Yes, it feels like everything has fallen apart in regards to this team that we have gotten so excited about this off season.  Major injuries,  an embarassing loss, and a crumbling internal community all hit us on the same day.  TST did what they had to do to pull us together and I commend them for it.  They were put in a very difficult situation and they were left no other options. The bottom line is that we are a community here, even if it is made up of obsessed internet dorks whose only past time is to write fan posts about whether or not we should acquire randy moss for the 500th time.

After such disapointment in the game and our horrible reaction to it, I remembered some words that were uttered by Dick Vermiel after Trent Green was injured in the preseason after looking so good.  He said "We will rally around Kurt Warner and we will play good football"  He said it with a tear in his eye.  I didn't believe him.  But we rallied around kurt Warner and we played good football.  So, in the midst of our fallen heroes, we must rally.  Pull it together. 

Beat the Giants

Change happens in such strange ways, we forget what we started out with.  I will help you remember.  Here is what we opened with against the Seahawks the year we went 1-15.  A lot has changed. We lost this game 28-0.

QB Marc Bulger

RB Steven Jackson

FB Mike Karney

LT Alex Barron

LG Jacob Bell

C Jason Brown

RG Richie Incognito

RT Jason Smith 

WR Laurent Robinsom

WR Donnie Avery

TE Randy McMicheal

DEFENSE

DE Leonard Little

DE Chris Long/ James Hall

DT Clifton Ryan

DT Gary Gibson

WLB Will Witherspoon

MLB JamesLaurinaitis

SLB Dave Vborra

CB Ron Bartell

CB Jonathen Wade

FS OJ Otogwe

SS James Butler

It is a popular talking point to declare the preseason meaningless, but if you know what to look for you can derive a lot of information.  Ignore the scores and focus on individual match-ups.  Where should we start?

• Offensive Line: The best performance of any unit on the field, including TEs. As a unit, the line did nearly everything right except for a single missed block by Dahl in the redzone that resulted in a loss.   Rodger Saffold and Bell really cleared out running lanes and got downfield very quickly, but each player deserved praise.  Pass protection was rock solid.  The only time Bradford was touched was on a screen pass that developed poorly, and the line was supposed to let their guys through. 

• RBs- No SJack, no problem.  Cadilac carried very well, made plays as a receiver out of the backfield, and was at least as good as Jackson in pass protection.  Cadilac still has lots of agility, and ran the draw REAL well.  Norwood played solidly, but was lining up against and playing with the 2s.  He showed nice burst.  Behind decent run blocking, Toston looked like a quality third running back. I can't wait to see Steven Jackson behind this line.
  

• WR- Not much going on the outside.  MSW was a scratch early on,as was Avery and Salas.  Amendola was sharp (running the same crossing patterns at the same depth as we are used to). Gibby took advantage of a corner playing to far off early in the first quarter and made him look stupid.  He also broke off a route that was supposed to go deep ( a play that Bradford had time to go deep). Pettis couldn't bring in two balls that probably shouldn't have been thrown, but otherwise looked nervous. Gilyard looked good on a bubble screen, but ...
  

• Alexander gets his own category to clear up some things for TST readers.  He had 3 for 43 and looked mostly good.  His first "drop" was actually batted away by a DB, and his 2nd was a trap...also not a real drop.  It was nice to see Alexander play well, I was getting worried.
  

• Kendricks was powerful, quick, and involved.  This performance wasn't a surprise if you have been following the rams through camp. I wont rave anymore about Kendricks.  He dropped a couple, but he got himself open all night long. Bajema (filling in for Mike H.) actually landed some key blocks.  I hate Bajema.  So I don't praise him lightly. 

• QB- Bradford played it safe hitting short range targets like Kendricks and Amendola with some backs out of the backfield.  A pass he jammed into Pettis in the redzone probably should have gone to a wide open Kendricks.  Bradford played well, I'll leave it at that.
  

[Note by VanRam, 08/08/11 10:26 AM EDT ] More great insight from the St. Louis Rams work in training camp. I'm bumping this to the front page because it's a must read. 

