You can read Transcripts of Rams Press Conferences from training camp at GridIronGateway.com, but this site will be updated with Jim Thomas updates each day from The Roll Home.
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August 27
Wednesday Rams Update
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined The Bernie Miklasz Show on Team 1380 Wednesday afternoon.
Drew Bennett comes across as laid back, but Thomas thinks that he is embarrassed by his play last season and wants to play better but guys have different levels of motivation.
The guys discussed Seattle being picked as the team to beat in the NFC West by most analysts, Isaac Bruce’s prediction that the 49ers will score eight touchdowns a game,
Dante Hall was moving very well today, and he should be ready for the opener. Joe Klopfenstein was back out there, but the other guys with injuries sat out today.
Thomas thinks the Rams will keep six wide receivers, but they have a lot of guys in camp who really haven’t stepped it up, including Reche Caldwell and Marques Hagans.
Jim said if the team has a normal year injury wise, they will win three more games than last year. He said there is 8-8 talent on this team, but a lot of things have to go the Rams way.
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August 26
Tuesday Rams Update
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Jay Randolph Jr., on The Bernie Miklasz Show Tuesday afternoon.
The Rams only ended up having to cut three players today to get the roster to 75 because Justin King was placed on injured reserve and Steven Jackson still has a roster exemption, which means he most likely won’t play Thursday.
The Rams will be looking at which players other teams cut because they will have second choice of anyone on the waiver wire because of their record last season.
Trent Green will start against Kansas City, and Brock Berlin is in the lead for the third quarterback position. The guys didn’t think he had much of a chance, but Berlin has really outplayed Gradkowski.
Thomas doesn’t think it would make sense to cut Drew Bennett like a lot of fans are calling for, and the guys discuss how much playing time the rookies will get this year.
Dane Looker can play every wide receiver position, he can hold, return punts, he has produced on the field, and he has a great attitude so he has a lot going for him. Thomas also pointed out that the Rams probably don’t want to go into the season with rookies playing as half of their wide receiver core.
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August 11
Wednesday Rams Camp Report
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker Wednesday on The Roll Home on Team 1380 live from Rams camp in Mequon, Wisconsin.
Derek Stanley was wearing an offensive jersey today, but Jim thinks he may see some action for the rest of the preseason on the defensive side because the Rams are so depleted in the secondary.
OJ Atogwe sat out today because when he tried to come back yesterday, his injury wasn’t fully healed. Fakhir Brown is still out, but Jim said he should be close to coming back and Thomas thinks that privately maybe some guys are wondering why he hasn’t come back yet. Eric Bassey, who was ahead of Jerome Carter for safety is out, and Carter is also out.
Anthony Becht was close to coming back and went out and practiced and aggravated his hamstring again. He had never missed a game in 8 NFL seasons, and he has never sat out this long.
On the plus side, Donnie Avery was on the field and he has been getting a lot of work so maybe he will get some playing time on Saturday.
Thomas talked about the advantages of the team holding training camp in Mequon and said one of the biggest benefits was the weather. Camp is going to close today, and they have had to use only 2 IV’s on players the entire time.
Tempo was very good, the attitude seems to be very good. It just didn’t transfer over to the game. It looks like it’s paying off. Some players say going away to camp has helped the camaraderie.
There is nothing new on the Steven Jackson front. There wasn’t a new offer or anything, but the Rams contacted Eugene Parker to say have Jackson to come on in and they will get this thing done.
Thomas said that Jackson is a grown man, and he is very well aware of what’s going on. Eugene Parker is not the reason he is missing. He is not in Mequon because he doesn’t want to be there.
Adam Goldberg is third on the depth chart at offensive tackle which might be alarming to some people, but he has looked good so far, and Offensive Line Coach Steve Loney had Goldberg in Minnesota before and he’s actually healthy this year.
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August 11
Tuesday Rams Camp Update
Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon.
Jim hosted a chat today on STLToday.com, and most fans were near the ledge ready to give up on the season.
The players were in shorts and shoulder pads this morning, and the key that they need to work on is to transfer over the intensity from practice to the game.
Thomas said you would hope that Dick Vermeil would be a benefit to the players with his positive lectures, and maybe his visit for just a couple days might not be as big of a help as if he was there for a longer time, but why not call on him for help whenever you can.
It’s to the point now that it isn’t worth it for Steven Jackson to show up to camp because the Rams are no longer planning to have practice on Thursday when they are leaving to return to St. Louis.
Thomas said that the Rams were willing to negotiate with Jackson on the terms of a new contract if he just reported, and that their offer wasn’t set in stone. They were in the ballpark
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August 11
Rams to Honor Late Owner at Opener
Andy Strickland reported on The Daily Buzz segment on The Roll Home on Team 1380 that there are around 1000 tickets left for the Rams home opener.
Following the game there will be a celebration of Georgia Frontiere, and they will also have a half time concert in her memory.
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August 11
Review of First Preseason Game
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday afternoon.
Thomas talked to the guys about the Rams first preseason game The vibe was good for the first two weeks and in some degrees it all blew up over a couple hours Saturday. They couldn’t block, they couldn’t tackle, and they had trouble moving the ball. Thomas said “it was very hard to watch this past Saturday. It was a recurring nightmare.”
Thomas said this isn’t a well established team that is used to winning so they need to play well in these preseason games; they need confidence, and they need success so next week is a serious game for them. They are playing physical hard nose defenses in the next couple games.
The Rams had more of their core players missing than Tennessee Saturday, and their starters played less in the game. For example rookie Roy Schuening was matched up against all pro Albert Haynesworth at one point, but as Coach Scott Linehan said, the Rams’ play Saturday was unacceptable.
Thomas said that for the next game, he would tell the first string offense that they are staying on the field till they score a touchdown. “Preseason or not it’s pretty damn embarrassing.” You might see the starters play the first half this week and possibly part of the 3rd quarter.
Marc Bulger played like he did at the end of the year last season, and his very first pass was off his back foot. He missed a wide open Randy McMichael at one point that could’ve been a big gain. The interception was just a fluke, but it was not a good start for Bulger.
Even if Steven Jackson was playing, the Rams likely would’ve had the same result on most plays because of how intense the Titans played. Jim talked about how Nick Harper threw himself into Alex Barron on the first play and that Jackson wouldn’t have been able to avoid Barron falling back.
Brock Berlin sure looked good. All four quarterbacks played, and besides Bulger’s drive leading to a field goal, the only spark the offense showed was Berlin driving down the field for a touchdown. Jim said that he hopes the coaches don’t focus on the competition for the third quarterback and not give Trent Green enough snaps. Green was only in for one series Saturday.
Neither first round pick Chris Long nor Adam Carriker had a tackle Saturday, but you have to be patient with Long. You aren’t going to come in and play against the best blocker every week and get 12 sacks. When you are the number 2 overall pick, things are expected of you, but people need to
Jim said that we’ve seen better punt coverage, but that is a secondary concern right now. In theory the Rams will have deeper kick-offs with Josh Brown who looked good.
Dick Vermeil was around camp Monday, and he talked football with Coach Linehan and Jay Zygmunt till early in the morning last night. He is there to try to help establish a winning culture, and he is going to talk to the team tonight. Dick is wearing his Super Bowl ring, and he wants to show the players that it is possible to win one. The guys don’t think there would be anything better than for the Rams to call him and pick his brain every once in awhile.
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August 10
King Out for Season
Rams 4th round draft pick Justin King will have surgery and be put on Injured Reserve, according to Rams Head Coach Scott Linehan.
King tore a ligament in his big toe Saturday night, similar to Leonard Little's injury last season, but Linehan said the injury was more underneath the toe than along the outside of it.
Linehan acknowledged that the Rams are light at corner now and safety in his press conference: "We’re certainly keeping our eyes open for secondaries.”
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August 8
Jackson Looking for New Agent?
National football writer Howard Balzer has reported that Steven Jackson may be looking for a new agent because he isn't happy that his current agent hasn't been able to get anywhere with the Rams.
The Rams have had two full weeks of training camp now without Jackson, and there have been no conversations between the Rams and Jackson’s agent, Eugene Parker, since camp opened July 25.
There is a five day waiting period before Jackson would be able to hire a new agent if he decides to fire Parker, which would push potential negotiations back till at least next Wednesday.
The Rams have remained firm that they will not negotiate any contracts unless Jackson is in camp, and there is speculation that the two sides are not far apart. There are reports that Jackson is looking for around $20 million guaranteed, and the Rams are a few million under that.
Jackson is on either his third or fourth agent in four years. Jackson didn't hire Parker till this past June after former agent Gary Uberstine dropped him as a client in the spring. Rocky Arceneaux was Jackson’s first agent after he was drafted, and it is believed he hired Lamont Smith/Peter Schaeffer for a brief time.
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August 8
Tennessee Titans Preview
Nashville sports radio host George Plaster joined Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Friday afternoon to talk about the Rams’ first preseason opponent—the Titans.
Vince Young is going to need to be a better passer than he has been in his career if the Titans are going anywhere this year. His short passing game lacks accuracy and he throws a lot of balls behind receivers and throws flat footed.
But his deep throw is much better.
The team brought Mike Heimerdinger in to replace Norm Chow, who was a great college offensive coordinator, but as a pro coach he was virtually useless. George said that he doesn’t think that Norm had used Young’s strength, which is his speed, the way he should. They never really hit it off to any degree. Heimerdinger will let you know how he feels about how you are doing so George thinks it was a great move on the Titans’ part.
Alge Crumpler seems to be the answer to Vince Young’s prayers. He was a godsend to the Titans because their receiving core isn’t very good. George said he doesn’t know why they invested so much money in a quarterback to have such poor receivers.
Tennessee doesn’t have a number one wide receiver, and even if you have to over spend a little it would be worth it to take a chance on a guy. Justin Gage is more of a number three receiver if he was on any other team.
Plaster said that Drew Bennett is not a number one receiver in any stretch, but he is a very good three and the Titans turned him into a great number two. “There is no question that the Rams over paid for him, but he can play in the NFL.”
Jacob Bell just got better and better with the Titans. George would be shocked if he was a bust. He thinks the Rams hit a home run when they signed him.
If Titans’ pick Chris Johnson dropped to the Rams at their number two draft spot, Randy thinks they would’ve jumped on him instead of Donnie Avery. Plaster thinks that Johnson will be on the field a lot because they just don’t have many offensive threats.
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August 7
Thursday Rams Camp Report
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon in the middle of the second practice. Jim watched the defense practice more today, and everything was a lot calmer with no fights so far.
Chris Long uses his hands, and you can see the polish, but he is still learning the defense. He has been going up against Brandon Torrey and Mike Otto. He’s had a couple good pass rushes against the one guy and has been shut down by the other. The coaches are treating him like any other rookie and they are yelling in his ear the whole time. Long had Vince Young running for his life at one point, which led to a bad throw and interception.
Willie Williams (#93) and Chris Long looked the best yesterday among the lineman, and Williams might be someone to watch Saturday in the second half.
The secondary as a whole has struggled so far in camp, but two starters have been out most of camp—Fakhir Brown and OJ Atogwe.
The play of both lines has been impressive in camp. Adam Goldberg has looked pretty good at left tackle and has more than held his own in the one on one pass rush drills against the Titans.
New Offensive Line Coach Steve Loney has sparked up a lot of the guys on the line. He is an encouraging type of guy and a better communicator than Coach Boudreau last year.
The Rams will most likely look to pick up players who could help the team, especially linemen, from guys who will get cut from other teams’ camps.
Donnie Avery ran some routes again today without pads, and the Rams are going to try to get him going next week, and he might be able to play in the first home preseason game.
Normally Antonio Pittman would do some work in the special teams practice, but he had a bruised thigh so he really didn’t do much this morning.
Brian Leonard has looked pretty good for what he is---a north and south runner, but if Steven Jackson doesn’t come back soon, maybe the Rams will try to sign a veteran running back.
Tomorrow the Rams will have a walk through just like during the regular season before a game. Some of the Rams did some yoga today to work on flexibility and to change it up a little.
Trent Green looked very rusty that first week, but as the days progressed in Mequon he got a lot better. His skills have eroded a little, but he is still very accurate.
Randy McMichael looks good and they are still throwing him the ball a lot. Joe Klopfenstein will be the secondary tight end receiving option behind McMichael. The primary blocking tight end Anthony Becht is out with an injury still, and he will still be out for a while so he isn’t getting a chance to gel with the offensive line.
Marc Bulger said he will get about two series in the first preseason game, and Trent Green will probably get the rest of the first half, but it is hard to say how they will really split up the playing time for the quarterbacks Saturday.
Scott Linehan isn’t as intimately involved this year because of the two coordinators he has running the offense and defense so it will be interesting to see how involved he is during the games.
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August 6
Wednesday Rams Camp Report
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Wednesday afternoon.
This morning practice was very interesting. It was much more intense on the Rams’ offensive side of the fields because the Tennessee defense is so feisty. Jim said they weren’t 3 plays in before Richie Incognito was jawing with a couple Titans defensive players.
Adam Goldberg and Reche Caldwell got into it with a couple Titans players as well, and Caldwell had a real nice day today.
At one point Coach Linehan and Coach Fisher brought their teams together and told them to settle down a little.
They were in full pads this morning and the Rams offense was moving the ball really well. There was a series of 14 pass plays where only 1 throw hit the ground, which is very encouraging. However, when the lower string guys came in, Tennessee dominated the Rams. The Tennessee defense is very intense.
The Rams are getting guys back from injuries, and only 5 guys didn’t practice today. Even Donnie Avery was running drills without pads on. He looked pretty good, looked fluid running routes. Keenan Burton made some good catches today. Drew Bennett said he got in better conditioning and better shape this offseason than last, and it is showing so far.
Orlando Pace was getting a lot of work this morning and the teams were going at it pretty good. “Pace looked good in what was a pretty intense situation,” Jim said.
Jim said he forgot how tall Vince Young is and the Rams defensive backs look like dwarfs running around him.
Jim said it doesn’t make much sense for the guys to go back to Mequon after Saturday’s game, and he thinks the players would like to break camp and come back to St. Louis.
Jim thinks it is really good for the Rams to practice with Tennessee, and the Rams put it all together pretty quickly after the draft. The Titans may go to Mequon next year for part of camp.
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August 5
Tuesday Rams Camp Report
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon.
