Rams Continue To Round Up Draft Picks

After signing four players to contracts on Saturday the St. Louis Rams continued their aggressive signing period inking four more to contracts. Today the St. Louis Rams have signed speedy 4th round pick WR Mardy Gilyard to a four year $2.34 million dollar deal. The Rams then got a deal done with Louisiana-Lafayette DE Hall Davis a 5th round selection. To round out the day the Rams signed 6th rounder DE Eugene Sims to a deal and then fellow 6th rounder CB Marquis Johnson was added to the herd.

The St. Louis Rams now have eight of their eleven 2010 NFL Draft picks signed to contracts. The remaining three are 5th round TE long shot Fendi Onobun, 2nd round offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, and big man on campus QB Sam Bradford. It is nice to see the Rams quickly sign their picks but it is an absolute must for Sam Bradford and Rodger Saffold to not miss a single minute of training camp. For the Rams to have any success in 2010 I believe Sam Bradford, Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold must grow into productive NFL starters in a hurry. Even after signing eight draft picks the Rams are going to need to find about 50 million additional dollars to sign Sam Bradford. Will the current ownership and pending team sale delay the signing in any way, we sure hope not.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

St. Louis Rams Sign Four Draft Picks

Reports are the St. Louis Rams have signed CB Jerome Murphy, TE Michael Hoomanawanui, DE George Selvie & LB Josh Hull all to 4 year contracts. Jerome Murphy the 65th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft is now the highest selected signing so far. Murphy reportedly will receive $2.727 million which includes a signing bonus of $937,739.

According to Brian Stull and Howard Balzer by Monday the St. Louis Rams will have nine of their eleven 2010 NFL Draft picks signed to contracts. Of course the two remaining to sign will be Rodger Saffold and Sam Bradford. I expect the Bradford deal to not get done until at least late July. Hopefully Kevin Demoff and the Rams front office will be able to sign both before the 2010 training camp begins.

It is a little interesting that the Rams are signing what most likely will be fringe players at best to four year contracts. On the other hand if the players don't even make the roster they will not have to worry about the long terms. If the Rams find a diamond in the rough at least they will have him locked up for four years.


By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

3.8 Million More Reasons To Hate Marc Bulger

Wednesday the Baltimore Ravens agreed to terms on a one-year contract with quarterback Marc Bulger. The contract will reportedly be worth 3.8 million dollars. For those of you that know me, you know I am not a Marc Bulger fan. I am so glad he is out of St. Louis I can't even begin to tell you. Even when Marc was putting up good numbers from 2004-2006 I was not happy with him. From 2007-2009 after signing a huge contract Marc put up an average quarterback rating of 70. Congrats Marc on the cush job of holding a clipboard for 3.8 million dollars. If you get a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens I will absolutely barf!

As I stated before

"It is horrible to say but Marc comes across as someone that is gifted at
something but does not really care or have a passion for that gift. Even when
playing well I never believed Marc enjoyed or wanted to be a winner in the NFL."

To read my previous thoughts on Marc Bulger please check out:

Marc Bulger The Boy In The Bubble

The St. Louis Rams Have Released Marc Bulger

Marc Bulger has broken Tibia

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

St. Louis Rams Release Training Camp Schedule

The St. Louis Rams have released their open to the public training camp dates. Fans will have 28 chances to see their favorite Rams players in person at Rams Park. In addition the Rams will also hold a scrimmage at Lindenwood University on August 7th. I encourage everyone to go to the scrimmage it was a fabulous event last year.

July 29 (rookies): 8:15 - 9:30 a.m.; 2:15 - 3:30 p.m.
July 30: 8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
July 31: 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 1: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.; 6:15 - 8 p.m.
Aug. 2: 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 3: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.; 6:15 - 8 p.m.
Aug. 4: 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 5: 8:15 - 10 a.m.; 3 - 5 p.m.
Aug. 6: 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 7: 8:15 - 10 a.m.; scrimmage, 6:30 p.m., Lindenwood U.
Aug. 9: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 10: 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 11: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.; 6:15 - 8 p.m.
Aug. 12: 2 - 4 p.m.
Aug. 16: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 17: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.; 5 - 7 p.m.
Aug. 18: 1:30 - 4 p.m.
Aug. 19: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.; 5 - 7 p.m.
Aug. 23: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 24: 8:15 - 10:30 a.m.; 5 - 7 p.m.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

