RamView, 7/30: More rookie free agents injured

St. Louis Rams

Suddenly rookie free agents are dropping like flies at Rams Park:
- OT Braden Brown has officially gone onto injured reserve. He never made it onto the practice field due to back problems.
- G Kevin Saia is now joining Brown on the IR. Foot injury.
- WR Andrew Helmick injured a hamstring Monday and is expected to be out "a few weeks". Naturally. I just got going on his RFA profile. This is a real bummer, Helmick's shown enough in camp at WR that I was hoping to see him get some reps returning kicks. Could have given him a good run at making the final roster. Pretty solid chance for him still to make the practice squad, though.

The IR moves briefly had the Rams' roster count at 87, but they have signed a couple of new players to get back up to 89:
- WR Justin Veltung, cut yesterday by the Seahawks. He's the University of Idaho's (uh-oh, Linehan country) all-time kickoff return leader - 78 returns for 1,743 yards. That sounds great before you get the calculator out and see that it's only 22.3 yards a return. Veltung may be able to jump higher than that.
- OL Graham Pocic, a rookie free agent from Illinois. He's a 6'7", 310-lb center/right tackle. (How bad were the Illini last year? The center was the team's Outstanding Offensive Player.) I'll add him to the queue of RFA profiles I'll never get caught up on.

On the good news side, 4th-round pick Barrett Jones has taken the field for the first time. Veterans Lance Kendrick (knee) and Jermelle Cudjo (back) remain sidelined. Jeff Fisher indicates Matt Daniels (knee) is close to returning. RFA TE Philip Lutzenkirchen began practicing with the team on Saturday. With apologies, I've lost track of Sammy Brown, who had been out due to a calf injury.

Btw, it's not just RamView worrying about the offensive line's performance so far. Nick Wagoner at stlouisrams.com and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have also noticed (with apologies for the cut and paste):

OC Brian Schottenheimer talked to the media for a bit after practice, which we’ll have more on tomorrow, but one thing he pointed out that has been obvious in the first days of practice is just how difficult the Rams’ defensive line is making life for the offense. The defensive line has regularly created pressure on QB Sam Bradford and it’s made it hard for the offense to get in rhythm at times. Schottenheimer believes that can only help make the offense better as camp moves along.

Wagoner reported that Schottenheimer has seen improvement in Rodger Saffold's play, which has also been an early concern here. Check camp reports from the first weekend at ramview.com. I'll report again from the Dome on Saturday as long as my car is willing. Is smoke billowing from my air conditioner vents a bad thing?

The Rams were off Tuesday and return to practice 3:30 Wednesday and 5:30 Thursday. The team will be in pads both practices.

-$-

RamView, 7/26: first two days of camp in the books

Days 1 and 2 of Rams training camp have come and gone with little incident. RamView's report of this year's first practice is up at ramview.com. Looks like I'm going to tomorrow evening's (5:30) practice as well but I'm still not definite on that. Sunday's practice will be the team's first practice in full pads, but it won't be open to the public. Kind of a shame, that. Sounds like we'll have perfect weather all weekend.

* Current injury list:
- Sammy Brown missed practice Friday due to a calf injury.
- UDFA TE Philip Lutzenkirchen has missed both days of camp so far due to an ankle injury but is expected to be able to practice Saturday.
- UDFA OT Braden Brown is going to be released with an injury settlement due to back problems. With the Rok Watkins cut, that leaves the Rams a couple of linemen short and a roster count of 88. Wonder what kind of shape Wayne Hunter's in these days.
- Also: Jermelle Cudjo, foot; Matt Daniels, knee; Barrett Jones, foot; Lance Kendricks, knee.

* Defense has ruled at camp so far, but here's who's had a good first two days on both sides of the ball...
- Quinton Pointer, two interceptions today and has looked good on special teams.
- Andrew Helmick, continues to catch everything in sight.
- The draft class in general. Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey are living up to their draft day hype thus far. Alec Ogletree has looked fantastic, especially in pass coverage. T.J. McDonald and Brandon McGee are also off to good starts.

* Position battles:
- First-team LG is going to be a time-share early on. Shelley Smith worked with the ones today, Chris Williams the twos.
- Austin Davis got some work in with the twos Friday after spending all of Thursday with the third string.

