SB Nation - James Hall

Chris Williams: Left Tackle

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:19 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Sunday saw the long anticipated debut of 2008 first round (#14 overall) draft pick Chris Williams at left tackle for the Bears. He had a chance to play against another member of that draft class, number 2 overall selection to the St. Louis Rams, defensive end Chris Long. Long picked up a sack, but overall, how did Williams fare? I'll try and dissect his game against the Rams and look at why he's a better fit on the left side rather than the right. First up I'll tackle the left side vs. the right...

Number one he's naturally left handed. Something you may not think makes much of a difference, but it's all in their stance. Players that line up on the left side of the offensive line use a left handed stance. The lefty three point stance is the exact opposite of the righty stance most of us that grew up playing football are accustomed to. Years back coaches would simply have players get in which ever three point stance they were most comfortable with. These days many high schools are teaching to change the stance depending on which side of the line you play.

The left handed stance is as follows; feet shoulder width apart, left foot slightly back (usually lined up with the right instep), left hand on the ground, right arm on right thigh. Yes that is Hall Of Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz over there in his left handed three point stance. The point of the left handed stance on the left side is it allows better pass blocking technique. When pass blocking you push off with your inside foot while reaching back with your outside foot. By starting this way your hips are in a better position as you don't have to turn them to get settled into proper pass blocking technique. With the hips in place, and already slightly facing the usually lined up outside pass rusher, you are in better position to deliver the hand punch as well. The less a player has to move to get in position the better.

Number two his athleticism makes him a better fit on the left side. So much emphasis is placed on protecting a right handed quarterbacks blind side, so you want a tackle with quicker feet on the left. The more mauling, road grader type is usually on the right side.

And number three, and most importantly, Williams is more comfortable on the left. At Vanderbilt he was on the left side, last year (when healthy) he was on the left side, and before Orlando Pace was signed this year his reps were on the left side.

When looking at the Rams game in detail, and trying to grade out his performance, keep in mind that I have no idea his exact responsibilities from play to play. Therefore my analysis could be slightly skewed. I made my best guess on his assignments based on my years playing, coaching, and watching football, but unless I'm invited into Halas Hall, I really have no way of knowing for sure. I graded him out using the most basic of grading systems, on every offensive snap I gave him a plus (did his job) or a minus (didn't do his job). When grading him out he ended up with a +46 out of 57 plays. I'm sure he'd be even harder on himself than I was, and I'm sure the coaches were harder on him as well.

I'll give some observations on his overall performance then I'll break down some individual plays.

The good thing is on all the plays I gave him a minus it was due to something that could be fixed through coaching. He was never out classed on any plays, never over powered, just simple youthful mistakes. He'll improve. He did get off balance at times and his hand punch could use some work, but overall it was a solid debut. I didn't see any tenacious aggression from Williams, but that isn't really his game, he more a technique guy that will shield off the defender. One constant throughout the game I picked up on was he didn't stay with his blocks. Most times the play was past him when his guy got off the block (so no harm done), but I'd like to see him lock on the defender til the whistle blows when ever possible. Nothing frustrates a defensive lineman more that a guy that is constantly in your face.

I won't go into every play in detail, but I'll pick out a few of the good and a few of the bad.

Play #1 - The 1st play of the game is a good snapshot of the kind of player Williams is. It had Williams seal the defensive end, James Hall, inside. It was only a two yard gain for Matt Forte, but Williams used good technique to seal his man.

Play #3 - The long pass to Devin Hester saw the Bears keep Greg Olsen in on the left side to help pass protect. They had a double tight formation as Kellen Davis also stayed in to help on the right side. It was a fake counter to Matt Forte (with Frank Omiyale pulling to the right) so Williams had to read the defensive line. Williams first set up as if to block the DE, but when the DE went outside to Olsen he moved in and took the DT which Olin Kreutz passed off to him.

Plays #6-#8 - On 3 consecutive plays on the goal line Williams drove James Hall back into the end zone. On 1st down Hall made the tackle after slipping off the Williams block and because of the slow cut back by Forte (but Williams should have sustained the block). On 2nd down Forte again ran inside but for no gain. Then on 3rd down the Bears ran off left tackle and Forte scored practically untouched.

