Rams’ Saffold working his way back from surgery

By Nate Latsch

http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1553537-rams-saffold-working-his-way-back-from-surgery?hootPostID=4512202478514696ffe74b579bdad068

ST. LOUIS — Rodger Saffold is still limited during OTAs while recovering from surgery on his shoulder this offseason, but that hasn’t stopped the Rams’ offensive lineman from trying to set the tone during drills.

“We’ve got the young guys in there, so they need to know how to practice,” Saffold said last week after the Rams’ second OTA session. “If they’re going to give me the go, then I’m going to give it everything.”

Saffold, who turned 27 last week, has surgery to repair a torn labrum following the season. He said he hasn’t had much pain or problems during his recovery period and that being patient with it has been the hardest thing.

While the 6-foot-5, 332-pounder was allowed to do some individual work last week, he said he didn’t expect to be cleared to do team work during OTAs.

Saffold said he was surprised that the doctors didn’t find anything more wrong with his shoulder than the torn labrum. He was also relieved to have had the surgery after playing through pain in the past.

“That I was able to just tough it out and play all 16 games was big for me,” he said. “Which kind of just let me know that doing this thing isn’t the end of the world, so now I can come back and really play. It’s a crazy game. Things just pop up out of nowhere, but right now I’m very, very confident.”

Saffold, who is expected to start at either left or right guard, is now the old man along the Rams’ new-look offensive line going into his sixth NFL season.

Gone are Jake Long, Scott Wells, Joe Barksdale and Davin Joseph — the four players who started on the line with Saffold at the beginning of the 2014 season. In their place are a mix that includes second-year left tackle Greg Robinson, free agent signee Garrett Reynolds, centers Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney and rookie draft picks Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown and Andrew Donnal.

Now Saffold, a second-round pick in 2010, has additional leadership responsibilities in the offensive line room.

“I’m doing my best with that,” he said. “It’s kind of hard because you’re not in practice, but just staying engaged with the guys as far as getting mental reps because a lot of these young guys aren’t going to get a lot of reps. The o-line room was pretty much vacant most of the year, beginning of this year, and now there’s like nowhere to sit. You have to be able to help these guys out. Right now I’m kind of like a coach, I’m just reading the scripts and helping out where I can.”

The offensive line room has gotten significantly younger in the past few months. Now the old guy, it’s a little bit strange for Saffold.

“Yeah, it is,” he said. “It’s kind of different. Especially just with this team, being the longest with this team. Being able to help everybody. Even with Garrett (Reynolds), trying to help him out. Who is a solid addition to this team. It’s a big role but I like those things. I like changes, because that way it keeps you more engaged, things start getting a little less boring.”

Agamemnon wrote:

Bad news for me.

It’s easy to distinguish between a guard and a tackle. I do it this way:

* the guard is the one who stands in the batter’s box facing the pitcher

* the tackle is the one who crouches behind him, also facing the pitcher, and shoots free throws

Rams quarterback Nick Foles enjoying working with Chris Weinke

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/19051/rams-quarterback-nick-foles-enjoying-working-with-chris-weinke

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The thorough renovation that took place on the St. Louis Rams depth chart and the quarterback room this offseason brought nothing but new faces save for the return of Austin Davis.

At the top of the list is a new quarterbacks coach in Chris Weinke and a new starting quarterback in Nick Foles. Weinke came to the Rams from IMG Academy, where he spent time tutoring quarterbacks from teams all over the league.

When Weinke wasn’t running the academy’s program, he was coaching signal-callers ranging from Russell Wilson to Cam Newton to Ryan Tannehill, among others. One could make the argument that no quarterbacks coach in the league has a more diverse portfolio than Weinke even though he’s never coached in the NFL before the Rams hired him in February.

“At the end of the day, I’ve been able to touch a lot of different guys with a lot of different skill sets coming from a lot of different backgrounds,” Weinke said then. “You have to adapt and you’ve got to be able to understand the importance of every quarterback as an individual. You may be able to understand something visually or you may have to write it down. I need to know what my quarterbacks can handle. So I will coach every quarterback with certain fundamentals, let them have some flexibility within that but then understand how they learn because that’s the most important thing.”

Foles sits at the top of Weinke’s to-do list and represents an interesting challenge that requires focus on more than fundamentals and footwork and expands to scheme and system. Foles is attempting to adjust to the Rams’ more buttoned-down offensive approach after cutting his teeth under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.

