Looks like a rainy one today in St. Louis.  Grab a cup or two of coffee and let’s go through some of the news around the league, shall we?

The Rams very own first round pick, rookie DE Robert Quinn.  His second quarter block of Morstead’s punt lead to the Rams scoring on a 3-yard TD by Steven Jackson.  The Rams built upon their lead 10-0 with about a minute to play in the first half.

We are getting to see Robert Quinn starting to get loose and more comfortable with his roles on the team.  He also recorded two solo tackles and a sack on Drew Brees.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says quarterback Kevin Kolb feels like a “weenie” for being sidelined by a turf-toe injury.

Who uses the word “weenie” anymore?  Apparently, Kevin Kolb does.

Remember the free agent signing of WR Mike Sims-Walker?

The Rams released Mike Sims-Walker during the bye and he resigned with his old team the Jacksonville Jaguars.  But only two weeks and one catch later we learned yesterday that he was placed on IR with a knee injury.  We wish him a speedy recovery.

That would explain these crytpic tweets from Tuesday:

Cryptic Tweet #1

Cryptic Tweet #2

Looks like Mr. Brandon Lloyd brought the rainy Denver weather with him when he touched down in St.. Louis last night.  It actually looks more like a Seattle winter out there today but don’t let the rain get you down.  Today promises to be a fun and exciting day for NFL fans.

Rams land Lloyd (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

The NFL trade deadline is 3:00 p.m. Central time so there should be lots of news to cover today on Twitter.

Oh!  See it’s already starting.  Jay Glazer is reporting that hell froze over in Cincinnati.

Trey Wingo called a trade by the stubborn Bengals owner, Mike Brown, last week during his “Bold Predictions” segment in NFL LIVE.  I didn’t believe him and he himself seemed surprised to be right.

Carson Palmer to the Raiders

Trade deadlines are usually a bore.

Andrew Brandt probably didn’t see the Carson Palmer trade coming when he wrote this.  Then again, I’m sure very few of us saw it coming.  A good read none the less about the trade deadline from a person whose been in the thick of it.

The Rams were ahead of the deadline date and made some big moves yesterday:

Rams trade a conditional 6th round draft pick for Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd

Rams get a great deal for Brandon Lloyd who should be able to easily pick up where he left off with former HC Josh McDaniels.  Expect Lloyd to play against the Cowboys this Sunday.

Unfortunately, the QB that he was looking forward to catching passes from might be on the sidelines.  Sam Bradford is reported to have a high ankle sprain and has been spotted in a walking boot after the game.  It might be A.J. Feeley getting the start in Dallas.

@mrblloyd

Rams release WR Mike Sims-Walker to make room for newly acquired WR Brandon Lloyd

I guess we had an idea something was up when MSW was declared inactive for the game in Green Bay.  Here is his good bye tweet:

Mike Sims-Walker

Good luck to you, Sky.  You were all class.

Can’t wait to see what the rest of the day holds.  Do you guys predict any other surprise moves?

Hey guys~

I was thinking about starting a new thing for Tuesdays called “Twitter Tuesday” but it is dead quiet on my timeline.  Usually there are at least a few Rams players saying, “Good morning” or “Rise and grind” but today – nothing.  Not even Mike Sims-Walker with his daily

MSW's morning greeting

Could it be that they are just avoiding Twitter during the bye week?  Would you blame them after the first four weeks?

I wonder if Spags put out an unofficial gag order.  I wouldn’t be too surprised.

Looks like the bye week came at a good time for the Rams.

Howard Balzer seems to think so, too.  Mr. B. outlines what Spags went over during his presser yesterday.  Self-scouting and getting back to basics was the main focus.  Believe me, there’s lots to work on and not enough time.

Along those lines, the Rams have to use this bye week to find their identity. 

Mike Sando echoes what I think I said a couple of weeks back – the Rams suffer from a lack of who they are with all these injuries.

Is Spags’ mild demeanor what the team really needs right now?

