RamView, 5/30

Finally have enough random items collected for a decent-sized post, so here they are:

* Pro Football Weekly takes a quick look at the Rams' position battles at LB, where Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Mario Haggan look like your new starters;

* Those of you who mocked the Spagnuolo regime for "drafting too many Boy Scouts" during this past draft should know the other way's not working very smoothly for Detroit right now, where Lions fans are probably wishing the team had just a Pillar or two;

* Ex-Rams transactions:
   - Phil Trautwein has been signed by San Diego;
   - Mike Sims-Walker had a recent tryout with the Texans;
   - Justin King had a recent tryout with the Colts.

Yes, that loud scraping sound you heard was the bottom of the barrel.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Sammy Brown, OLB, Houston

Sammy Brown 6'2" 242
OLB, Houston

Rankings: 32nd-ranked outside linebacker by Pro Football Weekly. Graded slightly better than 50-50 to make an NFL roster or practice squad.

NFLDraftScout: 23rd-ranked OLB, #260 player overall, 7th-round to free agent grade. 



Biography/honors:
2011: First-team all-Conference USA. Started all 14 games at WLB. 93 tackles, led the nation with 30 tackles-for-loss and was one of the sack leaders with 13.5. 3 pass breakups. 
2010: Junior college transfer. Honorable mention all-Conference USA. Played in all 12 games and started 11 at WLB. 76 tackles, 20 tackles-for-loss (led conference), 7.5 sacks, one pass breakup.

Major: sociology.

Injuries:
2011: played 5 games on a bad ankle.

Pro day stats: (NFL Combine OLB averages in parentheses)
4.63 40 (4.73 average - Brown would have been third-fastest OLB)
1.57 10-yard split
37” vertical jump (34.5” average - Brown would have tied for third)
10'3" broad jump (9'9" average - Brown would have had third-best jump)
7.13 3-cone drill (7.16)
4.47 20-yard shuttle (4.30)
20 bench press (23 average - Brown would have been in bottom five)

Positives:
Disruptive force in the backfield with eye-popping production: 21 sacks and 50 tackles-for-loss in just two seasons. Pretty athletic stand-up pass rusher with elite lower-body explosion and long arms that allow him to play bigger than his size. Shows good footwork and uses his hands well. Good feel for getting to the QB. Good burst, first step and speed off the edge. Has good interior pass rush moves and a good swim move. Changes directions quickly. Good instincts as a run defender, solid tackler who can set the edge. Gets good depth dropping back in coverage. Had interest from the Eagles and Raiders. Came a long way in a short time and is a much more disciplined player now than when he started.

Negatives:
Short and plays small against the run. Had reputation for not going all-out on the field except when he thought he could make a highlight reel play. Also had reputation for slacking off in the weight room and not paying attention in the film room. Plays a little tight. Will slow his feet at times and make himself an easy target. Hasn't dropped into coverage much and plays too high when he does. Gets too high at point of contact and can get steam-rolled. Needs to improve his hand use - leads with his shoulder too often and can get washed out of the play. Played both years in major college ball as a 3-4 outside linebacker and will be best-suited in a 3-4 in the pros. Didn't face a high level of competition and will have to bulk up and play stronger at the point of attack if he's going to be more than a third-down specialist at the next level.

Compares to: Larry English.

Fun Facts: Some reasons for choosing a college may not be great but work out in the end. Sammy's first time on a plane was to go to Houston for an official campus visit, and he hated flying so much, he picked Houston to avoid having to fly to any other schools.

RamView: RamView's very intrigued by Sammy Brown, another player who easily seems like a draftable talent but wasn't drafted (or even invited to the Combine). Go figure. He played at a lower level of NCAA competition but had dominating production there (unlike Dontari Poe in the very same conference). Maybe he's considered undersized in the weird NFL world that can call 6'2" "short". He was considered lazy his junior year (which was still impressive), but put that behind him his senior year. I'm confident Brown learned his lesson in college, knows he'll have to work hard to make the NFL, and will. But, as puzzling as it is that Brown wasn't drafted, it's even more puzzling why the Rams were the team to sign him. Jeff Fisher runs a 4-3, always has run a 4-3, and Brown is clearly a 3-4 OLB. Brown definitely shows the athleticism to convert to a 4-3 WLB, which I imagine is what the Rams are banking on. But man, haven't you guys given yourselves enough projects to work on this summer?

