SB Nation - Marc Bulger

Quarterback decisions, future and present, for the Rams

VanRam — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:39:33 -0000

Is this the next Rams QB?

Here's the least insightful statement you'll read today: The St. Louis Rams need a starting QB for the 2010 season. Discussion around that subject has begun in earnest in the wake of rookie Keith Null's debut against the Titans yesterday. GM Billy Devaney has several routes for finding the team's next signal caller with a very high pick in the draft or more financial flexibility thanks to lots of junk contracts going off the books after this season.

First, let's talk about the rest of the season. Devaney's reluctance to put Marc Bulger on IR and reports this weekend that he will miss at least two more games make me wonder if they aren't hoping that Bulger might be able to start the season's final game, a showdown with the 49ers at the Dome. Bulger's status with the Rams and in general is up in the air after this season. There are reports that Bulger might just retire after this season. Retire or not, it seems likely that the Rams would part ways with Bulger, since he clearly doesn't have much left in his abused body and may be unwilling to renegotiate his contract. So for the next two games it comes down to a choice between Keith Null and Kyle Boller, a push in my opinion.

There are some bona fide first round talents at the quarterback position this year, and the Rams will certainly go through their due diligence on those players. They have to. Of course, if history is any indication, the Rams might not be taking a QB in the first round, especially with what will most likely be the first or second overall pick. The last time a franchise that included Billy Devaney as a member of the front office staff drafted a QB was the San Diego Chargers in 1998 who drafted Ryan Leaf.

That leaves the free agent (or trade) market which is really, really tough to predict at this point given the labor dispute. Some of the names being mentioned include, surprisingly and unsurprisingly, two current members of the Eagles. From Peter King:

Interesting tidbit from respected St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz: "I would not be surprised, at all, to see the Rams make a play for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick after the season.'' I agree.

Miklasz has a penchant for dramatics and overstating whispers. However, Vick might just be a decent fit for an offense that seems steadfastly determined to not throw a ball more than 7 yards down the field, no matter how much they might need to. And then there's this slightly more surprising tidbit:

Also would not be surprised to see the Rams make a very quiet inquiry about Donovan McNabb after the season either. Not saying the Eagles would make such a deal (two second-rounders and a four for McNabb?), but Kevin Kolb will be a fourth-year player, and Philly's not going to be able to keep him until McNabb retires.

Obviously, that's a little more of a stretch, but given the connections between this coaching staff and the Eagles, it's not surprising, since proximity does a lot to start rumors in the NFL. McNabb turns 34 next season, so it would be a short-term solution, like say if you were drafting a QB. I don't know that the Rams can really afford to be surrendering second round picks for 34-year-olds. Strangely enough Kevin Kolb has been mentioned as a possibility too.

Then, there's always Jason Campbell who has a 65 percent completion rate and has been playing at a high level this season despite the team around him.

Whoever the Rams start at quarterback next season, let's hope they get some receiving talent for that person to throw to, but that's another discussion for another time.

Finally, let's go back to the season at hand. Personally, I'd probably just start Null. The difference between him or Boller under center is neglible and doesn't increase the chances of the team winning either way. If Bulger is cleared to play in week 17, do you start him? Only three more games to think about the current crop of Rams quarterbacks, and that's good news in and of itself.

Poll

Who should be the Rams starting QB for the last three games of the season?

St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans Preview

Jimmy — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:30:53 -0000

As smash pointed out this morning, this is the first team the Titans have played this season that has a record worse than the Titans. Pretty amazing. The key for the Titans in this game will be handing the ball to Chris Johnson. The Rams have the 28th ranked defense in the league so if CJ is going to make a run at 2,000 and Eric Dickerson he needs to have a huge game in this one. There is also a good chance that Vince Young's mobility could be limited in the game because of the knee injury. Getting CJ going early can take the load off of VY and allow him to not put as much stress on the knee.

The Rams pass defense is better than there rush defense, but that is probably more of a result of giving up so many yards on the ground than anything else. They only have 8 interceptions on the season and will be without starting safety O.J. Atogwe who was placed on IR this season. The Titans should be able to more the ball through the air in this game if the need presents itself.

Everything on the Rams offense with the exception of Steven Jackson has been a disaster, but Jackson has been a star. He is second in the league in rushing and has done it on a team that has no real threat of a passing attack. The Titans defensive game play will start with stopping Jackson. He has a good combination of power and speed and catches the ball pretty well out of the backfield. If the Titans are able to stop him it should be an easy win.