Jeff Gordon understands where Spags is coming from but I think we all can see it’s not working.  Something else needs to be done.

It’s going to be a long 13 days for the Rams and Rams fans.  Hopefully, they can come out on the other end of those 13 days with some answers.

And to lighten the mood…

Are you guys Words with Friends addicts?  If you are, this is for you.  I’m not a Scrabble fan.  I’m more of a Bejeweled Blitz type of person.  This is still funny though.  Thanks to @JerodMorris for sharing this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPdm0-JM_z0&feature=player_embedded

Is it me or didn’t the Redskins pay the Rams a visit last year too?  What unnatural forces in the football world bring the same team (not in the same division) back again the very next year?  After some digging around I found Sunday will be the fourth meeting in four years.

Redskins vs. Rams (2008- )

The Redskins are coming off a short week and a painful fourth quarter loss (18-16) on MNF against their division rival Dallas Cowboys.  Despite the quick turnaround time for the game against the Rams, they will be looking for redemption.

The Rams on the other hand, need to take advantage of the Redskins’ truncated preparation week and win their first game of the season.

This is week 4 and the first quarter of the season is already about gone.  Or you can think of it as “the Rams are half way through their hellish first eight weeks of the season” if you’re of the glass is half full disposition.

This also marks the second time Redskins defensive coordinator and former Rams DC/interim HC Jim Haslett returns to St. Louis since he was passed over for the official head coaching position in 2009.

Jim Haslett phoned in to 101ESPN’s “Zach and the Coach” this morning and was very cordial and pleasant.  Do not expect this to transfer over to the game.  Do not let his mild phone demeanor fool you.  He’s going to bring the blitz and bring it often.

The Redskins will blitz – and blitz a lot.

Heads up!  Keep your eyes out for their LB tandem of former Ram London Fletcher and rookie LB Ryan Kerrigan (who happens to be on my fantasy team, thank you.)  And don’t forget about their safety duo of former Ram OJ Atogwe and the beastly Dirty Thirty (LaRon Landry).

The thought of Sam Bradford getting planked by LaRon Landry makes me cringe.  Have you seen this guy?  Scary doesn’t even begin to describe the fear.  The O-line once again (and I sound like a broken record) has to protect Sam Bradford.  It will be especially important for the backs and TE’s to pick up the blitzes.

On the flip side, Bradford has to know when to just throw it away and save his own butt.  He can’t keep taking these hits.  We don’t want another viewing of the A.J. Feeley Show, now do we?

The Rams need to get the running game back on track.

Steven Jackson has to come and take some of the pressure off of the passing game.  Sounds like he’s good to go this Sunday so that’s good news.  You can’t help but think how different the Rams record would be if he hadn’t gotten injured in the first game.

I still expect Cadillac Williams to get his decent share of touches but Steven Jackson will be expected to carry most of the heavy load.  The Redskins are giving up an average of 97.7 yards per game (11th overall in the league) and allowed Cowboys RB Felix Jones a season high 115 yards on 14 carries.  This is where the Rams have to attack the Redskins defense.  The running game needs to help keep the Rams out of third and long.

I’m not holding my breath in regards to the Rams cornerbacks.

This situation may get worse before it gets better.  The Rams brought in the veteran cornerback Rod Hood who’s coming off of a season ending ACL injury and missed the entire 2010 season.  They’ve also added Josh Gordy to help fill up the holes.

Justin King will be out there again this week.  It can’t get any worse than last week, right?  The kid is going to get some thick skin and an even shorter memory to be a cornerback in this league.

They will be guarding the likes of WR’s Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney as well as the Redskins TE’s Chris Cooley and my fantasy TE2, Fred Davis.

Which Rams receiver will step it up this week?

Sounds like Danny Amendola will sit out again this Sunday opening the door for one and/or both rookie receivers Austin Pettis and Greg Salas to get some much needed playing time.