Jim said that it's complicated, but Steven Jackson could lose a year of experience if he isn't in camp asap and a few other things happen including the NFL owners opting out of the collective bargaining agreement.
Some people are reporting that all Jackson has to do is show up before the 10th week of the season, but Jim said it is more complicated than that, and he explained the difference between him showing up now and during the season in terms of this year counting towards his free agency next year. Jim said that Jackson is on the fast track to a situation where the Rams could really tie him up for 3 years without any deal for a lot of guaranteed money.
Thomas said he doesn't think the two sides are that far apart---Steven wants around $20 million guaranteed, and the Rams are allegedly a few million under that.
Under Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders, Jackson will be used a lot and running backs in general don't have a real long shelf life so there should be some incentives in the last couple years of the contract.
Jim thinks that if they could get in a room, they could work something out, but there has not been one bit of conversation between Jay Zygmunt and Jackson's agent Eugene Parker since July 25. It is a classic stand-off.
In theory, you would want 2 or 3 weeks for Steven to get ready for the season. Even if Jackson showed up tonight, you wouldn't play put him through all the practices, and there is only 4 weeks for him to get ready as of this Sunday so it is reaching a critical stage.
There is a "huge, huge drop-off" between Jackson and the next running back on the team so it doesn't look too good if the worst case scenario happens and the Rams need to replace him.
The Rams don't want it to be known to other players that holding out is a way to get management to budge, and they said they won't negotiate till he is in camp.
The guys agreed that Jackson better not have a couple fumbles his first game back or the fans are really going to let him have it for holding out.
The Rams have always taken care of their star players, and they are at least in the same ballpark so the guys can't explain why a deal can't be reached. Jim said that he thinks the main problem was that they didn't have much time to negotiate with his new agent before camp started because he didn't have an agent for a period of time of the offseason.
The guys speculated that the offensive starters may play 3 or 4 series this weekend against the Titans and maybe in the second game they will play the first half, but the injuries they have suffered already may impact Linehan's decision.
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August 4
Monday Camp Update
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday afternoon.
There was a lot of lightening in Mequon so the Rams were having practice indoors as Jim joined the guys. Division III Concordia University doesn't have an indoor field though so they had to practice on the basketball court.
Al Saunders and the offense were at one end going through victory formations, and the defense was at the other end of the basketball gym doing walk-throughs. They are just about done with going through everything they installed at the OTAs.
Scott Linehan was pretty intense Saturday at the scrimmage (you can tell his intensity by how fiercely he chews his gum), and at one point he yelled at Jim Haslett and Haslett went back at Linehan. Jim thought maybe they were joking around, but he thinks that Haslett claimed that Saunders had the offense quick snapping the ball. They were trying to one up each other already during the first scrimmage.
Regardless of the circumstances Saturday, Keenon Burton caught a touch down pass, and Lance Ball had a touchdown run, but Ball will likely be on the practice squad.
The two linebackers taken in the 7th round of this year's draft looked good, and Jim thinks they can help on special teams if they make the team. Marc Bulger has really been sharp the past 5-6 days. He is settling in and showcasing his accuracy.
A lot of the injured players who sat out the scrimmage--including Marques Hagans, Justin King, Dan Kreider, and Mark Setterstrom, basically had two days off over the weekend and did individual drills this morning. Joe Klopfenstein and Chris Draft, who both also missed the scrimmage with injuries were healthy enough today to do team drills, and Klopfenstein made a couple of nice catches this morning.
Four players are still out due to injuries---Anthony Becht, Fakhir Brown, Donnie Avery, and Victor Adeyanju.
The first fight of camp was between Leonard Little and Richard Owens, with Little accusing Owens of chop blocking. It was a very short and brief fight.
Saunders likes to run trick plays that he calls "special plays." Dante Hall took a handoff and then completed a pass to Bulger today. There are a couple trick plays that they work on each day in practice, and Jim thinks we will see some trick plays during the season.
In the practices at Tennesee's facility, each team will go through the individual drills separately. When they get to the 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills, the Rams offense will go against the Titans defense and vice versa. On Friday, they will just have a walk through. Titans coach Jeff Fisher always likes his team to be intense so Thomas thinks the practices might be pretty physical, but he thinks it will benefit the Rams because it will be a good warm-up for the regular season.
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August 4
NFL Talk with Michael Silver
Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday afternoon.
Silver said he thinks everything will be fine with Steven Jackson if he is signed by the end of August. Michael said he wouldn't panic if he was a Rams fan, because he doesn't see how it doesn't get done sometime soon.
Michael is in Green Bay so the guys talked to him about the circus surrounding Brett Favre. He said both sides have ended up looking pretty bad, with Brett potentially coming back but having to play for a different team. This is the one case where a player does seem bigger than the franchise.
The guys talked about the Rams' ownership possibly selling the team, and they talked about Stan Kroenke's chances of fully owning the Rams.
Michael said he would dance in the streets and give thanks for all the writing opportunities if Rush Limbaugh were to buy the team. In the past, the owners have shown that they can dictate who will own teams even if there are other more lucrative offers.
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August 1
Friday Camp Update
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Friday afternoon.
The second practice of the day was cancelled after 30 minutes because of imminent volatile weather.
Nothing new on Steven Jackson.
Brett Romberg is back from hurting his hand and missing 2 days. Justin King tweaked his hamstring, but he will be able to do some one on one stuff.
Tomorrow’s scrimmage is the first milestone of camp, and after that there will be a game every week.
One of the things that stands out about this camp is that Scott Linehan and Al Saunders have really laid into the guys. Jim Haslett was upset yesterday and the f bombs were dropping left and right. "It's pretty intense up here," Jim said.
Wednesday’s practice was one of the worst Jim has ever seen in terms of players’ intensity.
John Greco and Roy Schuening look like they belong and they could eventually be starters in the league. Greco is a pretty aggressive player, but the team sees him as a guard which is a problem because Schuening is also a guard, and they need to develop tackles to eventually replace Orlando Pace. The Rams may have to address the tackle spot in the offseason or draft after this season.
Alex Barron is in very good shape and is working hard and hasn’t had a false start in 12 practices so far. That bull rush still gets him from time to time, and he is still kind of lean in terms of offensive lineman though.
Players are responding to new offensive line coach Steve Loney. He is a very good communicator and may be more of a technician than former coach Paul Boudreau.
The offense has really looked sharp the last couple days, Trent Green and Marc Bulger in particular. “They are throwing the heck out of the ball,” Jim said.
The Rams really showed no interest in re-signing Andy McCollum during the offseason, but the told him to stay in shape incase something happened in camp, but the Lions beat them to it.
The scrimmage will be very similar to those in the past couple years in St. Louis. The starters and established second team guys will do a spirited 11 on 11 with no tackling and a play clock, and everyone else will play full contact.
Saturday is really about guys like Lance Ball, Nick Cleaver, even a guy like Derek Stanley to showcase themselves. The coaches don’t have a handle on all 80 guys so tomorrow is when someone can standout.
Quinton Culberson is listed at 236 pounds, but he looks and plays much bigger than that. He adds a physical presence that they need.
The guys touch on the Brett Favre situation, and they can’t believe that an NFL franchise has offered a player $20 million to retire.
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July 31
Thursday Camp Update
Post-Dispatch rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon.
There is no news to report on Steven Jackson except that the Rams are holding firm that if he wants to get anything done, he needs to get in camp.
The guys talked about the Rams’ schedule and said that everybody in the NFC West has to play the AFC East and NFC East so each of the teams have a pretty difficult schedule.
The Rams had 15 out of 80 players miss practice yesterday, and during the interview, the team was doing the installation, which is before the regular practice starts. Some of the players who missed yesterday are at least in uniform for that period before practice. One thing that might be adversely affecting the guys is playing on field turf everyday up in Mequon.
Scott Linehan and the other coaches have expressed to the players that they need to step it up a little. If you want to be strong in the 4th quarter of games you have to work through the heat and extra reps while other players are out. This team needs to develop some grit and toughness, and camp is where that happens. They have to suck it up and fight through it.
Jim said that Brock Berlin looks good and he is leading candidate for third string quarterback. Bruce Gradowski has very good arm strength but he has no accuracy.
The scrimmage Saturday will include tackling for the backup players, but usually the first team guys and top reserves don’t tackle each other.
Dan Kreider has NFL experience and the size you want, but he has a leg problem. He has had an ice pack on his left leg so Jim thinks it is a calf problem.
Jim thinks the Rams will keep 5 backs on the team including: Steven Jackson, Antonio Pittman, Brian Leonard, Dan Kreider, and Travis Minor.
Jonathan Wade seems inconsistent and has had some bad plays, and Justin King looks more polished. Thomas said that Wade is at a disadvantage because he was a track guy and wide receiver in college and now he’s trying to play defensive back for the Rams so he doesn’t have as much experience.
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July 30
Wednesday Camp Update
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 live from Rams camp. It is a warm 88 degrees today in Mequon.
Jim said they are in the grind of two-a-days, and they are up to double figures of players injured. Most of the injuries are fatigue injuries of pulled hamstrings, and Coach Linehan seems to want the guys to work through some of these injuries.
They had to tear up some tennis courts to make enough room to have close to 100 yards for the field, and it is all field turf so the players are saying their legs are more tired because of that.
The guys talked about fans being worried about Chris Long so far in camp, and Jim said Orlando Pace is one of the best tackles of his generation, and he used to dominate Grant Wistrom during practice so people shouldn't be worried about that. He also pointed out that Wistrom hardly played his rookie year.
Adam Carriker looks good out here, and the whole defensive line looks good. Jim said he looks strong and decisive and a lot more comfortable than last year.
Jim hasn't seen as much of the 3-4 defense as they did in OTA's, but maybe they haven't gotten to those plays yet.
Trent Green is looking sharper as practices go along, and Jim is more comfortable with Green as Marc Bulger's backup this year than he ever was with Gus Frerotte last year.
The second and third string guys will mainly play in the scrimmage Saturday. Joe Klopfenstein has not been very impressive so far, and he has not been making some catches he should.
Jim said that Derek Stanley has been a big hit in camp, and the guys agreed that he has a great shot of making the team. Marques Hagans has kind of leveled off, Caldwell hasn't been impressive, so it might come down to between Looker and Stanley.
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July 29
Limbaugh Reiterates Interest in Rams
For a second time in five days, talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has said he might be interested in buying the St. Louis Rams if they were for sale.
The Cape Girardeau native told KMOX radio in St. Louis that NFL ownership is a "billionaire's club." He said he's not part of that club, but is in good financial shape.
Limbaugh had previously told the St. Louis Business Journal he would be interested in the team last Friday.
The Rams owners have said the team is not for sale, but there has been speculation they could be swayed by the right offer. Longtime owner Georgia Frontiere died earlier this year. Her children are now majority owners.
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July 29
Avery, Setterstrom Out
UPDATED: Head Coach Scott Linehan told reporters after practice that Donnie Avery has a small crack in his pelvic bone, and which is not too serious. He is expected to be out anywhere from a few days to two weeks.
Mark Setterstrom left practice with numbness in his lower right leg, but his injury is not believed to be serious.
Jim Thomas reported on The Roll Home on Team 1380 that Rams second-round draft pick wide receiver Donnie Avery did not practice Tuesday due to a stress fracture in his hip/back area.
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July 29
Tuesday Rams Camp Update
Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon from Rams camp.
Nothing new on Steven Jackson. Jim is not aware of any conversation. His agent is worried about the first four years of the contract because Jackson is going to get a lot of work in Al Saunders' offense. They would also like more incentives in the back end of the contract if he performs at the level of a top back in the league.
Jim said that as he joined the guys, players were getting ready for practice, and that so far at camp, they are repeating what they did in OTA's with Al Saunders. It is basically a refresher for the offense.
Offensive line coach Steve Loney said that he wants to have a month of the guys working together. He is a firm believer in continuity on the line, and he is looking for the guys to have the subtle forms of communication that will make them be most efficient. Adam Timmerman and Andy McCollum used to be able to communicate to each other the way they looked at each other and with grunts.
Mark Setterstrom looks very good at the right guard spot. He is popping some people, and he is somewhat of a mild surprise early in camp. Jim said he looks a little bigger than what he remembers.
Orlando Pace is in on 40% of the snaps. He hasn't done any of the 1 on 1 drills yet. He looks a lot less conscious of this injury than he did a year ago with his previous injury. He said that his shoulder is a little sore, but his whole body is sore. Orlando has dominated Chris Long, but he used to do the same thing against Grant Wistrom so it's not necessarily a bad thing for Long.
It's a more vocal group of coaches this year especially on offense because the defensive coaches are mostly the same. The coaches they have brought in have a lot of experience and credibility. They are really pushing tempo, and they are having the players go up and down the field instead of running plays at the same yard-line each time.
The players know the coaches' track record, and the coaches before didn't have the resume that these do.
Ron Bartell always seems to look good and then he gives up one big play. Rookie Justin King so far has been playing better than Jonathon Wade who is a second year player.
Rookie linebacker Chris Chamberlain looked pretty good in coverage, but you have to remember that he isn't covering the first team either.
Rookie running back Lance Ball is getting more reps than if Steven Jackson were in camp, but he looks pretty decisive in his runs.
All the guys that are being added are just camp bodies, and it would be an upset if any made the team. They are being brought in to help with the reps.
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July 29
Zygmunt Wants to See 39 Practicing
Rams President Jay Zygmunt joined The Fox Hole on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon at Rams camp.
Jay said they really want to do an extension with Steven, and it remains a priority. When he shows up to camp they will be quite anxious to get a deal done.
Jay said they usually try to plan a year or two in advance, and they know when players are going to come up for extensions. It's just part of life in the NFL.
Jay thinks this will resolve itself. They are in the business of making deals. They have a unique situation of compensation, but one of the issues they are facing in the NFL is that some of the highest paid players aren't necessarily the best players.
August 5 is the date Steven needs to show up by if the current collective bargaining agreement is voided.
Zygmunt said he has to take the emotion out of it. You have to keep your eye on the ball. To be a real professional you have to wear the shoes you are supposed to wear that day.
"We have a lot of other issues from last season besides Steven Jackson. Our defense has to get a lot better. There are a lot of other players out there who have to step up, and there are a lot of rookies who can take the jobs of veterans if they don’t perform."
Jay said that they wanted a change from previous years, and the main goal is success in this upcoming season so they thought this was a good idea.
When you go through a season like last year, you have to address things, and send a message to everyone in the organization and the fans that last season wasn't acceptable. This is a performance business and the results are what counts.