St. Louis Rams Sign Oshiomogho Atogwe

Wednesday the St. Louis Rams signed safety Oshiomogho Atogwe to a multi-year contract, reportedly 5 years. The terms of the deal have not yet been released but reports say OJ will earn five million plus per year. Atogwe has been on the Rams for five years now, and has been the starting safety for the last four. Atogwe is a ball hawk, he has recorded 14 forced fumbles, recovered 8 of those and also intercepted 19 passes in only 60 games started. The Rams desparately needed to resign Atogwe as they faced going into the season with Craig Dahl as their starting safety.

Atogwe became a free agent after the Rams gave him a low ball tender offer. It always seemed like the Rams really wanted to keep Atogwe but at a lower price. It was a risk the Rams had to take and in the long run it paid off. Atogwe was not getting many offers from other teams. The Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys were always the teams rumored to really be interested in him. Injuries also could have kept teams away. Oshiomogho had a shoulder injury in 2009 that cost him the final four games of the season and Chris Mortensen has also reported he underwent surgery for a sports hernia as well. I believe if he is completely healthy prior to the 2010 season he will put up numbers like he did in 2007.

Congratulations to the St. Louis Rams and Oshiomogho Atogwe for agreeing to the right deal for both parties. Happy 29th birthday Oshiomogho we are glad your back.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Roger Craig Can Suck It

Sunday Roger Craig former San Francisco 49ers great said on Fanhouse "The 49ers are the perfect team to annihilate the NFC West." When asked about the NFC West Craig replied "They're (the 49ers) gonna be strong contenders this year. You think about Kurt Warner's not with Arizona anymore. They're gonna be rebuilding. Anquan Boldin is gone, and Pete Carroll's gonna have a tough time first year. He's gonna come out the gate and not really dominate the West. So 49ers are a perfect team to annihilate the West."

Well although Roger may be correct that the 49ers may win the NFC West in 2010 I still want to tell him to suck it, mainly because I am a Rams fan and we hate the San Francisco 49ers. In addition let's not talk smack about a team that has not had a winning season since 2002! Thats right Roger the 49ers have not had a winning season since 2002 when they went 10-6 and won the NFC West. To say the 49ers will annihilate the West is a little overhype from Roger. There are only four teams in the NFC West he could have at least mentioned the Rams, the NFL is all about on again given Sunday correct?

P.S. Roger, Alex Smith is the 49ers QB and he sucks it too!

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Rams O-Line Ranked 28th

Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports ranks the St. Louis Rams offensive line 28th in the NFL. While this is higher than the Rams have ranked in most stats of late it is still not the stat you want to see while thinking about starting a rookie QB in the NFL. Can the Rams afford to play Sam Bradford behind this offensive line? Can the Rams afford not to start Sam Bradford after only winning 6 games in three years? These are the decisions the Rams have to make. You need a solid offensive line to win in the NFL and it has been a long time since the Rams have even been steady. Years after Orlando Pace's best years the Rams have never been able to build the line back up. To compound matters in 2010 the St. Louis Rams will no longer have Guard Richie Incognito or Tackle Alex Barron, could things actually degrade?

David Leon from Bleacher Report points out that the St. Louis Rams have allowed more sacks over the last ten years of any team in the NFL. For a team that just lost their starting left tackle Alex Barron it is even more troubling. The Rams are looking to start Jason Smith at left tackle. Smith was a converted tight end while at Baylor who now has a fractured toe to compound things. We have yet to even see if Jason Smith can play left tackle in the NFL. The Rams will also be forced to start 2nd round draft pick Rodger Saffold at right tackle. There will be a ton of pressure on Smith and Saffold to perform well especially if the Rams go with Sam Bradford early in the season.

