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znModeratorDo those just end up on youtube 24 hours later or did you do something?
June 4, 2015 at 10:10 am in reply to: Jeff Fisher joins The Fast Lane – Podcast + ….Fisher on local Fox sports #25819znModerator===========
RamBill
If he wasn’t injured, could Todd Gurley have gone #1 Overall? Jeff Fisher joins Randy Karraker and D’Marco Farr on The Fast Lane to talk about the state of the Rams. Gurley is “Andrian Peterson-Like”, a rare athlete with tremendous explosion and speed. “You’re going to hear his named called a lot.” Fisher explains why he gets the Rookies caught up on conditioning first before getting to the football activities. “Everybody is in good shape right now”. So far, so good…we’re really pleased with what we’ve seen. The Big 10 O-linemen are well coached, they understand protections and angles….they’re plug n play guys….These guys are way ahead of schedule…we’re really pleased with what we’ve seen out of Havenstein. Nick Foles has taken over…he understands how to lead a team…he’s developed great relationships already….he’s impressed with the talent around him. He loves the big targets, he loves the speed. He’s gonna get it done for us. Fisher: “We have a chance to be a great team.” The defense is returning and improving…as soon as we can get these young O-linemen settled down, we’ll start running the ball and we’ll be in great shap
June 4, 2015 at 9:42 am in reply to: Les Snead on the draft, in a vid defined by its fake ambience lighting #25816znModeratorznModeratorMorning Ram-blings: Aaron Donald’s place in ’14 draft re-rank
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — With a one year sample size to evaluate the 2014 NFL rookie class, we can draw our share of conclusions. Of course, it’s still way too early to make sweeping judgments on any of the players after just one season. But we saw enough from some to know that the future is awfully bright.
On Wednesday, ESPN NFL Insider columnist Mike Sando, with the help of some veteran talent evaluators, re-ranked the 2014 NFL draft. Insider To the surprise of nobody, St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald ascended greatly from his original draft spot at No. 13 overall.
In the new rankings, Sando has Donald at No. 2 overall, only behind Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack. Donald only lasted to No. 13 in the first place because of his lack of size but it certainly turned out great for the Rams. At 13th overall, Donald was one of the draft’s biggest bargains. His quickness, hand use and ability to create leverage make Donald one of the most exciting interior defenders in the league.
With a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a Pro Bowl already to his name, Donald’s future is undoubtedly bright and one could make the argument that he’s already the best player in the 2014 draft class.
Elsewhere on the list, offensive tackle Greg Robinson checks in at No. 22. That’s not all that encouraging considering the Rams used the second overall pick on him. Dallas offensive lineman Zack Martin, whom the Rams had as their second-ranked offensive lineman only behind Robinson, is No. 10 on the list.
But in fairness to Robinson, it was widely known that he was going to take some time to get up to speed as a pass protector. The Rams are expecting a big step forward for him in Year 2 but he’s the very definition of a player better judged after three years in the league.
Those are the only two Rams to land on the list, a list that includes mostly first-round choices with the exception of Oakland quarterback David Carr, Miami receiver Jarvis Landry and a few others. I could make a good argument for Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines, too, but his due will probably come if he continues to be consistent.
June 4, 2015 at 12:54 am in reply to: If Rams' offense doesn't improve, it won't be for lack of trying #25803znModeratorAnother part of this…in terms of drafting OL, 2012 was a weak draft. Looking at the 2nd round on down, 32 linemen were drafted that year. Of those, about 4-5 have become solid starters, some have been spot players (sometimes with injuries hampering them), and the rest–about 20–either haven’t done anything or are done. So in terms of finding solid starters, it’s about 15-16%. (The ones who came solidly through as starters are Glenn, Mitchell Schwartz, Osemele, Beachum, Brooks, and Troutman).
