First of all, it was clear from the number of cars parked in the field alongside One Rams Way as I drove up that fans were excited about the opening of Rams practices. I entered as a fan -- I don't know what the Rams' policy is regarding media credentials and bloggers, but I didn't want to lose time finding out today. There were at least a couple hundred in attendance, families mixed in with semi-professional fans (complete with cameras bigger than Steven Jackson's thigh). We were welcomed warmly, with lots of friendly faces in Rams polos pointing the way. As I got to the sidelines and sat on a grassy hill overlooking the field nearest me, recievers were running hook routes with coaches lofting balls over their outside shoulders, and running backs were taking handoffs from a second group of coaches. The first thing that stood out to me, once I got settled, is that MIKE KARNEY IS A BEAST. I need to work on my camera skills -- I had trouble adjusting to the bright sunlight, and many of my shots were overexposed. So this shot fails to truly show the similarities between the boiled-red Karney and Hellboy. In fact, that might be my new nickname for him. Karney runs angry, even in practice, and is always looking to hit someone or something. Watching him and SJ run together looked truly fearsome. After fifteen minutes or so, the whistle blew and the entire offense assembled to run quick plays, using white-shirted offensive players lined up in a faux defensive front-seven alignment. Blocking and pursuit was light, and no one was tackling, so it seemed to be a focus on QBs and receivers being on the same page. I paid most attention to Bulger and Boller, though Null and Berlin were also getting work. Bulger can still stick it in the numbers, for certain, and he sounded crisp and businesslike calling out plays. His throws were prototypical "frozen ropes," but with enough touch that receivers had no trouble hanging on. In fact, dropped balls or missed connections were very rare all day. Boller looked strong as well, but a little slower off the snap. I was trying to watch the linemen, mostly -- Barron seemed either slow or stolid, depending on your point of view. From the snap, he would take two or three plodding steps and hold his ground. The newly-signed Jason Smith, on the other hand, is incredibly quick. He was very quick in sealing off his man, moving side to side, keeping his feet in motion but never seeming out of balance. Daniel Fells also caught my eye with a couple of nice catches, one of which drew oohs from the crowd. He showed a lot of promise last season, and I think is poised to really play a role with this team. Again the whistle blew, and the entire white-shirted unit jogged at a pretty fast pace off the field closest to us and to the one adjoining, while a couple of dudes wheeled a set of goalposts into place. I went and migrated with a herd of fellow fans, following the players. I ended up watching a blue-shirted defensive line drill, with defensive tackles and ends rotating in and out on every other snap, lined up against the lowest tier of Rams offensive linemen. On each snap, one player was a designated rusher, so it was really easy to focus in on individuals and their techniques. A few things that stood out here:

• Hollis Thomas is a beast, but not overwhelmingly large compared to his fellow linemen -- until he turns sideways. He's got a lot of gut weight, and he really is NOT fast. However, he's a vicious attacker with his arms, and has to be a nightmare to line up against. He should occupy plenty of attention and deal out punishment in spades.
• Chris Long was one of the few players I saw get noticeably frustrated, ripping his helmet off after getting swallowed up on a rush. It seemed to be a "teachable moment," as one of the Rams coaches tried to demonstrate a rip move.
• James Hall (I believe ... I was swiveling pretty quickly from game action to my roster sheet) had a couple of strong inside rushes, but was pushed aside enough to allow the "Quarterback" (a gray-shirted Rams coach) to slide-step enough to make a throw.
• I didn't see much out of Darell Scott, but will pay more attention to him in following practices.

