After trading UP from 16 to 8 to nab WVU WR Tavon Austin the Rams decide to trade down from 22 with Les Snead’s former team the Atlanta Falcons for their 30th pick per Jim Thomas.

The Rams use this pick to fill one of their many needs in the form of Georgia LB Alec Ogletree.

Jim Thomas (@jthom1) tweets

Here is Ogletree‘s breakdown via NFL.com -

I love Les Snead’s gambler mentality and the fact that Coach Fisher is ready and willing to be his partner in crime.

Rams fans weren’t sure what to truly expect from the first night of the draft but it’s clear that the Rams came out a more exciting team after the two picks.

Mock no more, St. Louis Rams fans. The real 2013 NFL Draft is finally here. Or in other words, Merry Draftmas!

Rams GM Les Snead and Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

After months of speculation, misinformation, and smoke and mirrors (you get the point) we know who the newest additions to the Rams herd.

Hours leading up to the bewitching hour rumors of the Rams trading UP to grab WVU WR Tavon Austin picked up steam and had Rams fan in a tizzy.

Usually where there’s smoke there’s also fire but during draft week it could all be just that, smoke.

But not this time.

With @Wynnde13 banging the table and giving Les Snead an earful the past few weeks it looks like he took her advice.

The cost of the trade? Rams swap first round picks with Buffalo, Rams give up their second, swap third round picks, and give up a seventh round pick per Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas.

From @KaraHenderson Snead just moments after the Rams pick. Enough said.

Kara Henderson Snead’s Tavon Austin Tweet

Here is the official St. Louis Rams write up on Austin.

Enjoy the pick while you can because the Rams still have pick #22 on tap. –> They need to trade down and recoup a second round pick.

The second most anticipated NFL day in April has finally arrived. Today is the day where we start blocking off our fall and early winter schedules around the key games of our favorite teams. After all, isn’t that what we all do?

So without further delay here is the path to the 2013-2014 post-season for your St. Louis Rams.

2013-2014 Rams Schedule per NFL.com

1) Two. Count them two nationally televised prime time games within the division and both AT HOME at the Edward Jones Dome. Week 4 vs. the 49ers for Thursday Night Football and then in Week 8 vs. the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.

2) For the love of Peets Coffee please stop scheduling the Rams at Seahawks in Week 17. Yuck. It’s not the division tradition that most Rams fans are looking for.

3) There are three back-to-back away games. It’s not a huge deal but sometimes it comes down to those little things. Coach Fisher should serve up personalized fruit smoothies to make those stretches more bearable. (Yes, that’s a knock on Chip Kelly.)

4) The bye at Week 11 works nicely. The Rams (or any other team for that matter) could use a break by that point in the season.

5) The Rams get a very short turnaround between Week 4 at Dallas on 9/22 to their first prime time match on 9/26 when they host the 49ers for Thursday Night Football. That’s a tough week.

6) Week 2 at Atlanta will be an interesting game with Steven Jackson playing in a uniform other than the blue and gold.

At Last Jake Long has come along
Our waiting days are over
And life is like a song

Ohh yeah yeah
At Last the skies above are blue
Our hearts as wrapped up in clovers
The night the Rams signed you

…

Ohh yeah yeah…
You smile, you smile
And then the offer was cast
And here we are in football heaven
For you are the Rams’ At Last

(Adapted from “At Last” by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren.)

I had already scheduled my #Whilewaiting4Jake tweet to go out early Monday morning to give Rams Nation an update. After all who in the world gives free agency updates close to midnight CDT? Apparently the “sources” at the NFL owners meeting in Arizona that’s who. Uh, thanks?

Former Miami Dolphin Offensive Tackle Jake Long. (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

The first tweet I saw come across my timeline at 11:22 p.m. was “Jake Long a Ram.”

» Continue reading “At Last… Jake Long Is A St. Louis Ram”

Well there you have it. If there was any doubt in your mind the Rams are going in a new and unknown direction heading into the 2013 season you shouldn’t any more.

