Rams

Offense

Martz also disputed reports about possible interest in the Miami job. It’s hard to see Martz going anywhere if the Rams make the playoffs again.

Clayton says Callahan could interview for two to three jobs this week, another being the offensive coordinator position in Tampa Bay. Callahan was a very successful coordinator with the Raiders between 2000 and 2002.

The Rams have only interviewed two OC candidates so far, Hue Jackson and Ken Zampese. Saunders, 60, would be the biggest coup of the three, but it’s uncertain whether he still wants to coach after being fired by Washington.

Saunders, who runs a creative Mike Martz-style attack, would call plays in St. Louis. One hold up in contract deliberations will be Saunders’ price tag. With Washington in 2007, it’s believed he made more money than Rams head coach Scott Linehan. Saunders has also been in talks with the Raiders.

Finally, the Rams get something right. Saunders, a receivers coach during the Greatest Show on Turf Era, is very close to Torry Holt. After seeing Holt and Scott Linehan’s interactions last year, Saunders will be a welcomed addition. Saunders runs a Mike Martz-style offense, but his play calling is less pass heavy. The hire is promising news for all Rams skill players.

Well, we’d like it a lot better than Brian Schottenheimer. Oakland sent Jackson packing after owner Al Davis’ in-season passing gave the coach too much personnel control, but Jackson is still one of the league’s top offensive minds. During his two years with the Raiders, Jackson moved the club’s scoring rank from 13th to fourth, and Oakland also had a top-five 2011 offense in yardage. Jackson has experience with a young quarterback, serving as Joe Flacco’s position coach during Flacco’s first (and best) two seasons in the league (2008-2009). On paper, at least, Jackson would be a quality fit with Sam Bradford in St. Louis.

Chud’s offense vaulted to seventh in the NFL, setting a franchise record for total yards one season after bringing up the rear as the league’s worst offense. Along with Cardinals DC Ray Horton, Chudzinski appears to be in the mix as a Plan B replacement while the Rams await Jeff Fisher’s decision. According to the Miami Herald, that choice is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

The Rams are getting antsy as they wait for Jeff Fisher to decide whether to be their next head coach, as Gruden is the second new candidate to pop up in the past 16 hours. He is also the first offensive coach the Rams have expressed interest in. Lauded for his work with rookie QB Andy Dalton this season, Gruden has just one year of experience as an NFL coordinator. He would bring a West Coast offense back to St. Louis. Sam Bradford played his rookie year in Pat Shurmur’s similar scheme.

Jeff Fisher would probably look in a different direction if hired as the Rams’ next head coach, but McDaniels is sticking around for now. It’s no secret that owner Stan Kroenke is a big McD supporter and personally pushed for his hiring this past offseason. Strongly working against McDaniels, of course, is the fact that the Rams had the NFL’s 31st-ranked offense in terms of yardage this season. They were dead last in points scored.

Ushered out in New York after failing to develop Mark Sanchez, Schottenheimer will now be tasked with overseeing the progression of Sam Bradford. Once well respected in coaching circles, Schottenheimer’s recent failures are disturbing in a decidedly done-for-me-lately league. Bradford will enter his third different system in three seasons, and Schottenheimer will start out in St. Louis with considerably less offensive talent than he ever had with the Jets.