Rams report, 1/19: Titans force reboot of GM search

In a round of front-office promotions made yesterday, the Tennessee Titans have promoted Ruston Webster to general manager and Lake Dawson to director of player personnel. Dawson and Webster appeared to be the top two names on the Rams' GM list, so the moves by the Titans very likely will prevent Jeff Fisher and the Rams from picking off any members of their front office.

Les Snead of the Falcons is the only candidate left the Rams have interviewed who hasn't taken a new job. The Rams had interviewed former Eagles DPP Ryan Grigson, but he took the open GM job with the Colts.

With the Jeff Fisher Friends, Family and Power Plan in place now at Rams Park, don't look for the prominent available GMs like Bill Polian or Jerry Angelo to get any play at all, but the Rams are at a minimum going to need to do some more interviews. Candidates of interest to the team that haven't been heard from yet are Big Dead DPP Steve Keim, Dolphins DPP Brian Gaine, Colts DPP Tom Telesco and Jets VP of college scouting Joey Clinkscales.

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Recent transactions involving former Rams:

* Steve Spagnuolo has interviewed for the DC jobs in New Orleans and Indianapolis. The Saints job seems a lot more likely for Spags as the Colts don't have a head coach at the moment.
* Nolan Cromwell has been hired by Pat Shurmur as a "senior offensive assistant." Cromwell on the Browns' staff plus Greg Little may equal the most dropped passes in NFL history.
* Jamie McCoy, who I believe was in this year's training camp as a fullback, signed a futures contract with the Steelers.
* Phil Trautwein signed with the Saints.
* Mike Martz announced his retirement.

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The Rams tried out kickers Garret Lindholm and Clint Stitser last week. Doesn't mean Josh Brown has to be worried, though I'm at the point where I wish he did.

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Weekend schedule:
I'm going to attempt to break down this weekend's TWO college all-star games. The East-West Shrine Game is on the NFL Network at 3 Central Saturday. The NFLPA All-Star Game is on the CBS Sports Channel, iirc, at 5 Central Saturday.

Having decided after several years that my extended play-by-plays are dumb exercises, I'm just going to do post-game summaries of Sunday's conference championships. Since I'm picking the Patriots and the Giants, congratulations in advance to the Harbaugh family.

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