I observe and analyze things for a living.  When I'm not performing these tasks at work, I perform them on the rams.  These are some things we may want to know.

1) If we line up in Pro- Micheal H. will be the fullback.  In fact, a third of his snaps may come from the backfield. (source: My eyes)

2) Ive seen many hand-offs to Lance Kendricks from the H-Back position on third and short.  Don't be shocked when this happens in a game. 

Continue reading this post »

s hard as it may sound, we here at TST must at sometime consider life without Julio Jones.  I believe that his 4.39 forty time vaults him just out of the reach of our fat sausage fingers.  Sure, It is possible that some team(s) may reach for a tackle and and that some other team may pick Cam Newton before us.  However, I think that it is time that we confront reality and assemble our plan B.  Life without Julio Jones.  Yes, Billy Devanney has already done that, so we must now consider alternatives as speculators.

Because of talent and need, there are only three offensive players to even be realistically considered at 14.  Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, and Mike Pouncey.  There is no way we pick a tackle, a QB, TE, or another WR there.  Julio will be gone, Ingram seems like a vanity pick, and Pouncey seems like a reach at 14.  That leaves defense.

Next up Defense

I find it unlikely that we pick Akeem Ayers.  This Front office doesn't place that much value on linebackers.  Von Miller could slide, but it doesn't sound like us to take him at 14. 

There is a good chance that a serious Defensive End is around when we pick.  Cameron Jordan looks like a younger James Hall, capable of moving inside on third down, letting Selvey rush from the outside. Aldon Smith is also interesting.  Robert Quinn may slide with a bit of luck.

The 2nd tier of defensive tackles appear to be sliding, namely Paea and Liuget. Fairly and Dareus wont be there.

So it appears to me that if we stay at 14 we will end up with an end. An end who appears to be Cameron Jordan or Aldon Smith.  I'm not saying that this is a great outcome, just one that seems realistic based on our situation.  There is a chance that some incredible prospect will slide.  Who will we pick if we keep 14?

In order for the defense to keep improving without the availability of limitless resources, some players currently on the roster must get better.  The growth of Fletcher, Laurenitis, Long spearheaded our defensive improvement last year.  With free agency in the unsure state that its in,  whats on our roster right now is the only sure hope for improvement.

1) Jerome Murphy

We invested a high third round pick in Murphy, who was the player Jonathen Baldwin called the best corner he had faced in college.  After some close calls in the dime package against San Diego (Murphy blew coverage leaving some players wide open down the field that Rivers didn't see) and losing some 50/50s.. Murphy's facetime was cut and he was relegated to special teams. Not to worry, all Murphy's problems stemmed from hesitancy which is very common for rookie DBs.  I cant wait for Murphy to feel confdent enough in the scheme to use is aggresion in a way that benefits the defense.  Look for him to take over in the nickel package being that King and Dockery will most likely not be back

2) George Selvie

Another South Florida player who we stole on draft day. Selvie showed that  he deserves to part of the 3rd down blitz package. Selvey is smart and much like Leonard Little, has to eat studiously to keep weight on.  Selvey has natural pass rush skill that is hard to teach, but just needs to be schematically comfortable and needs to work his way into an NFL body.  I think Murphy can be a good player while I think Selvie wil be one.  I don't care where he was drafted. He screams Jason Taylor to me.

3) Darrel Scott

Here is where we start to enter fantasy land.  But I do believe that Scott must contribute to the DT rotation for the defense to show additional improvement this year.  When Scott recovered form injury, Jermele Cudjo was immediately sent back to the Inactive Roster.  The coaching staff thinks  of him at least a little higher than Cudjo.  Not to say he wasn't in the rotation this year, he was.  He just needs to be a more visible part of the rotation entering his third year.  The learning curve on DTs is steeper than you think (see Ryan Picket)., but at 6-3 315 Scottstill has upside.

I feel it is my duty to give some perspectives on the myth of needing a "true number one wr" that we all hear so much about.  Before we go and plunge headfirst into the draft with the intentions of upgrading our wr corps, I would like everybody to think back on the development cycles of some pretty good wide receivers.  I wonder if some of the fans thought they needed a number one while these guys were coming along.

