Rams news, 7/31

from various reports

Just a catchup on what's been going on in training camp so far this weekend.

* Schedule: Afternoon practice coming up today at 1:50. I assume there was a walkthrough session this morning. The whole training camp schedule has not been released to my knowledge. Players practice in pads for the first time tomorrow.

* Injuries: Nothing significant yesterday other than a bunch of cases of cramps, mostly among the rookies. Danario Alexander was carted off at the end of practice, also with cramps.

First-round draft pick Robert Quinn is being limited to individual work for a few days while he recovers from a knee sprained during a workout TWO MONTHS ago. More crack reporting to keep Rams Nation up to date. Where was the news about this?

* Transactions: The Rams signed defensive tackle Justin Bannan and have re-negotiated cap-friendlier contracts with guard Jacob Bell and safety James Butler. After signing Bell, they traded, no, gave, John Greco to the Browns. They only get a seventh-round pick back if he starts. They also completed the signing of the 2011 draft class by reaching a 4-year deal (with a fifth-year option) with defensive end Robert Quinn.

The Rams signed defensive tackle Daniel Muir to a one-year deal Sunday evening. More on him in a bit.

Daniel Fells is moving on to the Broncos, where he is the expected starter. Best of luck to the hard-playing tight end whose trick-play TD reception (thrown by kicker Josh Brown) helped the Rams avoid an ignominious winless record in 2009.

The Rams have also apparently already started making roster moves. Jim Thomas reports that WR Andrew Hawkins, DT Jimmy (Hyphen Jr.) Saddler-McQueen and OL Beau Warren have already been cut. Man, we felt awful on the sidelines watching all those punts slip through Hawkins' hands at the end of practice yesterday, and it bit him that quickly.

Still recovering from knee injuries last season, FB Brit Miller and CB Marquis Johnson have already been placed on the PUP list. Miller's assignment creates an interesting situation, as the Rams have no fullback on the roster. It seems like the Patriots had guys like Heath Evans on their roster in the past, so it's not like the offense would never use a fullback under Josh McDaniels. May be a surprise roster opening here for somebody.

* Hot stove: former Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga will be in for a visit today. The Rams are also reportedly angling after running backs Ronnie Brown and Jerious Norwood.

-$-

Quote of the day

“One of the first things he said to the offense was that we are going to come out and establish our identity about playing fast, executing, and that he’s going to learn what we do best and we’re going to perfect it. I was very impressed when he said, ‘learn what we do best,’ and not try to force something that he may want to do. That told me that he is very understanding, very open to evaluating the talent that he has around him and use it to his advantage in his playbook.”

--Steven Jackson, on offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels

Rams sign Justin Bannan

The Rams addressed their lack of depth at defensive tackle Saturday by reaching an agreement with veteran Justin "Race" Bannan, most recently of the Broncos. In fact, Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels now apparently has his fingerprints on the defense, too; he reportedly vouched for Bannan, having been his head coach the last couple of seasons in Denver.

The 6'3", 310-lb, 32-year-old Bannan is a run specialist. He's quick off the ball, a good penetrator and has that dreaded white-guy "high motor". He's been in the league 10 years but didn't become a starter until 2008, after an injury to Kelly Gregg. He started every game for the Broncos last year. Bannan won't give you flashy statistics. He has only 6.5 career sacks and doesn't pile up big tackle numbers. He just clogs the middle and ties up blockers, which he's good at. One of my concerns with him is that he's played mostly in 3-4's, certainly in Denver and Baltimore, but he reportedly has some 4-3 experience. One scouting report calls him a better Gary Gibson. (It's starting to look like the actual Gary Gibson won't be back with the team this season.) A nice quality of Bannan's is that he can get his hands up and block passes. Good role player, a grinder, a durable guy who just puts his head down and gets the job done. Bannan's considered a quality run stopper and fills a need for the Rams pretty nicely.

-$-

Rams sign Robert Quinn

The whole Rams draft class is in training camp by the second day - the Rams got first-round pick North Carolina DE Robert Quinn signed to a 4-year deal Saturday. There's an option for a fifth year.

It had looked like this signing was going to be a problem given Quinn's eleventh-hour change of agents, and the complications that brought, but credit to him and his representation for getting things straightened out in good time.

And credit to the Rams front office as well, as they continue to have a terrific offseason.

Given what some NFL front offices like the Rams' can get done in a week, maybe we should turn over the current U.S. budget crisis over to them.

-$-

Now Greco's gone and Bell's back

So much for the Rams-are-going-with-maulers-at-guard theory. That started to fall apart in my mind when I saw Jacob Bell signing autographs after practice yesterday. That had to mean he was at a minimum still negotiating a new, cap-friendly deal with the team, and they have in fact re-signed him.

John Greco was apparently just the fallback if the Rams couldn't get Bell signed, because they have now traded him to Pat Shurmur and the Browns pretty much for a bag of jockstraps. For the former third-round pick, the Rams will get just a seventh-rounder from the Browns, and that's only if he starts.

I'm not a fan of this trade, though it's not a surprise, because you never really got the impression the current Ram regime are big Greco fans. Of course, I'm not sure he ever got through a training camp healthy, either, kind of a bad knock for an offensive lineman. The trade doesn't exactly leave the Rams with quality depth at guard, either, though you figure now they're working to sign Adam Goldberg to back Bell and Harvey Dahl up.

The Rams should get good pass protection from the position this season with Dahl and Bell as the starters. Pro Football Focus ranked both of them well last season in that category, and a large reason a Greco movement never got going at Rams Park was because they never quite trusted him as a pass protector. And good protection for Sam Bradford is definitely good news. But they've also taken a step away from the Rams having the tough, mauling, run-blockers starting on this year's o-line I had hoped they'd have.

-$-

Back from training camp

Full report up now on the RamView website. Link

Highlights:
Good days on the whole for Brandon Gibson and Mardy Gilyard, each with long TDs.
Danario Alexander carted off, but just for cramps.
Jacob Bell staying with the Rams.
Offense looks like it's off to a good start.
High and tight!

-$-

Football is officially here...

Just got my season tickets. Off now to training camp.

Football is here!

-$-

Rams sign Mike Sims-Walker

One of the more amazing days in Rams history wraps up tonight with the signing of wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, formerly of the Jagwires, to a one-year deal. We're not going to harbor any illusions about this signing: Sims-Walker lost his starting job in Jacksonville down the stretch last season and disappeared from a lot of games. They won't consider him a big loss. He seems to get a lot of injuries, and he seems to lack maturity. They suspended him once for too much partying the night before a game. He also got the team mad at him last year for complaining about not getting enough passes, though he says his comment was misunderstood.

Those things being said, Sims-Walker is just 26 years old, and he's 6'2" 214. That size gives him potential as a red zone weapon - Lord knows the Rams need those - and he was a substantial deep threat for the Jagwires two years ago. He caught 63 passes for 869 yards that year, for seven TDs. He also scored 7 TDs last season and has a career average of 13.5 yards per catch. Scouts, Inc. points out a lot of flaws in his game the Rams will have to try to coach up. He's not a consistent route-runner, he doesn't explode out of his breaks, doesn't adjust his routes or read coverages well, and he'll lose concentration and drop catchable balls. He was invisible down the stretch last year. He didn't have more than 50 yards receiving even once the second half of the season. He couldn't beat press coverage off the line and got a reputation as a whiny diva.

Despite all that, though, Sims-Walker still grades out as a solid starter for his size, physique, youth, ability to go up for the ball, and blazing speed - his Combine 40 time was a smoking 4.35. These are definitely skills the Rams can use.

Many players in the NFL have played their way off of one team and gotten their wake-up call on the next. They redouble their efforts, work harder and correct the controllable problems that got them run off their first team. If Mike Sims-Walker got that wake-up call, commits to working hard and being a good team player, there's a lot in his physical makeup and past results to suggest the Rams may have come up with a steal here. And if they end up getting the diva from last season who didn't even produce? It's just a one-year contract; tear it up and try again next year. Signing Sims-Walker is a pretty good gamble for the Rams front office, and I'm cautiously optimistic that Nolan Cromwell can coach him up into a formidable threat.

Photo: ESPN

-$-

Rams sign Al Harris

The Rams have signed veteran cornerback Al Harris to a one-year deal. He's the second defensive back the Rams have signed this offseason who was coached by Steve Spagnuolo in Philadelphia.

Harris is 6'1", 190 and will turn 37 on Pearl Harbor Day. He has 21 career interceptions, not including his most famous one, a 52-yard pick-six in the 2003 playoffs against Seattle in overtime, minutes after Seattle won the coin toss and Matt Hasselbeck declared for the whole world to hear, "We want the ball, and we're going to score!"