So far, if you count starters and developmental guys who have played some, it;s really around 7. That’s 22%. According to my rough but handy prior calculations on hit rates drafting OL, the norm for rounds 2-7 is around 32%
znModeratorNothing. Just an open-ended quip. I think I was thinking at some level of a joke, where the more optimistic view NE offers becomes the (presumed) “real, revealed” usually more cautious and less optimistic you.
But, mostly, it was just a light-hearted “eye of the beholder” thing. Completely off-the-cuff.
Yes sir light hearted living.
I actually got that. Turns out, to work, a joke has to be clear.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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Prometheus Faulk
The conundrum of trying to incorporate the space player into a team whose offense is trying to be center-pieced around a power run game isn’t easy, heck Seattle failed trying to do it with Harvin (though obviously succeeding in the bigger picture).
To me, it makes a lot of sense to get him rolling on jet sweeps and screens when you can. The essential caveat is that you’re going to need traditional receivers to create space for him in order to be effective.
Part of the reason Bush and Sproles were so effective for Peyton is that they had Colston and later Graham to draw defensive attention, for instance.
So IMO, if you want to create plays for Austin, you need defenses to fear Britt and Quick and Cook. I dunno if that’s happened enough yet.
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znModeratorRams offseason roster review: Seeking improvement in static secondary
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams officially began organized team activities Tuesday and with most of the offseason heavy lifting complete, the roster you see now likely has the vast majority of players who will be on it come the start of the regular season.
With that in mind, we’ll spend the next week or so delving into each position group with thoughts on who will start, who might be on the bubble and how the depth chart could shake out.
Position: Secondary
Returning: Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Rodney McLeod, T.J. McDonald, E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus Roberson, Brandon McGee, Mark Barron, Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, Christian Bryant
Newcomers: Imoan Claiborne, Montell Garner, Jacob Hagen, Jay Hughes
Departures: None
Projected starter(s): CB Jenkins, CB Gaines, Joyner (nickel), FS McLeod, SS McDonald
Battle to watch: Let’s put a finer point on the potential position battle set to take place at cornerback. Jenkins figures to have one starting spot locked up. The way the other outside spot shapes up will have a definitive trickle-down effect on how the rest of the picture looks. At the March owners meetings, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he anticipated Gaines and Johnson battling for the spot opposite Jenkins. After Gaines’ impressive rookie season, it’s hard to imagine him losing out on that spot but the Rams might feel like they can go different directions to put the three best corners on the field in the nickel. In other words, it’s possible Gaines will win the job opposite Jenkins and then kick into the slot in nickel situation. Perhaps more likely, Gaines will stay outside with Joyner in the slot in those nickel packages, leaving Johnson as the fourth corner. Really, the question could be whether the Rams feel better with Johnson on the outside or Joyner on the inside to determine how this all eventually works out.
Outlook: This is a big year for the Rams, especially at cornerback. Jenkins and Johnson are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after the season and my hunch is that they’ll attempt to keep Jenkins. If he can cut down on some of the lapses he had in coverage a year ago and continue to make big plays, he’d be worth a future investment. Gaines looks like he’s going to be a big part of the team’s future one way or another but the Rams will need to find his best fit. Joyner also still figures into the plans as a nickel back capable of helping at safety if need be. Roberson is an X-factor, for whom the Rams have high hopes for down the line. McGee will need to prove himself all over again and Claiborne is an interesting name to watch among the undrafted class. At safety, it’s still status quo but it’s an important year for McLeod as he heads toward free agency. The Rams think highly of him and would like to keep him around. A big year could mean a nice payday. McDonald was one of the team’s most improved players a year ago and should only continue to ascend moving forward. Barron is perhaps the most intriguing player on the entire defense as coordinator Gregg Williams will continue to devise ways to get him on the field more in his second season with the team. Overall, this group should be improved in 2015 but there’s still plenty to prove for a unit that allowed too many big plays in 2014.[
znModeratorWill Rams’ Aaron Donald soon be the best defensive tackle in the NFL?