Chance of making roster: 50%.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2012 Draft Guide, CBS Sports, University of Houston athletics, National Football Post, Dallas News

Photo: Pro Football Weekly

Rookie free agent profile: Scott Smith, DE, Texas Tech

Scott Smith 6'7" 262
DE, Texas Tech

Rankings: 49th-ranked defensive end by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player who could be in an NFL training camp but will likely need time in a developmental league. Free agent grade.

NFLDraftScout: 53rd-ranked DE, #658 player overall, free agent grade. 

Biography/honors:
2011: Played in 8 games, starting 7. 37 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, 3 forced fumbles, one pass breakup.

Suspended the final eight games of 2010 and first four games of 2011 for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

2010: Junior college transfer. Played in four games, starting one. 14 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception. Dominated against Texas, with 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 2 tipped passes and an INT. One tip resulted in an 85-yard pick-six.

Major: undeclared.

Injuries: none reported.

Pro day stats: (NFL Combine DE averages in parentheses)
4.90 40 (4.85)
1.80 10-yard split (1.62)
30.5” vertical jump (33”)
9'2" broad jump (9'6")
7.52 3-cone drill (7.18)
4.70 20-yard shuttle (4.39)
22 bench press (25)

Positives:
Excellent bull rusher, converts speed into power. Excellent tackler. Impressive initial burst and does a good job staying low for his size. Gets off the ball quickly and has an excellent first step. Disruptive player with a good motor. Breaks down well. Good punch. Good quickness and flashes potential as a pass-rusher. Good and hard-working in pursuit. Has played in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. Has played on left and right side. Has frame to add size and strength without hurting his game. Shows the movement skills, hand use and ability to get off blocks to succeed as a pass rusher and a run defender. Main problem, lack of consistency with hands and playing too high, can be coached out of him.

Negatives:
Suspended as many games at Texas Tech as he played. Rail-thin. Stiff, has difficulty getting leverage and anchoring. Tends to play too high. Struggles to get off run blocks. Struggles to turn the corner with an advantage as a pass rusher. Poor body control and balance when on the move. Weak at the point of attack and has little chance of making a play against the run if he has to defeat a blocker. Needs to improve his pass rush moves and hand use. Lacks great closing speed. Needs development as a run defender. Lacks production and experience against a high level of competition.

Compares to: Hall Davis (Rams 5th-round pick, 2010).

Fun Facts: Fittingly, Scott is a graduate of St. Louis High School - not in Missouri, though, but in Kailua, Hawaii. Jagwires DT Tyson Alualu also went to St. Louis High.

RamView: I think I see what the Rams are thinking here: Smith was pretty productive in very limited exposure at the big-school level, showed up big in big games, and has upside, likeliest as a pass-rush specialist. Hopefully, he's already added bulk if he plans to last more than a minute in the NFL, and even then, he looks like a major project, and one in whom I can't say I see elite athletic skills.

Chance of making roster: 15%.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2012 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, Texas Tech athletics, Dallas Morning News, ESPN, National Football Post, DraftInsider.com, Russ Lande

Photo: Texas Tech University

Rams sign another blocking tight end

Looks like the Rams got the message from this and many other quarters that their tight ends were woefully inadequate as blockers last season. The latest addition to the Rams' ever-growing stable of blocking tight ends is Brody Eldridge, who was acquired on waivers last Friday after getting released by the Colts on Thursday.

Eldridge is 6'5", 265 lbs and is 25 years old. The Colts drafted him out of Oklahoma in the 5th round of the 2010 draft. His two-year career receiving totals: 14 catches for 74 yards. Mike Mayock ranked him and 49ers TE Nate Byham as the top blocking TEs in that year's draft.

Scouts Inc. ranks grades Eldridge at 53 out of 100, a good backup:

Eldridge is a good-sized tight end with average initial quickness and marginal downfield speed. He saw most of his action when the team went with two tight end formations and was used primarily for blocking. He shows good upper body strength once engaged in the block and will use his hands to control and steer opponents. He could use additional lower body strength as he matures in order to seal the corner off and to hold his ground more effectively. He catches the ball well enough when it is thrown within his frame but will struggle when having to extend to catch the ball thrown high or low. 