The whistle blew again, with several shouts of "Seven on Seven!" The players all perked up for this, and hustled over for a nice set of scrimmages, offense vs defense. Again, the defense had their backs to where I was, so I ended up watching that part of the ball more. Players were rotating in and out crisply every three or four snaps, giving units a chance to work together in multiple formations. Laurinaitis was working solely with the second team, with Witherspoon anchoring the MLB spot on the first team. Little Animal definitely has speed on Spoon, though the elder man never seemed to be out of position. This was not a tackling drill (though apparently Laurinaitis didn't get that memo yesterday), but defensive players swarmed toward the ball carrier to lay friendly arm whips on him. Also, there didn't appear to be much of a pass rush, though whether this was coded into the drill to protect the red-shirted QBs or a statement on the offensive line, I'm not sure. Among second-team receivers, I had an eye on Sean Walker, thanks to Ramboy81's request. He caught one ball on a pattern than curled inside, but it was the way he caught it that struck me. Rather than keeping his feet planted and ready to make a "football move," he left his feet and kind of glided into the ball. In game action, if he starts gliding toward the inside of the field, he's going to get decapitated by some bloodthirsty safety.  In general, he looked sure-handed, though not noticeably speedy. The whistle blew again, and I got to watch Josh Brown murder a couple of footballs through the uprights, creating a swarm of kids on the grassy hill waiting to catch-and-release the falling pigskin. It turned out to be some of the last action of the day, as players moved to the back field for a couple more drills removed from prying eyes, and then concluded with stretching and a gigantic huddle nearly 100 players and coaches deep.

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Bonus link: For even more observations (and some pretty nice photos) from today's practice, check out RamsGab. no comments

Am very excited, and will post photos and observations -- as I'm allowed. From the Rams' media guide, there are a few restrictions that I'll have to obey. Still photography is OK, but video is out -- unless you want videos of players stretching, and we're not that kind of website. I am not allowed to report on strategy, groupings, or trick plays -- so you'll have to wait until gameday to see that perfectly executed Bobby Bowden "Fumblerooski." no comments

Update: Here's the replay if you missed the live broadcast. We did heavy discussion of all three units on defense, as well as the offensive line, and the overall philosophy of team-rebuilding at Rams Park. Tonight at 6:00 CST: huddle around the internet radio as VanRam and 3k from TurfShowTimes, Jeff from RamsGab, and myself do a massive pre-camp audio blast. Here's the link for you to tune in, and call in: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/VanRam/2009/07/29/Turf-Show-Radio-training-camp-kick-off-spectacular no comments

According to Yahoo!, Michael Crabtree is asking for "top 3" money in his contract. His agent? Eugene Parker, who (as TST points out) orchestrated Steven Jackson's holdout last offseason. So far, this is all good news. Unrest in the Niners' camp adds just a few more raindrops to their planned playoff parade. And it adds more weight to the "diva" reputation that Crabs acquired before the draft. However, there's speculation that the Crabtree's holdout will affect the Rams' negotiations with Jason Smith, as well as nearly every other unsigned pick in the top half of the first round. I tend to think it won't negatively affect the Rams, for a couple of reasons:

1. As the #2 pick, he was already going to be "slotted" for a very handsome payday. Demoff understands that, and has repeatedly assured everyone who's listening that all contracts will be done. If Crabtree eventually signs for "top 3" money, Smith shouldn't feel cheated.
2. Smith has not made any noise about holding out of training camps, practices, or any team activities. He's been profiled all over stlouisrams.com as a new face of the franchise. All indications are that he will be a good citizen and continue to work as though the negotiations will take care of themselves. And they should.
3. The Rams were in a similar position last season, as both #1 pick Jake Long and #3 pick Matt Ryan signed gargantuan contracts before the Rams came to terms with Chris Long. But the Rams got a decent deal done with Long in relatively short order.

Here's a table that shows the disparity between those contracts:

Pick	Player	Contract terms	Guaranteed $	Date signed
1	Jake Long - LT	5 yrs, $57.5 mil	$30 mil	April 22, 2008
2	Chris Long - RDE	5 yrs, $48 mil	$22.385 mil	July 20, 2008
3	Matt Ryan - QB	6 yrs, $66 mil	$34.75 mil	May 20, 2008

What is really curious about this scenario is that Eugene Parker also happens to represent the #3 pick in the draft. So when Crabtree asks for "top 3" money, Parker happens to be firmly in control of where that bar is set. But that is set to be a monumental clash with new Chiefs' GM Scott Pioli, the former personnel and payroll guru of the New England Patriots. Arrowhead Pride lists a series of recent client holdouts orchestrated by Parker in the last five years, with commentary and outcome. Notably, his client Richard Seymour did hold out on the Patriots -- but it was a mild three-day holdout, and was settled quickly and modestly in Seymour's favor. Pioli brooked no drama in that instance. However, the Chiefs appear to be behind several other teams in their contract signings, which might be caused by a delay in Jackson's contract, which might domino into a prolonged holdout for Michael Crabtree. Which, again, it totally fine by me. no comments

-- Star of Stars, by Michael Silver. Published Sept 3, 2001 A second quote that I really liked:

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Note: post reformatted to include all three September games. Ancient Roman soothsayers used to slice open sheep and read fortunes from their entrails. As I put on my mystic hat and stare at the guts of the Rams -- last year's leavings mixed with this offseason's portents -- I can't say I like what I see. I'm overall pretty optimistic about the prospects for the Rams, who are beginning what looks like a significant turnaround. But the scheduling gods have not been kind. September looks like it's going to suck a little bit.

