Rams sign Chauncey Washington

The Rams have signed RB Chauncey Washington off the Jets' practice squad. He fills the spot made available when Dominique Curry had to be placed on IR.

The Chauncey Washington file:
25 years old, 5'11", 224

Drafted in 2008 by Jacksonville in the 7th round. He played for Dallas in 2009 and was signed off their practice squad by the Jets at the end of the season. He has just 4 career carries for 9 yards, and one reception for 9 yards, all in 2008.

2009 Preseason:
Game 1 vs. NY Giants - played, no stats
Game 2 vs. Carolina - 8 carries for 19 yards, lost a fumble
Game 3 vs. Washington - played, no stats
Game 4 vs. Philadelphia - 12 carries, 56 yards
He led the Jagwires in rushing and receiving in the 2008 preseason.

Washington played college ball at Southern Cal and led the team in rushing his final two seasons. He was academically ineligible in 2004 and was redshirted. He was academically ineligible again in 2005 and lost his scholarship. He got his grades back up in 2006 but was slowed by a hamstring injury. He had year-long problems with a stress fracture in his ankle his freshman year. He rushed for 969 yards (5.0 ypc) in 2007 and was an all-Pac 10 honorable mention despite further academic concerns and an injury that cost him the opening game. He majored in sociology.

NFL.com's report from Washington's pro day in '08: 36" vertical, 9'11" broad jump, 4.58 short shuttle, 7.53 3-cone, 18 bench presses. NFL says he ran 4.45 and 4.45 in the 40. That's impressive. Except it's apparently a typo. Countless reports say he ran a 4.35.

Scouting report: Hard runner and big hitter on special teams. Considered good special teams player, so he's probably here as much because Chris Chamberlain and Dominique Curry are hurt as he is because Steven Jackson is hurting. Has a (good kind of) chip on his shoulder because he feels he should have made the Jets' main roster. Powerful like a bigger back, shifty like a smaller back. Big and physical, can pound the ball inside but can be a good receiver out of the backfield. Wasn't thrown to often, though. Good running technique. Keeps going forward after contact. Secure ball handler. Not a slasher, marginal outside speed. Not a good instinctive runner. Won't make people miss. Has had lower leg injuries throughout his career.

Compares to: Tim Hightower, drafted a couple of rounds ahead of Chauncey in '08.

Fun fact: More interesting than fun: Chauncey's legs were paralyzed for a week when he was nine years old but doctors never figured out the cause. He says he started running faster after he got out of the hospital.

The Rams probably wouldn't have signed Washington off a practice squad had Curry not gotten hurt; now, they add on a good, needed special teams guy and nice depth at RB. Washington's measurables pretty much beat either of the other Rams backup RBs'. He not only gets back on an NFL roster, he finds a situation where he could contribute right away and have a spot in a team's future plans. He'll certainly stiffen the competition at backup RB next summer should he be here long enough. Great timing for both sides of this deal.

Photo - Fox Sports

Rams notes, 9/28

Winning over the Redskins Sunday didn't offer the Rams any relief on the injury front:

* Steven Jackson, of course, is the highest-profile injury, having incurred a strained groin when the Redskins tried to pull his leg off in the 2nd quarter Sunday. His status is day-to-day.

* Also at RB, Keith Toston has a sprained shoulder but is expected to be able to play Sunday.

* And Mike Karney injured a thumb and will be playing with a cast. Not one of those cool clubs, though. Too bad.

* Dominique Curry tore an ACL while covering a punt and has gone on season-ending IR.

* O.J. Atogwe missed the second half after re-aggravating what's described as a thigh injury when Santana Moss hit him with a dirty block. Steve Spagnuolo is hopeful that he'll be able to go against Seattle. Consider him day-to-day.

* Darian Stewart is day-to-day due to a hamstring injury. Ironic how the Rams have so many injuries at the position of "safety".

Injury updates:
* Craig Dahl, still out indefinitely due to concussion. He passed a test yesterday, and if he passes another with an independent doctor today, he can return to practice Thursday.
* Billy Bajema, out 1-3 weeks, sprained MCL.
* Michael Hoomanawanui, 4-6 weeks, high ankle sprain.
* Chris Chamberlain, 4-6 weeks, broken/turf toe.
All of the previous three players are said to be progressing well.
* Darell Scott, 5-7 weeks, high ankle sprain.
* Cliff Ryan was inactive Sunday and remains out indefinitely due to migraines. Ryan is hopeful again this week that he'll be cleared to play.

On the mend:
* Laurent Robinson was out Sunday due to a foot injury but is said to be making good progress. Funny how Brandon Gibson actually getting open a few times will do that to a guy.
* Daniel Fells, Justin King and Rodger Saffold all appeared to play without incident Sunday and come off the injury list, as will Kevin Dockery (below).

* Transactions: The Rams cut Kevin Dockery Saturday in order to call Jermelle Cudjo up from the practice squad. Then today, they re-signed Dockery and waived Marquis Johnson, who appears headed back to the practice squad.

The Rams filled Curry's roster spot by signing RB Chauncey Washington off the Jets practice squad.

* Viva Las Vegas: The Seahawks opened as 1.5-point favorites for Sunday's game, but the line has already moved down to 1. Over/under is 38.5. Don't ask me; I clearly have no idea. Take the Redskins all day, indeed.

* Not a sellout: 8,000 tickets remain for the game Sunday.

Rams quick notes, 9/24

* Sunday's game against Washington will be shown on local TV, though I'm sure it will be far from an actual sellout. KTVI-2, 3:00.

