On Monday, Jan. 23, new St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher announced that Brian Schottenheimer has been hired as the team's offensive coordinator. Schottenheimer previously served as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator for six years.
Sam Bradford.
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I'm not excited about Fisher's decision to bring in Schottenheimer. I expected Fisher to implement a fairly conservative offense in St. Louis, but I was hoping he'd avoid bringing in the coach who struggled to develop Mark Sanchez in New York. However, I will try to give Schottenheimer a chance.
We don't know the entire story surrounding Sanchez and the Jets' offense, so I'll try to give Schottenheimer the benefit of the doubt. Sanchez has a different personality than Sam Bradford, and hopefully Schottenheimer can work with his new team's franchise quarterback.
Of course, Schottenheimer's issues with Sanchez make it easy to forget that he helped develop both Drew Brees and Philip Rivers when he was the quarterbacks' coach for the San Diego Chargers. He also served on staff with both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Redskins. Though I have my misgiving about him, Schottenheimer's resume is impressive, and he fills the Rams' need for an experienced hand to lead the offense.
Schottenheimer's hiring is also a clear indication that the Rams are going to be a running team. With Steven Jackson aging, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team draft a young back in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft, much like the Jets did when they picked Shonn Greene in 2009. I'd also expect the Rams to beef up their offensive line, which was a given anyway considering how awful it was in 2011.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the offensive staff comes together. Hopefully, my unease with the hiring goes away as next season approaches. Bradford has needed a steady offensive coordinator who could develop him into the quarterback he was drafted to become. I have my doubts, but maybe Schottenheimer will be able to repeat his past successes with Brees and Rivers with Bradford.
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.
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