It was very difficult last year once the momentum of losing got going, and it was particularly hard on Scott Linehan.
Jay said they are looking for improvement from Linehan this season, and they are excited at what Scott did on his own at the end of the season---changing coaches, etc. The team seems excited about the season.
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July 29
Long Discusses Camp So Far
Rams first round pick Chris Long joined The Fox Hole on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon from Rams Camp.
Long said that he doesn't pay attention to what day it is at camp; it's like groundhog day.
Coach Baker and Coach Haslett have been on him, but they have been helpful.
Chris said at the end of the day he is just trying to play football. He doesn't think he has an advantage because his dad played because he was 8 when his dad retired.
Obviously there is pressure. Long said he promises that he doesn't think about the money. He just works hard and tries to be professional.
It's still the same game with a quicker pace, and everyone is a professional.
Long said he doesn't take anything for granted, and he appreciates any playing time he gets playing with veterans like Leonard Little and James Hall.
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July 29
Mr. Irrelevant Talks about Camp
Rams 7th round draft pick David Vobora joined The Foxhole Tuesday afternoon on Team 1380 from Rams camp.
Someone in the room mentioned that the last pick gets a car, so David googled it when there were a few picks left in the draft and hoped no one would take him till the Rams. He didn't get a car, but he got to do all kinds of things like driving a lamborghini, going to Disney Land and hanging out at the Playboy Mansion on a Friday night, which is Hugh Hefner's movie night. David sat at his table and ate with him. Roy Schuening got to go with him.
Vobora's goal since day 1 has been to not only make the team, but to make an impact. Special teams will be his ticket, and he said he will learn all the linebacker spots to hopefully move to the defense at some point.
The "experts" had him slotted to go in the 5th round of the draft.
The Rams did an individual workout with him in Idaho before the draft.
David said he is new to the midwest, but he has enjoyed it so far. There is a great west coast following of the Rams, but he is excited to see what St. Louis has to offer.
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July 29
Latest on Jackson Holdout
According to Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch, there's been no dialogue regarding a new deal since talks of an extension broke off last Friday.
According to NFL Players Association rules, Jackson must report by August 8th or the 2008 season won't count towards his eligibility for free agency should the current collective bargaining agreement be voided, which is being threatened by team owners.
Jackson reportedly turned down a contract offer last week that would have placed him among the top four highest paid running backs in the NFL. It's believed Jackson is seeking $20 million in guarantees.
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July 28
Camp Report with Jim Thomas
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday afternoon from Rams Camp in Mequon, Wisconsin.
With Victor Adeyanju and Fakhir Brown out, the Rams are bringing in a couple guys to fill spots in practice.
Donnie Avery is very fast, and he has made some catches, but he hasn't stood out a whole lot according to Jim. He looks pretty good though.
So far, the defense has gotten the best of practices. Leonard Little got an interception yesterday that would've gone for a touchdown.
Derek Stanley had a good day today, and Randy McMichael had a lot of drops, but he gets about 60 passes thrown to him each day so that may mean he will be a lot bigger part of the offense this year.
Torry Holt, Drew Bennett, Dante Hall, Avery, and Keenan Burton are going to make it. Stanley, Dane Looker, Reche Caldwell, and Marques Haggans are fighting for that last wide receiver spot.
Right now, it looks like Avery will return kicks when the season gets started.
Adeyanju looked great before he got injured, and Little looks like he has his speed back. Jim Haslett is "impressed as hell" with how Little has looked so far. Adam Carriker looked good too, but James Hall may be the best looking lineman of all of them according to Thomas.
Before the draft there were some murmurs from the group who wanted to draft Glenn Dorsey, that Long would have a tough time beating out a healthy Hall to start, and Jim said it looks like that is possible the way things have been going so far.
Corey Chavous just about deflated Antonio Pittman, but there haven't been many fights yet but with Richie Incognito on the roster you know one will be coming.
The sooner they can get the taste of 2007 out of their mouth the better. Torry Holt was passionate about winning when Thomas talked to him. He said it's about 2008 and he just wants to win games.
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July 28
Adeyanju Breaks Finger; Out 2-4 Weeks
Victor Adeyanju was sent back to St. Louis Monday to have pins inserted after breaking the middle finger on his right hand during practice Sunday.
Coach Linehan said he will be out two to four weeks, but he should be able to get some work done with a club on the hand after the wound heals.
Considered as one of the best run defenders on the team, Adeyanju is competing for a back-up defensive end spot on the roster.
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July 26
Avery Agrees to Terms
According to Howard Balzer, second-round pick Donnie Avery has agreed to terms on a four-year contract and was expected to be on the field for Saturday's afternoon practice.
“It’s good to get that one out of the way,” coach Scott Linehan said.
The wide receiver has been in Mequon since Friday so he could get on the field as soon as the contract was done, and he took a physical.
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July 25 (Updated)
Jackson No Show; Fined $15,000 Per Day
(Updated---The Rams made a contract offer to Steven Jackson late last night, and it was rejected this afternoon by his agent Eugene Parker. Jackson will be fined $15,000 each day he is absent. Parker also represents Devin Hester who is trying to get a new contract from the Bears.)
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Friday afternoon live from Rams Camp.
Jim said there is no sign of Steven Jackson yet. Steven’s agent Eugene Parker and Rams officials were talking as late as 9:30/10pm last night. Thomas thinks that Rams fans shouldn’t worry about it unless he doesn’t show up over the weekend.
If you have a contract you should be in camp, but Jim said he can see the players’ point of view because teams can cut players when they don’t want them anymore.
Jackson not showing up on time is also a downer for the organization because he is the cover boy for their marketing campaign.
Donnie Avery is a no show also because he hasn’t agreed to terms yet, but he is hurting himself by not being in camp because the Rams’ playbook is so complex. The precision and timing are so important in the Rams’ offense, and Donnie has a very good chance to play a big part in this offense, but he needs to get to camp.
Orlando Pace and Adam Carriker were cleared to be on the field today, and last night the decision was that Carriker would do more than Pace, but he wouldn’t be in on every rep.
The players will be in full pads right away, and they will be doing the most physical part of practice—9 on 7 right off the bat.
They will also be doing a lot of 11 on 11 running drills today because the coaches want the wide receivers to get better at blocking and the defensive backs to be better at defending the run.
Jim thinks right now they won’t need to bring anyone else in to camp if Avery and Jackson will only be gone a day or two.
Jim said he believes 84 degrees will be the highest the temperature will get over the 10 days of camp.
Two-a-days start Saturday with a morning practice from 8-10 and they will come back at 4pm for the second session.
The team will lift weights on Sunday followed by a quick 45 minute special teams practice and then have a regular afternoon practice.
Jim Thomas Interview
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July 25
Pace, Carriker on Field Friday
According to Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch, Orlando Pace will be on the practice field Friday for the first day of camp. It was speculated earlier in the week that Pace would be on the physically unable to perform list for the beginning of camp, but he has been cleared to play.
Pace will however be limited in his reps, and he needs to get into football shape according to Scott Linehan.
Adam Carriker, who is also recovering from shoulder surgery, will also participate in Friday afternoon's practice, but won't get a full workload.
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July 23
WROTEN OUT FOR SEASON
STATEMENT BY AN NFL SPOKESPERSON:
Claude Wroten of the St. Louis Rams has been suspended without pay for a minimum of one year for violating the NFL Substance Abuse Policy.
Wroten is eligible to be reinstated no sooner than May 30, 2009.
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July 23
Rams Agree to Terms with King
The St. Louis Rams have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with 2008 fourth-round draft choice CB Justin King, the team announced today.
King, 5-11, 188, from Penn State University, was selected with the 101st overall choice and was the first of two fourth-round selections by the Rams.
King was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 2007 after finishing second in the Big Ten in passes defended (17).
King joins first-round choice Chris Long, third-round choice John Greco, fourth-round choice Keenan Burton, fifth-round choice Roy Schuening and seventh-round choices Chris Chamberlain and David Vobora as having signed or agreed to terms.
Donnie Avery (2) is unsigned.
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July 22
Coach Linehan Previews Camp
Rams head coach Scott Linehan joined The Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon to talk about the team heading into training camp.
Linehan said that going away to camp will be a physical challenge for all the guys, but it will also be a mental challenge.
Coach said that every play and every rep matters. Everyone is evaluated in what they do and say everyday.
"They have a lot of work to do, but that is what training camp is for. We have to make progress everyday," Scott said.
Linehan said that he has no question that Orlando Pace will come back and play to the level he can. He has had bad luck the past 2 years, but by the time the Rams play Philly, Scott said he has no question that he will be ready to go.
Leonard Little has recovered very well, and he is like his old self. Coach said that the decision to have surgery when they did is paying off because he had more time to heal and hopefully it will pay off this year.
It was highly documented that the Rams didn't have production from the ends last year, but Chris Long should help a lot with that. He should take attention off Leonard and help his production levels rise.
All rookies need to be in camp or they will fall behind. There are different looks and different aspects that are a lot different than the college game. Long knows that and he did everything he needed to do to be in camp ready to go.
Everybody is competing for playing time. Coach said that James Hall is going to have a burr in his saddle to play, and there will be a healthy competition to be out there each play at all positions.
Coach said that the Rams kick coverage hasn't been very good for 8 years in a row, and it's one of the things they want to make a difference on this year. He said that having Josh Brown may help change the performance of the coverage because he has attitude, and he makes hits on coverage. He was a high school running back and wants to be in there being rough.
It was a rough year for Marc Bulger last season because of the injuries to the offensive line, but he has made a lot of strides to get back to how he played a couple years ago. However, everyone around him has to be on the same page to coach better and play better to lead to a championship. Scott said they can't just wait to see how Bulger performs.
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July 22
Linehan Addresses Media
Rams head coach Scott Linehan talked to the media Tuesday before the team leaves for training camp in Wisconsin.
Click for Transcript of Press Conference
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July 22
Mr. Irrelevant Agrees to Terms
The St. Louis Rams have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with 2008 seventh-round draft choice LB David Vobora, the team announced today.
Vobora, 6-1, 238, from the University of Idaho, was selected with the 252nd overall choice, the final selection in the NFL Draft. Known as Mr. Irrelevant, the name given to the final selection of the NFL Draft, Vobora was the second of two seventh-round selections by the Rams.
Vobora earned first team All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior in 2007 after posting 148 tackles and 1.0 sack. The 148 tackles ranked third in the NCAA and were the fourth-highest single-season total in WAC history.
Vobora joins first-round choice Chris Long, third-round choice John Greco, fourth-round choice Keenan Burton, fifth-round choice Roy Schuening and seventh-round choice Chris Chamberlain as having signed or agreed to terms.
Donnie Avery (2) and Justin King (4A) are unsigned.
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July 21
Rams Camp Preview
StlouisRams.com writer Nick Wagner joined Randy Karraker and Andy Strickland on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday to preview Rams' training camp.
The guys start out talking about what they want to see in the beginning of camp which starts later this week, including how players are recovering from injuries and how young guys are coming along.
Marc Bulger wants this to be a big year for him, and he is very excited about Al Saunder's offense.
Nick thinks that Randy McMichael is the guy who will have the best year compared to last season. Joe Klopfenstein also looks faster than he has in the past.
The guys talked about how everyone thinks players are having "great offseasons" but if that really translates to anything during the year.
Nick said he is looking forward to training camp to see what different players' roles are going to be in Saunders' offense.
There are a lot of different things that can happen when guys get moved around and get different opportunities.
Heading into camp there will be a competition at center between Richie Incognito and Brett Romberg. Nick said that Incognito can get to the second level as a blocker because he is so strong and intense.
The guys talked about the benefits of holding training camp in Wisconsin including players having more time to bond instead of going home right after practice. There's more time for guys to stay longer and get more reps in or for Bulger to make some extra passes to Donnie Avery.
The guys also talked about Orlando Pace's health and his timetable for training camp.
Listen to Part 1
The guys talk about the other NFC West teams, and Nick thinks the division is wide open because of the quarterback issues in San Francisco and Arizona, and with Seattle losing its prominence.
Nick said that Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner might not be playoff quarterbacks, but they should be fine for the regular season. The other question in Arizona is Edgerrin James' age and if he can keep producing as a #1 running back.
Randy suggested that the Cardinals go with Warner as their starter because they know what they have with him, and Leinart is still unproven.
The guys also touched on the top teams in the NFC. On paper Dallas is the most talented.
Listen to Part 2
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July 20
Chamberlain Signs 3 Year Deal
Seventh round selection Chris Chamberlain has agreed to a three-year deal with the Rams. He was the second pick the Rams had in the seventh round, and only three picks remain unsigned.
Chamberlain will compete during training camp to make the team as a linebacker, but he also played fullback and safety at Tulsa, where he had 165 tackles in 14 games as a senior.
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July 18 (Updated July 19)
Long Signed; Burton's Details
Rams first-round draft pick Chris Long signed a five year deal Saturday with an option for a sixth year. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Fourth-round pick Keenan Burton agreed to terms the first week of July, but has now signed a four-year deal with the following minimum base salaries: $295,000 in 2008, $385,000 in 2009, $470,000 in 2010, and $555,000 in 2011.
The deal also includes a signing bonus of around $309,000.
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July 15
Rams Not Being Shopped
Chip Rosenbloom denied that the Rams are for sale in a Post-Dispatch article today. The Rams owner said the team has hired Moag and Company to handle inquiries into the team, not to find a new owner.
The weekly "SportsBusiness Journal" had cited unidentified sources when it reported that the team and Moag were actively pursuing new ownership.
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July 14
Report: Rams Looking for Buyers?
According to the SportsBusiness Journal, the Rams have hired a Baltimore based investment bank to find a group of possible buyers.
Sources said that Moag & Co., which specializes in sports issues, was hired to find a small group of buyers.
Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez face a large estate tax bill from inheriting the team from their late mother, but they have previously denied that the team is for sale.
Rams President John Shaw is quoted in the story as claiming that they are not "actively looking to sell the team."
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July 11
Inside Look at Martz in San Fran
Clifton Brown of the Sporting News joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Friday afternoon. Brown has a story in the latest edition of the magazine on Mike Martz coaching for the 49ers.
Summary by Pat Morris
- wanted to see Martz’s offense first hand; wanted to give fans different taste on what it takes to prepare a team.
