THE SKED: New "Office" Boss?

One of the big questions marks over the Fall Thursday schedule has been NBC's need to replace Steve Carell as the lead in THE OFFICE.  Reports are that James Spader, who brought his funny/creepy vibe to the show's season finale as one of the applicants for Michael Scott's job, may be joining the series as a regular, although in the long term possibly more as a replacement for Kathy Bates as the show's big boss than for Carell.  How would Spader's presence affect the ratings?  And what do you think about NBC's apparent choice?