Part of that is re-learning how to go under center, something Weinke should have no problem helping with given his background tutoring quarterbacks attempting to transition from college spread-based systems to more traditional NFL schemes. Weinke also has the task of learning the Rams offense and helping implement it.

In many ways, Weinke is starting from scratch with the Rams’ new quarterbacks given only a two or three month head start. Foles has been attached to Weinke’s hip in the early organized team activities and has made himself a staple in the quarterback room as he learns the new scheme.

“Chris is doing a great job,” Foles said. “He has a lot of knowledge. He played a lot of football and he played at a high level. I think for us quarterbacks, getting to tutor underneath him, just his knowledge — what it was like under center when he played, he knows what we’re seeing when we drop back, so he can relate to it. So, that helps him with teaching us and relating to us. He’s been outstanding.”

There’s no denying that the Rams need more from their quarterbacks if they are to take a step forward to playoff contender in 2015. To get there, it’ll require Foles, Weinke and everyone in that new-look room to be on the same page.

zn wrote:

Is Nick Foles a more vocal leader than Sam Bradford? ESPN’s Nick Wagoner joins The Fast Lane.

He talks about a lot more than that. Pretty good listen actually. Wagoner is never going to give us the Sistine Chapel of Rams commentary, but he’s very solid IMO.

Britt Back, Striving to Improve

By Myles Simmons

http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Britt-Back-Striving-to-Improve/af1a22ea-0e5b-4570-ad07-785cbe677c89

While it may have been a surprise to some, wide receiver Kenny Britt emerged as one of the Rams’ offensive leaders in 2014 — both on the field and in the locker room. He finished the season first on the team with 748 yards receiving, and came in second with 48 receptions. But during OTAs last week, the 26-year-old wideout said he actually feels he’s let himself down in his first six NFL seasons.

“There’s definitely more I can give, because there’s more I want to give, and there’s more that I want to do in my career,” Britt said. “I think every year that I’ve been through, I had more. At the end of the season, I always said, ‘I had more.’ And I don’t want to leave this season saying I left something out there on the field, or I just missed out by just a step or two.”

Britt will be pursuing that goal in a Rams uniform, after re-signing with the club on a two-year deal as an unrestricted free agent in March. The wide receiver said there was no doubt in his mind that he would remain with St. Louis.

“I knew where I wanted to be all along coming out of the season,” he said.

That’s a sentiment echoed by his teammates, as fellow wideout Brian Quick said “It means a lot” to have Britt back.

“His energy, what he brings to the team — we need him,” Quick said. “He just gives everybody a boost. And then what he brings to the field, of course, everybody can see. But as a person and as an individual, he lightens everybody up.”

A significant factor for Britt’s energy and leadership ability comes from his comfort level under head coach Jeff Fisher. Between the Titans and the Rams, Britt has had his most productive seasons under Fisher, which the wideout says is no coincidence.

“Fisher is a guy who will let you be yourself in the locker room, on the field, and off the field. He treats you like a man instead of a child,” Britt said. “Something that you want to be comfortable with is being yourself instead of being up tight and watching what you have to say and what you have to do.”

And according to Britt, that comfort level translates to his on-field performance.

“When you’re more relaxed, you play better and it’s second nature instead of thinking, ‘OK, I have to watch myself around this person, or that person,’” he said. “I can just be myself.”

With that in mind, the wide receiver said he’s already established a connection with new quarterback Nick Foles. Britt said he was surprised by the trade, but the chemistry between the QB and WR has been strong since the first day of the offseason program.

“He’s got a great deep ball. He puts it on the money every time,” Britt said. “We’ve had about a month and a half with him so far, and he can throw every pass in the book, and every route in the tree. So we’re real excited.”

And so as Britt helps lead the offense to the 2015 season, he’ll be working to make sure that once the year ends, his tank is on E.

“I have a chip on my shoulder this year,” Britt said, “and I’ve got a lot to prove.”

Kenny Britt wants to move past six-year ‘letdown’

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/170080/kenny-britt-wants-to-move-past-six-year-letdown

EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt led the team in receiving yards in 2014 and became the first Rams wideout to surpass 700 receiving yards since Torry Holt in 2008.

It was a solid, if unspectacular first go with the Rams, but it was at least better than what the team has gotten from any of its pass catchers since Holt’s departure. It also wasn’t the first time that Britt had ventured into the 50-catch, 700-yard range.

To hear Britt tell it, however, it was just the latest in a series of disappointing seasons.

