On Monday, May 14, the state of Missouri released the St. Louis Rams‘ proposal for renovations to the Edward Jones Dome. The team believes that the improvements made to the venue would put it in tier-one status.

Here are five thoughts on the proposed upgrades:

Reaching for the sky

Most Rams fans expected the team to try and get the best deal with its proposal. That’s why the team’s requests shouldn’t shock anyone. The Rams want to overhaul the Edward Jones Dome so that there are retractable panels on the roof to add natural lighting. The proposal also includes a demolished and rebuilt east section of the building to allow for larger concourses and new seating, and it would also add another entrance into the dome. I like what they are trying to accomplish with these plans. The Edward Jones Dome isn’t a horrible venue, but it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that NFL stadiums require now. This proposal would change that.

Super Bowl?

If you take a close look at the proposal, the Rams are hoping that the stadium could one day host a Super Bowl. The team’s plan calls for additional temporary seating that would help boost the dome’s capacity to over 71,000 if awarded the game. I love that the Rams were thinking big in their proposal. Hosting a Super Bowl is good for a team’s reputation, but it has a larger impact on the city as a whole.

What’s the middle ground?

You have to think that the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Center (CVC) will reject this proposal, but where can each side come together to reach an agreement? The proposals the Rams and the CVC made are complete opposites. The CVC’s plan is a temporary fix at best. The Rams’ proposal would cost much more, but it would also erase the need for a completely new stadium. When the CVC rejects this plan, how will the arbitrator see it? I can’t wait to find out, but I suspect an arbitrator’s ruling would lean more towards the Rams’ plan. A lot of it just makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense?

However, there are issues with the Rams’ proposal. Jeff Rainford, chief of staff for St. Louis mayor Francis Slay, noted that the stadium’s renovations would cost over $700 million. It would also require the stadium’s closure for two to three years. That would seriously harm hotels and other businesses surrounding the stadium. This is a huge problem. St. Louis holds many events in in the area, and this type of intrusive construction would drive out revenue from the city. Of course, where will the Rams play if the dome is shut down for an extended period of time? These are questions that would need answered for the plan to work.

The price tag is steep

I have to wonder if St. Louis and the state of Missouri will be willing to invest the $350-$400 million that I’d expect would be their responsibility in this deal. Taxpayers are still paying off the original stadium project from the mid-1990s, and I have my doubts about whether the city can afford more. It will be interesting to see if what dollar amount the CVC will agree to in arbitration.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

Paul Boudreau might just be the most important man at Rams’ Park. He is the key to protecting Sam Bradford. It’s also his job to make sure holes open up for Steven Jackson. He is the person responsible for the Rams’ offense avoiding those ‘three-and-outs’ that wear out the Rams’ defense.

Paul Boudreau is the Rams’ offensive line coach, and he should be a major person of interest for Rams’ fans everywhere.

Boudreau might be as important as any coach on the Rams’ staff in 2012. If recent history has taught us anything, it’s that the game is won or lost in the trenches, right?

If your offensive line is constantly getting killed, then your QB has no time to throw, so it doesn’t matter if your receivers are good or not. If your O Line is getting pushed backwards on every play, then it doesn’t matter that you have Steven Jackson on your team, because he has no holes to run through.

Football is still a man’s game, and it is Paul Boudreau’s job to make sure the men up front start playing aggressive, physical, nasty football again.

I did a little research on Boudreau, and I found out some interesting facts about him that should encourage Rams’ fans.

• Paul Boudreau will be entering his 26th season as an NFL coach.
• During that time, he has coached the O Line in New Orleans, Detroit, Miami, New England, Carolina, Jacksonville, St. Louis (2006-2007), Atlanta and now St. Louis again.
• Boudreau has coached lines that helped Barry Sanders rush for over 1,500 yards three times.
• Boudreau’s O Line led to Steven Jackson rushing for a career best 1,528 yards in 2006.
• Boudreau’s O Line led to Michael Turner rushing for a career best 1,699 yards in 2008.

Boudreau inherited an O Line that gave up 47 sacks in 2007. That same group of “no-name O Lineman” protected Matt Ryan, then a rookie in 2008, and only allowed 17 sacks (3.8 percent) in 2008, 19 sacks (4.0 percent) in 2009, 23 sacks (3.9 percent) in 2010, and 23 sacks (4.4 percent) in 2011.