* Craig Dahl did not pass a concussion test yesterday. To play Sunday he will have to pass one today and another on Saturday with an independent doctor. Starting to look doubtful he will play.

* 15 yards on the NFL for piling on: the league fined Dahl $2,500 for chop blocking in the Oakland game. Rolando McClain was fined $5,000 for his slam on Danny Amendola. I originally tabbed that as a spinebuster, but on further review, it looks more like a Rock Bottom. (I don't know why the pictures don't line up, other than BLOGGER SUCKS.)

Spinebuster	Rock Bottom	15-yard penalty

Update: Dahl and Ryan are listed as doubtful for Sunday, along with Laurent Robinson. Fendi Onobun should be active for the game, along with Jermelle Cudjo.

Sports entertainment photos from wwe.com

Rams quick notes, 9/23

* Transactions. QB Thaddeus Lewis cleared waivers and was added to the Rams practice squad earlier in the week.

* Attempted transactions. The Rams did make an offer to outcast San Diego WR Vincent Jackson, but according to John Clayton, Stan Kroenke pulled the Rams out of the running after news of Braylon Edwards' DUI got out. (Seattle also quit going after Jackson on the Edwards news.) Jackson, of course, is currently suspended by the league for multiple DUIs. The reasoning sounds completely flawed - why should Edwards getting arrested for DUI make Jackson any more likely to get another one than he was when you made the offer to him? - so I assume Kroenke sensed an overwhelming wave of bad P.R. coming and opted to dodge it. Sensible.

The Vikings seemed to be the team that came closest to getting Jackson. They reportedly offered him $6 million this season. The Chargers' compensation demands, though, were too high: a 2nd-round pick and, depending on reports, an additional 2nd, 3rd or 4th-round pick in return. San Diego didn't come much off their demands because Jackson can go somewhere and rot for all Chargers general manager A.J. Smith cares, and he was not dealt before the Wednesday deadline that would have had him active by week 5. He can still be traded before the league deadline, if a team wants him for half a season or less.

In Smith's defense, Denver did get two 2nd-rounders for Brandon Marshall. In the Rams' defense, their last two 2nd-rounders are James Laurinaitis and Rodger Saffold; I'll be darned if I'd give up that kind of value for a player who's an incident away from a probable season-long suspension.

Give the Rams credit for giving it a try with VJ, and credit for having the sense to know when to back out.

* Walking wounded: Craig Dahl has passed all his concussion tests so far but still has to pass one tomorrow before he can be cleared to play Sunday.

There's optimism that Cliff Ryan will be cleared to go Sunday after missing last week due to migraines.

There seems to be less optimism about Laurent Robinson, limited in practice yesterday due to a foot injury, and with talk increasing that Mardy Gilyard will play a bigger role in the offense and that this might finally be the week they activate Brandon Gibson. Robinson's considered questionable for Sunday but I'm leaning toward doubtful.

Also limited in practice yesterday: Steven Jackson (knee), O.J. Atogwe (thigh), Daniel Fells (knee), Rodger Saffold (back), all of whom I'm going to assume are questionable. If Fells can't go, it looks like the Rams will unleash Project Onobun.

* Line movement: The Redskins opened as 4-point favorites for Sunday's game but have been bet down to 3 on some lines. Really? Over/under is 39. Unless that's a cosmic sign to bet on Steven Jackson, I'm going with Washington and giving the points all day on this game. Sorry.

* Back in blackout: Sunday's game is reportedly still "several thousand" tickets from being soldout. Yep, crap games like last week's loss to Oakland will do that to a fan base. The Rams are expected to seek a one-day extension to today's weirdly-precise 3:05 deadline.

I assume Fox still gets to show a game if the Rams don't sell out, so the good news for you slackers who are going to help keep me from having much video of this week's game to review is that you're probably going to get Dallas @ Houston instead, which is completely unfair. The NFL should arrange it so St. Louis is stuck with the Raiders-Cardinals game if the Rams don't sell out. It's only week 3 and we've already got a matchup that crappy? Strong motivation to get the Rams on TV.

* RB2 candidates? Larry Johnson was cut in Washington, having had five carries for two yards the first two weeks. I didn't realize how bad Washington's run game is so far this season. Clinton Portis is barely averaging 3 yards a rush. They ran for 17 yards on 18 carries in last week's loss to Houston. Their run-blocking so far has been a disaster, so maybe the Rams have a better chance Sunday than I think. Johnson, however, does not sound like any improvement over Kenneth Darby. He's almost 31, has had off-field problems and I doubt is worth the effort.

Brandon Jacobs reportedly wants out of New York. Well, a billion times NO to that possible trade idea. That mangina destroyed my fantasy team last year, for one. Also, as the New York Daily News hilariously reports, the jackass threw his helmet into the stands for two more yards than he gained on the field Sunday night in Indianapolis. I'd sooner bring back Trung Canidate.

* Kurt Warner survived the first week of Dancing With the Stars. David Hasselhoff was the first dancer discarded. Don't expect any more detail than that on Kurt's dancing adventures here.

Rams quick notes, 9/21

The Rams' injury list, along with their record and their near-term prospects, did not come out of the Oakland game Sunday in good shape. To wit:

Out:
* TE Billy Bajema out 2-4 weeks with an MCL injury.

* SS Craig Dahl suffered a concussion; testing, and his status, are pending.

* DT Darell Scott has a high ankle sprain. Would seem to be of the 4-6 week variety.