* Not so good:
- Zac Stacy fumbled yesterday and dropped a pass in the end zone in red zone drills today.
- Brian Quick didn't get very good reviews for his work Friday. Still not using the size the good Lord gave him to win out against smaller defenders. Frustrating if that continues.
- UDFA Tim Jenkins can't even get ahead of the punter on the depth chart at QB. Reports were that Johnny Hekker was actually running some 11-on-11 reps on Friday. Emergency QB?

-$-
 

RamView, 7/24: Rams cut Watkins

KOMU-TV (Columbia, Mo.)

No training camp activity at Rams Park today, but there's going to be waiver wire activity, as the team is cutting offensive lineman Rokevious Watkins. Watkins, who was going to be suspended for the opening week of the season anyway due to violating the NFL "substances of abuse" policy, reportedly is well over the weight at which he was supposed to report to camp, and Jeff Fisher has decided to just cut bait.

This is the second straight year of his two-year career that Watkins has shown up overweight and out of shape for training camp. Last year, he rebounded from that well enough to get a spot in the Rams' opening week starting lineup, but injured his ankle during that first game and was done for the season. When Watkins got the one-week penalty from the commissioner, Fisher defended him rigorously. All reports were that he was in very good shape at OTAs a couple of months ago and had worked hard in the offseason to get that way. All the arrows seemed to be pointing up for Rok.

Instead, his NFL stock is now falling like, well, a rock. Watkins has made a young lifetime of bad choices. He was involved with drugs and drug dealing as a youth. His weight was as high as 368 in college; his conditioning was a known issue when the Rams drafted him. (According to last year's training camp roster - YES, I keep those - he reported at 338.) He had whatever offseason screw-up get him suspended and in the NFL's drug program, and now this week, he has reported well out of shape again. It's a pattern that Watkins needs to stop. He's eaten his way out of the league and I'm not sure I'd trust him not to make a dumb mistake that puts himself in jail in the near future.

Watkins' problems weren't hard to see coming. The Rams didn't gamble big, "just" a fifth-rounder, but they knew they were rolling the dice on Watkins all the same, like they've done with other, higher picks.

In Watkins' case, they rolled craps.

-$-

Roster count is now 89; RamView still expecting to be at tomorrow's opening practice.

-$$-

Injury update: "day-to-day" turns out to be a terrible way to describe Lance Kendricks' status. Though he was described yesterday in the press as "would play today if there was a game", today, he's expected to be out for as long as three weeks. At this time he's not expected to play in either of the first two preseason games.

-$$$-

RamView, 7/23: Rams cut one, sign two

STLToday

(from local reports)
 
* Roster moves: The latest player released by the Rams is Memphis safety Cannon Smith. He has been replaced on the roster by Clemson safety Rashard Hall, also a rookie free agent. Hall was second-team all-ACC and had 17 takeaways in his Clemson career. Seems curious here that Hall went unsigned up until now. Possibly the 4.68 he ran at Clemson's pro day has something to do with it. He brings excellent size to the Rams' safety corps at 6'2" 210.

As if to ensure I never catch up on the UDFA bios this summer, the Rams signed another rookie free agent today as well, Northwestern WR Demetrius Fields. He survived rookie tryouts with the Bears but must have been just recently cut. He had 114 receptions for over 1,200 yards at Northwestern, 33-305 with 1 TD last year. He's 5'11" 207 without very much speed (4.67). Guess the Rams miss Brandon Gibson.

(corrected) Today's moves bring the Rams back to a full 90-man roster.

* Injury updates:
- Lance Kendricks can probably be considered day-to-day with his knee injury. Jim Thomas reports Kendricks could play in a game if he had to.
- Jermelle Cudjo indeed has a foot injury, but is expected to miss only about a week of camp.
- Also out: Matt Daniels (ACL, no ETA); Barrett Jones (Lisfranc, 1-2 weeks); Braden Brown (unspecified, unreported if he practiced Tuesday).

-$-

RamView, 7/22: Rookies report

AP photo from May OTAs

from local reports

Training camp opened for the Rams rookies Monday with a rigorous conditioning test that everyone thankfully passed. Two players, 4th-round draft pick Barrett Jones and UDFA OT Braden Brown, did not participate. Brown was out with an unspecified injury; Jones, recovering from a Lisfranc injury, starts camp on the irony list. Well, it's the non-football injury list, but he got injured playing football, just at Alabama, not in the NFL. Head coach Jeff Fisher said Jones should be ready to practice in "a couple of weeks".

