's just not throwing nearly as well as you need to.

Maybe he gets it back. Maybe he's just got the yips from the offensive line being terrible, and he'll rebound quickly. I dunno. But I put the odds of his really coming back somewhere around 40%

 

[IAWarnerFan]

Bulger's numbers have been backup QB numbers the last two years. The Eagles would be much better off keeping McNabb than trying to get Bulger. There's better non-starters than Bulger the Eagles could try to go after. JMO