Those were the in-game injuries. Also still out:
* LB Chris Chamberlain, broken/turf toe, 5-7 weeks.
* TE Michael Hoomanawanui, high ankle sprain, 5-7 weeks.
* CB Kevin Dockery, hamstring, should be full-go for Washington.
* CB Justin King, hamstring, should return to practice this week.
* DT Cliff Ryan indefinitely due to migraines. He was left back in St. Louis.

Walking wounded:
* TE Daniel Fells, who has an MCL injury but is day-to-day. I still don't know how he survived the splits in the first quarter Sunday.

* Steven Jackson's knee appears to be doing OK but he took some kind of hit to the head during the game. And kept playing; nobody tell TMQ.

* Rodger Saffold was briefly replaced by Renardo Foster due to a sore back.

Upshot:
* With only two healthy DTs on the active roster, Jermelle Cudjo is ready for his closeup, Mr. Spagnuolo.

* The Rams are also going to have to get a TE from somewhere if they're not ready to put Project Onobun into motion. Among the speculation: they'll activate fullback Brit Miller from the practice squad, or they'll re-acquire Dennis Morris (remember? from the Hall Davis trade?), a converted fullback who was a successful college TE.

Hey, don't look at me: the best candidate I've got is Sean Ryan, a veteran who played in Kansas City last year and was released in Tennessee's final cut. There's also Derek Fine or Eric Butler, TEs who have been with the Rams before. With Project Onobun taking up one roster slot, I doubt they would use another to claim Chase Coffman off Philadelphia's practice squad, but I thought about it.

It's not a very good market at all right now for a team looking for a tight end.

Richard Angulo and Anthony Becht, however, do appear to be available.

Rams quick weekend notes

* Cliff Ryan is out of tomorrow's game due to migraines. Kevin Dockery is definitely out due to a hamstring injury. Chris Chamberlain and Michael Hoomanawanui are also certain game-day inactives.

* QB Thaddeus Lewis was waived today and Marquis Johnson called up from the practice squad to help out with the team's current DB shortage. Lewis should be headed to the practice squad.

* Calais Campbell was fined $5,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Sam Bradford in last week's game. The rook's getting protected by the league already? Nice!

Rams quick notes, 9/17

* Injuries:
- Josh Hull is on IR and is out for the season due to a torn ACL.
- Chris Chamberlain, out 6-8 weeks due to a broken toe, is still on the active roster at this point.
- So is Michael Hoomanawanui, out 6-8 due to a high ankle sprain.
- Dorell Scott injured his knee yesterday. He was able to walk off the field but the severity of the injury is unknown.
- Cliff Ryan was hospitalized Wednesday night due to illness and did not return to the field Thursday. Talk about a guy having an unlucky week.
- On the DB side, Kevin Dockery continues to sit out due to a hamstring injury, and Justin King is limited with a similar issue. Dockery's at least a week away.

Oh well, the team was at least healthy for one week.

* Transactions: The Rams added Jermelle Cudjo to the practice squad and hit the delete key on Mortty Ivy. They may well wish they had just left Cudjo on the main roster in the first place, with DTs dropping like flies this week.

* VJ day? Can we all just cool our jets on the Vincent Jackson thing? Yes, the Rams need a talented wide receiver. Do we need this talented wide receiver? He can't play, or I believe even practice for anybody, until week 5 at the earliest. Unless he's got Mark Clayton's photographic memory, he's going to have to be worked gradually into the offense, isn't he? You're talking more like getting a half-season out of the guy.

Thinking longer-term, VJ's going to want a monster contract from somebody. There would be absolutely zero point in signing him here just so he can audition for the Vikings or Jets or somebody. If the Rams are to sign him here at all, it has to be to a long-term deal right away. Reports are that he's after $50 million in 5 years with $30 mil guaranteed. That's a pretty big gamble on a guy who's a well-timed police stop from being suspended for half a season (if I'm right). The Chargers also reportedly want 2nd- and 3rd-round draft picks for him. That's a high price for a rebuilding team to pay for anybody.

This is a hard one, especially with my arguments against Michael Vick making me look fairly stupid now that he's playing like his pre-jail self again. And multiple DUIs did not stop Leonard Little from being an excellent player and a good teammate. You could even argue that Little was never a major distraction to the Rams, MADD's best efforts notwithstanding.

But the situations are different. Little's incidents came as a member of a mostly-veteran team. He was always the quiet-leader type who didn't draw a lot of attention to himself. So despite the tragic accident he created, he wasn't a negative to his team. Vick's situation has been managed perfectly in Philadelphia so far. He was accepted immediately by his veteran teammates, led by Donovan McNabb. He's a look-at-me, big-ego player - he did a television show about himself, for crying out loud! - but the Eggles have kept the spotlight off him. He also is not a huge monetary risk, in NFL terms. Neither was Little, really. I still don't think Vick would have worked out here, but that point, as we say in Missourah, is now "mute".

The question today is whether Vincent Jackson would work out here, and I'm still not so sure. His willingness to hold out for the season and his WR position scream look-at-me, big-ego player. Unlike the Eggles with Vick, the Rams would have to put the spotlight on him right away. He'd be dropped immediately into a leadership role on a very young team. The x's and o's work, sure, but football is a lot more than x's and o's.

And I don't believe the Rams are the right team, or that this is the right time, for a big gamble on a risky character, one that's especially big because of the draft-pick compensation. I believe Vincent Jackson will be a far better fit in Minnesota than he would be here, a much better relative risk, and he'll be a great player there for as long as he has the sense to have a designated driver. People will predictably howl and heckle that the Rams should have gotten him, chemistry of a young, rebuilding team be damned. And Cincinnati Bengal me all you want; the jury's still very, very out on the long-term results there.