It should be noted that the Falcons lost Harvey Dahl via free agency (to the Rams) prior to the 2011 season, and they also suffered various injuries to their O Line. Still, that 4.4 percent sack rate is less than half of the 9.2 percent that the Rams gave up in 2011.

Falcons’ fans were sad to see Boudreau leave.

If Boudreau can get the Rams’ O Line to play up to their talent level, this unit could single handedly elevate the Rams to a playoff contender in 2012.

Their is high priced talent across the line. Dahl was a high priced acquisition in 2011, Scott Wells was a high priced free agent pickup in 2012, Jason Smith was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft and Rodger Saffold was the No. 33 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

The only position that is a question mark in the group is left guard—where incumbent Jacob Bell left via free agency.

The Rams have elite talent at quarterback (Bradford), running back (Jackson), and they have emerging young players at tight end (Lance Kendricks) and receiver (Brian Quick, Chris Givens, Greg Salas, etc). If the O Line does their job, the Rams’ offense could experience a serious breakout in 2012.

It’s all up to the O Line. Paul Boudreau is the man assigned with the task of “lighting a fire” under this group, and based on his history, he is just the man for the job.

James Laurinaitis and Sam Bradford have great challenges ahead. (Getty Images)

Any website can post “offseason grades” for NFL teams, mixing the draft and free agency into transaction soup, then straining it through the mind of some sportswriter who doesn’t know who half the players are. Only the Shutdown 50 has the resources to get actual players, coaches, and executives from each team to evaluate their own offseasons! That’s right: over the next few weeks, you will get transaction evaluations straight from the horse’s mouths: straight talk about who was signed, who was lost, who was drafted, and why.

(For the satirically challenged: all player, coach, and executive remarks are made by an impersonator).

In this segment, several coaches from the St. Louis Rams will help linebacker James Laurinaitis break down their team’s moves. Take it away, guys.

CHUCK CECIL: Hello, I am Chuck Cecil, and I will be filling in as defensive coordinator for the suspended Gregg Williams.

DAVE MCGINNIS: Hello, I am Dave McGinnis, and I will also be filling in as defensive coordinator for the suspended Gregg Williams.

LAURINAITIS: Greetings, fans. Hey, don’t worry about the confusion in the defensive staff. I may have a bunch of brand-new coaches with no clearly-defined leadership structure giving me orders, but trust me, these guys are always on the same page.

CECIL: That’s right, James. Tell the fans about the new faces in the secondary.

MCGINNIS: No, James, tell them about the changes along the front seven.

LAURINAITIS: Well, I guess I will start with the secondary, where Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins are our new starting cornerbacks. These guys represent a major upgrade, because we only intercepted 12 passes, two of them by me. Of course, Finnegan is a hothead and Jenkins is a pothead, but both have outstanding talent, and with our clearly defined coaching structure, both will have well-articulated expectations and rules.

MCGINNIS: Tell them about Michael Brockers now.

CECIL: No, tell them about the free agents on the defensive line.

LAURINAITIS: How about I do both! Brockers was a fine first round pick. He is an athletic interior lineman who will help us get pass pressure without resorting to non-stop blitzing. Trevor Laws and William Hayes add a lot of depth on the line, so whichever of these guys is in charge of substitutions will be able to keep fresh players in the game.

Remember that last year’s first-round pick, Robert Quinn, recorded five sacks and started to really come on in the second half of the season. Chris Long can now count on a lot of support, both up the middle and on the other edge. And with fewer blockers on me, I can be more effective. I may not be able to improve on last season’s 142 tackles, but I can make those tackles more meaningful.

CECIL: We should talk about offense. Talk about the rookies.

MCGINNIS: No, talk about Sam Bradford’s development.

LAURINAITIS: Umm, well, we short-changed the offense a bit. Second-round picks Brian Quick and Isaiah Pead will provide a small boost. Pead will be a good third-down back, but Quick needs time to develop. Steve Smith had a terrible year for the Eagles last season, but he did catch 107 passes for the Giants in 2009. Sam Bradford, you do not seem too concerned about the lack of weapons, but I fear you may be putting on a brave face. Do you have anything to add?

