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