Kyle Boller will get the start for the Rams at quarterback because of the injury to Marc Bulger. The Titans have seen Boller in the past when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. Boller has played in 5 games this season and thrown 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Their best receiver is Donnie Avery who I am still very angry with because he was one of my sleeper picks in fantasy and has been terrible. That means he will probably go for 150 and 2 TDs tomorrow.

This is a game the Titans will win if they play well. Here's to hoping they do.

Green Bay Packers Add Two Players To The Practice Squad

Brandon — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:37 -0000

In a surprising move, QB Mike Reilly was signed by the Rams from the Packers' practice squad. With QB Marc Bulger likely to go on I.R., the Rams apparently needed another QB. I had been looking forward to watching Reilly next preseason, but he doesn't appear to be the next QB Kurt Warner. Hopefully.

To replace Reilly, and LB Cyril Obiozor, who was just added to the active roster, the Packers signed two players:

LB Robert Francois appears to be similar to LB Brad Jones. Francois is a little bigger and stronger (6'2", 244, 23 225 lb. reps, 4.31 20 yard shuttle), and Jones is a little faster (6'3", 232, 19 225 lb. reps, 4.21 20 yard shuttle). Their 40 yard times are almost identical, but I like to point out the 20 yard shuttle time as an example that Jones has a quick first step. He sounds like a great athlete, but he doesn't sound like a unique athletic talent.

QB Chris Pizzotti was signed to replace Reilly. From his draft profile, he appears to be a good athlete, and the Harvard grad is probably no dummy. It sounds like he has the physical ability and intelligence to play in the NFL, but he's a project due to poor mechanics. If he could be stashed on the practice squad until 2011, then it might be interesting to see if he could turn himself into a promising young QB after a couple seasons of NFL coaching.

Rams assembling a good team, on IR

VanRam — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:22:19 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

The Rams are putting together a decent IR team.

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The St. Louis Rams have added FS Oshiomogho Atogwe to their lengthy injured reserve list, ending his season.

It's a huge blow to the Rams, as they now lose their best playmaker on defense...their only playmaker on defense really. Togs hasn't had the INT totals we grew accustomed to - no surprise given the lack of pressure the Rams put on passers - he has been able to force fumbles, giving the offense valuable field position to squander away.

Once again, injuries have taken their toll on the Rams. Let's review the IR list.

Bradley Fletcher, this year's third round pick emerged as a solid starting CB, giving the Rams a nice press corner to play along side the more finesse oriented Ron Bartell. He suffered a very serious injury hyperextending his knee and putting his sophomore season in jeopardy.

Adam Carriker, a third year, former first round pick who needed to take the next step forward under new head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Carriker didn't even make it to the regular season.

Second-year receiver Keenan Burton was starting to gain some consistency as a possession guy in the Rams woeful passing game. Can Burton ever escape the injury-plagued label now?

Laurent Robinson was looking like the steal of the offseason after GM Billy Devaney acquired him for a late round pick swap. He made it through three games. Robinson also carries the injury-plagued label.

Signed as a free agent in April, Gary Gibson came on strong in the preseason, filling in for Adam Carriker. He gave the Rams a decent DT to play along side Clifton Ryan.

Defensive end C.J. Ah You was never going to be confused for a Pro Bowler, but he started to thrive as a situational guy under Spagnuolo.

The Rams have six starters on that list, and could very well add Marc Bulger in the near future. Rounding out IR are FS Eric Bassey, WR Brooks Foster, and LS Chris Massey.

Looking back at the specific injuries to these players there's no one cause that stands out, as easy as it might seem to blame turf. My theory on why the Rams lose so many key players: The team lacks talent so these guys step up and play harder, exposing themselves to great risk of injury.

St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans Series at a Glance

Jimmy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:00:39 -0000

The Rams lead the all-time series between these two teams 7-3. The last meeting was back in 2005 with the Rams winning 31-27. The last time the Rams came to Nashville was in 1999 in the game that I referenced in this post. There was obviously a famous game between these two teams that none of us really want to talk about.

For the second time in two weeks the game will be on FOX because an NFC team is visiting Nashville. The broadcast will be handled by Chris Rose and Trent Green. Green is a pretty famous Ram considering it was his preseason injury that paved the way for Kurt Warner to be the starting quarterback in 1999.

Info from the NFL after the jump.