RB Benny Cunningham, one of the more intriguing rookie free agents, was cleared for full participation. He had been on the mend from a torn patella tendon.

Veterans report to camp Thursday, with the first practice set for 3:30. Barring the unexpected, RamView will be there. Three veterans, though, will start camp on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list:
* TE Lance Kendricks, recovering from having his knee scoped in late April. The knee also kept him out of OTAs.
* S Matt Daniels, recovering from tearing his ACL in London last October.
* DT Jermelle Cudjo, unspecified. He had foot problems at the end of last season.

No ETAs on when any of these players can be expected to take part in practice.

* The Rams roster count is currently 89 after Will Witherspoon's signing last week.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Sean Hooey, OT, Cincinnati

Sean Hooey 6'8" 302
OT, Cincinnati
Twitter handle: @SeanHooey

Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 61st-ranked OT, #877 player overall, free agent grade.

NFL Draft Bible: 80th-ranked OT, free agent grade.

Biography/honors:
2012: Three-time academic all-Big East. Unknown number of games played. Appeared in at least 4 games at right tackle. Some sources report he started two games*. Missed significant action due to ankle/foot injury.
2011: Played in 7 games, with 6 starts at right tackle. Missed six-plus games due to ankle injury.
2010: Can only verify one start, at right tackle*.
2009: Backup offensive lineman, played in 4 games.

* Cincinnati last updated Sean's information on their website in 2009. Poor job, people.

Major: marketing.

Injuries:
2012: Limited in 2012 due to recurring pain in his foot going back to his 2011 injury.
2011: Missed six-plus games due to ankle injury.
2008: (High school) Compound fracture of left leg.

Pro day results: (NFL Combine tackle averages in parentheses)
5.37 40 (5.20)
1.80 10-yard split (1.75)
27” vertical jump (27.5”)
8'6" broad jump (8'8")
7.65 3-cone drill (7.77)
4.63 20-yard shuttle (4.76)
16 bench press (25) 

Positives: Impressive size, long arms and surprising athleticism. Perfect size and frame for the position. Space eater; defensive ends have hard time getting around him. High school tight end with excellent movement skills, agility and flexibility for his size. Quick feet and fluid hips. Moves and bends well and can stay with much smaller speed rushers. Better-than-expected quickness and good footwork. Strong run-blocker with road-grader ability. Gets to second level well. Uses hands well. Has some nastiness and finishes his blocks. Plays stronger than his bench press number, which tends to work against tall players. Blocked for Isaiah Pead, so I'd guess Rams scouts have had their eye on him for a while. Also worked out for Dolphins and Bengals.

Negatives: Chronic ankle/foot problem could keep his career from even getting off the ground. Will get caught flat-footed in pass protection. Vulnerable to spin moves. Gets caught lunging and gets off-balance. Gets away with that at times because of his “length”. Did not play many college games. Lost his starting job after his first injury and didn't appear to get it back.

Compares to: Nate Solder.

Fun Facts: Sean's first career start, as a sophomore, was in the big annual Keg of Nails game against Louisville, won by the Bearcats, 35-27. He held the Big East's sack leader at the time, Louisville's Rodney Gnat, to two tackles, no sacks. Cincinnati and Louisville have competed for the Keg of Nails since 1929.

RamView: The Rams' fascination this year with players who barely got onto the field in college – Hooey is at least the fourth this year – can be perplexing, but if Hooey's injury problems are behind him, what little tape there is to be had of him appears pretty impressive. With his size and athleticism, he has the potential to make at least a strong run at a practice squad slot.

Chance of making team: 25% with upside.

Sources: NFLDraftScout, University of Cincinnati athletics, Bearcat Nation blog, USA Today, Palm Beach Post, NFL Draft Bible, Rant Sports, Wikipedia, CBS Sports, YouTube

Photo: Total Performance Training Centers

Rookie free agent preview: Daren Bates, SS, Auburn

Daren Bates 5'11" 210
SS/OLB, Auburn

Twitter handle: @Area_5one

Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 35th-ranked SS, #858 player overall, free-agent grade.

Scouts Inc: 81st-ranked OLB, rated as a free agent. Grade: 30, borderline draft prospect.