By Tim Weaver
I think everybody knew that Aaron Donald was going to be a solid NFL player when the St. Louis Rams selected him at number 13 overall in last year’s draft, but I don’t think anybody anticipated this.
Donald took the league by storm last season and earned himself a spot on a number of prestigious lists, including the NFL top 100.
What is Donald’s ceiling? According to one NFL analyst, the sky is the limit…
Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated spent some time this week watching Donald in the film room and came away very impressed. In fact, he thinks that in a few years Donald will be the best defensive tackle in the league:
Andy Benoit @Andy_Benoit
Watching Rams D vs. Seahawks O. Aaron Donald might have best all-around initial explosiveness in NFL for a DT.Andy Benoit @Andy_Benoit
Watching Rams DT Aaron Donald exclusively on film, you get a much deeper appreciation for him. He’ll be best DT in NFL within 3 years.That’s some high praise.
For my part, I can’t see Donald surpassing Ndamukong Suh that quick, but there may not be anybody else even close right now.
June 3, 2015 at 10:32 pm in reply to: If Rams' offense doesn't improve, it won't be for lack of trying #25794znModeratorhe can just go watch the North Korean’s OLine.
w
vI’ve heard that they are quite competitive over there. Miss a block and you are shot with anti-aircraft guns.
See, that’s just different mindsets.
Me, that kind of thing? Would be a strong motive to not play. Or, if forced, to major in anti-aircraft gunnery.
znModeratorIn a sense…it does.
Explain.
Nothing. Just an open-ended quip. I think I was thinking at some level of a joke, where the more optimistic view NE offers becomes the (presumed) “real, revealed” usually more cautious and less optimistic you. (And, apparently, didn’t work at all.
)But, mostly, it was just a light-hearted “eye of the beholder” thing. Completely off-the-cuff.
znModeratorAnd here I thought this thread was going to contain pics of me in my speedo.
In a sense…it does.
June 3, 2015 at 9:14 pm in reply to: Jeff Fisher joins The Fast Lane – Podcast + ….Fisher on local Fox sports #25781znModeratorhttp://fox2now.com/2015/06/03/rams-head-coach-jeff-fisher-addresses-upcoming-season-plans/
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RamBill:
Jeff Fisher: Our Draft Class is Good And Many Will Play EarlyRamBill:
June 3, 2015 at 9:13 pm in reply to: Jeff Fisher joins The Fast Lane – Podcast + ….Fisher on local Fox sports #25780znModeratorhttp://fox2now.com/2015/06/03/rams-head-coach-jeff-fisher-addresses-upcoming-season-plans/
ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) – Rams head coach Jeff Fisher joins us in studio to discuss the upcoming season and addresses his position on the team’s potential move to L.A.
“My position on all this is simple. I’ve not asked so I can say I don’t know. It’s my focus to eliminate the distraction,” Fisher said.
Although Fisher does not know the plans for the stadium, he acknowledges how many people are working behind the scenes, trying to set up something so the team can stay in St. Louis.
While fans are focused on the potential move, Fisher is looking forward to the upcoming season.
“We’re going to play here this year and we are going to have a good football team,” Fisher said.
znModeratorFwiw, I poured the “Rams draft Sasser” thread into this thread, so that we have one big happy Sasser resource.
znModeratorAnyone think Bud Sasser could end up being good?
I have it hovering in the back of my mind.
znModeratorFor Rams, getting young offensive line together a top OTA priority
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Upon releasing veteran offensive linemen Scott Wells and Jake Long, opting not to re-sign guard Davin Joseph and choosing only to add linemen through the NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams once again committed to being young.
That should be no surprise for a team that has often had no issue with embracing youth in recent seasons. In fact, the Rams have been one of the youngest teams in the league in each of coach Jeff Fisher’s three years with the team. That will likely be the case again this year but nowhere will that be more apparent than on the offensive line.
