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RamBillParticipantFisher: Cutting Sam was a ‘football decision’
• By Jim ThomasWhen the Rams selected Michael Sam just eight picks before the end of the 2014 NFL draft in May, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said it was a football decision — nothing more.
On Saturday, when the Rams made Sam one of their final cuts to reach the 53-man roster limit, it was also a football decision — nothing more.
“I will tell you this, I was pulling for Mike,” Fisher said. “I really was. I don’t say that very often, but I was. Mike came in here and did everything we asked him to do.”
But the odds were long from the outset for Sam, a consensus all-American and the defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference last season at the University of Missouri.
The Rams’ defensive line is stacked, particularly at the end position. New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, in fact, has called it the best defensive line from top to bottom he’s ever been around during his lengthy coaching career.
“Those four defensive ends that we have on the roster are good,” Fisher said, referring to Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Williams Hayes and Eugene Sims. “And they play a lot. They’re very productive, as well as the tackles. It’s the strength of our football team.”
Couple that with the emergence of Ethan Westbrooks, the undrafted rookie from West Texas A&M, and there was no place for Sam on a roster that now has nine D-linemen.
“Nine defensive linemen on a roster is a significant number,” Fisher said. “If you go with 10, then you’re gonna be short someplace else.”
And the fact that the Rams are carrying cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center/guard Barrett Jones (back) on the active roster despite injuries that will sideline them for several additional weeks did Sam no favors.
There was some thought the Rams might place Jones, who’s rehabbing from surgery, on the injured reserve or IR/designated for return lists. As for Johnson, a starter, his injury may have been the reason the team decided to keep undrafted rookie cornerback Marcus Roberson.
Entering Saturday, the Rams had four roster moves to make after cutting 17 players Friday. As the clock drew close to 3 p.m., the deadline for reaching the 53-man limit, it became known that offensive guard Brandon Washington has been cut.
That move wasn’t expected, and meant there might be an opening for Sam to make the squad. Then it became known that defensive tackle Matt Conrath was being cut, which was expected. That meant there were just two unknown cuts — expected to be safety Christian Bryant and tight end Justice Cunningham.
Well, Bryant was cut. But Cunningham made the 53-man roster despite suffering what a source said was a high ankle sprain in the preseason finale against Miami. So instead of Cunningham being released, it was Sam.
Regardless of those machinations, Fisher said cutting Sam “was not a difficult decision.”
Fisher added: “Let me point out our sixth-round pick (quarterback Garrett Gilbert), and we had four seventh-round picks — none of them are on the active roster, OK? So we made football decisions with respect to our draft choices, with respect to our undrafted free agents.
“When you look at the big picture, that implies that we’re getting better. This team is getting better because we’re releasing draft choices.”
Three of those four seventh-rounders were released: Sam, Bryant, and offensive lineman Mitchell Van Dyk. A fourth, center Demetrius Rhaney, was placed on injured reserve last week with a knee injury.
Fisher pointed out that Sam saw a lot of playing time during the preseason, so the coaching staff got a good look at him.
“The second-most snaps on the defensive line — to Ethan Westbrooks,” Fisher said. “Well over 120, 130 snaps, and was productive. As we said on the front end of this, this was gonna be a tough road (for Sam).”
So Sam’s bid to become the first openly gay player to make an NFL regular-season roster now takes a different turn. The other 31 NFL teams have until noon Sunday to claim Sam off waivers. If Sam clears waivers, the next option is the practice squad.
In part for strategic reasons, Fisher was noncommittal when asked whether the Rams would try to add Sam to their practice squad.
Although practice squads have been expanded to 10 players this year from eight, the Rams need at least two receivers and a least two linebackers, for example, to help them get through practice. They’d probably like to add at least two defensive backs as well, a quarterback, and maybe an offensive lineman or two.
Even if it doesn’t work for Sam here, Fisher thinks he has the attributes to play somewhere in the NFL.
“Mike was co-SEC defensive player of the year because of his motor,” Fisher said. “I mean, he just plays hard all the time. He’s smart. I think he’s learned to use his hands better, hand placement. He’s gotten better in the pass rush.
“But the plays he made (in the preseason) were effort plays. After playing a lot of plays, effort plays are what you look for. So I think he’s got skills to fit in someplace.”
Fisher makes it a point to tell players face-to-face when he releases them. That wasn’t possible Saturday because Sam was in Columbia, Mo., watching the Tigers open their season against South Dakota State.
Fisher said he called Sam about an hour before his 3:30 p.m. press conference at Rams Park to tell Sam he had been cut. They plan to meet Sunday to talk things over more in depth.
On Facebook and on Twitter, Sam offered these thoughts on his Rams experience:
“I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career.
“The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy — this is a lesson I’ve always known. The journey continues.”
RamBillParticipantBernie: Sam’s story is still one of success
• Bernie MiklaszReleased at the final cutdown Saturday, rookie defensive end Michael Sam failed in his quest to make the St. Louis Rams’ 53-man roster.
That was his only failure.
In trying out for the Rams this summer, Sam triumphed over fear, paranoia, hatred and historically-embedded assumptions that are so hard to shake.
An athlete can’t declare that he’s gay. He’ll kill his career. Wrong.
An NFL team would never draft an openly gay player. Wrong.
A gay player wouldn’t be accepted by teammates. Wrong.
The presence of a gay player would cause “distractions.” Wrong.
“There was no distraction,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “If someone perceived or thought there may be a distraction — they weren’t in the building. We’ve said that all along. This was a football decision. Mike fit in very, very well. He was fun to be around. He was a good teammate. There was no issue there.”
The “distractions” thing always made me laugh.
Understand that distractions are everywhere in team sports. There are players getting arrested. Players flunking league drug tests. Players partying too much. Players making fools of themselves on social media. Players getting consumed by celebrity, wealth and fame and losing focus on their jobs. It’s part of the NFL culture … oh, but Michael Sam was going to arrive and set off an earthquake that would bring the house down? Please.
In Sam’s case, I viewed the “distraction” caterwauling as a protective shield carried by those that couldn’t quite bring themselves to tell the truth. They just couldn’t come out and admit that they didn’t like Michael Sam or approve of his lifestyle and were sourly displeased by the thought of a gay man being part of a team.
These folks didn’t fear distractions. They feared the fact that it was 2014 and the world was changing around them, and that Michael Sam was going to get his shot to play pro football — and frankly, there wasn’t a damned thing they could do about it.
The only people made uncomfortable with the Rams giving an opportunity to Sam are simply uncomfortable with the modern reality. And uncomfortable about their own intolerance.
Well, get comfortable.
It’s way past time to accept the differences in fellow human beings who want what everyone wants: health, happiness, love, family, accessible goals and the right to pursue a chosen career.
The Rams and Sam had the guts to go for this.
And their courage easily conquered cowardice.
There was one distraction at Rams Park this summer, and I guess you can say it was Sam’s fault … Sam Bradford, that is. The coaches and players were shaken for a day or two by the news that they’d lost Bradford, their starting quarterback, to a season-ending knee injury.
With Michael Sam there was no media stampede. There was one dumb story on ESPN about Sam’s showering habits. (And only ESPN was distracted — by having to issue an apology.)
There were no hidden spy cams to track Sam’s every movement. Rams players welcomed him. Sam went to work, practiced and studied hard, and impressed with his energy. He gave about as many interviews as any other player. Training camp was orderly and businesslike.
If Rams coaches, executives, players and staff could quickly accept Michael Sam as a person and a player, respect his relentless worth ethic and support his quest to make the squad, well, that’s more powerful than hatred or paranoia.
Sam’s coaches and teammates at Mizzou knew he was gay and didn’t care. The 2013 Tigers had a great season. The Rams were happy to have Sam in camp and may add him to their practice squad.
We assume that the other 31 NFL teams noticed that Sam was drafted, and spent the summer working in Earth City, and that Rams Park is still standing. And that Sam, the man, made a positive impression.
The Rams and Sam showed the way to enlightenment.
Perhaps less enlightened teams will be emboldened to follow.
“There were a lot of things that were said right around the draft, right after we drafted him that this was a historical moment, for the league and everything,” Fisher said. “We’re proud to be a part of that, but it was a great experience but there were no issues. No issues in this team meeting room, on the field, any place.
“I just think there was a lot more made of it than there should have been and obviously, as I said back at draft time, I was proud to be a part of that. Enjoyed the experience and with Mike (and) Mike’s got the ability, Mike played well. He has the ability to play someplace and it’s got to be the right place, it’s got to be a fit.”
When Fisher referred to “fit” he meant Sam’s potential to fill a role. He didn’t fit the 53-man roster in St. Louis because the Rams had an abundance of quality defensive linemen, shortages at other positions, and couldn’t afford the luxury of carrying an extra pass rusher. Moreover, Sam was outplayed by fellow rookie defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks. As a seventh-round draft choice, the odds were against Sam from the beginning.
It didn’t work out for Sam. Not now, anyway. But Sam’s experience was a success on many other levels. Irrational fear and loathing will never vanish entirely, but Sam gave it a battering while knocking down a significant barrier.
As a player, Sam didn’t quite prove that he belonged on the 53-man roster. But as a person, Sam proved that he belonged in the locker room. More than that, Sam belonged at the center of a unique and powerful moment in sports history.
I doubt that we’ll see a seventh-round draft choice do as much for the NFL as Michael Sam has this summer. He opened doors and minds.
Far from being a distraction, he was an inspiration to the next Michael Sam … and the Michael Sam after that … and every subsequent Michael Sam who will refuse to surrender to homophobia or bigotry to follow their dream.
RamBillParticipant
Rams notes: Rams will go with two QBs for now
• By Joe LyonsThe Rams are set to open the season with two quarterbacks, 13-year veteran Shaun Hill and second-year pro Austin Davis.
That could change if the team spots somebody of interest on the waiver wire or via trade. But for now, there are two quarterbacks on the roster.
Garrett Gilbert, a sixth-round draft pick from SMU, was among the cuts as the Rams trimmed their roster to 53 over the weekend. Gilbert is considered a prime candidate for a spot on the 10-man practice squad.
“We’ve gone into most games with two quarterbacks on the active roster,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Saturday after being asked about adding a third quarterback. “We have one on the practice squad here and there, (but) that’s not an issue. The quarterback position is a position that we’re going to address, that we’re going to monitor. The picks went in 45 minutes ago and we’ll get the list and we’ll see what’s out there. I’m sure there will be workouts and tryouts and (there is) potential to do some things at the position, but right now, as I said a couple of days ago, we’re not going to overreact.
“We’re going to apply patience to this situation.”
Fisher made the initial statement after starting quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third week of the preseason.
In each of the last two seasons, the Rams have opened with two quarterbacks. Bradford and Davis opened the 2012 season, with Clemens coming aboard in Week 2. Last year, the Rams went with Bradford and Clemens to open the season. Then, after Bradford went down with a torn ACL to the left knee, Davis and veteran Brady Quinn were added to the roster.
The Seattle Seahawks waived former Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Cleveland cut former South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw, someone the Rams showed some interest in during the predraft process in the spring.
Another possible backup, veteran Kyle Orton, signed with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Would the Rams consider trading for a quarterback?
“There’s always that possibility,” Fisher said. “We’re not engaged in any (trade talk) at this point.”
ROSTER SET FOR NOW AT 53, BUT MAYBE NOT FINALIZED
As required by NFL rules, the Rams cut from 75 to 53 over the last couple of days. But the roster-shuffling may not be finished.
“Again, a difficult couple of days,” Fisher said of making cuts. “We got to 53, as everybody else has. I can’t say that we’re done. We’re no different that any other team in the league. We’re going to watch the wire and see if it’s at all possible for us to upgrade our football team over the next couple of days.’’
The Rams’ 53-man roster, as it stood Saturday evening, includes four undrafted rookie free agents: cornerback Marcus Roberson, tight end Alex Bayer, running back Trey Watts and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks.
In the cutdown from 75 to 53, the Rams waived four of their last five selections from May’s draft, including Gilbert and three seventh-rounders: tackle Mitchell Van Dyk, safety Christian Byrant and defensive end Michael Sam.
Another seventh-rounder, offensive lineman Demetrius Rhaney, is on injured reserve.
Others cuts announced Saturday were wide receivers Emory Blake, Austin Franklin and Justin Veltung, defensive tackles Matt Conrath and Deantre Harlan, cornerbacks Darren Woodard and Greg Reid, linebackers Aaron Hill, Phillip Steward, Etienne Sabino and Lawrence Wilson, guard Travis Bond, tackle Sean Hooey, defensive end Kourtnei Brown, safety Avery Cunningham and tight end Brad Smelley.
Hill, a free agent from the University of Minnesota, attended Lutheran St. Charles High.
Following is a rundown of the current roster (subject to change):
Quarterbacks (2): Shaun Hill, Austin Davis.
Running backs (5): Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, Tre Mason, Trey Watts.
Wide receivers (5): Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis.
Tight ends (5): Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Alex Bayer, Justice Cunningham.
Offensive linemen (9): Jake Long, Rodger Saffold, Scott Wells, Davin Joseph, Joe Barksdale, Greg Robinson, Tim Barnes, Mike Person, Barrett Jones,
Defensive line (9): Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Kendall Langford, William Hayes, Eugene Sims, Alex Carrington, Ethan Westbrooks.
Linebackers (5): James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Ray Ray Armstrong, Daren Bates.
Defensive backs (10): Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, T.J. McDonald, Rodney McLeod, E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner, Maurice Alexander, Brandon McGee, Cody Davis, Marcus Roberson.
Specialists (3): Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide.
Note: WR Stedman Bailey will be suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
RAM-BLINGS
Saturday’s cuts included several players with ties to the area and to the Rams:
Carolina • Ex-Missouri WR Marcus Lucas; former Ram TE Mike McNeill, a Kirkwood High product.
Cleveland • T Abasi Salimu, who started training camp with the Rams.
Dallas • DE Kenneth Boatright, who played at Southern Illinois.
Denver • DB Jerome Murphy, a third-round draft choice of the Rams in 2010.
Detroit • Former Mizzou TE Michael Egnew; ex-Illini RB Mikel Leshoure.