Biography/honors:
2012: Started all 12 games at OLB. 94 tackles (4th in SEC), 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, one interception, 4 passes defended, one fumble recovery returned 62 yards for TD, complete with a wicked stiffarm.
2011: Started all 13 games at OLB. 104 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 9 QB hurries, one fumble recovery, one pass defended.
2010: Moved to outside linebacker due to injuries at the position. Played in 12 games, starting 9. 48 tackles, one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, one interception, 5 QB hurries.
2009: Freshman all-SEC at free safety, where he started all 13 games. 70 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one half-sack, one interception, one fumble recovery, 3 QB hurries, 2 passes defended.

Major: philosophy.

Injuries:
2010: Missed two-plus games due to an in-game right shoulder injury.

Pro day results: (NFL Combine safety averages in parentheses)
4.53 40 (would have been a top-5 time for safeties at the Combine. Average was 4.61)
1.65 10-yard split
33.5” vertical jump (Bottom five performance. Average was 36.25”)
9'9" broad jump (Also bottom five. Average was 10'3.5")
7.28 3-cone drill (worse than any safety who ran it by .21. Average was 6.87)
4.53 20-yard shuttle (worse than any safety who ran it by .09. Average was 4.19)
15 bench press (17) 

Positives: Active tackler and hard hitter with skills to have a career on special teams. Good tackler with a good nose for the football. His tackling improved by leaps and bounds as his college career progressed. Safety is his natural position; there is plenty of opinion that Auburn coaches misused him and he was on track to be an all-America and high draft pick had he stayed at safety. Undersized for a linebacker but ideally built for a safety. Showed he still has the speed to play safety at Auburn's pro day. Got noticed for his coverage skills and hitting during Raycom All-Star Game practice week (but played LB in the game). Intense player and a hard worker.

Negatives: A tweener who doesn't have an ideal position in the pros. Plays too out-of-control at times and may be penalty-prone. Last played his prospective pro position three years ago. All most have seen of him as a defensive back was position drills at his pro day. Other than straight-line speed, his pro day performance was much more fitting a linebacker than a safety. Really lacks explosiveness.

Compares to: Jermale Hines.

Fun Facts: Daren's the first player I can recall to say the first thing he wants to buy with his first NFL paycheck will be... a dog. A Cane Corso mastiff, to be exact. His favorite player is Brian Dawkins.

RamView: Good grief, there are going to be more tweens at Rams Park this year than at a One Direction concert. Bates is going to try to do a reverse Ray Ray Armstrong (LB to S); like Armstrong, he flashed a lot of potential as a pro-quality safety early in his college career. You half think that potential could mean the Rams could coach him up and knock off the linebacker rust on the practice squad for a year, except NFL practice squads are rarely used like that, and it's rarely successful when they are. Bates will need to be hitting on all cylinders from the moment camp opens, and I just don't see the needed athleticism at safety to tell me he's going to do that.

Chance of making team: 20%.

Sources: NFLDraftScout, ESPN.com, Auburn University athletics, AL.com, Sports-Reference.com, Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer, Bleacher Report, NFLDraftZone

Photo: AL.com

Rams waive two rookie free agents (updated)

Looks like RamView better get cracking on the rest of those rookie free agent previews... two players were cut today and aren't even going to make it to training camp. One was the player just previewed here, lineman Terrell Brown. That he was cut can't be seen as a very big surprise.

The Rams also waived (with injury designation) linebacker Phillip Steward, to whom I must apologize - I obviously jinxed him by ranking him the rookie free agent most likely to make this year's team. He tore an Achilles tendon while working out at Rams Park last week and is out for the season. Per Jim Thomas, he'll go onto injured reserve after he clears waivers.

I said when I originally posted this news last night that I hoped the Rams had their eye on a veteran backup LB like Will Witherspoon, and, lo and behold, Thomas reported this morning that Will is a favorite to claim one of the open roster spots. Welcome back to Will if that comes to pass.

For now, the Rams' roster count is 88.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Terrell Brown, OT/DT, Mississippi

Terrell Brown 6'10" 403
DT/OT, Mississippi
(waived 7/17)
Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 58th-ranked OT, #837 player overall, free-agent grade.

Scouts Inc., which lists him as "Thomas": 55th-ranked OT, rated as a free agent. Grade: 30, borderline draft prospect.

Biography/honors:
2012: Played in 2 games as an offensive tackle.
2011: Played in 8 games as a defensive tackle, recording one assist. 
2010: Made team at Ole Miss as a walk-on but did not appear in a game.
2009: (Mississippi Delta CC) Did not play due to knee injury.
2008: (Mississippi Delta CC) Redshirted.

