Rams News

"If you listen closely, you can almost hear pads and helmets slamming together as NFL training camps shift into gear around the country. Already, 18 of the league%u2019s 32 teams have gathered at their respective sites. The Rams will practice for the first time Friday, with players due to report today at Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. The Jets got the early jump; they started July 16. The last camps will open Monday, when the Bengals, Packers, Redskins and Steelers assemble. The first preseason game is Aug. 3 (Colts at 'Skins), and the regular season gets under way Sept. 4 (%u2019Skins at Giants). So, nearly six months after the Giants stunned the unbeaten Patriots in the Super Bowl, ..."

"You can talk all you want about coaching, schemes and strategy, but on Sunday afternoons it's all about players making plays. Plain and simple. More often than not, the teams with the difference-makers at key positions are the teams that win. The Rams have several potential difference-makers on their roster, and several past Pro Bowlers. But will they come through in 2008? If they do, the club will improve markedly on the 3-13 train wreck of a year ago. If they don't? Well, cover your eyes and duck. As the team convenes for the start of training camp, there are at least eight players who must be elite %u2014 or close to it %u2014 for the club to succeed this fall. QB Marc Bulger It's ..."

"The Rams agreed to terms Wednesday afternoon with cornerback Justin King, a fourth-round draft pick from Penn State. It's a three-year deal; financial terms weren't immediately available. With King under contract, only second-round draft pick Donnie Avery, the wide receiver from the University of Houston, remains unsigned among the Rams' 2008 draft class. Reporting day is Thursday for training camp in Mequon, Wis., with the first practice scheduled Friday at Concordia University Wisconsin."

"Allen Prochnow was sitting at home reading the newspaper last spring when he read an article about the Rams looking for a training camp site in Wisconsin."I decided, 'Gosh, I'd like to have them here at Concordia. What a wonderful opportunity,' " said Prochnow, the executive vice president and chief operating officer at Concordia University in suburban Milwaukee.Simple as that."The next day I came to work and talked to our president, got things going," Prochnow said. One thing led to another, and shortly after the NFL draft, the Rams announced they would train in Mequon, Wis., home of Concordia."

"The dollars would be big, Chris Long realized. Yet when the papers were slid in front of him Tuesday afternoon at Rams Park, Long couldn't help being slightly dazed."I can't comprehend those numbers," said Long, the Rams' first-round draft choice in April. "I can't grasp what all those numbers really mean on a day-to-day basis." Those numbers? Long's contract covers six years — the final year is a club option — and is worth $56.5 million. Of that total, $29 million is guaranteed.Despite his temporary bewilderment, Long didn't hesitate before signing on the dotted line."

"Seventh-round draft pick David Vobora reached agreement Tuesday with the Rams on a three-year deal. He was designated "Mr. Irrelevant" because he was the last selection in the 252-man draft. Vobora, a linebacker from the University of Idaho, was the guest of honor at "Irrelevant Week" festivities last month in Newport Beach, Calif., an annual event since 1976.The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Vobora is the sixth of the Rams' eight draftees to come to terms. Wide receiver Donnie Avery (second round) and cornerback Justin King (fourth) remain unsigned one day before players are to report to training camp at Concordia University in Mequon, Wis."

"Only the Chiefs, who have been in River Falls since 1991, and the Cowboys, who train in Oxnard, Calif., held camp at so-called remote locales, far removed from their natural fan base. But now, as the 2008 season is upon us, the Rams have reversed the league-wide trend. After training at their year-round facility in Earth City the past three summers, the club said "Cheese" (League).The team reports to Concordia University Wisconsin on Thursday in Mequon, a suburb of Milwaukee."I guess the general theme for the team is we want to do things different than we did a year ago," coach Scott Linehan said. "It doesn't mean that (training at home) was the reason for the way things went a ..."