One day soon, the Rams will be the kind of team that can afford to take character risks on players, integrate those otherwise-talented players into their locker room, and be better for it. They're not there just yet. Cool your jets.

Rams acquire Kehl

The Rams have claimed linebacker Brian Kehl off waivers from the Giants. This may mean Chris Chamberlain is heading to the IR after all. Update: Another reason for acquiring Kehl: Josh Hull reportedly suffered a "major" MCL injury during special teams practice today.

Kehl, 6'2" 237, is in his third season out of BYU and was drafted in the 4th round in 2008. Scouts Inc. grades him as a good backup with a nice combination of size and athletic ability. Solid tackler, hard hitter with sneaky-good speed and good range. Still more of an athletic prospect than a polished linebacker at this point. Needs work on taking on lead blocks and using his hands to keep blockers off his lower body. Other flaws are that he gets lost in traffic and gets too aggressive at times and overruns plays. More comfortable on the weak side. Quick and agile in pass coverage and takes smooth drops, but also loses focus at times and allows plays.

GiantsFootballBlog calls Kehl a better fit in the NFL as a 3-4 OLB, which is what he was in college. GFB readers point out the team's poor kick coverage and Kehl whiffing on a block that allowed a punt to be blocked Sunday against Carolina as reasons he could have been cut. On the other hand, he led the Giants in special teams tackles last year with 16 and had 3 against the Panthers. The cut seems to have surprised the majority of Giants fans; he's a well-liked player and they consider him one of their best special teams players. He may have been cut just because the Giants have serious injury issues at tight end and had to make a roster move.

Kehl was a mechanical engineering major at BYU, a two-time academic all-conference LB and a first-team all-conference player his senior season. His BYU Pro Day stats: 4.56 40, 4.18 short shuttle, 6.54 3-cone, 35" vertical, 10'2" broad, 26 bench presses. That would have been the 2nd-fastest 40 by a LB at this year's Combine. His numbers compare favorably to 2010 late 2nd-round pick Pat Angerer or late 3rd-round pick Navarro Bowman. He can bench 430, so he's strong, but he has had to work to be a more physical player after playing too passively as a rookie.

Kehl's a high-character player with some ability, and this move could pan out better than anybody would ever guess, but for now, it's mainly a treading-water move to try to replace Chamberlain's special-teams productivity. I don't expect Kehl to be much of a contributor outside of special teams, but won't be surprised to see him in the long-term picture at LB. That makes this a better-than-average move, but not one that moves the needle a lot.

Fun fact: As you might guess from that alma mater, Bryan is a Mormon. Other Mormons who have played for the Rams include Kevin Curtis, Brandon Manumaleuna, Merlin Olsen, of course, and, much to my surprise, Kyle Turley.

Rams quick notes, 9/14

* Transactions. Because a football team can never have enough tight ends and fullbacks, I guess, the Rams have made a couple of moves. They replaced defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo with a crappy tight end, Darcy Johnson, on the active roster, and (as the NFL Dalek would say) deleted Brandon McRae from the practice squad and added fullback Brit Miller. And as previously reported, they deleted Allen Patrick and added fullback Jamie McCoy.

The total number of tight ends and fullbacks at Rams Park is currently eight. Seriously, it takes three guys to replace Michael Hoomanawanui? Did Scott Linehan not leave?

Don't get me wrong; I like McCoy's prospects, and I like Miller - the former Illini linebacker showed surprising aptitude for fullback in San Francisco and is one of those guys who'll run through a wall for you. And Cudjo may be coming back to the practice squad. But I disdain replacing him or a receiver with some promising ability like McRae with a TE who contributed little in preseason besides dropped balls.

My guess for now is that Fendi Onobun isn't ready to take on all of the responsibilities of the TE position and they brought Johnson back because he sometimes can block. That's part of the risk they agreed to take when they took on Project Onobun, that they'd have to sacrifice elsewhere to keep him in a protected spot on the active roster.

* I don't know what the plan is with Chris Chamberlain yet. He's supposedly out 6 to 8 weeks, and I'd have thought he'd be on the IR already, but the Rams seem prepared to keep him on the active roster. They're going with just 5 LBs in Oakland Sunday. Unless there's a good shot he recovers quickly, he'd have to be TWICE as good as any LB/special teams guy out there to merit tying up a roster spot for half a season, and I'm not feeling that. I barely had him beating out Bobby Carpenter at the final cut.

My guess for now is they're trying to get a better handle on Chamberlain's injury before they make a move they can't back out of. He's a good enough player to merit that consideration.

* Around the league:

- New England traded Laurence Maroney to Denver for a 4th-round pick, ending the strong feeling around here that the St. Louisan would join the Rams as a backup to Steven Jackson. (You know, the guy with the hurt knee who normally has to carry the offense but has no credible backup behind him.) And the Rams were reportedly in talks with New England about trading for a running back, according to the Post-Dispatch. Just not Maroney. Guess the Patriots aren't the only team down on Maroney, then. Also, given the ages of the RBs left on the Patriot roster, I assume the Rams were after (the legal firm of) BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Pats surely won't deal BJGE now having dealt Maroney. I wouldn't have given up a 4th-rounder for either one of them anyway.

- Somebody finally signed Adewale Ogunleye; Houston did it yesterday. I'll project him for 4.5 sacks; the Texans do play a handful of poor teams, which is where I'd expect him to produce. (He's getting a late start so I downgraded him from 5.5).