Below are some pretty good players following natural growth periods

Derrick Mason didn't gt a thousand yard season until his 5th year. Wouldn't last long with our fans.

TO took 3 seasons to break a thousand yards, and wasn't "good "until his 5th

Chad Johnson's rookie season 28 329 and 1 td.  Brandon Gibson did that in half a season last year.

It took Reggie Wayne 4 seasons before a thousand.

Lee Evans and Steve Johnson both got a thousand in their third year.

Deion Branch has never gotten a 1000 yard season, in fact no patriot receiver got a 1000 yards this year.  Their running back barely cracked a 1000 with 1008 yards.  They are the best offense on the planet.  How can that be possible.

Braylon Edwards 3rd year, Holmes 3rd, Sydney Rice 3rd, Miles Austin 4th, Roddy White 3rd.

Vincent Jackson took 4 years and only had 3 catches for 59 yards his rookie year. LESS than Gilyard.  BUST..And he is the one we are drooling over right now.

Steve Smith had 10 154 his rookie year. Other Steve Smith 8 for 63.

Is there anybody out there who watches football that can see more than the game that is on right this very second?  Give Donnie Avery and Danario Alexander a chance.  They might both be true # one WRs.  Allocating resources to a position that we might be able to solve inhouse would be a huge mistake.  There are positions where we have no talent.  Those are right guard, both outside linebackers, strong safety, and Gary Gibson's defensive tackle spot (robbin's spot will be a problem in the future, as will Hall's end spot).

When next April rolls around,  the FO is going to look at our corps of WR and think to themselves "this group looks pretty good".   Mark Clayton (he will be resigned), Donnie Avery  (will  look much better with Bradford throwing to him), Danario Alexander, Danny Amendola, Mardy GIlyard and Gibson fight for position 5.  There is no way this team reaches for a WR in the first.  We have plenty of other places that need help.  The usual hoots and hollers for a WR will be vocal all year long, but I think it is a strategically a better decision to once again go BPA in this years draft excluding QB,LT,RT, TE (I like what we got going on here) and MLB.  Every other position is can be augmented realistically through the draft. Robbins and HAll wont be good forever.  Our OLBs do not scare anyone and OJ's contract is not exactly binding (and dahl isn't exactly amazing).  Do we really have 2 years to wait for a rookie WR to develope?  If a WR is the best player available, then Im sure we take him.  But after winning four games, I think the chances of a WR being the BPA when we draft is remote.

Jonathen Baldwin from Pitt. 6-5 220.  We will have to lose out to get AJ Green this draft unless there is an early  run on QBs.   If we are serious on a 1st round WR, we will either be looking Julio Jones or Baldwin.  He will most likely be there when we pick in the first round and I like him over Jones any day of the week.  Baldwin looks big and has good hands.  His production has been pretty good the past two years.  Decent Red Zone target for Sam Bradford.   Those are the options I see.  If we don't like those prospects, then i see us going DE and hitting wr in the second Devier Posey.  Of course, all this is contingent on who we sign as free agents.  However if Alexander pans out, then we could possibly field Alexander, Clayton, Avery, Amendola, and Gilyard next year.  IF the corps is solid, then we will not hit wr at all.  We will just have to see the rest of the year pan out.

I watched Roger Saffold  for every play in the first half and formulated some opinions.  Here goes.

Roger Saffold is the exact opposite of Alex Baron.  Saffold is aggresive, aware, and probably played his best game today.  He knows when to come off a chip and look for other blitzers.  He understands what a pocket should look like.  There were times when his defender got outside of him ,  but Saffold extended long arms to get that little last push right at the last moment to send whomever sailing past Bradford. On three and five step drops, Saffold punched and stalemated like he should.   He also threw a monster block on a pull that scored the Steven Jackson touchdown, which was just one of many aggresive blocks thrown today.  It should be noted that we lined up strong right for most of the day, leaving Saffold squarely responsible for the backside.  Im not saying he is perfect, but no one is going to get a square shot at Bradford the way Saffold is playing.  Ok, im done gushing.