“There’s definitely more I feel like I can give because there’s more that I want to give and there’s more that I want to do in my career,” Britt said. “I’m going into my seventh year, I feel I let myself down the last six years. I have a chip on my shoulder this year and I’ve got a lot to prove.”

Last season was Britt’s first in St. Louis after spending his first five years with the Tennessee Titans but it wasn’t his first playing for coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher is the coach who drafted Britt in Tennessee and the coach under whom Britt has undoubtedly had his most success in the league.

That’s why, when Britt hit free agency after his one-year, “prove it” contract with the Rams expired, he had no designs on going anywhere else. Even though Britt didn’t sign a new two-year deal with the Rams until a few days into free agency, he said he never really considered any outside offers despite some interest.

“Not in my mind, not in my family’s mind or my wife’s mind,” Britt said. “I know where I wanted to be all along coming into the season.”

And with good reason. Although Britt sounds wholly unsatisfied by his production to this point in his career, his drop off when he hasn’t played for a Fisher-led team versus what he has done with Fisher at the helm is striking.

Britt’s healthiest and most productive years have come under Fisher’s guidance. In three seasons with Fisher, Britt averaged 741.3 yards, 44 receptions and five touchdowns while missing four of a possible 48 games. In three seasons without Fisher, Britt averaged 324.7 yards, 24.3 catches and 2.3 touchdowns while missing 19 of a possible 48 games.

Fisher has a reputation as a player’s coach and knows when to ask for more and when to allow for breaks. That helps keep players healthy. Near the end of last season, Britt was one of the veterans Fisher allowed to take a day or two off in practice each week so he could be ready to go on Sundays.

According to Britt, that’s just part of the appeal of returning to Fisher and St. Louis.

“There’s definitely something to that,” Britt said. “Fisher is a coach that lets you be yourself on the field and off the field. He treats you like a man instead of a child. He lets the coaches coach and he lets the players do the plays on the field and off the field. That’s something you can be comfortable is being yourself instead of being uptight and watching what you have to say or what you have to do. I’m definitely more relaxed. And when you’re more relaxed, you play better.”

The question then becomes just how much better Britt can be. The reality is that the Rams offense probably isn’t going to offer a chance for Britt or any of the team’s pass catchers to put up the type of numbers that other top receivers around the league do in more pass-happy offenses.

Last week, Britt offered glowing praise for new quarterback Nick Foles and made it clear that the receivers are building a strong rapport with him. But even if that takes shape, if the Rams’ running game takes off how they envision, there simply might not be much leeway for Britt to improve upon his 2014 production.

One way it could happen is to have Foles connect on more deep balls. Rams passers targeted Britt on throws traveling 20 or more yards in the air 25 times in 2014 but only connected 10 times. On a number of those incompletions, quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Austin Davis simply misfired with an open Britt running down the field.

Although Britt is entering his seventh season in the league, he’s only 26, which means there could be more room for growth. He also seems to be as healthy as he has been in years, playing in all 16 games last year for the first time since his rookie season in 2009.

“I think every year I have more,” Britt said. “I always say I have more. I don’t want to leave this season saying I left something out there on the field.”

Agamemnon wrote:

I thought Reynolds played better at tackle and not so good at guard. But, maybe I am going senile?

No I think it;s the other way around.

He started 10 games at guard for ATL in 2013, and was okay.

============================

—————-

Continued.

Reynolds has a shakey performance history (though less so at guard) but then an OL is not just a sum of its individually graded parts.

For example, in the 2nd half of 2012, when the starters came back, the Rams fielded a good OL. 4% sack percentage (lowest for any Rams qb since the 80s), Jackson getting 4.3 a carry, going toe to toe with 5 top 12 defenses and coming out 4-3-1, which you can’t do with a poor OL.

And 2 of the starters were Turner and Richardson. Turner never did anything before 2012 and hasn’t since, and 2012 was BR’s one decent season, and he was out of football after. The history says that Boudreau has a knack for getting the most out of veterna guys like that. Joseph was the only big spectacular failure, and IMO that’s because he was washed up physically.

The question is, does Boudreau get Reynolds to be another Turner circa 2012? Or is he another Joseph?

So is it possible that Reynolds plays? Well it’s early but on paper it looks like it could happen. And maybe not all year–teams of course often use placeholders until rookies are ready. However, it’s just as possible that IF he starts week 1, Reynolds then keeps the spot all year.

.

By Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/19013/early-impressions-of-nick-foles-and-will-case-keenum-or-austin-davis-win-backup-job

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams have finally dived into organized team activities. So yes, we finally have some actual football (such as it is in shorts and jerseys) to talk about.

As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and send me questions for the mailbag at any time. Please use hashtag #RamsMail.

Plenty to discuss this week. After an offensive line focus on Saturday, today we’ll take a closer look at some quarterback questions.

Jonathan Hoffman @trinityjon
It’s still early, but how would you compare Foles to Bradford? Delivery? Mechanics? Leadership? What can we expect?

@nwagoner: I don’t want to make sweeping judgments on anyone this soon, but I’ve had a couple of takeaways from talking to Nick Foles and talking to his teammates about him. On the leadership front, I get the feeling he’s going to bring a bit more in that regard than Sam Bradford did. Foles seems to have that ability to be a uniter. That’s not to say Bradford didn’t like or respect his teammates, just it’s something Foles seems more comfortable doing. Even Kenny Britt has said he’s had Foles notice when he might not be as enthusiastic as he should be and Foles has taken a minute to get him fired up. That’s usually something Britt does, so to have someone do it for him tells you a little something. On the field stuff, I’d prefer to wait and see. He certainly looks the part, but he’s going to have a little bit of a process to get used to going under center. He’s had a couple of footwork hiccups in the early going though it’s nothing that should be deemed as concerning at this point. On arm strength, Foles seems like he has enough but the ball doesn’t come out of his hand as easily as it did Bradford’s. Bradford was nicknamed “Big Easy” for a reason. He made throwing it anywhere he wanted look easy. Foles doesn’t have that same ability, though I haven’t seen a throw that he can’t make yet.

Brawley Darbon @brawleydarbon
I knw u dont have a crystal ball, but gut feeling, who do you see as #Rams number 2 QB come September? Mannion or Davis?

@nwagoner: I wish I did have a crystal ball. Can I borrow yours? But the real question here isn’t Sean Mannion or Austin Davis. It’s Case Keenum or Davis. Mannion is going to stick around as the No. 3 quarterback and Foles is the starter, which leaves the No. 2 job up for competition. Coach Jeff Fisher has already said Davis and Keenum will likely battle it out for the backup job. Davis has an advantage in that he’s been around longer, but the Rams traded for Keenum because they believe he can help. I tend to think given an offseason to get acclimated, this time Keenum sticks around.

Chris Bushnell @BrickBushnell
What are the chances the Rams implement some 5 DL formations this season?

@nwagoner: The defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams. There aren’t many defensive formations you could propose to me that I would categorically rule out so long as that’s the case.

Alex @AlexJMacArthur
What was the Rams thought process drafting an injured Sasser with Quick rehabbing and Tre McBride still available?

@nwagoner: Well, for starters, they didn’t know Bud Sasser had the heart issue when they drafted him. Now, I’ve seen the arguments that they should have known or figured out a way to find out before he was drafted, but at this point it’s really neither here nor there. But it’s probably a safe bet that had they known the extent of Sasser’s condition, they wouldn’t have drafted him. I have no idea who they would have taken otherwise but this isn’t like they drafted an injured player on purpose.

Steven Spaid @stevenspaid
Are the Rams negotiating extensions with any of their 2012 draft picks?

@nwagoner: I don’t know the extent of the conversations they’ve had, but there have been a few preliminary chats that have taken place. Namely, with defensive tackle Michael Brockers. The Rams have already exercised his fifth-year option, so he’s going to be around at least beyond this year but they’d like to get something done. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins could also be in that same boat, though it’s unclear if that process has begun at the moment. Regardless, the Rams will have a lot of decisions to make on free agents after the season, so if they could get a couple of guys locked up before or early in the season, it would make life easier in what figures to be a hectic offseason. They re-signed end Robert Quinn before Week 2 last year and in the past have struck deals with end Chris Long and linebacker James Laurinaitis before the season, so there is some precedent for getting something done.

Rams’ Robinson making progress this offseason

By Nate Latsch

http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1552803-rams-robinson-making-progress-this-offseason

ST. LOUIS — The transition from college to the NFL has included several adjustments for Rams’ left tackle Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 Draft. Now he’s faced with another.

A year ago, Robinson was working on the transition from playing left tackle in Auburn’s run-heavy offensive scheme to learning two positions — left guard and left tackle — in the Rams’ more diverse offensive system. After starting out last season on the bench, he was inserted into the lineup at left guard but then moved to left tackle after Jake Long’s season-ending knee injury.