- thinks he is winning over the 49ers; they were terrible last year on offense, but Martz’s proven track record will hopefully help them find what they were missing last year.
- if they start well, the atmosphere will change.
- Mike Nolan will give Martz the freedom to run the offense his own way (like Dick Vermeil did)… Nolan’s job was on the line last year.
- Martz sees “unrealized potential” in Alex Smith… there are things to be learned from every coach, so Smith must take the best from the four offenseive coordinators he’s seen and make something from it.
- they think Smith has the most potential, but is not guaranteed the starting QB job.
- if Smith is too fragile for Martz, then he’s not the right guy as the 49ers QB (Eli Manning has had to deal with it in NY, etc)…that’s the kind of toughness you have to have in the NFL.
- doesn’t know if Alex Smith has that toughness or not, but will have to take it if Martz is tough on him
- Vernon Davis (49ers TE) ---Martz realizes he has the ability to get down the field and be a threat; wont be afraid to try and use him; Davis will get his opportunity; we’ll see if he’ll come through or he’s overrated.
- Issac Bruce is not the same receiver as he was in his prime in St. Louis, but brought him in because: 1) he knows Martz’s offense and 2) he’s a vet that can help the younger players; will be more of a mentor.
- Bruce wants to win and prove that he’s not washed up; he’s taking responsibility as a leader.
- Won’t necessarily be a running offense, but running game won’t be ignored either.
- Martz will not hesitate to use Frank Gore as a RB and short-field receiver (like Marshall Faulk)
- Clifton said he got the sense Mike Martz feels motivated, and he wants to be a head coach again. He is excited about his opportunity and wants to prove that he still has his mojo.
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July 10
Warner Returns to STL Saturday
Kurt Warner joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon.
Kurt will be speaking downtown Saturday, and around that event he will be signing autographs to help raise money for the Midwest Flood Relief Fund. He will be at the West County center Saturday from 10:30 to 12:30 at the north court by Macy's
and will autograph an item for each donation of $50.
Kurt said that every year when people start to talk about football, you get that itch to play and you get excited to play. He said that if you have done it as long as Brett Favre has, it has to be a huge adjustment. He can definitely understand Brett wanting to come back and play, and he hopes that he won't feel that urge when he decides to retire.
Warner said that it will be strange to see Isaac Bruce twice a year but not in a Rams uniform. Very few guys have the opportunity to play their whole careers with one team. Bruce will be a huge asset for the 49ers and thier young team.
Mike Martz needs a player like Bruce in his system to help the young players especially the young quarterbacks.
Kurt said that he believes the quarterback position in Arizona will be decided as a competition, and Kurt is extremely excited to go into the season because he feels great and because of his success last season.
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July 8
Simply Football with Howard Balzer
Howard started his show by talking about Brett Favre, and his possible comeback. He said that the salary cap is not an issue as the Packers are $32 million under the cap. Howard said they would've been under the salary cap back in 1985 as they stand right now.
Howard also touched on Javon Walker, Chris Henry having a hung jury mistrial, and Michael Vick declaring bankruptcy.
Howard talked to David Vobora today, and David said he has experienced things out in California being celebrated as Mr. Irrelevant that the #1 pick hasn't experienced. He drove a Lamborghini, visit the Playboy Mansion, among other things.
Listen to Segment 1
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com joined Howard in segment 2, and they discussed Brett Favre and Green Bay possibly trading him or Favre coming back to the Packers. Mike said he could see Brett going to Atlanta or Carolina because there wouldn't be that much pressure to win, but he said if he had to bet where Brett would go, if it's not Green Bay, he would say Tampa Bay.
The guys talked about the NFLPA and the rookie salaries, and Mike talked about the NFL without any salary cap. They agreed that almost every player would go for a rookie cap, and that Gene Upshaw should listen to the players.
Listen to Segment 2
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June 17
Balzer Updates Jackson Situation
Howard said this is one of the more bizarre things he has seen while he has covered the NFL. It is very odd because it is such a high profile player who is coming up for a new contract.
One theory is that Uberstine knew that he wasn't going to get the contract so he thought he would get out now before he went through everything and then got fired by Steven.
Howard said that many people have said for a while that dealing with Steven and his people is not an easy task.
Balzer said that since there are only 5 weeks and 2 days before reporting to training camp, it is pretty hard to imagine getting a contract done with Jackson before camp.
Howard said maybe the Darren McFadden deal complicated the talks because he got so much money and a 6 year deal. It is rumored that Uberstine had told people that Jackson should be the highest paid running back in the league, but that wouldn't happen with the Rams.
One of the reasons that Balzer made a case for the Rams drafting McFadden was the foreseen complications with resigning Jackson.
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June 16
Jackson Dumped by Agent
Andy Strickland reported in the Daily Buzz on Team 1380 that Steven Jackson was dropped by his agent Gary Uberstine after recently trying to negotiate a new contract with the Rams. Uberstine was the second agent Steven has had in his career.
The guys speculated on The Roll Home that Steven's sister may have had something to do with Uberstine quitting because she handles a lot of Jackson's finances.
The Rams had believed they would have a deal
done with Jackson before training camp.
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June 12
Scott Linehan Discusses Rams
Rams head coach Scott Linehan joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon.
Scott said the plan was to get 15 solid days (including these 12 OTAs and 3 days of mini-camp) to establish the system with the players, and he feels good with what they have accomplished so far.
"I feel better about where we are and I feel great about the staff and new players we added to our team," he said.
Scott said he likes the plan they have leading up to the season. They have a "short break here and then a challenging camp in Wisconsin." There is a lot of stuff that has to be done between now and the season, and Scott likes the team and is really hungry and real excited.
Linehan said he is really happy with the mixture of veteran leaders and rookies. The draft picks come in with new energy and they are all about keeping their mouth shut and learning. Now they have to turn that chemistry they have been building into wins on the field.
Orlando Pace has had some troubles with injuries the past two years, but he has worked very hard and is in very good shape. He said the strength is coming back to Orlando's shoulder. The good thing for Pace is that his injury occured so early in the season and he was able to have so much recovery time since his surgery. He checked out fine last week when the players took physicals.
Linehan said that there is a good likelihood of making another signing in the next couple weeks or right before training camp. The roster gets put together throughout the calendar year, and a lot of teams are holding on to their players right now, but some players will become available.
"There's a good chance that one or two things happen before we go to Wisconsin," he said.
Linehan said he likes creating competition at all positions and he would like to add someone on the offensive line and in the secondary in particular. He said maybe they can pick-up a true fullback as well.
Brian Leonard is going to play multiple positions for the Rams including fullback, tailback, 3rd down back, and special teams.
Linehan said that Tye Hill is playing like the type of corner that they thought he would be. He has so much more confidence and looks so much more natural. Victor Adeyanju has stepped up at defensive end, and he is our best run stopper. He has had a great camp so far, and hopefully he can translate that to the season.
Scott said the most improved player added in the past couple years is probably Joe Klopfenstein because of the good competition at tight end, and he is reacting to the coaching he is getting. Anthony Becht is also helping Joe by sharing his experience.
Linehan is "real anxious to see the guys compete in August to make the team."
With the addition of a veteran tight end, back-up quarterback, the young depth at running back, and the wide receivers drafted, there could be some roster shake ups.
Scott said that they have turned over most of the players on the defense side in three years, and this is the year for them.
"The Rams have 8-9 kids at wide receiver who, based on how they perform in preseason can make or break their spot on the roster," Scott said.
Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton have gotten the most snaps out of any of the rookies during the OTAs, and Avery has consistently practiced with the first team offense. Linehan said he is really excited about having those 2 receivers in the fold. Linehan has not seen someone run as fast as Avery in a long time, and he said he is a special kid.
Chris Long is "exactly what we were looking for, and he is going to give us the pressure on the quarterback we need. You can't put the value to what he brings to the team till the season starts. Long brings character and personality to the locker room, and we really believe he is going to be a great player for us."
Josh Brown kicked a 65 yard FG in practice today, and Scott is pretty pumped up about him.
Scott will meet with Billy Devaney and Jay Zygmunt next week to see if they need to tweak the roster, and they will plan meetings for training camp. Linhean will then head back to the northwest for a few weeks.
Barry Sims is coming in as an evaluation, but he would have a chance for a starting spot if he made the roster.
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June 12
Third Round Pick Signs
According to Howard Balzer, the Rams' 3rd round pick John Greco of Toledo agreed to terms to a 3 year deal Thursday afternoon. Financial terms were not disclosed.
He is the second pick to sign in as many days.
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June 11 (Updated with Terms)
Rams Sign Draft Pick
Howard Balzer reported that the Rams have signed 5th round pick Guard Roy Schuening of Oregon State to a 3 year deal.
The signing bonus has been undetermined, but Schuening's base salaries are for the league minimums each year: $295,000 this year, $385,000 in 2009 and $475,000 in 2010.
He is the first pick of the 2008 draft to be signed.
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June 5
Rams Add Quarterback
Howard Balzer reported that the Rams have been awarded quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who was placed on waivers Monday by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Oakland and Chicago also made claims for Gradkowksi, but the Rams had priority because they had the worst 2007 record of the claiming teams.
Gradkowski started 11 games for the Buccaneers as a rookie in 2006 and played in four games last season.
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June 5
Rams Update from Howard Balzer
There's one week remaining in the Rams' OTA work for the off-season, but this week saw a significant change on the offensive line.
After working for the first two weeks and the mandatory minicamp at center, Mark Setterstrom is now the team's right guard. Richie Incognito, who played right guard for the final three games of the 2006 season and the four games he was able to play in 2007, is now competing with Brett Romberg
for the starting center job.
Setterstrom played guard in college and started six games at left guard in 2006. He opened the 2007 season at that position, but played in only three games before injuring his knee and missing the remainder of the season.
Coach Scott Linehan said the move was designed to get "the best five players on the field at the positions they play best."
It would be surprising for Romberg to beat out Incognito, who started 12 games at center in 2006. However, Linehan said Romberg will begin training camp as the starter.
Incognito admitted to some surprise at the switch, but claimed not to be disappointed at moving from a clear starting spot to one where he is in a competition.
"It's great," Incognito said. "Whatever is best for the team. This will make us both better players. We're good friends and now we will be in competition with each other."
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June 4
Rams Rank 27 of 32 According to Caplan
Scout.com's NFL insider Adam Caplan wrote an overview of how all 32 teams are shaping up as we get closer to the beginning of training camps, and he ranked the Rams at 27:
"St. Louis Rams - Pass protection continues to be a concern but at least they should be able to run the ball well if Steven Jackson is healthy. The defense still has too many holes for this to be a playoff contender."
The teams ranked worse than the Rams were listed in the following order: Oakland, Denver, Kansas City, Atlanta, and Miami.
Read the article at GridIronGateway.com
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May 27
C. Long Not Expected to Sign till July
Andy Strickland reported today in his Daily Buzz segment on The Roll Home on Team 1380, that the Rams don't expect to sign their top draft pick Chris Long before July. Anything is possible, but unless something changes, the Rams don't plan on having him signed till then.
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May 20
Dierdorf Discusses State of Dome
Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf, who is the
St. Louis Convention and Visitors Committee chairman, joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon.
Dan said he doesn't think it's too soon to start a dialogue on many levels about a process of keeping the Rams here in St. Louis.
It's stated in the original lease that brought the Rams here in 1995, every ten years the Edward Jones Dome has to be brought up to standards of the top 8 stadiums in the league. The next measuring date is 2015, and it was decided that in 2012 the CVC will submit a plan and the Rams will submit a plan. They will try to find some middle ground and work it out. If they can't agree, there will be an arbitration hearing.
Dan said the dome will be an old building by then, and the improvements needed will range from modifications to the current building to a whole new stadium.
"It's not the time to panic or over-react, but it is the time to start talking about it," Dan said.
Twenty years is not too soon to broker the subject for the need for a new stadium. The reality is that the Rams' Dome will be compared to the top 8 stadiums, and 4 of the top 8 right now have retractable roofs, including new stadiums in the Meadowlands and Dallas.
"It's going to take some vision and a lot of community self assessment. Every citizen of St. Louis will likely have to go to the voting booth and decide how much they want to be an NFL city."
If the Cardinals couldn't get state money for their new stadium, it doesn't look real likely that the Rams would get money from the state. However, Dan said he has to remain optimistic. The Rams may be willing to settle for less to stay. He also pointed out that Jackson County just approved a sales tax to improve the Chiefs' stadium.
Rams' ownership situation complicates things to a degree, and the guys agree that if the team had a local owner, it might be easier to get funding.
Dierdorf said that in the post September 11 world there is less corporate travel and a difference in how companies book their conventions so St. Louis along with all cities have been down in hosting conventions. There are also bigger facilities in a lot of cities so the competition is harder to bring conventions to the city.
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May 20
Silver Discusses Rams for Sale
Yahoo.com National football writer Michael Silver joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon.
Michael said that based on the information he has, "the Rams are in play and Los Angeles is in play." However, Mike said he's not convinced that even if the team is sold that
they would move to LA.
Silver agreed that there are better teams to move to LA than the Rams, and thinks Jacksonville would top the list. He said that the key from the league perspective is to have a good owner in LA and they would prefer to not have a team there than have the wrong owner in place.
In response to the statement from Ram's owner Chip Rosenbloom stating that the Rams are not for sale, Mike said that this is business with a lot of money involved, and he said that he really doubts that his story has hurt the family.
Mike said that the people who are in position to buy them believe very much that the Rams are for sale.
When asked what time frame he thinks the Rams might be sold, Mike said it totally depends on who steps up and what they are looking for. He said he has no idea how desperate the owners are to sell, but a lot of times when a team is inherited it isn't always the most financially lucrative situation for the team to be kept.
The Rams' dome must be in the top 25% of the league standards by 2015, and there was an article in the St. Louis Business Journal stating that there would not be a pot of money available to make improvements by then.
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May 20
Rams Deny They are For Sale
STATEMENT FROM RAMS CHAIRMAN/OWNER CHIP ROSENBLOOM IN RESPONSE TO REPORT THAT THE RAMS ARE FOR SALE:
“It has only been four months since my mom passed away. Her passing immediately caused speculation that we were selling the team. When a team is passed from one generation to another it becomes to some a calling card that the team must be for sale. So to reply to this article: Nothing has changed since my mom’s passing. We’ve been approached by several people."