In November 2009, Harris blew out his left knee so severely, it was described by his rehab specialist as "a very rare injury." He tore his ACL, his LCL, a couple of other ligaments I've never heard of, and his lateral hamstring. He wasn't expected to be able to play football again at all, but got back into football through determined work in rehab. He started the 2010 season on the Packers' PUP list, was eventually waived from there, and played in three games for the Dolphins late in the season before going back on injured reserve for a hamstring injury. He's also had chronic problems with his ankles.

The Packers still thought enough of Harris to give him a Super Bowl ring even though he didn't play a down for the team in 2010, probably out of respect for his long career with the team and his mentoring of the young players in a secondary that had some terrific performances.

Harris started all 102 games in his first seven years in Green Bay after being acquired from Philadelphia. His Packers totals are 14 interceptions and 108 passes defended. Before his injury in '09, he'd played in the Pro Bowl two straight years. He was very good in man coverage and jamming defenders at the line at his height; as he lost a step with age, he started picking up more and more pass interference penalties. Still, before his injury, he was a Pro Bowl-caliber CB.

Pretty classic formula signing here. Veteran with impeccable leadership credentials who the head coach knows well. He'll likely be more important here as a mentor to young Rams DBs like Bradley Fletcher, Justin King, Jerome Murphy and this year's late-round picks. But if he's anywhere close to full recovery from his devastating knee injury, he could be a short-term answer for the Rams at nickel. It'll be interesting to see what he's got left in camp.

Photo: WTMJ.com (WTMJ-AM, Milwaukee)

-$-

Restricted free agent signings

Going for a world-record amount of overtime this week, the Rams front office has officially re-signed six of the team's restricted free agents. John Greco was announced yesterday. The other five:

- WR Danny Amendola (ERFA)
- T Renardo Foster
- DE C.J. Ah You (ERFA)
- LB David Vobora
- LB Chris Chamberlain

Still unsigned free agents at this point, all unrestricted:
- WR Mark Clayton
- WR Laurent Robinson
- TE Daniel Fells
- OL Adam Goldberg
- DT Gary Gibson
- CB Kevin Dockery
- S Michael Lewis

There also have not been offers reported at this point to restricted free agents Kenneth Darby, Curtis Johnson or Quincy Butler.

Expect to hear more signings tomorrow since that's the day free agents can officially sign offers. I'd anticipate deals for Clayton, Robinson, Goldberg, Gibson and possibly Fells are on the way, and it's looking more and more like Steven Jackson's backup is going to be Kenneth Darby yet again this season, so don't be stunned to see his name, either.

-$-

Jacob Bell released

In what amounts to a salary cap move, the Rams are going to release left guard Jacob Bell tomorrow. He was scheduled to make $6 million for the 2011 season.

Bell was a big-splash signing for then-new GM Billy Devaney three years ago - 6 years, $36 million - but never really lived up to the big money. He was competent, and graded out well in pass protection last year, but was always a bit undersized, a bit underweight and got manhandled too often in the running game. How many times was he the one who got Steven Jackson tackled last season, or was even the guy who tripped him up by getting knocked down in the hole?

I'd describe Bell as more of a technician, and the Rams have made it clear today they're going the mauler route. Harvey Dahl's obviously starting at right guard, and I'd expect big John Greco to move in at left guard. Adam Goldberg's potential to stay with the team brightens up quite a bit as the backup to those spots. The Rams aren't going to let themselves get pushed around any more.

Bell by all accounts is a solid guy and a good teammate, and he was involved in a good amount of community work, so it's regrettable he has to leave this way. I don't doubt we'll very easily be seeing him again sometime soon. For instance, the Cardinals have a ton of issues on their offensive line. I doubt he'll be out of an NFL job for long.

Photo: St. Louis Rams

-$-

Kudos to the Rams front office

They've signed free agent upgrades at safety, weakside linebacker and right guard, and gotten all of the draft class but one signed in time for training camp, all in less than a week.

The Rams front office has done themselves proud already this offseason.

Now get me a backup running back! :)

-$-

Rams sign Austin Pettis

The hits keep coming, as the Rams have signed third-round pick and Boise State wide receiver Austin Pettis.

Tony Softli reports that Robert Quinn has officially hired an agent and talks have gotten under way with the first-round pick.

Update: Jim Thomas is saying that Quinn is the only unsigned draft pick of the eight left. I haven't seen a specific announcement but will assume that means 7th-rounder Jabara Williams is also signed.

-$-

Rams sign Zach Diles

The Rams probably found their new starting weakside linebacker today, signing Houston WLB Zach Diles to a one-year contract.

Diles (6'2", 245, 26 years old) was drafted just a few picks before David Vobora in the 2007 draft, and was one of Houston's leaders in tackles in 2010 with 82. One of his calling cards is his versatility, which he got to show off last year, starting the season at Will and then moving to Mike after DeMeco Ryans was injured. He's been a full-time starter the last two seasons, something the Rams have completely lacked at the Will position, if you think about it. He's smart, instinctive, takes good angles, has good speed and range and is a consistently sound tackler. He's a little stiff in pass coverage but reads the QB well and anticipates routes well. Like Harvey Dahl, also signed today, Diles is a try-hard player who makes plays as much on effort and desire as he does because of his physical tools. Houston fans loved the guy, thought he was vastly underrated and deserved consideration for the Pro Bowl. He did miss a game last year due to an irregular heartbeat, but that's the only question anyone's going to have about that particular organ where Zach Diles is concerned.

The Rams will likely pencil Diles in as the starting WLB and ask Vobora to go back to his old utility linebacker/special teams role, which he wasn't too bad at.

The Rams haven't signed flashy players in free agency, and as we in the fanbase are acutely aware, haven't gotten Steven Jackson a backup and haven't made any free agent upgrades at wide receiver.

But with Mikell, Dahl and now Diles, Billy Devaney and company are hitting it out of the park in this year's free agency period all the same.

Photo: Getty Images

-$-

Rams sign Harvey Dahl

The Rams lacked some toughness up front in their blocking game last year, and the front office got the message. In addition to re-signing mauler John Greco, they've scored their second free agent coup in two signings by reaching an agreement on a 4-year deal today with Falcons right guard Harvey Dahl.

The 6'5", 305-lb, 30-year-old Dahl is one of those guys you love to have on your team and hate to play against. He's a tough-guy, no-quit blocker who plays to (and after) the whistle and won't take crap from anybody. He's quick off the ball and has a strong initial punch. Scouts won't say he has good range or agility, but Pro Football Focus ranked him in the top 10 in the league as a pass-blocker at guard. Dahl brings the Rams Richie Incognito's nastiness without all the stupid penalties, and that's his most important qualification. He'll tell you his goal every week is to beat people up. The Rams got pushed around too much in the running game last season, and the lunch-bucket Dahl, who will kick your ass for even thinking about stealing his lunch, then steal yours, will inject this line with a tough attitude while also being a significant upgrade over Adam Goldberg at right guard.

That may write the end of Goldberg's chapter here in St. Louis, but don't forget despite his troubles at RG last year, that he can backup either guard or tackle position and has played serviceably in a spot tackle role in the past. He was a good leader to the rest of the line during the lockout as well and could still play a valuable role here.

Photo: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Taylor Potts, QB, Texas Tech

Taylor Potts 6'3.5" 216
QB, Texas Tech

Rankings: 25th-ranked quarterback by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player who could make an NFL training camp.

NFLDraftScout: 15th-ranked QB, #255 player overall, 7th-round/free-agent grade.

Biography/honors:
2010: All-Big Twelve(Ten) Academic team. Team captain. Played in 13 games, starting 12. 369 for 551 (67.0%), 3,726 yards, 35 TDs, 10 INTs. Was third in the nation in completions per game, 4th in TD passes, 8th in passing yards. Is all over the school record books, 3rd in career TDs, completions and passing yards, among other stats. Third QB in school history with multiple 3,000-yard seasons. MVP of bowl game against Northwestern.
2009: Played in 12 games, starting 10. 309 for 470 (65.7%), 3,440 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs. Offensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl against Michigan State, 23-43-372, 2 TDs. Threw for 7 TDs vs. Rice.
2008: Played in 9 games. 23 for 36 (63.9%), 260 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
2007: Played in 5 games. 32 for 49 (65.3%), 409 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
2006: Redshirted.

Major: exercise and sports science. Completed his degree prior to 2010 season.

Injuries:
2010: Missed part of spring practice and was out a total of eight weeks after tearing his throwing hand open (6 stitches) on a teammate's helmet. He also required later surgery to repair ligament damage.
Broke or sprained jaw in October game but didn't miss significant time.
2009: Missed two games due to a concussion.

Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
4.87 40
4.24 short shuttle
6.96 3-cone drill
30.5” vertical leap
9'9” broad jump (per NFLDraftScout; Gil Brandt reported 8'11")

2011 Combine QB averages: 4.80 40, 4.23 short shuttle, 6.93 3-cone, 32" vertical

Positives: Good size, strong arm. Throws with some zip. Outstanding touch - can drop the ball in a bucket from any range. Has a solid play-fake. Good head for the game, good at changing protections and looking off defenders. Had 5 games with 4 or more TD passes in 2010, including bowl game against Northwestern. Also threw for over 300 yards, 400 once, in all four of those games. Threw for 388 yards against Oklahoma and 420 against Texas, outplaying Colt McCoy, in 2009. Played well in 2011 Texas vs. The Nation all-star game. Nicknamed "The Cannon."

Negatives: Marc Bulger-like mobility and agility. Doesn't drive the ball, can't fit it into tight windows. Will get sloppy and drop to a sidearm motion. Average arm for throwing deep outs, which tend to die before they get there. Floats his deep passes and often throws a wobbly ball. Not a strong thrower on the move or off his back foot. Long wind-up. Needs to get better feel for pass rush and learn to get rid of ball to avoid sacks. Has laid-back attitude and is not a leader. Hasn't played under center. Ran simple, mostly shotgun offense that didn't require field-reading skills; he just threw to a lot of spots. Was benched for one game but got the starting job right back when his replacement was injured. Struggled against top competition in 2010 - less than 200 yards against Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri. Lacks the athleticism or leadership ability to stick in the pros.

Compares to: Jets 7th-round draft pick (nearly drafted by the Rams) Greg McElroy.

Fun Facts: Potts was personally invited by Archie Manning to attend this past summer's annual Manning Passing Academy. He won the camp's "Air it Out" competition, which involved throwing a football at moving carts on golf carts.

RamView: My first impressions of Taylor Potts are that he's physically and mentally tough. Anybody who can play football with a near-broken jaw ranks as tough in my book. He's mentally tough off the field because he's strong academically. On the field, he had to follow a school legend in Graham Harrell, and had his own fans booing him after an upset loss to Houston in 2009 and a subsequent slump. After that, he came back pretty strong in 2010. It'll be an interesting contrast between Potts and Thaddeus Lewis in training camp, where I assume they'll battle for third-string QB. The big, accurate QB vs. the smaller, quicker QB. I suspect that Potts is more the Josh McDaniels type; we shall see. (Coincidentally, the only team Potts worked out for in person? The Patriots.) Like Lewis last year, Potts is a nice free agent pickup given his college production.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2011 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, ESPN, Wikipedia, Bleacher Report, Texas Tech Athletics website

Photo: Texas Tech University

Rams sign Lance Kendricks

The second-round TE from Wisconsin is the fifth Rams draft pick to reach an agreement with the team, leaving only 7th-rounder Jabara Williams, 3rd-rounder Austin Pettis and 1st-rounder Robert Quinn to be signed.

Lotsa luck with that last one.

-$-

Rams sign more draft picks

The Rams have half of their 2011 draft class signed as of tonight after signing 5th-round pick Jermale Hines and seventh-round picks Mikail Baker and Jonathan Nelson. Terms not disclosed.

-$-

Rams sign Salas

The Rams have signed their fourth-round draft pick, Hawaii WR Greg Salas. He's the first member of the Rams' 2011 draft class to be signed.

Seven to go.

-$-

Rams re-sign Greco

Ron Clements reports on CBS Sports Rapid Reports that the Rams have agreed to terms with guard John Greco, who was a restricted free agent. Interesting timing that this comes out on the heels of the Rams reportedly losing out on signing Darren Colledge, who went to Arizona.

-$-

Traning camp schedule released

This is the schedule for training camp sessions at Rams Park that will be open to the public:

Sat July 30 1:50 p.m.
Sun July 31 1:50 p.m.
Mon Aug 1 1:50 p.m.
Tue Aug 2 5 p.m.
Thu Aug 4 1:50 p.m.
Fri Aug 5 5 p.m.
Sat Aug 6 1:50 p.m.
Sun Aug 7 11 a.m. (scrimmage at Lindenwood)
Mon Aug 8 1:50 p.m.
Tue Aug 9 5 p.m.
Wed Aug 10 1:50 p.m.
Thu Aug 11 5 p.m.
Fri Aug 12 1:50 p.m.
Mon Aug 15 5 p.m.
Tue Aug 16 1:50 p.m.
Wed Aug 17 5 p.m.
Thu Aug 18 1:50 p.m.
Mon Aug 22 TBD
Tue Aug 23 TBD
Wed Aug 24 TBD

Given that afternoon temperatures have been just short of boiling here the last couple of weeks, I can't help but wonder if most of these afternoon sessions aren't going to be low-impact walkthrough sessions. That's a really odd time for the Lindenwood scrimmage, too; it's usually been held at night.

Pending additional information, I'm looking at the four weekend sessions at most, and will probably only hit the first open practice on Saturday, and the scrimmage.

All the same, football is almost here!

-$-

Big move for Seattle

My ESPN crawl tells me top free agent wide receiver Sidney Rice is going to sign with Seattle, where he'll reunite with Tarvaris Jackson.

I don't know if the Rams were trying to sign Rice - they sure should have been - but I consider this a double blow anyway. They don't get him and he goes to a division rival, so they have to play against him twice a year.

Let's hope their plan for covering Sidney Rice is more effective, or more existent, than their plan for signing him.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Tyler Donahue, T, Bowling Green

Tyler Donahue 6'6" 298
T, Bowling Green

Rankings: 51st-ranked tackle by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player who could make an NFL training camp but would more likely play in a developmental league.

NFLDraftScout: 64th-ranked tackle, #999 player overall, free-agent grade.

Biography/honors:
2010: Started all 12 games. Started season at right tackle and moved to left tackle after the starter there was injured. All-Mid America Conference fourth team.
2009: Started all 13 games at right tackle.
2008: Appeared in 12 games.
2007: Appeared in 10 games.
2006: Redshirted.

Major: Sports management.

Injuries: None reported.

Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
5.22 40 (would have been top 10 time for o-linemen at Combine)
1.75 10-yard split (1.81 was average for tackles at 2010 Combine)
4.70 short shuttle (lower-third)
7.77 3-cone drill (lower-third)
30” vertical leap (top 10)
8'5” broad jump (middle of the pack)
30 bench presses (only five o-linemen benched more at the Combine)

Positives: Can play right or left tackle or guard. Solid run-blocker with good size and wingspan. Gets off the football quickly and on time. Smart, understands angles, very good at mirroring opponents and keeping them within reach. Smooth footwork and lateral movement. Good pull-blocker, good at sealing the corner. Durable, played in 47 of 49 games in his career. Started 25 games final two years. Great technique, above-average range and coordination give him a shot in the pros.

Negatives: Needs to improve footwork in pass protection and use his hands better. Lacks great speed and gets beaten by speed rushers. Plays too upright, not enough knee-bend. Needs to get stronger to hold up against bull rushers. Doesn't have strong punch. Can get rocked and overrun. Doesn't hold his blocks to the end of the play. Not very physical in-line.

Compares to: former Rams tackle Phil Trautwein.

Fun Facts: Another Rams 2011 rookie free agent with bad bowl game memories. Donahue played in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, which Bowling Green lost to Idaho 43-42 on a TD and two-point conversion with 4 seconds left in the game. Bonus fact: Steve Spagnuolo was Bowling Green's defensive backs coach in 1996-97.

RamView: Some draft analysts graded Donahue as a draftable prospect, so he's not a bad value for the Rams as a free agent pickup. I draw the comparison to Trautwein because both men played in spread offenses and did their fair share of pass-protecting, and they're both smart players with good technique. Donahue's answered the critics and clearly got stronger in the offseason to have outbenched every o-lineman at the Combine but 5. He's also a better athlete than Trautwein was when he came here, and Trautwein eventually made the main roster. Good lineman with a good skillset to build on - don't sleep on Donahue, who I'd say has a good shot at landing a practice squad position.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2011 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, Consensus Draft Services, Bowling Green Athletics website, National Football Post

Photo: The BG News (Bowling Green's student newspaper)

Free agent news at DT

Ouch - Rams Nation favorite Barry Cofield has signed a 6-year deal with the Redskins. Not that Brandon Mebane would be a bad consolation prize.

Also, Minnesota has announced they're going to release former Ram Jimmy Kennedy.

Good night.

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Schuylar Oordt, TE, Northern Iowa

Schuylar Oordt 6'6" 261
TE, Northern Iowa

Rankings: 20th-ranked tight end by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player who should make an NFL training camp.
NFLDraftScout: 11th-ranked tight end, #238 player overall, with a 6th-7th round grade.
Scout.com rated Oordt 15th at tight end and 251st overall, with a late-round draft grade.