One of my favorite sites on the internet is Cold Hard Football Facts. In their final 2009 Offensive Hog Index they ranked the Rams offensive line 26th overall. Based on the 44 sacks allowed, and the offense only putting up 10.9 points per game I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to know the Rams O-line needs some help. Help it could have picked up by trading for Jammal Brown. Instead the Washington Redskins were able to trade for Brown this weekend. Jammal Brown is an excellent right tackle and was the 13th overall player chosen in the 2005 NFL draft. Prior to missing 2009 due to an injury Brown played in 58 games and started all of them at right tackle. The Redskins picked him up from the New Orleans Saints for a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. The Rams really could have used a player like Brown. We could then play Smith at left tackle, Brown at right tackle and move Saffold inside to play Guard. Without Brown we still have to hope that Smith and Saffold can produce at the NFL level and that is asking a lot.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

St. Louis Rams Release Six Players

The St. Louis Rams cut six players on Tuesday, LB K.C. Asiodu, DT Leger Douzable, CB Danny Gorrer, LS Clint Mower, RB DeMaundray Woolridge, and DE James Wyche. The NFL limit for preseason players is 80, and the Rams must trim their roster down to 53 prior to the start of the 2010 regular season.

This is a pretty early cut for K.C. Asiodu who was able to crack the lineup 10 times in 2009. For a team lacking talent and depth at the linebacker position, the Rams must no longer think much of K.C. to drop him already. DT Leger Douzable who played in 11 games and had 11 tackles is just the odd man out with a log jam at DT. Surprisingly CB Danny Gorrer was also released. Gorrer is only 24 and at 6' 185 lbs is a pretty decent sized corner. For a team with huge issues at cornerback I was surprised that Danny was released. The Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints picked Danny up shortly after he was released. If the Super Bowl Champs can use him why can't the Rams? 28 year old DE James Wyche has only played in two games in the NFL both for the Jacksonville Jaguars who drafted him in the 7th round in 2006. LS Clint Mower & RB DeMaundray Woolridge are both undrafted rookies that will try to catch on with another team.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Reality Check For Rams Fans

Bob Warja from Bleacher Report ranked the 2009 St. Louis Rams third on his The 10 Worst Teams in NFL History article. As Bob points out the Rams were just awful from their 10.9 points per game on offense to their -261 point differential. Luckily the Rams were beaten out overall by the measure of futility, the 0-14 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were recently topped by the 0-16 2008 Detroit Lions.

Overall I am very excited to watch the Rams groom a franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford, and rebuild their roster. However some of the internet chatter about the Rams being majorly improved, predictions of win totals and playoff possibilities, makes me bring out the reality check. The stone cold reality is the Rams are a mess. This is a team coming off a 1-15 season. The front office has cleansed most of the players that were responsible for the Rams only obtaining 6 wins out of their previous 48 games. However we now have a team that could possibly start the season with a rookie QB and two unproven tackles who also have injury issues. Steven Jackson will start the season as a 27 year old running back coming off of offseason back surgery. Jackson has averaged 335 touches over the past five seasons. The Rams are going to need a lot of players to step up and a few straight years of solid drafting to get back into contention, and that is the reality.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Rams Cut Six Players

The St. Louis Rams cut six players today in an effort to get down to 80 players prior to the start of training camp on July 28th at Rams Park in Earth City Missouri. The following players were cut from the roster: Cord Parks (S), Jeromy Jones (LB), Freddie Harris (DT), Ernest Reid (DL), Sean Conover (DE) and K.C. Asiodu (LB).

Only three of these players have NFL experience; Cord Parks played in two games recording one tackle. Sean Conover has played in 11 games with the Tennessee Titans recording ten tackles and K.C. Asiodu had eight tackles with the Rams last season. Thirty plus more players will be cut before the season starts so this is just the beginning. With the Rams picking up some veterans for depth and experience in the off season, some of the inexperienced players are going to have a hard time making the roster.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Four Rams Make Top 200 Fantasy Rankings

Today NFL.com released their 2010 Top 200 Fantasy Player rankings. With training camp 6 weeks out, and preseason games 2 months out, why not start talking fantasy football. The Rams managed to get four players into the top 200 rankings. Those four players are Steven Jackson (9), Donnie Avery (145), Laurent Robinson (170), and Sam Bradford (194).

It is nice to see our young players on this list but you can also see why the Rams are not viewed as a powerhouse. In Sam Bradford we have the 30th ranked QB. On one hand it is nice that he is ranked since he has not even thrown a pass in the NFL. On the other hand he most likely will be guarded with basically two rookie tackles, and has a very young and inexperienced wide receiver core to throw to.