	RAMS	TITANS
SERIES LEADER	6-3
STREAKS	3 of past 4
COACHES VS. OPP.	Spagnuolo: 0-0	Fisher: 1-2
LAST WEEK	L 17-9 at Bears	L 27-17 at Colts
LAST GAME	9/25/05: Titans 27 at Rams 31. St. Louis QB Marc Bulger passes for 3 TDs as Rams outlast Tennessee. Rams WR Torry Holt catches 9 passes for 163 yards, incl. 32-yard TD.
LAST GAME AT SITE	10/31/99: Titans 24, Rams 21. In preview of SB XXXIV, Titans QB Steve McNair throws 2 TDs & rushes for another as Tennessee improves to 6-1.
BROADCAST	FOX (3:05 PM CT): Chris Rose, Trent Green. Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Dan Reeves. SIRIUS: 151 (St.L.). XM: 113 (St.L.).

STATS

PASSING	Boller: 94-164-876-3-6-63.0	Young: 107-175-1,251-6-3-87.1
RUSHING	Jackson: 266-1,232 (1C)-4.6-4	Johnson: 244-1,509 (1L)-6.2-9 (T2C)
RECEIVING	Jackson (RB): 44-267-6.1-0	Johnson (RB): 39-322-8.3-1
OFFENSE	303.8	353.3
TAKE/GIVE	-6	-7
DEFENSE	363.7	367.3
SACKS	Little: 6.5	3 tied: 4
INTs	J. Butler: 3	Finnegan, Hood: 3
PUNTING	D. Jones: 46.4	Kern: 45.1
KICKING	Jo. Brown: 55 (13/13 PAT; 14/18 FG)	Bironas: 82 (25/25 PAT; 19/23 FG)

NOTES

GAME FEATURES NFL’s 2 leading rushers: Titans RB CHRIS JOHNSON (1,509) & Rams RB STEVEN JACKSON (1,232)…RAMS: Defeated Ten. in SB XXXIV (StL 23, Ten. 16)…QB KYLE BOLLER has 48 career TD passes & needs 2 to reach 50 for career…RB Jackson leads NFC with 1,232 rush yards. Had 112 rush yards last week & has 100+ yards in 5 of past 6. Has topped 1,000 yards for 5th season in row, passing HOFer ERIC DICKERSON for most in team annals. Has averaged 125.5 scrimmage yards per game since 2006, tops in NFL (6,527 yards, 52 games). In past 3 Dec. games, has 455 scrimmage yards (151.7 per game) & 2 TDs. Has rush TD in 4 of past 5…WR DONNIE AVERY has 5 TDs in past 8. KR-PR-WR DANNY AMENDOLA had 176 total yards (108 KR, 60 PR, 8 rush) last week…Rookie LB JAMES LAURINAITIS had 12 tackles last week. S OSHIOMOGHO ATOGWE had 2 FFs & FR last week. Has 15 INTs since 2007, tied for 4th most in NFL. DE LEONARD LITTLE has 6.5 sacks in past 10. Had sack in last meeting. DE CHRIS LONG has sack in 4 of past 5…TITANS: Club seeks 8th consecutive win vs. NFC…Aim for 4th win in row at home…Team ranks 2nd in NFL w/165.8 rush yards per game…QB VINCE YOUNG is 8-2 as starter against NFC. Young aims for 5th consecutive game w/TD pass…RB Johnson (1,509) needs 1 rush yard to surpass EDDIE GEORGE (1,509 in 2000) for 3rd-most rushing yards in season in franchise history. Johnson aims for 8th consecutive game w/100+ rush yards. Johnson averages 138 rush yards per game in past 3 against NFC (414 total). Johnson needs 1 rush TD to surpass career high of 9 as rookie in ’08…Rookie WR KENNY BRITT (Round 1, Rutgers) leads AFC rookies & ranks 4th among NFL rookies w/567 receiving yards. Britt aims for 4th consecutive game w/TD rec…TE BO SCAIFE (1,968 yards) needs 32 receiving yards to become 3rd TE in club history to reach 2,000 (FRANK WYCHECK, 4,958; ALVIN REED, 2,818). Scaife posted 1st TD of season last week…DE KYLE VANDEN BOSCH posted 2 sacks in last meeting vs. St.L.

Brenda Warner - Like a Fine Bottle of Wine Getting Better with Age

PSTIM1 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:22:25 -0000

Kurt Warner seen here screaming at his wife to "Get Hotter!!". Amazingly it actually worked.

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I have a lot of respect for Kurt Warner, he strikes me as an all around good guy who put in his time and against all odds carved out himself a HOF career. Brenda, his broad has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I think it stems from her calling into radio stations and bitching about how he should've been traded during his time in St. Louis. I was also put off by her platinum colored-spikey- lesbian haircut. Needless to say I was quite happy to see on last night's Sunday Night Football telecast that she had ditched the dyke mullet and gone for a much hotter looking long blonde style. She is now definitely a certifiable MILF now all she has to do is sit there and be seen and definitely not heard.