Bernie wrote an article this morning about how our dink and dunk passing game hurts us.  I actually agree  with Bernie this time.  It  doesn't seem like Bernie's usual reactionary garbage. Check it while I wreck it.

The Rams have to take some shots downfield. I understand the wisdom of putting rookie QB Sam Bradford in high-percentage passing situations in an effort to build his confidence and comfort level and minimize mistakes. This is a process. And to this point offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and QBs coach Dick Curl have done a very good job in helping Bradford in his transition to the NFL. And I had plenty of concerns about Curl's effectiveness. But so far, everything has been fine. But now it's also time to expand a bit. Here's one of the problems: Bradford and the Rams do not try to stretch a defense. There is virtually no threat of the deep pass, and opposing defensive coordinators know it. Without having to worry about getting burned downfield, coordinators can clamp down on all of the Rams' short passes. That makes it even harder for the Rams' receivers to get yards after the catch.

According to STATS LLC, the Rams have attempted the second-lowest number of passes in which the ball is in the air for 21+ yards. Only Miami, with 9, has attempted fewer deep balls than the Rams (10). On attempts of 21+ yards, Bradford is only 2 of 10 with an interception. His passer rating of 17.9 on 21+ throws is the worst in the league. Yes, I realize the Rams are not stocked with an arsenal of deep receiving threats. It's a problem. And that problem has been made even more severe with the season-ending loss of WR Mark Clayton. But still, you can't go into the shell. You have to let the defense know that you're willing to throw it over the top. The Rams have to give defensive coordinators something else to think about when they're plotting strategy against Bradford and the Rams. Perhaps Danario Alexander can help the cause.

It makes sense for the Rams to milk the clock and try to maintain possession to keep the ball away from the high-scoring Chargers. And the Chargers will expect that, too. The element of surprise for the deep pass will be there for the Rams on Sunday.

When considering our young wide receiver corps, I think we should consult our good friend ... Historical Perspective.

Lets take a gander at Steve Smith's first 2 years in the league

2001  10 catches 154 yards 0 TDs

2002 54 catches 872 yards 3 TDs

Ram chop would have cut him. Lets look at Miles Austins first 3.

2006 All blanks

2007 5 catches 76 yards 0 TDs

2008 13 cathces 278 yards 3 TDs

Another scrub.  Not even cut out for CFL.  How about Hall of Famer Michael Irvin:

32 654 5

26 378 2

20 413 5

The point is that in this day of internet flame wars, we have lost perspective of player development.  Our guys can actually be something great someday.  It may just take some time.  Same goes for Chris Long.  He is way ahead of where Mike Strahan was at this time. 

Things may not be as they appear,  a lot can happen from hand to mouth, insert ancient chinese proverb here.  There have been additional interesting stirrings from the Redskins camp regarding Campbell, Haynesworth, and their interest in Adam Carriker. Shanahan hates Haynesworth and he will be dealt this year (because it is uncapped) We all know that that Haynesworth's contract is massive, however it should be noted that the redskins will absorb the accelerated signing bonus in  this uncapped year.  That means that his contract is not nearly as bad as it looks (still bloated though) and.... wait for it...wait for it...  we can cut him at any time without a salary cap hit.  I think.  Most importantly is that they do actually want Adam Carriker and something with Campbell might be worked out.  If we get Campbell, do we still draft Bradford?  Do we move on to Suh or Mccoy.  How about Haynesworth and Suh together on the same team, bet that will free up Chris Long.  Okay now Ive just gone retarded.  Ohh draft day, how I long for thee. 

"I tell you who is looking really good is Bradley Fletcher"

Coach Spags on Fletcher's rehab.  This is really good news and I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief.  It sounds like he will make a good recovery and get back to where he was before he got injured.  He was really starting to get it when he got hurt.  I think we have a really solid corner here who will be very important to us going forward.