Major: art. Graduated in December.

Injuries:
2009: Missed season due to unspecified knee injury.

Pro day results: (NFL Combine OT averages in parentheses)
5.77 40 (5.20)
1.92 10-yard split (1.75)
23.5” vertical jump (27.5”)
6'9" broad jump (8'8")
8.93 3-cone drill (7.77)
5.44 20-yard shuttle (4.76)
22 bench press (25)

Terrell's results would have been worst at the Combine for everything except vertical jump and bench press. His 3-cone and shuttle times were each about a half-second worse than the next-worst times. 

Positives: Massive man with 38-inch arms (36" was the longest measurement at this year's Combine) and a near-eight-foot wingspan. 12 teams went to Ole Miss' pro day, and he was reportedly the center of attention.

Negatives: So huge, he struggles just to bend down and get low and he can't generate much burst or drive out of his stance. Very little flexibility. Very little game experience, spent most of his college career on the sideline.

Compares to: Paul "The Big Show" Wight.

Fun Facts: At the time he walked on at Ole Miss, Terrell had effectively been out of football for two years and had been working at a furniture store. The tallest player in NFL history was 7'0" Raiders defensive tackle Richard Sligh, who appeared in 8 games for their first Super Bowl team in 1967. Heaviest player ever isn't really officially kept. Aaron Gibson (Lions, Cowboys, Bears 2000-04) and Mike Williams (Bills 2002-05, Redskins 2009) have been reported at 410.

RamView: Even NASA doesn't have as many projects as the Rams have going in training camp in 2013, and Terrell Brown is quite literally the biggest. RamView was pretty sure the Rams just signed the massive Brown as a way of getting on "Hard Knocks," but no, they say they're going to try him at right tackle. If this were a Disney movie, Brown would prove in camp to be such a prodigious kick-blocker or goal-line jumbo tight end that the Rams would be compelled to keep him, and he'll go on to recover a fumble to win the Super Bowl. In reality, we're probably going to wonder why the Rams fooled around and wasted a 90-man roster spot on a guy who's barely played football in five years, and by all accounts can barely move. Even a second punter would have been a wiser investment.

Chance of making team: 1%.

Sources: NFLDraftScout, University of Mississippi athletics, Bleacher Report, NFL.com, NBC Sports, USA Today, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, ESPN.com, Pro Football Reference

Photo: Yahoo Sports

Rookie free agent preview: Benny Cunningham, RB, Middle Tennessee State

Benny Cunningham 5'10" 209
RB, Middle Tennessee State

Twitter handle: @BCnumerodos

Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 57th-ranked RB, #791 player overall, free-agent grade.

Scouts Inc: 62nd-ranked RB, rated as a free agent. Grade: 30, borderline draft prospect.

NFLDraftCountdown: 41st-ranked RB, late-round to free-agent grade.




Biography/honors:
2012: Second team all-Sun Belt Conference even though he only played in two conference games. Started all five games he played. 97 carries for 600 yards (6.2 ypc) with 11 TD. 9 receptions for 109 yards (12.1 ypc). Had two 200-yard games, 27-217 (and 5 TDs) vs. Georgia Tech and 36-230 (285 total yards) vs. Florida International in his last game of the season, when he tore a patellar tendon.
2011: Played in eight games, starting six. 115 carries for 501 yards (4.4 ypc) and 4 TD. 17 receptions for 187 yards (11.0 ypc) and a TD. Forced a fumble as a member of the punt team.
2010: Played in all 13 games, starting two. 78 carries for 355 yards (4.6 ypc) and 4 TDs. 16 receptions for 96 yards (6.0 ypc). Averaged 26.0 yards on 14 kickoff returns. Led special teams with 11 tackles.
2009: Played in 11 games. 46 carries for 173 yards (3.8 ypc) and 2 TDs. 5 receptions for 73 yards (14.6 ypc) with a 50-yard TD.

Major: business management.

Injuries:
2012: season-ending injury (torn patellar tendon) in October, missed the final seven games. Had a second procedure in March 2013 (performed by Dr. James Andrews) but was said to be well ahead of schedule on his rehab. Appeared to be participating in full in Rams 2013 OTAs.
2011: missed four games and most of a fifth due to a broken foot.