Week	Date	Opponent	LY: Record	LY: Points	3Y: Record	3Y: Points
1	Sept. 13	at Seattle Seahawks	4-12	294/392	23-25	1022/1024
Rams games vs opponent, last three seasons:
Week 6, 2006: Lost 28-20 at home Week 10, 2006: Lost 24-22 @Seattle Week 7, 2007: Lost 33-6 @Seattle Week 12, 2007: Lost 24-19 at home Week 3, 2008: Lost 37-13 @Seattle Week 15, 2008: Lost 23-20 at home

You can see from these results, just how badly the Rams have fared in the emerald city in recent years. It used to be, Mike Martz made a specialty of going up to Seattle and embarrassing Mike Holmgren, culminating in a glorious three-win campaign in 2004 that included a wildcard playoff win in the supposedly fearsome confines of the NFL's Loudest Stadium (TM). Since then? They've flat out owned us. Eight consecutive wins, most of them of the easy "send 'em home early" variety. Now, I firmly believe that -- due to their age, injury history, and lack of personnel for the kind of dominant run game that Coach Mora wants to run -- the Seahawks are actually as bad as they looked last season, and are slated for a basement finish in the division. However, they ran the Rams off the field last season with their underwhelming double-backup duo of Julius Jones and TJ Duckett, and the Rams have done little to beef up their defensive line. If the Rams' follow the pattern of the 2007 Giants, it will take a few weeks for the players to truly "get" Spagnuolo's pass-rushing scheme, and Hasselbeck's cranky spine should still be capable of holding his giant shiny head up in Week 1, blinding the Rams' defense and allowing him to tear the asshole out of Tye Hill or the rookie Bradley Fletcher, or whoever our 4th and 5th defensive backs turn out to be. Patrick Kerney will likely be out or operating part-time following offseason surgery, but they have this young unknown terror on the defensive line, Brandon Mebane, who will put the rebuilt offensive line (and Bulger's confidence in same) to the test. The good news, though, is that the Seahawks' run defense is little better than ours, and Steven Jackson has enjoyed many a good day against the Hags. I don't like it. But I see a 30-17 Seahawks final here, and a double-shot of delayed gratification for Rams fans, who want both to see their team on the rise, and Seattle on the decline. It will happen. Just not in Week 1.

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In Week Two, Coach Spagnuolo faces off against a doubly familiar opponent: the NFC East's Washington Redskins, running an offense eerily similar to the scheme that Pat Shurmur wants to install.

Week	Date	Opponent	LY: Record	LY: Points	3Y: Record	3Y: Points
2	Sept. 20	at Washington Redskins	8-8	265/296	22-26	906/982
Rams games vs opponent, last three seasons:
Week 16, 2006: Won 37-31 at home Week 6, 2008: Won 19-17 at Washington