"The Rams announced Tuesday afternoon that they had reached terms with seventh-round pick David Vobora, Mr. Irrelevant from the 2008 NFL Draft, on a three-year contract. Terms of the deal were not released.The linebacker was drafted by the Rams out of the University of Idaho with the 252nd pick, and last, pick of the 2008 NFL Draft -- a distinction that typically carries the title of "Mr. Irrelevant"."

"Scott Linehan looked over his shoulder Monday afternoon just in time to see a huge moving van — an 18-wheeler — squeeze out of the parking lot at Rams Park."I hope they've got my stuff in there," Linehan quipped.They better. Save for his phone, a pen or two, and some old playbooks, Linehan's office in Earth City is cleared out. Everything else is en route to Mequon, Wis., for the start of Rams training camp this week at Concordia University.After the annual summer lull, the pace is picking up at Rams Park. After several weeks off to recharge the batteries, the coaching staff officially returns to work today."

"The Rams have agreed to terms with former Tulsa linebacker Chris Chamberlain, a seventh-round draft pick, on a three-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.That development came a day after their first-round selection, defensive end Chris Long, agreed to a five-year deal, with an option for a sixth year. Long’s financial terms also have not been made public.With the start of training camp four days away, three of the team’s eight draftees are without a contract: wide receiver Donnie Avery (second), cornerback Justin King (fourth) and linebacker David Vobora (seventh)."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"What: Rams training campWhen: Friday thru Aug. 14Where: Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. (just north of downtown Milwaukee, about 395 miles from St. Louis)"

"After limping through last season with a debilitating big-toe injury that eventually required surgery, veteran defensive end Leonard Little appears to have regained his burst. If Little can approach the form he displayed while averaging double-figure sack totals over six seasons, the defense will get a big boost."

"The Rams on Saturday reached a contract agreement with Chris Long, the No. 2 overall selection in April’s NFL draft. Terms of the deal were not immediately available, although coach Scott Linehan indicated that it covers at least five years. The deal, which Long is expected to sign early next week, guarantees that the 6-foot-3, 279-pound defensive end from the University of Virginia, will join his teammates when they report to Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., on Thursday. Practices begin Friday."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"If he wants to play, and still has the talent to play at a high level (and his performance last season certainly suggests he can), and if the Packers don't want him to play for them, he should not be forced to sit on Green Bay's bench or stay in retirement. It does the NFL no good to have one of its greatest players forced out of the game, and Commissioner Roger Goodell is surely smart enough to know that. If the Packers have moved on, they should give Favre an unconditional release and allow him to play out the final years of his career with any other team that wants him, even if that team happens to be in Green Bay's division."

"After meeting for a second time with Chris Long's agent, Rams executive Jay Zygmunt said he foresees no snags in the negotiations that would make the team's first-round draft pick late for training camp."We remain very optimistic that we're going to be able to get everything worked out and that Chris will be in camp on time," Zygmunt said after talks with agent Marvin Demoff on Monday in Los Angeles. "Marvin expressed how important that is to Chris, and we expressed how important it is to the Rams.""

"Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom confirmed Monday evening that the team has hired a Baltimore firm that specializes in sports investments. But not, Rosenbloom insisted, for the reason that was reported earlier in the day.Rosenbloom said Moag"

"A story Monday in the weekly SportsBusiness Journal reported that Moag"

"Pundits predict a huge season in St. Louis for Steven Jackson this fall. If it happens, the Rams' running back out of Oregon State could command a new contract commensurate with that of the best at his position in the NFL. But Jackson won't be playing Muhammad Ali, as he did a year ago, when he told reporters his goal was to gain 2,500 yards from scrimmage. Jackson missed four games due to a groin injury and fell far short of his goal with a St. Louis team that finished an embarrassing 3-13."

"Former University of Kentucky receiver Keenan Burton said he has reached a three-year deal with the St. Louis Rams. The former Manual High School star said his agent, Todd France, finished the deal Thursday and added that he believes the contract is worth more than $1 million. Burton was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in April."