SAM BRADFORD: Kwopkalowo’li.

MCGINNIS: He is speaking in tongues!

CECIL: No, he is expressing his Native American heritage.

LAURINAITIS: It’s neither! He is so worried about the coaching upheaval and lack of offensive weapons here in St. Louis that he is quoting Twilight. He has gone Team Jacob! Sam, it is okay. Steven Jackson is still here. Pead can catch short passes. The coaches will sort themselves out. Shhh … I’ve got you buddy.

SAM BRADFORD: Kwopkalowo’li?

LAURINAITIS: I will, buddy, I will.

Tanier’s Team Reports:
Indianapolis Colts

Gregg Williams’ image rehabilitation took a couple steps forward this week, helping his case for eventual reinstatement from an indefinite bounty suspension.

The St. Louis Rams’ would-be defensive coordinator reportedly helped out tornado victims early in the week. And even though audio tapes revealed him targeting specific San Francisco players for injuries before a playoff game last season, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and cornerback Carlos Rogers offered public support for him Wednesday.

Over time, these sorts of developments make it easier to envision Williams rehabilitating his image sufficiently for the NFL to strongly consider giving him another chance. We’re still early in that process, of course.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Baalke reached out to Williams, his former co-worker with the Washington Redskins. Baalke called Williams a friend and said, “I don’t view him any differently today than I did 20 days ago.”

Also from Barrows: Baalke cites Malcolm Gladwell in explaining why quick draft-related decisions often are the best ones. Of course, those quick decisions are made after years of research. They’re not hunches.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers will poll players before deciding whether to remain on the road between games against Minnesota and the Jets.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle passes along coach Jim Harbaugh’s comments on Randy Moss staying away from the team until April 30. The 49ers expect Moss to arrive in time for on-field work and football-related preparation. The team remains in the conditioning phase of its program.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune says the Bears have reached agreement with former 49ers guard Chilo Rachal, an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers had decided to move on from Rachal this offseason.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers insights into the Rams’ 2012 schedule. Miklasz: “A huge factor in schedule being so front-loaded with home games is the availability of the Dome. Because of other events booked into the convention center/stadium, several dates in the second half of the season were unavailable for scheduling Rams’ home games. That’s an issue. I’m sure this will be a point of negotiations in the discussions for a new lease agreement. Not that anyone realistically expects the rebuilding Rams to contend for a playoff spot this season, but to have a fighting chance they’ll have to rack some wins early, and take advantage of having three of four at home before traveling to London. Because the schedule turns against them pretty quickly.”

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the recently re-signed Kellen Clemens already knows the Rams’ offense from his days with Brian Schottenheimer and the New York Jets.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com offers updates from Rams minicamps, with this info on the offensive line: “Jeff Fisher confirmed Wednesday that as it stands, Rodger Saffold will continue to work on the left side with Jason Smith on the right. For now, the open left guard job is being filled by a combination of Robert Turner and Bryan Mattison. Quinn Ojinnaka has been considered as well. Not that any of that means much of anything this early in the game. Much more will be known following the final veteran minicamp in June when the Rams have a full roster.”

Also from Wagoner: Smith is back from his concussion.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals cleared room under their salary cap by restructuring their contract with veteran center Lyle Sendlein. Urban: “Sendlein’s cap number was supposed to be $3.25 million, and the move shrinks that number to $1.975 million. Fellow lineman Daryn Colledge did the same kind of thing earlier in the offseason. The Cards have been snug against the cap most of the offseason.” Noted: The move means the cap number for Sendlein will rise for future seasons. The cap itself will not increase as much as once expected.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com rounds up various mock draft projections for Seattle, with the following thoughts from Nolan Nawrocki regarding cornerback Stephon Gilmore as one option: “Pete Carroll’s defense thrives on the size and physicality of its cornerbacks. Gilmore has the size desired to hem the line at a premium position of need, a prime reason why cornerbacks such as Gilmore and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick could be drafted in the top 15.”

Temple announced the hiring of Frank Leonard as its tight ends coach on Wednesday.

Leonard was a college assistant coach for 24 years and most recently spent the past three seasons at the tight ends coach for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. He also spent three seasons (2004-06) as a special assignment scout for the New England Patriots.