Within a matter of a few days three of the biggest Rams free agents were signed to three different teams – the two wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson and running back Steven Jackson.

Amendola was snatched away by the New England Patriots, Gibson took his talents and baggage to South Beach to join the Dolphins and Jackson packed up and headed down to Hotlanta.

(There’s a Craig Dahl teaser at the end of the post. Muhahaha.)

Steven Jackson trades in his Rams horns for Dirty Bird wings.

Jackson signed a three year, $12 million contract with $4 million in guaranteed money. His salary, if he had remained at Ram, would have been $7 million for 2013. Obviously, the Rams weren’t about to pay him a “bell cow” type salary for playing in a committee of running backs. But it wasn’t about the money according to Jackson.

Atlanta Falcons RB Steven Jackson (Courtesy AtlantaFalcons.com)

For all the lean years he stuck it out in St. Louis I for one am happy for Jackson. He finally has a chance to win a post season game and possibly even to the big game, a Super Bowl.

It’s going to be über strange seeing him in something other than Rams blue and gold but I wish him nothing but success. May your new wings take to higher ground and loftier places.

Not too many people believed me when I said…

This per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Falcons have had their eyes on Jackson for quite some time. In fact, they were at exploring the possibility of trading for him near the NFL trading deadline in October, but nothing materialized. As a result, Jackson finished out his ninth season as a Ram.

My conspiracy theory about Steven Jackson seems a lot more plausible now, doesn’t it?

» Continue reading “Rams Free Agency Fast Five – Part Three”

If day one of Rams free agency was about the big splash (Jared Cook) then day two can be summed up in three words: Long. Physical. Wait.

Rams fans were losing their minds waiting for the white smoke to appear from the top of Rams Park hoping that they would know either way what had happened with Miami Dolphin free agent left tackle Jake Long. Both Long and Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas were at Rams Park getting poke and prodded to make sure their respective injury prone parts checked out.

Tight end Jared Cook officially signs with the Rams.

Rams Tight End Jared Cook signing his new contract at Rams Park (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

For all you salary cap buffs out there here are the specifics. As announced Monday morning, Cook received a 5-year, $31.5 million contract with $19 million guaranteed. His contract could go up to $38.5 million with incentives.

Now we need to get him a good nickname. I’ve seen the hashtag #TopChef from @STLouisRams. What do you think?

How many hours does it take for Jake Long to get his physical?

Apparently way too Long. (See what I did there.)

“Long Watch” was just that. It began around 7:00 a.m. St. Louis time with Rams fans hanging on each and every Jim Thomas tweet. Every once and a while we’d see an update from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network saying it’s still going. Meanwhile, all I can think of is, “Are we there yet?”

» Continue reading “Rams Free Agency Fast Five – Day Two”

With the first day of NFL free agency in the books this is what we know.

The St. Louis Rams seem to have the Miami Dolphins number (at least personnel wise.) The Dolphins keep losing ex-Titans to the Rams. First, Coach Jeff Fisher and now it appears they have missed out on tight end Jared Cook. The off field tug-o-war stands at Rams 2: Dolphins bupkis.

1) The Rams have agreed to terms with former Tennessee Titans tight end Jared Cook.

It’s a five-year deal and according to a tweet citing long time Tennessee Titan beat writer Jim Wyatt as his source Cook’s deal is worth $35.1 million. No word yet on how much of that is guaranteed though.

This is a little too rich for my blood and it definitely takes Cook out of the Nordstrom category of $5 million – $6 million range and places him up in Neiman Marcus territory of $7+ million. The Rams definitely went with the luxury signing on Tuesday.

New Rams TE Jared Cook (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Here’s a quick bio blast on Jared Cook Jr. Cook is a 6 ft. 5 in., 248 lb. 25 year old, 5th year player who was selected by Jeff Fisher in the 3rd round (89th pick overall) of the 2009 draft. There’s no doubt Fisher had a hand in convincing Cook to choose the Rams over the Miami Dolphins. Déjà vu anyone?