Play #12 - On 1st and 10 after the long play to Earl Bennett the Bears again passed and the Rams ran a stunt. The DE went inside, and Williams passed him off to Omiyale, then LB James Laurinaitis looped outside and Williams picked him up. Good awareness by Williams.

Play #24 - On a 3rd and 4 Jay Cutler rolled out to his right and Williams only had to cut off his man from backside pursuit, he missed. He tried to reach block him to seal him off but he couldn't get there, he ran with him but couldn't keep up. I think he should have cut him initially or at least got into the defenders legs since it was a hard block to execute. His man had a long chase and never made it to Cutler, but Williams has to find a way to cut him off.

Play #27 - This was the 1st down end around to Devin Hester. Williams looked lost on the play. He immediately went to the 2nd level looking for a LB, but ended up watching LB Paris Lenon run by him and make the tackle on Hester.

Play #29 - This was the sack by Long. Earl Bennett motioned from wide left towards the right and it appeared he was supposed to chip Long before he turned back to the left sideline. Bennett was wide open on the out route, but Cutler had no time. If Williams was expecting the chip it makes sense why he was beat to the outside. Williams set up and looked as if he were expecting Long to come inside, if Bennett hits him it pushes Long to an inside move. Cutler may have snapped the ball a split second too early. Either way Williams can't get beat and should have recognized the missed chip block, a better hand punch would have left him in a better position. (I really liked the design of this play and expect to see Chicago run it this Sunday)

Play #35 - On 1st and 10 they ran Kahlil Bell around the left side for 7 yards, Williams and Olsen executed a combo block on the DE, then after the defender was secured Williams slipped off to block a LB.

Play #51 - This is the 8 yard run by Forte that the FOX crew replayed with a spotlight on Williams. Williams again made a textbook seal block on Long, he didn't drive him back very far, but simply got his hands on Long, moved his feet, and sealed him from the play.

If Williams gets the nod at LT again this week he'll have a different challenge against the Packers and the 3-4 defense. He'll have more reads to make as the Packers will zone blitz from time to time. He'll be matched up with an outside linebacker as much as, if not more than he'll be on a defensive end. It will be a good test for Williams and the Bears offense.

Random Ramsdom: 12/5, getting warmed up

VanRam — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:49:38 -0000

Before you shift into big college football game mode, here's a look at what's happening with the St. Louis Rams.

Steven Jackson is still hurting, his back is. The coaches and Jackson himself seem to think this will be a deal like last week and he'll end up playing. I hope...I guess I hope. I hate to see Jackson get injured trying to gut it out in the middle of a 1-10 season, but then again, that's why we like SJ39.

In fact, Jackson has emerged as one of the team's leaders, firing guys up and giving his all in the midst of a 1 win season.

Former Rams great LT Orlando Pace is doubtful for this game. So is LB Lance Briggs.

The Bears will move OT Chris Williams to the left side in Pace's stead, matching him up against Chris Long and James Hall. The interesting thing about this move is that some say Williams is an upgrade over the high-mileage Pace. The left side is Williams natural spot.

The Bears put an OL atop their wish list for the Holiday season, er, offseason, or at least the fans do.

A loss to the Rams could have sweeping implications for the Bears.

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams: Injury Report

Hawkwind — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:20:40 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Arizona Cardinals ~~wide receiver~~ special teams ace Sean Morey continues to deal the after effects of a concussion. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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As the season wears on the Arizona Cardinals injury report seems to get longer and longer and this week is no exception. In all there were 13 players listed on the report with four DNP's, eight limited particpations and a single player who was listed but participated fully. Duece Lutui is officially on the report because he missed practice but it wasn't injury related so we can assume that he'll be back at practice today. Joining him on the DNP list are Bryant McFadden (ankle), Chike Okeafor (back) and Michael Adams (hamstring). On the limited side were Steve Breaston (knee), Karlos Dansby (shoulder), Mike Gandy (pelvis), Gerald Hayes (back), Kenny Iwebema (knee), Sean Morey (head), Ben Patrick (knee) and Adrian Wilson (groin). Reggie Wells continues to be on the report with a broken thumb but he's yet to miss any practice or game time because of the injury.

