At long last, Football has returned. On Friday the Rams open up with their first full contact practice in preparation for the 2008 season. As those of us amerced in Rams fandom have become accustomed over the past few years, a plethora of question marks are hanging over the blue and gold as camp opens. Before the Rams marketplace opens, I offer up my advice on whose stock you should buy, and whose will start falling faster then the Dow Jones.

Alex Barron:

Buy

The Rams 05 first rounder has been disappointing to this point. (you see what I did there, that was a false start.) Barron has struggled to make the most of his size and athleticism to the extent that the Rams brass was expecting when they made him the 19th overall pick. His accumulation of penalties has at times been maddening. However, one thing Barron has yet to really have is real competition at right tackle. Well arrived it has in 3rd round selection John Greco. Greco is expected to push Barron for the starting job from the beginning, and maybe the fact that #70 will have to look over his shoulder for the first time in his NFL career will light a spark in the typically placid Florida State alum. Barron is approaching the end of his rookie contract, so the time to step up is now. I feel like the loss of job security could be just what he needs to light that fire and help him turn the corner. Otherwise Greco will take over responsibility on the right side, and Barron will have to find somewhere else to jump offside’s.

Dante Hall:

Sell

In the not too distant past, Hall was feared league wide as the “human joystick” however; a season plagued by injuries has greatly diminished Hall’s effectiveness as a return man. For the first time in a while, the Rams have a few viable options in the kick return game, options that don’t turn 30 this season as Hall will. Rookies Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, and veterans Marques Hagans and Derek Stanley, are all in the mix. In a year in which the Rams receiving core will be shaped for the next few seasons, it makes sense for the team to go young and stay young. With Tory Holt posturing for a Carolina end to his career once his Rams contract is up, it becomes that much more important to groom the young players that may have to step up to fill the void in the mot so distant future. Youth is the name of the game now, and Hall is no longer the weapon he once was. Look for him to be a cut around Labor day.

Chris Long:

Buy

I have already grown tired of the panning of the pick by Rams fans that were in love with Glen Dorcy. Take your could of should haves and move to Western Missouri if you are that sold on Dorsey. Long got his deal done in time to not miss a snap of training camp and he continues to say all the right things. Look for him to step in from the start and assert himself as a leader on and off the field. The Rams d-line is slowly improving, and a healthy Adam Carriker next to him won’t hurt a bit. I expect good things out of the combo of Long Kariker and Ryan. And while we are on the subject of Clifton Ryan look for him to explode this season. He showed flashes last year, and I look for him to be a force inside.

Mark Setterstrom:

Sell

Setterstrom was a guy I loved coming out of the draft, but he has shown thus far that he can’t stay healthy. The biggest red flag for me is his short-lived move to center earlier this off-season. What this says to me is that either, (a) the Rams staff is incompetent, wasting time working Setterstrom at center before moving him back to guard, (not out of the question) or (b) Setterstrom wasn’t impressing and the coaches were looking for a spark out of Setterstrom. Regardless the competition inside the ram’s line should be tuff, with Jacob bell expected to hold down the left guard spot, there will be a few guys duking it out for the right side position. Early word is that the coaches like Roy Schuening quite a bit, and I was sort of impressed by the work put in by Brandon Gorin last season, doing an adequate job starting at right tackle just days after being signed off the street. Unfortunately, I feel like Settrstrom will have to be looking for employment elsewhere come September.

Randy McMichael:

Buy

All signs point towards a significantly increased role for McMichael in the offence this year. (Short of falling asleep on the bus and missing the game, his role couldn’t be decreased much more) McMichael was very recently one of the top tite ends in football, and with the arrival of Al Saunders in St. Louis, good things should be happening in the passing game where McMichael is concerned. Look for a bigger impact to be made by 2006 2nd round pick Joe Klopfenstein as well. (if not he is in danger of being moved next off-season)

A couple more names to watch:

Tim McGarigle, loved this guy coming out of Northwestern, could be time for him to step up and prove that he deserved to be kept after spending most of last year’s camp hurt

Jonathan Wade, the corner position is starting to get crowded with young guys in St. Louis, Wade is going to have to show something in Wisconsin if he is going to hold on to his current gig

That’s all for now, Friday marks my first opportunity to be proven completely wrong.

With training camp approaching, everyone is getting their rose-colored glasses on straight, I thought I would look at the Rams schedule and see if they have a chance to overcome their schedule and make a charge at the playoffs. Obviously, the teams that we think will be tough teams at this part of the year may not be. Some other teams could surprise everyone and have great years. That is why we love football so much. Here’s a rundown of how the schedule looks as training camp opens and my (extremely) uniformed predictions.