Indianapolis • WR Ryan Lankford, a University of Illinois alum.
Jacksonville • DE Gerald Rivers, who was with the Rams until the Jags claimed him off waivers last season.
Kansas City • Former Missouri DT Dominique Hamilton.
Miami • Ex-Mizzou LB Andrew Wilson; former Illini TE Evan Wilson.
New Orleans • Former Illinois K Derek Dimke.
Oakland • Ex-Illini G Jack Cornell.
Philadelphia • RB Henry Josey, who starred at Mizzou.
Pittsburgh • Former Illini T Graham Pocic, who spent time in camp with the Rams in 2013.
San Diego • LB Colton Underwood, an Illinois State product.
Tampa Bay • Ex-Missouri DB Kip Edwards.
Tennessee • Former Mizzou TE Chase Coffman.
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: Penalties dialed back
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11074/morning-ram-blings-penalties-dialed-back
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The penalty flag is a staple of the preseason. Partly because so many young players are struggling to keep up and/or adjusting to the rules and partly because the exhibition season is the time when officials work on enforcing the league’s points of emphasis.
The results this year amounted to a deluge of laundry covering the field during the first three weeks of the preseason. But, as NFL Nation columnist Kevin Seifert writes, the league walked it back a little bit in the final exhibition game.
Simply put, the games couldn’t continue to be called as tightly as they were the first three weeks but the league also was able to send the message of what is and isn’t legal even if it meant over-enforcing points of emphasis such as illegal hands to the face, defensive holding and illegal contact.
The increase of those infractions being called was staggering but don’t expect it to continue in the regular season.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Friday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In the wee hours of the morning, we looked at DE Michael Sam’s confidence that he belongs on an NFL roster. … To complement that, we examined the tough decision facing the Rams when it comes to Sam and the roster. … Here’s the observation deck with thoughts and notes from the preseason finale. … Here’s my final 53-man roster projection. … The Rams did the right thing not playing their starters against Miami. … In the final #NFLRank, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn lands at No. 6, which I believe is too low.
Elsewhere:
Grantland’s Bill Barnwell attempts to predict the unpredictable for this NFL season.
Bill Simmons offers his annual NFL preview with a gambling slant.
Bad news for the 49ers, good news for the rest of the NFC West (especially the Rams) as Aldon Smith gets a nine-game suspension.
ESPN Insider Mark Dominik discusses Sam’s chances of making the roster.
At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas breaks down the team’s final preseason contest.
Columnist Bill McClellan explores the Rams to Los Angeles story further.
August 30, 2014 at 1:11 am in reply to: roster projections, cut-down speculations, and related articles #5524RamBillParticipantWith four cuts remaining, Sam still a Ram
• By Jim ThomasMichael Sam will neither sit by the phone nor unplug it Saturday — the day of reckoning for his NFL career.
“You know what, I’m just gonna relax,” he said Thursday following the Rams’ 14-13 loss to Miami in their preseason finale. “I’m going back to my hometown, Columbia, see (the Missouri Tigers’) opening game against South Dakota State, and I’m not even going to worry about it.
“Whatever happens, happens. I’ll let the chips fall where they fall.”
Lots of chips fell Friday once the team returned to St. Louis from Florida. The Rams confirmed that they have made 17 cuts. Throw in the fact that wide receiver Stedman Bailey won’t count against the roster because of his four-game NFL suspension, and that leaves only four more players to be cut to reach the 53-man regular-season roster limit.
The Rams didn’t release those 17 names, but Sam’s name is not on the list. Neither is defensive end Ethan Westbrooks, who is Sam’s main competition for a spot on what figures to be one of the league’s top defensive lines in 2014.
Sam, in effect, has reached the “final four” (cuts) in his quest to become the NFL’s first openly gay player. If it doesn’t happen, Sam says he can look at himself in the mirror knowing he had done his best.
“Absolutely,” Sam said. “Absolutely. I did everything I could. Now it’s out of my hands. I’m at the NFL’s mercy’s; the coaches’ mercy. So we’ll wait.”
He’ll know his fate no later than 3 p.m. That’s when all 32 teams must be at the 53-man roster limit.
And what happens if Sam makes the Rams’ roster, and makes history in the process?
Well, there will be a celebration or sorts.
“Oh yeah, I’m gonna probably have a victory shot (of liquor), and a cigar,” he said, laughing.
After the Miami contest, Sam seemed as relaxed as he has been since being drafted late in the seventh round by the Rams last May. He seems at peace with himself.
From Tony Dungy saying he wouldn’t have drafted Sam, to Johnny Manziel saying Sam probably gets heckled all the time, to ESPN reporting on Sam’s “showering regimen,” he has kept his wits about him.
“Kept it about football,” Sam said. “That’s all that matters. I think I handled the situation very well, and I think I improved every week.”
Sam said he came out very relaxed against the Dolphins, a game in which unofficially he led all Rams in tackles with six.
“I wasn’t worried,” he said. “I was gonna have fun — have fun with the guys.”
The fun has ended for 17 of those guys, who learned Friday that they will be released by the team. By design, the Rams did not send in those names to the league in time to make the NFL’s Friday transactions list.
But according to a variety of league sources, here are 15 of those names.
On offense: QB Garrett Gilbert; WRs Emory Blake, Austin Franklin and Justin Veltung; TE Brad Smelley; OLs Travis Bond, Sean Hooey and Mitchell Van Dyke.
On defense: DLs Kourtnei Brown and Deantre Harlan; LBs Aaron Hill, Etienne Sabino and Phillip Steward; DBs Avery Cunningham and Darren Woodard.
None of the moves is official until it shows up on the league transaction wire.
Gilbert (sixth round) and Van Dyke (seventh) were members of the Rams’ 2014 draft class. Gilbert could still end up on the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers Saturday, but his departure currently leaves the team with only two quarterbacks on the roster, Shaun Hill and Austin Davis.
Could that foreshadow a pickup elsewhere at quarterback, either via trade or the waiver wire?
The Rams have five tight ends still on their roster, an indication that the team is wrestling with whether to keep Alex Bayer or Justice Cunningham. They’re unlikely to keep both.
At wide receiver, the team is at five once the Bailey suspension begins, and they’ll take five into the regular season.
There are five running backs still standing. Trey Watts or Chase Reynolds could be in jeopardy if the team decides to keep just four, but coach Jeff Fisher did keep five last season.
After Friday’s cuts, the Rams have 10 offensive linemen, a group that includes Mike Person, Brandon Washington and the injured Barrett Jones. The team could free up an additional roster spot if it decides to place Jones on the injured reserve or IR/designated for return lists. Jones is coming off back surgery and is expected to miss several additional weeks.
On defense, the departures of Brown and Harlan leave 11 defensive linemen. One of them is defensive tackle Matt Conrath, who has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The team could be working on an injury settlement there. And then, of course, there’s the matter of what to do with Sam and Westbrooks — keep them both or cut one?
At linebacker, the Rams are down to six. But it was unclear Friday night if Lawrence Wilson had made the team or if he would be released and the team was going with only five LBs.
And finally, in the secondary, the Rams are known to have 11 players. With cornerback Trumaine Johnson expected to miss at least another month with a knee injury, the Rams might be forced to keep an extra cornerback. Right now, they have seven (including cornerback and safety Lamarcus Joyner), so either Greg Reid or Marcus Roberson — or both — could be in jeopardy.
August 29, 2014 at 1:42 am in reply to: the reporters on the Miami game (including Thomas & Wagoner) #5446RamBillParticipantRams notes: Rams play it safe, rest all starters
• By Jim ThomasMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. • Miami coach Joe Philbin elected to rest 21 of his 22 starters Thursday night at Sun Life Stadium. Rams counterpart Jeff Fisher went one better, resting all 22 of his usual starters on offense and defense.
Apparently, Dolphins right guard Dallas Thomas drew the short straw, because he was the only starter to actually start.
In the past, Fisher has said he likes to build up reps among his starters as the preseason progresses, including the fourth and final game. But injuries, and concern about injuries, can change a coach’s mind. And that was the case Thursday.
In the 2012 preseason finale against Baltimore, which was Fisher’s first season in St. Louis, nine offensive starters and all 11 defensive starters opened the game for the Rams.
But in last season’s exhibition finale, also against Baltimore, Fisher used only two of the team’s usual offensive starters and five of its normal defensive starters.
“Obviously, this took on the appearance of a fourth preseason game,” Fisher said after the Rams 14-13 loss to the Dolphins. “I think Coach (Philbin) and I were on the same page as far as not playing players. They had a lot of players out, we did so, too.”
Fisher conceded that sitting out his starters is not typical for him. But he added: “After our experience last week, we kind of decided that this is the best for this team. So we gave a lot of younger players an opportunity to play.”
The Rams lost five starters to injury in the first half of the Cleveland game, including quarterback Sam Bradford for the season with a knee injury.
Because the Rams were low at defensive end, with two ends banged up, Fisher went with a three-man front basically for the entire game.
“So we got some significant playing time for our linebacking corps,” Fisher said.
That’s because with only three defensive linemen in the game, that meant there were four linebackers behind them. With that in mind, backups Etienne Sabino, Phillip Steward, and Lawrence Wilson — all fighting for a sixth linebacker spot — saw lots of time.
SITTING IT OUT
Not dressing for the Rams Thursday were: CB Brandon McGee (ankle), LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, DT Matt Conrath, DE Eugene Sims (knee), and G/T Rodger Saffold. Saffold suffered an ankle injury Saturday in Cleveland, but practiced Monday and Tuesday.
Also sitting were a pair of players who will be sidelined for a while: CB Trumaine Johnson (knee) and C/G Barrett Jones (back).
ISAAC BRUCE GALA
The Isaac Bruce Foundation will host its annual Gridiron Gala Friday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. Nikko Smith will provide the music, and food will be served from some of St. Louis’ top restaurants.
Several members of the Super Bowl XXXIV championship team, as well as Olympic track and field hero Jackie Joyner-Kersee, are among the featured guests.
There will be live and silent auctions. For information on tickets, email tiffani@isaacbruce.org.
BACK TO FOOTBALL
The Rams will hold a “Back to Football” party Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at Ballpark Village. Rams personalities, cheerleaders, and team mascot Rampage will be on hand. There will be prizes and giveaways for spectators, including tickets to the regular season opener against Minnesota.
CONNECTIONS
The Miami roster includes three members of the 2013 Rams squad: cornerback Cortland Finnegan, wide receiver Brandon Gibson, and offensive guard Shelley Smith. The Rams’ roster includes a couple of recent Dolphins in offensive tackle Jake Long and defensive tackle Kendall Langford.
RAM-BLINGS
• Bruce, who is from the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area, was at Thursday’s game.
• The Rams entered the contest with a 2-2 preseason mark against the Dolphins. The last time the teams faced each other in exhibition play was 2006, Scott Linehan’s first season as Rams head coach.
August 29, 2014 at 1:32 am in reply to: the reporters on the Miami game (including Thomas & Wagoner) #5444RamBillParticipantRams starters sit out loss to Dolphins
• By Jim ThomasMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. • Michael Sam and Ethan Westbrooks slugged it out one last time for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Backup quarterback Austin Davis put the finishing touches on an impressive preseason, completing 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown.
And undrafted rookie Trey Watts got plenty of work in his late bid to claim employment at running back.
As for the Rams regulars? They were in mothballs watching Thursday’s preseason finale wearing ball caps on the sideline during a 14-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
If it were the regular season, seeing a 13-0 lead turn into a 14-13 defeat in the second half would be a bitter pill for the Rams to swallow. But it’s still August, and with this contest turned over to the subs from the outset, this was a battle for roster spots for a couple of dozen Rams.
The headliner on that front obviously was Sam vs. Westbrooks — one last time. Sam was very active in the first half, and according to unofficial press box stats led the Rams with six tackles by game’s end. But Westbrooks wasn’t far behind with four tackles. One of those tackles came on his second sack of the preseason, and he added two quarterback hits.
“I’m gonna have to look at the tape, but Ethan was making a lot of plays every time I looked,” Fisher said.
As for Sam?
“I really didn’t see anything good or bad out of Mike … but he played hard,” Fisher said.
Fisher did say that Sam has shown enough in training camp and the preseason to show he belongs.
“I think he can play in this league — yes,” Fisher said. “As can some other guys on this team that had good preseasons.”
With Sam on the threshold of history as the first openly gay player to make an NFL team, a horde of reporters waited patiently in the visitors’ locker room at Sun Life Stadium afterwards, and then engulfed him when he was ready to meet the media.
“That was a very good day to see that I could play the run,” Sam said. “I was very successful and made some plays and got some tackles.”
Sam said he felt he has shown enough to make an NFL team, be it the Rams or someone else.
“I’m very confident that I’ll be playing on an NFL roster this fall,” Sam said. “I know I can play in this league.”
Before the game Sam tweeted that the game would be his final exam. How did he fare?
“I did good,” he said. “I give myself a B-plus. I’ve very proud of myself, like I said, of how I fought the run.”
Now he must wait until 5 p.m. (St. Louis time) on Saturday to see if he has made the Rams’ regular-season roster.
“You know what, it’s not gonna be like the draft,” he said, laughing. “I’m very confident that I’m going to sleep well tonight.”
Only eight picks remained in the entire draft when the Rams selected Sam late in the seventh round in May.
But draft weekend was no picnic either for Westbrooks. The former NCAA Division II defensive player of the year at West Texas A&M went undrafted.
“I feel like a did well,” Westbrooks said, speaking of Thursday’s game as well as the preseason as a whole. “Let the chips fall where they may. Everything’s in the books right now, so I’m definitely comfortable with what I did this preseason. I’m proud of what I’ve done. So I just wait for the next two days.”
Once again, Westbrooks played both defensive end and tackle for the Rams, only this time in a three-man front.
Fisher must trim 21 players from the roster to reach the regular-season limit of 53.
“This is the hard part about the National Football League right now in the next couple of days,” Fisher said.
Making those roster decisions is complicated by several factors beyond the realm of play on the field, including injuries that will keep cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center/guard Barrett Jones (back) sidelined for several more weeks.
“Those are things that all fall into play with these decisions,” Fisher said.