Why would we trade our only offensive weapon, you ask.  He is a selfless wrecking ball in his prime who racked up good numbers on a bad team against mostly 8 man fronts.  His name couldn't be any better right now.  This is all very true, and this is why we have to trade him.  Logic dictates that by the time we become competitive again, Steven Jackson will be past 30 and we all know what that means for running backs (see LT, Shaun Alexander, and every RB that has ever played in the NFL).  We have proven that even with over 1400 yards that we can still lose, putting to rest the myth that a solid running game will win you many games.  So instead of watching him deteriorate over the next 3 years, why not trade him and get the picks neccesary to rebuild the offense.

If you don't think BIlly Devaney isn't  already considering it, you are crazy.  Don't buy all the smoke and mirrors about Billy not trading Stephen Jackson or being a "fan" of Marc Bulger.  Well he was also a fan of Witherspoon, but he used logic and got something while he still had a chance.  Next year is uncapped which means that there is no acceleration of signing bonuses when a player is traded.  Bundle Stephen Jackson with our extra 5th and we could double dip into the 1st and 2nd rounds.  This would allow us to get our QB AND our Suh, while letting us pick up an (admitingly) NOT Steven Jacksonesque running back in the 2nd...but a back capable of getting 1000 yards. 

The Cowboys traded Walker and built the basis of their superbowl teams.  Sure, this is a different time where you cant get as much in a trade (mostly because of the Walker trade), but it is time to be strategic, not emotional.  That or we will end up like Lions, throwing Barry Sanders into a wall of defenders over and over again because we have no options. 

I'm just sayin..

via www.insidesocal.com

Conventional wisdom argues that we will get Suh in round 1 and then try and get the best QB available in round 2.  Well what if we didn't?  The QBs still here dont look that spectacular anyway.  They certainly wont look better than Null looked and now they will be a year behind him even.  What if we drafted Jermaine Gresham or Rob Gronkowski at TE and added to the potency of our offense through the backdoor.  This allows our young wide receiving corps to develop and adds a critical element that will aid the running game as well as the passing game.  When was the last time we had a tight end that really contributed.  Even the Martz run offense rarely used the tight end.  This is a young QB's best friend  because they are usually so close to the line LOS. Dude, I know, Joe Kloepfenstein right? He was a reach and we all knew it. These two guys look great and would be an immediate upgrade.  BTW, all we have is Fells and Bajema because McMicheal's contract is over.  There are lots of places to go here QB, WR, DE, OLB, and if MIke Iaputi is there, I cant see how we pass him, but I think that we can get great value here at TE if these guys fall to the top of the 2nd.

via images.athlonsports.com

It seems to me that lately some usuallly smart people in our community are so very scared of busting on our first overall pick that they are considering to argue for not taking the best player in the draft.  The truth is that there is risk in drafting at any position and that if a 20 year old Reggie White became available, these same people would voice the same concerns.  In addition many “busts” go on to have productive NFL careers once they get away from the team that originally drafted them and into a better situation.

                Guarding yourself against a bust isn’t going to save you any  pain.   Picking the less hyped player isn’t  going to net you a better player. The best you can do is pick the player with the best track record and avoid potential over production.  Suh’s college production is better than Dorsey’s, Robertson’s, Kennedy’s, or even (gasp) Sapp’s.  He is nothing  like Dan Wilkinson, who hardly had any stats to speak of (except for out this world combine numbers) .  Suh earned his hype with hard aggressive play and great technique (despite perceptions by some that he is raw). BTW, you couldn’t mismanage Glenn Dorsey more than the Chiefs are.  He is now playing end in a 3-4. 

                In the end, all that matters is how much he helps the defense.  Russell Maryland was rarely heard of again after being drafted  1st overall by the Cowboys.  He did his job and anchored a Dallas defense that won 3 superbowls.  Suh, with coaching by Spags and Co. will have make everyone better.  Suh is a strong, quick, and he is a fighter.  Be happy to get him.  And as far as having massive shoes to fill, Lujuan Ramsey hasn’t exactly blown our minds away with his disruptive play. Suh, bust or not, will look great just because of the lack of talent at that spot.