Pro day results: could only bench press at MTSU's pro day due to knee injury. Did 26 reps; RBs averaged 20 at the Combine. He held a private workout that was (reportedly) attended only by the Rams and the Titans. College bio says he was timed at 4.39 in high school. NFLDraftCountdown estimates him at 4.60, which was the average 40 time for RBs at the Combine. 

Positives: Very physical one-cut runner who gets up to speed quickly and runs with excellent pad level. Instinctive with excellent feet. Attacks the defense and knows how to gain extra yards. Consistently gets his shoulder into defenders and breaks tackles. Strong interior runner, you're not going to arm-tackle him. Good cutback runner, reads the field well. Operates well in traffic. Does decent job getting small in the hole. Strong leg drive after initial contact. Excellent second gear when he gets into the open field. Excellent to elite acceleration. Can bounce plays outside. Ran a lot out of shotgun, which figures to be a staple in the Ram offense this season. Effective goal line runner for his size. Willing blocker. Never quits on a play. Clean as a whistle off the field.

Negatives: Doesn't have an elusive running style and doesn't show a lot of moves. Needs to be more secure with the ball when he does put on a move; exposes himself to fumble trouble. Could be prone to penalties because league is cracking down on RBs leading with their helmets. Needs to improve in blitz protection; misses too many assignments, looks uncertain or disinterested at times. Questionable hands as a receiver. Doesn't seem to adjust well to poor throws. Looks small, not thick in lower body. Not completely surprising he's been injured as much as he has.

Compares to: Darryl Richardson. Alfred Morris is also a popular comparison.

Fun Facts: Had Benny played all of 2012 at the statistical pace of his first five games, he would have rushed for 1,440 yards and 26 TD, very favorably comparable with high-drafted running backs Montee Ball (1,822 and 22), Le'Veon Bell (1,793 and 12) and Eddie Lacy (1,322 and 17). Marcus Lattimore had 662 yards and 11 TDs before he got hurt, with 45 carries more than Cunningham.

RamView: Cunningham's status bears monitoring when training camp opens (yes!) next Thursday. Coming off the patella injury, odds have seemed good that the Rams will "redshirt" him this year. He didn't have to sit out OTAs, though, and if he is able to go in camp, his quickness and tough running style fit wonderfully into what the Rams have going in the rest of their RB corps.

Chance of making team (season-long IR counts here): 55%.

Sources: NFLDraftScout, ESPN.com, Middle Tennessee State University athletics, IndianapolisColts.com, CBS Sports, The Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog, Steeler Fury, YouTube

Photo: Middle Tennessee State University

Rookie free agent profile: Robert Steeples, CB, Memphis

Robert Steeples 6'1" 192
CB, Memphis
Twitter handle: @SteepDiesel

Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 75th-ranked CB, #739 player overall, free-agent grade.

Scouts Inc: 100th-ranked CB, rated as a free agent. Grade: 30, borderline draft prospect.

Biography/honors:
2012: Transferred to Memphis. Started 10 of 12 games. 42 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 5 pass break-ups, 3 fumble recoveries, one returned for a TD.
2011: (Missouri) Played in all 13 games, starting one. 21 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, an interception and 2 pass break-ups. Primarily a nickel or dime back at Mizzou.
2010: (Missouri) Played in all 13 games, with 5 tackles.
2009: First team all-Academic Big 12. Played in all 13 games for Missouri, with 15 tackles, 7 pass break-ups and a sack/fumble.
2008: redshirted.

Major: graduated from Mizzou with a bachelor's in business management and was a graduate student at Memphis.

Injuries: none reported.

Pro day results: (NFL Combine cornerback averages in parentheses)
4.51 40 (4.49)
1.51 10-yard split
35.5” vertical jump (35.5")
10'3" broad jump (10'3")
6.88 3-cone drill (6.88)
4.12 20-yard shuttle (4.16)
15 bench press (13)

Positives: Physical corner who looks very comfortable in zone coverage. Anticipates well on swing passes and screens. Doesn't get fooled much by fakes, changes direction well when he has to. Excellent nose for the ball, tackles with forcing a turnover in mind. Strong in run support. Reads the run well. Nice closing speed. Strong, fundamentally solid tackler who plays like he likes to hit. Very athletic and good at avoiding blocks. Strong upper body and very good ball skills. Breaks up a lot of passes. Goes for the ball all the time and is successful at stripping it out. Can turn and run with receiver. Doesn't get out-muscled for jump balls. Doesn't give up separation by getting out-muscled by receiver. Has potential as a blitzer. Pro day numbers as good as a lot of DBs who were drafted. 

