Just one day away from the Rams last preseason game and two days before the drastic roster cuts to get to that 53-man limit.  This makes it a very critical game for many players on the bubble fighting for their NFL careers.

The Rams have already bid 15 players auf Wiedersehen on Monday as well as a fond farewell to the embattled right tackle Jason Smith.  As previously reported the Jets and Rams more or less swapped struggling right tackles.

In fact, they were so fond of Smith that they picked up the $1.55 million dollar difference between Smith’s contract and Wayne Hunter‘s contract according to Howard Balzer.  Hunter is due $2.45 million in 2012 so basically the Rams fave Smith a parting gift to part ways with the 2009 first round pick

Although Hunter knows the offense already Rams general manager Les Snead said that he would not be playing in the game against the Ravens.  He’s “not quite ready.”

Coach Fisher also had this to say about the trade:

We’ve been talking to the Jets for a week or so. Things started to pick up and we just felt like it was a good deal for both teams and probably a better deal for both players – just a fresh start. So we went ahead and were able to put it together yesterday.

Spin it however you want it but the Rams just didn’t see Jason Smith working out and did what they had to do.  I guess that’s just the nature of the business.  Yes, it’s a game but first and foremost it’s about the bottom line – winning games.  (Okay, and money but I was just trying to be idealistic.)

So what can we expect in week 4 of the preseason?  Coach Fisher is a bit unorthodox in the sense that he had his starters play while most teams scale way back.

In general, yes, a little bit more. Possibly even through halftime in the first series of the third quarter.

Five Things I’ll Be Watching For Week 4 of the Preseason…

» Continue reading “Rams Preseason Week 4: Ravens At Rams Preview”

Jason Smith and @TamikaWilliams at Rams Fan Fest (Personal Photo)

Can’t a girl go away for an hour to make dinner? Geesh.  I have to feed my kids, you know.

I casually turn on my phone only to stumble upon the news that the Rams have traded away struggling right tackle Jason Smith.  Hooray?

Until I realized it was for the much talked about – and not in a good way – Jets Wayne Hunter.  I follow a lot of Jets folk and it was quite evident there were parallels between the two guys.  Most notably the fact both were relieved of their respective starting duties.  Smith was replaced by Barry Richardson and Hunter by Austin Howard.

Smith was due $4 million and Hunter $2.45 million for the 2012, saving the Rams $1.55 million in cap space.  More importantly the Rams were on the hook for a $11 million roster bonus in 2013 (which in no way they were going to pay, by the way…).  I doubt the Jets will either.

Still no word on whether there are draft picks involved in the trade.

The Rams are slowly becoming “Jets Midwest” with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, QB Kellen Clemens, C/G Robert Turner, TE Matt Mulligan, DE Vernon Gholston and now RT Wayne Hunter.

For what it’s worth, back up center Turner has worked out nicely in Scott Wells’ absence and TE Mulligan isn’t nearly as bad as my Jets tweeps were yelping about.

I for one will keep an open mind about Hunter.  Looks like Rams great Torry Holt thinks a change for Hunter might not be a bad idea either.

Torry Holt chimes in.

If anything Hunter has value as a jumbo tight end according to our Aerys Jets writer, Kristine.  Hey, there’s an upside.

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Rams RB Daryl Richardson (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Well that was interesting… I had five questions/things to watch and I think they were pretty much answered. Let’s just get into it, shall we?

What I learned from the Rams loss at Dallas:

1) They need to go back to fundamentals. For a team that is lead by a defensive minded head coach their tackling was atrocious. And that’s being nice. Even veterans like Cortland Finnegan were grabbing high (weird for a shorter-ish corner). I’d expect growing pains from the rookies Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson but Finnegan, Quintin Mikell, and Craig Dahl. C’mon guys. In all fairness, those guys did make some plays but the ones they missed were just maddening.

2) The 2011-2012 Sam Bradford reared his skittish head. No movement in the pocket just killed him in the first half. I know he’s still trying to shake the bad memories of being sacked 36 times in 10 games last season but he has to get more mobile. Which leads me to wonder if his doesn’t want to test out that ankle just yet. Wish Bradford had more “escapability.” He finished the night going 6 of 17 for 67 yards.

3) Daryl Richardson is the rookie RB we are excited about. At one point I had to ask myself who was the second round pick and who was the seventh round selection. Pead is still struggling to find open holes (or create them for himself) while Richardson is making headway. Both shared time with the ones and Richardson shined just a bit brighter. Pead finished the night 9 carries for 22 yards while Richardson went for 51 yards on 10 touches. At this point do we crown Richardson RB2? Pead hasn’t shown enough to say no.