"Fakhir Brown's minimum goal for the 2008 season is to play a full 16 games, something he has done only once previously in an eight-year NFL career that has included stops in San Diego, New Orleans and St. Louis.For a while this offseason, he was concerned that he would miss all 16 games for failing to meet NFL drug-testing standards. League and team officials normally don't comment on such matters, but Brown told the Post-Dispatch on Friday that he has received a reprieve of sorts after meeting with league attorneys and officials."

"The Rams have agreed to terms with fourth-round pick Keenan Burton on a three-year contract, according to the team?s website. Financial details were not announced. Neither the Rams nor Burton?s agent returned calls Thursday.Burton, a wide receiver selected 128th overall, played in 33 games at Kentucky, but wrist, knee, foot and ankle injuries could have affected his value in the draft. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder amassed 182 receptions, fourth on Kentucky?s career list, and also was a kick returner starting with his junior season."

"After 12 NFL seasons, six of which concluded with Pro Bowl trips, La'Roi Glover could have festooned his home with all sorts of football mementos.But he didn't. Glover wanted just one thing on display. He'd picked out a space on the wall in his office. He'd bought a frame. All he needed was the piece of paper to place in it.The piece of paper that declared La'Roi Glover a college graduate. "I didn't feel complete," explained Glover, a Rams defensive tackle. "I really wanted to finish and get my degree.""

"La'Roi Glover is one of the great test cases. Because he was going to have problems making it. He was going to be too small to play defensive tackle in the NFL. And, if that didn't happen, then what? He was without a college degree, falling several credits short when he left San Diego State. As it turns out, the "then what" question has been answered. He's a role model. By sheer will, La'Roi Glover has become one of this town's most inspiring athletic success stories."

"The rival San Francisco 49ers have beaten out the Rams for the services of veteran offensive lineman Barry Sims. On Monday, Sims agreed to a two-year free-agent deal with the Niners. Financial terms were not disclosed.Sims, 33, started 119 games, mostly at left tackle, in nine seasons with Oakland before the Raiders released him Feb. 29. He met with coach Scott Linehan, offensive coordinator Al Saunders and offensive line coach Steven Loney on June 13 at Rams Park."

"Everything about Steven Jackson is outsized. He laughs big, he runs big, and oh, my goodness, he talks big.When the Rams' all-pro running back talks, the truth tends to come out of his mouth in all of its unfiltered, sometimes uncomfortable glory. I happen to like that about him, for what his unsettling words usually lack in diplomacy, they more than make up for with disturbing spot-on honesty. Since arriving in town four years ago, the man with the flowing dreadlocks has readily spoken his mind about his playing time, his uneasy coexistence with Marshall Faulk, his public image, his desire for greatness and his underachieving teammates. Much to the mortification of the team's ..."

"Jeff Horton, the former quarterbacks coach under Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin, knows Wisconsin and football. And that’s why Horton, who is a special assistant to St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan, is excited about the team conducting training camp at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon beginning July 24. “We went to a lot of different places,” Horton said Wednesday. “This was the best place, and part of the reason is the kind of football fans you have here. We know about the (Green Bay) Packers’ following, but this is a good football place.” Horton was in Milwaukee on Wednesday to go over final preparations for the Rams’ visit."

"Of the Rams' last 10 seventh-round picks before the draft this past April, only two remain with the team ? guard Mark Setterstrom (2006) and wide receiver Derek Stanley (2007). That number could double this year.The Rams took the University of Idaho's David Vobora with the last selection in the 252-player draft after choosing Tulsa's Chris Chamberlain 24 picks earlier.Both are 22-year-old linebackers with plenty of special-teams experience. And the Rams, who had just five linebackers on the roster heading into the draft, are looking for help in both areas."

"The Rams have begun to reel in their 2008 draft picks.Third-round choice John Greco, a tackle from Toledo, signed a three-year contract this afternoon.Fifth-rounder Roy Schuening, a guard from Oregon State, signed a three-year deal earlier in the day.Financial terms were not disclosedGreco and Schuening are the first of the team?s eight selections to join the fold."