Negatives: Doesn't appear to have played a lot of press-cover. (It's no wonder the Rams like him - on his highlights he's 10 yards off the receiver most every snap.) Gets too physical downfield - he'll get flags he didn't get in college for making too much contact. Questions about his initial burst and deep speed need to be answered. Tips off his blitzes a little bit but that should be an easy issue to correct. Never cracked the Missouri starting lineup and wasn't on their first team when he transferred.

Compares to: Trumaine Johnson. It's an imperfect match; TruJo is bigger and played much more press-cover in college, but I still see a lot in common in how the two play.

Fun Facts: Another St. Louis native in the Rams' secondary - Robert graduated from DeSmet. He also trained at Elite Football Academy, coached a 4th-grade flag football team there last year, and is their first player to become a Ram.

RamView: The more I look at Steeples, the more I wonder why he wasn't drafted. He looks for all the world like he should be a solid defensive back in the pros. I think he stands a good chance of sticking as a fifth corner who could contribute at safety in a pinch. Like several other defensive backs in camp, if he shows well on special teams in August, he should still be around in September. 
 
Chance of making team: 35%.

Sources: NFLDraftScout, University of Memphis athletics, University of Missouri athletics, ESPN.com, STLToday, St. Louis Rams, YouTube

Photo: Memphis Commercial Appeal

Let the new stadium talks begin

The Rams' stadium situation in St. Louis has finally reached the point we all knew it was headed toward long ago. Doing so pretty quietly last week, the CVC officially rejected the Rams' $700 million Dome upgrade plan. CVC representatives said it would not be prudent to go through with the Rams' plan. Quite simply, the city doesn't have the money.  

Rejecting the plan, though, since it won in the arbitration of the lease negotiations earlier this year, means that the Rams' lease to play in the Edward Jones Dome  will end after the 2014 season. In free agency terms, 2014 will be the Rams' walk year. After that, Stan Kroenke will be free to move the team.

A feasible hope in St. Louis is that the Rams will stay in the Dome a little while on a year-to-year basis while a new stadium is built. St. Louis has about the best political big hitter it can get,  Missouri governor Jay Nixon, at the wheel of the new stadium effort. Nixon's involvement is welcome, and likely critical to getting anything done. A good political lead blocker will be needed to get a new stadium constructed, and as such, Nixon is somewhere between Jake Long and Orlando Pace. St. Louis has time on its side. L.A. stadium plans are considered essentially dead by the NFL at last word. The next-strongest competition is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s vague idea of someday having a team five or six time zones away in London. Nixon is the ideal point man to get stadium plans moving quickly before real competition can organize. He’s already got the best consultants who deal with stadium issues working for St. Louis. Nixon gives needed impetus to the stadium issue, and he should prove able to manage any local political rivalries that could bog down the process and give other cities a foot in the door.

Nixon’s the right man for the job, but the job can’t just be to turn on the tax firehose and shower the Rams with money. Times are much different than they were when St. Louis lured the Rams here with a free stadium, or even five years ago when the Colts put down $100 million on $720 million Lucas Oil Stadium. The fiasco with the Marlins in Miami seems to have at least slowed pro sports’ stadium gravy train. 49ers ownership is footing the whole bill for their new stadium; the Giants and Jets split the cost of theirs. Fellow billionaire Jerry Jones has put down an estimated $800 million on his. Vikings ownership is paying for half of theirs. The taxpayers won’t get off scot-free to keep the Rams; there will be infrastructure to build, red tape to clear, probably tax incentives and loan guarantees to be arranged. But the bulk of the bill ultimately has to be Kroenke’s. If Stan Kroenke is ever portrayed as anything, it’s as a practical businessman, and I’m hopeful he’ll be a realist as stadium talks progress. In the current economic environment, I can’t believe the man who owns the stadiums his other teams play in, Denver’s Pepsi Center and the Emirates Stadium in London, will expect a free ride for the Rams.