On Friday, following the Rams’ third OTA session, Robinson said bouncing back and forth between the positions was the biggest adjustment for him in the transition to the NFL.

“I think a lot had to do with me going back and forth from guard to tackle, so right now it’s just dominantly tackle and I can focus on learning the playbook and just one position,” he said.

Now entrenched at the left tackle spot, the 22-year-old has suddenly found himself as one of the veterans on a Rams’ offensive line that has six rookies on the roster this offseason and could have two in the starting lineup in a few months.

“It’s kind of shocking just to see that, because there’s a lot of guys that was in my position last year,” Robinson said.

The Rams, who will have three new starters on the offensive line in 2015, used four draft picks to select linemen.

They picked Wisconsin right tackle Rob Havenstein in the second round, Louisville lineman Jamon Brown in the third, Iowa’s Andrew Donnal in the fourth and then Fresno State guard Cody Wichmann in the sixth.

They’ve since signed tackle Darrell Williams of South Florida and center-guard David Wang of Virginia Tech as undrafted free agents.

Now Robinson, a veteran of just 16 NFL games and 12 starts, is one of the players being asked the questions by the rookies in the offensive line room at Rams Park.

“Yeah, and surprisingly I can talk to them about it a little bit,” he said.

Robinson said Friday he has trimmed down from being as high as 339 pounds to now at 319 pounds, a strategy that he hopes will make him quicker next season. The weight loss also should help in his recovery from a turf toe injury he suffered in the final game last season and required surgery.

“Unfortunately it was the last game, but I feel like I’m making progress every day,” he said. “They don’t really want me rushing it, so I’m just going with whatever the coaches say and just trying to stay locked in and pay attention as much as possible.”

His surgery has allowed him to rehab at Rams Park this offseason, which has included spending more time with guard Rodger Saffold. Robinson said the two have worked out together and been watching film together, something that should help the youngster this season.

There’s also the adjustment of learning a new or at least slightly different offense after Frank Cignetti took over as offensive coordinator following the departure of Brian Schottenheimer.

Just one year removed from the draft, Robinson feels like he is making progress in his development as an NFL offensive tackle.

“I feel like the game has slowed down a little bit for me just by me going in through the walk-throughs and getting off on the snap counts and stuff,” he said. “I haven’t been making as many mistakes as I was last year, so I think the main focus was just to get in the playbook and try my best to pay attention as much as possible just so I won’t be thinking as much on the line.”

Lawrence Phillips letters from prison

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on…n-letters-written-from-prison?ftag=YHR6f8d662

Back in April, former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was named a suspect in the death of his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, Calif, where he’s been incarcerated for almost eight years.

In 2008, Phillips was sentenced to 31 years in prison for convictions that included domestic violence, spousal abuse, false imprisonment and vehicle theft.

Not much is known about the life that Phillips is spending behind bars, until now that is.

In a series of letters written to people who coached Phillips in high school and college, the No. 6 overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft has been painting a harrowing picture of what it’s like to be incarcerated.

The most recent letter was sent on May 3, just 22 days after the death of his cellmate. In that lettter, Phillips told former Nebraska assistant coach George Darlington that he’s “alright.”

Phillips hasn’t yet been charged with anything in relation to his cellmate’s death.

From the May 3 letter (All letters via USA Today)

Dear Coach D,

How are you doing coach? I am doing well.

As far as the package, due to my current situation I may not be allowed it. So if you have not already sent the package do not send it.

I cannot speak of the situation here but I am alright. Please let anyone know who asks you that.

I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks.

Alright Coach D, that’s all from here.

Nebraska football is a common theme in Phillips’ letters. When he’s not describing the horrific situation in prison, Phillips spends most of his time talking about the Huskers.

In a May 2014 letter to former high school assistant coach Ty Pagone, Phillips describes what causes a lockdown and mentions that he doesn’t have a cellmate.

Dear Coach Pagone (May 29, 2014),

We are still today on lock down due to some stabbings and assaults between black and white inmates. It has been ongoing for sometime.

I am glad to hear Marie’s wedding was great. Usually an open bar leads to a lot of dancing.

I do not have a cell mate. All of these dudes want to use drugs and (illegible) weapons in the cell. I’m in the process of applying for single-cell status. I will let you know how that goes.

In another letter to Pagone, Phillips writes that the other inmates only care about three things: Drugs, making knives and making alcohol.

