Fallout from the Opening Day fiasco

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* Injury report: Leonard Little has a strained hamstring and may miss the Giants game.
Orlando Pace had the wind knocked out of him and should be OK. (Phew.)
Donnie Avery will likely miss the Giants game due to a sprained knee.
And Drew Bennett, the Worst Free Agent Signing in Rams History, will be out (at least) a month after
getting his foot broken on his only catch Sunday.

* WR shuffle: Bennett's and Avery's injuries have forced some changes in the WR corps. It sounds like Dane Looker (remember him? He was almost cut in August) moves all the way up to WR2, though Keenan Burton should get time there as well. Burton is up for significantly increased playing time.

The Rams are also going to add a veteran receiver to fill out the WR group. Mr. Irrelevant David Vobora has already been cut to clear room for a new wideout. Myself, I'd promote Derek Stanley, but the Rams are trying out the likes of Joe Horn and Keenan McCardell. Yeah, let's not give the young guy a chance, what this offense needs is more slow, old guys.

And it gets better.

The favorite right now to become the newest Rams wide receiver is?

EDDIE FUCKING KENNISON.

Does this front office just have a completely tin ear, or what? Their brilliant idea to get the team ready and re-energize the fan base after Sunday's fiasco is to relive the glories of the Rich Brooks Era?

If Marc Bulger gets hurt against the Giants, can Tony Banks expect a call? Is June Henley still in game shape?

Idiots. Just promote Stanley.

* Defensive shakeup. These kind of things are always impossible for me to figure out on TV. Fakhir Brown started in Philly, but as the nickel back. Tye Hill and Ron Bartell were the starting corners. Hill's play then became so pathetic, Jim Haslett BENCHED him and moved Brown back to corner.

Hill's demotion is still in effect. Brown and Bartell are the starters for the Giants game, and Ricky Manning Jr. has better than a long shot at superseding Hill at nickel. Fuck, Tye Hill may not even be ACTIVE for next Sunday's game.

Another SPECTACULAR DRAFT BUST for the Linehan administration. Tye Hill and Claude Wroten wasn't a very good return for Jay Cutler, was it? At least my pick, Broderick Bunkley, IS PLAYING for the Eagles. I could never argue strongly for or against Antonio Cromartie because I didn't know enough about his knee.

Mark me down forever as a new adherent to Best Player Available, Regardless of Position. Every Round. What the Rams are doing now sure isn't working.

* Defensive snafus. The Rams insist the secondary wasn't confused throughout Sunday's game, that they were making physical mistakes. Haslett blamed the 90-yard Hank Baskett TD on Corey Chavous taking his eye off of Baskett.

The hell? The defensive call there was designed to let two WRs run free downfield to Chavous? I guess it could be that Chavous should have gone to Baskett down the sideline and expected help to come from OJ Atogwe on the other side of the field, but I'm sure shaky on why any of this high-speed shell game was a good gamble on third-and-long.

Just play straight defense!


More news or corrections here as they come up.