Training camp has broken. The Rams have a walk-through tomorrow to prepare for Saturday night's home game against the Chargers.
Not surprisingly, that game is not a sellout and will not be broadcast live in St. Louis. It will be broadcast on delay, starting at 10:30 pm. The game also re-airs three times through the week if NFL Network's online schedule is not lying: 2 am Sunday, 11 pm Monday and 11:30 am Wednesday. Boy, we got some primo time slots there. Viva TiVo!
* Steven Jackson holdout, day 21. Just to show what a waste this whole Jackson holdout has been,
here's what other people have recently done with the same $315,000 he's incurred in potential fines
because he's unhappy with a $50 million dollar contract:
He could have donated it, like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did, to help babies in Namibia;
He could have donated it for leukemia research;
He could have donated it to help the elderly pay their heating bills;
He could have used it to award college scholarships;
He could have used it to fund ovarian cancer research.
Well, I assume NFL player fines all end up in the league charity bucket anyway, so at least some good will come out of it.
* Cuts. Just one: DT Vernon Bryant. The Rams had to clear a roster spot to sign CB Tanard Davis.
* Injuries. OJ Atogwe is back on the sideline. He practiced Tuesday but his hamstring injury still hasn't completely healed. Same deal with Anthony Becht, who re-injured his hamstring. The Rams may have only two healthy safeties for Saturday night's game. Bill Coats blog
* Bernie Miklasz agrees it's about time the Rams started taking preseason games seriously.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
So what's worse?
Is it worse that Orlando Pace got dominated by Kyle Vanden Bosch in Saturday night's game,
or that Pace has pretty much dominated Chris Long all of training camp?
At first it seemed fine that Pace was taking care of Long. Orlando's supposed to make everybody he goes up against look bad.
Then Saturday night, you see (admittedly, a Pro Bowler himself) Vanden Bosch whip Pace on just about every play and make him look like a lightweight. You see that the Pace the Rams have got right now is maybe 50 or 60 percent of the Pace you were expecting (and are still hoping to get back).
What does that say about Long? He gets stonewalled by a 50% Orlando Pace all day long?
Not good. Not freaking good at all. It's starting to look like a completely wrong move to have taken the 3-4 Long and try converting him to 4-3. It's starting to look like he needs to be a stand-up pass rusher if he's ever going to see a NFL backfield. I'm seeing a run/pass platoon with him and James Hall in his immediate future. I'm not sure there's more than platooning in his long-term future, if it's in a 4-3.
It's really starting to look like I should have taken Long's 4-3 inexperience much more into account when I opined he was the perfect player for the Rams in April.
or that Pace has pretty much dominated Chris Long all of training camp?
At first it seemed fine that Pace was taking care of Long. Orlando's supposed to make everybody he goes up against look bad.
Then Saturday night, you see (admittedly, a Pro Bowler himself) Vanden Bosch whip Pace on just about every play and make him look like a lightweight. You see that the Pace the Rams have got right now is maybe 50 or 60 percent of the Pace you were expecting (and are still hoping to get back).
What does that say about Long? He gets stonewalled by a 50% Orlando Pace all day long?
Not good. Not freaking good at all. It's starting to look like a completely wrong move to have taken the 3-4 Long and try converting him to 4-3. It's starting to look like he needs to be a stand-up pass rusher if he's ever going to see a NFL backfield. I'm seeing a run/pass platoon with him and James Hall in his immediate future. I'm not sure there's more than platooning in his long-term future, if it's in a 4-3.
It's really starting to look like I should have taken Long's 4-3 inexperience much more into account when I opined he was the perfect player for the Rams in April.
Training camp headlines, 8/13
The Rams are expected to break training camp after today's 3:50-5:30 practice, so this is the last day of training camp headlines. Tomorrow's the first day of Rams headlines.