At running back, Watts was the busiest skill player on the field for the Rams, carrying 13 times for 51 yards, and catching one pass for 12 yards. He also played all four “core” units on special teams: punt return, kickoff return, punt coverage and kickoff coverage.
“I haven’t had that many reps in a while,” Watts said. “But I enjoyed it, enjoyed just being out there playing football — the game you love.”
After missing the first exhibition game with a hamstring injury, Watts felt he stated his case over the final three contests.
“Whether they want to keep me or not, I just leave that up to them,” he said.
After a scoreless and sluggish first quarter, the Rams got on the board first with a 49-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein with 11 minutes 46 seconds to go in the first half. Minutes later, an interception by Mizzou product E.J. Gaines set up the Rams’ only touchdown of the game, an 11-yard pass from Davis to Austin Pettis.
“It felt good to get my first pick,” Gaines said. “I should have kept the game ball but I was too hyped, so I dropped it.”
On an active night for Zuerlein, he tried a 63-yard kick with 8 seconds left in the half, but barely missed — wide left. In third quarter, he connected on a 53-yard attempt to give the Rams a 13-0 advantage with 5:37 to play in the quarter.
But the Dolphins scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to claim the victory and leave the Rams at 1-3 for the 2014 preseason.
“As far as the game’s concerned, there were some good things in there, (but) you get frustrated at some of the young mistakes,” Fisher said.
The Rams didn’t commit any turnovers, but topped triple digits in penalty yards, with 102 on 14 infractions.
“But all in all, our training room’s empty right now, so that’s good news,” Fisher said.
August 28, 2014 at 11:40 pm in reply to: the reporters on the Miami game (including Thomas & Wagoner) #5434RamBillParticipantRams close out preseason with 14-13 loss to Dolphins
By Jim ThomasMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. • Michael Sam and Ethan Westbrooks slugged it out one last time for a spot on the 53-man roster. Backup quarterback Austin Davis put the finishing touches on an impressive preseason, completing 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown.
As for the Rams regulars? They were in mothballs watching Thursday’s preseason finale wearing ball caps on the sideline. Bring on the Vikings.
If it were the regular season, seeing a 13-0 lead turn into a 14-13 loss in the second half would be a bitter pill for the Rams to swallow. But it’s still August, and with Dolphins coach Joe Philbin blitzing at the end as if a playoff berth was on the line, Miami stopped the Rams’ last possession on the St. Louis 40 with 1 minute 26 seconds to play and then ran out the clock.
Once again, bring on the Vikings.
Well, first coach Jeff Fisher must trim 21 players from the roster to reach the regular-season limit of 53. But the Rams left Sun Life Stadium with Adrian Peterson and Minnesota in the back of their minds. That takes center stage once Fisher does his roster housekeeping over the weekend.
With the Rams and the Dolphins resting all but one of their starters, the game went into Bubble Bowl mode from the outset. That meant there were plenty of opportunities for several dozen players on the edge of the roster to state their case, be they Rams or Dolphins.
After a scoreless and sluggish first quarter, the Rams got on the board first with a 49-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein with 11:46 to go in the first half. The drive began with a 24-yard completion from Davis — who started at quarterback — to Chris Givens.
Undrafted rookie Trey Watts, who started at running back, helped the cause with a 12-yard run that got the Rams to the fringe of field goal range.
The Rams got the ball right back on the ensuing kickoff. On third and 9 from the Miami 21, Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore was pressured by blitzing safety Christian Bryant. Moore’s pass was picked off by Mizzou product E.J. Gaines.
“It felt good to get my first pick,” Gaines said. “I should have kept the game ball but I was too hyped, so I dropped it.”
Gaines returned the interception 12 yards to the Miami 38, and it took only six plays for the Rams to find the end zone. Davis threw 11 yards to a diving Austin Pettis for the touchdown and a 10-0 Rams lead with 8:14 to go in the first half.
With wide receivers Stedman Bailey and Chris Givens playing with the second unit, and Pettis coming in during three-wide receiver situations, the Rams had a decided edge on the Miami secondary. Davis would’ve been able to play pitch and catch with that trio were it not for spotty pass protection. He was sacked three times in the first half; rookie Garrett Gilbert took over at QB in the second half.
Defensively, Westbrooks started at end, with the Rams uncharacteristically using a lot of three-man fronts. Westbrooks had a sack late in the second quarter, and added a QB hit in the third. But Sam had a very active half. Unofficially, Sam was in on five tackles by halftime.
On an active night for Zuerlein, he tried a 63-yard attempt with 8 seconds left in the half, but barely missed — wide left. But in the third quarter, he connected on a 53-yard attempt to give the Rams a 13-0 advantage with 5:37 left in the quarter. Prior to that kick, Zuerlein’s longest field goal of the preseason was 45 yards in the exhibition opener against New Orleans.
After missing a 56-yard field goal earlier, Miami finally dented the scoreboard on a 5-yard run by Daniel Thomas on the second play of the fourth quarter. The play was reviewed but the TD stood, so the Rams lead by 13-7 with 14:47 to play.
Miami then took the lead with 6:15 to go in the contest on a quick pass from Seth Lobato to Matt Hazel. Bryant took a terrible angle on the play, running to the sideline and in effect opening the middle for Hazel, who waltzed into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown and a 14-13 Miami lead.
August 28, 2014 at 11:05 pm in reply to: the reporters on the Miami game (including Thomas & Wagoner) #5424RamBillParticipantObservation Deck: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11024/observation-deck-st-louis-rams-4
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher played coy all week about how much his starters would play against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.
As it turned out, they didn’t play at all. All 22 likely starters sat out and Miami took a similar approach. From the Rams’ standpoint, that’s completely understandable, given what happened in the first half in Cleveland last Saturday, when five starters left with injuries.
In the battle of the junior varsity squads, the Rams (1-3) jumped to an early lead but couldn’t hang on late as the Dolphins scored 14 unanswered points for a 14-13 win.
Some more thoughts and observations from Thursday’s game:
On defense, the Rams showed a lot of a three-down-linemen look with three linebackers and five defensive backs. Even with backups in, coordinator Gregg Williams was OK with showing a few blitzes. On offense, they spent a lot of time with two tight ends in the game, with little in the way of pre-snap motion or movement.
No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson received a lot of playing time, starting at left tackle. So much for putting him at left guard and letting him settle in there. It’s fair to wonder at this point if he’s going to start the season as a backup.
Defensive linemen Michael Sam and Ethan Westbrooks continued to make their cases for roster spots. Sam was particularly impressive against the run, which is a good sign for a guy who has mostly showed up as a pass rusher to this point. He finished with six tackles. Westbrooks continued to show his versatility and came up with his second sack of the preseason to go with four tackles and two quarterback hits. Backup ends Eugene Sims and William Hayes did not play, leaving a lot of work for Sam and Westbrooks.
Receiver Austin Pettis has been awfully quiet in this preseason with one catch for 21 yards in the first three games, but he did come up with an 11-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
With Trumaine Johnson out four to six weeks because of a sprained MCL, the Rams could keep as many as six cornerbacks. There’s likely one spot up for grabs among the group of Marcus Roberson, Darren Woodard and Greg Reid. Woodard made the best case Thursday night, showing good instincts in coverage and solid tackling skills. But he missed a pair of golden opportunities to come up with interceptions that he had in his hands. Roberson also missed out on one late.
Trey Watts didn’t lack for opportunities to make his final statement and answered the call again, flashing the shifty running style that has caught the staff’s eye. He finished with 51 yards on 13 carries.
I thought linebacker James Laurinaitis might get a short cameo just to get a little game action before the regular season but that didn’t happen. Laurinaitis didn’t play in any of the four preseason games as he works his way back from an ankle injury.
It was another solid outing for quarterback Austin Davis, who started against the Dolphins. He finished 12-of-19 for 162 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 107.8.
RamBillParticipantW2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10992/w2w4-st-louis-rams-4
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins meet in Week 4 of the preseason Thursday night at Sun Life Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. Here are three things to watch for from the Rams’ end:
1. Replacing Johnson: Projected starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson was among the five Rams starters suffering injuries in the first half last week against Cleveland, and though it looked brutal when it happened, it wasn’t as bad as feared. Johnson has a sprained MCL in his knee and is expected to miss four to six weeks. That’s not good news for a young and thin cornerback group but it’s better than what was expected when he left on a cart. But now the Rams must not only figure out the remaining depth at the position, a battle that should include Marcus Roberson, Greg Reid and Darren Woodard, but also who will start opposite Johnson. They’d prefer to keep rookie Lamarcus Joyner as the primary nickelback, leaving rookie E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee to battle for the spot. McGee has been dealing with an ankle injury and didn’t practice Tuesday, which could mean Gaines gets the first shot to step in for Johnson. Either way, it’s a good opportunity for all of the young corners to make a statement on where they belong in the pecking order.
2. Time for starters: In each of the other three preseason games, coach Jeff Fisher has been pretty open about how much playing time his starters will get in the week leading up to the game. Not this week. Fisher was noncommittal about how much work his starters will get against the Dolphins other than to say some will play more than others. With some players working back into shape off injury or battling injuries of their own, there’s a line between those that need the work and those that don’t. Expect linebacker James Laurinaitis to get some work after sitting the first three games with an ankle injury. As for quarterback Shaun Hill, Fisher wouldn’t tip his hand. But it wouldn’t surprise to see the Rams play it safe with him. Hill took plenty of reps with the first offense in the first week of preseason against New Orleans and it’s probably not worth the risk to give him more than some token snaps.
3. Sam vs. Westbrooks: It’s been one of the best battle of training camp and though there are others (potential fourth tight end, fourth running back, sixth linebacker, etc.), this is the one that has seen both players rise to the occasion again and again in the preseason. Ethan Westbrooks probably has the edge going into the game, impressing with his work in practice and games and his ability to play all over the line. But Michael Sam has been productive in games, even if practice hasn’t been as good. There’s still the outside chance the Rams could keep both but this is the last chance for both to make a strong closing statement.
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: NFC West projection
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11018/morning-ram-blings-nfc-west-projection
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The final round of preseason games take place tonight at stadiums all over the league. Which means it’s almost time for final cuts and, more importantly, time for the regular season to begin.
That means it’s also time for season previews and predictions to start popping up all over the place. That’s been going on for a bit and there are plenty to peruse but for our purposes, we’re going to lead today’s Ram-blings with the work of the fine group over at sister site Five Thirty Eight.
In their season preview for the NFC West, they project the Rams to again finish fourth in the division. Using their mathematical methods, they have the St. Louis Rams with an expected win total of 6.8 and an 18 percent chance of making the postseason.
Obviously, the loss of quarterback Sam Bradford was cause for some adjustment and this actually comes somewhat close to my own projection for the Rams. With Bradford, I had them at 8-8 with the potential to elevate to 10-6 if all fell into place.. Without him, I have them at 6-10 with the potential to go 8-8 if things fall right. Seven is probably actually a better number based on coach Jeff Fisher’s history.
In his 18 full seasons as a head coach, Fisher’s teams have finished with less than seven wins just three times.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Wednesday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … In the Ram-blings, we heard from John Clayton on the chances the Rams pursue quarterback Mark Sanchez. … Next, we looked at undrafted rookie running back Trey Watts’ chances of winning a roster spot. … Our season preview for each team came out including the Rams’. … Finally, we took a spin around the Rams roster with a look at position battles to keep an eye on in the preseason finale.
Elsewhere:
Here’s the team by team season preview courtesy of NFL Nation.
NFL Nation Confidential reveals that players agree with President Barack Obama that marijuana is not more dangerous than alcohol.
At 101sports.com, Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times discussed the possibility of the Rams going back to California.
At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas looks at the roster battle between Michael Sam and Ethan Westbrooks.
Joe Strauss examines the long-term repercussions of quarterback Sam Bradford’s injury.
August 28, 2014 at 2:08 am in reply to: Watts is one to watch as Rams trim roster (Wagoner, Thomas) #5347RamBillParticipantVersatile RB Watts has come on strong
• By Joe LyonsRookie running back Trey Watts watched the Rams’ preseason-opening loss to the New Orleans Saints from the sideline, nursing a hamstring injury.
But the undrafted free agent from the University of Tulsa has been coming on strong ever since. In a loss to Green Bay, he had a 14-yard carry while rushing three times for 19 yards and added an 8-yard pass reception.
Then, in the team’s 33-14 victory over the Browns in Cleveland last weekend, Watts led the game’s rushers with 36 yards on nine carries and added a 25-yard pass reception, finishing with three catches for 31 yards.
And he finished off the game’s scoring with a 12-yard run.
“It just feels good playing football again,’’ said Watts, who figures to see plenty of action both on offense and special teams tonight when the Rams close out their preseason schedule against the Dolphins in Miami. “I haven’t played a lot of minutes like that since college. It really felt good to help the team by making a few plays.’’
The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Watts is one of five running backs on the roster, joining second-year players Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham, core special teams player Chase Reynolds and fellow rookie Tre Mason, a third-round draft pick.
The Rams lost third-year back and special teamer Isaiah Pead when he suffered a season-ending knee injury while returning a kickoff against New Orleans.
“Everybody knows cuts are coming, but you just have to try and put it out of your mind,’’ said Watts, 23. “As a competitor, when you’re not getting playing time, it’s frustrating. But you need to be a team guy. Zac and Benny have helped me and Tre pick up the offense and I think we’re all pushing each other to become better backs. You’re only as good as your weakest link.
“All I can do is wait for my turn and then try to do the most of it.’’
Watts certainly did so in Cleveland, showing plenty of quickness and elusiveness. On his touchdown run, for example, he started to the right and then made a quick adjustment.
“I took it right and just made a cutback move,’’ he said. “The guys up front did a great job — they did the hard work to make my job easy — and I also got a great down-field block from (fellow free agent rookie) Austin Franklin near the goal line.’’
Rams coach Jeff Fisher likes what he’s seen of Watts.
“He’s very talented with the ball in his hands (and) I thought he was OK without the ball in his hands,’’ Fisher said. “In college, he was a versatile back, worked out of the backfield, lined up in the slot and did all those kind of things. (He has) good run skills and vision.’’