Needless to say that's quite a bit of talent standing on the sidelines, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Five of the eleven starters missed at least some of practice yesterday, including three of our four linebackers, so hopefully this was just a day where Ken Whisenhunt took it easy on some veterans. It's good to see Hayes back in practice, even if just on a limited basis, and there is some hope that he'll be ready to go by Sunday. Okeafor is a guy we'll have to continue to monitor as his back continues to give him problems. He's missed two games already this season and he's one of the more consistent pass rusher. If he's unable to go then his OLB spot will again be filled by a combination of Bertrand Berry and rookie Will Davis.

The Rams injury list isn't nearly as long but there are some key names.

Did Not Practice:

G Richie Incognito (foot)
DE Chris Long (knee)

Limited Participation:

C.J. Ah You (knee)
DE James Hall (back)
DE Leonard Little (knee)
DT Clifton Ryan (toe)

Rams VP Kevin Demoff covers the cap, free agency, TST and more in his chat today.

VanRam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:34 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

The St. Louis Rams would like to see safety Oshiomogho Atowgwe in their future.

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St. Louis Rams VP of Football Operations and COO Kevin Demoff held a live chat with fans today. Some highlights, with comment:

If there is a salary cap in 2010, the Rams will be approximately 35m under the salary, which would be the third most room under the cap in the NFL. There has been some pain this year, but the salary cap should not be the driving force behind any personnel decisions moving forward. This year, we were forced to create a dollar of salary cap room for every dollar of salary cap room spent. That meant making difficult decisions with some talented players, but we made the decisions that we thought were best for the long-term future of this organization.

Though I don't believe there will be a cap, having $35 million worth of space under the cap is great news. It means that the Rams can really make some strides to fill the big holes on the roster, without having to choose between one position at the expense of the other in the draft. Of course, if it is an upcapped year that means...

However, if 2010 is uncapped, there will be a limited free agent pool consisting of players with 6 years or more of experience. That will make it harder to sign young, talented players in free agency, the type of player every team wants in free agency. As a result, in an uncapped year, the draft will be paramount, which is one of the reasons we are trying to stockpile picks in the 2010 draft.

I don't know what his definition of stockpiling is, but so far the Rams have added a 5th round pick from the Eagles in the Witherspoon trade and a 7th round pick from the Falcons in the Tye Hill trade. Those could be packaged to move up in other rounds, of course. I don't know that they'll have much in the way of compensatory picks, since they really didn't lose many free agents of note.

Which players are up for free agency this year? It depends on the cap situation. Here's the list from Demoff:

...eight players...[that] would normally be Unrestricted Free Agents in 2010 who will be Restricted Free Agents in 2010 if there is no salary cap. Those players are as follows: Victor Adeyanju, OJ Atogwe, Alex Barron, Samkon Gado, Gary Gibson, Richie Incognito, Ruvell Martin, Mark Setterstrom. We would have the right to "tender" all of those players as RFA's. There are 6 players who will be UFA's no matter what the cap situation is: Kyle Boller, James Hall, Paris Lenon, Leonard Little, Chris Massey, Randy McMichael.

We'll talk plenty more about these guys down the road. For now, I'd say you can count on the Rams making an effort to hang onto Atogwe, Gibson, Incognito, Setterstrom, and some combination of Hall and Little. Those last two guys will surely be considering retirement, though they could still be useful as part timers.

The highlight of the chat...a TST shout out from Demoff. Check it out:

I couldn't let the good guys at TurfShowTimes go unrewarded for their drive to send in questions for this chat.

Hell yeah! Anyway, he answered our question about re-signing Atogwe, and it sounds like the team plans to keep him in the picture for the future.

Alright, go read the whole thing. It's pretty informative.

It ends today?

VanRam — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:41:50 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

DE James Hall returns for the St. Louis Rams today. They'll need him to get to Detroit QB Matthew Stafford.

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It's a game only a fan could love, the St. Louis Rams vs the Detroit Lions, if that doesn't spell excitement...

We've had some sensitive visitors from the Lions side of the ball stop by TST lately. I feel where the guy's coming from. When you're a fan of a team that's been losing season after season, you wear a thin skin. You have to. It's a position all Rams fans should be aware of, if not familiar with. That said, it's no reason to be obnoxious in the comments section. The posters at TST don't get malicious and the commentors shouldn't either.

From now on, you get one warning for inappropriate comments, and you're banned the second time. That's it. Now, let's all go be adults in the comments.

