One of the key factors at play in luring Jeff Fisher to the St. Louis Rams was just how much say he would have over the roster and personnel decisions. After it was announced on Friday that Fisher would be the Rams' next head coach, details were still sketchy about what kind of authority Fisher would have at Rams Park. All that was known at the time was that he would carry tremendous weight, without a full lordship over the organization. Peter King clarifies the arrangements for Fisher in his Monday Morning Quarterback column.
Fisher will not be the Rams' general manager. He will not have that same level of control. Arrangements for Fisher are shaped by his negative experience with Vince Young, who the Titans drafted in 2006 at the behest of owner Bud Adams, against Fisher's counsel. The relationship between Fisher and Young is well-documented, and it ultimately ended the tenure of both men in Tennessee.
Here's King on Fisher's role with the Rams:
I'm told reliably Fisher did not ask the Rams or Dolphins for final say on draft day, or total control over the roster. All he wanted was the ability to -- in the event he was categorically opposed to a decision being made by the general manager -- have a mechanism in place for a third party, like an owner, to decide which way the team would go.
We don't know the specifics, if there were any, of the arrangements Steve Spagnuolo had, but we do know that he had tremendous control over the roster and other parts of the organization. It turned out to be a less than optimal situation.
Don't let King's news on Fisher's control at Rams Park obscure the fact that Fisher will have tremendous pull in personnel decisions. He will. The word "mechanism" provides comfort because it implies structure, and structure means accountability ... usually. Fisher's approach on the field has always been to let his coordinators coordinate. That should translate to his relationship with the GM and the scouting department.