"We plan on using the season to show that the performance on the field will be exciting and to honor my mom. And while we deal with her estate I can assure you we have every intention of keeping the Rams in St. Louis and will have no further comment on this article.”
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May 19
Keteyian Talks about Belichick Interview
Summary by Badia Ead
Armen Keteyian, CBS News’ Chief Investigative Correspondent, joined The Roll Home with Randy Karraker and guest host Andy Strickland to talk about his recent interview with New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick.
Keteyian said Belichick was given the opportunity to say what he wanted to say, particularly because he was fed up with the characterizations Matt Walsh had leveled against the organization.
Keteyian said the Patriots have a compelling argument in their confidence that the NFL’s rules were not broken until after September 26, 2006, when the NFL edited the wording in the league constitution to remove any room for teams to manipulate the rules. When asked about the Patriots’ behavior after September 26, Keteyian said Belichick was quick to apologize.
Keteyian said Belichick indeed cares about outside perception regarding the Patriots’ legacy and his own, which has been tainted by Matt Walsh’s allegations that he was asked to secretly videotape opposing teams. Keteyian also said that, behind the scenes, Belichick has the ability to be engaging, funny and self deprecating---characteristics usually not associated with him. Keteyian added that if all the New England Patriots’ players from the past eight years were polled, he believes 85-90% of them would say they felt lucky to be have played for Belichick and the Patriots.
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May 17
Rams Notes
According to Bernie Miklasz of the Post-Dispatch, the Rams may not end up scrimmaging with the Tennessee Titans this summer after all because it would cost the team close to half a million dollars, including around $300,000 for the charter flight from Wisconsin.
Bernie said that the Rams shouldn't have any problems signing Chris Long and getting him in camp, and the team is making great progress to get a new contract done with Steven Jackson.
The Rams are also making great progress in contract talks with OJ Atogwe and are confident that if he isn’t signed by training camp, it will be done early in the season.
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May 16 11:45am
Rams Preseason Schedule Announced
Saturday, August 9
St. Louis @ Tennessee 7pm
Saturday, August 16
San Diego @ St. Louis 7pm
Saturday, August 23
Baltimore @ St. Louis 7pm
Thursday, August 28
St. Louis @ Kansas City 7pm
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May 16
Martz Satisfied with Investigation
According to Mike Reiss on boston.com, Mike Martz released the following statement Thursday evening, through the San Francisco 49ers, where he is serving as offensive coordinator:
"I had the opportunity to talk to Commissioner [Roger] Goodell yesterday and I was very satisfied with the NFL’s efforts to investigate the situation with Matt Walsh as it related to Super Bowl XXXVI. I’m very confident that there was no impropriety. I believed Bill Belichick when he said there wasn’t and I took that at face value.
"Let me make this clear – we lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl because we turned the ball over three times. If there was anything obtained from our walk-thru from a casual observer that happened to be present, then that was just part of those walk-thrus and that environment. What I’ve said all along and what my only concerns were if A): If the walk-thru was filmed or B): If it was purposely scouted for information. If so, then that is an issue that the league needs to pursue. I’m very satisfied that this was not the situation in this instance whatsoever.
"I was stunned at Matt Walsh’s allegation that he was on the sideline in New England Patriots apparel during our walk-thru. I find that insulting, disturbing and a slap in the face to both our team security and NFL security, who both do outstanding jobs. I promise you that if he was on the sideline, he was not in New England Patriots apparel because he would have been identified.
"This whole issue is based on statements made by Matt Walsh, and I think we have to understand that.
"I’m very grateful for Commissioner Goodell to take the time to talk to me about this. It’s time to put this situation behind us.”
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May 13
Patriots React To Goodell-Walsh Meeting
The New England Patriots released a statement in response to the meeting between former video assistant Matt Walsh and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday.
"We want to address the allegation that the Patriots taped the Rams' walkthrough prior to Super Bowl 36. For the past three-and-a-half months, we have been defending ourselves against assumptions made based on an unsubstantiated report rather than on facts or evidence."
"Despite our adamant denials, the report ran on February 2, 2008, the day before Super Bowl 42. That game was the second-most watched program in television history and it is unfortunate that today's news will not also reach an audience of that size. We hope that with Matt Walsh's disclosures, everyone will finally believe what we have been saying all along and emphatically stated on the day of the initial report: 'The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl 36 in 2002 is absolutely false. Any suggestion to the contrary is untrue.'"
After the meeting, Goodell said Walsh knew of no attempt by the Pats to record the final Rams walkthrough as had been reported. The commissioner added that things said by Walsh during the meeting were consistent with what the league already knew.
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May 13
Rams Choose Training Camp Site
According to Bill Coats of STLToday.com, the Rams have chosen to hold training camp at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin.
The club is delaying an official announcement until all details are completed.
Coats wrote that Mequon is situated about 15 miles north of downtown Milwaukee, on the shores of Lake Michigan, approximately 395 miles from St. Louis.
Concordia is a liberal arts institution with an enrollment of about 6,000. It is among 10 colleges or universities in the Concordia University System, which is owned and operated by The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
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May 12
Saunders Recaps Mini-Camp
Rams Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380.
Al said that one of the things the coaches talked about was playing fast and getting faster players on the team so that is why
they tried to set the tempo this weekend by practicing fast. He said that people need to "practice how to practice."
"We wanted to set a standard of expectation," Saunders said.
Al said he was happy to see Torry Holt and Marc Bulger again, and he was glad the new players bought into the coaches' philosophy.
Saunders said to play at the World Championship level, you have to play higher than you think you can, and that is what we expressed in camp. The more guys who buy into it, the better we are going to be.
Al is excited about Torry Holt and Drew Bennett. He said that Torry is a great player and Pro Bowler and he brings a lot to the table, but he knows he can get better too.
He said that Bennett has to play better and they talked about it. He has the capability in him to make big plays. It is our responsibility to ask players to do what they can do and not ask them to do something they aren't capable of doing.
Donnie Avery has a way to go yet, but he can run fast and showed some good moves. "We are really excited about having him." It is so difficult for receivers to make an impact right away in the NFL because the game is a lot different than college. Al said that the Rams' offense is designed to beat man to man coverage, and we need our receivers to be able to separate and change direction. Avery can do that. Saunders said he remembered when Holt got drafted, and he had a large learning curve. He also said that rookies wear out because the
season is long beginning with training camps.
Saunders said that fans will be excited about both Avery and Keenon Burton. "You are going to remember (Burton's) name; this kid has some talent," he said.
Al said everything starts upfront with protection and the running game. "The offensive line will be key for us," Al said. "I told the quarterback his only job is to get the ball in the hands of the play makers."
Saunders is really excited to have Steve Loney coaching the O-line, and he said that the team is not there yet, but it has great potential.
Al said he saw Alex Barron for 3 days on the practice field, and he thinks that he has great talent. He said that the coaches have to make sure he is consistent and plays at the highest level he can.
I haven't been around him long enough to see his negatives,
Al said he knows Billy Devaney is looking to upgrade the roster anytime he can, and Saunders is all for adding offensive lineman if one is available.
Al said that they need to use the players they have and play to their strengths, and the beauty of his offensive system is that they can get the best players they have on the field and
Marc Bulger has been there every single day, and Al is excited to work with Marc.
The coaching staff had a couple of margaritas on Cinco De Mayo, and it is a real tight group. Scott did a great job putting the group together.
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May 11
Rams Wrap Up Mini-Camp
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May 10
Mini-Camp Day 2 Press Conferences
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May 9
Mini-Camp Day 1 Press Conferences
Click for Scott Linehan's Transcript
Click for Chris Long's Transcript
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May 9
Jim Thomas Mini-Camp Update
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas
joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on Friday afternoon live from Rams Park.
Thomas said that Scott Linehan told him he was unaware if the Rams were close to signing Chris Long, but Thomas said he can't see them not getting the deal done very soon.
The rookies were thrown right into the fire today, and Chris Long blew by Alex Barron (who was playing LT) in a drill today. Jim said that one of the coaches thought Barron was a street free agent at first because of how he got beat, but then realized it was the former #1 pick of the Rams.
Second round pick Donnie Avery was very fast and made some nice catches for a good start. Fourth round pick Keenan Burton looked very quick as well, and may be a pleasant surprise according to Thomas.
Leonard Little was cleared for team drills, but both he and Adam Carriker were very limited today.
Two players not in attendance today were center Dustin Fry who is getting married this weekend because he thought it would be a rookie only camp, and left tackle Rob Petitti has a torn achilles tendon.
If any of the rookies were signed already, they would count in the number on the roster, but since none are signed, the Rams have 85 players in camp.
It might take a couple weeks into camp to see if the players' relationship with Scott Linehan is any different, but he seems much more relaxed. Thomas said he saw Linehan walking off the field with Chris Long smiling and he's getting along pretty well with the other players.
It was vintage Al Saunders going stride for stride with the receivers on some of the routes. He is in excellent shape and his energy on the field has not subsided since last time he was in St. Louis. Al's offense will be much more complex than what the players saw in Linehan's playbook.
Thomas said in the past few years the Rams had one rookie camp and one veteran camp, but there were never more than 28-30 players so they never had enough players for all the positions. Linehan wanted to get a sense of urgency going, and the players are going to get some extensive football earlier this year.
Jim said that the Rams have their eye on the Tampa Bay roster because they have 7 quarterbacks, because they want to have 4 in camp. This might not be something we see till early or mid July though.
Thomas was told by someone upstairs at Rams Park that they kept watching Felix Jones drop in the draft, and Jim thinks they would've taken him at #33 to back up Stephen Jackson. There is some mutual interest in Tampa Bay's Michael Pittman and the Rams also. Jim think Travis Minor is strictly a special teams player. Right now it comes down to how they will use Antonio Pittman and Brian Leonard.
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May 8
Billy Devaney Talks about Rams
Rams VP of Player Personnel Billy Devaney joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon.
Billy said that it isn't unrealistic for one of the other draft picks (besides Chris Long) to make the team as a starter. He said they try not to get too high or low on a player because so much can happen between mini-camps and training camp and the preseason. Some guys have different learning curves.
The expectations are high for Chris Long because he is such a smart player, and Billy doesn't think the learning curve will be very long for him. He said the sackmaster is on the right side in a normal defense, and he thinks Chris can be that guy. Devaney thinks that Long could be very good playing either side, and he is very good against the run.
"(Long) better get some sacks or that 'rock star' status will go away quick," he said.
Devaney said he can't stress enough how hard it is to start in the NFL. There are a lot of different aspects that you have to put together. The Rams don't expect any of the draft picks to come in right away and play like they did in college because there is a learning curve for everyone.
Devaney said Alex Barron is a big guy with athletic ability, and he is getting better every year. Barron's a smart guy and these guys take care of themselves these days. All these guys are professionals and know what is at stake so they do a good job preparing for the season.
"If (Barron) keeps working, he can be as good as he wants to be," he said.
The Rams are curious to see what Donnie Avery's learning curve will be. The plan is to put him in as soon as possible. Scott Linehan said the only knock on Avery is that he works too hard in the classroom and in the weightroom.
Orlando Pace, Leonard Little, Adam Carriker, and Tye Hill probably won't be taking part in drills this weekend. However, they are all on schedule and barring any setbacks, they will be ready for training camp. They may not do two-a-days right away, and they will be monitored closely. There aren't any guys where the Rams might have to bring in someone else because they are afraid they won't be ready.
Justin King is going to need a little bit of time, and that is why he lasted into the 4th round. Penn State didn't use him in man to man so it will take him time to adjust. The Rams are projecting him as a slot corner right away because he is so smart. With his size and speed he should contribute on all special teams. He's a height, weight, and speed prospect, and it is up to him on how fast he can adjust.
All the wide receivers are going to have to fight it out, and it will come down to if a guy can play more than one position or if a guy is a return guy for special teams.
It is possible that the Rams could pick up a veteran free agent. They are evaluating some candidates, and they are constantly looking at the roster for any weak spots.
The Rams were shooting for an announcement tomorrow about training camp, but Billy said he's not sure if they have it completely worked out yet or not.
Billy said that the Rams will have a 4th quarterback going into training camp, and they will be looking for someone who has been in a camp or that has some NFL experience.
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May 7
Walsh Gives NFL 8 Tapes
According to Greg Bishop of the New York Times, former New England Patriots employee Matt Walsh has submitted eight videotapes showing that the team recorded play-calling signals of five opponents between the 2000 and 2002 seasons, in violation of league rules.
However, none of the tapes include the St. Louis Rams walk-through before the 2002 Super Bowl that reportedly existed according to a Boston Herald article in February.
The tapes are from five regular-season games against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers, and from the 2002 AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In that game, the tape has been edited to show Steelers coaches signaling plays, followed by two different camera angles of the actual plays that were called, according to Bishop’s article.
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May 7
Thomas Previews Minicamp
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Wednesday afternoon.
Jim said that this isn't the normal rookie minicamp, and the the Rams will have more than 80 players at Rams Park this weekend for the mandatory camp.
He believes that the Rams are allowed to practice for 4 days a week from Friday till June 12th.
Jim said he is excited to see Donnie Avery because he wants to see how he catches the ball and how he runs routes.
Jim Haslett would've preferred Glenn Dorsey in the draft, but that doesn't mean he isn't excited to have Chris Long because he can use him in so many ways in his defense. Thomas is curious to see how many places they use him this weekend.
Thomas said it will also be interesting to see how Jacob Bell looks and moves around during this camp.
The Rams think they did pretty well drafting Greco and Schuening on the second day because so many teams need a third tackle.
Jim said he doesn't think Tye Hill, Adam Carriker, or Leonard Little will be cleared for full practice till training camp.
Jim said he had heard that the decision had all but been made to have training camp at Concordia, Wisconsin, but for some reason it is being held up.
The guys talk about Adam Archuletta getting cut from the Bears, and that his career is probably over. With his concussions and back problems, he should be set for life.
The guys joke that rams.com writer Nick Wagoner would be the president of the Chris Long fan club.
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May 6
Rams Hold Full Squad Minicamp
The St. Louis Rams will hold its minicamp Friday through Sunday, May 9-11, at the Russell Training Center. It will be closed to the public.
OTAs (Organized Team Activities) will take place on May 15, May 22, June 5, and June 12.
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May 1
Rams 2nd Pick WR Donnie Avery
The Rams' 2nd round draft pick wide receiver Donnie Avery joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon.
Donnie said he couldn't be in a better place with Tory Holt, Drew Bennett, and Dante Hall.