This one is a tough one. All the reasons I have for tearing down the Rams' chances in Week 2 against Washington -- the effectiveness of the Redskins' run-based West Coast offense, the brute force of Clinton Portis in that offense, the stifling Redskin defense, the incredibly hot start the Redskins got off to in the first half of last season -- were all working full steam against the Rams in Week 6 of last year. And yet, the Rams won that game, their first of the season. This should have been known as the OJ Atogwe game, in that the first half ended with a dramatic 75-yard fumble recovery and return that scored the Rams' only touchdown on the day. It was almost known as the Richie Incognito game, after the big lunkhead took a ridiculously poorly timed 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty -- after third down maybe a dozen seconds left, with his team in field goal range to WIN THE GAME. But it became known as the Josh Brown game -- he who kicked 51- and 49-yard field goals to open and close the scoring for the Rams, and two others in between. This game will likely be another closely-fought affair, and will feature a battle in the trenches for the ages: Albert Haynesworth versus Jason Brown, with supporting appearances from Bell, Incognito, and Karney to be sure. Haynesworth and Brown met last year in a seismic 13-10 game between the Titans and Ravens. Haynesworth's squad got the better end, holding Willis McGahee to 64 yards on 22 pulverizing carries. The Redskins haven't done much to improve on offense from last season, and if anything should be more vulnerable to the same kind of letdown they suffered at the end of last season, now that Portis's biological clock is rapidly ticking toward doomsday, and the offensive coaching staff betrayed a complete lack of faith in Jason Campbell. (Running backs at age 28 tend to simply stop working like they used to.) Moreover, Ron Bartell completely smothered Santana Moss, their most dangerous receiver, to the tune of 2 catches for 22 yards, and if anything the Rams' defensive backfield is more talented and more capable now. However, on defense, the Redskins have added pass-rushing terror Brian Orakpo, who could make his presence immediately felt with the Rams' offensive line occupied with the Skins' front four. He could become a difference maker. As VanRam at the TurfShowTimes discussed, there are a lot of similarities between the 2008 Redskins rebuild under Jim Zorn, and the 2009 Rams offensive rebuild under Pat Shurmur. Both coaches fall from the Andy Reid coaching tree, and both want to install a hybrid power-running quick-passing West Coast offense. The advantage here goes to the Redskins, though, who will be in their second year digesting the system. This is a game the Rams could win, with as many lucky bounces as they had in their matchup last season. If it comes down to another field goal battle, this one could... could... wind up 12-10 Rams. However, if a fresher-legged Portis and a mean-streaked Haynesworth and Orakpo wreak as much havoc as I think they can, it will end up 13-12 Redskins. And that's my pick. [youtube gCxWHakFQdc]

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Continuing to stir the guts and say the sooths, with an analysis of our Week 3 opponent, the Green Bay Packers.

Week	Date	Opponent	LY: Record	LY: Points	3Y: Record	3Y: Points
3	Sept. 27	vs. Green Bay Packers	6-10	419/380	27-21	1155/1037
Rams games vs opponent, last three seasons:
Week 5, 2006: Won 37-31 at home Week 15, 2007: Lost 33-14 at home

The last time the Rams hosted the Packers, we were doubly shamed: We lost early and ugly, thanks to lopsided field position all game long; and, the stands were FULL of migratory Packers fans who turned the Dome into Lambeau South. That was two years ago, in what should have been Favre's crowning glory. A lot of people will look at last year's Packers team and their unimpressive 6-10 record, and the relatively unproven Aaron Rodgers, and simply conclude that this team isn't very good. However, the Packers may have been the single-most unlucky team of the season, if you compare their ability to outscore opponents (+39, 6th best in the NFC) with their record. At the root of their terrible luck? An 0-7 record in games decided by four points or less. If you want to argue that such a team "hasn't learned how to win," evidence suggests that teams like this pick it up pretty damn quickly. Here's a quote from FO's analysis: Of these two teams, the 1995-96 Panthers (assuming those are the teams FO meant to cite) are an interesting comparison, as they became the fastest expansion team to reach the playoffs. Their improvement hinged partially on the rapid maturation of their young quarterback, Kerry Collins. Aaron Rodgers's performance last season was actually far better than even Collins' second-year heroics: more touchdowns, higher completion percentage, higher quarterback rating. So he isn't the problem. However, the Panthers' immediate legitimacy and eventual run to the playoffs was fueled primarily by coach Dom Capers' stifling defense, which ranked second in the league in points allowed in 1996 -- a staggering achievement for a second-year team. Now Capers has been hired to transform the Packers' defense, and he is doing so by loudly insisting on a switch to the 3-4. Capers has had an immediate positive impact on nearly every defense he's coached. However, as Adam Burnett of the Packing Cheese blog points out, the success of this switch depends largely on Aaron Kampman. What does this mean for the Rams? You have two teams in transition, defensively. However, one is working with a talent base that was +39 in points scored last season, while the other was an execrable -233. I'd give the nod to the Packers here, in a 28-20 Green Bay win that should feature some eye-popping offensive plays mixed in with some impressive defensive efforts on both sides.