But it’s going to be one of the older WR’s who’s going to make an impact.  Show us what you’ve got, Mike Sims-Walker.  Show us why Billy Devaney and Spags brought you here.

Sexy Rexy will be the wild card in the game.

If “Good Rex” a la week 1 shows up the Rams secondary will get lit up.  He showed flashes of brilliance against the Giants and had us convinced he was better than John Beck.  But if “Bad Rex” rears his ugly mug then we have a good chance at winning the game.

With Rex Grossman you just never know which version is going to suit up.

Washington Redskins QB Rex Grossman (Stats from ESPN)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but with all that being said I believe Rex Grossman and the Redskin receivers will take advantage of the Rams secondary and win 24-14.  The Rams will go 0-4 into their bye week and will lots to ponder.

Rams Huddle 09/01/11 (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Good morning!

I usually don’t say TGIF but it seems appropriate today.  What a weird and long week it’s been and am glad that the weekend is finally here.  That and the fact my son returns from camp this afternoon.  Maybe that’s the real reason why Friday seemed so far away in my mind.  Guess I’m not ready to let go just yet.  I’m sure he was just fine and had a blast.  It’s always harder for those who are left behind so to speak.

What is everyone planning to do this weekend other than watch the Rams take on the Ravens?

Do you know what enhances pre-game experience as well as after the last snap?  Following your favorite Rams players on Twitter.  You’d be surprised at all that goes on in the minds of the players leading up to the battle and afterwards.

It’s been a very long time since done a Rams Follow Friday so here’s an extensive list of all the current Rams players I could drum up for you guys.

Of course in no particular order:

@CraigDahl43                             @brit_miller_td                     @Austin_Pettis                    @RobertLeeQuinn

@JakeMcQuaide                         @jrLaurinaitis                        @JNellyyy                             @D_Alexander84

@JoshHull56                               @Male_Hines7                       @GregSalas1                         @CL9ONE

@sj39                                            @MarkClayton89                   @Bgibson04                         @DomCurry_15

@Hooman86                                @QMikell27                            @MikeSimsWalker             @Rodger_Saffold

Here are a few others you should definitely be following from the Rams organization:

@STLouisRams                            @kdemoff                                @stlrampage

Please let me know if I’ve missed someone in the comment box below and I’ll add him to the list.

Bittersweet.

I’m trying to come up with something to start out this post and this is the word that pops into my mind as I’m reading players’ tweets.

I can drudge through the stats and plays but the emotions of the game and the significance of what’s about to happen in the next 48 hours weigh heavy.  I can’t imagine what the players are thinking, feeling right now as they await their fate.

Have they shown enough in the past 4 weeks to make the team?  Did some of them just play their way off the roster tonight?

Even Steven Jackson, despite the perfect 4-0 preseason record, has the roster cuts on his mind.  SJ had 3 carries for 7 yds, with the longest run gaining 6 yds.  Short, sweet, and done for the night.

RB #39 - Steven Jackson

I was hoping WR Mike Sims-Walker would get his few catches in the limelight and show Jacksonville what they lost.  But he wasn’t afforded the chance – no targets in the game.

During half time he was asked about this return to Jacksonville:

It’s weird, but it feels good. Over the past four years, I built a lot of relationships and a lot of good friends. The fans gave me a lot of support and the Jacksonville organization gave me a lot of support. I thank them for it.

MSW took the high road:

WR #10 - Mike Sims-Walker

More players chime in on the next few days.  Again, they’re glad preseason is over but sad to see guys have to leave.

S #43 - Craig Dahl

MLB #55 - James Laurinaitis

I wouldn’t want to trade places with the actual guys who are awaiting news.  It’s got to be killing them!  Sleeping tonight seems too good to be true.

So what do they do in the meantime?  They tweet, of course.

WR #83 Third Round Draft Pick - Austin Pettis

Almost any other season a third round draft pick would have little doubt about his roster status.  But as we all know, this hasn’t been anything close to a typical off season.  Pettis is a bit nervous because he hasn’t produced a whole lot during these preseason games.