* Steven Jackson holdout day 20. "Jim Thomas" reports the two sides are starting to talk, and that the Rams' latest offer is 7 years, $50 million, $16-17 million guaranteed. Brian Westbrook just signed a 3-year, $21 million, $13 million guaranteed deal with the Eggles. "Jim Thomas" also reports that Jackson's holdout is the longest Rams player holdout of the St. Louis era.
If you're "Jim Thomas", you would say it's the longest holdout in "St. Louis" Rams history. It drives me nuts that "Jim Thomas" does that all the time. It's the printed equivalent of finger quotes. It marginalizes the city. It's a less-serious, less-respectful way of referring to the city. It's like "Jim Thomas" is making fun of St. Louis when he does that. So until "Jim Thomas" quits putting quotes around St. Louis, he's "Jim Thomas" around here.
I'd again argue Jackson's getting lowballed, although supposedly the two sides have never been that far apart. "Jim Thomas"'s article puts four-year statistics for Jackson and LaDainian Tomlinson side by side, to make the case that Jackson isn't worth LT's $8 million a year.
Except the salary cap has changed a LOT since LT got that contract. I've done the math before; pro-rated, it's worth $11 million a year today. If the Rams don't think Jackson is even 2/3 the player Tomlinson is, maybe they -should- have drafted Darren McFadden, instead of offering Jackson a lengthy contract. "Jim Thomas" points out the increased risk of injury of players who hold out, citing Dick Vermeil on the subject. Great - Jackson's already far from the NFL's most durable player, and now, if he signs a seven-year deal, what does he care if he's out of shape or injured this season as a result of holding out? Jackson would have had much more urgency to show up if we were talking about a 3-year deal like Westbrook's. The Rams would prefer to have Jackson signed throughout his prime years. Then again, a short deal means we're all going through this all over again when Jackson's 28 and his earning peak.
So despite my previous calculations, the Rams' offer to Jackson right now is more than fair, considering the goodwill he's screwed away and the likelihood this season will be tainted injury- or fitness-wise because he didn't honor his existing contract and therefore has not bargained in good faith. The Rams shouldn't put themselves on the hook for a season that Jackson himself has tainted. If he protested his contract situation by actually shooting himself in the foot, would you be offering him a big, lengthy deal?
Me either. I'd be offering something like 4 years, $30 million, give him his $20 million guaranteed, take this or leave it.
And I'd be drafting a RB high in 2012.
Also, Jackson's fine cracks the $300,000 mark today. You can buy some pretty sweet threads for that.
* The Rams signed another smurf, 5'9" 184-lb CB Tanard Davis. Well, they had to do something - they're so thin at CB right now, they're practicing with Derek Stanley at corner. He's no Troy Brown.
More as new news or observations surface.
* Steven Jackson holdout day 20. "Jim Thomas" reports the two sides are starting to talk, and that the Rams' latest offer is 7 years, $50 million, $16-17 million guaranteed. Brian Westbrook just signed a 3-year, $21 million, $13 million guaranteed deal with the Eggles. "Jim Thomas" also reports that Jackson's holdout is the longest Rams player holdout of the St. Louis era.
If you're "Jim Thomas", you would say it's the longest holdout in "St. Louis" Rams history. It drives me nuts that "Jim Thomas" does that all the time. It's the printed equivalent of finger quotes. It marginalizes the city. It's a less-serious, less-respectful way of referring to the city. It's like "Jim Thomas" is making fun of St. Louis when he does that. So until "Jim Thomas" quits putting quotes around St. Louis, he's "Jim Thomas" around here.
I'd again argue Jackson's getting lowballed, although supposedly the two sides have never been that far apart. "Jim Thomas"'s article puts four-year statistics for Jackson and LaDainian Tomlinson side by side, to make the case that Jackson isn't worth LT's $8 million a year.