Rams quick notes, 9/13

Some injury catchup to do in the wake of Sunday's 17-13 loss to Arizona:

* Michael Hoomanawanui will be out an unspecified amount of time due to a high ankle sprain. I believe this is usually a 4-6 week injury. Looks like Fendi Onobun will make the active roster quicker than anybody ever thought.

* Chris Chamberlain has a turf toe or broken toe injury. He is out at least 6-8 weeks. When coach Spagnuolo suggests "a decision may have to be made", he makes injured reserve sound very likely. Problem: the most obvious replacement for Chamberlain, Bobby Carpenter, got picked up by Miami after he was cut here. My recommendation if they do I.R. Chamberlain is to pick up Vinny Ciurciu, who was waived by Detroit in the cutdown to 53. Good special teams guy.

* Kevin Dockery has a "grade 1 hamstring injury" and will miss at least a week.

* Ominously, Steven Jackson had his right KNEE MRIed. There is swelling, but it's believed he will be fine. He is considered day-to-day and is currently considered questionable for Oakland next Sunday.

* Laurent Robinson got his ankle rolled up on late in the Cardinal game and had it MRIed, but there's no serious damage.

* Also considered day-to-day: Oshiomogho Atogwe (groin); Adam Goldberg (knee); Justin King (hamstring); Fred Robbins (foot); Darian Stewart (thigh).

~~~

* The Raiders have been installed as 4-point favorites for Sunday's game, with an over/under of 37.5. I love the Rams and the points. I'm claiming a push for last week because the line was -4 the first time I looked.

* Transactions: The Allen Patrick Era is already over in St. Louis; he was, as the NFL website puts it, "deleted" from the Rams' practice squad and replaced by Jamie McCoy.

"Deleted". Apparently, the NFL transactions page is maintained by a Dalek.

Also, in the past week or so Kevin Payne and Eric Young have both been waived off the team's injured reserve list.

Rams quick notes, 9/9

* Sunday's game is now expected to be enough of a sellout for the game to be on TV.
3:15 on KTVI.

* If I have read the Las Vegas hieroglyphics correctly, the Rams opened as 3.5 point underdogs and have been bet up to 4-point underdogs. Over-under has been bet up from 39 to 42.

You know what? Gimme the Rams and the points.

* James Butler is the ONLY player on the official injury list. After being a M*A*S*H unit at times this training camp, the Rams are now probably healthier as a team than they've ever been. What's the last time they only had ONE player on the injury list?

* The Big Dead's quarterbacks coach this year is former Rams QB Chris Miller (pictured). Hey, he may have been hit in the head a few times, but he was smart enough to cut bait on fratboy Leinart.

Rams news, 9/8

* Sunday's season opener against Arizona is currently reported as 2,000 short of a sellout. The average price of a Rams ticket, per multiple sources, is $70. So that's $140,000 worth of tickets. For the NFL's brutally-antiquated blackout policy purposes, teams may buy their tickets back at 1/3 value to lift the local TV blackout. So it'll cost $46,667 to get the game on TV.

Stan?

* Read some history of the NFL's blackout rule here and learn why former Eggles owner Leonard Tose was a even bigger dickweed than Bill Bidwill.

* The Rams filled the final spot on their 8-man practice squad with former Oklahoma running back Allen Patrick. He was a 7th-round pick in 2008 and has yet to play in a regular-season game.

Injury list update

James Hall was full-go at practice this weekend, leaving the Rams their shortest injury list yet this year:

James Butler (knee); Na'il Diggs(lih,unknown); A.J. Feeley (elbow,thumb); Laurent Robinson (lih, foot).

In addition, Kevin Payne and Eric Young were placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Butler is starting to take part in practices now, but nothing very heavy yet.

Rams trade for Mark Clayton; Keenan Burton cut

The Rams traded their 6th-round pick next year to the Ravens in exchange for wide receiver Mark Clayton and Baltimore's 7th-round pick next year. Clayton became expendable in Baltimore after they signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh after he was (mindlessly) cut by Seattle.

Keenan Burton has been released to make room for Clayton on the roster.

Clayton played five years in Baltimore; he's 28 years old, 5'10", 190. He was drafted in 2005 out of Oklahoma, the 22nd player overall, the fifth wide receiver. Get a load of the first four: Braylon Edwards, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, and right before Clayton at #21, drugboy Matt Jones. About the only decent WRs to come out of that whole draft were Roddy White at #27 and Vincent Jackson at #61.

At the 2005 NFL Combine, Clayton ran a 4.41 40, 4.07 short shuttle and a 6.95 3-cone. His vertical jump was 36.5", broad jump 9'10". He did not bench press. The 40 and short shuttle times would have been toward the top at this year's Combine, but he'd have been well off in the jumping categories. The 2010 WR prospect most resembling Clayton is Citadel's Andre Roberts, a third-round pick by the Big Dead. Clayton is a communications major who completed his degree this past year.

Clayton's best season was 2006: 67 receptions, 939 yards, 5 TDs. He really hasn't been close to those numbers since. Last year: 34-480, 2 TD. He has 9 100-yard games in his career, currently the Ravens franchise record.