This per Jim Thomas:

Cook has freakish athletic skills, including 4.49 speed in the 40. He’s not much of a blocker, and lined up frequently in the slot for the Titans.

» Continue reading “Rams Free Agency Fast Five”

Bam. Bam.

In a matter of about four hours Monday afternoon the landscape of the NFC West changed for the 2013 season and beyond.

First, the disgruntled Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin was traded to Seattle (or as some of us call it Vikings Northwest: See Nate Burleson, Sidney Rice, Tavaris Jackson, and their current OC Darrelle Bevell.) for this year’s first round and seventh round picks as well as a mid- round pick in 2014.

Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports writes that Harvin’s vote of no confidence in Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was one of the factors in requesting the trade. Sam Ponder is on line one for you, Mr. Harvin. I doubt she’d chew you out like Mrs. Brady, so you’re lucky.

Don’t get me wrong Harvin has great on-field upside. He’s only 24 and when not battling migraines and other injuries he’s a very explosive receiver and return guy. But off the field, it’s the team that suffers from headaches stemming from stories of his massive egomania. 

Good luck with that Pete Carroll.

But just as Twitter was just starting to break down and digest the Harvin news Jim Harbaugh ordered up a trade that would surely give Rams defenders a second case of heartburn.

The 49ers received wide receiver Anquan Boldin (Nicknamed simply as “Q”) from his brother John’s team, the Baltimore Ravens, in exchange for a sixth round pick.

Kevin Demoff, Les Snead, Jeff Fisher (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

But before you ask for the Pepto Bismol think about this. Other than the obvious issue of his advanced age (32 years old) and his $6 million price tag, why wouldn’t other teams make an offer? Actually, one other team did and it was the Minnesota Vikings. They were only willing to surrender a seventh round pick. I see a big red flag there.

Nonetheless, these two moves had many Rams fans in a tizzy. The Seahawks and 49ers had not only taken a run at but had secured two of the most highly talked about receiving weapons during recent weeks.

WWTRD? (What would the Rams do?)

» Continue reading “Rams Were Smart To Avoid The Free Agency Pre-Sale Frenzy”

The highly anticipated free agency period, arguably the craziest week in the NFL, is finally upon us. So get ready to hunker down in front of your computer and make sure your favorite Twitter app up and functioning properly. Once Tuesday, March 12, 3:00 p.m. CDT gets here you’re not going to want to miss a single tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and your favorite NFL team beat writer. (If you’re a Rams fan then you’re just waiting for Jim Thomas’ tweets.)

I think this new “legal tampering” window that the NFL instituted at midnight Saturday is laughable at best. Under the new guidelines teams are given permission to converse with certified agents of opposing teams free agents with the league’s blessings. BUT…

It is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to, or to be offered to, any prospective Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the start of the new League Year.

I know the league isn’t so naive to think that discussions aren’t already going on behind closed doors and over the airwaves. Inquiries and dialogue, albeit informal, have been taking places for weeks. The NFL underwear Olympics (scouting combine) isn’t the only thing that takes place in Indianapolis in late February.

» Continue reading “Things I Think: St. Louis Rams Pre-Free Agency Edition”

There’s no doubt of my affections for the Rich Eisen Podcast (REP). I listen to it every week and over the years it’s easily become my favorite NFL related iPod listens. It’s the perfect combination of everything NFL and pop culture so if that’s right up your alley then this is the podcast for you.

So it was a very pleasant surprise when I saw that this week’s episode had NFL Network’s Rich Eisen’s sit down with St. Louis Rams head coach and NFL Competition Committee member Jeff Fisher for the REP’s Combine Special.

They chat about Coach Fisher’s first year in St. Louis, the NFL scouting combine, and a few other important Rams topics.

St. Louis Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher on The Rich Eisen Podcast.

Rich Eisen: How do you rank your first year in St. Louis?

» Continue reading “St. Louis Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher On The Rich Eisen Podcast”