At the end of the letter, Phillips also seems to show that he understands why people felt he was a lost cause after an NFL career that included just 25 games.

Dear Coach Pagone (June 15, 2014),

I received your letter and package a day apart. We do get the packages in lock down as the companies do not really want the items back.

We have been in lock down about 80% of the time. You would be surprised at what these altercations are about! Nonsense! But when your world is this small all one has to care about is nonsense. That is why I do not want any of these idiots in the cell with me.

All they they want to do is the drugs, make knives and make alcohol. Then they say when they get out they will not come back. I tell them of course you will. You are doing the same thing that got you locked up. Of course they do not want to hear that. It is like speaking to a brick wall.

Now I understand how people must have felt talking to me. So needless to say I have zero friends inside here. Not one person is in line with my way of thinking.

Well that’s all from here, Pagone. I will stay out of trouble. I might have to endure some write-ups for refusing a cell mate though. Better that than them getting me into serious trouble.

In a letter to former high school coach Tony Zane, Phillips writes that it’s “completely nuts” in prison.

Dear Coach Zane (July 6, 2014),

I hear you were in Hawaii. I am sure you had a good time. Remember when we went out there and kicked their butt in the all-star game and they tried to hold up our bus and all that crap? Good times.

Well there is not much happening here. We are still on lock down because they found a hacksaw in someone’s cell. Apparently people use the saw to cut up the bunks and make knives. It is completely nuts in here. It is pretty much a free for all.

In another letter, written on Sept. 14, Phillips says he sides with the NFL in the then-recent cases involving Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice. Phillips also calls prison a “jungle” and says there’s “trouble everywhere.”

Dear Coach D (Sept. 14, 2014),

Huskers kicked butt out there. I only listened to the radio. The game was not televised here. (Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah) has a real chance at the Heisman and the Huskers could win the Big 10, although the Big 10 is a bit watered down with the injury to O-State Q.B. (Braxton Miller).

NFL is going through some stuff. Unfair to blame the NFL for what guys do. … These misdeeds by the players (are) being used by the liberal parties and the media to further their particular interests. Next they will be forcing out owners like they did with the Los Angeles Clippers owner (Donald Sterling).

Well, there is nothing new happening here. We are still locked down. One of the guards was assaulted so it may be awhile. Coach D, this place is a jungle. Trouble everywhere. One must swallow his pride constantly or one will always be in the hole. But we must deal with the situation we put ourselves in.

Unless he’s paroled, Phillips will be in jail until 2039 when he’ll be 64-years-old. The former Rams running back turned 40 on May 12.

wv wrote:

Robinson, who has slimmed down to 319 pounds from a high of 339 last year, said he felt like he made significant strides in the offseason. Saffold agreed with his teammate’s assessment.
“I watched him get a lot stronger,” Saffold said. “I watched him pay a lot of attention to what we did just in our own time in film study, those types of things..”

Is that a good thing to lose twenty pounds ?

w
v

Well if he lost 20 pounds AND is stronger, then…sure. A good thing.

Rams rookie Jamon Brown: Guardian of quarterbacks — and also horses

Elisabeth Meinecke
FOX Sports Midwest

http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/st-louis-rams-rookie-jamon-brown-guardian-of-quarterbacks-and-also-horses-060615

ST. LOUIS — Rams’ third-round draft pick Jamon Brown isn’t sure he’ll watch the Belmont Stakes today, but he does have a surprising connection to some horse racing history.

Brown played college football in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby and the first leg of the Triple Crown. Last year, he worked security for the event and guarded the horses on the backside of the racetrack, where they were stabled. Following the Derby, Brown was assigned to guard the winner, California Chrome.

“After he won, he had 24-hour security,” Brown says.

His presence ensured no unauthorized person had access to Chrome once he returned to the stable post-race.

“That’s when I guard him, or ‘sit on him,’ as they say,” Brown explains. “I’m guarding the stable. Nobody comes in, nobody comes out unless it’s the owner or the trainer.”

It’s not a bad way to witness sports history, but we’re guessing Brown liked his job on this year’s Derby weekend even better — getting drafted No. 72 overall by the St. Louis Rams. That doesn’t, however, leave him much time for watching the Belmont Stakes this Saturday.

“My time is pretty occupied — we’re trying to learn the playbook,” Brown admits. “And, on top of that, I don’t watch too much TV.”

In other words, bet on Netflix.