Tuesday, July 31, 2012

RamView, 8/1: Tuesday practice notes, Long contract details

from local reports

* Schedule: The Rams practice in pads for the first time tomorrow, and do it again on Thursday, but both days' practices are closed to the public. The next open practice is at 3:30 Friday, followed by a 12:30 scrimmage at the Edward Jones Dome on Saturday.

* Injury report: Danario Alexander (hamstring) and Daryl Richardson (leg) suited up today but were limited to running on the sideline. Rokevious Watkins (fat) is still getting into shape. Scott Wells (knee) remains out.

New to the list, center Tim Barnes (calf) did not practice Tuesday. He had limped off the field Monday. Josh Gordy and Kendric Burney both sat out Tuesday due to tight hamstrings. Eugene Sims left practice due to an unspecified arm or shoulder injury.

* Depth chart: Craig Dahl back to first string at safety. Austin Davis seems to be gaining ground pretty quickly on Tom Brandstater for QB3.

* Nick Wagoner reported Rams receivers were "plagued" by dropped passes Tuesday, with Lance Kendricks returning to his regular-season 2011 form. Lovely. Sounds like he rallied at the end, though. Also sounds like the o-line continues to struggle in pass protection.

Also, I know it's only day 3 and they haven't even pulled pads on yet, but I would really like not to hear Cortland Finnegan getting burned by a Rams receiver every day. We all realize he has to cover Megatron opening week, right?

* Details came out today on Chris Long's contract extension: it's for four years, $50 MILLION, with $27 million guaranteed. Mario Williams just got similar dollars when he signed with Buffalo this offseason, but those were for six years, not four. Factor in Long's 2012 salary, and he's technically on a five-year deal for $60 million, with $37 million guaranteed.

The extension is bigger than any deal I can think of in Rams history for a defensive player, and by my count, is the third-biggest deal in team history, behind Marc Bulger's $62.5 million deal in 2007 and Orlando Pace's $53 million deal in 2005. Steven Jackson's current deal is $49.3 million.

I felt Long was one of the very best defensive players in the league last year, and that he should have been in the Pro Bowl. Well, he's getting paid at that level now.

* Alumni report: Cord Parks released by the Saints.

-$-

Photo: STLToday

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