3 total targets, one catch for 6 yds.  Yeah, you read that correctly.  He did see some limited special teams time but your guess is as good as mine.  Personally, I think the kid deserves a chance to show what he can do and I’m sticking by it.

Austin Pettis’ mom was at the game two weeks ago against the Titans, literally cheering at the top of her lungs as he made his first NFL catch.  She was ready to burst.  I had a brief conversation with her afterwards and she was still beside herself.  She was beyond proud.

I can almost picture her right now.  As much as he’s nervous, as evident in his tweet,  she has to be a thousand times more anxious.

Then there are guys who know it’s out of their hands now and in the hands of others – whether it be God’s or those of Spags and Billy Devaney.

In Fendi Onobun’s case his fate is actually might rest in the calf muscle of fellow TE Mike Hoomanawanui.  Big Mike stayed behind in St. Louis and didn’t even make the trip due to his injury.  The Rams may decide to keep Fendi around to play along side Lance Kendricks in those two TE formations.

TE #48 - Fendi Onobun

Now, cue the Carly Simon’s song in the Heinz ketchup commercial I used to see on TV.

WR Danario Alexander is another one of those on the bubble guys.  He caught 7 balls out of 12 targets for a total of 109 yds.  A big chunk of that 109 came tonight on a 4th quarter 43-yd pass from Thaddeus Lewis.  He turned it on towards the end of the game but I wonder if it’s just a little bit too late for DX.

WR #84 - Danario Alexander

Ah, Dom…  I caught a glimpse of WR Dominique Curry standing behind Spags during the game.  Uniform pristine and clean from not having gotten any playing time.  Helmet off and just watching the other players at least get a chance a prove themselves.

Dom probably knows he’s one of the many odd men out come Saturday.  You can’t help but wonder how different things could have been if he hadn’t broken his hand earlier during training camp.

Sounds like to me he’s already saying farewell to his bros.

WR #15 - Dominique Curry

And we finish with a reply back from another potential casualty of this weekend.

I for one really like RB Keith Toston and thought he did really well during camp and in the games.  But with an already crowded backfield Toston might get lost in the shuffle.  I still hope he can make the team somehow.

He has some positive inspiration for everyone:

RB #38 - Keith Toston

It’s late.  1:15 a.m. to be exact.  It’s been an extremely long day yet the next 48 hours will seem even longer as we all wait to hear the final countdown to 53.

Good luck guys and like Toston said even if you don’t make it here, “keep ya head up and keep climbing.”

It’s a travel day for the Rams as they make their way to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars tomorrow night in one of the most crucial preseason games.

The preseason record means diddly poo (Thank you, Jim Mora Sr.) to most, as it should.  It doesn’t mean jack.  The important aspect of tomorrow night’s game: getting out of Jacksonville without any more injuries.

Along those injury lines the question on everyone’s mind at this point in the preseason is, “How much playing time should the starters get?”  Spags thinks they will see a little more action on the field than the usual fourth preseason game.

Well, we’re talking about a quarter, the first quarter or 15, 20, 23, 25 plays something like that. I don’t like to put a number on it because it will kind of be a ‘feel’ thing during the game. Generally if you feel like they’ve gotten some good work in and it’s 20 plays they’re out. I think it will be a little bit more than a normal fourth preseason game.

One starter who will be limited in his role is LB James Laurinaitis.  He suffered a set back with a pectoral muscle strain and most likely will not see much playing time.  Why risk further injury to your star defensive player?  He’s said to be a game time decision.  Me?  I wouldn’t risk it.

I have Laurinaitis emerging as the Rams defensive star this year so this pec injury could put a damper on things.  His back-up Josh Hull should be seeing more playing time with the first team as a result.

Another potential starter who didn’t even make the trip to Jacksonville is TE Mike Hoomanawanui who has a strained calf muscle.  This makes his chances of making the team very precarious.