» Continue reading “Rams Take A Step Back In 19-20 Loss To Dallas”

As the Rams head on down to the Jones Mahal this weekend to play the traditional all important third preseason game Coach Fisher said the following on how he balances the need to evaluate players fighting for roster spots with the need to keep fresh legs:

You have to use the practice field and you have to use the games. We do the best we can. We spend hours as a staff discussing play time, and how many snaps, and who’s going to play with whom and who needs this or who needs that. So you do the best you can under limited opportunities.

1) How does the offensive line look with Wells at center? At this point it may sound like a broken record but the offensive line.  Center Scott Wells will be returning to the playing field this week for QB Sam Bradford.  They are still developing chemistry but it will come along as time goes by.  But don’t expect too much playing time from Wells.  The Rams will be easing him into regular in-game snaps.  RT Barry Richardson took reps with the first team this week and I don’t expect that to change in the game. Looks like Jason Smith may have permanently lost the starting position.  The line did a good job protecting Bradford against the Chiefs but they will be facing a much more complex Rob Ryan defense in Dallas.

2) Will Isaiah Pead shake off the nerves and play better? (No more dropsies and being patient for blocks to develop.) With RB Steven Jackson about to see limited playing time I’ll be very interested in seeing how presumed back-up Isaiah Pead and third stringer Daryl Richardson look with the ones.  Pead looked a bit off kilter in the Kansas City game.  Holes closed up and he did a lot of back pedaling and side stepping.  His stat line of 6 carries for negative 5 yards for one TD reflect the kind of day he had.  Richardson, on the other hand, made a smoother transition from the practice field to the playing field – 8 carries for 35 yards.  Quick, decisive, and made the most of the small gaps he found.  Is his success a function of going up against the twos and threes?  This week’s game should give us a clearer answer.

» Continue reading “Preseason Week 3: Rams At Cowboys Preview”

It’s that time of the year Rams fans.  The Governor’s Cup is up for grabs in the Show Me State once again.  The Rams will host the Kansas City Chiefs at the Dome in hopes of keeping the Cup on the east side of Missouri.

But don’t expect Coach Fisher to all out just to win the hardware.  He has a bigger picture in mind.  He’s more about the winning the war than winning a battle.  If you thought last week’s game in Indianapolis was vanilla then this week will be French vanilla – more or less the same but with a slightly stronger flavor.  But don’t take my word for it.  As of Thursday the players really didn’t know how much playing time they’d see on Saturday either.

Quarterback Sam Bradford on whether they have a game plan for the Chiefs.

We really haven’t talked about the game yet, so if I had to imagine, it would probably be the same game plan as last week. Probably very simple, but they haven’t told us so until they do that, everything’s live. But I’d imagine they probably want to keep it pretty simple.

Running back Steven Jackson echoed the sentiment.

I’m not quite sure. We’re actually going to start talking about game scenario and playing time tomorrow. I expect to be out there a little bit more than we were out Game 1.

What I’ll be watching for

» Continue reading “Preseason Week 2: Chiefs At Rams Preview”

Rams OT Jason Smith. 10/23/11 (Courtesy of STLouisRams.com)

With many NFL teams starting to roll out their first team depth charts it seems like the Rams are doing the exact opposite.  Especially when it comes to the offensive line.

Are the Rams trying to keep everyone else guessing or is it that they themselves are not sure who plugs up which gap?

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with competition and using that edge but at some point I’d like to see some of these moving segments come together to form a real line.

It’d also be nice to see that line hold so quarterback Sam Bradford doesn’t get a close up view of the playing surface compared to his first two years in the Rams backfield.

Jim Fadler’s Practice Report –Aug. 9

Jim Fadler (a.k.a. @jimirmsboy) has an excellent review of Thursday’s Rams Camp.  Here are his notes about the offensive line.

Focus of much angst and fury today in the local press. Honestly when I have focused on the line it has not by and large been on (Jason) Smith. What I have seen of him was a vast improvement over some of his previous pass blocking. He has always had a balance and footwork problem which (offensive line coach Paul) Boudreau interprets as attacking too much and not letting the play come to him.

(Barry) Richardson has talent but has always lacked discipline. In the past his play has been erratic and resembles our old friend Alex Barron in terms of penalties.

Joe Long took most of the reps at left tackle with Kevin Hughes and Rok(evious Watkins) at guards. Tim Barnes who whiffed badly several times in running plays played center and Ryan Mckee and Jose Valdez split reps at right tackle. The ones and twos got in there early but those guys took the majority of the reps.  Read more at Rams_News.com >>>>

» Continue reading “Pigskin Cover 3: Friday Edition”

August 3, 2012 Training Camp (Courtesy of STLouisRams.com)

All hail the glorious football gods.  Thursday night we get our second taste of the NFL.  Scheduled are six match ups as follows:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 09^TH

7:00PMET - REDSKINS    AT BILLS  

7:30PMET - RAVENS    AT FALCONS  

7:30PMET - SAINTS    AT PATRIOTS  

7:30PMET - STEELERS    AT EAGLES  

8:00PMET - PACKERS    AT CHARGERS    – ESPN

8:30PMET - BRONCOS    AT BEARS  

Albeit with replacement referees but the Packers at Chargers on ESPN so that’s what I’ll be tuning into.  The Rams play the Packers on October 21 for those of you who are asking.  I’m still debating whether getting Preseason LIVE is worth it – $20 for all the preseason games online.  I got it last year and watched a handful of games.  We’ll see…

Now onto today’s Rams links.

