Rams report, 6/22: OTA wrapup

The Rams wrapped up OTAs this week and announced their training camp schedule. All the relevant details here. (Or, scroll down about half a page.)

STLToday

* Sam Bradford worked in back-to-back practices for the first time on Thursday. He did more than expected throughout OTAs and all signs remain encouraging for his full-time return. He's expected to be full-go for the start of training camp and Jeff Fisher says he sees no reason Bradford won't play during preseason.

* Fisher said the same thing about Jake Long, though Long is the only player who definitely will not be a full participant at the start of training camp (though reports say he has been moving well doing light work on the side). Long and Bradford will get a day off here and there in order to take it easy on their recuperating knees, but Fisher says they'll both be in games at some point of the preseason.

* Then again, this week, for the first time, the Rams had Rodger Saffold at left tackle in 11-on-11 drills, with veteran free agent pickup Davin Joseph filling in at right guard. So they DO have a disaster recovery plan at LT. They've been acting like they won't need one. Huh.

* Players out of all this week's OTAs: Mo Alexander (knee), Christian Bryant (assumed ankle), Michael Brockers (ankle), William Hayes (assumed knee), Chase Reynolds (sports hernia per Jim Thomas) and Jamaine Sherman (unknown, but rehabbing). Bryant is the only Ram besides Jake Long who may not be ready for the start of training camp, but he's expected to be very close by then. Matt Daniels got back on the field this week.

Enjoy your almost completely healthy roster while you can. It isn't going to stay that way for long.

STLToday

* OTA nonsense (and no, I don't mean the punt-catching contest):
- OC Brian Schottenheimer says the Rams' most improved player right now is... Brian Quick. Hoo boy. I'm calling divide-by-zero b.s. on that one.
- Schotty also says there will be competition for starting RB, which has the fantasy experts at Footballguys.com in a panic. Demote Zac Stacy as a second-round FFL pick! I love fantasy football expert panic. Though that might explain why my team sucked last year.
- Schotty also gave first-round pick Aaron Donald his vote for defensive rookie of the year already, and said Tavon Austin knows the offense a lot better this year and he should get that expanded role we all kind of thought he was going to have last year. I'll go with those as the most meaningful, and promising, things Schottenheimer said.

- Jim Thomas reports the most consistent receiver in OTAs was... Austin Pettis. Hoo boy.


In related news, RamView's list of the all-time greatest performers in shorts (countdown style in honor of Casey Kasem):

5. Pele (Wikipedia)

4. Muhammad Ali

3. Michael Jordan
 

2. Austin Pettis (StLouisRams.com)
(I am fully aware this may not actually be Austin Pettis)

1. Daisy Duke

Back to football:

Fox Sports

- Thomas also reports the defensive players are "buying in" to new DC Gregg Williams. I'll now complain, and I'm sure Thomas would be the first person to say, this isn't news in the least. This can only be news if the players AREN'T buying in to what the coaches are selling. They "bought in" to Jim Haslett, right? They "bought in" to Spags, right? This is not bad news, but that's about it.

- Not to forget the offensive line, where first-round pick Greg Robinson's expressed frustration that he's not making better progress at guard. Not sure how much to be concerned about that when there hasn't been anything remotely resembling hitting going on. That could be pretty bad, or it could be nothing to stress over. Schottenheimer, sort of predictably, says the latter. He's pleased with Robinson's progress so far and says he'll be focused a lot on pass pro technique in training camp. I'm going to sound yellow alert just to be safe.

* Rams alumni report:
- The Big Dead announced they will induct Kurt Warner into their "ring of fame" this season. That kind of smacks of the Big Dead doing it just so they can beat the Rams to it. Kurt probably won't join the ring of fame in the Dome until 2015; the Rams' standard up to now has been to induct players after they've entered the Hall of Fame. Though I'm already anticipating HoF screwjobs for Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt that will make them exceptions to that rule.


Also:
- We have NOT heard the last from Gentleman Kris Adams in RamView; the Giants added him to their PUP list this week;
- The Giants waived DT Eathyn Manumaleuna (Brandon's cousin);
- and Fendi Onobun was waived by the Bears after having what Rotoworld described as "a drop-filled minicamp".

I will attempt to get rookie free agent profiles going soon. Hey, I've got till the start of training camp.

-$-