As it stands, the projected starters on the Rams’ offensive line have an average age of 23.4 years old. If it panned out that way, the Rams would have the youngest line in the league with only the Detroit Lions coming within two years at 23.8.
Taking it a step further, only guard Rodger Saffold comes with even one full season of starting experience. Saffold has 60 career starts to his name. The rest of the team’s offensive linemen combine for a total of 43 NFL starts with projected swing tackle Garrett Reynolds offering 27 of those, left tackle Greg Robinson supplying 12 and center Tim Barnes providing four.
In other words, aside from Saffold, only Robinson is a sure thing to bring NFL starting experience to the table as the Rams wade through these organized team activities (OTAs). While rookies like projected right tackle Rob Havenstein, guard Jamon Brown and guard Cody Wichmann played and started a lot of games in college, it’s still going to take some time to get everyone up to speed at the NFL level.
And though Barnes has the only starting experience among a trio of centers competing for the starting job, it’s not a guarantee he’ll win the spot. Barrett Jones has been in the league for two years and is considered one of the team’s most intelligent players. Demetrius Rhaney missed his rookie season last year but also figures into the mix.
Havenstein is all but certain to take over as the starting right tackle and, as it stands, Brown projects to be one of the starting guards though the Rams may opt for Reynolds in one of those spots until Brown is ready to go. They could also pursue a veteran option such as free agent Justin Blalock but nothing has materialized on that front yet.
All of which is to say that during these OTAs, the most important man in the building might be offensive line coach Paul Boudreau. Boudreau has a longstanding reputation for coaching up young players and getting them ready to go but this might be one of his most difficult challenges yet. Fortunately for him and his young linemen, the Rams hope to be a power running team capable of controlling the line of scrimmage. There’s not a whole lot of thinking that goes into such an approach, which could shorten the learning curve a bit for Boudreau’s young group of maulers.
This is just the latest in a series of attempts to rebuild a unit that the Rams never seem to quite get right. But as OTAs continue and we head toward training camp, all eyes will be on an offensive line that’s starting over once again
June 3, 2015 at 4:36 pm in reply to: If Rams' offense doesn't improve, it won't be for lack of trying #25750znModeratorFor all we know, the Rams have received an infusion of Mike Schads, Alex Barrons and Justin Smiths.
I don’t think that’s what the Rams got. I like their draft and the o-linemen they picked up.
But then again, when they drafted Justin Smith I didn’t think his name would eventually be used as a pejorative as it was just two sentences ago, either.
Here’s one thing though. These guys, the rookies from the 2014 “all OL” draft, have different profiles from ole Jason.
No one can promise anything, and human endeavor of all kinds (including NFL drafts) are as leaves blown on the heavy and twisting winds of fate…
BUT…
….there are little hints that these guys aint him.
Like for example, it was hard to project Smith because he played in a spread.
For Havenstein, in contrast, a “spread” is just a term for a buffet dinner.
Assuming he stays with the PG rated version of the word.
…
znModeratorOnce again the Rams did a good job of bringing in players that can compete for roster spots or that they can develop on the practice squad.
Yeah they have hit on some nice ones too.
Barnes wasn’t their UDFA, they inherited him, but from last year’s roster I see Bates, Bayer, Cunningham, Harkey, Hekker, McCleod, Roberson, Watts, and Westbrooks…plus 1 or 2 more.
znModeratorRams offseason roster review: Akeem Ayers adds to linebacker depth
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams finally begin organized team activities on Tuesday and with most of the offseason heavy lifting complete, the roster you see now likely has the vast majority of players who will be on it come the start of the regular season.
With that in mind, we’ll spend the next week or so delving into each position group with some thoughts on who will start, who might be on the bubble and how the depth chart could shake out.