Sept. 7 at Philadelphia Eagles – This is the most important game of the year, being the first, and a winnable game during the tough first half of the season. The Eagles started slow last year and only have McNabb, Westbrook and ex-Ram Kevin Curtis on offense. This game being in Philly does not help one bit. This game could go either way and could be a bellwether for the rest of the Rams season. PREDICTION: Win

Sept. 14 NEW YORK GIANTS – Now we have the defending champs at home. No one thinks that the Giants are going to be as good as they were in the 2007 postseason, but they are no cupcakes. This will be another major challenge for the offensive line and blocking schemes. A win here is far from guaranteed, but with a solid run game and good pressure on Eli, the Rams should have a chance. PREDICTION: Loss

Sept. 21 at Seattle Seahawks – The Rams of late have had nothing but trouble with the Seahawks at Qwest Field. The Seahawks are aging, but should be able to defend their home turf against the Rams. PREDICTION: Loss

Read more

2nd overall pick in April’s draft Chris Long said from day one that he wanted to have a deal done to be able to report to Rams training camp on time. It appears he is true to his word. The St.Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that on Saturday Long and the Rams agreed to a deal that will get him in on time and will pay him well over the five years of the deal.

The terms of the deal were not known according to the Dispatch, but word is Long’s agreement is likely similar to those signed by Jake Long, the number one pick and No. 3 pick Matt Ryan. Jake Long received a five-year, $57.75 million deal from the Miami Dolphins, while Ryan signed a six-year, $72 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Long will be with the Rams when they report to Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., on Thursday the 25th for their first practice of the summer.

I know it’s been covered ad nausea and everyone is sick of hearing about the possibility of Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriquez selling the Rams. But, Sports Business Journal is still running with the story that the Rams ownership group has hired an outside investment banking firm to locate potential buyers. I’m sure the group of people with 1 billion to spare couldn’t be too large of a group. Don’t they have an email group or something?

Profootballtalk.com has picked up the story

We have all known that Chip and Lucia will honor their late mother as long as possible and then they will sell the team. We shall see if the new owner(s) intend (or at least say they intend) to keep the team in St. Louis after 2014.

By Andy Benoit - www.NFLTouchdown.com

1. Seattle Seahawks

Owners of the division’s best combination of talent and experience. Having a loaded defense doesn’t hurt either.

2. Arizona Cardinals

On the rise? Perhaps. But questions at quarterback and a stagnant rushing attack present issues.

3. St. Louis Rams

Great in spots but outright porous in others. Can Linehan survive another year?

4. San Francisco 49ers

Only three significant weakness, but all of them damning: quarterback, offensive line, coaching staff.

Best Offseason Move

The Seattle Seahawks saying goodbye to Shaun Alexander.

Worst Offseason Move

The 49ers guaranteeing $20 million to solid but not spectacular defensive end Justin Smith, a 4-3 prototype who doesn’t fit their scheme.

Read more

By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Predicted: 3^rd

2007 Record: 3-13 (4^th NFC West)

Head Coach: Scott Linehan (third season)

Roster Quick View

*rookie

**new veteran

Offense

QB: Marc Bulger Coming off the worst season of his career. Can guide a good offense, but lacks the leadership to carry a bad one.

RB: Steven Jackson When healthy, the third best running back in football (behind L.T. and A.D).

FB: Brian Leonard Lacks the size to be a true FB. Good player but needs to be getting 10-15 touches as a RB. Can’t do that behind Jackson.

WR: Torry Holt Whispers about his age (32) are picking up. What, did nobody notice that he caught 93 passes despite playing in a horrific offense last season?

WR: Drew Bennett After disappointing in the slot, the hope is that a return to the outside will reboot him.

TE: Randy McMichael Production doesn’t usually live up to athleticism. Must embrace whatever role this offense presents him.

LT: Orlando Pace All-Pro when healthy, but has played in just nine games over the past two years.

LG: Jacob Bell** The most valuable free agent signing this team has had in years. Feeble interior O-line will benefit greatly from his power and intensity.

C: Brett Romberg Currently has less job security than an American tech support operator. Will have to beat out Mark Setterstrom, Dustin Fry and Richie Incognito.

RG: Richie Incognito On-field demeanor can rub some the wrong way. So can his history of knee problems.

RT: Alex Barron So athletic, it’s almost sexy. But his questionable passion and shaky fundamentals litter his future with question marks.

—————

QB: Trent Green** Concussions are a major concern. Good backup because of leadership and deep familiarity of Al Saunders’s offense.

RB: Travis Minor Always seems to find playing time off the bench, but will have to fight off Antonio Pittman for backup duties.