Poll

Brenda Warner:

Rams just don't have it in 'em anymore: Bears 17, Rams 9

VanRam — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:42:19 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

"Now, Steve, you understand why I got out of there."

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The St. Louis Rams dropped another game, their 11th of the season, and a one-win season is now all but inevitable. The Bears had one of the league's worst offenses, a unit as lackluster as the Rams over the last few seasons, and an injury-depleted defense, but they had no problems breaking their four game skid against a banged up and talentless Rams team. It was, once again, a tough week to be a Rams fan.

What can you really say here? There were a few highpoints for the Rams and you could genuinely see that the players were competing with their all. Kyle Boller, Marc Bulger, it doesn't matter, this is the worst offense St. Louis has seen since the days of Tony Banks, who still might be a better option than either of the B boys under center. With the lone exception of Steven Jackson the Rams have no player opponents have to respect or fear on the field, and that makes it even easier to hold the Rams offense in check.

I know we have a range of opinions on what direction the Rams should take in the draft. I am firmly convinced this team needs players who can make a difference on offense, hell, players who can at least play. It's going to stay ugly - no matter who you've got on the other side of the ball - when you run the kind of offense that has scored but a single first-quarter touchdown all season. Steven Jackson should demand a trade if the Rams don't do something big on offense. His legs will fall off.

Speaking of Jackson...truly the man is a hero, a shrugging Atlas who somehow grinds his way through defenses. You can tell the offensive line is not firing on all cylinders in its current configuration. They really peaked when Jason Smith did on the right side. Now, the toll they bear is starting to show and I wonder who'll get injured next. If you believe in any sort of cosmic justice Alex Barron will be on the bench for whatever reason and Jason Smith will be at LT. There's a cruel irony in the fact that Alex Barron has been so healthy through his career. Does this guy even think about football when he plays? If Bulger and Barron are even in camp next year, someone in authority has to be held accountable.

I'm so pissed off. Every Sunday. I can't believe people even still come by this site right now. Mercy! We keep playing and its only (mostly) guys who the Rams genuinely do need beyond this trip through hell that keep getting hurt. Ugh.

Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings: Five Keys to Success

Andrew602 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:00:20 -0000

More photos » by John Russell - AP

If Kurt Warner starts against the Vikings on Sunday, the Cardinals offense becomes significantly more dangerous.

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The Minnesota Vikings (10-1) travel to Glendale, AZ to take on the Arizona Cardinals (7-4) in a game that could determine playoff positioning. Realistically, if the Cardinals had a chance at catching up to the Vikings or Saints they would've needed a win in Tennessee. Instead they're playing keep away from the 49ers with the division lead and a win on Sunday night would certainly help that cause. The biggest headline going into the game is the status of Kurt Warner. Kurt suffered a concussion two weeks ago against the Rams and concussion-like symptoms kept him out of action last week against the Titans. Luckily, Matt Leinart has been sharing practice time with Warner this week and should be better prepared if Warner is not able to suit up. Here are the keys to success:

Kurt Warner needs to play this week. Without Warner the offense is not as explosive and cannot put up the points it needs to stay ahead of the other team. Having Kurt Warner on the field improves the production of the rest of the offense. With Jared Allen looming ahead the Cardinals need Warner's quick release and pocket presence to avoid a multiple sack day for Allen. Matt Leinart should be prepared for Sunday if Warner can't play but at this point in the season Kurt Warner gives the Cardinals the best chance to win.

Left tackle will need support. The obvious reason why is Jared Allen lining up on the other side. Mike Gandy has been battling a pelvis injury for some time and was forced to miss a portion of the Titans game last week. Gandy was never a dominant left tackle but was adequate enough to protect Kurt Warner's blind side. Now with Gandy hurt, Jeremy Bridges will be inserted into the offensive line against one of the best defensive ends in the game. Bridges quietly entered the game last week and did a great job and with more practice this week, his solid play will need to carry on to Sunday night.

Don't quit on the running game. It's likely that Cardinals running backs will struggle with the "Williams Wall" and the Vikings defense coming to town. The Cardinals performance last week seemed uncanny as they had topped 120+ yards in their previous 3 games (it's not a coincidence all 3 were wins). This week, taking pressure off whichever quarterback lines up under center will be vital which is why the Cardinals shouldn't abandon the run. Obviously going nowhere or gaining 1-2 yard carries would hurt their chances but just keeping the Vikings defense honest to the run will help tremendously. If the Cardinals do eclipse 100 yards it will be because they won the game.