"Less than two years ago, rookie Bruce Gradkowski was opening eyes as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starting quarterback. Now, he's fighting for a job as the Rams' third-stringer. "It's tough, but that's how it goes," Gradkowski said Thursday after organized team activities concluded at Rams Park. "I just look at it as, I was very fortunate to play as a rookie. A lot of young guys don't get thrown into action that fast.""

"On a blustery day in late March, when the Rams gathered for the start of their offseason conditioning program, the sting of a 3-13 record had dulled somewhat. But the ache of their wrenching 2007 season persisted.Now, as the team prepares for its pre-training camp break, the mind-set has been redirected, according to coach Scott Linehan."It's easy to say, 'Hey, forget about last year, focus on this year.' But getting them to do it ..." Linehan said. "Our players have made a concerted effort to embrace that concept and really focus on what's good about getting to the 2008 season, and not on what we've got to do to make amends for the 2007 season.""

"Veteran defensive lineman Barry Sims is scheduled to visit Rams Park on Friday. Sims, 33, started 119 games, mostly at left tackle, in nine seasons with Oakland before the Raiders released him Feb. 29.The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Sims was signed by Oakland during training camp in 1999 as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Utah. He wound up starting 10 games that season and became a full-time starter in 2001. Sims met with 49ers officials earlier this week and also plans to make stops at Baltimore and New England."

"Veteran defensive lineman Barry Sims is scheduled to visit Rams Park on Friday. Sims, 33, started 119 games, mostly at left tackle, in nine seasons with Oakland before the Raiders released him Feb. 29.The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Sims was signed by Oakland during training camp in 1999 as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Utah. He wound up starting 10 games that season and became a full-time starter in 2001. Sims met with 49ers officials earlier this week and also plans to make stops at Baltimore and New England."

"The Rams have released one undrafted tight end and replaced him with another. Doug Jones, a rookie from Cincinnati, was cut, and his spot on the roster went to Nick Cleaver, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound New Mexico State product."

"The Titans and St. Louis Rams have finalized an agreement to practice together in Nashville leading up to their Aug. 9 preseason opener at LP Field. Details will be released soon, but the teams are expected to hold multiple practices at Baptist Sports Park in MetroCenter, probably Aug. 6-7. The practices will be open to the public."

"The Rams have obtained the rights to former Tampa Bay quarterback Bruce Gradkowski by claiming him off waivers. Gradkowski, 25, is expected to replace Brock Berlin as the No. 3 quarterback behind Marc Bulger and Trent Green. Gradkowski, 6 feet 1 and 220 pounds, played in 17 games over two seasons for the Buccaneers, including 11 starts last year. The Bucs' roster included a six-quarterback logjam, and Gradkowski was released May 30. He was a sixth?round draft choice in 2006 out of Toledo."

"Rams coach Scott Linehan reminded us that offensive linemen don't really battle for jobs during the organized team activities.These are voluntary sessions, after all. The players wear shorts in the workout. Physicality is not a factor. The players aren't beating on each other just yet. We're practicing right now, Linehan said after Thursday's session at Rams Park. We're not really competing. But the Rams offensive picture DID change this week. Here is how the unit shaped up at Rams Park:"

"The reshuffling of the Rams' offensive line continues. Mark Setterstrom has been moved back to guard after an audition at center, and Richie Incognito, the first-team right guard last season, returns to center, where he started 12 games in 2006."

"Last year, the Rams were forced to reshuffle their offensive line several times because of injuries. Now, they're doing it voluntarily.As of Tuesday, the start of the penultimate week of organized team activities at Rams Park, Mark Setterstrom was back at guard and Richie Incognito had returned to center."I was a little surprised," Incognito said. "I had a really solid first two weeks at guard. They said they were going to keep me at guard through OTAs. But center was always a possibility.""

"How often does an NFL player struggle through a decidedly subpar season, then get promoted? That's what has happened to Rams wide receiver Drew Bennett, and he's itching to justify the move.Bennett, who signed a six-year, $30 million free-agent deal last year, joins Torry Holt in the starting lineup after the February release of 35-year-old Isaac Bruce."

