SB Nation - Tim Carter

Turf Show Radio, 11/4: A very special episode

VanRam — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:41:41 -0000

I think I can safely say that tonight was the mother of all Turf Show Radio episodes. 3k and myself thoroughly parsed the St. Louis Rams 2009 season, and when we were through with that, it was time to talk...you know it, you love it, you can't live without it, the draft. We covered everything from questions about Marc Bulger's future, immediate and long term, Steven Jackson, Chris Long to the ideal 1st, 2nd, 3rd rounds for the Rams...covered it like a cornerback on Tim Carter.

An hour and half of action packed, non-stop Rams talk. That's a lot of hubris, but it's really that good...or informative at least. (There was one site flaw in that we didn't run live streaming thanks to the Podcast service, or AT&T DSL and for that we apologize).

Arizona Cardinals Fly Around the NFC West: Roster Move Addition

Hawkwind — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:56:31 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, left, is congratulated by linebackers coach Paul Ferraro after beating the Detroit Lions 17-10 in an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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The Arizona Cardinals weren't the only team in the NFC West that made some roster moves this week, but even mid-season roster moves aren't the lead story this week. First it's worth mentioning that the Cardinals will make one more roster move in the upcoming couple of days because the Bengals have signed fullback Fui Vakanpuna off the Cardinals practice squad. It'll be interesting to see who the Cardinals sign to fill the vacant practice squad spot.

St. Louis Rams: Normally we list the teams in order of division standings but when a team breaks a 17 game losing streak, they deserve some recognition. It had literally been 378 days since the Rams last won a regular season game and Steven Jackson (149 yards rushing) did most of the heavy lifting against the equally hapless Lions. Despite the win the Rams still have major questions at quarterback and some are starting to think that Marc Bulger's career is very near the end. One bright spot, outside of Jackson of course, is the development of the offensive line though, especially first round pick Jason Smith. The Rams also made a roster move, releasing wide receiver Tim Carter and signing cornerback Danny Gorrer.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners lost a game to the Colts that was closer than just about everyone expected (18-14) but the Niners aren't waving the "moral victory" flag either. Not only does this loss push their current losing streak to three but they also lost three significant starters during the game. Joe Staley (MCL and PCL strain) is expected to miss six weeks, Nate Clements (fractured scapula) is expected to miss six to eight weeks and Demetric Evans (AC sprain) is expected to miss at least three weeks. These injuries forced the Niners to make a couple of moves, signing cornerback Keith Smith (formerly of the Lions) and releasing seldom used wide receiver Michael Spurlock. Their also expected to make at least one more roster move (possibly pulling up an OT from their practice squad). Considering that Sunday's game was Alex Smith's first start since 2007, here's also a complete breakdown of his peformance and Niner's fans have also determined that the NFC West will come down to a dog fight (we can still say "dog fight" right?) between their team and the Cards.

Seattle Seahawks: Following thier second consecutive lopsided loss, which dropped them to 2-5, the Seahawks seem to be cleaining house. In the past two days they've made nine roster moves including the release of veteran running back Edgerrin James. Also included in the released/cut department include Travis Fisher and C.J. Wallace. New to the 53 man roster will be Mike Hass (WR), Roy Lewis (CB) and Jamar Adams (S), all of whom were on their practice squad. Filling thier now vacant practice squad spots will be Trae Williams (CB), DeAngelo Willingham (CB) and Devin Moore (RB). Needless to say roster cleaning like this is indicative of a team that has given up on any hopes of competing this season and moving on with the hopes of allowing younger players to grow during the remaining nine games. One interesting thought is that some Hawks fans are wondering if it's time to pass the torch from Matt Hasselbeck to Seneca Wallace (part I and II). Needless to say we're watching the demise of the Hawks and it could turn into quite a show over the next couple of seasons.

NFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Arizona	4	3	157	143
San Francisco	3	4	147	140
Seattle	2	5	135	147
St. Louis	1	7	77	221

(updated 11.3.2009 at 3:44 AM CST)

Bulger to start in week 6

VanRam — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:48:36 -0000

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

Marc Bulger will start for the Rams in week 6.

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The QB question has been answered. The St. Louis Rams will start QB Marc Bulger against Jacksonville in week 6. Kyle Boller has a concussion, a mild one, but Bulger will get the nod anyway, as long as he can practice injury-free this week.

OT Jason Smith is closer to a return, and some of the other lingering injuries players are dealing with seem to be moving in the right direction. SS James Butler is day to day. I'd really like to see this guy get back on the field, though Craig Dahl has done well filling in for Butler. CB Justin King might miss time with a bruise on his knee, or he might not.