On the injury front, the Rams should have DE James Hall, DT Clifton Ryan and WR Donnie Avery in uniform today. That's good news. The Lions have a sack rate of 9.1%, 27th in the NFL, so Hall's presence helps the Rams DL, as does Ryan's, obviously. Ryan was out some during the week with illness.

Avery should help the Rams passing game (how many times have we said that this season?). The Lions secondary allows #1 WRs a 23% DVOA this season. What should be really encouraging for the Rams is that the RBs have a 63% DVOA against the Lions defense, worst in the league. Speaking of, is it just me, or do get the sense that the Rams aren't passing to SJ as much as they should?

It looks like newly acquired WR Brandon Gibson will suit up today as well. Will he see some throws?

The Lions will have QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson. No rest for the weary.

Take nothing for granted. Detroit or not, the Rams have to play air tight football today. They may be more evenly matched against the Lions, but they're still not good enough to overcome stupid mistakes like dropped passes, missed assignments, blown routes and all those things that have plagued the Rams on their 2-21 run since the start of the 2008 season.

Avery playing; Hall not so much: Random Ramsdom, 10/24

VanRam — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:37:00 -0000

There's some good and not so good injury news to report with the St. Louis Rams set to take on the Indianapolis Colts in just over 24 hours. Let's jump right in.

Avery ready to play

Donnie Avery practiced and is ready to go this week. The Rams will obviously need him. Ron Bartell practiced and should play too. WR Ruvell Martin and DE James Hall are questionable and most likely out this week. I think it was Sando, but someone said that the Rams pass rush might not be much of a factor this week anyway, with or without Hall, as Manning is so good at getting the ball out in a hurry. Are you prepared for things to depend on our coverage?

James Butler and the system

The Rams are glad to have James Butler back this week, especially since they'll be playing in coverage most of the time. Will Butler help get the DBs in place? Does this reduce the number of big plays?

Focusing on pass protection

OTs Adam Goldberg, Alex Barron and Jason Smith will rotate this week, with Goldberg starting. Sando says the Rams are making a good move not exposing Smith in his first week back all along against a tough Colts defense. A fair point, but I'm not so sure Smith would give us a better line in place of Goldberg...or even Barron. It's interesting to note that Smith is expected to work more on the left side today. I wonder if they'll move Barron back to RT before the season ends?

Peter King's team most likely to move: Rams, Raiders, Chargers and Jags

The New York Times says the 49ers could be very likely to move too. The Bills? Not so much.

Donnie Avery misses Wednesday practice

VanRam — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:50:30 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

The St. Louis Rams will be thin on the defensive line this week as James Hall is expected to miss the team's week 7 game against the Colts.

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Some news on the St. Louis Rams injury front worthy of note...i.e. noteworthy.

WR Donnie Avery was on the sidelines for practice today. His hip was "too tight" during warmups. He expects to be on the practice field tomorrow. Stay tuned. If he practices tomorrow, there's a good chance he'll play this week. That's the good news.

Now the bad news. The Rams top defensive lineman, James Hall, is still sitting with a groin injury he suffered last week against the Jags, and is likely to miss the Colts game this week. As you might guess, that hurts the Rams hope of getting pressure on Peyton Manning, meaning they'll be working in coverage a lot. Coverage...against Manning. Yikes.

Speaking of coverage, the Rams do have some good news on that front. CB Ron Bartell is cleared after suffering a minor concussion. Joining him on the practice field today was SS James Butler, which comes at the right time on the heels of Will Witherspoon being traded.

Also, the small part of life that is not Rams related has interfered and Turf Show Radio is cancelled for tonight. We'll be back on the air next week.

Justin Forsett Saves the Season (Maybe)

John Morgan — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:12:25 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

We haven't seen much pass blocking by Justin Forsett, but last Sunday he picked the exact right time to step up.

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Nate Burleson capped the half with a well-timed skinny post for the touchdown. Burleson stutter stepped to stall at the top of his route. That allowed the defender to finish his backpedal into a deep zone. Burly then cut in front, used his body to shield him out of the play and made a touchdown reception that looked easy. Maybe it was.

