Wagoner, others–reviewing the Browns game

Sam continues building case for roster spot
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10837/sam-continues-building-case-for-roster-spot

CLEVELAND — As the preseason wears on and St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher’s gradual-build approach to it takes hold, snaps are increasingly difficult to come by for defensive end Michael Sam and other rookies hoping to crack the initial 53-man roster.

That means fewer chances for Sam to impress Fisher and his staff. It also means Sam has no choice but to make the most of the chances he’s afforded.

Michael Sam, Johnny Manziel
Rams rookie defensive end Michael Sam was able to sack Johnny Manziel twice Saturday.
To Sam’s credit, he seems to be doing that quite well as pursues a potential ninth — or even 10th — roster spot carved out for defensive linemen. On Saturday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, Sam drew plenty of attention by twice sacking Cleveland quarterback Johnny Manziel in the Rams’ 33-14 win.

Defensive end Chris Long even joked about the internet breaking because of it. While the jokes were funny, Sam’s recent work in games is no laughing matter.

“With the plays you have, you’ve got to make sure you perform,” Sam said. “I thought I came up big in the fourth quarter.”

Under Fisher’s guidance, starters generally get more reps as the preseason wears on, leaving less work for the backups. It also means facing lesser players later in the game. Sam offers a prime example, entering the first preseason game against New Orleans in the first quarter but having to wait until the fourth to play against the Browns. He played 19 snaps on the night.

Sam wasted little time making his presence felt when he entered. Playing his most comfortable left end spot, Sam beat second-string tackle Martin Wallace around the edge, using both arms to knock away Wallace’s feeble attempt to block him.

Often labeled purely a run-and-chase player who gets most of his sacks on effort, Sam has made strides when it comes to hand usage and fundamentals according to Long.

“He’s gotten a lot better with that,” Long said. “When he came in he was very raw; he’s still raw but he continues to work at it. He’s like the rest of these rookies out there competing every day and he was able to make a play tonight and that was great for him.”

Sam drew a strong reaction from his teammates on the sideline when he followed the sack by doing his normal celebration capped off by an imitation of Manziel’s money sign.

“If you sack Johnny, you’ve got to do it,” Sam said. “At least once.”

Sam actually had a second opportunity to do it, though it faded quickly because his second sack came on the game’s final play. Sam appeared to wrangle Manziel down with about three other Rams, but the unofficial press-box statistics credited him for the takedown. So long as someone is willing to give it to him, Sam is happy to take it.

“That last sack belongs to me as well,” Sam said. “So that’s good. Because I need ‘em. I need ‘em.”

Indeed, regardless of the competition or the snap count, Sam can use every big play possible as he continues fighting for a roster spot. The Rams appear to have eight defensive line spots pretty well locked in, and though they’ve carried nine in their two years under coach Jeff Fisher, undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks has performed every bit as good or better than Sam throughout the preseason.

There’s a chance the Rams could go even heavier on the defensive line considering some injuries and versatility at other positions, but that’s no guarantee. The only way for Sam to make it is to earn it.

“I can only control what I can control,” Sam said. “I thought I got better today. I’m not only interviewing for the Rams but also interviewing for the other 31 teams. As long as I keep getting better, I have got one more week to get better and we’ll go from that.”

Good news on Brockers, Saffold, Langford
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/good-news-on-brockers-saffold-langford/article_c811bd18-7daf-5840-9117-4b0497bd69ca.html

The news from Rams Park on Sunday wasn’t all bad. It just seemed that way.

Mixed in with confirmation that quarterback Sam Bradford re-injured his surgically repaired left knee in the first quarter of Saturday night’s 33-14 victory over the Browns in Cleveland and will be lost for the season, Rams coach Jeff Fisher pointed out that three other players who went down with first-half ankle injuries — offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford — are not expected to miss significant time.

“All three can potentially play this Thursday night,” Fisher said.

And the news about cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who was carted off in the second quarter with a knee injury, was more promising than anticipated.

“We got good news, considering the mechanism of what happened to Trumaine Johnson,” Fisher added, “We’ll miss Trumaine anywhere from four to six weeks with an MCL sprain,’’ Fisher said. The injury does not require surgery.

The young Rams secondary features some options, including second-year player Brandon McGee and rookies Lamarcus Joyner and E.J. Gaines.

“They’ve been coming on,’’ Fisher said. “We’ve got a good group, a good solid group there. We’ll be OK there until Tru comes back.’’

Asked who might replace Johnson at cornerback opposite fellow third-year pro Janoris Jenkins, Fisher did not tip his hand.

“Brandon, E.J., or Lamarcus, it’s a good group to pull from,” he said.

ROBINSON OFF THE BENCH

Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall selection in May’s draft, did not start in Cleveland, but the 6-foot-5, 332-pounder from Auburn did lead the team with 58 snaps.

“I wanted to get Rodger some time early,” Fisher explained. “We knew that Greg was going to play both positions (guard and tackle), so we got Rodger in there early and (right guard) Davin (Joseph) is playing well.

“Greg played pretty well. Again, he got plenty of snaps. He’s improving. He’s going to be a really good player for us.’’

WATTS, SAM SHINE

Undrafted free agent Trey Watts highlighted the Rams’ strong finish Saturday in his first significant playing time. The Tulsa product showed explosiveness and elusiveness in leading all rushers with 36 yards on nine carries to go along with three catches for 31 yards.

He closed out the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run. On the play, Watts started right before cutting back to the middle of the field for the score.

“He’s very talented with the ball in his hands (and) I thought he was OK without the ball in his hands last night,” Fisher said. “In college, he was a versatile back, worked out out of the backfield, lined up in the slot and did all kinds of things. (He has) good run skills and vision. … It was good to see him make some plays.’’

Speaking of making plays, defensive end Michael Sam, the seventh-round draft pick from Mizzou, made the most of his 19 defensive snaps, sacking former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel twice and following up the first one with Johnny Football’s “money fingers” celebration.

“Michael’s making plays, yeah,’’ Fisher said. “We’ve moved people around because of the flow of the game, we played guys a little longer, so (we) didn’t give him as many reps as we’d like, but he’s probably going to get plenty of time to play this week.’’

KIRKSEY STARS

The Browns were paced defensively by linebacker Chris Kirksey, a Hazelwood East High product who led all tacklers in the game with five solo stops and a pair of assists. He had one tackle for loss, one pass defended and a third-quarter interception that he returned 23 yards to set up a 7-yard touchdown scramble by Manziel.

Kirksey, a 21-year-old who played at Iowa and was drafted in the third round, entered the game with a team-leading 11 tackles in the preseason and is making a bid for a starting spot at inside linebacker, a spot that’s crucial to the success of the Browns’ defensive system.

Another area product who played Saturday was rookie fullback Ray Agnew (DeSmet, SIUC), who had one reception for 4 yards. Agnew is the oldest son of former Rams defensive lineman Ray Agnew, an 11-year pro and a member of the Rams’ Super Bowl championship squad in 1999. The elder Agnew has been a fixture in the Rams’ front office since his playing days ended and was recently promoted to director of pro personnel.