There's a lot of beef in Rams camp this year competing for what figures to be very few jobs at fullback and blocking tight end: Michael Hoomanawanui, Brit Miller, Matthew Mulligan, BEN GUIDUGLI, Cory Harkey, Mike McNeill, Todd Anderson and now Eldridge, and that's not considering DeAngelo Peterson or Jamie Childers in the blocking TE mix. It's a relief to see the front office recognizes the need.

Still not sure where the Rams stand vs. the roster limit. No one appears to have been cut recently.

-$-

Photo: NBC Sports

Rams report, 5/18: transactions

* The Rams have claimed offensive lineman Jose Valdez on waivers from the Vikings. Valdez is 6'6", 324 lbs and 25 years old. He went undrafted and unsigned out of Arkansas in 2009 until he was picked up late in the season by - guess who? - the Falcons. Looks like he's spent his pro time on theirs and the Vikings' practice squads. Reports say that he had very good training camps with the Falcons in '10 and '11, and obviously, Les Snead remembers him.

Scouting report: Pretty good technician with good size. Competitive, works hard, uses his hands well,  but lacks strength and athleticism. Can't change direction well. He was invited to the 2009 Combine and had some there touting him as a draft sleeper. Pro day results: 5.16 40, 16 benches (ouch), 4.64 short shuttle, 7.49 three-cone, 14 on the Wonderlic.

The Falcons were supposedly pretty high on Valdez as a guard prospect while they had him; he just could never crack the lineup. He becomes the latest entry in what's becoming an intriguing and wide-open race for the Rams' LG position.

* UDFA LB Derrick Choice of Stephen F. Austin has left the team. Head coach Jeff Fisher says Choice "decided he had enough football" and wants to either return to school or get his career started. Fisher says he respects Choice's decision and that he can walk away with his head up. Best of luck to Derrick, but you do realize you just submarined my goal of getting all the UDFA bios up before anybody had to leave the team, right? : )

* Draft picks Brian Quick, Isaiah Pead and Chris Givens, in Los Angeles for NFLPA rookie functions, aren't the only Rams currently missing from OTAs. Punter Johnny Hekker, TE Cory Harkey and Dartmouth UDFA RB Nick Schweiger are all unable to participate because of the stupid NFL rule that keeps rookies out of OTAs if their class hasn't graduated, which affects players from schools that go by the quarter system instead of semesters.

* There's also already an injury list at minicamp: BEN GUIDUGLI has a foot injury; Matt Daniels is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery that was not mentioned in any report I found about him; and, shockingly, Danario Alexander has already been sidelined, with a hamstring injury. DX, you are officially the Mr. Bill of football injuries. I hope you've been keeping an eye ahead to your post-football career. Seriously. He can't even make it through minicamp.

* RamView will be off this weekend to take a quick spin up to Chicago. No, I am not attending the NATO summit, but I'm sure I could offer some suggestions if anybody there wants me to. Back in on Monday.

-$-

Photo: University of Arkansas

Rams report, 5/17: rookies absent from OTAs

* The NFLPA isn't exactly helping the Rams get off the ground in 2012. The Rams are missing three rookies - Brian Quick, Isaiah Pead and Chris Givens - at this week's OTAs because they're at the NFLPA's Rookie Premiere weekend in Los Angeles. They're mandated by the league to be there, according to Jeff Fisher, who understandably isn't real happy about it, though there's nothing he can do about it.

The players are participating in community events today. However, I hope participation in tomorrow's event is not mandatory. I don't really need to be hearing that a Rams' second-round pick tore an Achilles trying to make a play in a flag football game. It is beyond idiotic that this event was scheduled during the already-limited amount of time teams have for OTAs and the NFL and the union should correct this scheduling conflict posthaste for future seasons.

* More importantly, news is out this morning that St. Louis has been awarded an expansion franchise in the Lingerie Football League that will open play in spring 2013. Tryouts will be on June 17th for the so-far unnamed team, which will play its home games in the (irony alert) St. Charles Family Arena.