Except the salary cap has changed a LOT since LT got that contract. I've done the math before; pro-rated, it's worth $11 million a year today. If the Rams don't think Jackson is even 2/3 the player Tomlinson is, maybe they -should- have drafted Darren McFadden, instead of offering Jackson a lengthy contract. "Jim Thomas" points out the increased risk of injury of players who hold out, citing Dick Vermeil on the subject. Great - Jackson's already far from the NFL's most durable player, and now, if he signs a seven-year deal, what does he care if he's out of shape or injured this season as a result of holding out? Jackson would have had much more urgency to show up if we were talking about a 3-year deal like Westbrook's. The Rams would prefer to have Jackson signed throughout his prime years. Then again, a short deal means we're all going through this all over again when Jackson's 28 and his earning peak.
So despite my previous calculations, the Rams' offer to Jackson right now is more than fair, considering the goodwill he's screwed away and the likelihood this season will be tainted injury- or fitness-wise because he didn't honor his existing contract and therefore has not bargained in good faith. The Rams shouldn't put themselves on the hook for a season that Jackson himself has tainted. If he protested his contract situation by actually shooting himself in the foot, would you be offering him a big, lengthy deal?
Me either. I'd be offering something like 4 years, $30 million, give him his $20 million guaranteed, take this or leave it.
And I'd be drafting a RB high in 2012.
Also, Jackson's fine cracks the $300,000 mark today. You can buy some pretty sweet threads for that.
* The Rams signed another smurf, 5'9" 184-lb CB Tanard Davis. Well, they had to do something - they're so thin at CB right now, they're practicing with Derek Stanley at corner. He's no Troy Brown.
More as new news or observations surface.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Training camp headlines, 8/12
Today is the final day of two-a-days up in Mequon, with practices scheduled for 8:45 and 4:00. The final practice of training camp is tomorrow at 3:50.
* Steven Jackson holdout day 19. Brian Burwell tries to find a way to broker peace between Jackson and Jay Zygmunt. Meanwhile, Jackson's $285,000 fine is going to make it hard for him to buy these Shoeless Joe Jackson baseball cards for Christmas.
* The writers are getting restless. In an interview on "Team 1380" yesterday, Jim Thomas awesomely said he would make the first-team offense stay on the field Saturday night until they get into the endzone. Asked about the starting offense's failure to score a TD in two-plus preseasons under Linehan, Thomas said, "Preseason or not, it's pretty damn embarrassing."
Pretty harsh words from your team's beat writer, who as usual, is right again. Bill Coats repeats and endorses the idea in his blog, adding that Chris Long and Adam Carriker, who had no tackles between them against Tennessee (or, as Howard Balzer's pointed out, two less than the French guy, Sebastian Sejean), ought to be left in the game until they start to make some plays.
I love it. At least -somebody's- getting sick of this team's poor level of play.
* Injury report. Victor Adeyanju and Donnie Avery returned to practice yesterday on schedule.
* Former Ram update. Adam Archuleta has been signed by the Raiders to a one-year contract. Oakland made the move trying to improve their safety depth, but may also try Archuleta out at strong side linebacker. Ironically, Oakland's the team Rams fans were afraid would snatch Archuleta away if the Rams didn't nab him at #20 in the first round of the 2001 draft.
More here as news dictates.
* Steven Jackson holdout day 19. Brian Burwell tries to find a way to broker peace between Jackson and Jay Zygmunt. Meanwhile, Jackson's $285,000 fine is going to make it hard for him to buy these Shoeless Joe Jackson baseball cards for Christmas.
* The writers are getting restless. In an interview on "Team 1380" yesterday, Jim Thomas awesomely said he would make the first-team offense stay on the field Saturday night until they get into the endzone. Asked about the starting offense's failure to score a TD in two-plus preseasons under Linehan, Thomas said, "Preseason or not, it's pretty damn embarrassing."
Pretty harsh words from your team's beat writer, who as usual, is right again. Bill Coats repeats and endorses the idea in his blog, adding that Chris Long and Adam Carriker, who had no tackles between them against Tennessee (or, as Howard Balzer's pointed out, two less than the French guy, Sebastian Sejean), ought to be left in the game until they start to make some plays.
