I'd hardly have pointed at Wayne Moses as a reason the Rams failed badly in 2007, but he took the bullet so Linehan could put in another crony. Valero's hiring was questionable at the outset, not only for its cronyness, but because Valero wasn't hired to an actual position. With only the o-line and OC posts open, it looked like a pretty stupid move. Knowing now that Valero will be the RBs coach (and assistant head coach, or whatever the hell that's worth), the move looks better. Valero worked with Cadillac Williams, Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman at Tampa; I can see how he could improve Steven Jackson as a runner and a receiver, especially if he can get him to attack the line more quickly. I think the key player to watch to see if Valero's doing any good, though, is Brian Leonard. There were a lot of Mike Alstott comparisons when Leonard was drafted; let's see if Valero can make good on those. Fundamentally, the Ram RBs aren't good blockers. Valero's task is to make a blocker out of Leonard and get better blitz protection out of this unit. If Valero can get that done and make Jackson a less picky runner, he'll represent an improvement.
Grade: C+
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