Position: Linebacker
Returning: James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Daren Bates, Marshall McFadden, Korey Toomer
Newcomers: Akeem Ayers, Bryce Hager, Cameron Lynch, Keshaun Malone
Departures: Will Herring
Projected starter(s): Laurinaitis, Ogletree, Ayers
Battle to watch: Laurinaitis and Ogletree are as settled as can be in their spots. It’s the third linebacker spot that bears watching. That should come down to a battle between new addition Ayers and incumbent Dunbar. Dunbar knows the system and is a well-respected leader in the locker room, but the Rams clearly went out and got Ayers for a reason. At the March owners meetings, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Ayers and Dunbar would compete for the starting spot. It’s a competition that figures to begin in OTAs and carry on into training camp. Dunbar is known as more of a run-stopper while Ayers flashed pass-rush potential in his stint with the Patriots at the end of last season. It’s possible the Rams could use both and safety Mark Barron’s name should be mentioned here as well but given the investment made in Ayers, it stands to reason he’s going to win the job. Either way, that’s the position to watch as the rest of the spring and summer unfold.
Outlook: Laurinaitis is still the captain and leader of the entire defense. His knowledge of the system and ability to put his teammates in the right spot is as valuable as his ability to tackle. He remains the focal point of this group heading into 2015. Ogletree is the player who might be most poised for a breakout season. After some serious struggles early in 2014, he hit his stride midway through the year and went on to lead the team in tackles as well as forcing four fumbles and coming up with a pair of interceptions. He also had 10 pass breakups. If he can become more consistent, Ogletree has a chance to continue to ascend this season. What happens with the other spot is more up in the air as Dunbar and Ayers battle for snaps. Barron also figures into the mix and the Rams might begin tinkering more with their alignments on third down and in the nickel. Ogletree looks to be the only member of this group all but assured of staying on the field all three downs for the bulk of the time. The rest of the group should be able to provide depth and special-teams value though there looks to be some jobs available. Dunbar is currently the backup in the middle, but the Rams will be examining all options behind the starting group. Bates is a core special-teams player and unlikely to go anywhere. Hager could fit into a similar role but he’ll have competition from the likes of Toomer, McFadden, Lynch and Malone.
June 3, 2015 at 1:11 pm in reply to: If Rams' offense doesn't improve, it won't be for lack of trying #25741znModeratorAnyway. Fisher’s statement is both kind of true…and kind of a disingenuous spin. They made do with what they could get, but then also kept that as a policy (acquire vets not rookies) until 2014.
Yeah, I agree. Very disingenuous. If you build your team from the inside out, than it doesn’t matter how many other holes there are, you address that first, otherwise, it’s not inside out, is it?
You and I kind of disagree on what’s disingenuous here.
I don’t think he was disingenuous about building a line. To me he DID build a line. But I think his 2015 statement is disingenuous about having always wanted to do it through the draft.
What he did instead was build it through free agency.
And it worked, too. The 2013 OL was rated 13th in the league by PFF, and IMO for good reason.
What killed that OL was injuries. Long getting, out of the blue, 2 ACLs; Wells going from being a healthy player all his career to getting a long series of injuries and bizarre infections.
Their OL, from what I saw, played well from the 2nd half of 2012 through most of 2013. Not stellar, but well. Certainly well enough.
So the issue is not, do you build the OL. It’s HOW you do it. And in fact, using free agency is a legit approach to OL building. For example, the 2013 top-rated OL at PFF was Philadelphia’s, and it includes 2 key free agents. So, that’s doable.
So when I say he was disingenuous, I mean the idea that he always wanted to build OLs by drafting. Actually they did fine using free agency in 2012-3…what killed that OL was the 2014 injuries.
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znModeratorand i would also say that most units aren’t as young and as full of potential like this defense is. so while other fans might say the same things, i don’t think it’s as true as it is for this defense.
Another element here: coach Waufle.
Waufle has a long, long history of getting the most out of his D-linemen.