Take a look at some of the positive things Spagnuolo commented on. One of them, offensive line play, was kind of an underrated plus this week. Alex Barron rebounded after his benching last week. I still don't see the Rams running through Jacob Bell much on the stat sheet, and that bothers me.

WR Tim Carter is back.

Rams 17, Chiefs 9: St. Louis takes the Governor's Cup...and the Rams finish preseason play 3-1

VanRam — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:29:59 -0000

by Tom Gannam - AP

St. Louis Rams cornerback Quincy Butler, left, is congratulated by Justin King after intercepting a pass by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen and running it back 28 yards for a touchdown. Both corners finished with an INT to make a good case for their spot on the roster.

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The battle for the St. Louis Rams #3 QB spot has been resolved, and the results are not unlike last year's as Brock Berlin emerged after being written off early. More importantly, the Rams are 3-1 in the preseason, topping the number of wins they had last season and tying the number of wins from the season before.

The First team

The first team offense featured mostly second teamers. They started the night giving everyone a heart attack, with a sack that resulted from bad pass protection behind the line. As must now be mandated by the league, the Rams called a wildcat and picked up a cool five yards. A sack on third down ended the second drive a few plays later, and then it was bedtime for most of the starters. Picking it up from there, Berlin looked comfortable in the west coast, though I'm shocked he can see over the defenders.

On defense, it seemed like mostly the second team with a few exceptions in the early going. They came out strong, forcing KC into a three-and-out (which the Rams offense promptly followed with their own). When the second team came out in force on the Chiefs' third drive of the game, right away, they struggled right off the bat, giving Larry Johnson a 41-yard run. The Chiefs had a TD, but it got called back on a holding penalty, which was immediately followed by a delay of game penalty. From there the Rams defenders that almost got burned tightened up, thanks in no small part to some inspired play by Bradley Fletcher, and kept the Chiefs out of the end zone and forced them to settle for 3.

Gado continued to make his case, doing some nice work catching the ball. He took a shot to the ribs in the second quarter and did not return. Keep an eye on this one, because none of the other Rams running backs behind Gado look ready to be a backup.
Victor Adeyanju had a sack and generally thwarted the Chiefs draw plays.
Tim Carter...buttafingers. Adios.
Daniel Fells, getting some action with the first team, made everyone forget the name Klopfenstein.
Quincy Butler has better hands than Tim Carter.
Justin King ties for the third CB spot.
The Rams have a nice staple of young corners, but I still wonder if they might not have a close eye on the waiver wire Saturday.
David Roach seems like a viable backup safety.

Much more tomorrow.

Falcons injuries benefit the Rams passing game

VanRam — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:37:03 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kyle Boller will start against a Falcons defense missing its top CB.

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The Atlanta Falcons will be without several players when they take on the St. Louis Rams this week.

Starting CB Chris Houston is out with a hamstring injury. That's the only starter out this week. Second round draft pick and former MIzzou standout SS William Moore will not play. Moore is not listed as the starter, though it's believed he will be once the season begins. The Falcons will also be without DT Jason Jefferson and LB Edmond Miles.

With CB Domonique Foxworth, the Falcons had an 11.9% DVOA for the pass defense last season, 7th best in the league. Houston became their top corner when Foxworth left, and, much like the Rams, it's a fairly open competition for the spots behind him. Most likely to earn the second and third CB jobs are Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson, both of whom will start this week.

It's a good matchup for the Rams offense. Grimes was successful defending just 41% of the balls thrown his way last season, working as the third CB. Jackson had a 44% success rate. It's a nice re-introduction to starting again for Kyle Boller and the young Rams receivers.

The Rams will be without QB Marc Bulger; WRs Donnie Avery, Tim Carter and Brooks Foster; LG Jacob Bell; and DT Adam Carriker.

Starting LT Alex Barron and DT Darell Scott will be "Friday decisions" for the Rams.

Injury watch: Random Ramsdom 8/18

VanRam — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:00:39 -0000

Guess what the big story is today for the St. Louis Rams? Sorry, Samkon Gado, you're off the front pages now as all eyes turn to Bulger's pinkie, and backup Kyle Boller. Boller is now the Rams starting QB, for at least the next two games anyway.

Taking over with the first team yesterday in practice, Spagnuolo said he "stuck out" for doing all the right things in 7-on-7 and red zone drills. Interesting. The biggest knock against Boller has always been his decision making, particularly in the red zone. I'll be anxious to see him do that in a game this Friday against the Falcons. Like I said yesterday, this is his chance to earn a big pay day next year when his deal with the Rams expires.

