Jim Haslett joined us this morning on Team 1380's ITD Morning After, and one of the hot topics of the interview was Marc Bulger's short term and long term future in St. Louis.

Based on the way Bulger has played is season, it's logical for Rams' fans to wonder just how much longer he can be the Rams' QB...not just this year, but next year as well.

However, Haslett, who may or may not be the Rams' coach next season, said this morning that Rams' fans can expect to see Bulger under center not just the rest of this year and next year...but the following year as well...because of his contract.

Here's a transcript of that segment of the interview:

Jim Hayes:   Jim, with the way things have gone I think there is a lot of blame to go around, but for some reason I think a lot of fans, some in the media like to pile it all on Marc Bulger.  You’re sticking with Marc, what have you seen from him in the recent games and where do you think he is right now?

Jim Haslett:  I will say this, cause, I know how fans are and I have seen it before.  The quarterback or the head coach usually take the most blame in pro football when things aren’t going right.  Same thing in hockey I think it’s the head coach and the goaltender, and baseball it’s usually your best pitcher and the manager.  I understand that. And I think Marc understands that.  Its not all Marc’s fault, and surely Marc has a big hand in it because he made you know a bad decision last week and threw an interception, he underthrew one.  And the third one wasn’t really his fault, it was a snap from the center.  But I think he recognizes that this is a different football team now then when he took over.  When he took over this team they had some great talent.  They had a great offensive line, receivers galore, you know a great running back in Marshall.  He was the young kid that came in and managed everything.  You know the roles are reversed. Now we have a line that is kind of beat up, that is getting a little bit older.  You know you got 3 rookies that are playing wide out and then you don’t have your top running back, so it’s a totally different situation for him and I think it’s a hard situation for him.  But he has got to understand, until we get him some more play makers, until we get him a line that can stay together for 16 games, that he is going to have to manage the game better. One of the things is that he can’t turn the ball over and he’s got to do a better job of that. 

I still think Marc is one of the better quarterbacks in the league.  My decision is based off a number of things.  One:  I have seen the guy do it for a number of years, be successful.  He’s a MVP of the Pro Bowl.  He’s got 20,000 yards passing. So you know he is still a good football player.  He’s still got great arm strength. He still knows what he is doing. He’s a good player.  Yes, we have to surround him with some better players, we have to do that to take advantage of him.

But, he signed a long term contract a couple of years ago. There is no replacing Marc Bulger because of the Salary Cap issue.  Marc’s going to be here next year and the following year at least for the minimum.  They can’t do anything about it, this organization, no matter who the head coach is.  Marc Bulger is going to be the quarterback because of that issue. So for me to make a change knowing that Marc is going to be coming back at some point would not be very smart.  The best thing for this organization is make him manage the game better.  And then in the offseason get him some players that he can feel comfortable with and surround him with guys that can make some plays and the offense will get better.  

So, there it is. According to the head coach, Marc Bulger will be the Rams' QB for the remainder of 2008, 2009, and 2010...not because of his ability to play the position so much as the contract he signed.

I appreciate the candor of Haslett. However, from a fan perspective, the idea of Bulger under center for the next 2 seasons is quite disconcerting...and furthermore, the fact that this contract is only 16 months old and it's already holding the team hostage is an illustration of the bad business decisions that have plagued this franchise for the last 4 seasons.

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