For example, in the first Giants/Patz superbowl, they clearly beat NE with their DL. If you look at the history of some of those guys, they didn’t do as much before Waufle. That was a great DL. Yes it had Strahan, but that’s 1 guy, however good…in that year they had 4 guys playing very good football.
For example Fred Robbins arrived in NY as a 5th year vet who had not done much before, and with the Giants he clearly raised his game.
znModeratorFoles isn’t as physically gifted as Bradford as a passer but the simple act of being healthy and cheap represents a potential upgrade.
I agree with those who say Foles has big questions to answer, because of 2014.
I also agree with those who say, he ought to be fine—that is, chances are, he will answer those questions.
BUT I also think KW sells Foles, or his potential, short here. It’s more than healthy and cheap. (For one thing, if he plays well, he ain’t gonna be cheap for long.)
Foles brings some stuff that is unique to him as a guy who is a collection of different tangible and intangible skills. For example, I think he has some improviser in him, and truth is, we have not seen that for a few years—those were qualities PRESENT but still LESS PRESENT in Bulger and Bradford than in Foles, IMO.
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June 3, 2015 at 10:38 am in reply to: If Rams' offense doesn't improve, it won't be for lack of trying #25731znModeratorn we could do what I’ve been wanting to do since we got here, and that is just go get offensive linemen,” Fisher says. “I wanted to build the offensive line (from the beginning). You build your team inside out. And we wanted to build,
Actually there’s a Snead interview from 2012 where he talks about the OL. I know that interview cause I kept re-posting it. In it, he basically says, on OL what we will do is go with unheralded parts and rely on a great OL coach to make it an effective line. In 2012 in fact they picked up Turner, Richardson, Hunter, Ojinakka, Wells, Barksdale, S.Smith, Williams, and Nsekhe. 4 of those were picked up after the season started (Barksdale, Smith, Wms, Nsekhe). They inherited Dahl and Saffold. They were supposed to inherit J.Smith and coach him up but his issues were mental–I think the 2011 injuries spooked him and subtracted whatever will to play he had (remember he was carted off in 2011 with a severe neck injury). They traded J.Smith for Hunter. They also drafted Watkins but he was never ready, got hurt, and then went to eating disorder-ville. If the list above, only Nsekhe didn’t play, though Ojinakka was so awful they cut him.
Interestingly, some of those guys are still bouncing around and getting signed, including Barksdale, Wms, and S.Smith.
Injuries as we know hampered them for at least half the season. By the time of the bye, these players had started and/or played as replacements: Saffold Turner Wells Dahl Richardson Watkins Ojinakka Barksdale Smith Wms. That’s 10 players and 4 different OL combinations in 8 games.
So the question is, based on the Snead interview, did they just not draft young OL cause of holes elsewhere, or, did they deliberately set out instead to do what Snead said—use Boudreau to fashion an effective OL out of hand-me-downs? Or was the latter just the best face they could put on the former?
Another part of this…in terms of drafting OL, 2012 was a weak draft. Looking at the 2nd round on down, 32 linemen were drafted that year. Of those, about 4-5 have become solid starters, some have been spot players (sometimes with injuries hampering them), and the rest–about 20–either haven’t done anything or are done. So in terms of finding solid starters, it’s about 15-16%. (The ones who came solidly through as starters are Glenn, Mitchell Schwartz, Osemele, Beachum, Brooks, and Troutman).
Anyway. Fisher’s statement is both kind of true…and kind of a disingenuous spin. They made do with what they could get, but then also kept that as a policy (acquire vets not rookies) until 2014.
June 2, 2015 at 11:48 pm in reply to: Nick Foles' transition to Rams' offense an important piece of OTAs #25718znModerator
June 2, 2015 at 10:56 pm in reply to: The OL injuries around the league thread… Giants, Broncos #25715znModeratorI shouldn’t put this here.
It has no relevance whatsoever, and…well, it’s a Posting Crime, actually. But the school year is over in three days, so I’ll do whatever I want.