Watts is the son of former University of Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts, who went on to serve four terms in the House of Representatives following a career in the Canadian Football League. J.C. Watts now works as a lobbyist in Washington.
A three-year starter at Oakton High in Virginia, Trey walked on at Tulsa and enjoyed a stellar career, finishing as the program’s No. 3 career rusher. As a senior, he had eight 100-yard rushing games and finished with 1,329 rushing yards. He also had 46 catches for 395 yards and scored 12 touchdowns while leading the Golden Hurricane in kickoff and punt returns.
“I pride myself on being a complete back, a guy who can do a lot of different things to help a football team,’’ Watts said.
RAM-BLINGS
A bit of encouraging news for the Rams, who finished 7-9 and at the bottom of the NFC West standings a year ago.
In 2013, four teams — the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints — qualified for the playoffs after finishing last in their division the previous season. And Carolina (NFC South) and Philadelphia (NFC East) captured division titles.
Last year marked the 11th consecutive season in which at least one NFL squad made the worst-to-first move in a division. The model team for such a run is the 2009 New Orleans Saints, who went from 8-8 to 13-3 and ended up as Super Bowl champions.
• Former Rams defensive end Sammy Brown and safety Matt Daniels cleared waivers Wednesday after being cut Tuesday.
• Dallas has placed ex-Illini defensive back Justin Green on injured reserve.
RamBillParticipantRams must balance need for cohesion with risk of injury in preseason finale
By STEVE KORTE
http://www.bnd.com/2014/08/27/3370371_rams-must-balance-need-for-cohesion.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
ST. LOUIS — While many NFL teams rest most of their starters in the final preseason game rather than risk injury, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher has a major quandary in the aftermath of quarterback Sam Bradford’s season-ending knee injury.
Does he get backup quarterback Shaun Hill much-needed snaps with the starting offense in the Rams’ preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday?
Or, does he sit out most his offensive starters rather than gamble on having anymore devastating injuries?
“We’re working through it,” Fisher said. “We feel like we just finished up the Cleveland game. We’re going to be selective and some may play more than others. Really, that’s all I can say now.”
The Rams (1-2) are preparing for life without their franchise quarterback for the second straight season after Bradford tore the ACL in his left knee for the second time in less than a year during the first offensive series of the Rams’ 33-14 win over the Cleveland Browns last Saturday.
“I’ll use this analogy: You lose a tough regular season game, you put it in perspective,” Fisher said the approach to the loss of Bradford. “You almost have a 24-hour rule, you come back and get ready for next week. That’s how players are, and that’s what their mindset is today. They are ready to go, they are ready to do everything they possibly can to help Shaun be successful.”
Austin Davis, who would be the Rams’ backup quarterback if the season started today, should see a lot of action against the Dolphins.
Fisher said he liked Davis’ mobility.
“First off, he’s smart, he understands what we’re doing,” Fisher said. “He can extend plays if he needs to. He’s gotten much better at keeping his eyes downfield, and that’s a hard thing to learn. It’s almost a trait. But, when you can feel around the pocket with your eyes down the field you’ve got a chance to make plays.”
The game will be the final chance for many of the Rams’ young players to stake a claim to a roster spot.
The Rams must trim their roster from 75 players to 53 players by Saturday afternoon.
One of the best battles for a roster spot has been waged by rookie defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks and Michael Sam.
Westbrooks has eight tackles and a sack in the preseason, while Sam, the first openly gay player in the NFL, has five tackles and three sacks in the preseason.
Fisher refused to say whether Westbrooks or Sam was winning that battle, and even hinted that the Rams might keep both of them.
“It’s possible we can keep 12 (defensive linemen),” Fisher said.
The Dolphins (2-1) went 8-8 last season despite being rocked by the Richie Incongnito-Jonathan Martin bullying scandal.
The Dolphins brought in former Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor to be their offensive coordinator.
The Dolphins are hoping Lazor can help quarterback Ryan Tannehill take a major step forward in his third season as the starter.
Tannehill’s development was hindered by the 58 sacks last season.
Among the Dolphins’ additions during the offseason were running back Knowshon Moreno from the Denver Broncos and cornerback Cortland Finnegan from the Rams.
Wide receiver Mike Wallace had 73 catches for 830 yards last season after signing as a free-agent from Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Dolphins have one of the better pass rushes in the NFL with defensive ends Olivier Vernon, who had 11.5 sacks last season, and Cameron Wake, who had 8.5 sacks last season after having 15 sacks two years ago, leading the way.
RamBillParticipantFisher angry over ESPN report on Sam’s ‘showering habits’
• By Jim ThomasRams coach Jeff Fisher remains angry over an ESPN report that dealt in part with the “showering habits” of defensive end Michael Sam by ESPN reporter Josina Anderson.
“I’m extremely disappointed in her piece,” Fisher told the Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, not long before the team boarded buses for Lambert Airport and the trip to Miami for Thursday’s preseason finale.
“I think it’s unethical,” Fisher continued. “I think it’s very, very unprofessional. Not only the piece itself, the content. The manner in which she did it.”
Fisher said he was made aware of the report Tuesday, has seen the report, and also has seen ESPN’s subsequent apology. Fisher did say he appreciated the apology.
And on Wednesday, the Rams organization received an additional apology in a phone call from ESPN president John Skipper.
“We appreciate John Skipper reaching out to us and apologizing, and their willingness to communicate and work through this with us,” Fisher said.
But part of the reason Fisher is upset with Anderson, he said, was that she contacted Rams players away from the facility for the story.
“We have a media policy, and we’re very flexible,” Fisher said. “We have open practices. Players are available. We have open locker rooms.
“Obviously she came in, in all likelihood to see if there was gonna be a roster move at the 75 cutdown as it relates to Mike Sam. That didn’t happen. But she needed to do something, and it’s my understanding that she manufactured this story.
“She was out of line because she went and contacted several players on their personal time. Misled them with questions and then put this piece together.”
During the report, Anderson said one Rams player told her that Sam was “respecting our space” when it came to showering, and may be waiting to take a shower so as not to make teammates feel uncomfortable.
A couple of other players told her they weren’t keeping track of Sam’s shower regimen.
“I’m disappointed for Mike,” Fisher said. “I’m disappointed for the players who she put in this position, and mostly I’m disappointed for her because she felt what she was doing was right _ and it wasn’t right.”
Sam, in a tight battle with undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks for a final roster spot, is trying to become the first openly gay player to make an NFL roster.
Veteran defensive end Chris Long responded to Anderson’s report Tuesday on his Twitter account with a tweet that was blunt as could be: “Dear ESPN, Everyone but you is over it.”
It has been an interesting week for Sam; maybe a tough week.
Following Saturday’s preseason game in Cleveland, a game in which Sam drew cheers from the Rams’ bench for a sack of Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, Manziel told Cleveland reporters: “The guy (Sam) goes through a lot of stuff. He gets heckled by everybody, I’m sure.”
Actually, no one’s heckling Sam at Rams Park.
RamBillParticipantRams notebook: Robinson experiences ups and downs of the NFL
• By Joe LyonsAs Greg Robinson readily admits, his first training camp and preseason with the Rams has had “its ups and downs.’’
But …
“Every day, I just try to come out and get better. I’m working hard and doing what the coaches ask of me,’’ said Robinson, the No. 2 overall selection in May’s draft.
A 6-foot-5, 332-pound left tackle who dominated in the run-heavy attack of the Auburn Tigers, Robinson has worked at both left tackle and left guard during camp.
He started the Rams’ first two preseason games and had communication and pass-blocking issues. In last weekend’s victory in Cleveland, he was replaced in the starting lineup by veteran Rodger Saffold but still ended up leading the team with 58 offensive snaps.
“I wanted to get Rodger some time early,’’ Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We knew that Greg was going to play both positions. … Greg played pretty well. Again, he got plenty of snaps. He’s improving. He’s going to be a really good player for us.’’
Robinson, 21, said that he is not frustrated and that this is just part of the learning process.
“Once I get both positions down pat, I’ll be good,’’ he said. “I’m not going to get down about anything. My main focus is just keep learning the offense and trying my best to do better.’”
Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau knows there’s work to do. But he sees loads of potential in Robinson.
“We’ve asked a lot of him,’’ the coach said. “We’re making him play two different positions and he’s just learning about the NFL, about defenses, the terminology and the verbiage. The first couple of weeks, he was thinking too much, but last week, we had him in one position, where he was able to settle down a little and he ended up playing pretty well.
“He just needs some time and experience because when he knows what to do and he’s doing it fast, he’s making some freakish plays.’’
CUTDOWN TO 75
The Rams reached the NFL limit Tuesday by placing quarterback Sam Bradford and center Demetrius Rhaney on injured reserve and waiving safety Matt Daniels and defensive end Sammy Brown.
NFL teams have until Saturday at 3 p.m. to finalize their 53-man rosters.
Rhaney, a 6-foot-2, 301-pounder from Tennessee State, was selected in the seventh round of May’s draft, one pick after the Rams chose Mizzou defensive end Michael Sam.
Daniels, a third-year pro from Duke, joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2012. That season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury when a teammate rolled up on him while he was blocking on a punt return in the Rams’ loss to the New England Patriots in London. Last year, in a very similar play, Daniels went down with a fractured ankle when a teammate rolled up on him on a kickoff return in the team’s Week 2 loss in Atlanta.
During the preseason, Daniels was in on three special teams snaps before going out with a concussion in the opening-week loss to New Orleans. After sitting out the loss to Green Bay, he recorded a tackle and an assist in last weekend’s win at Cleveland, taking part in 17 defensive snaps and another on special teams.
Like Daniels, Brown was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 following a standout career at the University of Houston. The 6-foot-2, 254-pound Brown spent much of the past two seasons on the Rams’ practice squad, taking part in one regular-season game, against San Francisco on Dec. 12, 2012.
He saw his only preseason action in the opener against New Orleans, finishing with four tackles, two quarterback pressures and one quarterback hit.
RAM-BLING
The Rams worked outside in the blistering heat Tuesday afternoon but only practiced for about 90 minutes. They close out their preseason schedule at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Dolphins in Miami.
Not practicing on Tuesday were wide receiver Justin Veltung (looks like a hamstring), cornerback Brandon McGee (ankle), defensive lineman Matt Conrath (undisclosed), defensive end Eugene Sims (knee), cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center-guard Barrett Jones (back).
Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar did some running on the side, while Rodger Saffold (ankle) was a full go at left tackle and defensive tackles Michael Brockers (ankle) and Kendall Langford (ankle) participated in 11-on-11 drills.
Punter Johnny Hekker also missed practice.
• After practice Fisher did not disclose how much, if any, action his starters would see against the Dolphins.
“We’re working through it; we feel like we just finished up the Cleveland game,’’ the coach said. “We’re going to be selective and some may play more than others. Really, that’s all I can say now.’’
• Some other notable NFL cuts Tuesday: Former Mizzou defensive back Kevin Rutland was waived by Kansas City, while ex-Tigers teammate Eric Waters, a tight end, suffered the same fate in Pittsburgh. Dallas released former Illini defensive back Justin Green.
Miami terminated the contract of quarterback Brady Quinn, who signed with the Rams last year after Sam Bradford was injured. Another former Rams quarterback, Thad Lewis, was waived by Buffalo on Tuesday.
Former Mizzou quarterback James Franklin cleared waivers after being cut by Detroit on Monday.
RamBillParticipantShaun Hill In, But Rams’ QB Questions Remain
By Anthony Stalterhttp://www.101sports.com/2014/08/25/hills-insertion-cant-mask-rams-long-term-questions-qb/
Immediately after news broke that Sam Bradford re-tore his ACL on Saturday night in Cleveland and would miss the entire 2014 season, I started receiving text and Twitter messages about available quarterback options for the Rams moving forward.
My response was the same every time: Shaun Hill in the short term, to-be-determined in the long-term.
The time to improve the backup situation behind Bradford was five months ago, when you were surveying the available free agents and finalizing your draft board. Any player acquired now would have to learn Brian Schottenheimer’s playbook, know how to confidently communicate that new verbiage to his teammates, build chemistry with his receivers and learn the pre-snap check principles that are already in place so that he can effectively audible at the line. Depending on the player, some of these skills are transferable, while others might as well be the equivalent of learning a new language.
But let’s back up for a second. The bigger and more important question is whether or not the new quarterback would be better than the one the Rams already have. Mark Sanchez? Sorry, but at the end of the day, he’s no better or worse than Hill.
Sanchez may have pulled the wool over some people’s eyes these last three weeks while running Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense against backups in preseason, but the fact remains that he never progressed in his three years under Schottenheimer in New York. Besides, according to this USA Today report, there’s apparently “no chance” that Sanchez would want to abandon his fresh start under Kelly for a shot to rejoin Schottenheimer in St. Louis. (No hard feelings, Mark – seriously.)
Hill has only attempted 16 passes over the past three seasons, but his career completion percentage is 61.9, his QB rating is 85.9 and his touchdown-to-interception ratio is 41:23. It’s highly unlikely that he’s going to come in and light it up, but he’s an upgrade over Kellen Clemens, whom the Rams won four games with a year ago when he was thrust into the starting lineup.
The bottom line, just as it was a year ago with Clemens, is that the Rams are going to win the games in which their rushing attack and defense dominate, and lose the games that put too much emphasis on Hill. The only difference is that Hill has a knack for making a big play from time to time, whereas Clemens was limited as a passer.
If things eventually unravel and Hill looks disastrous as the starter, the Rams may see how Austin Davis or rookie Garrett Gilbert handles the offense. If those options don’t sit right with you, remember that the Rams passed on LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, Alabama’s A.J. McCarron, Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas when they were all available in the fourth round or later back in May.
In fact, that’s the only criticism I have for the Rams in the wake of Bradford’s second ACL injury. Why did they wait so long to address their need at quarterback in the draft? Hey, I get it – you trust Bradford. He worked his ass off to not only be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, but also for training camp. Over the past few weeks, he looked poised to repay Jeff Fisher and the Rams for their commitment, too.