Seattle started the second half with the ball. It set in trips right, a wide receiver left and Julius Jones in the backfield. On the surface, that's a pass play, but the trips were comprised of Nate Burleson, John Owens and John Carlson. Another way to look at it is, Seattle started the half in a two tight end set. It didn't, but that's how it played it.
Jones ran off right end. Owens effectively sealed the inside. Burleson and Carlson moved into the second level and both did an excellent job lead blocking. Jones second gear betrayed him, and he didn't slingshot around the end. I think Seattle invests in a speed back this next offseason. Jones can turn the corner, but he doesn't break away when he does. The run went for seven.
The Seahawks motioned Jones out wide-right where he became the fourth wide receiver in an empty set. Empty sets seem aggressive, but often they are actually ultra conservative. Offensive coordinators spread the defense horizontally and direct the quarterback to take a three step drop and fire. An offense can't withstand a blitz from an empty set, so the goal is get someone free and get the quarterback out of danger. Carlson ran a short out from the slot and Hasselbeck hit him for five.
Owens sealed the inside and Sean Locklear pulled out and engaged Will Witherspoon. The execution of the blocking was almost flawless, and give Locklear credit for engaging Witherspoon and walking him towards the sideline, but two things kept this play from popping. Owens couldn't hold the inside and Rams defensive end James Hall narrowed the hole. The other is again on Jones. He turned the corner but didn't hit the hole with much speed. I think maybe Jones hasn't become fully confident in the system and is still a little hesitant picking his rush lane. I don't think he's slow.
Hasselbeck found Housh for six to end the drive. Seattle needed seven. It was a Justin Forsett block from disaster. Seattle overloaded the right. Greg Knapp had used this formation before. The first ended with a nine yard pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh on first and ten. It put Housh in the slot and matched him against a linebacker. The second converted a long first down by isolating Burleson on one side and getting him one-on-one cover. The third attempted the same, but Burleson didn't high-point the ball.
This time Hasselbeck went back to Houshmandzadeh attacking the middle, but Steve Spagnuolo was prepared. He assigned two corners to defend the middle. Hasselbeck waited a beat too long to throw, and Justin King and Jonathan Wade closed on Housh before he could run past the marker.
On that same play, Spagnuolo had another trick that almost trapped the Hawks. The Rams set with only two down linemen, both ends, one standing defensive end, Chris Long, and one linebacker, James Laurinaitis. The rush targeted Seattle's weak side -- the side only a wide receiver was aligned. It would have worked if not for an incredible block by Justin Forsett.
O.J. Atogwe timed his blitz perfectly and ran around left end untouched. The Rams were only rushing four, but with a free blitzer fractions after the snap, it was working. Forsett crossed in front of Hasselbeck and hit Atogwe in stride, holding him off enough for Hasselbeck to throw. With the pass targeting an area with two corners, Forsett's block didn't just stop a sack, it could have stopped a turnover. It could have stopped Hasselbeck from hobbling off the field holding his back.

Grading the Rams: Week 1 @ Seattle

3k — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:48:05 -0000

That was not pretty. That is all. Grades after the fold.

QB: C+

Bulger doesn't deserve the blame for the offensive woes. He forced very few throws, and the ones he did came after the game was "decided." Still, to throw less than 200 yds., less than a 50% clip and no TDs prevents me from giving him in the B range.

HB: C-

This is as much for the playcalling as it is a condemnation of Jackson's play or the O-line. Any game where Action Jackson doesn't get 20 carries signals a failure, especially when he fails to tally a single reception. We needed more from him today.

WR: D

Robinson and Avery made themselves available in the 2nd half, but by then it was too little too late. Too often did we see Bulger in the pocket waiting for one of his receivers to get open. Robinson proved he was more than a preseason flare and Avery ran some solid routes underneath late in the game, but Donnie didn't register a reception longer than 16 yards. Poor showing.

O-line: D/B/F

The three grades are essentially for run blocking/pass blocking/Incognito. When you have a talent like Steven Jackson, you have to give him opportunities to succeed. He had very few today. On the other hand, Marc Bulger had something he enjoyed very rarely in 2008: time to throw. The Seahawks registered just three sacks despite multiple examples of Bulger waiting in the pocket and accepting the sack as a last resort. The final game is self-explanatory for anyone who watched the game. Incognito registered the first offensive play of the game after an interception in our end zone pushed the momentum in our favor with a false start. It was an omen of the kind of game he would play. Two unnecessary roughness penalties and the occasional absent-minded tomfoolery later, Cogs would at last be pulled to the bench.