The Rams already seems stretched to keep other receivers without having to worry about whether to nurse along player.  But Big Mike is a team favorite so we’ll have to see what they end up doing with him.

Will the age old training camp question of “Who will make up the WR corp?” be answered on Thursday night?  Which guys do the Rams keep?

The shoe-in’s should get the first quarter reps and the rest of the game should be the bubble guys.  This will most likely be their last chance to give the coaches something positive to think about when making those roster cuts.

One WR who wants to leave an impression is Mike Sims-Walker.  But it has nothing to do with making the team because he’s one of those slam dunks. MSW wants to go out there and show the Jaguars what they’re missing – giving them a reason to seriously regret letting him go this off-season.

It’s definitely bittersweet, I still have that, I don’t call it a chip, I call it a crack.  I have a crack on my shoulder. A chip is not big enough for what I got right now.

Look for MSW to make at least one TD to send a message to the Jaguars organization.

The Jaguars are suffering from one thing the Rams don’t have to worry about – the quarterback position. Their starting QB David Garrard is ailing from a sore back and has missed some preseason action.

His rookie back-up Missouri’s own Blaine Gabbert has shown that he’s not quite ready to take the reigns.  Here’s where I insert my obligatory, “Thank goodness for Sam Bradford.” comment.

With the passing game in doubt look for the Jags to get RB Maurice Jones-Drew and their running game (RB Rashad Jennings) into high gear.  MJD, himself, is coming off a season ending injury from last year so we’ll get to see how he’s healed up since.  We’ll just try and forget how he called out Jay Cutler about his MCL when MJD was sitting at home not in the game.  But I digress…

Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Team Stats

As you can see the Jags were not so hot in the defensive standings.  Pretty much rock bottom in giving up passing yards.  This should make for an interesting game since we have so many WR’s to look at.

The Rams lead the overall preseason series, 2-0 and the overall regular season series, 2-1.

Like I said, the records don’t mean much.  I’m just hoping we come back with no additional injuries.

@MarkClayton89

In an interesting turn of events, WR Mark Clayton just announced on Twitter he has re-signed with the Rams.

Wow!  I didn’t see that one coming this soon.  I imagined this may have happened during the season but not right before the big cut week just.

Howard Balzer said he’s talked to Mark Clayton.  According to Clayton he’s not quite ready to play.  He will not be joining the team in Jacksonville and will be at Rams Park when the team returns from the last preseason game.

So what does this mean?  Does he start out the year in PUP and miss the first 6 weeks?  More importantly, who is going to get cut to make room for Clayton?

Here we go again.  Who’s safe in the WR corp and how many receivers do they keep?

Slam dunks:

1) Danny Amendola: A no brainer.  Best slot guy and a special teams contributor.

2) Mike Sims-Walker: Big WR free agent signing from Jacksonville and has shown he can make plays in preseason games.

3) Brandon Gibson: Another returning Rams WR and has gotten more comfortable with Sam Bradford.

Now this is where things get murky.

4) Mardy Gilyard: Got lots of time in the return game.

5) Donnie Avery:  He has his speed and is also in the last year of his contract.

6) Danario Alexander: Size, speed but is that enough?

What about the rookies?

7) Austin Pettis: Hasn’t shown a whole lot during the preseason games but had flashes of potential during practices.  Good hands.  Hard to let go a third round pick.

.8) Greg Salas: He’s gotten more time on the field and with the first team during game and practice.  He makes mistakes but has shown he’s got a short memory and bounces back.

Did I miss anyone?  Eight is enough, right?

9) Dominique Curry: Oops, I did miss one.  One of my Twitter followers just pointed out Dom Curry is still lurking.

Turf Show Times points out only 4 WR’s are eligible for the practice squad:

Something to think about in the Rams wide receiver race: only Austin Pettis, Greg Salas, Greg Matthews and Dominique Curry are eligible for the practice squad.

I hate to be Spags and Billy Devaney right now.