I also understand why the team didn’t want to invest a top-41 pick in Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater or Jimmy Garoppolo. Had an Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III been available at No. 2 overall, then a debate could have been made well before the draft that the Rams should have moved on from Bradford. But “Johnny Football” won’t be confused with Andrew Luck anytime soon.
But I wrote and talked about it ad nauseam before the draft: I loved Mettenberger, who has put together a solid offseason in Tennessee. Granted, he too was coming off an ACL injury and had his faults, but the point is that the Rams would have had a solid developmental quarterback on their roster who played in a pro-style system under Cam Cameron at LSU. Maybe the Rams still would have gone with Hill to start the season, but in my eyes, they would have had a deeper pool of pro-ready talent to choose from.
All of that is moot now, of course, which gets back to the main point: Kurt Warner isn’t walking back through that door. Shaun Hill is your best short-term option.
RamBillParticipantMorning Ram-blings: QB options?
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10942/morning-ram-blings-qb-options
EARTH CITY, Mo. — There has been plenty of discussion about the St. Louis Rams adding help at the quarterback position after Sam Bradford’s season ending injury.
As coach Jeff Fisher is quick to point out, those conversations have not taken place within the confines of Rams Park, at least not yet. While Fisher says the team wants to be patient to see if any potential backup options to starter Shaun Hill become available, our man Field Yates took the time Monday to offer some possibilities.
Yates went into further detail in this Insider piece Insider, providing some names and the thought process that would go into each one.
Clearly, there are many opinions on this topic from fans and media alike but the only one that really matters is Fisher’s. He’s serious about Hill being the starter so it’s probably best to move on from the idea the team will be looking for anything but a possible backup as cuts are made.
I.C.Y.M.I.
A roundup of Monday’s Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. … We began a busy day with this week’s projected 53-man roster. … Next, we got to the Ram-blings by trying to offer something to cheer fans up. … From there, we took a closer look at the dark cloud that seems to be hovering over the Rams since 2002 or so. … Lost in the Bradford news was some actual good injury news on four key starters. … This week’s rookie review looked at snaps and production for the rookies against Cleveland. … We closed the day with Fisher’s strong words emphasizing Hill is the guy.
Elsewhere:
Grantland’s Bill Barnwell wonders where the Rams go from here.
Ron Jaworski discusses what he thinks the Rams should do at quarterback.
At stltoday.com, columnist Bryan Burwell writes that the Rams season isn’t doomed by Bradford’s loss.
In this video, Bernie Miklasz agrees.
Jeff Gordon writes that there’s no easy answers for the Rams at quarterback.
RamBillParticipantBurwell: Rams should avoid crazy QB ideas
• By BRYAN BURWELLSo now all the amateur football geniuses and junior GM’s of the world have had time to devote their full attention to concocting wonderful fantasy-football solutions to the Rams current quarterback upheaval, this much is quite clear:
Everyone has a plan.
Mark Sanchez. Kirk Cousins. Ryan Mallett. Michael Vick. Chase Daniel. Kyle Orton. Names and outlandish trade ideas are being thrown around with plenty of freedom, but with a short supply of wisdom. And that lack of wisdom pertains particularly to that special breed of crazies who still think Tim Tebow’s best career move would be to put down the SEC Network microphone and race to Rams Park immediately to rescue the season. (Well, they could always use an extra H-back.)
Yet when all the nuttiness is done, when all the fantasy-football draft strategies are exhausted, when all the impractical dreams have run their course, we’re still left with the only logical course of action for this franchise to take.
Leave the football team in the hands of the competent veteran who already knows how to run this offense. Whatever wild ideas you might have to bring in a guy from somewhere else, there’s no one out there who is more ready to run the Rams’ offense than Shaun Hill.
The NFL is not a rec league hustle or a Saturday afternoon game of touch played on the street. You don’t walk in off the street, draw up a few plays in the dirt and tell the receiver to run a buttonhook at the Buick. You don’t bring in a guy who had no knowledge of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s playbook, then expect him to run through this buzzsaw schedule in the toughest division in football without a glitch. A little recent history lesson should remind you of the disasters that happened when Carson Palmer and Josh Freeman were tossed in the mix in midseason.
In case you haven’t heard, this NFL quarterbacking thing is not an easy thing.
On Monday after practice at Rams Park, Jeff Fisher was particularly amused by all the speculation swirling around his football team and the countless trade rumors connected to the Rams. “I don’t really like to deal with hypotheticals, but had Shaun not (already) been here and we had an (injury) issue, we very well could have brought some guys in and see who’s got a better feel for us under center and then go and name a starter,” Fisher told a horde of reporters who surrounded him after a late-afternoon practice. “But we already have a starter. (Hill) was clearly our (No. 2). He steps in and goes and so anything that happens beyond that I can’t comment because we’ve really not done anything.”
If you need an interpreter to read between the lines, here goes:
There’s no one out there in the great big NFL universe right now who is available, could become available or who wants to make himself available who presents a better option than Shaun Hill. Teams aren’t going to just give away gifted backups (see: Kansas City and Chase Daniel) without asking for a king’s ransom. And the other teams that have guys they’re more than willing to dump are going to try to hijack valuable assets the Rams aren’t (or shouldn’t be) willing to part with (see: Tavon Austin).
Why are so many people fascinated with Ryan Mallett when it’s so obvious that the New England Patriots seem to be ready to dump him for rookie Jimmy Garoppolo? Mallett has thrown seven passes in his four-year NFL career. Is this someone you want to mortgage draft picks for?
Oh yes, and then there is Sanchez, whose greatest accomplishment in the last few seasons in the NFL is the “butt fumble.” He had some limited success with Schottenheimer with the Jets, but he has been a huge disappointment and proved to be a bust as a first-round draft pick. Again, why would the Rams waste any important assets (players or picks) trying to bring in someone who isn’t an improvement on what you already have?
“There are a lot of players out there that are under contract and so you can’t discuss those things,” said Fisher. “But we’ve not had any discussions with anybody. Again, we’re going to be patient with this.”
So here’s what the Rams will do. They’ll be patient. They already know that Hill is the guy who will run their offense and they have been satisfied with what they’ve seen out of Austin Davis as well. Remember shortly after the end of the 2012 season, Fisher practically gift-wrapped the No. 2 job to Davis for the 2013 season. However, Davis mysteriously did not rise to the opportunity and by the middle of training camp, Kellen Clemens had won the job. Now a year later, Davis is playing the way the organization envisioned he would, albeit a year late, and now he should have secured a job.
The next step is to be patient and see what pops up on the waiver wire as we get down to the final cutdown date when rosters must be trimmed to 53 men. NFL personnel people call this churning the bottom of the roster, which means if they see a name that they believe is an upgrade on rookie Garrett Gilbert, they’ll take a look.
But trust me on this: The next great Rams quarterback of the future is not going to be found on some frantic dumpster dive at the end of training camp.
The future isn’t now, it’s next spring when the draft rolls around. That’s where you’ll find your QB of the future; everything else is the stuff of silly fantasy or irrational folly.
RamBillParticipantRams react to Bradford’s injury
Nate Latschhttp://stl.scout.com/2/1438143.html
ST. LOUIS — Rodger Saffold experienced a wide range of emotions after seeing Sam Bradford get hurt, then thinking the quarterback was going to be fine only to learn the next day that he was injured again.
“It was gasp,” the offensive lineman said Monday. “Then it was like, Oh, he’s fine. He’s over there laughing and walking around on it. I’m like, oh, he’s good. Then the next day it’s like, hey, not so good. Of course you feel bad for him. But what’s the best thing that we can do for him? Go out and try to win the division. That’s the best thing we can do.”Rams players met with reporters Monday following practice for the first time since St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher announced to the media that Bradford had once again torn the same ACL that ended his 2013 campaign after just seven games.
The Rams know how hard Bradford worked to come back from last year’s knee injury, which he suffered on an innocent enough looking play when he was pushed from behind while running out of bounds in the second half against the Panthers.
On Saturday night, a Cleveland Browns defender made contact with Bradford, who fell to the turf and then grabbed his previously injured left knee before eventually walking off the field.
“Yesterday was difficult,” Fisher said. “They all care for Sam but they understand we have work to do. We have things we have to get done this week, on a short week and so they were working really good today.”
Saffold echoed Fisher’s sentiments about having to return to work.
“Everybody’s on the same page already,” Saffold said. “The mind state is good. We always look out for Sam. He’s always on our minds. But at the end of the day when we come to practice we’re here to work.”
The Rams will play their fourth and final preseason game on Thursday in Miami and then must prepare to open the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings the following week.
There’s not much time to dwell on Bradford’s situation.
St. Louis has to quickly move on to once again playing without Bradford, like they did last season, and this time playing with Shaun Hill at quarterback.
That won’t necessarily be easy, after what happened to their teammate, but that is what they will have to do anyway.
“Very unfortunate for Sam,” running back Zac Stacy said. “I hate that for him. But at the same time we’re real excited about Shaun leading us and the offensive weapons that we have. From that standpoint, we’re just going to get better, improve each and every day and get ready for Week 1.”
Hill also said he feels terrible for Bradford.
“Getting to know him here, I was really looking forward to seeing him play this year,” Hill said. “He was going to light it up. But, the nature of the business, next guy up and that’s me. A lot of excitement getting cranked up and ready to go for this one.”
RamBillParticipantJeff Fisher emphasizes faith in Shaun Hill
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10935/fisher-emphasizes-faith-in-shaun-hill
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher is not a fan of quarterback controversies and wears it as a badge of honor that he’s never had a situation where two players have really battled one-on-one for a starting job.
That’s why Fisher, one day after confirming the season-ending knee injury for starter Sam Bradford, again emphasized that veteran Shaun Hill is his quarterback. Not just during Monday’s practice or in this week’s preseason game but for the season barring something happening to him.
Hill
“I think it’s important once you make a change for whatever reason, you stick with it,” Fisher said Monday. “And we’re sticking with this. There’s no doubt about that. That allows everybody to get comfortable and have confidence in who is under center as opposed to ‘Well, what are we going to do this week?’ There’s no doubt that he’s our guy and we’re going to move forward.”The Rams moved forward with Hill as the starting quarterback for the first time in Monday’s practice. Hill had some ups and downs, including throwing a few interceptions but Fisher was mostly pleased with his performance.
In fact, Fisher offered a little of his trademark dry humor when asked how Hill practiced Monday.
“He was fine,” Fisher said, a smile creeping across his face. “He actually completed some passes today. He was fine. And he actually knows where to go with the football, believe it or not. He’s a competitor and knows what he’s doing.”
For his part, Hill said he’s only once been able to enter a season as a starting quarterback. That was in 2009 with San Francisco but he also made it clear that his mindset doesn’t change regardless of circumstance. He does, however, acknowledge that having such a strong vote of confidence from Fisher is helpful.
“That feels good to have his confidence,” Hill said. “And the team’s confidence. They’ve all rallied around me. It’s been good.”
As for all the rumors of the Rams pursuing outside options at quarterback, Fisher again hit the familiar refrain of saying that Hill is the starter and they will be patient to evaluate possibilities for backups behind him.
“I don’t really like to deal in hypotheticals but had Shaun not been here and we had an issue, we very well could have brought some guys in to see who has got a better feel for us and then go with them as the starter,” Fisher said. “But we’ve already got a starter. He was clearly our two, he steps up and plays. We’ve really not done anything.
RamBillParticipantRams rookie review: Preseason week 3
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10857/rams-rookie-review-preseason-week-3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at playing time and production of each of the St. Louis Rams’ drafted rookies and a quick glimpse at the undrafted rookie class in Saturday’s 33-14 win against the Cleveland Browns.
OL Greg Robinson, first round, No. 2 overall: Robinson didn’t start against the Browns, mostly because his head is still spinning a bit as he tries to learn multiple positions. But he came in at left guard soon enough and played 58 snaps, most on the team. The Rams will try to get Robinson settled in at guard over the next couple of weeks so he can be ready for the opener.
DT Aaron Donald, first round, No. 13 overall: Donald had a strong third quarter, flashing the pass rush potential that has had many buzzing about him during camp. He played 24 snaps on defense and finished with two tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
DB Lamarcus Joyner, second round, No. 41 overall: Joyner remains one of the busiest rookies on the team, playing 22 defensive snaps and seven more on special teams. Coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged him as the likely primary nickelback, and he handled that role against the Browns. The unofficial pressbox statistics had him down for a couple of tackles.
RB Tre Mason, third round, No. 75 overall: Mason continues get carries, but hasn’t been very productive with them. He played 20 snaps on offense and posted 29 yards on 10 carries. He had 18 of those yards on one run, meaning he gained 11 yards on the other nine carries. He simply hasn’t been able to get it going in extended looks during the first three preseason games.
S Maurice Alexander, fourth round, No. 110 overall: Alexander continues to be prominently involved though he only played 16 snaps on defense against the Browns. But he’s clearly viewed as a key special teams player as he posted another 11 snaps in Cleveland. Alexander didn’t register any stats on the unofficial pressbox numbers.
CB E.J. Gaines, sixth round, No. 188 overall: Gaines returned to the field after sitting against Green Bay, playing 14 snaps on defense and making one tackle. He appears to be in good shape to win a roster spot as the Rams have been taking longer looks at other corners.
QB Garrett Gilbert, sixth round, No. 214 overall: Gilbert was the fourth quarterback in against the Browns, playing 13 snaps and attempting just two passes. He completed one of them, for 23 yards, but that was it for him on the night. Austin Davis continues to offer more promise.
OT Mitchell Van Dyk, seventh round, No. 226 overall: Opportunities were few and far between for Van Dyk, who played six snaps on offense and five on special teams against Cleveland. He remains a long shot to land on the 53-man roster.
S Christian Bryant, seventh round, No. 241 overall: Bryant returned to his home state to play 12 snaps on defense and six more on special teams. He had one tackle in those limited chances.
DE Michael Sam, seventh round, No. 249 overall: Sam’s snaps have dwindled some, down to 19 against the Browns. But he made the most of the ones he got, coming up with two tackles, two sacks and two quarterback hits.
C Demetrius Rhaney, seventh round, No. 250 overall: Rhaney is still recovering from a knee injury and did not play.