"I'm excited and I just can't wait to get out there and play," Donnie said.
Avery attributed his lower ranking on different analyst's wide receiver lists to the fact that he had pulled his hamstring a week before the combine. He also had a late pro-day (March 31) so he wasn't really able to show what he could do till closer to the draft.
However he was high on a lot of different teams' draft boards, and he thought he may even end up a 49er.
"Mike Martz was excited about me, and other teams told me they were going to take me," Avery said.
Avery said he is trying to learn the slot position, and he will play special teams if the Rams want him to.
Donnie said if he messes up, he knows Henry Ellard and Tory Holt will be on him, and he is a quick learner.
Donnie said what separates him from the other guys is that he can run fast with his pads on, and he has never been caught from behind.
Family is the first priority for Avery, and when he thought he would have to quit playing college football because he couldn't afford to take care of his daughter, he prayed about it. He said his mom and family helped support him, and he was able to keep playing.
Against Rice this year, Donnie finished 427 all purpose yards.
He said it was frustrating to play last year with a dislocated thumb and having to catch the ball against his body because he knew scouts were watching, but then when it got healthy he was able to catch the ball with both hands and it was easier for him.
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April 30
4th Rd Pick King Excited to be in NFL
The Rams 4th round pick Justin King joined Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 Wednesday afternoon.
Russ Lande of the Sporting News War Room had Justin rated as the 12th best cornerback and as the 97th pick in the draft.
Justin King said he played some wide receiver as a freshman, but he is a cornerback and thinks he is better on the defensive side of the ball.
King said he came out after his junior season because he wants to progress his football skills as a corner, and it was always a dream of his to play in the NFL. Nothing is ever guaranteed in this game. King already completed his degree in three years so he is ready for the next level.
King believes he needs to be refined and is looking forward to learning from pro coaches. He has never played safety, but he is willing to do whatever the Rams ask of him.
Justin said he would compare himself to a mixture of Al Harris and Champ Bailey.
Joe Paterno was a good coach, but King didn't talk too much with him. King said he was never in trouble.
Justin remembers watching the Greatest Show on Turf, and he has always watched Marc Bulger, who went to his rival high school.
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April 29
Rams 3rd Round Pick T John Greco
The Rams 3rd round draft pick John Greco joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon.
Greco said that he met with Rams' coaches and interviewed with them at the combine, so he had a little idea that the Rams were looking at him.
He played at right tackle his first year at Toledo, then moved to the left side for the past 3 years. He said that he thinks he can adapt to center if needed.
There were some questions about his arm length before the combine because someone measured them as 29 inches long. However, at the combine they measured 33 inches long, and John said that he never had an issue at Toledo.
John said he is a team player, and he will do whatever the coaches ask of him to help the team win. He said that he knows that there are no guarantees and he will keep his head on straight.
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April 28
Billy Devaney Recaps Draft
Rams VP of Player Personnel Billy Devaney joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker Monday on the Roll Home on Team 1380 to recap the Draft.
At the end of the day it came down to the need for pass rush for the pick between Chris Long and Glenn Dorsey. Billy said that along with the positive energy Long brings into the building, he will make the other guys on the line better.
The Rams stuck to their theme of picking smart, passionate, productive players throughout the draft.
Devaney said that Donnie Avery was the best fit for the Rams at the wide receiver position.
“There were a lot of good receivers that went after Avery, but whether its size or speed or other issues, Avery was a much better fit for Al Saunder’s offense.”
As an example of the leadway that Jay Zygmunt and Scott Linehan gave him, Billy said that he put in a new grading scale when he got here even though it was very late in the process of preparing for the draft.
Devaney said that there wasn’t any major tweaking of the board late last week, but they moved some guys around after they received additional information.
The Rams know John Greco can play guard, but they would like to try him at tackle too. Roy Schuening definitely has a chance to develop into a starter.
Justin King needs some experience playing man coverage. He has all the measurables like height/weight, and has played some wide out. "There is no reason why this guy shouldn’t make tremendous gains," Billy said.
Devaney said that Mark Setterstrom, Brett Romberg, and Richie Incognito will fight it out for the center position, but they also want to get a look at Dustin Fry.
The guys also talked about the depth at safety, and Billy said they will bring in a quarterback for camp.
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April 28
Russ Lande Recaps Draft
Russ Lande of the Sporting News War Room and GMjr.com joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on Team 1380 to recap the draft this past weekend.
Russ said that the Rams' second round pick Donnie Avery is comparable to the Greatest Show on Turf receivers like Isaac Bruce. "Avery's a home run," Lande said. He can stretch the field, make plays down field, and he will do a lot for the Rams.
John Greco was Lande's #1 guard in the draft, and thinks he was a great pick. He said that Greco has the feet to play anywhere on the line, but is best suited at guard.
Justin King is very talented but not a polished football player so he will have to be worked with a little. He's not a guy who will fly up and be a violent tackler, but he will do whatever he needs in coverage.
Lande said Roy Schuening is a less athletic version of Greco and could become a starting guard or center in the league. Russ said that "Mr. Irrelevant" David Vobora could be a starter a year from now with the defense the Rams like to play.
on the free agents signed today?---Three guys stood out to Russ: He said when you watch film of Virginia Tech, Vincent Hall is highly competitive and makes a lot of plays. It wouldn't shock Russ to see him as the backup middle guy when the season starts.
Lande likes everything about Yvenson Bernard on film. He doesn't have break out speed, but he is a good player.
OT Stephen Sene out of Liberty is a little bit raw but has tools to develop. Down the road, he might be able to play guard for the Rams.
Russ also talked about which teams he thought had the best drafts, and he touched on other players. He said Kansas City had a great draft.
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April 28
Rams Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents
Click Here to see the List of Players
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April 27
Rams Complete Draft with WR, G, 2 LBs
ROUND 4 (No. 128 overall): KEENAN BURTON
Position: WR
Height, weight: 6-0, 202
College: Kentucky
Transcript of Conference CallTranscript of Linehan & Devaney Press Conference
ROUND 5 (No. 157 overall): ROY SCHUENING
Position: Offensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-4, 308
College: Oregon State
Transcript of Conference CallTranscript of Linehan & Devaney Press Conference
ROUND 7 (No. 228 overall): CHRISTOPHER CHAMBERLAIN
Position: Linebacker
Height, weight: 6-2, 226
College: Tulsa
Transcript of Conference Call
ROUND 7 (No. 252 overall): DAVID VOBORA
Position: Linebacker
Height, weight: 6-1, 236
College: Idaho
Transcript of Conference Call
Transcript of Linehan & Devaney on Both Round 7 Picks
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April 27
Rams Take CB Justin King of Penn State
With their 4th round pick (101 overall), the Rams take 5'10.5", 192-pound cornerback Justin King. He ran a 4.309 in the 40.
From Scouts Inc.: King played in every game of his true freshman season and he started five games at wide receiver in 2005. He played on defense as well as offense and returned three kickoffs that year.
King started every game of the 2006 season at cornerback finishing with 30 tackles including 22 unassisted tackles. He also recorded an interception and six pass breakups that year.
King started 12 of the 13 games he appeared in during the 2007 season finishing with 49 total tackles including 36 unassisted tackles. He also recorded two interceptions and 15 pass breakups, one recovered fumble and two punt returns last year.
King possesses adequate size and exceptional straight-line speed. He has flashed playmaking ability in coverage but his inconsistency is concerning. King has some tightness in his hips, which limits his NFL upside as a man-to-man cover corner. He also needs to become more physical.
Transcript of Conference CallTranscript of Linehan & Devaney Press Conference
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April 27
Rams Select T John Greco of Toledo
With their 3rd round pick (65 overall), the Rams take 6'4", 326-pound offensive tackle John Greco.
From Scouts Inc.: Greco redshirted his first year at Toledo in 2003. Over the next four seasons (2004-'07), he played and started in every game of his collegiate career--49 in a row. Greco played right tackle for the Rockets as a freshman, then moved to left tackle for his last three seasons.
"Greco still has to clean up his technique and add some power to his game but he has the toughness, size and athletic ability to develop into an adequate starter or quality reserve so he projects as an early fourth round pick."
Transcript of Conference CallTranscript of Linehan & Devaney Press Conference
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April 26
Linehan and Devaney on Donnie Avery
Click Here for Transcript of Scott Linehan and Billy Devaney Press Conference after picking Donnie Avery.
Click below to listen to clips from Linehan & DevaneyDevaney on picking Avery.
Linehan talked about Avery’s kick return ability.
Linehan said Avery stood out at the combine.
Linehan on Avery's style of play.
Linehan on surprise of no receivers taken yet.
Linehan on Rams’ draft strategy.
Linehan said there are no issues with Avery.
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April 26
Donnie Avery Conference Call
Click Here for Transcript of Avery's Conference Call.
Click below to hear sound clips from the call
Avery describes himself as a player.
Avery followed the greatest show on turf.
Avery loves competition.
Avery on being first WR taken.
Avery on Rams tradition.
Avery on what he does in spare time.
Avery reaction that Rams' last #33 pick was Bruce.
Avery says hard work finally pays off.
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April 26
Linehan and Devaney on Pick of Long
Click Here for Transcript of Scott Linehan and Billy Devaney Press Conference after picking Chris Long.
Click below to listen to clips from Linehan & DevaneyDevaney announcing Long and why they took him
Devaney on if anything caused them to shy away from other picks.
Devaney on offers from other teams to trade up.
Devaney on what they liked about Long.
Linehan on how Long defends the run.
Linehan says Long is a great fit for the Rams.
Linehan on when they decided to take Long.
Linehan on where Adam Carriker will play.
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April 26
Chris Long Conference Call
Click Here for Transcript of Chris Long's Conference Call.
Click below to hear sound clips from the callLong on how the day has been.
Long on being called a high motor guy.
Long on being Howie's kid.
Long on being the starter this year.
Long on how he will contribute.
Long on how important it is to be in camp on time.
Long on Howie's reaction.
Long on if he knew the rams were interested in him.
Long on the pick came down to needs.
Long on what he knows about St. Louis.
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April 26
Rams Take Long; Avery with 1st 2 Picks
The St. Louis Rams have selected Virginia defensive end Chris Long with the second pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
With their second pick in the draft, #33 overall (second pick in second round) the Rams picked wide receiver Donnie Avery out of the University of Houston.
Post-Dispatch Rams writer Jim Thomas joined Howard Balzer and Randy Karraker's draft show on Team 1380 live from Rams park and said that when Jim Haslett talked to the media, he said he was happy with the first pick.
However, Thomas said it was obvious that Haslett really liked Glenn Dorsey. Haslet said that a defensive tackle like Dorsey only comes around every 10 years.
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April 26
Ravens Talk to Rams about Trading Up
Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported that the Baltimore Ravens are talking to the Rams about trading Terrell Suggs and their #8 pick to the Rams for the #2 spot.
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April 25
Russ Lande Talks Draft
The Sporting News Draft insider Russ Lande joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Friday.
Lande said he thinks there is a 60-70% chance the Rams will take Glenn Dorsey, and a 20-30% they will take Chris Long.
Russ said he has both Chris Long and Glenn Dorsey rated equally, but he gives the edge to Chris Long. He said Long can be a premiere defensive end. He is dominant against both the run and pass, and he is extremely versatile.
Dorsey has explosiveness to get into backfield and can chase down running plays.
Long is a better athlete and more technically sound than both Aaron Kampman and Patrick Kerney. Contrary to a lot of experts, Lande thinks Long has a lot of upside.
Adam Carriker can be dominant against the run and get 5-6 sacks a year, but the problem with him is that he isn't explosive off the ball and will have to work to beat his man with power each play.
"If the Rams went to a 3-4 defense then (Carriker) would be a grand slam as a defensive end," Lande said.
The question is how far will the Rams want to drop down because the two teams who need a defensive tackle the most are New Orleans and Cincinnati who are at the bottom of the top 10.
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April 25
Saints Dangle LT Brown
According to Pete Prisco on CBSsportsline.com, the Saints are shopping LT Jammal Brown to try to move up in the draft to get Glenn Dorsey.
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April 24
Linehan & Devaney Answer Questions
Head coach Scott Linehan and executive vice president of player personnel Billy Devaney were on hand to answer questions and preview the 2008 NFL Draft today at Rams Park.
Click Here for Transcipts
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April 24
Rams' Owners Press Conference
Rams' Owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez held an introductory news conference this morning at Rams Park.
Click Here for Transcripts
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April 24
Draft Odds from BoDog.com
Who will the St. Louis Rams select with the #2 pick in the NFL Draft?
Chris Long 11/10
Glenn Dorsey 4/5
Field 7/2
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April 24
Walsh Will Meet with Goodell
National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh on May 13th in New York.
Goodell and NFL officials plan to discuss the Pats' alleged spying practices with Walsh that may include the taping of the Rams' workout the day before Super Bowl 36.
Walsh is ordered to return any materials he may have from his time with the club and will not be sued by the Patriots or the league in exchange for his cooperation.
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April 23
Sentencing Delayed for Phillips
Sentencing for former St. Louis Ram running back Lawrence Phillips was put off until May 21 today in Los Angeles. Phillips was convicted of crashing his car into a group of young males he had just played a game of pickup football with in 2005.
Three people were hit, including two teenage boys. Prosecutors say that the former Ram was also wanted for failing to appear for a probation violation hearing in 2003. He had also pleaded no contest in 2000 to charges that he attacked his girlfriend in Beverly Hills.
The maximum sentence Phillips could face would be 13 years.
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April 23
Coaches Want Dorsey; Scouts Want Long
According to Andy Strickland on the Daily Buzz, the Rams' defensive coaches agree that they want to draft Glenn Dorsey, but the scouts and people about the coaches want Chris Long.
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April 23
USA Today's Bell Talks Draft
USA Today football writer Jarrett Bell joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Wednesday.
Bell said it's between Chris Long and Glenn Dorsey but he would pick Dorsey if he were the Rams' GM. Bell said that people forget about what they saw on the football field and focus too much on the combine.
Jarrett agreed with the Dorsey/Warren Sapp comparison because he is a DT who is quick and explosive off the ball.
"He is your type of guy in the 4-3 defense," Bell said.
The big question is whether he is fully healthy or not, but he didn't miss a game at LSU.
It's critical for the Rams to make it a good pick no matter who they take because they don't want to be in this situation again anytime soon.