Biography/honors:
2010: All-Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention. Team captain. Eight starts in 12 games. 24 receptions for 405 yards (16.9 avg) and 3 TDs.
2009: Second team All-Missouri Valley Conference. Three starts in 11 games. 18 receptions for 358 yards (19.9 avg) and 5 TDs.
2008: Four starts in 15 games. 12 receptions for 233 yards (19.4 avg) and 3 TDs.
2007: One start in 13 games. 12 receptions for 233 yards (19.4 avg) and a TD.
2006: Redshirted.

Major: Marketing with emphasis on management.

Injuries:
None reported.

NFL Combine Stats:
4.67 40
4.25 short shuttle (5th-best TE)
6.83 3-cone drill (3rd-best)
36” vertical leap (4th-best)
9'11” broad jump (3rd-best)
18 bench presses

Combine TE averages (2010): 4.73 40, 7.03 3-cone, 35" vertical, 9'6" broad jump

Positives: Sensational athlete with ideal measurables. Can create mismatches with his speed up the seam. Moves fluidly with good quickness and speed. Finds the open spot in the defense. Consistently creates mismatches in the secondary. Catches well in full stride. Soft hands. Catches well over the shoulder. Tracks the ball well, can run away from man coverage; could be a big-play threat. Tough player and strong runner after the catch. Great character. Actively involved in community service.

Negatives: Will be 24 at start of rookie season. Skinny, needs to get stronger and play with more confidence. Not a factor in the running game because of his narrow base and lack of power. Has only run basic routes. Poor instincts and feel for the game. Shies in a crowd. Terrible at gauntlet drills at the Combine, dropping some passes and letting every pass get into his body. Doesn't catch balls well outside of his frame. Isn't elusive runner after the catch. Plays tight end like the converted wide receiver he is. Unlikely to ever become a starting in-line TE.

Compares to: Let's say fellow NFL rookie Julius Thomas, a 4th-round draft pick of the Broncos. Very similar player in size and Combine numbers, also converted (though from basketball) to the position and very raw at it.

Fun Facts: Oordt raised $13,000 in a T-shirt drive (money he was apparently allowed to keep, which hopefully doesn't interest the NCAA) at NIU to buy a helper dog for a local teen afflicted by blindness and brain trauma. Oordt's also a dog lover and owns a rescue greyhound. Article

RamView: First things first: Rams + Northern Iowa players = Gold. A good thing, too, because if not for that, I'd be wondering how the hell many tight end projects the Rams think they can fit on their roster. Like Fendi Onobun last year, Oordt's a better athlete than a football player; maybe if the Rams pick up enough of these guys, one will stick. Who's next, Michael Phelps? Oordt's at least a better buy off the undrafted rack than Onobun was as a 5th-rounder. Very natural to wonder, though, if those two very smart, very athletic, high-character tight end prospects won't be competing for a practice-squad slot at some point. One of a thousand situations at Rams Park that will be interesting to monitor in August.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2011 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, Northern Iowa Athletics website, Sports Illustrated, Waterloo-Cedar Falls (IA) Courier

Photo: The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)

Quote of the day

"I think right now I'm already more comfortable with this offense than I was with the West Coast [offense] last year at this time."

--Sam Bradford talking about Josh McDaniels' new system at today's press conference

Rams sign Quintin Mikell

In the wake of Philadelphia's announcement that they were signing none of their unrestricted free agents, the Rams have made a move to fill the hole O.J. Atogwe's departure left in the secondary, reaching an agreement today to sign 30-year-old Eagles safety Quintin Mikell to a 4-year, $28 million deal which should become official on Friday.

Mikell arguably is coming off a career year. He led the Eggles in tackles and posted career highs in pass breakups (15) and interceptions (3). Pro Football Focus graded him out as the #1 cover safety in the league last season and rated him the #1 free agent safety, as did the prestigious RamView blog. He's great against the run and the pass and is just about the perfect fit here. He has 8 INTs the last three seasons and has averaged about 90 tackles a year over that time. He also recovered three fumbles last season, returning one for a TD. Mikell was in the Pro Bowl in 2009 and was named 2nd-team all-NFL in 2008 and 2010.

Jim Thomas also points out that Mikell was a two-time Eggles special teams MVP and has only missed two games in his career. Steve Spagnuolo worked with him as (I believe) Philadelphia's secondary coach.

It looked pretty bleak for the Ram secondary after Atogwe signed with Washington in March, but here in July, for the same price they would have paid for Atogwe, the Rams got a better overall safety, a top cover man and a better run defender, keep about the same turnover production and get only a little older.

This is a terrific move for the Rams and a great start to free agency.

Photo: Sports Illustrated

-$-

Rookie free agent profile: Eddie Wide, RB, Utah

Eddie Wide, 5'10" 197
RB, Utah

Rankings: 43rd-ranked running back by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player who should make an NFL training camp.
NFLDraftScout ranked him 44th at RB, 522nd overall. Free-agent grade.

Biography/honors:
2010: Started six games. 149 carries, 717 yards (4.8 avg) and 11 TDs. 34 receptions for 271 yards (8.0 avg) and 2 more TDs. Lost 3 fumbles. Second on team in carries behind Matt Asiata (also undrafted).
2009: First-team All-Mountain West. Started eight games. 203 carries, 1,069 yards (5.3 avg) and 12 TDs. 17 receptions for 154 yards (9.1 avg) and another TD. Seven 100-yard games (six in a row). Led conference in rushing TDs, second in rushing yards. Fumbled 3 times, losing 2.
2008: Started four games. 30 carries, 183 yards (6.1 avg). 6 tackles on special teams.
2007: Academic All-Mountain West. 19 carries, 44 yards (2.3 avg). 6 tackles on special teams.

Father Eddie Wide, Jr. played for UNLV.

Major: sociology.

Injuries:
2010: Had high ankle sprain in October game vs. Air Force but did not appear to miss any time. Came out of November 29th game with unspecified injury. Did not miss significant time.

Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
4.56 40 per Gil Brandt (4.47 per NFLDraftScout)
4.61 short shuttle (4.69)
7.03 3-cone drill (7.19)
36” vertical leap
10’02” broad jump
16 bench presses

Combine RB averages (2010): 4.61 40, 7.03 3-cone, 36” vertical.

Positives: Patient runner who sets up his blocks well and gets upfield quickly. Runs hard, finishes his runs, plays to the whistle. Decent first step, footwork and feel between the tackles. Good vision. Good receiver out of the backfield with soft hands.

Negatives: Only average size and build (5’10” may be generous measurement). Not sudden. Runs too upright and takes bigger hits than he has to. Tight-hipped. Can’t make defenders miss. Lacks speed/agility to the outside. Not a breakaway threat. Doesn’t have much of a second gear. Slow to react and lacks power and technique on blitz pickup. Doesn’t have enough qualities to make an NFL roster.

Compares to: Colts RB Mike Hart. Similar size, style, speed/big play limitations.

Fun Facts: It may be a good omen that Eddie Wide has a few things in common with Steven Jackson. They’re both Las Vegas natives, had terrific high school careers (Wide was Gatorade’s 2006 Nevada Player of the Year) and both played in the Las Vegas Bowl. Jackson’s bowl experience (55-14 win) was a lot better than Wide’s, though (26-3 loss).

RamView: Eddie Wide never really won the starting job at Utah – he inherited it when fellow UDFA Matt Asiata got injured and platooned with him after that – so he’ll be sledding uphill to find a job with the Rams. He definitely has tools to work with, though. You always like a runner with great patience. Wide’s best skill, though, is his receiving; he was a very accomplished receiver his senior year. Sounds like Keith Toston has some competition in training camp.

Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2011 Draft Guide, NFLDraftScout.com, CBSSports.com, Utah Athletics website, National Football Post, NFL.com, Rotoworld.com, Consensus Draft Services, Wikipedia

Photo from Sports Illustrated

Larry Grant cut

Coincidence re the Scott Shanle talks? Turf Show Times reports the Rams have cut WLB Larry Grant. Grant had a very good preseason last year but couldn't build on it.

AP Photo

-$-

Don't expect Quinn in camp on time

CBSSports.com reports that Rams first-round draft pick Robert Quinn switched agents last week, and now his original agent is suing his new agents. This is very likely to delay negotiations.

Quinn's decision-making not really standing out as a strength right now imo. His original agent reports he's already given Quinn $300,000 since December for "training, lodging, meals and loans."

I'm getting more concerned about this draft pick by the minute. Are a lot of draft picks out there spending a quarter-mil or more in six months? Where's Quinn been training, - he didn't join Fred Robbins and the Rams d-line vets when they worked out in Florida during the lockout - the Four Seasons?

I'm aware Quinn did charity work in Haiti during the lockout, but I'm still taken aback by what's going on here.