WR: Donnie Avery* The first wideout drafted in ’08. Rams hope he can learn their complex offense well enough to immediately fill the slot.

WR: Dan Looker Good for about four or five impressive first down pick ups a year. Outside of that, a special teamer.

TE: Anthony Becht** Brought in as the much-needed upgrade at the blocking tight end position.

Defense

LDE: Leonard Little Turns 34 in October and is coming off major toe surgery. He’d better perform––there are already several heir apparents on the roster.

UT: La’Roi Glover Still a capable veteran, but if Claude Wroten or Clifton Ryan break out, he’ll start seeing the writing on the wall.

NT: Adam Carriker Excellent combination of power and quickness, but doesn’t have the pizzazz of a featured star. Still, appears to be a long-term cog.

RDE: Chris Long* (Insert obligatory line about Hall of Fame father.)

SLB: Quinton Culberson Undrafted free agent a year ago who impressed late in the season and on special teams. Not a lock to start, but the coaching staff is pulling for him.

MLB: Will Witherspoon Epitomizes a solid linebacker. Good at everything but great at nothing. That works.

WLB: Pisa Tinoisamoa Plays the game remarkably fast, which makes him look better than he really is. Injuries have stifled his production the last two years.

CB: Tye Hill Remember this name. If he stays healthy, he’ll be one of the five best cornerbacks in football come Christmas.

SS: Corey Chavous At 32, he’s sparring with Father Time. Could still bounce back from a poor ’07 season, but skeptical eyeballs are on him.

FS: Oshiomogho Atogwe Not quite as good as his NFC-leading 8 interceptions suggest, but certainly an adequate starter. Could stand be a little more consistent.

CB: Fakhir Brown An excellent No. 2 CB, but has had mild issues with the substance abuse policy each of the past two years.

—————

DL: Victor Adeyanju His viability in run defense suggests he should probably be starting.

LB: Chris Draft Very intelligent player with tremendous versatility. The problem for him is that coaches can’t resist using him as a utility backup.

NB: Ron Bartell Terrific tackler who can play anywhere in the secondary. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a starting safety at some point.

Key Acquisitions

G Jacob Bell (Ten)

K Josh Brown (Sea)

WR Reche Caldwell (Was)

QB Bruce Gradkowski (TB)

QB Trent Green (Mia)

CB David Macklin (Was)

Key Losses

OL Milford Brown (Car)

WR Isaac Bruce (SF)

TE Dominique Byrd

LB Brandon Chillar (GB)

QB Gus Frerotte (Min)

K Jeff Wilkins (retired)

Two of the franchise’s lifers are gone: Bruce and Wilkins. The Rams can afford their loss, but it’s never fun saying goodbye. Bruce will be replaced by last year’s high-priced acquisition, Drew Bennett. Wilkins is replaced by Brown, one of the most clutch kickers in football. Green will play ahead of Gradkowski because of his experience in Al Saunders’s offense. Gradkowski, though, could be St. Louis’s long-term backup. Bell is a great addition. Of course, he only fills one of the team’s three gaping holes on the O-line.

Draft

Rd Sel # Player Position School

1 2 Chris Long DE Virginia

2 33 Donnie Avery WR Houston

3 65 John Greco T Toledo

4 101 Justin King CB Penn State

4 128 Keenan Burton WR Kentucky

5 157 Roy Schuening G Oregon State

7 228 Chris Chamberlain DB Tulsa

7 252 David Vobora LB Idaho

Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett wanted Glenn Dorsey, but he should have no problem making do with Long. The former Virginia Cavalier gives the Rams another tenacious, multi-talented presence up front to go with Adam Carriker. It was a surprise that Avery was the first wideout drafted. The Rams couldn’t pass on his speed. He is a great fit for this offense. They’d love to see Greco beat out Alex Barron at RT. King and Burton both provide depth. Vobora was Mr. Irrelevant, though this team’s paucity of linebackers makes him a virtual lock for the 53-man roster.

2008 St. Louis Rams Preview Report

Their voice has been cracking. New parts of their body are growing hair. When they eat, they eat a lot. When they stop, they’re still hungry. So, they eat some more. They see a dame walk by and their mind gets deluged with new thoughts. Powerful, perplexing, intriguing, confusing, unrelenting, gross, graphic, delicious new thoughts. Sometimes they wonder if there’s something wrong with them. If there is, then they don’t want to be right. They never tell anyone this. Too embarrassing. Read more

Mike Martz has never been one to highlight tight ends in his offense. After some Pro Football Weekly-published remarks from the new Niners offensive coordinator about his potential use of tight end Vernon Davis in split-wide situations, I thought I would check Martz’s track record with tight ends.
Using profootballreference.com and footballoutsiders.com, I noted the following info from Martz’s tenures as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator (2006-07) and St. Louis Rams head coach (2000-2005). All 1999 data from his season as an offensive coordinator for the Rams wasn’t available.