I hate to draw the line using my own favorite team, but America in general needs to end this infernal dance of building billion-dollar tax-funded stadiums for billionaire sports owners who are just going to threaten to move the next time they don’t get something else they want anyway. If sports franchises won’t commit enough to the cities in their very names to pay for the stadiums they play in, those cities are better off without them anyway. Taxpayers have much more important needs to address. That may sound jaded, but don’t get me wrong. Like a lot of St. Louisans, I’ve been a rabid Rams fan for close to 20 years now. I love football and I want the Rams to stay. St. Louis has proven worthy of having and keeping an NFL franchise beyond any shadow of a doubt. I’m weary of the new stadium dance, though, and besides, the tax bank is pretty much broken.

It’s only been reported that Nixon and Kroenke are going to hold discussions; no actual meeting between the two on the stadium issue has been reported. When they do meet, I think it’ll be fair to expect talks to be realistic and productive. This can be done. We'll soon find out how genuine the Rams are when they say they want to stay in St. Louis another 40 years.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Cannon Smith, SS, Memphis

Cannon Smith 5'11" 209
SS, Memphis
(released July 23)
 
Rankings: NFLDraftScout: 29th-ranked SS, #712 player overall, free-agent grade.






Biography/honors:
2012: Started 10 of 12 games. 50 tackles, 2 pass break-ups, 2 fumble recoveries.
2011: Switched to strong safety. Started all 11 games he played. 51 tackles, 6 pass break-ups, one forced fumble. 

Arrested December 2010 for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

2010: Played in 7 of 12 games at Memphis, starting two, all at QB. 22-for-43 (51.2%) for 246 yards (11.2 ypc), 1 TD, 3 INTs. 19 rushes for one net yard and a TD. Left his second start after getting a concussion and never got his starting job back. 
2009: Redshirted after transferring to Memphis. 
2008: Recruited by the University of Miami to play QB. Played in one game, with a two-yard completion in one attempt and a two-yard run.

Arrested his senior year of high school for intent to distribute Ecstasy. Spent a year in military school after being exonerated.

Major: sports and leisure management. Recognized for academic achievement on multiple occasions.

Injuries:
2013: Played in two all-star games but did not work out prior to the draft due to a hip injury.
2012: Missed time in August training camp after getting a concussion in the first team practice.
2011: Hand injury in spring practice required surgery. Missed one game during the season due to a shoulder injury.
2010: Missed three games early in the season due to a concussion. Missed the last three games of the season due to an undisclosed injury.

Pro day results: did not work out prior to draft due to hip injury.
Unofficial 40 time of 4.67. Safeties at the NFL Combine averaged 4.61. 

Positives: Tough competitor, enjoys hitting. Solid open-field tackler. Closes well on the ball. Looks like he diagnoses runs and screen passes well. Seems to have good change of direction and make-up speed. Plays sideline-to-sideline. Willing run defender good at picking his way through traffic to make the stop. Having been a QB gives him uncommon perspective on playing safety and makes him a good instinctive player. It should also mean we can expect a fake punt from the Rams sometime this preseason. Pretty effective on punt coverage. Plays like a coach on the field and plays to the whistle. Has great attitude and passion for the game.

Negatives: Multiple character red flags and lengthy injury history. Doesn't have elite speed. A little light in size and power. Would like to see more consistent wrap-up tackling vs. attempted kill shots with shoulder. Will be very susceptible to play-fakes and missing tackles at the pro level. He could overcome initial mis-steps and misreads in college but I doubt he's got the elite change of direction to do so in the NFL.

Compares to: Rich Coady.

Fun Facts: Cannon (short for his middle name, Buchanan) appears to lead the Rams' roster in acting experience; he has appeared in three movies. Two of those were "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" movies, though, so he can turn in his man card right now. His father Fred, the CEO of Federal Express and a minority owner of the Redskins, was rumored to have had interest in buying the Rams before Stan Kroenke became majority owner.

RamView: I don't believe Rams camp is just rich kids' fantasy camp for Smith; from what I know, he's gotten his act together and plays with passion for the game, which shows on the field. There are openings to be had at safety, but he's at a pretty big technical and athletic disadvantage to many of the Rams' other DB prospects. His best chance will be to turn heads on special teams, and he's capable of doing that. Still think it's a longshot, though.

Chance of making team: 20%.

Sources: NFLDraftScout, University of Memphis athletics, College Football Reference, Memphis Commercial-Appeal, Deadspin, IMDB, Scout.com, Blue Raider Zone blog, YouTube

Photo: Memphis Commercial Appeal