I love it. At least -somebody's- getting sick of this team's poor level of play.
* Injury report. Victor Adeyanju and Donnie Avery returned to practice yesterday on schedule.
* Former Ram update. Adam Archuleta has been signed by the Raiders to a one-year contract. Oakland made the move trying to improve their safety depth, but may also try Archuleta out at strong side linebacker. Ironically, Oakland's the team Rams fans were afraid would snatch Archuleta away if the Rams didn't nab him at #20 in the first round of the 2001 draft.
More here as news dictates.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Training camp headlines, 8/11
The Rams have one practice on the schedule for today, at 3:50. If you got to see Saturday night's fiasco, though, you're probably thinking along with me that the Rams need to switch to eight-a-days.
* Steven Jackson holdout day 18. Did Saturday night's starting offense debacle add to Jackson's negotiating position? I have my doubts, though I'm willing to bet Randy McMichael will welcome him back home (if he ever comes back) with the most enthusiasm, because he may not get to even run any pass routes this season otherwise. I think he was targeted once Saturday night, and Ram TEs had no catches.
Meanwhile, here's a motorcycle Jackson could have bought with his $270,000 instead of being an idiot, violating his contract and needlessly ringing up 18 days' worth of fines.
* Reporting for the Department of the Obvious, Jim Thomas says the Ram defense has work to do against the run. Yeah, just a little. One correction to RamView shows the Ram defense wasn't as bad as I thought Saturday: they gave up just 340 rushing yards, not 343. My total was before Tennessee's two kneeldowns to end the game.
* COME BACK DICKIE! Dick Vermeil was a surprise visitor to training camp. The job is all yours any time you want it back, Coach. Bill Coats blog
* As for Linehan, he thought Orlando Pace "looked fine" against the Titans. Yes, compared to Dwayne "the Road Grader" White, OP looked juuuust fine. Linehan also says the starters will work "considerably more" next Saturday against the Chargers. What they did Saturday night counted as "work"? Nick Wagoner blog
* Injury report. The worst injury of the season, because he was really coming on, was Justin King's ligament injury Saturday night to his left big toe, because it requires surgery and will finish his 2008 season before it ever starts. Other injuries: Brandon Gorin will miss up to two weeks due to a slight right rotator cuff tear, and the usually-injured Jerome Carter will be day-to-day due to a strained groin. Brett Romberg was MRI'ed and they found a broken bone in his right hand but he's playing through it. Both Donnie Avery and OJ Atogwe are expected to return to practice this week.
* Steven Jackson holdout day 18. Did Saturday night's starting offense debacle add to Jackson's negotiating position? I have my doubts, though I'm willing to bet Randy McMichael will welcome him back home (if he ever comes back) with the most enthusiasm, because he may not get to even run any pass routes this season otherwise. I think he was targeted once Saturday night, and Ram TEs had no catches.
Meanwhile, here's a motorcycle Jackson could have bought with his $270,000 instead of being an idiot, violating his contract and needlessly ringing up 18 days' worth of fines.
* Reporting for the Department of the Obvious, Jim Thomas says the Ram defense has work to do against the run. Yeah, just a little. One correction to RamView shows the Ram defense wasn't as bad as I thought Saturday: they gave up just 340 rushing yards, not 343. My total was before Tennessee's two kneeldowns to end the game.