I charted the team’s total pass attempts, completions, completion percentage, yards and touchdowns.
Likewise, I scribbled (or typed, actually) the receptions, passes targeted (along with that percentage), yards and touchdowns for tight ends during that time frame.

Here is what I found:

Detroit Lions – 2007
587 pass attempts, 368 pass completions, 63%, 4,216 yards, 19 touchdowns
TE’s
Sean McHugh – 17 catches/29 passes targeted (59%), 252 yards, 0 touchdowns
Casey Fitzsimmons – 8/10 (80%), 85 yards, 1 touchdown

Detroit Lions – 2006
596 pass attempts, 372 pass completions, 62%, 4,208 yards, 21 touchdowns
Daniel Campbell – 21/32 (66%), 308 yards, 4 touchdowns
Casey Fitzsimmons – 7/10 (70%) 71 yards, 0 touchdowns
Marcus Pollard – 12/17 (71%), 100 yards, 0 touchdowns

St. Louis Rams – 2005
599 pass attempts, 392 pass completions, 65%, 4,351 yards, 23 touchdowns
Brandon Manumaleuna – 13/20 (65%), 129 yards, 1 touchdown

St. Louis Rams – 2004
577 pass attempts, 372 pass completions, 64%, 4,615, 23 touchdowns
Brandon Manumaleuna – 15/21 (71%), 174 yards, 1 touchdown
Cam Cleeland – 7/12 (58%), 57 yards, 0 touchdowns

St. Louis Rams – 2003
597 pass attempts, 374 pass completions, 63%, 4,210 yards, 23 touchdowns
Brandon Manumaleuna – 29/45 (64%), 238 yards, 2 touchdowns
Cam Cleeland – 10/16 (63%), 145 yards, 0 touchdowns

St. Louis Rams – 2002
629 pass attempts, 406 pass completions, 65%, 4,473 yards, 24 touchdowns
Ernie Conwell 34/48 (71%), 419 yards, 2 touchdowns
Brandon Manumaleuna – 8/14 (57%), 106 yards, 1 touchdown

St. Louis Rams – 2001
549 pass attempts, 378 pass completions, 69%, 4,852, 36 touchdowns
Ernie Conwell 38/52 (73%), 431 yards, 4 touchdowns
Jeff Robinson 11 receptions, 108 yards, 1 (no data on passes targeted)

St. Louis Rams – 2000
587 pass attempts, 380 pass completions, 65%, 5,492 yards, 37 touchdowns
Roland Williams 11/25 (44%), 102 yards, 3 touchdowns
Ernie Conwell 5/9 (56%), 40 yards, 0 touchdowns

Now, obviously Davis is a more athletic tight end than any player on this list. He’s certainly a more talented receiver as well, which makes me think he should be able to top these numbers. Aside from Conwell’s efficient and productive 2001 season, there isn’t much in the way of major tight end production.

Hopefully that will change since Davis is far and away the most lethal receiving weapon at his disposal.

It is hard to believe, but it appears that no less than seven teams are interested in the services of former Saints and Browns OL LeCharles Bentley, who asked for and got his release from the Browns two weeks ago.  Bentley feels that he is healthy and can be a starter on a team this season, but it’s going to up to the team that he eventually signs with to figure that out.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network put out a list of the seven teams, breaking down as follows:

Buffalo - The Bills O-line was better in 07 than 06, but could use some help.  They need to make sure to get Jason Peters signed, and they have Melvin Folwer as their center, a good, but not great player.

Cincinnati - They need some help up front, and if Bentley is going to line up at center, it’s a position they can use, with right now Eric Ghiaciuc listed as the starting snapper.  Staying in the North means he can stick it to the Browns as well.

Miami - Bentley can teach some traits to #1 pick Jake Long, and probably take some playing time away from center Samson Satele.  The line needs some experience, and Bentley can add that.

Oakland - The silver and black were 6th in the league in rushing last year, and while they could use some depth, I can’t see him wrestling away a starting job on this already pretty good line.

Pittsburgh - The issues on the O-line were well documented for the Steelers in 2007, and now that Alan Faneca is gone, it’s still a problem spot.  They will have 2-3 new starters on the line this year, and while they already brought in a center in Justin Hartwig, Bentley might be an interesting fit here.

