The Rams have wrapped up their 2012 minicamp, which means the next time we'll be hearing from most of the players will be the start of training camp, which opens Sunday, July 29 at 3:30. It's been a pretty busy week, including for yours truly, hence the lack of blog updates - so let's get caught up, huh?
* The Rams signed their first second-round draft pick, Brian Quick, to a four-year contract on Wednesday. It's a $5.4 million deal with $3.8 million guaranteed.
Is it coincidence that the Rams' two most controversial (and tasered) picks of the 2012 draft, Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, are the last two rookies the team will sign? Eyebrow-raising, at least.
* In a rare example of the Rams taking advice from RamView, on Thursday they signed veteran linebacker Rocky McIntosh. He is 6'2", 242 and 29 years old. Pro Football Focus ranked McIntosh one of the worst inside LBs in the league in 2011; he had 65 tackles and a sack. Here's the deal, though; he got caught up in the Redskins' conversion to 3-4, and he's ideally a 4-3 weakside linebacker. In that role in 2010, he racked up 110 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 passed defensed and a forced fumble.
RamView believes McIntosh will be a heck of a good pickup for the Rams. (Then again, I liked the Zac Diles signing last summer.) He has a lot to prove. After that great 2010 season, instead of getting a big contract and star treatment, he got shoved into a position he's ill-suited for. Now he's back where he was best, where his career was peaking. He's durable, makes a lot of plays, has great range and is good in coverage. The Rams need all of that, so McIntosh hopefully brings it.
* The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission voted today to allow the Dome renovation negotiations with the Rams to go into arbitration. A panel of three arbitrators will be selected with the responsibility of either deciding between the Rams' plan and the CVC's plan - or, here's a good one - coming up with one of their own. If the CVC doesn't agree with the panel's decision, the Rams can terminate the Dome lease. The process is expected to take at least the rest of this year.
There haven't been any notable surprises in this process so far, and I don't expect one now. The Rams will be out of the lease, at least on a long-term basis, before Super Bowl XLVII kicks off.
* Steven Jackson has to settle for a whole 1-position upgrade in NFL Network's top 100 players countdown. #38 last year, #39 is now #37. I'd call that ranking close to right. I can say right now I'd have Steven no worse than #35 because I see little reason Frank Gore or Wes Welker should have jumped over him from last year's rankings. I'd also put him ahead of #35 Steve Smith. Then again, I would have had Cam Newton a lot higher than #40.
* Former Rams on the move:
- Tony Wragge signed with the Ravens this past Tuesday. A mauler like him ought to fit in pretty well there.
- This column wouldn't be complete without a Kris Adams update, so I have to note here that he's been picked up by the Colts.
- The Colts have also picked up... Justin King, who they signed last Friday. Supposedly, he's desirable to them for his experience and his speed. Rams fans already know without looking it up that he's the worst cornerback in football according to Pro Football Focus. I don't see how he fits any need of the Colts. He can't cover anybody, and he's not exactly going to break the ridiculous injury trend the Indy secondary has had in recent seasons, when he's had plenty of difficulty staying on the field in his brief career. The Rams play the Colts in preseason; if they can't toast Justin King with regularity, like the rest of the league, 2012 could be another very long season in River City.
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Photo: STLToday