» Continue reading “Pigskin Cover 3: Thursday Edition”

Rams Mini-Camp June 2012 (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Here are some first hand observations from Rams mini-camp which was held June 14-16 in Earth City. (The weather pretty much held up the first couple of days. They were especially nice because Tuesday and Wednesday they took place late afternoon. Thursday’s practice was midday so the heat seemed a bit worse.)

From the first day of mini-camp: Tuesday

– DNP and/or limited action: Center Scott Wells (excused absence as well as what coach Jeff Fisher finally said was partly due to a knee scope; Wells is expected back healthy in time for training camp), cornerback Cortland Finnegan (who was seen leaving OTAs last week with a left hand injury), and tight ends Mike Hoomanawanui (did light workouts on the sidelines) and Lance Kendricks (left practice with an apparent hand injury, according to Rams writer Nick Wagoner).

– Undrafted free-agent rookie running back Nick Schweiger made his full-squad debut today as Dartmouth finally graduated its seniors over the weekend.

– Speaking of Schweiger, he and fellow rookie running back Isaiah Pead looked to be getting some extra reps as they both play catch-up after missing a good chunk of OTAs.

– Sam Bradford and wide receiver Greg Salas connected on what looked like a beautiful fingertip catch by Salas. The Hawaii product also showed some tight footwork during the catch.

–It looked like tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold were getting some good work (not full contact) in this afternoon – a very good sign for Bradford.

» Continue reading “NOTES FROM RAMS JUNE 2012 MINI-CAMP”

Kellen Clemens (Courtesy of STLouisRams.com)

“Comfortability” with Schottenheimer

Eleven days in December. That’s all newly signed quarterback Kellen Clemens had to bite off and digest an abridged yet complex Josh McDaniels playbook before getting his first NFL start in two years.

Clemens played a good game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 considering the circumstances. He threw for 25 completions on 36 attempts for 229 yards and led the Rams on a late-game charge by throwing a 25-yard touchdown to wide receiver Danario Alexander.

But alas, the Rams came up just a bit short and lost the game 20-13. Clemens finished out the season as the Rams starter while Sam Bradford nursed his high ankle sprain and A.J. Feeley sat with a broken thumb.

Now fast forward to OTAs in June of 2012. McDaniels is now back in New England at his old post as Bill Belichick’s right-hand man and the Rams reunite Clemens with his former offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, from his days with the Jets.  Clemens spent five seasons (2006-2010) with Schottenheimer in New York backing up Chad Pennington, Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez.

So how much of those experiences translate into the 2012 offensive playbook that the Rams are installing right now? I would have thought it was more similar than different but it’s not that simple. Schottenheimer has different pieces to work with here, unlike those in New York.

“I think there’s certainly some carry over offensively,” Clemens said. “Schotty has done a very good job of adapting what he does to what Sam (Bradford) does well and what’s here. He’s always done a very good job of putting the playmakers that he has in the best situation possible to make plays.  He’s doing that. There are some tweaks and some different wrinkles that we’ve got going on here.”

» Continue reading “One-On-One With Rams QB Kellen Clemens”

Rams OT Jason Smith. 10/23/11 (Courtesy of STLouisRams.com)

In years past my son has expressed interest in playing football but I’ve always managed to talk him out of it.  I found myself steering him towards safer sports such as swimming.  Right or wrong, that was the decision my husband and I made because we felt he was too young to fully analyze all the pros and cons.

But now he is old enough to have a chance at playing real tackle football.  He’s big, strong and intelligent – characteristics to get him noticed by the school coaching staff.  Organized football definitely has its redeeming qualities: discipline, life lessons and camaraderie amongst other things.  So am I amiss to secretly hope he’s not discovered?

Don’t get me wrong, as a fan; I love the game of football.  I love watching the game of football.  I spend countless hours on various football related activities – fantasy football leagues, Twitter, writing, etc.  Although I haven’t directly played the game it has changed my life for the better.  I wouldn’t be the female sports fanatic I am today.  I am very thankful for the blessings because of football.

Which brings me back to my title.  I love football, just not for my son.

» Continue reading “I Love Football, Just Not For My Son”