Bell thinks Darren McFadden will be taken at #6. He said Matt Ryan could fall the furthest if Atlanta or Kansas City don't take him.
The running back position is deep in this draft, and Bell likes Mike Hart out of Michigan.
Bell said that Vikings made a good gamble trading for Jared Allen because he's a beast and a difference maker.
"He's one of the most underrated defensive lineman in the league," Bell said.
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April 23
ESPN MAG NFL Editor Talks Draft
ESPN the Magazine NFL Editor Scott Burton joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home Wednesday afternoon.
He said it will be hard to pass up Chris Long because of how poor the pass rush was last year, but that Glenn Dorsey is a monster and moves a line all by himself. The Rams could build around him, and couldn't go wrong by drafting him either.
Burton said it will be interesting to see where Matt Ryan go, and Carolina may trade up to get Ryan in the Patriots' spot.
Jeremy Shockey will likely be traded because he has fallen out of favor in New York, but the Giants don't have a pressing need. They will probably draft a safety with their 1st round pick.
KC might be at the center of trade talks because they got that second first round pick from Minnesota in the trade for Jared Allen.
The economics of the top picks are insane. "Miami just made Jake Long the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL and he hasn't played a down, which is insane," he said.
Darren McFadden is the only premiere talent and 3-down back in the draft. "I think it will be interesting to see if the Raiders draft him. His speed is unbelievable. He has highlight film stuff with breakaway speed."
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April 22
Rams Will Practice with Titans
According to Jim Thomas on StlToday.com, the Rams have agreed to practice with the Tennessee Titans at Tennessee's camp for three days of training camp.
The Rams are narrowing their choices of training camp sites, and the three finalists are believed to be Concordia Wisconsin, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Western Illinois University.
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April 22
Rams Cannot Negotiate with Picks Yet
According to Andy Strickland on the Daily Buzz, the Rams cannot negotiate with whoever they want until the name is called at the Draft. They can't even negotiate while they are on the clock.
Andy also said that the Rams want players more than picks if they are going to move out of the #2 spot. Less than 5 teams have contacted the Rams about their pick and only 1 has made a formal offer as of right now.
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April 22
Gil Brandt Talks Draft
The man who built America's Team in Dallas from the personnel standpoint, Gil Brandt of NFL.com joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Tuesday.
Gil said the word on the street is that the Rams want to trade down and the team most interested is New Orleans. However, it looks like it will be hard for the Saints to trade up to #2 according to the "chart" of points that each pick is worth.
Brandt said defensive tackles have become such a big part of the game because guards are so big now.
"When you see (Glenn Dorsey) play football you don't have any qualms," Gil said. "He's not like Jimmy Kennedy."
On moving Adam Carriker to defensive end, Gil said that Carriker never stops; he always plays hard. He's not going to be Leonard Little because he isn't that fast, but maybe they can move him to the left side.
Gil thinks you would still get a hell of a player at #10. "In the long run I think Ryan Clady has more potential than Jake Long," he said.
On Vernon Gholston, Brandt said he has reservations about his consistency. "When young guys are like that and not used to playing every down they tend to rest a little bit," Brandt said. He had 14 sacks last year, and they came against the better teams.
Gil said that the Dolphins signed the best player, at this point, in this draft today when they signed Jake Long.
They also talked about what kind of player Chris Long will be in the league, and what it would take from New Orleans in a trade for the Rams #2 pick if Gil was the Rams GM.
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April 22
Peter King Talks Draft
Sports Illustrated's Peter King joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 on Tuesday.
Peter said the Rams are on the clock, and he thinks the Rams will pick either Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey. He said Dorsey will step into the league and be compared to Warren Sapp.
"I know Jim Haslett loves Glenn Dorsey, but this is Billy Devaney's pick," King said.
According to King, Vernon Gholston is the best available outside pass rusher in this draft, doesn't play the run very well, and is inconsistent. The challenge is to coach him up to be more consistent. However, Peter said the Rams "will not take Vernon Gholston in this draft, period."
King said the Saints badly want Dorsey and they have talked to the teams picking 2, 3, and 4 about moving up. However, the Saints don't have a whole lot to give because they also want to trade the Giants for Jeremy Shockey.
Atlanta is down to 2 people on their board: Matt Ryan and Dorsey. It wouldn't shock King if they moved up to get Dorsey, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank has been sending out vibes that he wants Matt Ryan, and Atlanta's GM might want to make him the Falcon's franchise player.
If the Rams did trade down to the #10 pick, King said the question is what else do you get from the Saints? He said that maybe the Rams could get Keith Rivers at #10 and a real good corner and best available tackle in the second round if they get the picks from New Orleans.
King said that Darren McFadden is a big X-factor. King thinks the Jets will pick him or Baltimore will take him at #8 unless Ryan is there. King said that he thinks McFadden will be "92% of Adrian Peterson."
On possible trades---If the Giants can trade Jeremy Shockey for the 40th pick in the draft and something else small, the Giants would be foolish to not do it. Shockey wants to be Tony Gonzalez and the Giants want him to be Kyle Brady. King also thinks Lito Shepard will be traded soon.
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April 21
Jay Zygmunt Talks Draft
Rams President of Football Operations Jay Zygmunt joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday to talk about the Draft. Zygmunt said they are very comfortable with the health of Glenn Dorsey, and he also indirectly said that they will be working on a contract for Steven Jackson soon.
The Rams' goal right now is to get a real impact player who can come in and change the team.
"(We) have the second pick in the draft; (we) have to get a dominant player," Zygmunt said.
Jay said that if two guys are similar talent you have to go with the character guy, but there are all different factors.
Zygmunt said he wants to make sure they aren't in position to have such a high pick again for a long time. He thinks they might get some calls for the #2 pick, but it is very hard to predict.
Jay said, "It's always a possibility. We are open-minded to anything that gets us better."
If Miami gets a deal done before the draft, he said the Rams will literally be on the clock. The key is finding the right player, and judging the talent. The financial implications are almost causing teams to underwrite risk towards the top of the draft. You'd like the player to be as perfect as he can be, but there are no guarantees.
"We feel pretty good with where we are. The end justifies the means, and we need to put an impact player on this football team."
The Rams' war room guys started talking last Friday about general scenarios of what could happen, and they will keep doing it all week while looking at different trade possibilities for players who might be available. Jay said they have had conversations with a couple teams at this point, but it's hard to see how sincere they really are, but it will change throughout the week.
"It's basically down to a few players, and we are trying to get everybody's support (for one). It's just a matter of refining it and thinking it through. You look at the list of players so intensely. It's an art and not a science."
When asked who will have the final decision on Draft Day, Zygmunt said that everything will be decided during the week, and they will have a board and the player the Rams take will be the player at the top who Miami doesn't take.
Jay said, "Billy Devaney has been great, having to hit the ground with his feet running. He has a wealth of experience, and he's a really good guy to work with and knows how to facilitate the process."
When asked if the financial implications of such a high pick has any effect on Steven Jackson being re-signed, Jay said that they hope to get something worked out in the near future.
They also talked about other salary cap implications, and how some entry level guys will be making more than pro-bowl players.
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April 21
Fakhir Brown Wins Appeal
Jim Thomas reported on StlToday.com that Fakhir Brown won his appeal on a failed drug test and will not be suspended.
Brown was at Rams park today working out with the team after missing the last four weeks of the off season conditioning program.
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April 18
Draft Talk with Jim Thomas
Thomas thought that it seemed that Devaney agreed that Gholston takes plays off by his non comment about him yesterday on the show.
Jim said he would keel over if the Rams take Darren McFadden. If Miami takes Gholston, Thomas thinks it will be very interesting to see if the Rams would go with Glenn Dorsey or with Jake Long because they need to protect Bulger. Jim said he thinks Chris Long is in third place for the Rams, and that he thinks it will be 40% chance they take Dorsey,
40% Jake Long, and 20% Chris Long.
The Rams are hoping a QB like Chad Henne slips to the 4th, 5th, or 6th round for them.
The guys covered many other topics and you can listen to the interview by clicking below.
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April 18
Will Franklin Anticipating the Draft
Vashon and Mizzou grad Will Franklin joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker Friday on the Roll Home on Team 1380. Franklin said he has made 4-5 visits, including Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and Detroit, and a couple of those teams told him they are interested. He said he looked at the visits as a business experience. He said he went in and tried to win a spot over the other wide receivers who were visiting.
Will plans to sit at home with his family next weekend while anticipating being picked during the Draft. He's going to try not to worry to much about slipping to a late round.
"It's something that is keeping me awake at night knowing it is only a week away from my life changing," Will said.
He said he really enjoyed visiting the Rams and his mentor is Tory Holt. He said he would prefer not to leave St. Louis. Will also plans to attend tomorrow's game at Mizzou.
Franklin said he knows that no matter where he gets drafted he has to still work hard and make the team.
"I have a great circle of people around me, and we're looking forward to a great weekend," Will said.
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April 18
Gosselin's 2nd Mock Draft Out Today
In Rick Gosselin's newest mock draft, he has Miami picking Vernon Gholston and the Rams taking Jake Long with the #2 pick.
#3--Glenn Dorsey, #4--Chris Long, #5--Ryan Clady, #6--Darren McFadden....
Click for the Remaining Picks
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April 17
Rams' VP of Player Personnel Billy Devaney Talks Draft Plans
Rams VP of Player Personnel Billy Devaney joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon to talk about the Rams' Draft preparation.
"As of 2 hours ago the stacking of the board has finished," and the scouts, who have been here for the past 2 1/2 weeks can go home for awhile.
"There might be tweaking as we massage the middle of the draft, but as far as the first day, we are getting pretty locked in," Devaney said.
on what Dolphins will do?---They are trying to figure out best fit for their team. Billy isn't sure if they have locked on to their guy yet. We have to be prepared to go in a lot of different directions.
on Glenn Dorsey?---"We don't have any medical questions at all about Dorsey." He came in with the larger group this week, and Billy said he is a very special kid.
on Trading Pick?---We'll know by Wednesday or Thursday for sure of all possible scenarios we will go with. If we do get any calls about a trade, we will know how far we will go down and still be comfortable.
"We think that at the end of the day there will be some interest in that pick. We want to see how far back the teams are that are interested and if it will be worth it for us." They want to see if they are comfortable with the quality of guys that would be available. Billy said they can go a little lower than Kansas City's pick right now, and the Rams would be ok there.
on McFadden?----He was in with this past group of guys and he made a big hit in our building with the coaches and personnel staff and was very impressive.
"I think it would be exciting with the talent (McFadden) would bring," Devaney said.
excited at who will be available at #33?---I would say this draft doesn't have a great, dynamic player, but there are really good, explosive players through the second round. Billy said they need to come away with a good player in the second round.
is need at DE greater than DT?---Billy thinks what Dorsey brings to the table as an impact player and being able to start immediately, is a big plus. "If you have Carriker playing Nose Tackle and Dorsey playing other tackle it helps your linebackers, and the push from outside." It would make the team very strong according to Devaney.
Does LSU prepare kids for Draft better than other teams?---LSU kids are prepared but most of these college kids have been exposed to so much now, they don't come in wild eyed anymore. All the peripheral, football stuff isn't a big deal to them anymore and you don't have the learning curve like there used to be.
on Ryan Clady?----Rams really like Ryan Clady. Tackle may be strongest position in the first roung in draft this year.
on Will Franklin?---When he visited Rams Park, Henry Ellard put him through an extensive workout catching the ball and he did a great job. "At some point in the draft we are going to take a receiver and Franklin is in the mix."
on who ate most on their visit?---Gholston ate a 50 oz. steak the other night, and he might've been the first one finished eating. Everyone else was still eating, and (Gholston) started eating rolls.
Listen to Billy Devaney Interview
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April 17
OJ Atogwe Previews Season
Rams safety OJ Atogwe joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Thursday afternoon. Atogwe agreed with Randy that there is a pretty positive vibe around Rams park, and he said they know they aren't a 3-13 team.
"We know what we have and what we are capable of and we can do a lot better than last year," OJ said.
Atogwe thinks the Rams will build on the defensive side of the ball with their first pick since most of the top players in the draft are on defense.
OJ has no problems with the business side of how things are going. "I'm excited to come back and help us with a chance at a world championship."
He said there are always areas to improve in the game. He said he can improve by getting more sacks and causing more turnovers.
Everybody is excited about Al Saunders coming back, and the potential of the offense this season.
Listen to OJ Atogwe Interview
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April 16
Gosselin: Dorsey is Best Pick in Draft
Draft Expert Rick "Goose" Gosselin joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on Team 1380 Wednesday afternoon. Bernie called Gosselin the best Draft guy in the country after the interview because he always nails so many picks with his mock drafts. If someone predicts 8 to 12 first round picks it is considered very good, and Gosselin picked 14 last year and as many as 18 in previous drafts.
The Friday before the Draft each year, he also puts out his Top 100 list and he has been the best with the Top 100 every year since 1998. Last year he was right on with 86 of his top 100.
Goose said that he has been doing his research and has talked to 4 different NFL coaches before 7am this morning. He's not convinced that it's a done deal with the Dolphins and Jake Long because of the contract talks that are going on with Long's agent. If they don't take J Long, Gosselin said he thinks they would take Chris Long because Vernon Gholston has the same agent as Jake.
Gosselin said this year will be like the 1991 draft. There is no player deserving the #1 pick, and the 2 safest picks on the board are Jake and Chris Long. He said Dorsey has chance of being home run, and that nobody wants to trade up to #1 through #5 picks because of the money guaranteed to the top picks. He thought there could be a trade or two around picks 8, 9, or 10.
on Glenn Dorsey?---He is best player in Draft. He did not miss a game in college. He's a high motor guy with more energy and more talent than Chris Long. Rick said that LSU guys are money in the bank. They prepare their players better for the NFL than anyone else and that is why he is a safe pick.
on comparing them to guys in NFL?---Chris Long would be Patrick Kearney--both high motor, effort guys. Dorsey would be like Warren Sapp.
can Jake Long play LT?--He played LT at Michigan for 2 years, and Rick thinks the Rams should play him at LT if they pick him. He thinks Ryan Clady is strictly a LT.
on Gholston?---Vernon Gholston is best pass rusher in draft but this is not a great draft. He is not Simeon Rice, not going to be a HOF pass rusher.
McFadden best RB in Draft?---McFadden has great speed and is best back in Draft. Goose thinks Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall will go in top 15.