Undrafted rookie roundup: Running back Trey Watts continues to make a strong impression, rushing for 36 yards on nine carries with a touchdown while playing 24 snaps on offense and six more on special teams. … Defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks played the most snaps of any defensive player with 38, adding three more on special teams. He played inside and out and had a tackle and batted a pass. … Cornerback Marcus Roberson also continued getting extensive work in Cleveland, playing 24 snaps on defense and another 12 on special teams. He had two tackles and a fumble recovery.
RamBillParticipant
Tipsheet: No easy QB answers for Rams
• By Jeff GordonNational experts were never excited about the Rams’ playoff prospects this season.
And with Sam Bradford exiting the scene with another devastating knee injury, their prospects appear especially bleak.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher is asking well-traveled veteran Shaun Hill to step up into a game management role for a team that, fortunately, was already stressing defense and ball control.
General manager Les Snead is exploring the quarterback market, looking to add either a veteran for insurance or a potential developmental quarterback for 2015 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Austin Davis graduates from his previous “camp arm” role to the No. 2 QB role — at least for the time being. And offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer tears a few of the more ambitious pages out of his playbook.
This is not an awesome scenario for a young team playing in the NFL’s toughest division and facing a daunting schedule outside of the NFC West.
Here is how the experts sized up this arm crisis:
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com: “Taking Sam Bradford No. 1 overall in 2010 NFL Draft was not a gamble by the previous St. Louis Rams regime. While he had a few detractors, Bradford was the consensus top player available. Keeping Bradford in 2012 despite having the No. 2 overall pick in the draft was a risk by the latest Rams brain trust. Keeping Bradford in 2014 despite his torn ACL and owning the No. 2 overall pick again was even more of a gamble. It sadly backfired on Saturday when Bradford tore his left ACL again. It’s easy to say in hindsight that the Rams made the wrong decision, but there’s no guarantee they would be better off with Robert Griffin III, Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel . The Rams made a tough choice and then got wildly unlucky. Bradford’s contract complicated factors because it was signed before the new league’s collective bargaining agreement. But the ‘dead money’ involved or Bradford’s high salary don’t explain why the new Rams brass stuck with Bradford. General manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher believe Bradford is a true franchise quarterback that was victimized by some difficult surroundings. We may never know if they were right. Bradford’s career is hardly over, but the Rams can no longer count on him as their primary option at quarterback. It’s anyone’s guess whether they can work on a new contract for him to return next year. He’s been an extremely difficult player to evaluate, even when things are right, displaying some positive traits without blowing anyone away. There is an entire generation of quarterbacks drafted after Bradford that have already accomplished more. And they won’t face the brutal challenge of coming off back-to-back torn ACLs.”
Eric Adelson, Yahoo! Sports: “That such an upsetting fate could befall Bradford is instructive as well as sad. Bradford is not a mobile passer. Neither is Tom Brady, who lost a season to a similar injury. Neither is Tony Romo, who has had chronic back issues. Neither is Peyton Manning, who has had four neck surgeries. Neither is Matthew Stafford, who had a series of shoulder injuries early in his NFL career, and was feared to be injury prone also. He too was mostly unlucky. So is Stafford’s teammate, Ryan Broyles, who was one of Bradford’s favorite targets at Oklahoma. Broyles broke the FBS record for receptions in 2011, and has three season-ending injuries since: left ACL tear, right ACL tear and ruptured Achilles. Granted, one ACL tear makes an athlete more likely to suffer another one – both in the same leg and in the other. But that doesn’t get a player to ‘injury prone.’ Maybe ‘ACL tear vulnerable’ is applicable. Bradford and Broyles are both of those things. But it shouldn’t be a scarlet letter on either man in a league where vicious hits (or even standard hits) can’t be legislated out. In a profession where pretty much everyone works year-round to stay in the best shape possible, those who stay off the injured list are blessed more by extra fortune than extra skill. Everyone has skill in the NFL; not everyone has gloomy fate.”
Nick Wagoner, ESPN.com: “Bradford is scheduled to count $17,610,000 against this year’s salary cap. His number for next year is a daunting $16,580,000. And he’s headed for his second left knee surgery in less than a year. Forgetting the Rams’ inability to reach the playoffs or even post a winning record under Bradford’s guidance for a moment, the harsh reality is that there’s no longer any debate about whether Bradford should be the team’s quarterback of the future. Once this season ends, Bradford will have missed 25 consecutive games over two seasons. In a five-year career, Bradford will have missed 31 of a possible 80 games, and that doesn’t include time playing with a high ankle sprain in 2011. Whether or not you believe Bradford was the right man for the job is beside the point. He’s now got a long enough history of serious injury that he can’t be considered the team’s quarterback of the future.”
Jarrett Bell, USAToday.com: “Earlier this summer, Rams general manager Les Snead told me that he expected the team would re-sign Bradford before his contract expired after the 2015 campaign. Yet with another injury, the dynamics have changed. Barring another setback, Bradford would return during the final year of a contract averaging $13 million – and after injuries ruined his previous two seasons. Bradford should get a chance to prove that his health is intact before his contract expires, but given his recent luck that may be a big if. Even tougher could be both sides agreeing to his worth. Although Bradford came within a victory of leading the Rams to a division title as a rookie, the hard knocks since then have prevented him from living up to his existing contract. The Rams will have to square that, while mulling options for securing their future at quarterback – with or without Bradford. Even if they remain sold that Bradford is their long-term answer, his injury history could force the Rams to think hard next offseason about whether to draft another option.”
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: “The challenge will be to consider whether to proceed with Austin Davis as the backup or to bring in a veteran who could provide perhaps a better insurance policy, in the event Hills gets injured, too. The Rams have the luxury of time, given that quarterbacks will soon be cut — and that some may be available in trade. Whatever the real plan, it’s no surprise that Fisher has chosen to publicly embrace Hill. Even if Fisher has misgivings about entrusting the team to Hill, the best play for Fisher at this point is to love the one he’s with, and to see whether there’s someone else out there he may love even more. It could be that Fisher ultimately loves Hill the best. In 1999, the Rams lost starter Trent Green to a torn ACL in the preseason. An even lesser-known backup named Kurt Warner took over the team, ultimately winning the Super Bowl over a Titans team coached by, you guessed it, Jeff Fisher.”
Chris Burke, SI.com: “Barring any unforeseen developments, such as a proven No. 1 quarterback becoming available for some reason, the Rams’ post-Bradford choices for 2014 fall into two categories: gambles or maxed-out performers. Any improvement on Hill almost certainly would come at a cost, one the Rams may not be willing to pay as they continue to stockpile talent through the draft. The Rams’ friendliest route for now may be to see what they can piece together behind Hill, while keeping an eye on the 2015 draft. Bradford may return by then, but the days of St. Louis counting on him as its go-to QB probably ended on Saturday night.”
Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com: “Think about the names being mentioned as potential targets. Mark Sanchez. Ryan Mallett. Kirk Cousins. Tim Tebow. Are you serious? It’s amazing to me to see how people perceive backup quarterbacks. It’s like beer goggles at closing time. You see what you want to see, when reality is far different. There’s a reason they are backups, with few exceptions, including Warner and Tom Brady. Sanchez had early success with the Jets, and he knows the offense after playing for current Rams coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. He’s also been a flop the past couple of seasons, and his confidence appeared shot. Now that he’s done some good things with the Eagles this summer, he’s hot again? Is he any better than Hill? It’s the same for Mallett, the backup in New England, and Cousins, the backup in Washington. I know there’s a call for Cousins to start over Robert Griffin III for the Redskins, but he was ordinary in his three starts last season, and that’s being nice. The last time Hill started a game was with the Lions in 2010. He went 3-7, threw 16 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He did complete 61.8 percent of his passes. Sanchez has never come close to that number, Cousins was at 52.3 percent after making his three starts last season and Mallett is 1 for 4 passing in his career. Don’t dare mention that lefthanded fullback, either.”
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while second-guessing the Rams for not taking a quarterback more promising than Garrett Gilbert in the last NFL Draft:
How can we thank Mo’ne Davis for brightening our summer?
When will Derrick Rose realize that his knees will never be right again?
Since when is it a good idea to let little kids on the field right before a big league baseball game?
MEGAPHONE
“Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has. Now, Robert is learning to work out of a pocket. He doesn’t look as smooth or as comfortable throwing the football. I mean, your eyes will tell you everything you need to know. It’s going to be a decision that Jay Gruden is going to have to make. Right now, Robert Griffin III is his quarterback. Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe he would have to go to, because of the efficiency with which he has run (the offense). Now Kirk, like I said, is basically a drop-back quarterback. I see Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, I see Kirk Cousins that way”
Former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, sizing up the team’s quarterbacks during a preseason broadcast.
RamBillParticipantGood news on Brockers, Saffold, Langford
• By Joe LyonsThe 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.
August 25, 2014 at 1:20 am in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4989RamBillParticipant‘Devastating news’ ends Bradford’s season
• By Jim ThomasFor Sam Bradford, there were countless hours of rehab work over the past 10 months. A determination to prove his doubters wrong and lead the Rams to higher ground.
Once again, he brought receivers out to Oklahoma on his own dime to work on the passing game and boost camaraderie. There was a renewed effort to display leadership in an evolving offense that needs to be shown the way.
In training camp and the preseason, Bradford did everything he was asked and played well. Often very well.
And then, in the matter of a few seconds Saturday night, it was all gone. Cleveland defensive end Armonty Bryant flashed around Rams left tackle Jake Long, struck Bradford just after he had released a pass, and that was that.
Bradford went down with a left knee injury and is done for the season, as coach Jeff Fisher confirmed early Sunday evening.
The anterior cruciate ligament that was surgically repaired last December following an injury at Carolina in October didn’t hold up to the hit by Bryant. That’s what an MRI examination showed Sunday, and now it must be repaired again.
“Anyone that’s gone through that procedure and the rehab understands that to have it happen again within a calendar year is very, very difficult,” Fisher said. “The news was devastating to him this morning.”
Fisher met with Bradford after the MRI results came in, and then Bradford left Rams Park to spend some time with his parents.
“I really can’t give you any timetable as to when he’s gonna have this procedure done,” Fisher said. “A lot of people worked very hard with him. Reggie (Scott), his training staff. Rock (Gullickson) — strength staff. And the doctors.
Scott is the team’s head athletic trainer; Gullickson is the strength coach.
“If you saw Sam at practice, you saw him play the last two preseason games, I think you’d agree with me that he was 100 percent back and on his way,” Fisher said.
“Put yourself in his position. How hard he worked to get back, and how excited he was to be back and lead this football team into the season. So yeah, it’s very, very difficult for him.”
There was some optimism following Saturday night’s 33-14 preseason victory over Cleveland that the injury might not be serious. Bradford wasn’t carried off on a cart and walked off the field under his own power. He felt pretty good in the locker room afterward and told some teammates that he was OK.
After the MRI examination, Bradford was anything but OK. The play that ended his 2014 was “highly unusual,” according to Fisher.
“You know, it’s a one in a hundred chance that something like that would happen,” Fisher said. “It wasn’t a high impact (hit). ACL injuries, they’re all different, and this was just kind of a hyper-extension that just had impact come from the outside.
“The knee was locked and something has to give. Unfortunately, the ACL gave.”
When the news spread that Bradford was done for the year, several teammates tweeted out their respects and well-wishes:
• DE Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE): ”Hurting for my friend, teammate Sam because we know the work he puts in every day and the caliber of person he is. Tough. We got your back 8.”
• LB James Laurinaiits (@JLaurinaitis55): ”My heart hurts for my friend Sam. The way he worked, the leadership he showed, and his spirit was amazing this whole offseason. Hate this.”
• RT Joe Barksdale: (@BazookaJoe72): ”Praying for Sam, but the team will still continue to build on what we’ve started, to get where we are trying to go.”
But as Fisher indicated, as much as the Rams feel Sam’s pain, there’s no time for self-pity. The NFL is a fast-moving train this time of the year. The team’s regular-season opener against Minnesota is 13 days away, so it’s time to regroup, refocus, and move on.
The Rams will move on with veteran Shaun Hill as their starting quarterback.
“Shaun’s our guy,” Fisher said. “He’s got experience. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in him. We have around our quarterback position right now probably as good of talent as we’ve had since we came here. Shaun’s excited about that, and I know he’ll benefit from that.”
After Bradford’s injury last season, the Rams had to alter the offense because Kellen Clemens lacked the arm strength to throw the deep ball with any degree of consistency, But Fisher indicated Sunday that it will be business as usual with Hill under center.
“We’re not gonna change anything,” Fisher said. “Everybody knows we’re gonna run the football first. We’re gonna do that, and we’re gonna do that well. … And then everything else will come off of that.”
Austin Davis, who spent most of the offseason and training camp as the team’s No. 4 quarterback, catapults to No. 2 on the depth chart after his second strong outing in three preseason games.
That leaves rookie Garrett Gilbert at No. 3.
After the Bradford news broke Sunday, there was all kinds of Internet speculation about the Rams trading for Philadelphia’s Mark Sanchez or New England’s Ryan Mallet. Fisher squelched those rumors Sunday, at least temporarily.
“I’d heard that there’s speculation that we’ve been on the phone (with other teams),” Fisher said. “That’s not true. That doesn’t mean to say that we won’t. But we haven’t done it at this point. We’ll get together as an organization and see.”
A little patience is necessary in a situation such as this, Fisher said, especially with cutdown time at hand around the league.
“It makes no sense to jump and react right now, and try to fill the hole at whatever cost,” Fisher said. “We’re gonna take our time and evaluate this. There’s gonna be some quarterbacks that are released, and there may or may not be some quarterbacks out there that have trade value. We just don’t know. It’s way too soon.”
August 25, 2014 at 1:04 am in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4985RamBillParticipantBurwell: No reason to up Rams’ season as lost
• By BRYAN BURWELLIf you ever needed a more clear example of the heartless reality of pro football’s “next-man-up” nature, this was surely it. Late Sunday afternoon, just as Rams coach Jeff Fisher walked through one door into the Rams Park auditorium to confirm to the world that Sam Bradford and his surgically repaired left knee were once again lost for the season, there was Shaun Hill — the new starting quarterback — quietly slipping through another door on his way to another meeting.