-$-

Rams to talk with Shanle

LB Scott Shanle has told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the Rams are "very interested" in him and a free agent visit is being set up. Shanle will turn 32 in November. He is a former seventh-round pick of the Rams who I believe served a steroid suspension while he was here. His best pro season was his first season in New Orleans in 2006: 98 tackles, 4 sacks. He's been a starter for the Saints since then.

Shanle's had some decent productivity since leaving the Rams, and I remember him as a decent-or-better special teams player. I'd like the idea of signing him at WLB better if scouting reports didn't refer to him as "ineffective" last season, and if Pro Football Focus hadn't rated him the worst 4-3 OLB in the league last season. If this is for much more than a league-minimum deal, I'll wonder why the Rams didn't just stick with David Vobora instead.

Photo: New Orleans Times-Picayune
-$-

Revised deadlines

Figuring out the official dates for league activities has been about as easy as nailing Jell-O to a wall, and my efforts so far have been about that effective.

These official dates come from Jim Thomas:

-- Teams may negotiate with and sign their draft picks beginning Tuesday morning.
-- Teams may sign rookie free agents beginning Tuesday morning.
-- Teams may negotiate with any veteran free agent starting Tuesday morning.
-- Teams can't sign any veteran free agent until Friday evening at 5:00. So apparently there is no period now where teams can deal exclusively with their own free agents.

Players report to training camp for physicals and team meetings Friday.
Training camp opens Saturday but is limited to no pads, no contact. Not sure RamView will make the haul out to Rams Park for that. Monday 8/1 is the first permitted day of contact. Teams have to be under the salary cap by 8/4.

-$-

Rams training camp to open Saturday...

Players report on Friday.

Will post training camp schedule once it comes out.

-$-

Gentlemen, start your engines

The NFL player lockout is officially over. Team representatives are expected to approve the new collective bargaining agreement today. Once that happens:

- teams will be permitted to sign their own free agents.
- teams will be permitted to sign undrafted rookie free agents.
- teams will be permitted to negotiate with unrestricted free agents.
- teams will be permitted to negotiate trades.

All those activities can start TODAY. Any agreed trades, however, are not official until Saturday. Teams can apparently sign UFAs from other teams starting tomorrow, but those deals cannot be made official by the league until next Tuesday.

I'll do everything a person holding a real job possibly can to stay on top of developments, especially where the Rams are directly concerned.

-$-

Looks like it's on for real this time

ESPN and NFL Network reporting the NFLPA will recommend players vote for the CBA on Monday. The league year is now expected to start on Wednesday. Teams will open facilities for the players to vote on re-certifying the union. If a majority of players vote for that, training camps around the league could open as soon as Friday. Free agency would open next Saturday. (Teams can open negotiations with their own players on Wednesday, if the CBA is ratified. It appears, though, that no one can be signed until Saturday. It also appears that teams can not talk to free agents of other teams until Saturday, although that isn't completely clear right now.)

Opening camps on Friday will give most teams two weeks of practice before the first full week of preseason, so that should be on schedule.

-$-

NFLPA: Not so fast

Well, screw that last post. The NFLPA told players today that it's still reviewing the owners' proposed settlement and that the NFLPA reps will meet again ON MONDAY to "review our options."

Well, by all means, take your time. We're not in a hurry here or anything.

The proposed Saturday start for league activities is now on hold. One assumes that if this standoff makes it to Thursday the 28th, the first week of preseason will have to be thrown out. A prolonged delay would screw the Rams but good revenues-wise, as their first two preseason games are both home games.

A main sticking point appears to be that the players want to re-certify the union with in-person signatures instead of voting electronically. I have no idea why this is important; it sounds like about the stupidest possible reason to hold things up. My legally non-binding guess is that the players want to be careful to the nth degree that the decertification of the union at the beginning of this process cannot be taken as a sham.

The plaintiffs in the Brady, Manning et al. antitrust suit against the league also have to agree to withdraw their suit. Vincent Jackson may or may not make that more difficult.

Worst of all, at this late point in the process, the players' side accuses the owners of adding elements and conditions to the CBA that were not collectively bargained. DeMaurice Smith indicates that such issues remain open, and that the players and owners do not have agreement on workers' compensation, "economic issues" and "end-of-deal terms" (the players want the option to opt out of the CBA after seven years).

I apologize to the Rams for complaining that I didn't have my tickets yet yesterday. At the rate things are going...

Gory details from espn.com

I'm starting to hope this thing ends the usual way a WWE "contract signing" ends, with someone getting slammed through a table.

-$-

Owners approve new CBA; Hall of Fame Game cancelled

NFL owners approved a new, 10-year CBA with the players tonight. The vote was 31-0; Oakland apparently was still against the agreement and abstained. DeMaurice Smith expects the players will conduct their vote tomorrow. If the players ratify tomorrow, training camps around the league will open on Wednesday.

However, the league has cancelled the Rams' scheduled August 7th appearance in the Hall of Fame Game against the Bears since the teams likely wouldn't have been able to get enough practice time in. The Rams' preseason opener is now their August 13 home game against the Colts. (By the way, any time you guys want to mail me MY TICKETS so I can actually go to that game would be great.)

If the players approve the CBA tomorrow, Saturday will become a total free-for-all. Teams will be allowed to:
- negotiate with and sign their draft picks
- negotiate with and sign any of their free agents, UFA, RFA or ERFA
- negotiate with (but cannot sign) rookie free agents
- negotiate with (but cannot sign) free agents from other teams.

Wow. (thinking about sending Kevin Demoff a case of Diet Mountain Dew)

Teams can start signing undrafted free agents on Sunday, and on Wednesday the 27th, can start signing free agents from other teams.

Hold on to your hats.

ESPN story, with all the gory details

-$-

Free agency preview: wrap-up

From ESPN Radio reports this morning, it appears that we'll get an NFL labor agreement this week, teams will have a three-day window to sign their own free agents starting Friday, then on Monday the 25th, the Great Free Agent Rush of 2011 will begin.

Recapping all the other free agent nonsense I've been posting, here's what I think the Rams will do starting Friday, along with the moves I'd try if I were GM:

Mark Clayton
RamView: re-sign, assuming knee checks out by now. Too productive in short burst last year to let go.
Rams prediction: re-sign.

Daniel Fells
RamView: let 'im go. The Rams are re-modeling the position into a receiving threat again. Fells isn't that, and he doesn't seem to be a great blocker. If he does stick, blocking would be why.
Rams prediction: let 'im go. Fells will start for Pat Shurmur in Cleveland.

Laurent Robinson
RamView: let 'im go. Poor receiver other than blocking.
Rams prediction: re-sign. Coaches appear to like him and he'll get every chance to keep his job in training camp.

Adam Goldberg
RamView: re-sign. Don't think he should win the starting RG job but he's a leader on the o-line and can play either guard or tackle position off the bench.
Rams prediction: re-sign. I expect he's the top priority among Rams UFAs. I also believe they still think he's a starter.

Gary Gibson
RamView: re-sign. Nice player to have in the defensive tackle rotation.
Rams prediction: re-sign.

Kevin Dockery
RamView: let 'im go. Just a poor back.
Rams prediction: re-sign. He'll be in the mix for the nickel back job. I assume Jerome Murphy will have first dibs on that entering training camp.

Michael Lewis
RamView: as with Dockery, a poor defensive back who deserves to be cut based on his role in blowing the game in San Francisco.
Rams prediction: I fear he's the fallback if the Rams don't/can't make a significant UFA move at safety. Let's call it a 50/50 chance.

Mark Setterstrom, Darcy Johnson, Derek Schoumann, Cliff Ryan
RamView: gone because I doubt he can pass a physical, gone, gone, gone.
Rams prediction: Same. Setterstrom retires, Johnson and Schoumann find jobs on special teams somewhere. Maybe Ryan gets a tryout with Lovie Smith in Chicago, which could lose a couple of players in the middle of their line.

Restricted free agents:
RamView: re-sign Chris Chamberlain, David Vobora, Justin King, Renardo Foster, John Greco. Let Kenneth Darby, Quincy Butler, Curtis Johnson go.
Rams prediction: They'll also re-sign Darby, to be a special-teamer at a minimum, or as Steven Jackson's fallback should they fail AGAIN to upgrade in free agency. They're at the tipping point with Greco, who really needs to have a healthy training camp.

