A Farewell to Holt and Pace

The news that the Rams have cut Pro Bowlers Orlando Pace and Torry Holt was as expected as it was sad. A drain on the team’s salary cap and in the slow but steady downturn of their careers, these key components of the Greatest Show On Turf are now consigned to highlight reels, record books and that perpetual of Halls of Fame: the memory of the Rams fan. A demolition process that started with the release of Kurt Warner in 2004 has now finally led to the departure of the team’s O-line lynchpin and its game-breaking receiver, leaving Leonard Little as the only hangover from the Super Bowl days. In the view of many Rams fans, Friday the 13th really lived up to its reputation as the page has turned on a proud era.

The vehement anger expressed by these fans on the Internet display both the loyalty felt towards these players, and the naïveté (or state of denial) in expecting them to remain on the team next season. In the early stages of yet another rebuilding strategy, it was clear that Pace and Holt’s days were numbered. The $14 million their releases clear in the salary cap will pay for many newcomers who, it is hoped, will revitalise the franchise in the same way that these two did in the late nineties. With the Steven Jackson window of opportunity open for only a few more years, it is imperative that they get the right players in and, unfortunately, neither Pace nor Holt form (nor should they form) part of the plan. Pace has struggled with injuries in the last few seasons and is not the protective force he once was; Holt’s numbers have been dwindling, and his last season was by far his least productive, and as much as we would like to blame that on double-teams and weak O-lines, one must face reality and accept that a receiver well into his early thirties is an expensive lavishness in the twilight of his career. And, yes, these players might have won the Super Bowl one year, but they also did NOT win it in many others. Even with Pace and Holt, the Rams have accumulated a 28-54 record over the last five seasons. Times change, and that time is now.

Despondent Rams fans should only look at the Miami Dolphins to see how effective such a purge can be, and the similarities are many. The Dolphins started from the top, making key changes in the front office; likewise, the Rams, albeit on a lower profile. The Dolphins released veteran fan favourites like Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, a move mirrored by the release of Pace and Holt. Miami had the Number One pick last year, whilst the Rams have had two consecutive second picks, the next one in a class replete with young tackles (one cannot deny the effect Number One pick tackle Jake Long had on the Dolphins’ eventual success). The inspired signing of Chad Pennington was the final ingredient, and it is perhaps this missing link that the Rams have prepared so much cap space for. We can only wait and see.

In the meantime, if there is one thing we can be grateful for is the manner of this painful departure. Not for Pace and Holt the drawn-out, Favre-esque quarrel between franchise and fading player. Instead, they were released in a clinical style that showed sensitivity towards the players, complete with a big show of gratitude from a front office that no longer has any room for them. A front office that is looking towards the future, as we fans should be. And when we win the Super Bowl next year, we will quickly forget.