A few hours earlier, a devastated Bradford had left the building, unsure of what his future held. He was once the face of this franchise, a No.1 overall pick destined to lead the Rams out of the darkness into playoff relevance. Now he is an injury prone young man coping with this awful news, wrestling with the uncomfortable notion that he may never reach his enormous potential.
Hill talked to Bradford before he left the building. They have grown close working together for the past five months. Yet Bradford’s bad news is Hill’s latest career big break. These are the moments that make you realize how quickly the process rolls on in NFL locker rooms. No time for lengthy sentimentality when you have a game plan to absorb, a team to lead and an opportunity to capitalize upon.
“We will move forward as a football team,” said Fisher. “Shaun is our guy. … We have all the confidence in the world in him.”
So now let’s get to the essential question on every Rams loyalist’s mind:
Without Bradford, is the Rams’ season a disaster in waiting?
The answer is not nearly as simple as the question. The short answer is no. The longer answer all depends on the uncertainty of a typical NFL season. But let’s begin with the short answer. Don’t overlook the fact that the offseason release of last year’s No. 2 QB Kellen Clemens, the acquisition of the 13-year veteran Hill and the surprising, rapid maturity of No. 3 passer Austin Davis have put this franchise in a decidedly better position to withstand Bradford’s absence than when he went down midway through last season.
Hill is simply and indisputably a better alternative to Clemens. The Rams won’t have to turn the offense back to the stone age to compete because unlike his predecessor, Hill can indeed throw the deep ball with some proven level of efficiency (he has a 61.9 percent career completion percentage). He is not a “game manager.” He is not a guy whose greatest offensive asset is his ability to hand the football off and not make mind-numbing mistakes.
Without Bradford, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will not be automatically forced to scale back the offense and abandon the vertical game that Bradford was clearly and impressively implementing this preseason. Hill does not have all of Bradford’s special quarterbacking gifts, but that doesn’t mean he will forget about the deep passes to Brian Quick and Kenny Britt that have suddenly become a valuable tool of this offense.
As Fisher said Sunday, the most noticeable difference between last year and this year is the talent that surrounds the quarterbacks this season.
“We have,” he said, “probably as good talent as we’ve had since we came here. Shaun is excited about that and I know he’ll benefit from that.”
How much he benefits becomes the great unknown of this critically important season.
A year ago, Clemens went 4-5 as a starter. Can Hill do any better with an improved array of offensive talent all around him? Can he benefit from a better offensive line? Can he get the ball to his improving receivers? Will he provide the perfect balance needed to complement Fisher’s obsession with running the football?
This football season hasn’t started yet, and it hardly makes any sense to proclaim it done before it barely begins. But let’s not kid ourselves. The loss of Bradford means something and it means something big. The Sam Bradford we were watching during preseason looked like the sort of guy who could fit a football into any window, no matter how cramped, covered, deep or difficult. The Bradford we watched all summer was looking like the sort of passer who was ready to live up to his enormous potential. That guy was the key to a breakthrough season for this luckless franchise.
That QB had the sort of gifts that could — if all things went really, really well — lead to places most Rams fans considered their ultimate football dreams.
But we won’t see that Bradford this year, and who knows if we’ll ever see that Bradford again?
Shaun Hill doesn’t have to be Bradford for this season to be a success. He just has to be a passer capable of being a legitimate offensive threat. He has to be someone who can go deep when he has to. He has to be a guy who can get the football into the end zone, who can create enough firepower through the air to prevent the rugged NFC West defenses from stacking up the line of scrimmage and turning the Rams’ rushing attack into an ineffective mess.
From every bit of adversity comes some level of opportunity.
Let’s see what sort of opportunity the Rams can cull from this latest setback.
August 24, 2014 at 11:26 pm in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4962RamBillParticipantRams won’t change offense in Bradford’s absence
By Howard Balzerhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/rams-wont-change-offense-bradfords-022126155–nfl.html
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher did the best he could Sunday, putting on his positive face in the wake of the stunning news that quarterback Sam Bradford tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Bradford, who had the same ACL repaired after first being injured last October against the Carolina Panthers, is out for the season.
Fisher did his best Dick Vermeil imitation after being asked about the eerie similarity to 1999. That year, Trent Green tore his ACL in the third preseason game, leaving the offense in the hands of Kurt Warner, who helped lead the team to a Super Bowl win over Fisher’s Tennessee Titans.
“This team’s going to rally around Shaun (Hill), and we’re going to go play, they really are,” Fisher said. “That guy that came in (Warner) ended up being pretty good. Again, we’ve got all the confidence in the world in Shaun.”
Fisher got the quote close. Vermeil, the Rams’ head coach then, said, “We will rally around Kurt Warner, and we will play good football.” Though Fisher wasn’t tearing up like Vermeil, his message was clear.
“We move forward as a football team,” he said. “Shaun is our guy. We brought him here. He’s got experience. We’ve got all the confidence in the world in him. We have, around our quarterback position right now, probably as good of talent as we’ve had since we came here. Shaun is excited about that, and I know he’ll benefit from that.
“Players are unique nowadays. They feel Sam’s right pain now and his loss, but you’ve got to go on. That’s part of our business, you go on, and so, everybody needs to pick it up a little bit more. That’s kind of a cliche when these things happen, and this young group of guys will.”
Fisher acknowledged being “shell-shocked” by the news, especially since Bradford wasn’t hit particularly hard and the injury didn’t appear that bad after it happened in the first quarter of Saturday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns. He expressed optimism, while Bradford told teammates and others he thought he would be OK. That is what made the news Sunday so hard to accept.
“For Sam personally, it’s devastating,” Fisher said. “The news was devastating to him as you can appreciate. Anyone that’s gone through that procedure and the rehab understands, and to have it happen again within the calendar year is very, very difficult. So, we’re thinking of Sam.
“I met with him this morning. He’s left the building. He’s spending time with his parents. A lot of people worked very hard with him: (trainer) Reggie (Scott), his training staff, (strength and conditioning coach) Rock (Gullickson) and his strength staff, the doctors. If you saw him at practice or you saw him the last two preseason games, I think you would agree with me that he was 100 percent back and on his way.”
Now he is on his way to another surgery and an uncertain future. By the end of the season, Bradford will have missed 31 of a possible 80 games in his five-year career, and 2015 is the last year of the six-year, $78 million contract he signed as the first overall pick in the 2010 draft.
However, Fisher said it is far too early to think about the future, adding, “We just need to get his heart and his mind right and get him focused, allow him some time to get away. We’ll address that whenever we need to.”
What Fisher has to do is make sure his team is focused moving forward, something he is not worried about. Last season, when Bradford was injured, there were those who predicted St. Louis wouldn’t win another game, but the Rams went 4-5 with Kellen Clemens at quarterback. Hill is more equipped to be effective in the passing game than Clemens was.
In 12 NFL seasons, Hill has played just 34 games (26 starts), but has completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 6,381 yards, 41 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and an 85.9 passer rating.
Fisher spoke to Hill briefly Sunday and said, “He’s ready for it. He’s ready for the challenge, ready for the opportunity. He has a great feel for the offense right now, and we’re going to move forward with it. We’re not going to change anything. He knows the system. Again, everybody knows we’re going to run the football first. We’re going to do that, and we’ve got to do that well and we’ve got to do that to start the season. Everything else will come off of that.
“He’s got a wealth of experience. He’s played in games. He’s been in different systems. The last few years, he’s really only played in the preseason behind (Lions quarterback) Matthew (Stafford), but when he played, he played really well. He just makes good decisions; he’s mobile. He understands defenses and he’s very reliable.”
While the Rams will be centered around the ground game, that only works when defenses know the passing attack is a threat. Without that, play-action is useless. Fisher believes that won’t be a problem with Hill under center.
“We’re improving, and the young guys are getting more and more experience,” Fisher said. “But Shaun’s capable of getting the ball to them; there’s not a throw that he can’t make. He sees well, he’s got great anticipation, and we’re going to cut him loose.”
August 24, 2014 at 10:34 pm in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4953RamBillParticipant
Gordon: Injury finishes Bradford, Rams
• By Jeff GordonThis was supposed to be Sam Bradford’s make-or-break season. Sadly, he broke.
He re-injured his surgically-repaired left knee Saturday night at Cleveland, ending his 2014 season before it really started.
In a nutshell, this is what is means:
The Rams will go forward with Shaun Hill as the starting quarterback, hoping to win with a shutdown defense, a powerful running game and excellent special teams play. The Rams will be competitive this season, but it hard to imagine them getting to the high side of .500 without a healthy and effective Bradford. They will need more than astute game management to beat the better teams on their schedule.
Hill is more capable than 2013 fill-in Kellen Clemens, but he can’t make all the throws Bradford makes with the same consistency. Once again offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will have to scale back his play script.
Coach Jeff Fisher and Co. must get Austin Davis ready to play. He was just a camp arm in most of the practice sessions to this point. He seemed certain to get cut, just as he did last summer. But at Cleveland he once against demonstrated some playmaking flair. He knows the offense inside-out, so he can offer some near-term relief. So now he needs practice reps and game reps.
Rookie QB Garrett Gilbert needs a lot of work. Given Bradford’s demise, the Rams don’t have the luxury of giving him that time. General manager Les Snead must start searching for another quarterback ASAP, seeking either another veteran (not Brady Quinn!) to protect Hill or a younger quarterback with serious developmental potential. And his scouts must start paying extra attention to the quarterback class in the 2015 NFL Draft.
As for Bradford . . . that should be it for him here. The Rams can’t afford to commit so much salary cap space to such a fragile player. After a another major operation on the same knee, how could they reasonably expect him to ever hold up as a No. 1 quarterback? Snead is thankful Bradford’s camp didn’t want to extend his rookie deal. After this season, the Rams can dump what’s left of Bradford and invest the money elsewhere. That’s cold, but that’s the NFL — a tough, tough place to make a living.
This is a brutal development for Bradford, who seems like a nice enough guy. He faces another grueling year of rehab and uncertain football future. Fortunately he has tremendous financial security, unlike so many injured NFLers.
This is terrible news for a star-crossed Rams franchise that has endured disaster after catastrophe after fiasco since those glorious “Greatest Show on Turf” days.
August 24, 2014 at 10:22 pm in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4945RamBillParticipantRams turn to Hill but need more help
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10876/rams-turn-to-hill-but-need-more-help
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Summoning his best Dick Vermeil impression Sunday evening, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher began the sentence just how Vermeil did about 15 years ago.
“This team is going to rally around Shaun [Hill] and we’re going to go play …” Fisher trailed off.
With Sam Bradford out for the season, it’s Shaun Hill’s turn to quarterback the Rams.
The story of the 1999 Rams has become the stuff of legend, and it all started with a torn anterior cruciate ligament to a starting quarterback just like the one that ended Sam Bradford’s 2014 season before it began Saturday night in Cleveland.The storybook tale of Kurt Warner replacing Trent Green and leading the Rams to a win in Super Bowl XXXIV is a cute parallel to what the Rams are going through now with Bradford out and Hill in, but it’s also one of the game’s legendary aberrations.
The 34-year-old Hill has been a steady backup who has started a handful of games over the course of a 12-year career. In that time, Hill has thrown for 6,381 yards, 41 touchdowns and 23 interceptions for a passer rating of 85.9. He compiled a 13-13 record as a starter and played 11 games with the Detroit Lions in 2010 in relief of Matthew Stafford.
Although he’s in his first year with the Rams following four each in Detroit, San Francisco and Minnesota, Hill has plenty of experience playing in a variety of offenses with plenty of different coaches and players.
That’s a far cry from Warner’s story and that should be instructive in trying to determine what Hill brings to the table as the Rams’ starter. Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have no intention of asking Hill to air it out, just as they didn’t with Bradford.
“Shaun has a great feeling for the offense right now and we’re going to move forward with it,” Fisher said. “We’re not going to change anything. He knows the system. Everybody knows we are going to run the football first, and we’re going to do that and we’re going to do that well and we’re going to do that to start the season and then everything else will come off of that.”
With Hill under center, the Rams have a steady hand who should be a better option than Kellen Clemens was when he took over for Bradford seven games into the 2013 season. The season shouldn’t be lost with Hill in charge, but it’s going to make what would have been an uphill climb to a postseason berth an even more daunting task.
Given the dearth of solid quarterbacks in the NFL, the Rams are wise to stick with the steady Hill as the starter rather than mortgage valuable draft picks to acquire someone who wouldn’t be a guaranteed upgrade. Anyone who might be considered an upgrade probably would be unavailable, too expensive, or both.
To that end, Fisher shot down rumors about the team’s interest in an outside quarterback who could potentially push Hill.
“I’ve heard that there’s speculation we’ve been on the phone,” Fisher said. “That’s not true. It doesn’t mean to say we won’t but we haven’t done it to this point. Keep in mind these guys understand our system. Shaun is ready to play.”
The bigger issue is what the Rams would do should something happen to Hill. For as experienced as Hill is, the Rams are equally inexperienced behind him. The current backup, Austin Davis, enters his third season with the team having never thrown a regular-season pass. Sixth-round draft choice Garrett Gilbert is a developmental rookie with a lot of improvement to make before he could play.
So even with rumors of the Rams’ interest in players such as Mark Sanchez, Ryan Mallett, Kirk Cousins and so many others, they aren’t planning to make an impulse purchase just to say they’ve done something.
“It makes no sense to jump and react right now and try to fill the hole, whatever it costs,” Fisher said. “We’re going to take our time and evaluate this. There’s going to be some quarterbacks that are getting released and there may or may not be some quarterbacks that have trade value. We just don’t know. It’s way too soon.”
Waiting is fine for now, but the Rams would be wise to find a way before the season starts to add a backup with experience to back up the one who is now starting.
August 24, 2014 at 7:52 pm in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4890RamBillParticipant
Bernie: Bradford and Rams are cursed
• Bernie MiklaszInstant reaction to the news of the Rams’ loss of quarterback Sam Bradford to a season-ending knee injury. Many words to follow. Please pardon my typos…
OVERVIEW
Honest, I don’t believe in curses.