When the Great FA Rush starts next Monday:
RamView priority #1 - safety, where I'd like to go after Bears SS Danieal Manning.
Rams prediction: it won't be their priority. Quintin Mikell will be locked up by Dallas before the Rams can get to him. They go into the season in awful shape at the position, possibly with Lewis in the starting lineup.
RamView priority #2 - defensive tackle. I'm going after Seahawks DT Brandon Mebane, but I confess I'm probably not taking his market value into account enough.
Rams prediction: They'll sign Barry Cofield from the Giants.
RamView priority #3 - running back. My target is Packers RB Brandon Jackson.
Rams prediction: They'll make a relatively-inexpensive move for a Kevin Faulk-type. I'll go off the beaten path and predict it'll be Brian Westbrook. Seems like he would fare well in an offense where his plays are all designed to get him open in space.
RamView priority #4 - if I have any cap space left, weakside linebacker. I'd like to get a young 'backer like James Anderson or Zac Diles into the Will mix.
Rams prediction: won't be a priority. Ben Leber has surfaced on the local radar, but that would surround James Laurinaitis with 32- and 33-year-old LBs. David Vobora as Opening Day starter won't be a big shock.

That's actually it for RamView's UFA priorities. I don't see the Rams making moves at QB (duh), offensive line, DE or corner. At WR, I predict they'll make an honest run at Sidney Rice but will come up dry. I'm falling off the Daniel Graham bandwagon for blocking TE, but don't rule it out.

-$-

Free agency preview: defensive backs

Top 5 UFA cornerbacks: 1 - Nnamdi Asomugha 2 - Johnathan Joseph 3 - Antonio Cromartie 4 - Josh Wilson 5 - Ike Taylor

Asomugha, one of the top two corners in the league, is the top player available at any position in free agency this year, if you've got about $20 million to spend. Joseph's play slipped a little last year, but he's still a top-10-quality corner, with excellent speed and 9 INTs over the last two seasons to go with it. Cromartie's shutdown-quality size and speed are borne out by his numbers - only 44% of passes at him were completions in 2010, 5th-best in the league. He's going to want a ton of money, though, most of which he'll need for child-support payments. Wilson ranked as Pro Football Focus' 5th-best corner overall last year and was Baltimore's best corner by the end of the season, with 3 picks in 9 starts. He's only 5'9" and is a little injury-prone, but he also has track-star speed, can help a team on returns and has four career pick-sixes. At 31, Taylor's an older version of Ron Bartell. Quality back, good tackler, terrible hands.

Top 5 UFA safeties: 1 - Quintin Mikell (SS) 2 - Danieal Manning (SS) 3 - Eric Weddle (FS) 4 - Dashon Goldson (FS) 5 - Abram Elam (SS)

Mikell rates first here even though he's 30. PFF graded him as the top cover safety in the league, he's one of the best run-support safeties in the league, and he played at a high level last season. Manning was PFF's fifth-best overall safety last season, would anybody have guessed that? More on him in a bit. Weddle is good in deep coverage, good against the run and reportedly already has 10 teams interested in him. Also just 26, Goldson called the Whiners' defensive signals last year and was their best DB while playing hurt much of the season. Forced 7 turnovers in 2009. Elam's not terribly fast but is a good playmaker, blitzer, run defender and tackler.

Sleepers: Chris Carr had a career season in Baltimore and was their best cover back until they acquired Josh Wilson. He doesn't intercept a lot of passes, so he'd fit right in here in St. Louis. Drew Coleman would give the Rams a playmaker at nickelback - he forced five fumbles last season - and, faint praise, wouldn't be a downgrade in coverage. He's a strong special teams player, as is Chinedum Ndukwe, who's just 26 and is progressing rapidly. A smart, physical safety with good ball skills.

Out of the running: Oshiomogho Atogwe (signed by Washington); Champ Bailey (re-signed by Denver); Ronde Barber (re-signed by Tampa Bay); Stanford Routt (re-signed by Oakland); Bob Sanders (signed with San Diego); Deshea Townsend (retired); Nathan Vasher (re-signed by Detroit); George Wilson (re-signed by Buffalo); Charlie Peprah (re-signed by Green Bay); Hiram Eugene (re-signed by Oakland)

Voting present:
CB: Carlos Rogers, Richard Marshall, Chris Houston, Brian Williams, Phillip Buchanon, William Gay, Kelly Jennings, Fabian Washington, Brandon McDonald, Michael Adams, Leigh Torrence, Lito Sheppard, Ashton Youboty, Drayton Florence, Dimitri Patterson, Eric Wright, Fred Bennett, Frank Walker, Karl Paymah, Will James, Anthony Madison, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, C.J. Wilson, Dante Hughes, Travis Daniels, Joey Thomas, Michael Coe, Marvin White

Safety: Roman Harper, Dawan Landry, Eric Smith, Brodney Pool, Reed Doughty, Gerald Sensabaugh, Bernard Pollard, Melvin Bullitt, Jordan Babineaux, *John Wendling, *Eric Frampton, *Pat Watkins, Darren Sharper, Atari Bigby, Donte Whitner, Jarrad Page, James Ihedigbo, Usama Young, Deon Grant, Jon McGraw, Pierson Prioleau, Brandon McGowan, Paul Oliver, Josh Bullocks, Nick (SUNSHINE) Sorenson, Gerald Alexander, *Chris Reis, Matt Ware, *Sean Considine, Marcus Hudson, Donnie Nickey, Ken Hamlin, Aaron Rouse, Anthony Smith, C.C. Brown

* Asterisked players could be worthwhile signings as special teams specialists.

The doctor will see you now: Al Harris, Maurice Leggett, Josh Bell, Roderick Hood, Ellis Hobbs, Will Blackmon, Gibril Wilson, Daniel Bullocks, Antoine Harris

Gawd no: Michael Huff's going to want a lot of money but I doubt he'll ever be worth it. His effort, heart and coverage skills have all come under serious question. People around the league figure the main reason he had a decent 2010 season was that it was his contract year. Oakland tried harder before the lockout to keep Stanford Routt (who's actually pretty good) and Hiram Eugene. Just say no.

Same for Eugene Wilson. Don't fall for name recognition here. He didn't force a single turnover last season, and Pro Football Focus ranked him the third-worst safety in the league last year. They ranked Alan Ball 2nd-worst, so say no to him, too. (The "winner"? Antrel Rolle.)

A name that comes up quite a bit, naturally, because he used to play for Steve Spagnuolo in New York, is Michael Johnson. No. He missed most of last season due to a herniated disc, and sources here in St. Louis say he has "personal issues" and "isn't very bright". He'd be a box safety at best anyway, because his coverage skills are questionable.

More just-say-nos: the awful Sabby Piscitelli, the aged Lawyer Milloy and the jilted Roy Williams. And on the hopefully-ex-Ram-but-I-wish-I-could-be-sure side, Kevin Dockery and Michael Lewis. Their major screwups at the beginning and end of the game helped cost the Rams a playoff berth when the Rams lost in overtime in San Francisco. Those should be cuttable offenses.

RamView's move: The dumbest thing I did with this year's FA previews was to do the DB position last, because the Rams' biggest need at any position is at safety with Atogwe gone. The Rams CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT, go into the 2011 season with Craig Dahl and James Butler as their starting safeties. Dahl has terrible trouble with speed, and Butler can't cover me, and I'm 45 and run a 15-second 40. They can get by with Dahl at one of the safeties (though his injury history suggests Darian Stewart better keep warm on the bench) because he can hit and make some plays, but putting Butler back in the starting lineup would be a) a recipe for disaster and b) inexplicable. Fifth-round draft pick Jermale Hines at first take would be an in-the-box safety at best. Seventh-rounder Jonathan Nelson is a potential answer here, but a) he's been hurt a lot and b) there's a reason he was a seventh-rounder, right? The Rams HAVE to make a move and pick up a safety who can cover anybody.

At corner, the Rams have got an up-and-comer in Bradley Fletcher, and, at his best, a solid-but-unspectacular Ron Bartell. It looks like Jerome Murphy's set up to be the nickel, a daunting prospect since he may have struggled worse than any Rams defensive player last year besides Butler. He was a rookie, though, and the Rams' staff turned Fletcher into a NFL-quality starter pretty quickly; maybe he'll make a big leap. Behind him, the oft-injured Justin King will take one last run at a starting spot. Seventh-round pick Mikail Baker is listed as a corner, but with a year of college experience there, I can't imagine him as more than a sixth or seventh option. RamView wishes Kevin Dockery the best in his future endeavors. The Rams are going to have to improve at nickel back from within - once you get past the top 4-5 free agents who are going to command $8 million or more a year, quality drops pretty rapidly.

Danieal Manning may be one of the most underrated defensive backs in the league, and he's who I'd target for the Rams as free agent option #1. His passer-rating-against last year was under 60. He was only one of 5 safeties in the league not to give up a TD completion. Pro Football Focus scored him as having missed three tackles ALL SEASON LONG. (Some past Rams safeties have done that in one play.) He has 4.4 or better speed and excellent range and could help the Rams as a return man. And the Bears don't even want to keep him! They're going to start Major Wright. Manning's got a ton of skills the Ram secondary badly needs, and I don't think a team will have to come even close to breaking the bank to sign him. If I'm the Rams GM, he's the first call I make when the Great Free Agent Rush of 2011 opens.