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Yes, sadly, I am predicting three season-opening losses for the Rams in September. The talk radio airwaves will all have to be run on a 10-second delay to prevent all seven of George Carlin's seven dirty words from appearing in each broadcast, as Rams fans gnash teeth, rend hair, and volunteer to burn their PSLs as though they were draft cards. But patience is the word of the day. Just as Spagnuolo preached to his new defensive players after the 2007 Giants' disastrous first two games, we must be patient and trust the system.

{democracy:2}

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Following up on super-reader Rodney's question from yesterday, it looks like the Rams gave Boise Burn wideout/defensive back/return man Terrance Sanders a tryout today, and it did not end up with Sanders in a Rams uniform. This could be a case of terrible timing, with Rams camp likely abuzz with the acquisition of Ronald Curry (and the cutting of another camp receiver). Sanders would likely have had to literally walk on water to impress the coaches enough to add yet another name to the cut list. However, as a footnote to the article, it does say that Sanders will be added to the Rams' "in-case-of-emergency-break-glass" list of players. Assuming he goes back to Boise and keeps himself in playing shape, he could earn further consideration. (Hat tip to TST, who posted the story first). no comments

The Rams' post-draft offseason moves have been modest talent acquisitions, few of them designed to create major headlines -- with the notable exception of the still-puzzling decision to drop Pisa Tinoisamoa. However, this latest move, acquiring Ronald Curry for back-of-the-DT-rotation Orien Harris, could actually provide significant impact on the team's offense. Curry is a converted college quarterback who has developed into a reasonably reliable target -- albeit on some of the worst offenses the NFL has ever known. Perhaps his best production came in his injury-shortened 2004 season. It was his third season in the league, a mythic milestone for breakout seasons. He benefited from the departure of the legendary Tim Brown and the breakdown of the even-more legendary Jerry Rice, lining up as a close #2 to Jerry Porter's #1, and catching balls from aged Rich Gannon and the reasonably-competent Kerry Collins. Ronald Curry's NFL Career

Season	games	Targets	Rec	Yards	TDs	Starting QB
2002	1	--	0	0	0	Rich Gannon
2003	16	--	5	31	0	Rich Gannon/ Rick Mirer
2004	12	70	50	679	6	Rich Gannon/ Kerry Collins
2005	2	2	2	12	0	Kerry Collins
2006	16	89	62	727	1	Andrew Walter/ Aaron Brooks
2007	16	97	55	717	4	Cade McNown/ Daunte Culpepper/ Jamarcus Russell
2008	13	48	19	181	2	Jamarcus Russell/ Andrew Walter

I included the "Starting QB" header in this stat box, because I think it is remarkably telling. Marc Bulger will be the 9th quarterback in seven seasons for Curry to try to sync up with. (If it comes down to it, Kyle Boller would be the 10th.) And it may partially explain the growing disparity between his targets (i.e. the number of passes thrown his direction) and his receptions. I asked Stu Rosenberg of Raiders Radar for his take on Curry, and whether the Rams have gotten a player that has something left to contribute. Stu is a former Raiders beat writer, and was happy to contribute his perspective. Here's his response: Curry was picked up by the Lions as a free agent, after the Raiders showed about as much interest in him as Jamarcus Russell had on the field, but apparently decided to let him loose after acquiring Dennis Northcutt to play the slot. At least one group may view the Curry as a positive sign for the Rams: in their 2009 Annual (which I highly recommend), Football Outsiders picked the Rams as a potential candidate for a surprise team, giving them fairly good chances of a 5- or 6-win jump up the standings. However, one of their main caveats, not surprisingly, was the Rams' receiving corps. Or more specifically, the inexperience of our receiving corps: Flipping then, to the chapter on the Chicago Bears, yields this analysis: (If you aren't familiar with their stats, DVOA is an approximation of a team's productivity, where 0 equals a perfectly average team.) So even if Curry does not become a world-beater, his mere presence -- and a healthy 50 or more catches, with a handful of end zone grabs -- could go a long way toward stabilizing this offense, and fueling hopes for the 2009 season. no comments