CBS Sports paints Clayton as a good replacement for Donnie Avery, expecting his speed on the Rams' "fast turf" to gain him opportunities to make plays in space. Many Ravens fans are unhappy with the trade because they feel Clayton represented their only dangerous deep threat. He has good hands and will make good catches over the middle and in a crowd. One of the criticisms of Clayton in Baltimore, though, was that he couldn't get separation, and Baltimore uses about the same turf as the Rams do. He has trouble getting off the jam. He's small and has never played up to his potential. A good character guy, though, another "Four Pillars" player. Active in the community and well-liked in the locker room.

Fun fact: Born in Arlington, Texas, Mark is the only player in the NFL with a chance to play the Super Bowl in his hometown this season. Though I fear being traded from Baltimore has reduced his chances quite a bit.

The Rams got a high-character player here who should help them at a critical-need position and help them stretch the field, and did not pay much of a price at all to get him. I'd have to call this a very good trade for the team.

Clayton's listed as probable on this week's injury report due to a mild concussion suffered in the Ravens' third preseason game.

Waiver wire watch

Ex-Rams now back on the market:

Anthony Becht - cut by Arizona
Brett Romberg - cut by Atlanta
Travis Fisher - cut by Baltimore. Didn't even notice him last Thursday if he played.
Rob Petitti - cut by Carolina
Quinton Culberson - cut by Carolina
Richard Angulo - cut by Chicago
Orien Harris - cut by Cincinnati. At least, I think he was very briefly a Ram last year.
Dre Bly - cut by Detroit
David Roach - waived injured by Detroit
Danny Gorrer - cut by Indianapolis
Damione Lewis - cut by New England
Nick Leckey - cut by New Orleans
Brooks Foster - cut by the Jets
Ruvell Martin - cut by Seattle
Cord Parks - cut by Seattle
Jon Alston - IR'ed by Tampa Bay
Donovan Raiola - cut by Tampa Bay
Samkon Gado - cut by Tennessee
Tye Hill - cut by Tennessee

Chris Ogbonnaya was signed Sunday to Houston's practice squad.
Hall Davis was added to Tennessee's. Still trying to replace "The Freak" over there.

Top 5 RBs cut Saturday:
Ladell Betts, New Orleans
Justin Fargas, Denver
Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay
Julius Jones, Seattle (cut Sunday)
Willie Parker, Washington

Also probable improvements over Kenneth Darby:
Chad Simpson, Buffalo; Ryan Torain, Washington; Martell Mallett, Philadelphia

Top 5 WRs cut Saturday:
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle
Sam Aiken, New England
Laveranues Coles, Jets
Demetrius Williams, Baltimore
Bobby Engram, Cleveland

Other interesting cuts, besides the obvious ones already well hashed-over:
Baltimore - Troy Smith. 1, I would have cut him too, after watching him play against the Rams Thursday night. 2, didn't Ron Jaworski say he was going to beat out Marc Bulger?
Cleveland - Brett Ratliff. Yes, the guy I once called the next Kurt Warner.
Detroit - Tim Toone. With Mr. Irrelevant waived, Josh Hull becomes the last player drafted to make a team.
Minnesota - Garrett Mills and Logan Payne, even though the Rams couldn't remotely cover either one three weeks ago. Baltimore also cut Demetrius Williams and Justin Harper, the two big WRs that gave the Rams DBs fits Thursday night.
Giants - Jay Alford, who made some key plays for Steve Spagnuolo's defense in Super Bowl XLII. I'm just saying.
Tennessee - Myron Rolle, the one player cut this weekend we can all be pretty sure won't have a lot of trouble finding a job outside of football.

Sincere best wishes to all the cut players. I'd hate to lose sight that we're talking about people's careers here.

Practice squad

(Updated)
Players added to the Rams practice squad:

* WR Danario Alexander
* WR Brandon McRae
* OL Drew Miller
* CB Marquis Johnson
* OL Ryan McKee
* LB Mortty Ivy, cut by Carolina
* LB/DE Curtis Johnson, cut by Dallas

One more to add. Glad to see they hung onto Miller, who I thought had done enough to make the main roster.

Rams announce cuts

Updated:
The full list of Rams players cut today to meet the NFL roster limit of 53:

DE Victor Adeyanju
WR Danario Alexander
G Roger Allen
LB Devin Bishop
CB Quincy Butler
LB Bobby Carpenter
LB Cardia Jackson
S Brett Johnson
TE Darcy Johnson
CB Marquis Johnson
WR Jordan Kent
C Tim Mattran
OL Ryan McKee
WR Brandon McRae
OL Drew Miller
FB Dennis Morris
QB Keith Null
RB Chris Ogbonnaya
DT Ernest Reid
CB Antoine Thompson

Assigned to Injured Reserve:
S Kevin Payne
T Eric Young

RamView's projections went 18 for 22. In essence:
* The Rams kept ten defensive linemen like they did last year.
* They're keeping two wide receivers and one tight end more than last year. They made up for that by dropping two offensive linemen (10 to 8) and one defensive back (10 to 9). Just eight linemen sounds very risky to me, especially when one of them is Renardo Foster. That's a gamble that the line is going to go very against its recent injury history. Well, the Rams are due some luck there, that's for sure. I still would have kept 9.
* Josh Hull beat out Bobby Carpenter at LB. Yet, somehow, trading Alex Barron for nothing? Still doesn't sound like a bad deal. Despite Carpenter's big plays Thursday night, Hull and certainly Chris Chamberlain were more consistent special teams players, which was probably the telling factor, because I did like Carpenter as a cover backer.
* Eugene Sims (and C.J. Ah You, for that matter) beat out Victor Adeyanju. Note: that's two guys who can rush the passer vs., well, one who can't.