Donnie Avery and Laurent Robinson come in ranked at 58th and 65th respectively. This means they are viewed as bottom tier #2 NFL caliber receivers. Hopefully Mardy Gilyard will be able to crack the lineup early and have some chemistry with Sam Bradford.

The one constant on the St. Louis Rams is Steven Jackson. Steven Jackson comes in as the 13th ranked player over all and 9th at the running back position. I think this is low for a player with 5 straight thousand yard rushing seasons along with 38+ receptions in each of those years as well.

The Rams still need more skill and depth as they have the least amount of players from the NFC West in the rankings. The Seattle Seahawks surprisingly lead with seven players followed by the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers with six.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Mark Setterstrom Out With Triceps Injury

Another Rams lineman, Mark Setterstrom is now down with an injury. Mark Setterstrom injured his elbow Friday in OTAs. It has now been found that Setterstrom has a torn triceps. This is the same torn triceps injury Mark had in 2009 that finished his season, this one most likely will end his 2010 season. With Jacob Bell already down with a knee injury and now Setterstrom out the Rams once again have huge offensive line issues. The Rams are already going to have issues trying to start rookies at both tackle positions, and now their depth at Guard is seriously in trouble. This is not the ideal situation for Sam Bradford to start.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Jason Smith Breaks Toe

The hits just keep coming to the St. Louis Rams offensive line. Jason Smith the Rams 1st round draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft is now down for the rest of OTAs with a fractured toe. It was disappointing in 2009 that Smith could only play in eight of the Rams contests, missing the other eight with knee and concussion problems. With the loss of starting LT Alex Barron in a trade to the Dallas Cowboys it is very important that Jason Smith gets in as much work as possible prior to the start of the 2010 NFL season. The St. Louis Rams report the stress fracture won’t require surgery. Rams fans need to be concerned. If the season started today the Rams would be forced to go with Phil Trautwein and Adam Goldberg at the tackle positions. We can't afford to play Sam Bradford behind this starting line can we?

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Rams Sign DT Chris Hovan

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Gerald McCoy as the #3 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft the writing was on the wall for veteran DT Chris Hovan. Hovan can provide solid play and tackling inside, but will not provide much pass rush. Chris is very durable, missing only four games in his 10 year NFL career. Chris has been a starter for the most part with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but should be in a rotation at DT with the Rams. Chris should provide leadership and some depth for the Rams. With young defensive tackles Clifton Ryan and Darell Scott the Rams will need solid play from veterans Fred Robbins and Chris Hovan.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Rams Will Retire Isaac Bruce's Number 80

The St. Louis Rams will retire the number 80 that Isaac Bruce wore proudly for 14 years as a member of the Rams organization. After being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1994 Bruce went on to a Hall of Fame 16 year career in the NFL. The Rams will honor Bruce on October 31 when they retire #80 against the Carolina Panthers. The Rams will wear their throwback GSOT jerseys that day. Hopefully the ceremony will be worthy of the great Isaac Bruce. Isaac Bruce gave St. Louis football fans their finest memory, his 73 yard game winning touchdown reception from Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXIV with 1:54 left to play.

Isaac Bruce should enter the Hall of Fame without issue as he is second in the NFL in career receiving yards with 15,208, tied for second in yards per catch (14.9), fifth in catches (1,024), and ninth in receiving touchdowns (91). All I can say is Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuce I will see you in five years in Canton Ohio.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

St. Louis Rams Trade For Isaac Bruce

Isaac Bruce was traded from the 49ers to the St. Louis Rams today. Bruce can now retire as a member of the St. Louis Rams. ESPN reports say the 49ers would receive a conditional 2012 draft pick if Bruce plays this season for St. Louis. Since Isaac Bruce is going to retire we basically were able to pick up Bruce for free. Nice to see the 49ers showing some class in this situation.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/

Second Round Pick Saffold Suffers Injury

Rodger Saffold the St. Louis Rams second-round draft pick suffered a sprained knee during practice. The Rams have stated they will sit him out for the remainder of the OTAs. With training camp less than two months away the Rams will take precautions. With Alex Barron gone to the Dallas Cowboys there is a lot of pressure for the Rams to get Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold out there to start on the O-line. With the knee injury to Saffold and the concussion issues Jason Smith had last year you have to be worried about possible reoccurring injuries that may happen. The Rams offensive line continues to be the weak link at the moment.

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com/