Shoot the moon: Think outside the box: sign a top corner such as Wilson and move Bartell to safety. Well, you'd have three pretty good cover backs on the field every down, anyway.

Prediction: Letting Atogwe go doesn't mean the Rams aren't willing to spend money at the safety position. It just meant they didn't want to pay Atogwe's $8 million roster bonus. His quick move to Washington might have surprised Rams Park as much as it surprised Rams Nation. I do expect the Rams to be aggressive and go after Mikell, who we know was previously coached by Steve Spagnuolo. You don't have to sign him to a long contract, and he can be the bridge while Nelson or possibly Murphy develops into a starting quality safety on his own. At nickel, I expect any move would be low-cost and for depth, with the expectation that Murphy and King will fight it out for the position in training camp. For all his flaws, Dockery could get to hang around in that scenario.

Up next: a review of the reviews!

Photo: The Daily Press (Hampton Roads, VA)

Free agency preview: linebackers

Top 5 UFA OLBs: 1 - Rocky McIntosh (WLB) 2 - Quincy Black (SLB) 3 - James Anderson 4 - Steven Nicholas (SLB) 5 - Clint Session (WLB)

Linebacker will be the deepest position in free agency this year. I only list a top 5 here, but it'd be pretty easy to list a top 15, any of whom would help a team. Not much not to like about McIntosh - career-high 110 tackles last year, excellent in pass coverage, durable (missed only 2 games in career), makes plays from sideline to sideline. Black is Tampa Bay's best run defender and one of the best all-around LBs going - covers TEs like glue and rarely misses tackles or commits penalties. Anderson sounds like the total package - a good run-stopper, pass defender and pass rusher who can play any of the 4-3 LB positions. 130 tackles for Carolina last season. Nicholas is Atlanta's Sam 'backer but can also play all 3 LB roles. He has great quickness and is rated as one of the NFL's best pass coverage LBs. Session is undersized and missed most of 2010, but was a tackling machine the previous two seasons in Indy.

Top 5 UFA ILBs: 1 - Paul Posluszny 2 - Barrett Ruud 3 - Stephen Tulloch 4 - Takeo Spikes 5 - Dhani Jones

One of my favorite non-Rams, Posluszny would get perennial Pro Bowl consideration if he could stay healthy. 150 tackles last year. Ruud has has 4 straight exceptionally productive years of 100+ tackles. Plays with great instinct and always knows where he should be. Tulloch is just 26, had 121 tackles two years ago, and was 2nd in the league last year with 160. Good hitter well-suited for the middle. Spikes is 34 but is coming off his most productive season since 2003. He'd be limited to his current 3-4 ILB role where he doesn't have to cover a lot of ground. Jones is coming off the most productive season of his ten-year career. If he came to St. Louis, maybe he and Steven Jackson could do a travel show together.

Sleepers: Zac Diles came off the bench last year to become one of Houston's leading tacklers. He excelled at Will during Brian Cushing's suspension and filled in at Mike after Demeco Ryans was injured. Smart, good speed and range, takes good angles, reads the passing game well. Texans fans will tell you he should have been a Pro Bowler. Not sure where he fits in with Houston switching to a 3-4; maybe inside alongside Ryans. He'd be a much better fit here.

Brandon Johnson was a Bengals team captain who appears to have mostly been used as a Will in nickel defenses, but Bengal fans will tell you he's their best LB, even though the team keeps reducing his snaps. He makes key plays, is a major factor on special teams and almost never misses a tackle.

3-4 OLB Matt Roth ranks as one of the NFL's best pass rush disruptors. Pro Football Focus ranks him as one of the league's top ten pass rushers over the last three seasons. He doesn't ring up a ton of sacks, averaging 5-6 a year, but is a consistent factor in pass pressure.

Manny Lawson also grades well as a pass rusher, though not necessarily as a sack artist, and though he had 6.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 2009, and graded as a top-10 pass rusher by PFF last season, the 49ers have increasingly taken him off the field on passing downs. When a guy seems to always be around the ball, you wonder why a team that knows what it's doing wouldn't hang on to him.

Out of the running: Tamba Hali (franchised by Kansas City); David Harris (franchised by N.Y. Jets); Chad Greenway (franchised by Minnesota); LaMarr Woodley (franchised by Pittsburgh); Kamerion Wimbley (franchised by Oakland); Desmond Bishop (re-signed by Green Bay); Coy Wire (re-signed by Atlanta); Mike Vrabel (retired); David Thornton (retirement likely)

Voting present: Keith Bulluck, Kevin Burnett, Kirk Morrison, Stephen Cooper, Akin Ayodele, Keyaron Fox*, Prescott Burgess*, Justin Durant, Ernie Sims, Ben Leber, Stewart Bradley, Will Herring, *Tim Shaw, Travis LaBoy, Mike Peterson, Jamie Winborn, Julian Peterson, Brandon Siler, Landon Johnson, Tyjuan Hagler, Omar Gaither, Thomas Howard, Corey Mays, *Lance Laury, *Chase Blackburn, *Marvin Mitchell, *Adam Hayward, Nick Roach, Jason Trusnik, Freddie Keiaho, Scott Shanle, Jarvis Moss, Danny Clark, Brian Iwuh, Abdul Hodge, *Blake Costanzo, *Chris Wilson, Leon Williams, H.B. Blades, Niko Koutovides, Rod Wilson, Tracy White, Charlie Anderson, Sam Williams, Kevin Bentley, Jon (remember me?) Alston, Ricky Brown, Gerris Wilkinson, Matt McCoy, and, whew, Quentin Moses

The asterisked players are players whose first role would be as quality special teams players. At Rams Park, Tom McMahon would be much more likely to lobby for them than Ken Flajole.

The doctor will see you now: Thomas Davis, Keith Ellison, Jamar Williams, D'Qwell Jackson, Leroy Hill, Clint Ingram, Angelo Crowell, and, of course, Pisa Tinoisamoa

Gawd no: Akeem Jordan (arrested in June after a bar fight); Antwan Barnes (traded by San Diego because he "lacked commitment to special teams"); Bobby Carpenter (self-explanatory).

RamView's move: Needless to say, the Rams are set in the middle with James Laurinaitis, who's developing into one of the best in the league. Na'il Diggs was steady on the strong side, which leaves most of the spotlight for the weak side, which was a revolving door, with neither David Vobora, Larry Grant, Bryan Kehl nor Chris Chamberlain able to lock down the role full-time. Grant appeared to peak in training camp last season, while Kehl nearly lost the Rams their home finale against San Francisco by allowing a partial punt block, the same breakdown that got him cut by the Giants. Chamberlain's one of the Rams' top special teamers, which makes his roster spot pretty safe, plus he's been game when he's been pressed into defensive duty. Vobora seems most effective as the "4th linebacker"; he's got the skill to play all three positions but hasn't stood out as a starter. He's the likeliest starting WLB on Opening Day if the Rams don't make a move.

Me, I'd prefer to make a move, and am falling more and more in line with going after Anderson, who's already got a link to the Rams since Flajole coached him in Carolina. My main concern is that he doesn't appear to have played that much Will - most recently, 6 games in 2008. But he says it's his preferred position. He's been a stud against the run, is always around the ball and would help the Rams pass defense out both in coverage and as a blitzer. And he shouldn't cost a ton - it's not even clear that Carolina's looking at him as a starter for next season, a little puzzling given his play in 2010. I'd endorse a move here, with Diles as my fallback option. Vobora and Chamberlain provide adequate-to-good depth.

Shoot the moon: For his name recognition and likeliness to get a big contract, McIntosh would be the "shoot the moon" option, though there's plenty of evidence he'd be worth a big deal. Very good playmaker, very good tackler who would help a defense out in a lot of ways. Plug him in on the weakside and stop that revolving door.

Prediction: This year is a great market for linebackers, and by hardly emphasizing the position at all in the draft, the Rams seem likely to pursue a free agent option to fill the weak side. I expect Anderson's the target, and it shouldn't be too hard to entice him here with a starting job, versus a backup or platoon role in Carolina. Don't look for the Rams to push at all costs, though. They won't break the bank for a Will, and they won't make a move for anyone who's not almost exactly who they want. After all, they improved greatly in pass rush and in defending the tight end last year with the players on hand. If Anderson's not in the cards, maybe they go after a young LB like Justin Durant or Ernie Sims with a low-risk incentive-laden deal. Either you catch lightning and that player pans out, or he sharpens Vobora up enough through the competition to make David a more viable starter. With so many options available, WLB will be a position to watch with the Rams this summer.