FB Mike Karney and S Craig Dahl are back at practice and should be ready to go this week. Karney should help with pass protection...lest we have another QB injury.

Out for two weeks, WRs Tim Carter and Brooks Foster will have to have really good games against the Chiefs to end the preseason. They're definitely behind the eight ball now, and both had looked solid so far too.

The more things change...it looks like the Rams preseason home game this week against the Falcons will be blacked out locally.

Could Usain Bolt really be a good NFL wide receiver? He has the speed, but how many fast guys have we seen never make it in the league?

Spagnuolo likes what he's seen from LT Alex Barron and his new role on the left side. Here's the coach:

I think he's been pretty good. He's a talented guy so we'll keep going with it. He's a talented offensive tackle.

Refreshing to hear good things about the offensive line.

Camp report roundup, 8/11: Rams stepping up

VanRam — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, right, talks with linebacker Chris Draft, who has been playing with the first team at strongside linebacker.

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Day one without WR Donnie Avery is in the books for the St. Louis Rams. We've talked plenty here about the team's receivers behind Avery, their prospects for the season, and their potential. If you want more, there's wide receivers stepping up stories all over the media today, the PD, Belleville News Democrat, and the official site.

No surprises as to the names now atop the depth chart at WR, Laurent Robinson and Keenan Burton. Both are having a good go at it early in camp, with their next major test coming this Friday against the Jets. Most surprising is the report that Tim Carter, who sat out last season, appears to be the most likely guy to get a shot at the #3 job. With his speed, a millisecond slower than Donnie Avery, and strong route running ability, I see the seven-year vet as an intriguing possibility out of the slot. Add some Ron Curry into the mix and the Rams could have a decent stable of pass catchers filling in while Avery recovers. The only problem they've got right now is that they're mostly unknown. Should be a good role to watch Friday.

Speaking of position battles, Chris Draft still seems to be getting most of the snaps at SLB, with Laurinaitis now in the middle with the starters. There's time left in camp and a position battle may yet emerge, especially with strong performances in the preseason game. I wonder if Flajole won't use a rotation for the SLB spot, bringing in a guy for blitz packages or to match up against certain TEs. I guess we'll find out. Laurinaitis is impressing the vets with his football acumen and leadership. That's good.

DE James Hall has a champion in head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who likes the veteran's versatility and plans to use him at DT also to play the matchups. Hall offers his take on the differences between DT and DE in this piece from the BND.

Sakmon Gado is playing fullback with Mike Karney still out, and playing his way into Spagnuolo's versatility loving heart. I don't know about the FB thing once the hitting steps up a notch for the 5'10" 227 lbs Gado, but his special teams ability would seem to give him a roster spot.

Get your Steven Jackson stats predictions in.

Uh oh, St. Louis Rams FB Mike Karney out with ankle injury

VanRam — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:26:28 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft is practicing as the team's starting strongside linebacker in camp this week.

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St. Louis Rams FB Mike Karney, an important part of the plan to make RB Steven Jackson the centerpiece of the offense, sat out practice again today with a ankle injury.

An x-ray confirmed that the injury is similar to one he's dealt with before. Spagnuolo was optimistic that Karney will be back on the field soon enough. Let's hope the coach is right. Last season, Karney missed 4 games because of his ankle.

G John Greco twisted his ankle today and sat out. A couple other notes of interest from practice today include Chris Draft working with the first team as the SLB. We're not even a week into camp, so the battle for that job is far from over.

In kick returning news, WR Tim Carter jumped into the mix today, and the official Rams site reports that Ronald Curry is getting a look. I don't believe Curry will still be getting a look as camp moves along. Carter's an interesting name, and I'll be anxious to hear reports on how he does. The official site says that Kenneth Darby "has been getting the first look." Hmm, the Rams are really smitten with Darby right now. Just last week, he was said to be the primary backup for Steven Jackson.

Which receivers will make the St. Louis Rams final roster?

VanRam — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:55:15 -0000

Trading ruled the day in River City...St. Louis, that is, for the diaspora of Rams fans. (If you really want to add a literary note the trades made by STL's pro teams yesterday, it looks like one team is overcoming the hobbles of dysfunction as another, one long considered to be above the fray, slides further and further in that direction.) The addition of Curry prompted the St. Louis Rams to make an ancillary move with the release of WR Chad Lucas.

Lucas was signed in March to round out the team's depth at WR. HIs name wasn't mentioned often in reports from spring practices, a reminder of his uphill climb to make the team in the first place. Barring a huge shocker, Curry is a lock to make the final roster. And with that, I thought it would be good time to update our TST final roster prediction for wide receivers.