* COME BACK DICKIE! Dick Vermeil was a surprise visitor to training camp. The job is all yours any time you want it back, Coach. Bill Coats blog
* As for Linehan, he thought Orlando Pace "looked fine" against the Titans. Yes, compared to Dwayne "the Road Grader" White, OP looked juuuust fine. Linehan also says the starters will work "considerably more" next Saturday against the Chargers. What they did Saturday night counted as "work"? Nick Wagoner blog
* Injury report. The worst injury of the season, because he was really coming on, was Justin King's ligament injury Saturday night to his left big toe, because it requires surgery and will finish his 2008 season before it ever starts. Other injuries: Brandon Gorin will miss up to two weeks due to a slight right rotator cuff tear, and the usually-injured Jerome Carter will be day-to-day due to a strained groin. Brett Romberg was MRI'ed and they found a broken bone in his right hand but he's playing through it. Both Donnie Avery and OJ Atogwe are expected to return to practice this week.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Training camp headlines, 8/9
Some quick notes before I return headlong into the Preseason Challenge - and Google better fucking not eat this post again...
Rams vs. Titans tonight, 7:00 from LP Field in Nashville.
I'm shooting to have RamView for the game out tomorrow morning.
* Another day of the Steven Jackson holdout. It's day 16, and his potential total fine is upwards of $240,000 now, which, if you're Barack and Michelle Obama, is a year's worth of charitable donations; or, if you're Britney Spears, it's a year's worth of child support payments to K-Fed.
* Today's game:
Scott Linehan plans to play the starters for a quarter. He really wants to, and needs to, set the tone early. Things to watch: Nick Wagoner
Orlando Pace will play, most likely a series or two. Adam Goldberg backs him up, so he's really second-string, to correct myself from an old post.
Donnie Avery won't play but we can probably expect to see him in St. Louis next week. Anthony Becht is also out, along with OJ Atogwe, Fakhir Brown and Victor Adeyanju. Brett Romberg will start at center. Will Witherspoon may not play due to a shoulder injury from earlier in the week, but that injury is not considered serious. Antonio Pittman may be limited due to a thigh injury, so expect plenty of Travis Minor and Lance Ball.
Trent Green may not play in favor of giving Brock Berlin and Bruce Gradkowski plenty of reps.
Tonight's a big night for Ron Bartell, who Wagoner reports is "still searching for consistency". The time is now for Bartell to, in the immortal words of Dick Vermeil, poop or get off the pot.
* Pete Prisco is enthused about the Ram defense and picks them to win the NFC West. After watching them last night, I'm sticking with Seattle for the time being.
* Around the league: I need a new crystal ball; Chad Pennington was signed by the Dolphins. Charlie Batch broke his right collarbone taking on a tackler at the end of a run last night and will be out at least four weeks.
Rams vs. Titans tonight, 7:00 from LP Field in Nashville.
I'm shooting to have RamView for the game out tomorrow morning.
* Another day of the Steven Jackson holdout. It's day 16, and his potential total fine is upwards of $240,000 now, which, if you're Barack and Michelle Obama, is a year's worth of charitable donations; or, if you're Britney Spears, it's a year's worth of child support payments to K-Fed.
* Today's game:
Scott Linehan plans to play the starters for a quarter. He really wants to, and needs to, set the tone early. Things to watch: Nick Wagoner
Orlando Pace will play, most likely a series or two. Adam Goldberg backs him up, so he's really second-string, to correct myself from an old post.
Donnie Avery won't play but we can probably expect to see him in St. Louis next week. Anthony Becht is also out, along with OJ Atogwe, Fakhir Brown and Victor Adeyanju. Brett Romberg will start at center. Will Witherspoon may not play due to a shoulder injury from earlier in the week, but that injury is not considered serious. Antonio Pittman may be limited due to a thigh injury, so expect plenty of Travis Minor and Lance Ball.
Trent Green may not play in favor of giving Brock Berlin and Bruce Gradkowski plenty of reps.
Tonight's a big night for Ron Bartell, who Wagoner reports is "still searching for consistency". The time is now for Bartell to, in the immortal words of Dick Vermeil, poop or get off the pot.
* Pete Prisco is enthused about the Ram defense and picks them to win the NFC West. After watching them last night, I'm sticking with Seattle for the time being.