Naturally, these teams don't have your normal sports nicknames. The league's got the Seattle Mist, Los Angeles Temptation (yay! St. Louis won't lose a team to L.A. in this league [or vice versa]), Chicago Bliss, Philadelphia Passion, Baltimore Charm and possibly my two favorite nicknames in sports history: the Orlando Fantasy and the Vegas Sin. RamView has only cruel jokes for the new team also announced today for Omaha, but votes for nicknaming St. Louis' new team the "Kiss" (if Gene Simmons doesn't object). Seems like there's a lot you could do with that logo. Some of it even clean!

So, let the "Mound City" jokes begin, and if anybody learns where to send the new team a resume for a scouting position, please pass that info along to RamView.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Joe Long, OT, Wayne State

Joe Long 6'5.5" 307
T, Wayne State

Rankings: 30th-ranked offensive tackle by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as slightly better than 50-50 to make an NFL roster or practice squad. Free agent grade.
NFLDraftScout: 45th-ranked OT, #608 player overall, free agent grade.

Biography/honors:
2011: Won Gene Upshaw Award as best lineman in NCAA Division II. First team Division II all-American. First team all-conference. Team captain. Started all 49 games of his career at left tackle. Wayne State averaged 200 rushing yards per game during his career and had a 1,000-yard rusher all four years. Started all 16 games at left tackle in 2011 and also blocked a field goal attempt. The 2011 line averaged under a sack per game allowed. Played in East-West Shrine Game at tackle and also long-snapped. 
2010: First team all-conference. Team captain. Started all 11 games at left tackle.
2009: Honorable mention all-conference. Started all 11 games at left tackle.
2008: Honorable mention all-conference. Started all 11 games at left tackle. Team rushed for 233 yards per game. 
2007: Redshirted.

Brother Jake is a four-time Pro Bowl tackle for the Dolphins and was the first pick overall in 2008.

Major: secondary education. Four-time all-conference academic team member.

Injuries: none reported.

Pro day results: (NFL Combine OT averages in parentheses)
(participated in Michigan's pro day)
5.46 40 (5.34 average - Long's time would have been bottom five)
1.83 10-yard split (1.79)
27.5” vertical jump (27.5”)
8'2" broad jump (8'5" average - Long would have been bottom five)
7.69 3-cone drill (7.81)
4.59 20-yard shuttle (4.82 average - Long tied with third-best time)
21 bench press (24)

Positives:
Has nice size and good "length" which gives him an advantage blocking on the edge. Powerful run-blocker with a ton of upside. Good technician, takes good angles to his blocks. Shuttle time shows excellent speed, explosiveness and change of direction for his position. Ultra-durable, rock-solid player. Has the athletic versatility to move inside to guard or even center and can also long-snap. Smart and hard working, was cited for his effort in the weight room. Tough and competitive team leader. Lions and Jets were also interested in signing him.

Negatives:
Nowhere near as athletic as his brother. Doesn't bend well, plays too upright and can't slide laterally well. Lacks explosiveness off the snap, has difficulty getting leverage. Doesn't get much pop with his blocks or a lot of push. Stiff and too slow to protect the corner well. Needs to get stronger.


Compares to: compares well to Cardinals 5th-round pick Senio Kelemete.

Fun Facts: Joe helped Wayne State get to the Division II championship game, where they lost 35-21 to Pittsburg State. To get that far, the Wildcats had to win four straight road playoff games, the last two over the defending national champion (Minnesota-Duluth) and an undefeated top seed (Winston-Salem State). Of course, already having the Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl, the GoDaddy.com Bowl and the Belk (?) Bowl, Division I doesn't need any of this kind of excitement.


RamView: Though he might be better-suited in the pros at guard, the current Rams roster has Long listed as one of four tackles, with Kevin Hughes as a fifth guard/tackle. Training camp is where we'll find out if Long has the athleticism for tackle at the pro level after dominating at a much lower level of competition. His odds jump way up at first glance if he's really just competing with Hughes, Ryan McKee and Barry Richardson. Then again, the current roster lists Bryan Mattison as a defensive end, and there is bound to be some shuffling of o-linemen during camp. Still, Long's path to the roster is a little clearer than if he were converting to guard and had to enter that muddled picture, and he's got the versatility to be an attractive depth option. He may be this year's main roster dark horse and should have a decent chance at the practice squad.

Chance of making roster: 40%.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2012 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, Wayne State athletics, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Wikipedia, National Football Post, The Grand Rapids Press, Walter Football, Rookiedraft.com, ESPN

Photo: Detroit Free Press