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Get to know a rookie: Tavarius Wilson
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/9344/get-to-know-a-rookie-tavarius-wilson
EARTH CITY, Mo. — We’ve officially reached the closest thing to a dead period the NFL has to offer these days as organized team activities are over and training camp has not yet arrived.
That means vacation time for the players, coaches and, yes, reporters. In the meantime, let’s get to know some of the lesser-known additions to the St. Louis Rams’ roster: the rookie free agents.
Tavarius Wilson
Position: Linebacker
College: North Alabama
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 239 pounds
Stat to know: In earning the NCAA Division II and Gulf South Conference National Defensive Players of the Year honors, Wilson had 98 tackles, three interceptions, seven and a half tackles for loss and four sacks in 2013.
Road to the roster: One of the most productive undrafted free agents the Rams added, Wilson might be the most intriguing of the lot the team brought in at linebacker. He’s short and stocky, but he’s got good quickness and is a solid tackler. Opportunity is abound at linebacker for Wilson if he can do enough to make an impression. The Rams have James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Ray-Ray Armstrong locked in and Daren Bates is probably well-positioned to stick around as well. Still, the team could keep another linebacker or two and Wilson brings the added bonus of having playing experience inside where the Rams could use a little depth behind Laurinaitis. As with Armstrong and Bates before him, Wilson will need to leave his mark on special teams first but of the undrafted rookies at linebacker, the guess here is Wilson is the one to watch.
and, another.
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/9346/get-to-know-a-rookie-abasi-salimu
Get to know a rookie: Abasi Salimu
July, 4, 2014
By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com
EARTH CITY, Mo. — We have officially reached the closest thing to a dead period the NFL has to offer these days as organized team activities are over and training camp has not yet arrived.
That means vacation time for the players, coaches and, yes, reporters. In the meantime, let’s get to know some of the lesser-known additions to the St. Louis Rams’ roster: the rookie free agents.
Abasi Salimu
Position: Offensive tackle
College: Nicholls State
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 310 pounds
Stat to know: Salimu was a two-season starter at left tackle for Nicholls State after transferring over from San Jose State, where he spent his first three seasons. Earned Southland Conference honorable mention honors in 2012 and second-team honors as a senior in 2013. He played in all 24 games in his two seasons for the Colonels.
Road to the roster: Of the many spots that need sorting out on the roster, the offensive line is one of the most crowded. There are plenty of players on the roster who are probably safe in their spots and a couple of positions that could be coin flips between two or three players. The Rams have a penchant for keeping more linemen than other teams, and they could do so again but it’s going to be tough for Salimu to be one of them. He projects as a tackle with some versatility to play guard, but he is going to have to beat out a long list of people to make it. The chances of that happening are slim, but he would do well to show enough to land a spot on the practice squad where line coach Paul Boudreau likes to stash prospects with potential.
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