Up last, but certainly not least: defensive backs.

Photo: Carolina Panthers

Free agency preview: defensive line

Top 5 UFA defensive ends: 1 - Charles Johnson 2 - Ray Edwards 3 - Cullen Jenkins 4 - Jason Babin 5 - Raheem Brock

At just 24, Johnson, Julius Peppers' replacement in Carolina, already has an 11.5-sack season under his belt, but should be a top re-signing priority for the Panthers. Like Johnson, Edwards was one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL last year, with 8.5 sacks. Despite that, Minnesota's not expected to try hard to re-sign him. Jenkins' 7 sacks were very impressive for a 3-4 end. Babin came from out of nowhere with 12.5 sacks last year, but he's 31, and that nearly doubled his career sack total. Where's that been? Brock had 9 sacks for Seattle in the regular season and two more in the playoffs, and he abused Jason Smith in the division title game in week 16. But he's also 33, and has been in off-the-field trouble twice since November.

Top 5 UFA defensive tackles: 1 - Brandon Mebane 2 - Aubrayo Franklin 3 - Anthony Adams 4 - Pat Williams 5 - Barry Cofield

Based on the current rumor mill, two of the Rams' biggest rivals might be a lot easier to run on next season. Mebane's been one of Seattle's best defensive players, a fine run-clogger with some ability to penetrate upfield. The 26-year old would look perfect next to Fred Robbins. Franklin's 30, but is similarly a fine run-clogger, pocket-collapser and playmaker in the box. Neither is expected to be re-signed by their current teams at the moment. Adams is a high-motor player who worked his way into the Bears' starting lineup last year, excels at chasing plays down from the backside. Williams should still be able to get it done as a mountain-sized run-stuffer at age 38. The Giants don't seem to want Cofield back even though he's just 27, has missed just one game in his career due to injury, and is coming off his best season as a pro, with 54 tackles and 4 sacks. Gee, I wonder where an ex-Giant could find a new home for himself in this league?

Sleepers: Andre Carter had double-digit sack seasons in 2009 and 2007, then was shoved into a 3-4 OLB position in Washington. Chalk up another epic fail in the career of Jim Haslett. Carter's potentially an excellent spot pass rusher for a 4-3 team, which would use him properly.

Daniel Muir has 90 tackles the last two seasons for the Colts. He's a wide-body DT with a good motor who can both hold his ground and make plays on the move.

Ron Edwards was very solid for the Chiefs last year on the nose. He's got excellent technique and gets the grunt work done that doesn't show up on the stats page. Also over 30, though.

And for a couple of ex-Rams: Eric Moore jumped from the UFL's Florida Tuskers to the Patriots late last season, and rang up two sacks and two forced fumbles in four weeks.

Then there's, yes, Anthony Hargrove. He's not likely to be back with the Saints, who have drafted Cameron Jordan and signed Shaun Rogers (note to self: pencil in Saints for NFC rep in Super Bowl XLV). He wants to play DE anyway, and has dropped 20-25 pounds to get down to 270. If you take him for any skill as an edge pass rusher, and add that to the experience he's gained in New Orleans as a decent interior lineman, that's a skillset that would work well in Steve Spagnuolo's defense, isn't it? Essentially, Hargrove would be C.J. Ah You, except he could stop the run from an inside position, ever. Ah You and George Selvie ranked as two of the NFL's LEAST productive pass rushers, btw, so neither should be considered a mortal lock in the Rams' rotation, especially C-JAY, though I just made him a lot harder to discard now that I've figured out a cool nickname for him. C-JAY. It's all his initials, see?

Out of the running: Richard Seymour (franchised by Oakland), Shaun Rogers (signed by New Orleans), Marcus Stroud (signed by New England), Haloti Ngata (franchised by Baltimore), Paul Soliai (franchised by Miami), Brian Robison (re-signed by Minnesota), Kevin Vickerson (re-signed by Denver), Shaun Cody (re-signed by Houston), John Henderson (re-signed by Oakland), Trey Lewis (re-signed by Atlanta)

Voting present:
DE: Shaun Ellis, Dave Ball, Mark Anderson, Turk McBride, Jonathan Fanene, Jimmy Wilkerson, Ray McDonald, Marcus Spears, Jacques Cesaire, Justin Bannan, Jacob Ford, Adewale Ogunleye, Keyunta Dawson, Jeff Charleston, Tim Crowder, Jay Richardson, Jayme Mitchell, Jason Hatcher, Kedric Golston, Demetric Evans, Stephen Bowen, Ryan McBean, Dave Tollefson, Derreck Robinson, Ryan Denney, Ryon Bingham

DT: Gerard Warren, Tommie Harris, Jamal Williams, Derek Landri, Alan Branch, Leger (DOOZER) Douzable, Remi Ayodele, Gabe Watson, Nick Hayden, Nick Eason, Travis Johnson, Chris Hoke, Louis Leonard, Fred Evans, Kenyon Coleman, Thomas Johnson, Atiyyah Ellison

The doctor will see you now: Mathias Kiwanuka, Kenny Iwebema, Robaire Smith, Victor Abiamiri, Reggie Hayward, Antonio Johnson, Junior Siavii, Tim Bulman, Jared DeVries, Cliff Ryan

The financial planner will see you now: Bryan Robinson (expected to retire, ending 14-year career that started in 1997 with... the Rams, remember?); Trevor Pryce (retiring at last word); Chris Hovan (out all 2010 with back injury, already has job on local high school coaching staff for 2011); Kris Jenkins (retired 7/20/2011)

Gawd no: Tony McDaniel (assaulting his girlfriend, repeat offender); Ronald Fields (Plaxico Burress minus the self-inflicted gunshot wound); Johnny Jolly (indefinitely suspended by NFL, codeine possession); Marcus Thomas (ballooned to 340 after shoulder surgery in November, drug history from college, is always going to be trouble); Greg "Stylez" White (off my list just because "Stylez" is his doofy legal name, but he's also run afoul of Bucs HC Raheem Morris for loafing in practices); John McCargo (bust draft pick); Vernon Gholston (all-time bust draft pick); Shaun Smith (accused multiple times of grabbing opposing players' junk during games)

RamView's move: Chris Long appears to be arriving right on schedule now that he's the left end, James Hall showed he could still get it done at 33, and the Rams drafted Robert Quinn in this year's first round; no big free agency move should be necessary at DE. Plan for a good training camp roster battle between Selvie, Ah You and Kenneth Sims.

Defensive tackle's where the Rams' problems are. Robbins had a fine 2010, but like Hall, he'll be 34 this season. Gary Gibson's good enough to re-sign in free agency, but not really good enough to start. He's best used, as is Jermelle Cudjo, as a rotational guy. That's still better then Darell Dorell Scott, who I expect to become the Rams' newest draft washout this training camp. The Rams need an infusion of talent here, not just to improve their lack of depth, but also to give them a run-stuffer.

RamView would go right to the top of the class and go after Mebane, who the record will show I wanted to draft in the 2nd or 3rd round in 2007 (the Rams took Brian Leonard in the 2nd, Jonathan Wade in the 3rd; Mebane went the pick after Wade). Seattle tried to turn him into a pass rusher last season; I'd let him put 15 pounds back on and do what he does best, command double-teams and stuff the run. Remembering the Rams' record last year when they allowed over 120 rushing yards (0-7), and that their last decent run-stuffing tackle was Ryan Pickett, Mebane's exactly the kind of player they need. And he's not just stout against the run; he's quick off the ball and penetrates into the backfield well. He's just not going to chase anybody down.

Seattle fears that Mebane will be too expensive to re-sign, a very legitimate issue, and not worth the cost because he didn't prove to be a great fit in Pete Carroll's system last year. But if I'm the one wielding Stan Kroenke's checkbook, Mebane's probably the player I'm willing to write the biggest check out to this offseason. Just let him do what he does best. He's the rock against the run the Rams need, and should be able to be that guy another 5-6 years.

Shoot the moon: One new DT probably isn't enough when you get right down to it. Why not sign Mebane or Franklin as your run-stopper, and add another quality DT to keep Robbins fresh? But where could the Rams find a player who might be reasonably affordable and would fit well in their system?

Prediction: Barry Cofield has to be an odds-on favorite to be a Ram in 2011. It's not just that the Rams need a DT, and that Steve Spagnuolo's his former defensive coach; he's also pretty darn good at what he does. His sack and tackle totals last year were career highs, he's durable, he can be moved around on the line, he doesn't get run over by run-blockers, he's smart, he's only 27; what's not to like? He's not a run or pass specialist - I'd still try to add a run-stuffer - but assuming the Rams don't break the bank going after him, Cofield should be an effective boost to the Rams' talent and depth in the middle of the line.

Up next: linebacker.

Photo: Newark Star-Ledger