At age fourty-two, Scott Linehan has quickly climbed the ladder to a head coach position after joining Mike Tice's staff in 2002 with the Vikings. His first three years in the league, Linehan helped make Minnesota one of the best passing offenses in the NFL. It would be easy to credit that success to the Culpepper-Moss combo that had been in place since 2000 (three years prior to Linehan's arrival), but take a look at what he did in one season with the Miami Dolphins offense. It's no coincidence once Linehan arrived in Miami that Chris Chambers finally met the expectations.

After Linehan joined Nick Saban's staff as the team's offensive coordinator, the Dolphins signed free agent quarterback Gus Frerotte to be their starter for the 2005 season. A logical choice since Linehan and Frerotte worked together the previous two years in Minnesota. Linehan wasn't able to make the Dolphins one of the best passing teams in the league, but he did make them a legitimate threat that defensive coordinators had to game plan against. Frerotte finished the year with just under 3000 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, and a relatively low interception total of 13. Frerotte's totals would have been even better if his passing percentage, a poor 52%, was just 5% higher. Had Marc Bulger been under center, a quarterback with a career completion percentage of 65%, the Dolphins may have very well been one of the better passing teams in the league last season.

Linehan's Impact on the Offense

Quaterbacks: Marc Bulger; Gus Frerotte

Marc Bulger should find himself in heaven this season. Linehan knows how to balance an offense while emphasizing the pass. With Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Kevin Curtis running routes and Steven Jackson in the backfield, Bulger could be in for a career year this season. He may not set a career high in yardage, but the number of touchdowns he will throw should make up for it. A 4,000 yard season could be within reach.

Should Bulger's durability concern you, consider Frerotte a solid handcuff. He's been coached by Linehan for the past three years and knows the system--it is the reason why Linehan brought Frerotte to Minnesota, Miami, and now St. Louis. He may not be someone you'd want to ride into the playoffs, but he will be a solid filler until you can get someone else.

Running Backs: Steven Jackson; Marshall Faulk; Tony Fisher

While it's true that Linehan likes to work the passing game, he knows how to use his backs and keep them involved in the game plan. Outside of his first season with the Vikings, when Michael Bennett ran the ball for nearly 1300 yards, Linehan has managed to use multiple backs productively. Even in that 2002 season when Bennett was the primary back, Moe Williams still contributed 665 total yards and 11 touchdowns. From 2003-2004, Linehan used a rotation of Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith, Moe Williams and Mewelde Moore to give the Vikings a solid ground game while still having their fierce air attack. Due to injuries and other issues, none of the Vikings backs ever emerged as a clear number one in Linehan's offense. But if one combines the production Linehan got from those four backs into one player, you're looking at somebody who could have 1200-1300 rushing yards, double-digit touchdowns, and 55-65 receptions along with the yardage that comes from them.

For a more recent look at Linehan's work with running backs, let's see what the Miami duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams accomplished last season. While splitting time in the backfield, once Williams returned from his four-game suspension, the two backs combined for 375 carries, 1650 yards, and 10 touchdowns. They also had 49 receptions for 325 yards and 1 touchdown through the air.

With Marshall Faulk pondering retirement for the second straight season, and Tony Fisher better suited as a situational back, Steven Jackson will be asked to shoulder much of the load this year for St. Louis. With no legitimate threat to challenge him, Jackson should have a very good season. If he remains healthy, he could go over 1500 yards and score 8-12 touchdowns.

Wide Receivers: Torry Holt; Isaac Bruce; Kevin Curtis; Shaun McDonald; Dane Looker

Torry Holt has been amazingly productive over the years by recording no less than 81 receptions and 1300 yards for six straight seasons. For the past three years he caught a total of 31 touchdowns. While the new coaching staff may be a reason some think Holt's numbers could slip a bit, there's shouldn't be much concern. Holt is one of the most talented receivers in the game and Linehan will be sure to get the most from him. Holt can be expected to have another 1300-plus yard season with his usual 90-100 receptions and 9-12 touchdowns.

Isaac Bruce will once line up opposite Holt. A turf toe injury slowed him down last year, but if his body can refrain from breaking down, Bruce is still capable of producing thousand-yard seasons. Like Holt, Linehan will make sure Bruce remains involved in the passing game. Since he is getting older, I would look at his 2004 totals and scale back from there. Bruce could have a 75-85 catch season for somewhere around 1000 yards and 5-7 touchdowns. If Bruce slows down, Curtis will be a solid replacement and may be a decent bench receiver this year as the teams slot man.

Tight Ends: Joe Klopfenstein; Dominique Byrd; Aaron Walker

The Rams will have two rookies and a 2003 third round pick of the San Francisco 49ers competing for the starting tight end position. While there may be some value here, it's unlikely any of these young guys will make a major impact right away considering the other weapons in the Rams' offense. In another year or two, Klopfenstein may climb his way up the fantasy tight end rankings, but don't expect much from him this season.