* Around the league: I need a new crystal ball; Chad Pennington was signed by the Dolphins. Charlie Batch broke his right collarbone taking on a tackler at the end of a run last night and will be out at least four weeks.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Training camp headlines 8/8
The Rams have a closed practice at LP Field in Nashville this afternoon. They play their first preseason game against the Titans there tomorrow night at 7:00.
* Jackson holdout day 15. Howard Balzer reports on insidestl.com this morning that Steven Jackson may be looking for a new agent AGAIN. If Jackson fires Eugene Parker, he has to wait five days, or $75,000, before hiring a new agent. The article also suggests that the catalyst behind Jackson's holdout may be... HIS SISTER, Rhonda.
Last week I would have suggested Jackson was worth $9 million a year. Well, I wouldn't ever suggest the Rams spend that kind of money on a guy with a 9-cent brain.
Steven needs to get his ass in camp now, and be happy the Rams have offered him any kind of competitive offer. As for Rhonda, I'd request she keep the hell out of negotiations. Her brother has rung up $225,000 in fines taking her advice, the retirement medical bill for the typical couple retiring this year.
No doubt she'll have advice for Steven when that comes, too.
* Marc Bulger to play two series tomorrow night. That's all he played the first week of preseason last year, going 6-7-42 with a pick. Linehan's not exactly keeping his promise to play Bulger more this preseason, but let's see if he gets more reps weeks 2-4. Drew Brees only played one series last night, and Matt Leinart played a couple, so two series for Bulger is probably standard for week 1 of preseason. Myself, I'd use Bulger more. No rust September 7.
* Trending up: Adam Goldberg, who seems really charged up by the fighting with Kyle Vanden Bosch on Wednesday.
* Trending down: Drew Bennett, who dropped two passes and blew a TD pass he should have caught. So, he's back to regular-season form, then.
* Around the league: Prediction: Chad Pennington, displaced by the Jets as a result of the BFF trade, will end up in - New England. Rationale: Belichick has no confidence in Matt Cassell backing up Brady, and he could basically get the Jet playbook from Pennington without having to resort to any camera trickery. And the move would reunite Pennington with college teammate Randy Moss...
* Jackson holdout day 15. Howard Balzer reports on insidestl.com this morning that Steven Jackson may be looking for a new agent AGAIN. If Jackson fires Eugene Parker, he has to wait five days, or $75,000, before hiring a new agent. The article also suggests that the catalyst behind Jackson's holdout may be... HIS SISTER, Rhonda.
Last week I would have suggested Jackson was worth $9 million a year. Well, I wouldn't ever suggest the Rams spend that kind of money on a guy with a 9-cent brain.
Steven needs to get his ass in camp now, and be happy the Rams have offered him any kind of competitive offer. As for Rhonda, I'd request she keep the hell out of negotiations. Her brother has rung up $225,000 in fines taking her advice, the retirement medical bill for the typical couple retiring this year.
No doubt she'll have advice for Steven when that comes, too.
* Marc Bulger to play two series tomorrow night. That's all he played the first week of preseason last year, going 6-7-42 with a pick. Linehan's not exactly keeping his promise to play Bulger more this preseason, but let's see if he gets more reps weeks 2-4. Drew Brees only played one series last night, and Matt Leinart played a couple, so two series for Bulger is probably standard for week 1 of preseason. Myself, I'd use Bulger more. No rust September 7.
* Trending up: Adam Goldberg, who seems really charged up by the fighting with Kyle Vanden Bosch on Wednesday.
* Trending down: Drew Bennett, who dropped two passes and blew a TD pass he should have caught. So, he's back to regular-season form, then.
* Around the league: Prediction: Chad Pennington, displaced by the Jets as a result of the BFF trade, will end up in - New England. Rationale: Belichick has no confidence in Matt Cassell backing up Brady, and he could basically get the Jet playbook from Pennington without having to resort to any camera trickery. And the move would reunite Pennington with college teammate Randy Moss...
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