Good news: They have plenty of receivers to choose from.  Bad news: They have too many to choose from.

Looks like I’m involuntarily getting an early start today.  But it’s all good.  Don’t we all need more hours in our workday to get things done?  I’m just getting a head start.  Plus, when was the last time you actually got to see a sunrise?  It’s highly underrated if you ask me.

It’s hump day which means the Rams will wrap up their short week of practice and prepare to head out to Jacksonville.

Coach Spags said yesterday everyone but injured TE Mike Hoomanawanui will be making the trip to face the Jaguars.  Hoomanawanui is nursing a strained calf muscle.

Thursday’s last preseason game will serve many functions as the coaching staff tries to figure out the final roster heading into the first regular season game against the “Dream Team” of Philadelphia.  27 won’t make it.  27!

Rams @ Chiefs 08/26/11

1) Mike Sando jots down his thoughts on Mardy Gilyard.  He thinks the Rams should give Gilyard a shot.

I think Mardy’s special teams plays give him an advantage when all other things are equal.  Two for the price of one deal, you know?

Although, he’ll be sharing that return field with Danny Amendola.  Amendola in a phone interview yesterday  on 101ESPN said, “I’m chomping at the bit to get back there.”

2) Steve Korte takes a look at the Rams first round pick, Robert Quinn, and how he’s coming along this preseason.

As with any rookie in his first season he’s got a long way to go.  And if the Chiefs’ game is any indication of what he’s capable of (multiple QB pressures, a sack, and a blocked field goal), the Rams have themselves a gem.

3) Here’s another great write up by Jim Thomas on free agent signing Mike Sims-Walker.  It’s always interesting to read some of the back story on each player.  Learned a couple of new things about MSW in this article.

Anyone else getting anxious about the Jaguars game?  For some reason, I am.  Maybe it’s because I know TOUGH cuts are coming after that game and I have a feeling some of my favorites may be on the chopping block.  Or maybe it’s because I know the regular season is just around the corner and we get to watch some real football.

Another gorgeous morning in St. Louis and I’m up and ready to tackle the world.  All right, so I’m really not a morning person but with the temperatures here being reasonable I can’t help it.  It’s just perfect for a nice run outside.

Today marks 40 days until my race in Chicago.  Week #13/Day 86 commences.  I can tell my knees are starting to get worn down from the recently long runs so I’ll have to be extra cautious not to overtrain as many do at this stretch of the game.

Now I just need my morning cup-o-joe to get going and I’ll be set.  Let me get that started and you can read what’s going in Rams world.

1) Recent cuts to the roster.  Like I said yesterday the Rams roster will see its fair share of slicing and dicing.  To add to the list of players released are veteran LB Na’il Diggs, DE Kenneth Charles and S John Dempsey.

I can’t say I’ve really noticed the last two guys during training camp but I know letting go of Diggs was not a easy task.  But unfortunately, business is business.

2) Have you ever wondered why he hyphenates his name?  Mike Sims-Walker.  The Washington Post answers that question and takes a look at the newly signed Rams WR.

Think MSW has a chip on his shoulder about playing his former team?  Think again.  It’s much bigger than that.

3) I don’t know about you guys but I am a fantasy football nut.  So naturally, at this part of the preseason fantasy drafts start dominating my thoughts.  Yahoo! breaks down who they think are the Rams top 5 fantasy studs this year.

I had my first draft last week and I tried to get Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson but they were taken right out from under my nose by the pick just before me.

The only surprising part of this article was Danny Amendola didn’t make the top 5.  Which I disagree with.  Danny is a great pick, especially in PPR leagues.  If training camp is any indication of how many times Amendola is going to see the ball then I’m golden.  I was able to snag him in the later rounds.

See who else rounds out the top 5.

Ok, folks.  I have my other fantasy draft tonight so we’ll see how it goes.  This is not a PPR league and I don’t have to pick individual defensive players so it’s a bit more straight forward.  Wish me luck!