I'll say this. I've been a defender of Incognito's ability as a blocker and the fact that he brings more fire than anyone on offense and arguably the team. But if he can't control that fire within the confines of a play and effect his skills on a defensive line instead of the referees, then we'd better off without him.

D-line: B/F

Outside of Julius Jones' 62 yard scamper, he was held to just 55 yards on 18 carries. That's a testament to the tenaciousness of our D-line, especially Gary Gibson who should make Adam Carriker an afterthought. Unfortunately, the pressure we saw on run defense was absent in the pass. Chris Long, Leonard Little and James Hall combined for 10 tackles... and 0 sacks against a line that was without two starters.

LB: B

James Laurinaitis is an NFL MLB. He finished with 14 tackles, 10 of them on his own. You can point to his overpenetration on the first TD, you can look at plays when his lateral movement put him a second behind where he should have been, but the reality is that he played exceptionally well for his first NFL game. Witherspoon looked like a true WLB and Vobora was anything but irrelevant. A solid showing.

DB: C+

Hard to put these guys in the "C" range after coming out so strong, but the Seahawks ran the kind of offense we needed to run. To counter, the DBs should have played a tighter first ten yards until Hasselbeck showed a willingness to go deep. We saw flashes of ability from Bartell, Wade and King - that's a great sign. And the duo of James Butler and O.J. Atogwe is as good as advertised. They came out ready to play.

ST: C

I wanted to give this a C-, but Donnie Jones is the best punter in the NFL hands down. He does as much as you could possibly ask of a punter and more with every opportunity. Josh Brown, on the other hand, had one chance to help the Rams and failed. Against his former team, you would have hoped he could quiet the opposing crowd and give the Rams a 3-0 lead. Keep hoping. Donnie Avery's fumble on the opening kick gave a possession and momentum to Seattle at one of the worst times he could have done so. Luckily, our defense was more than capable of dealing with the turnover.

Coaching: D-

So many penalties, two burnt time outs early, some simple playcalling (both in terms of timing offensively and to sit off the blitz defensively when Seattle had committed to the quick pass) earns this grade. And putting 12 men on the field for the FG attempt at the end of the half turned a 7-7 game into a 14-0 nothing one. A 14 point swing just before the half is difficult to bring to the locker room. Were my expectations higher? Definitely. Will they remain so? Certainly. Am I worried? Without question.

The Rams leave this game knowing they beat themselves early on with penalties and soft offensive play. These are correctable faults, but they were at the end of the first drive, quarter and half, and we saw little change. This is a tough final score to stomach simply because we came out with a desire defensively, and a childish hyperactivity on offense. You can give "credit" to the crowd, but any NFL player who can't play in a hostile environment without containing their emotions and providing their skills to their teammates shouldn't be on the field in the NFL. Get to work, Coach Spagnuolo. You have a lot to do.

The Next Cut

ram_rod — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:47:14 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

4 months ago: St. Louis Rams cornerback Quincy Butler, right, deflects a pass intended for wide receiver Ronald Curry during NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, at the Rams' training facility in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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With today's cut in the book's, the next step on all the players on the roster is trying to make it past this Saturday, September 5th.With the KC game looming two days prior to that, anyone who wants a roster spot will need to play well this week to get one.

Lets look at some of the hopefuls, shall we?

Gary Gibson: He's been doing a good enough job to get Adam Carriker out of the starting line-up, but even then Jim Thomas had him "on the bubble". With James Hall, Victor Adeyanju, Leonard Little and Chris Long on the outside and Carriker and Clifton Ryan (presumably with rookie Darell Scott and/or Hollis Thomas) on the inside, there isn't much room left for another player . However, he has played well enough and a solid performance this Thursday should give him enough in the eye of the coaches to make it onto the team.

Quincy Butler: Butler had a good camp and followed that up with unimpressive play in the preseason (he did have an interception last week though). With Tye Hill gone, he has a better chance to make it, especially if he can up his game on Thursday. He will probably stick with the team at the 5th spot unless they can find someone better.

Keith Null: Whether you think he is going to be big later on or not, the 3rd QB spot is up for grabs. Boller and Bulger are safe, obviously, but with the Rams slowly jettisoning older players, Null has a good chance. With no one clearly in the lead, KC's game will decide who will be looking for a job.

Enjoy your Tuesday everyone.