But the Rams and Bradford are really, really, testing me on that.
On a human level, this is sad news for Bradford and the Rams. He worked hard to make it back from suffering the torn knee ligaments that took him down for the final nine games in 2013. He was looking good – bigger, stronger and accurate – in training camp. Through no fault of his own, Bradford just can’t stay healthy. Going back to his final season at Oklahoma, Bradford’s career has frequently been derailed by injuries.
The Rams have invested so much money and time in Bradford, but to no avail. And no rewards. If this indeed is the end of his Rams’ career, Bradford will finish with an 18-30-1 record. This is an unfortunate example of having the wrong quarterback at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Bradford’s shaky durability was a substantial setback to his career. But he also played for a team that never surrounded him with strong support or astute coaching on offense. Not that Bradford would have emerged as an elite quarterback; because of his injuries we’ll never know. But that’s also true of Bradford’s performance. We’ll never know.
Drafted No. 1 overall in 2010, Bradford never became a transformative quarterback. So it wouldn’t be wrong to say that many, including me, overestimated his talent and potential.
But if you want to be fair about this, we’ll never know what Bradford could have been at his peak, and installed in a more favorable set of circumstances. Bradford was drafted by a terrible organization that had to rebuild. He never had a true No. 1 receiver at the other end of his throws. He ran an offense that was slowed by a constant shuffle of personnel. And he worked for three offensive coordinators in St. Louis.
Bradford failed to play to the level of expectations that were set after his arrival and solid rookie campaign of 2010. He never distinguished himself at the position.
The Rams failed Bradford, too. It was a star-crossed relationship. Just when it seemed that Bradford was posed to take advantage of coach Jeff Fisher’s rebuilding program … this. Another crash.
And unless the Rams want to go through this again with Bradford — and why would they? — it’s time time for the organization to move on and start making plans to secure a QB for the future.
BRADFORD BITS …
On to the particulars — let’s dive in:
• Does this ruin the Rams’ season? Well, that depends on your perspective. If you believe that Bradford was ready to deliver a break-out season, then yes, this is a severe blow. But objectively speaking, isn’t it a reach to presume greatness from Bradford in 2015. Improvement? Yes. He had a 14 to 4 touchdown/interception ratio last year before falling, and performed well after the Rams junked an unworkable offense following an embarrassing home loss to San Francisco last Sept. 26. If training camp and exhibition games mean anything, it appeared that Bradford was in position to benefit from the addition of WR Kenny Britt and the development of WR Kenny Britt.
• But to declare that their season is trashed … well, I’m not going to go that far. And I’m certainly not going to give the Rams a built-in, easy excuse if they have a mediocre or poor season. The Rams went 4-5 in games started by Kellen Clemens in wake of Bradford’s injury last year. During Bradford’s first four seasons (2010-13) in St. Louis, the team won 36.7 percent of his starts. When Bradford didn’t start, the Rams won 33.3 percent of the time. Does that represent a significant difference? No, it doesn’t. But it’s also not that simple.
• Sure, I believe the Rams would have a better and more capable offense with Bradford in place in 2014. I can’t help but think back to Bradford’s winning record against NFC West teams (5-2-1) since Fisher took over as head coach. Yes, a big part of that could be attributed to the Rams’ defense and we shouldn’t underestimate that. But Bradford stepped up and made some big plays in those NFC West games. Clemens didn’t do that against division rivals last season. He was awful in NFC West throwdowns last season with two touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 55.2 passer rating. But Clemens also started impressive wins over Indianapolis, New Orleans and Chicago. If the Rams can run the ball with authority and play a swarming, harassing, turnover-forcing caliber of defense, they can bang and hang with anyone. But it’s sensible to conclude that the challenge of winning NFC West games is more daunting now. And that’s no small consideration.
• In Shaun Hill, the Rams have a calm and experienced veteran QB who is 13-13 as an NFL starter in his career. He’s a capable quarterback. I don’t know what others expect from a No. 2 quarterback. I’m not sure why anyone would expect to see a star-quality QB waiting in the No. 2 hole. How many No. 2s really fit that billing? Hill is solid. I don’t intend for this to come across as faint praise, but the Rams could be in much worse shape. If Hill stays healthy, he can play respectably. Hill’s history tells us that.
• Will the Rams shop for another veteran QB to team with Hill? It makes sense in theory, but getting it done is a different matter. Three reasons: (1) the Rams are tight on the salary cap and don’t have much room to accommodate a nice chunk of salary; (2) there doesn’t appear to be much of a market on available quarterbacks; (3) teams inclined to trade a QB know the Rams are in an awful spot, lack leverage and can demand an inflated price in a trade.
• I’ve seen some NFL pundit types suggest that the Eagles may be willing to part with Mark Sanchez, and that the Patriots may try to move backup QB Ryan Mallett. Sanchez does have a history — good and bad — with Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer from their NY Jets days. But the shared experience basically got both of them run out of town. Eagles coach Chip Kelly is said to like Sanchez, so what’s his price for a Sanchez trade? Mallett has been in the league for three seasons, and has attempted four regular-season passes – so what is he, exactly? The Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo this year to groom him as the next-in-line QB to Tom Brady. What does that say about Mallett? Besides, the Patriots may end up cutting Mallett, anyway. I’ve seen Redskins’ backup Kirk Cousins nominated as a possibility for the Rams – but given Robert Griffin III’s knee fragility, why would the Redskins part with Cousins? Makes no sense. Perhaps a potentially appealing QB would slip through on the waiver wire. Really, all of this speculation is a waste of time at the moment. We have to wait and see if a QB pops up that makes sense for the Rams.
• I’ve already seen some folks – including media members – compare this to 1999, when the Rams lost starting QB Trent Green in the third preseason game, plugged in Kurt Warner, and shocked the world by going 13-3 and winning the Super Bowl. Please. It was a fairy-tale ride in 1999. Warner was truly special, and no one knew that at the time. But it also helped to have Marshall Faulk in the backfield, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt at wide receiver, and Orlando Pace at left tackle. Faulk already is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Warner will be voted into the Hall of Fame. Pace will be voted into the Hall of Fame. Bruce and Holt have a chance to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Do you see any future Hall of Famers in the Rams’ 2014 offensive huddle?
• Moreover, Bradford was never as good a career-peak Trent Green. And while I respect Shaun Hill, I think it’s safe to say that his upside doesn’t match the upside that Warner possessed in 1999. We didn’t know what to expect from Warner because he’d never really played in the NFL in a game that mattered. Hill, 34, has been in the league for eight seasons. (This one will be his ninth.) And Hill has played in 37 regular-season games so at least there’s a basis for knowing what to expect from him.
• And say what you want about Mike Martz’s ups and downs as the head coach, but in 1999 Martz was a brilliant offensive coordinator. The offense he put together in 1999 was extraordinary. Mad Mike maximized all of that talent with creative, masterful game plans and wicked play calling. I don’t believe anyone has said those things about Schottenheimer. I’m not trying to be a narrative-killer here … OK, maybe I am. But seriously. While it’s human nature to look for a positive spin, it’s also ludicrous to compare this cast to the ’99 group that featured Faulk, Pace, Warner, Bruce, Holt and Martz. This doesn’t mean the 2014 Rams will be lousy offensively in 2014. But it’s a disservice to link the ’14 Rams to the storied “Greatest Show” offense that’s the only offense in NFL history to scored 500 or more points for three consecutive seasons, 1999 through 2001.
• Unlike many fans, I won’t slam Bradford based on the money he’s made here. As we’ve written many times, Bradford cashed in under the old NFL system for rookie compensation. Had he been in the draft in 2011 instead of 2010, the Rams wouldn’t have paid Bradford a guaranteed $50 million. Not even close. But in the old system, any team that drafted a QB first overall was going to have to pay up with enormous guarantees – and it didn’t matter if the QB was a star or a stiff. That’s why NFL owners insisted on a new rookie-compensation scale in the current collective bargaining agreement. It’s not as if Bradford swiped the money by being lazy, undedicated, unmotivated. Do you really think Bradford wanted to lose? Do you really think that he wanted to throw to pedestrian receivers? Do you really think he wanted to get physically ripped apart by defenses?
• Now, then: if you want to question the Rams’ judgment to stick with Bradford after a 2013 season wrecked by the knee injury, well, that’s an entirely different subject. The Rams brought Bradford back for 2014 at a salary-cap figure of $17.61 million. Management and coach Fisher remained unwavering and unshaken despite Bradford’s obvious injury history that shouldn’t have been ignored. (And yes, I wrote about that earlier this year– more than once.) From a financial standpoint, the organization had a chance to cut its losses after 2013 but opted to go forward with Sam. The Rams were willing to take that gamble. Sadly, it blew up.
• I don’t say that to pile on. I sincerely wish this would have worked out for the QB and the team. But it’s just the undeniable and unavoidable truth to state that the Rams’ gamble blew up. I’m sorry that it did. I had confidence in a healthy Bradford doing some good things in 2014. Positive factors were lining up. But I had little confidence that Bradford would stay healthy.
• Bradford has a $16.58 million cap hit for 2015. Pragmatically, I can’t imagine why the Rams would want to stay the course and pump another $16 million-plus into the Bradford project. Here’s why …
• If you include Bradford’s final season at Oklahoma, his first four NFL seasons, and the 16 games Bradford will miss in 2014, it adds up to 89 potential starts for him. Of those 89 games, Bradford started only 52. Repeat: 52 starts in 89 games. So that’s 37 starts missed to injury over six years (2009 through 2014.)
• And to put a fine-point on it, Bradford in 2011 started five games on a bad ankle that greatly limited his mobility and balance to plant and throw. Bradford shouldn’t have been playing; he took a beating out there for no good reason. Including those five games in ’11, I have no hesitation in offering the math that Bradford has been a physically viable starter for only 47 of 89 games over his last six seasons of football. Knowing that, how could the Rams possibly commit another $16 million plus to Bradford in 2015?
• As I wrote multiple times before the 2014 NFL Draft, it was my opinion that the Rams needed to take a QB early because of Bradford’s injury pattern. It seemed like an obvious and logical move; if Bradford got hurt again, at least the Rams would have had a young QB in line to develop for 2015. But the Rams didn’t go for a QB until the sixth round, taking Garrett Gilbert at No. 214 overall. So now the Rams are stuck in QB limbo. Unless the Rams really believe Gilbert or Austin Davis is their long-term future, if the organization moves away from Bradford in 2015, they don’t have a young starter in place to lead them over the next several seasons or longer. Taking a QB wasn’t a priority for the Rams in 2014 and it should have been. You’d have to think that drafting a QB would become a large priority for the Rams in 2015. But they put logic aside in the 2014 draft, and I suppose it’s possible for the Rams to do it again. Also … hypothetically speaking, suppose the Rams finish with six, seven, eight or nine wins? That won’t put them near the top of the draft to choose among the most coveted quarterbacks.
It’s a tough weekend for the Rams, Sam B. and their fans.
Thanks for reading …
-Bernie
August 24, 2014 at 6:22 pm in reply to: Wagoner, Thomas, Miklasz, Gordon, Balzer on Rams & the Bradford injury #4846RamBillParticipantRams must begin planning for future at QB
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10870/rams-must-begin-planning-for-future-at-qb
EARTH CITY, Mo. — What was once again thought to be a make-or-break season for St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford broke Sunday, two weeks before it even started.
With news coming from ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that Bradford will miss the 2014 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the Rams will almost certainly turn to veteran Shaun Hill to replace him. In Hill, they have an in-house replacement they believe to be an upgrade over Kellen Clemens, the quarterback who replaced Bradford last year.
But Hill is 34 and what was already an uncertain picture at the game’s most important position just became a lot fuzzier. Bradford is scheduled to count $17,610,000 against this year’s salary cap. His number for next year is a daunting $16,580,000. And he’s headed for his second left knee surgery in less than a year.
Forgetting the Rams’ inability to reach the playoffs or even post a winning record under Bradford’s guidance for a moment, the harsh reality is that there’s no longer any debate about whether Bradford should be the team’s quarterback of the future. Once this season ends, Bradford will have missed 25 consecutive games over two seasons.
In a five-year career, Bradford will have missed 31 of a possible 80 games, and that doesn’t include time playing with a high ankle sprain in 2011. Whether or not you believe Bradford was the right man for the job is beside the point. He’s now got a long enough history of serious injury that he can’t be considered the team’s quarterback of the future.
Simply put, it’s time for the Rams to move on. And more to the point, it’s fair to wonder whether they should have already had the succession plan in place.
This isn’t a second guess, this is revisiting a relevant conversation that came up repeatedly around the NFL draft. Even as rumors of the team’s interest in Johnny Manziel swirled, Rams coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead remained steadfast in their belief in Bradford.
With picks at Nos. 2 and 13 in the first round, the Rams could have drafted any quarterback they wanted with the second pick and all but Blake Bortles with the 13th selection. Although it appeared the Rams never really considered grabbing a signal-caller with either of those picks, there were those who would have liked to see them do it, especially considering the bonus pick the team had from Washington.
The Rams eventually spent a lowly sixth-round pick on developmental prospect Garrett Gilbert — who is nowhere close to being an NFL starter — despite multiple hints that they’d spend at least a Day 2 pick on a quarterback.
Taking it a step further, it was also fair to wonder whether the Rams should have more strongly considered a quarterback at the top of the draft because they might never draft in such lofty territory again. In Fisher’s 18 full seasons as a head coach, his teams have had seven or more wins 15 times. He’s had one season each with four, five and six wins.
In other words, Fisher’s teams almost always find a way to a baseline of mediocrity that doesn’t yield many opportunities to draft franchise quarterbacks. The average first-round draft position of Fisher’s teams, not including picks gained in trade, is 17.9.
On the two occasions his Tennessee teams picked in the top three, they drafted a quarterback both times, one being the home run that was Steve McNair, the other being the whiff that was Vince Young.
Such is life when betting your franchise’s future on a young quarterback. It’s a bet the Rams weren’t prepared to make again while waiting to see if the one they made on Bradford in 2010 would pay off.
But because they didn’t, the Rams now find themselves in the unenviable position of having to place their next bet with far less valuable chips.
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