As a relatively new Rams fan (i.e. I didn't give two licks about the NFC West until St. Louis became a part of it), I admit to being less than facile with my Rams history. That's what makes this new glossy interactive timeline at StLouisRams.com/history such a valuable resource.  Not only is it a gorgeous interface, but it's packed with season summaries and cool little nuggets of information. For example: I didn't know that the Rams' "horn" was the first ever logo to be used on a helmet. Or that the Rams played -- and won -- an AFL-NFL "Playoff Bowl" game against the Cleveland Browns in 1967, featuring the two losing teams from that year's conference championships. Or consider the crazy ownership history of the team, which for a time in the 60s appeared to be little more than a vanity project for various Hollywooders, including Gene Autry and Bob Hope. As Roman Gabriel and Deacon Jones led the team to glory, the path of ownership culminated in a history-making deal where Robert Irsay and Carroll Rosenbloom agreed to swap franchises (!!!) - Baltimore Colts for the Los Angeles Rams. Or that the Rams once traded 9 players for a fullback named Ollie Matson in 1959 -- but they lost their last eight games, and the entire coaching staff retired after the season. (Those who do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it...) no comments

Chip Rosenbloom and I have so much in common, we're basically brothers. I mean, except for a few hundreds of millions of dollars in net worth, and the career in Hollywood, that is. No, I mean we're both working on a pretty significant rehab project -- and we're both living in it while we're doing it. We've had this house seven years now (and I'm speaking literally here -- I'll hit a big flashing red siren when the metaphor starts), a small house in south city built in 1926 or so. When we moved in, it looked sturdy enough, even though it might could use some cosmetic upgrades here and there. So we've fixed up here and added on there, without getting too deep into the infrastructure (or keeping our eyes wide shut when we did). But now, we're looking to sell it. And just as we're getting into making things right so we can sell at full market value (whatever that turns out to be in this economy), we're discovering all these insidious little things wrong with the place -- rotten wood in the door and window frames; mildew in the A/C; decrepit plaster hidden behind ancient wallboard; bricks buried in the yard like land mines. We've been lucky on one hand, in that the house has a good foundation, a good roof, and a decent neighborhood. On the other hand, just like the Rams, we're discovering so much about the place that was half-assed by some previous owner, when a whole ass or more's worth of effort was clearly called for. Every time you start to fix something, you discover two or three related things that need fixing first. We already tried painting over problems. And that was fine when all you wanted to do was maintain appearances, preserve the status quo. But of course, it doesn't hold up, and sooner or later people find excuses not to come by. Even we get tired of how crappy things have become, but wonder whether it's worth the effort to fix. But there's a cautionary tale just a few blocks away from us: the Cincinnati Bengals of the neighborhood. The rehab process was obviously started but never completed -- expensive brand new siding covers 3/4 of the house, but the back side is completely open to the elements, and the roof is starting to cave inwards. No one knows where the owners are, or if they even give a damn, except for when they cut the lawn every three months. That's not going to be us, not this house. Now that we're motivated, we've been throwing all kinds of resources at the place, checking off items on the big to-do list. Even though it still doesn't look right and there's still plenty more to do on the list, we're proud of the effort -- an honest effort for once -- and the small positive results give us both satisfaction and motivation to keep this up, to make this place as good or better than it's ever been. And say what you want about Rosenbloom's openly stated desire to sell the Rams -- he's already put in the difficult work of rehabbing this organization from the inside out. The Rams' house is stronger already than it was when he and Lucia took it over. And some of these improvements should start to manifest, we hope, in this season's outcome. But I'm starting to feel that just dumping Shaw, Zygmunt, and the band of misfit coaches is a lot like putting a dumpy old dishwasher and some ratty old sofas out by the dumpster. Sure, the new units look great and work great by comparison, and they're central to the house... but there's still a lot of smaller but more insidious problems that have yet to be discovered or even fixed. For example: we made much of the Rams' dedication to improving the offensive line, but we are still dependent on three questionable foundation pieces in Incognito, Barron, and Bell. The Rams are breaking in a new offensive scheme that promises to be some sort of run-happy version of a west coast offense, but we're hoping that we can find solid wood under three years of rot on Marc Bulger. Our defensive coordinators want to attack, but we have a lot of holdovers from a defense that has more weak spots in it than my front lawn. I'm cautiously optimistic, but this kind of thinking will significantly color my thinking this week, as we get set to publish our 2009 Rams Season Prediction (Edition 1: lick finger, hold in air). no comments