Schottenheimer leaving for Georgia

Schotty says, I'm outta here (STLToday)

Another coordinator change is on the way for the Rams; OC Brian Schottenheimer today took the same job at the University of Georgia. The lateral pro-to-college move is unusual, but maybe Schotty wanted to go somewhere with a better offensive line, or coach a team that has the same starting QB for more than eight games in a row.

To steal a baseball term, I don't believe Schottenheimer offered the Rams much positive WAR and changing OCs now can't make the offense a whole lot worse. His work here wasn't completely negative, but the negative's what's mainly going to be remembered. I don't think he called a very good running game. He didn't get as much as hoped out of Tavon Austin, barely figuring out how to even use him. He didn't show much acumen at in-game adjustments, and if you blitz a lot, Schottenheimer's offense is helpless. Sam Bradford's injuries, a declining offensive line and a pedestrian group of receivers didn't give Schottenheimer the best material to work with, but enough was wrong fundamentally with his play-calling that it was fair to wonder if he would have maximized better talent had he had it.

I'm far from dialed in to the NFL employment grapevine, but I've tossed around and ranked a few ideas for the new offensive coordinator that may be possible:

1. 49ers OC Greg Roman. Obviously this would depend on how things shake out in San Francisco and if he doesn't get a HC job somewhere else. If Roman hit the open market, I think it would be a coup to get him. His offensive philosophy would be very compatible with Jeff Fisher's and he'd have a bunch of inside knowledge to help the Rams out a couple of games a year.
2. Falcons OC Dirk Koetter. Offense wasn't Atlanta's problem. Koetter's a creative play-caller who knows how to use players like Austin and has run top-ten passing offenses. He's also already been interviewed by Tampa, so he could be off the market quickly.
3. Raiders OC Greg Olson. Was OC here under Scott Linehan and did a good job when he was actually allowed to call plays. Even on bad teams he's gained a reputation for strong ground games that still produce explosive plays, good execution, good goal-line offense and ball protection.
4. Promote from within. I believe WRs coach Ray Sherman has been an OC in the past; QBs coach Frank Cignetti would be another logical candidate. Big advantage here would be continuity; I assume the playbook would not even change.
5. Mike Martz. For the entertainment value alone. I'd pay just to sit in on the interview.
6. Hue Jackson is currently Bengals OC and is not likely to make a lateral move - he will interview for the Buffalo HC opening - but he did interview for the job here that Schottenheimer got. He's got a good record developing young QBs, running a RB-by-committee running game and developing receivers.

Nick Wagoner says tight ends coach Rob Boras would have moved up to OC last season had Schottenheimer gotten the Vanderbilt job he interviewed for. I like the continuity idea enough that I'll call him the clubhouse leader, even though the jokes will write themselves if his offense proved not to be particularly exciting.

Because Fisher hates me, I expect other favorites of his to be Tony Soprano, Al Saunders and especially Jim Fassel. Fisher loves his nepotism.

Couple of other possibilities from Fisher's past:

- Giants RBs coach Craig Johnson. Has only been with them a week; had been Vikings QBs coach. Coached QBs and RBs for 7 years under Fisher and coached Steve McNair, Vince Young and Kerry Collins. Has college coordinator experience but none at the pro level.
- Browns QBs coach Dowell Loggains. Fisher hired him in 2008 and he was Fisher's last QBs coach in Tennessee. Was Titans OC for two years after Fisher left but flopped.

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