St. Louis - This is the top spot in my opinion for Bentley to land.  The Rams lost out on Barry Sims this week to the Niners, and have been looking hard at the O-line market since they were so banged up there last year.  Mark Setterstrom will be the center in 08, and he can be displaced if Bentley signs.

San Francisco - This may have been a more pressing need before they got Sims this week, but the Niners want to upgrade the O-line still, and would love to add someone like Bentley that can teach youngsters like Chilo Rachal and last years #1 Joe Staley.

Seattle - Walter Jones is coming off another shoulder surgery, and the middle three spots are trouble issues, which is why Bentley is getting consideration here. Center Chris Spencer has offseason thumb surgery, making a run at Bentley even more of a possibility.

In the NFL, there is always a list of players that come back after subpar seasons to light it up the following year. Most of those players either are coming off an injury, move to another team that fits them as players better, or just finally “gets it” within the team and system they are in. Below are a list of players we think will be back in 2008, and these may be players that make it back to where they were, or players that make it there for the first time.

1. Marc Bulger QB Rams - Last season the Rams slumped to 3-13, and this after a coming off a strong end to 2006. Bulger had a tough time behind a line that was beat up by injuries most of the year, and by a running game that struggled with Steven Jackson hurt a good part of the year. While the Rams take a turn to get better in 2008, Bulger will too, and he should bounce back from his 07 season that saw him throw for 2392 yards, 11 TD’s and 15 picks.

2. Julius Peppers DE Panthers - Peppers all but vanished for the Panthers in 2007, putting up just 2.5 sacks and getting beat up by the media around the country for being a player that was nowhere to be found. He’s making the move to right end, which should help right off the bat, and the Panthers defense will look overall to be a much better unit in 2008, and with it Peppers could return to being a force on defense for the cats.

3. Laveranus Coles WR Jets - With an uncertain QB situation and some injuries to deal with, Coles was not the explosive player the Jets have come to count last year, as he slumped to just 55 catches in just a handful of games. With a better O-line, whoever is throwing the ball in the Big Apple will have more time to throw, and that should right away put Coles up above the 11.7 yards per catch average he had last year and six scores.

4. DeAngelo Hall CB Raiders - This is a classic case of a player moving to a new team with a new deal in hand, and having a big season. That’s what’s ahead for Hall, who will be as good if not better than the Pro Bowl form he’s shown in the past. The Raiders have some playmakers in their secondary, and Hall will fit the bill and be a big time player for them in 2008.

5. Frank Gore RB 49′ers - As the Niners had a tough 2007, Gore followed. He still ran for 1102 yards, but didn’t have that dominant season that the team and many around the league thought he would have coming of a big 2006 that earned him a huge deal. This is a case though of others playing better around Gore in 2008 as well. If the Niners do that, he’ll have a big comeback season.

6. Vince Young QB Titans - We’re on the Young bandwagon, and can’t believe that this guy will stay in rut that he was for a large portion of the 07 season. Let’s remember though, he was a big part of the reason why the Titans did make the postseason, and despite the only 9 throwing TD’s and 17 picks, he still has a special ability with his legs, and with the Titans growing as a team, Young’s third season in the NFL will by far be his best.

Steven Jackson recently gave an interview to Michael Silver in which he goes into painful detail about getting dumped by his agent, his contract, and yep, his colonoscopy.

We can speculate about his player-agent relationship, but simply agents do not fire players who are going into the final season of their contract. Jackson and Silver chalk up the firing to Jackson hiring an ex-associate of his agent as a marketing executive.

Jackson then speaks about last season and his future in St. Louis. Quoting Silver’s article:

“”It’s a one-year bid for everybody,” Jackson says. “It could be Scott’s last year, and my last year, and even the franchise is in jeopardy – the team could get sold and leave St. Louis. There’s a lot riding on this year, and we all know that. Just as much as the Rams need me, I need them.”"

Jackson seems determined to have a good year in 2008 and does not speculate on his plans about signing a new deal with the Rams. One thing is known for sure, Jackson will be expensive. His former agent even knows he will be one of the highest paid Running Backs in the NFL starting in 2009. Jackson was publicly upset with Rams fans for selling their tickets to opposing team’s fans late in 2007, and who knows if that indicates that he would be unwilling to sign with the Rams after this year.

Luckily Jackson turns to a slightly less ugly topic, his colon-cleansing, “My hands were covered in sweat, and the (colon therapist) lady comes in and starts talking my ear off. There’s this thin hose-type-thing that you put up there that shoots water into you and sucks everything out, but I had trouble getting it in, and then it kept coming out. The lady had to come back six different times and put it back in there. It was brutal.”

I’m sure Rams fans also could use a thorough cleansing after 2007’s 3-13 embarrassment as well.