The guys also talked about which QBs are the best in the draft, and which WRs might be available for the Rams with their 3rd round pick.
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April 15
"In a few years everyone will be talking about Johnathan Stewart and not McFadden."--- Nolan Nawrocki
Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on Team 1380 Tuesday afternoon and he said that he thinks the Rams should trade with Miami to make sure they get Jake Long because he believes they need to be able to replace Orlando Pace and that way they
can keep the offense healthy.
Nawrocki said that J Long's character is better than Ryan Clady's, and that there are questions about Clady's intelligence and being able to step into the league right away.
Nolan thinks Bill Parcells will take Jake Long even though he has a tendency of drafting defensive players. He said Vernon Gholston best fits his 3-4 defense, and Nolan thinks Parcells would take Gholston if he decides to go with defense with the first pick.
Nawrocki doesn't think the Rams should even think about Glenn Dorsey because they need depth on the outside more than on the inside. He said to help the team right away they need speed off the edge, and he would pick Gholston. Nolan sees on tape that Gholston does take some plays off, but he thinks he can be coached to play hard every play. He said Gholston has a lot more upside than Chris Long.
Nolan said there is more overall depth at the cornerback position in the draft, and he would draft a receiver in the 3rd or 4th round.
on whose Stock is rising?---Oregon running back Johnathan Stewart. Nolan said that he's the strongest, most physical back, and he can catch and block. He won't get out of the top 15.
comparing McFadden and Peterson?---Nolan said Adrian Peterson will be a much more established pro when he finishes his career than Darren McFadden because he is stronger and has more overall competitiveness. He said that McFadden runs with a more narrow base and can be knocked off his base more easily.
Nolan said, "Mark my words, in a few years everyone will be talking about Johnathan Stewart and not McFadden."
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April 15
Howard Balzer Talks Draft
National Football writer Howard Balzer said he would like to see the Rams go after a defensive end with the second pick because that position will most likely be the biggest difference maker during the season.
Howard said he would shy away from picking Glenn Dorsey because the Rams have to address so many needs it will hurt them to push all the other position needs back in the draft.
Balzer would be happy with Chris Long, but he thinks Vernon Gholston can be a transcendent pass rusher with his speed off the edge. Howard said he thinks he will be a difference maker who other teams will have to account for.
Balzer said one sleeper to keep an eye on in the draft is DE/LB Vincent Redd out of Liberty, who will probably be between a 5th to 7th round pick. Redd is visiting Rams Park today.
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April 15
Late Division Match-ups and Both Super Bowl XLII Teams Highlight Schedule
Games against both Super Bowl XLII teams, and three consecutive divisional matchups late in the season will highlight the St. Louis Rams 2008 season, announced by the NFL today.
The Rams open the season on the road Sept. 7 at Philadelphia, the first time the Rams have played in the “City of Brotherly Love” since 2002. The Rams opened the 2001 season at Philadelphia, collecting a 20-17 overtime victory en route to playing in Super Bowl XXXVI that season. Since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams are 8-5 in season openers.
The Rams return to St. Louis for the season home opener to face the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants on Sept. 16. The game will mark the first time the Rams will host the Giants since 2002. In Week 3, the Rams head back on the road to face NFC West Division champs the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 21. In Week 4, the Rams come back to the Edward Jones Dome to face off against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 28. The game will mark the first time the Bills have played in St. Louis since 1995.
After a bye in Week 5, the Rams have back to back games against the NFC East -- first heading east to take on new head coach Jim Zorn and the Washington Redskins Oct. 12, then coming home to take on the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 19.
The Rams will close the month of October against the Super Bowl runner-up New England Patriots in Foxborough Oct. 26.
In Week 9, the Rams will return home for its first home divisional game against the Arizona Cardinals Nov. 2. The Rams return to the road to take on the New York Jets Nov. 9 and then head to face NFC West foe San Francisco 49ers Nov. 16.
The Rams have back-to-back home games for the first time of the season in Weeks 13 and 14. On Nov. 23, the Rams take on former Rams defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears and on Nov. 30, the Rams face the Miami Dolphins.
To open December the Rams have back-to-back-to-back divisional games. First, the Rams head to Phoenix to take on the Cardinals for the second meeting of the season. The Rams come back home to take on Seattle on Dec. 14 and San Francisco Dec. 21. The three-game stretch marks the first time the Rams have had three consecutive divisional games since realignment in 2002.
Click for the Rams Schedule
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April 14
Prospects Visit Rams Park
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker Monday afternoon to talk about the latest news from Rams Park.
The guys talked about how weird it is when a player's stock can rise or fall during this period when they aren't playing. Jim said it's dangerous to be swayed too much by a workout.
Thomas said he thinks Jake Long is the guy in Miami so the Rams are trying to figure out who they will take between Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, and Vernon Gholston.
Rams' staff say they aren't concerned about Dorsey's health, and Jim said that he would be surprised if the Rams take Gholston because they aren't talking about him very much.
Glenn Dorsey (who couldn't make it Sunday because of the flu) and Darren McFadden will be visit Rams Park Tuesday along with the other prospects yet to visit. Thomas thinks there will be around 5 wide receivers and 4 or 5 corner backs included in that group who will meet with different coaches including Scott Linehan.
When the local prospects were here working out on Friday, some of the Rams players were working out in there too, and around 60 of the 64 guys on the roster have shown up to work out.
Listen to Jim Thomas Conversation
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April 14
Training Camp Location Possibilities
According to Andy Strickland's "Daily Buzz" on the Roll Home with Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker, Rams officials are visiting potential sites for this year's training camp over the next couple days. They are in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, today, and both Madison, WI, U of Wisconsin--Stephen's Point tomorrow. They are going to visit Macomb, IL, on Wednesday.
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April 11
Rams Talk with Jim Thomas
Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on The Roll Home on Team 1380 and said that up to 26 prospective draft picks will visit Rams Park Tuesday after the big 4--Jake Long, Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, and Vernon Gholston fly in on Sunday. Sedrick Ellis is not going to come into town, but Thomas said the Rams will take a look at him if they trade down for their first pick.
Local prospects including WR Will Franklin and Darnell Terrell of Mizzou, DL Brian Schaefering of Lindenwood, and DE Shaun Richardson of Tennessee State visited Rams Park today, and Bill Coats of the Post-Dispatch said that he was very impressed with Franklin.
Thomas said that he thinks the Dolphins are leaning towards taking Jake Long because both Chris Long and Dorsey are too small for their respective positions for the classic Bill Parcells' 3-4 defense.
Around 60 of the 64 players currently under contract with the Rams have been showing up at Rams Park for offseason conditioning drills, and Jim said that Ron Bartell, Claude Wroten, Jonathon Wade have been working out everyday.
Fakhir Brown has not shown up yet, and Alex Barron hasn't been seen since he briefly showed up one day last week. Torry Holt has also been absent because of his golf tournament, but Thomas said that Holt did a lot of conditioning work in February and March.
Listen to Jim Thomas Interview
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April 11
McShay: "Gholston Overrated"
ESPN's Draft expert Todd McShay on Sportscenter said that he thinks Vernon Gholston is the most overrated player who will be picked in top 10 in the Draft. He said that Gholston is a great player, but he doesn't think he should be mentioned as potentially the #1 pick by the Dolphins or the #2 pick by the Rams.
McShay said that in some games Gholston was a dominating force but when he watched film of other games he "can't tell where he is at all."
McShay added that Jake Long addresses the most needs for Miami. He thinks Matt Ryan will be taken by Baltimore if he drops to them at #8, but the Falcons (#3) and Chiefs (#5) have interest in Ryan.
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April 8
Balzer Wary of Dorsey's Injury
National Football writer and Sirius Satellite Radio Host Howard Balzer said on his local radio show on Team 1380 Tuesday that he thinks Glenn Dorsey will need to have surgery at somepoint, and he called him a "walking time bomb" with a clear issue with his tibia.
Balzer talked about how the Rams drafted Damione Lewis at 12 overall in 2001 even though he had issues with his foot, and Lewis ended up breaking his leg in his rookie season, needing 2 surgeries. Lewis wasn't even able to start running until mid-August of 2002, and he was never the same player and never lived up to expectations.
Howard said he will be interested to see where Dorsey is drafted and that if he drafted Dorsey, Balzer would look into making him have surgery before he even plays.
Balzer talked about different players the Rams will have visit Rams Park before the draft including Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo, who could possibly be taken in the 3rd round by the Rams if their other targets are already taken.
Howard said that University of Florida WR Andre Caldwell (brother of Reche Caldwell) will also visit with the Rams next week.
Balzer also talked about WR Mario Manningham and CB Aqib Talib's stock dropping in the draft according to an article on ProFootball.com today, which stated that Talib failed 3 drug tests while at Kansas, and Manningham lied at the combine about failing 2 tests while at Michigan.
Listen to Howard Balzer
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April 7
Hour Long Jim Thomas Conversation
Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker for an hour on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday.
Part 1---Draft Talk
It's basically down to 3 guys---Chris Long, Jake Long, or Glenn Dorsey. The Rams are allowed to bring in 30 prospects to Rams park along with any "locals" they want, and Jim thinks they will have 35 total including Mizzou's Will Franklin. Both Longs, Dorsey, and Vernon Gholston (trade down plan) will fly in Sunday and the other prospective picks will be at Rams Park April 15-16.
Thomas said he wouldn't be surprised if the Dolphins take Chris Long; the Rams take Jake Long and move Alex Barron by the start of the season.
Bernie asked who is the biggest advocate for each of the Big 3:
- Jim Haslett strongly wants Dorsey.
- Scott Linehan and Haslett want Chris Long.
- Billy Devaney and Linehan want Jake Long.
Thomas said that the information is in, and now the arguing begins. He said the board will be stacked by Wednesday before the draft. Jim said that Jay Zygmunt typically defers on draft day and that he deals more with the free agents.
Jim also said that contrary to popular belief, if the Rams take Dorsey, Carriker will not be moved to DE, but that they will start both as DTs.
Listen to Draft Conversation
Part 2--Uniforms & Training Camp
The guys questioned the NFL's ruling on the Rams' request to wear their 1999 uniforms in one game this upcoming season to honor former owner Georgia Frontiere, who passed away in January. Bernie said he thinks they should just wear the jerseys and pay any fine from the league.
Jim Thomas said the Rams' training camp site will most likely be held at Oshkosh, Wisconsin--about an hour outside of Madison, where the University of Wisconsin used to hold camp.
The Chiefs, Packers, and Titans are interested in scrimmaging against the Rams during camp, and the back-up plan is to hold camp at Macomb, Illinois.
Listen to Uniforms & Training Camp Conversation
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April 7
Leonard Little Talks Drinking & Driving, Rams, and Draft
Rams DE Leonard Little joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home on Team 1380 Monday afternoon to talk about the Rams, the Draft, and to discuss going to schools to talk to kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. Leonard is also going to try to talk to Mizzou's football team soon.
Little said that going to schools is something he came up with to make kids aware of the consequences of drinking and driving. He wants the kids to know that even if they do mess up they can pick themselves up and strive to be the person they want to be.
He said it only takes one night to be in the position he is in, and he will ask students to be responsible.
"If you are going to make an adult decision then you need to act like an adult," Little said. "It was a mistake and a dumb decision I made 10 years ago. I think about it everyday."
Leonard will speak at Clayton High School Tuesday, Parkway North on April 21, and Berra Academy in St. Charles later this month.
on his injury?---Little talked about the surgery on his big toe that he is recovering from this offseason. He said that today he was able to do the conditioning drills with the team, and that be ready to go this season.
on draft?---Little said you can't go wrong with Vernon Gholson, Chris Long, or Glenn Dorsey. If they draft a defensive lineman, Little said that he would show him the moves needed to be effective on the field.
on Dorsey?---Leonard said Dorsey would do a lot for the Rams on the run and the pass rush up the middle.
Listen to Leonard Little Interview
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April 4
Draft & Injury Talk with JT
Post-Dispatch Rams beat writer Jim Thomas joined Randy Karraker on the Roll Home Friday and talked about Coach Linehan's relationship with Marc Bulger. They also talked about the Rams moving training camp to either Wisconsin or Macomb, IL.
Thomas told Randy that he still thinks that there are some guys at Rams park who still want to take Jake Long, Chris Long, and some who want Glenn Dorsey with the #2 pick, but if they trade down, they would try to get Vernon Gholston or Sedrick Ellis if they had the 7th pick.
Jim thinks the Rams will take an Offensive Tackle in the first 3 rounds of the draft, depending on who they take with their first pick. He said that it isn't likely, but it is possible that the Rams could make a draft day trade for Minnesota's Matt Birk and still even draft Jake Long.
The guys also talked about Tye Hill's injury still bothering him, and that according to Coach Linehan---Adam Carriker, Leonard Little, and Orlando Pace won't be ready to go by training camp because of their injuries.
Jim Thomas Conversation
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April 4
Brown Suspension Coming Soon?
Andy Strickland reported on The Roll Home on Team 1380 that the Rams have asked the NFL to let them know how long Fakhir Brown's alleged suspension will be before the draft so they know if they need to replace him.
Strickland said it is likely that Brown will be going on a year-long vacation, according to the rumors
that he has failed his third
drug test.
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April 3
NFL.com's Gil Brandt Talks Draft
Legendary Talent Scout Gil Brandt joined Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker on the Roll Home Thursday afternoon to talk about the Draft in a little over 3 weeks.
Brandt said he doesn't see how you could go wrong with drafting Chris Long, Jake Long, or Glenn Dorsey. He said that many people are skeptical of Jake Long's ability to play Left Tackle, but Gil said he believes Long would play very well at the position.
They also discuss who Bill Parcells might take with the #1 overall pick, Mizzou players in the Draft, and Draft strategy.
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April 3
Rams Preseason Opponents Announced
The Rams will open the preseason on the road at the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 and then play, in order, San Diego at home, Baltimore at home, and Kansas City on the road.
Click for More Info on Preseason
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April 1 (7:45p)
Rams to Definitely Move Training Camp
Outside St. Louis
Howard Balzer reported on Simply Football Tuesday on Team 1380 that the Rams' training camp will definitely take place away from St. Louis in a location still to be determined.
They want to have it in Wisconsin to be close to another team they can scrimmage against, but they are also looking at Macomb, Ill., where they have had training camp in the past.
Listen to Howard Balzer