* The great story of camp turns out to be Dominique Curry, who went from the bottom of the depth chart to a roster spot because he grinded it out on special teams. Quincy Butler getting cut was the biggest surprise of the 22 to me. He could well have been beaten out because Curry has been such a special teams maven.
* Also note the great success the Rams front office had with rookie free agents again this year: Thaddeus Lewis, Curry, Cudjo, Darian Stewart and Keith Toston all made the opening day roster.
* I would think Marquis Johnson is a lock for the practice squad, but that a lot of it will be made up of players not on the team right now. Not sure what they're doing with Alexander. With all the talk about muscle atrophy in his leg, are they giving up on him because of the state of his leg, or are they maneuvering him to the practice squad? The former seems much more likely than the latter.

Rams news, 9/2

The Rams finished the 2010 preseason 3-1 after a 27-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Despite another brilliant outing by Sam Bradford, head coach Steve Spagnuolo claims he has yet to decide which QB will start Opening Day against Arizona. Spagnuolo is doing himself a disservice unless he wants the entire football world to believe he is actually a blithering idiot. OF COURSE Sam Bradford should be the Opening Day starter. He has cleared every hurdle you've thrown at him.

Poker players would call what Spagnuolo's pulling with the starting QB issue "slow-rolling". Just turn over your pocket aces and quit f@cking around. You're not being coy; you're being rude.

* Injury report: Victor Adeyanju played last night and looked fine, so he comes off the list. Keenan Burton saw limited action, but probably not injury-related. Off the list. Daniel Fells and John Greco were back in action, Greco impressively so. Off the list. Marquis Johnson played, too, and looked fine. Off the list! So did George Selvie and David Vobora. Off the list, all of you!

So, here's the Rams' blissfully-short injury report:

James Butler (knee)
Na'il Diggs (unknown)
A.J. Feeley (elbow, thumb)
James Hall (hip flexor)
Kevin Payne (knee)
Laurent Robinson (foot)
Eric Young (knee)

Payne played last night but re-aggravated his injury. Robinson was inactive for the game. He has been dealing with a mid-foot sprain. Diggs was also inactive, with no further information provided. Young sprained an MCL toward the end of the game.

* Waiver wire: teams are already making cuts to get down to the 53-man limit by tomorrow. New England has already announced that they've cut Damione Lewis and the Raiders have cut Eric Butler.

More to add when there's more to add. Probably when the Rams start announcing cuts.

Rams vs. NFC West: a blue streak

As much as I hate to update this, here's where the Rams stand in each series against their division opponents heading into this season.

They're 3-21 against the worst division in the NFL since 2006. 2-4, 1-5, 0-6 in 2008 and 0-6 again last season. They have lost FOURTEEN straight in the division.

The Rams' last division win came 11/18/07 in San Francisco, 13-9. They've lost four straight to the 49ers since then.

The Rams have lost SEVEN straight to Opening Day opponent Arizona. Their last win was 9/24/06 in Arizona, 16-14, and that was pure luck. Even worse, Bill Bidwill has left St. Louis with a win over the Rams for FIVE straight years, going back to 2005.

And then there's Seattle. That would be the team that has beaten the Rams TEN straight times. FOUR of Seattle's NINE wins the last two seasons have been at the Rams' expense. A 9-23 team doesn't deserve to beat any other team once, let alone 4 times in 2 years. The Rams' last win over Seattle was the 27-20 wild card playoff victory 1/5/05. At least the Rams beat them three times THAT year.

The Rams have also lost THIRTEEN straight AT HOME. After their preseason win last week in New England, many were saying they hadn't been as happy after a win since the win over Dallas. That ambush of the Cowboys was their last home win, 34-14 on 10/19/08.

This season would feel like a raging success if the team would just win its home games over Arizona and Seattle. Four noxious losing streaks would end and it would certainly go a long way toward shining a bright light on the future.

The Rams' streaks against the rest of the league coming up in the next post. No, they're not pretty, either.

Rams vs. the rest of the league

Updating where the Rams stand in their series against the rest of the league heading into the 2010 season:

NFC South:
Saints - one-game losing streak, 28-23 here 11/19/09. Last win: 37-29 shocker there, 11/11/07.
Falcons - one-game losing streak, 31-27 on 12/28/08 in Atlanta. Last win: 28-16 here, 12/7/07.
Panthers - four straight losses, including the 2003 divisional playoff here. The Rams haven't beaten the Panthers since 2001, a 48-14 victory here on 11/1.
Buccaneers - one-game losing streak, 24-3 there on 9/23/07. Last win was 28-21 here on 10/18/04. The Bucs are 4-1 against the Rams since the 2000 NFC Championship game.

The Rams play all four NFC South teams in 2010.

NFC East:
Redskins - one-game losing streak, 9-7 there 9/20/09, a game the Rams probably should have won. Last win: 19-17 there, 10/12/08.
Cowboys - one of four teams the Rams have a winning streak against. One game, 34-14 at home 10/19/08. Dallas' last win was 35-7 there on 9/30/07.
Eggles - two-game losing streak. Rams haven't beaten Philly since 12/27/04, a 20-7 victory in which the already-playoff-clinched Eggles rested most of their starters.
Giants - Rams haven't beaten the G-men since 2001. Since beating them 15-14 at home 10/14/01, they've lost four straight.