Though the final number of wideouts the Rams is yet to be determined, it's difficult to imagine the team keeping more than six on the 53-man roster. Earlier in the month, the predicted six WRs were: Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Tim Carter, Derek Stanley, and Brooks Foster.

With Curry, I think the Rams six WRs will be: Avery, Curry, Burton, Robinson, Stanley and Foster. This is a tough prediction to make, shooting wildly in the dark. Curry gives them a veteran presence, replacing Carter. There are a couple of other ways it could go, though. If the Rams find a better option for the return job, Stanley looks vulnerable. Or, Foster could become an addition to the practice squad. There are no guarantees, and the only receivers with any certainty to make the team are Avery, Curry, Burton and Robinson. Even then, I like what Burton has to offer, but he still needs to have a really strong, injury free camp.

Predicting the St. Louis Rams final roster: offense

VanRam — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:59:29 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Will the St. Louis Rams fifth round draft pick WR Brooks Foster be on the roster when the season starts? (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Slowly but surely, camp inches closer. It's one of the more memorable starts to the Rams season in a long, long time. Obviously, camp and the promise of football that counts right around the corner is always exciting. Anyone else remember they felt in August the last time we started a new era of Rams football, when Linehan took the reigns? Without being a total homer, I feel much different this time, not only has the coaching staff turned over, but the entire front office has turned over too, a much needed development as the stench of rot was starting to whifting upwards from the suites at Rams Park. One thing I like about where the Rams sit right now, as I've siad before, is the coherent vision for putting together a winning team, emphasis on winning.

With that, I thought it would be a good time to take an early stab at predicting what the roster will look like once camp ends and the season starts. Today, let's start with the offense.

Rather than just rattle off my predictions for each position, I'm going to list players in the order I think they'll appear on the depth chart, with notes where necessary.

QB: Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller, Keith Null
I think the coaching staff likes Null, and sees him as a fit in the new offense. Fear not Brock Berlin fans, he'll find work elsewhere.

RB: Steven Jackson, Kenneth Darby, Chris Ogbonnaya
I'm not sure that the team won't carry four running backs, depending on the additional duties (i.e. KR, etc.) they'll ask of the players. Also, don't be surprised if they pick someone off the street when roster cuts start happening late in the summer. Finally, I went with Ogbonnaya over Pittman, because I never got the feeling from spring camp reports that the new regime was too high on Pittman.

WR: Donnie Avery, Kennan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Tim Carter, Derek Stanley, Brooks Foster
This one gets really tough to predict after Robinson, and though I'm sick of hearing about it, I understand why people have made this position the official Rams storyline of the offseason. I think Travis Brown or Horace Grant could easily push Foster to the practice squad, depending on how they use their size - both measure 6'3" - in camp this summer. Again, though the front office and coaches deny the likelihood of it happening, don't be surprised if there's a last minute addition to this list, especially if a younger player with experience in this kind of offense gets das boot.

FB: Mike Karney

TE: Randy McMichael, Daniel Fells, Billy Bajema
At this point, does anyone really expect Joe Klopfenstein to beat out Fells?

RT: Jason Smith

RG: Richie Incognito

C: Jason Brown

LG: Jacob Bell

LT: Alex Barron

OL (backup): Adam Goldberg, John Greco, Mark Setterstrom, Phil Trautwein, Tim Mattran
This is a tough one to call too, after Stetterstrom. An injury to a starter would likely push another starter to a different position. Goldberg is the primary guy to replace an OT, and Greco or Setterstrom are equally cabable at filling in for a G. However, after Goldberg, there is no tackle on the list, unless the Rams would go to Greco, who was an OT in college. I put Trautwein on this list for that reason. The position I really wonder about is center. What happens if Jason Brown can't play a game? I'd probably slide Incognito over, since he has experience at the position as well as good size and the team has solid guys to step into the hole at RG if Cogs slides over to the middle. Behind Brown, the Rams have two true centers on the roster right now, Tim Mattran and Daniel Sanders, both undrafted free agents. I'm deferring to Mattran for my list, because scouting reports show an intelligent player with a nasty demeanor and a physical style of play. Of course, Setterstrom was taking snaps last year prior to camp, and there have been reports of Greco doing the same this year. Don't be surprised if another undrafted free agent like Roger Allen or Ray Feinga sneak onto the list. You can count on some OLs being on the practice squad too.

Alright, there it is, subject to much debate. Who's missing? Who doesn't belong on this list?