"When Alex Smith ran into St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger at the Super Bowl in February, the two didn't treat each other like division rivals or enemy combatants. Instead, they sat and talked. "There's a unique understanding of what the job entails," Smith said Monday of what he described as the "common bond" of being an NFL quarterback. "You kind of learn to appreciate each other.""

"Irked that his hottest new prospect turned the wrong way during a drill at Rams Park, defensive line coach Brian Baker marched up to Chris Long and spread his arms."Does this look like Virginia to you?" Baker blurted. "This is the NFL." So goes the early ripening of the No. 2 overall selection in April's draft. Long, a 6-foot-3, 279-pound defensive end out of the University of Virginia, is getting pounded left and right ? more mentally than physically ? as the Rams rush to bring him up to speed."We've thrown a lot at Chris, and that was the objective," said coach Scott Linehan"

"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has worked hard to bring his players' behavior under control. Or at least as much under control as possible. Now, he is turning his attention to fan behavior, saying last week he is working with teams on ways to bring out-of-line fans in line and make games more enjoyable for all fans. Details of how the commish plans to do this are forthcoming, but we thought we'd offer our help in the form of these 10 recommendations:"

"If St. Louis intends to meet its lease agreement by providing the Rams with a venue that ranks in the top 25 percent of the NFL by 2015, the city — and the taxpayers — must commit to building a state-of-the-art stadium. One in which the cost could hit 10 figures. So says Convention and Visitors Commission Chairman Dan Dierdorf publicly, as do several other principals privately."

"Contractually, the Rams are eventually going to need a new stadium or at a bare minimum a wildly upgraded current one — if St. Louis hopes to keep Rams ownership from at least a predictable serious flirtation with another city. How well this city deals with the stadium issue will provide us with the answer to whether yet another NFL franchise will be bolting the Mississippi riverfront and heading off to another city. That's a fact, not a debate. It's something everyone knows, but no one really wants to talk about because quite frankly, we're all afraid of the potential answers...They need to get good in a hurry and stay good for a long time. They need to provide an entertaining and ..."

"Nothing has come easy in the NFL for the Rams' Brett Romberg, a highly decorated center at the University of Miami. And now he has another fight on his hands. "There's always something," said Romberg, who wasn't drafted, began his career on Jacksonville's practice squad and didn't start a game until his fourth year in the league. "There's always somebody ready to come in and test your will." This time, it's third-year pro Mark Setterstrom, a former guard who is challenging Romberg for the first-team job at center. The position has been in flux since Andy McCollum suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2006 opener after 97 consecutive starts."

"Rams guard Richie Incognito must become less conspicuous to NFL officials. He has repeatedly hurt his team by earning untimely personal foul penalties. “It’s just a growing and maturation process,” Incognito said Thursday afternoon at Rams Park, after the team’s last OTA session of the week. “You just have to know when to choke it back. Some of the stuff is real close. Some of the stuff, the whistle blew . . . I’m playing hard, sometimes I don’t hear the whistle. “A lot of the stuff is stupid, ticky-tack on my end that I need to cut out of my game to be a better football player.”"

"If the Rams and the NFL were pieces of a movie plot, Chip Rosenbloom would utilize his talents as a screenwriter, producer and director and script a happy ending. And as the credits roll, the St. Louis audience would stand in applause. But this isn't a movie. This is reality. There are no heroes or villains, either. Just two sincere people — Chip and his sister, Lucia Rodriguez — who are struggling to do the right thing for everybody, including the fans of St. Louis."

"Romance wanes. Marriages routinely end in divorce. Rams fans must be aware of, and wary of, the Yahoo! Sports report that this team is for sale. Fans in this region should be concerned that former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo openly discussed the potential sale and return to SoCal. DeBartolo had this to say to the author of the Yahoo! report, Michael Silver: “I know that they are definitely in play. Georgia's kids have decided to sell the team. I've talked to some people who are brokering things, and they've told me about the price and what the deal might entail."