“We’re very excited to have Frank and his family join the Temple football family,” Addazio said in the statement  ”Frank and I have known each other for 30 years.  We were college teammates [at Central Connecticut State] and started our coaching careers together at Western Connecticut under Pasqualoni.

“Frank is a tremendous fundamental teacher and has great energy and passion for the game. His wealth of experience for the NFL and the collegiate level will be a valuable asset for our players, coaching staff and university.”

 

ST. LOUIS (AP) – For now, it’s business as usual for Gregg Williams, who is on the job behind closed doors with the rest of the St. Louis assistant coaches.

The parking lot at the team’s training facility is full this week because there’s plenty to do. Free agency starts next week, and there will be minicamps before and after the draft for the Rams, plus they’re all still getting to know the roster. There’s that No. 2 overall pick to deal with.

It can’t hurt staying busy while waiting for the hammer to fall.

Williams, the Rams’ new defensive coordinator, is facing a possible suspension and fine after admitting that he ran a bounty pool of up to $50,000 over the past three seasons when he was the defensive coordinator in New Orleans. The NFL said players received payoffs for knocking targeted opponents out of the game.

Whether Williams is shelved for two weeks, a month or longer, the Rams must make contingency plans.

Aside from releasing Williams’ apology, the franchise that inherited this scandal has had little to say. Players and coaches are not being made available for interviews.

“Coach Williams has shown contrition for his actions and continues to cooperate with the NFL in this investigation,” Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said in a statement Thursday to The Associated Press. “Out of respect for the NFL’s ongoing process, we will refrain from commenting until the league has come to a final decision on all aspects of this matter.”

New coach Jeff Fisher was out of town and he isn’t talking, either, until the NFL issues its ruling. Williams met with NFL security officials on Monday as part of the league’s investigation; no timetable has been disclosed by the league for a decision from Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Dick Vermeil, who has 19 years of NFL coaching experience including the Rams’ lone Super Bowl win in 2000, said in a telephone interview that he was unaware of any bounties during his coaching career.

“There were always rumors, but often it seemed like something of a joke, like you’d hear kids were throwing in 50 bucks apiece,” Vermeil said. “Hopefully, this is isolated, hopefully the story doesn’t get bigger as the investigation goes deeper.”

Like many players, Vermeil said he believes Williams’ reputation is solid around the league.

“Sometimes you can get caught up in the enthusiasm and intensity of the game and it overpowers your judgment,” Vermeil said. “But I like him, he’s a good man, and he made a mistake.”

Williams’ punishment could be stiffer given the NFL’s emphasis the last few seasons on reducing concussions – the definition of a knockout.

“That has been a big issue, and now this comes up,” Vermeil said. “I think it almost puts them under pressure to react more strongly when something like this is going on.”

Assistant head coach Dave McGinnis is the logical fill-in candidate at defensive coordinator should Williams be suspended. McGinnis is a former NFL head coach and has an extensive background in defense, including five years as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 1996-2000, and great success coaching linebackers under Fisher in Tennessee.

McGinnis built his reputation in a decade as linebackers coach with the Chicago, working with defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and tutoring Hall of Famer Mike Singletary.

It is not often that a big name player is mentioned in trade rumors as the NFL is not known for many big deals, but the latest from Bleacher Report has some intrigue. The Miami Dolphins would send wide receiver Brandon Marshall to St. Louis, and in return Miami would get the second overall pick in the upcoming draft.

This makes sense for both teams as the Rams have one of the worst wide receiving groups in the league, and adding a 27-year-old, who has five straight year of over 1,000 yards receiving, would give Rams quarterback Sam Bradford the big target he needs to step his game up. The Rams also have a new head coach in Jeff Fischer, and the former Titans coach is known for preferring proven talent over youngsters.

Miami could use the second choice to take Robert Griffin from Baylor and give the franchise a quarterback it has looked for since Dan Marino retired from football.

It’s likely Miami would also give St. Louis an extra late round pick or two, but in terms of business sense, this deal could help both teams with needs for the next few years. Both these teams are looking to challenge for the NFL playoffs, but more talent is needed for these teams to make a run in the 2012-13 season.