Good news: the Redskins are the Rams' only NFC East opponent in 2010.

NFC North:
Lions - The Rams have a TWO GAME WINNING STREAK against Detroit. Their last loss to the Lions: 30-20 there 12/28/03.
Vikings - The Rams have just a one-game losing streak to Minnesota, last season's 38-10 loss on Oct. 11. They last beat the Vikings 41-21 there on New Year's Eve 2006.
Packers - two-game losing streak. Last Rams win: 23-20 there, 10/8/06.
Bears - The Rams, oddly, haven't beaten the Bears since 2003, a three-game streak. Last win was 23-12 there, 11/16/03.

The Lions are the Rams' only NFC North opponent this year.

The Panthers and Bucs have really had the Rams' number for a decade; it sure would be nice to break one of those streaks.

It would be even nicer to beat the f@cking Kansas City Chiefs. As Jim Thomas would put it, the "St. Louis" Rams have yet to beat their fellow Missouri franchise. Sadly, Governor's Cups do not count. JOE MONTANA was the last Chiefs QB the Rams beat.

AFC West
Kansas City: four straight losses, going back to 16-0 win at Arrowhead, September 18, 1994.
San Diego: one-game losing streak. Last win was here, 11/10/02, 28-24.
Oakland: TWO-GAME WINNING STREAK!!! Rams haven't lost to the Raiders since 1997, a 35-17 loss on 9/28.
Denver: one-game winning streak! Rams won 18-10 here, 9/1/06, in Scott Linehan's first game as head coach. Denver's last win was 23-16 there, 9/8/02.

The Rams play all four AFC West teams this year. Can we please beat freaking Kansas City ONE TIME?!?!?!

AFC East
Patriots - three straight losses, including Super Bowl XXXVI. Last win: 24-17 there, 11/18/01.
Jets - one-game losing streak. Last win: 32-29 here in OT, 1/2/05.
Dolphins - two-game losing streak. Last win: 42-10 here, 9/30/01.
Bills - two straight losses. Last win: 34-33 there, 9/20/1998.

AFC North
Ravens - one-game losing streak, last win was 33-22 here, 11/9/03.
Steelers - one-game losing streak, last win was 33-21 there, 10/26/03.
Bengals - one-game losing streak, last win was 27-10 here, 12/21/03.
Browns - one-game losing streak, last win was 26-20 there, 12/8/03 (Monday night).

AFC South
Colts - two straight losses. Last win: 42-17 here, 12/30/01.
Texans - one-game losing streak. Last win: 33-27 OT win there, 11/27/05.
Titans - one-game losing streak. Last win: 31-27 here, 9/25/05.
Jagwires - one-game losing streak. Last Rams win: 17-14 here, 10/20/1996. The Jagwires and Texans both beat the Rams for the first time last year.

I will happily take a 3-13 season in 2010 if those wins are over the Seahawks, Big Dead and Chiefs.

Rams news, 9/1

(from various reports)

Key dates: The Rams host the Ravens tomorrow night. Rosters have to be trimmed from 75 all the way down to 53 by September 4th.

Injury report: Victor Adeyanju (lih, knee); Keenan Burton (knee); James Butler (knee); A.J. Feeley (elbow, thumb); Daniel Fells (hyperextended knee); John Greco (pectoreal); James Hall (hip flexor); Marquis Johnson (lih, shoulder); Kevin Payne (knee); George Selvie (leg); David Vobora (hamstring).

Fells, Greco, Selvie and Vobora are all back to practicing in some degree.
Butler and Feeley are still out afaik.
Adeyanju, Hall, Johnson, and Payne, I have no idea.
Burton left practice again yesterday due to swelling in his knee. As much as you see that he has talent to play at this level, at some point in your career, you have to be able to stay on the field, don't you? This was a known problem when the Rams traded up to draft him, and has never gotten any better.

Ex-Rams transactions around the league:
* Former Ram Jon Alston has been IR'ed by the Buccaneers.
* The Redskins cut Rams fifth-round pick Hall Davis a day after they traded for him. Wonder if the Rams want him back?
* Dominique Byrd was cut by the Big Dead, though I'm not sure if that makes the bars of Phoenix more or less safe.
* Danny Gorrer update! He has been picked up by the Colts after being cut by the Saints. So, wait a minute. He can't play worth a crap for the league's worst team but is signed afterward by BOTH Super Bowl teams. Football is a funny game, gang.
* David Roach was cut by the Lions, who also cut Roy Schuening a couple of weeks ago.
* K.C. Asiodu was picked up by the Saints, actually replacing their special-teams captain Troy Evans.
* Chris Draft was cut by Washington last week.
* DUSTIN FRY (pictured above) was still in the league as of two weeks ago, when Denver cut him.
* Eric Butler was picked up by the Raiders.

* On the backup RB front, Derrick Ward was cut by the Buccaneers, which is an eye-opener. He didn't even make their roster of 75 one year after signing a big contract. He was also having a really lousy preseason and I doubt would be worth the Rams' effort to sign, though as an ex-Giant, his pull on Steve Spagnuolo could be difficult to escape. I'm more interested in taking a look at Justin Fargas, who was cut in Denver, or Ryan Moats, cut by Minnesota. I'm even more interested in waiting to see who shakes loose in this weekend's cuts.

* On the WR front, reports say the Rams are not going to go after Vincent Jackson, whom Seattle's after hot and heavy again for the umpteenth time. Antonio Bryant was cut by Cincinnati, but he's damaged goods. Laveranues Coles was cut by the Jets but is expected to re-sign with them after Week 1. His name is too damn hard to spell anyway. 2008 second-round pick Dexter Jackson was cut in Carolina, but that's two teams he's already failed to make. He could give the Rams needed speed, but I doubt anything else.

More to add when there's more to add.