The play of the defensive backs. The Cardinals defensive backs have had the problems stopping passing quarterbacks. Vince Young, Matt Hasselbeck, Jay Cutler, and even Marc Bulger passed successfully against the Cardinals. The key to limiting passing yards is getting pressure on the quarterback. When the Cardinals blitz more it's evident that the defensive backs have more success. If the Cardinals can force Favre to scramble and throw ill-advised passes it will greatly improve their chances of winning.

Win one for the homefield. This same team beat the Cardinals at home last year pretty handily. The Cardinals have also not fared well on their home turf and the last time they played at home on Sunday night the Colts dominated that game. Keeping the home crowd in the game until the end is important but beating the Vikings on Sunday night in front of everyone is a huge step in the right direction.

If the Cardinals can stay healthy and not make any mistakes they can keep this match up competitive. What are your keys to the game and why?

Rams going with a QB, DE and OLB in early mock draft

VanRam — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:20:41 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

"Oh, can I feel them?" USC defensive end Everson Griffen

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Who's ready for a mock draft? I thought so. With the St. Louis Rams sitting at 1-10, it's a great time to take a look at some of the mock drafts out there and start getting some fodder for discussion.

Browsing around Walter Football this morning looking at prospect rankings, I checked out their mock draft, which was last updated today. Their mock has the Rams addressing three key needs through the first three rounds. Given the success of the first three round picks in 2009, it's an encouraging sight to see. (Of course Bradley Fletcher, er, I mean Fletcher Bradley has had an injury derail his season). Alright, here are the Rams first three picks from Walter Football:

Round 1, #3: Jake Locker, QB, Washington

Marc Bulger suffers a season-ending injury the week after Peter Petrelli loses his healing abilities... coincidence? Probably.

It'll be shocking if Bulger is back in 2010, and Kyle Boller certainly isn't the answer. The Rams need a franchise quarterback. The question is which guy they'll select.

If Jimmy Clausen is off the board, Jake Locker will be the guy; he has moved ahead of Sam Bradford in the wake of Bradford's multiple shoulder injuries.

Round 2, #34: Everson Griffen, DE, USC

Aside from Chris Long, all of the Rams defensive ends will be free agents in March. St. Louis needs to get more than 18 sacks on opposing quarterbacks anyhow.

Round 3, #65: Roddrick Muckelroy, OLB, Texas

The Rams traded Will Witherspoon to the Eagles, so their current starting weakside linebacker is Paris Lenon. It doesn't get much worse than that.

Full disclosure, I don't know much about Muckelroy at all. Aside from that tiny little detail, I like this draft. The one thing you could make a case for is throwing a WR in the mix, maybe Brandon LaFell from LSU, who they have going in the second round. Of course, in a year deep with DL talent, getting Griffen in the second round is hardly a bad deal. This approach would necessitate some important moves in free agency, most notably signing a DT and a WR.

What do you think about these picks? Is this a reasonable route to pursue for the Rams? If it shook out like this in April, would you be disappointed?

Seattle via St. Louis

VanRam — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:03:23 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

At least I'm not Jay Zygmunt.

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There's sort of a bizzare parallel universe thing going on with the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks, and yesterday's news that Tim Ruskell resigned as president and GM had a strange echo of Jay Zygmunt.

Though you wouldn't have know it from the game last week, Seattle has some big signs of a team in decline. They're hanging onto an aging offensive core that once led the team to glory. Now, those same players are mostly broken shells of their former selves. It's not unlike what we've seen in St. Louis with Marc Bulger and the demise of the Greatest Show on Turf.

Reading over the blogs, Seattle fans seem to be just as pleased with Ruskell's 86'ing as Rams fans were when Jay Zygmunt was asked to pack up his office. And the comparisons don't stop there. You've got the curious, to be generous, player moves that Seattle made, Steve Hutchinson for example, and personnel highlights such as the rift with Holmgren. Still, Zygmunt had him beat on bad drafts. Nobody beats the Rams when it comes to bad drafts through the last decade.

The Rams started turning the corner after last season. Though you wouldn't know it looking at the record or reading the local daily, the Rams generally do seem to be heading in the right direction. Still, the Rams have a big hole to climb out of because a bad situation was left to fester for too long. At least (or unfortunately) Seattle made the right move before things got really out of control. Seattle has two first round picks in the coming draft, one that figures to be deep with talent. For them, catching up should be a much easier road than the Rams are traveling.