Well we got no class
And we got no principals
We can’t even think of a word that rhymesznModeratoris draft matched up well for the Rams in terms of Fit. imo The Rams get zinged for a luxury pick and reaching, when in fact they were drafting for Fit.
I agree with all that.
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znModeratorThree undrafted rookies to watch as Rams begin OTAs
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams finally began Organized Team Activities on Tuesday.
Though there will be no media access until Thursday, one thing to monitor as we get further into OTAs and especially training camp is the development of some of the lesser-known rookies. It’s been common practice since Jeff Fisher arrived in 2012 for undrafted rookies to win roster spots and stick around for awhile.
Just last year, the Rams kept four undrafted rookies in defensive end Ethan Westbrooks, cornerback Marcus Roberson, running back Trey Watts and tight end Alex Bayer. Starting free safety Rodney McLeod was once an undrafted free agent himself and is now so valued by the Rams that they placed a second-round tender on him as a restricted free agent this offseason.
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at three to watch as the Rams enter OTAs:
Louis Trinca-Pasat, DT, Iowa –Trinca-Pasat is the rare undrafted rookie where it might qualify as a surprise if he doesn’t make the team’s 53-man roster out of training camp. The Rams don’t have much depth at defensive tackle after Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald and Nick Fairley. In fact, Trinca-Pasat is really about it unless you count ends who can play multiple positions such as Eugene Sims, William Hayes and Westbrooks. Last year, Westbrooks looked like an early favorite to win a spot in part because the Rams handed him a hefty signing bonus. Trinca-Pasat also qualifies on that level. The Rams gave him $15,000 to sign and guaranteed $25,000 total. That’s not much in the grand scheme of things but it shows how much they valued him after the draft.
Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas –Like Trinca-Pasat, Brown was one of the team’s priciest undrafted rookies. The Rams paid him a $8,500 signing bonus, second only to Trinca-Pasat amongst the undrafted rookies. Brown’s path to a roster spot figures to be more tricky, however. While Brown is a big, powerful runner from an elite program, he also didn’t produce as much as many expected in his time with the Longhorns. The Rams have Todd Gurley, Tre Mason and Benjamin Cunningham in place in well-defined roles. After that group is where Brown could figure into the mix. With Watts suspended for the first four games because of a violation of the substance abuse policy, there could be room for Brown to win the fourth running back job. The Rams have consistently kept four backs in recent years and could do so again. Isaiah Pead is also back to compete but might have too high of a price tag to win the job. If Brown can prove he belongs on special teams, he would seem to have a very realistic chance of sticking around.
Imoan Claiborne, CB, Northwestern (La.) State — Claiborne got a signing bonus of $5,000, which is fifth most among the undrafted rookies. That’s not much, and the cornerback position figures to be hotly contested. Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner and Trumaine Johnson appear mostly set, and Roberson probably figures into the mix as well. But Claiborne comes as one of the more intriguing prospects the Rams landed. He participated in the Senior Bowl and posted three interceptions and four fumble recoveries in 2014. NFL.com even projected him as a third- or fourth-round pick. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes competition and won’t shy away from going for the unknown commodity who proves himself. If Claiborne can show potential on special teams, he might also be a factor when cutdown day arrives.
znModeratorJune 2, 2015 at 10:05 am in reply to: The OL injuries around the league thread… Giants, Broncos #25687znModeratorTitans hosting former Rams center Scott Wells for visit
Curtis Crabtree
The Tennessee Titans are looking for potential veteran depth along their offensive line.
According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, the Titans are hosting former St. Louis Rams center Scott Wells for a free agent visit on Monday.
Wells, a University of Tennessee graduate, started all 16 games for the Rams last season and 35 games in total over his three years in St. Louis.
Wells could provide some veteran depth on the line. Brian Schwenke has been the team’s starting center the last two seasons, but has also missed 12 games due to injury.
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