As I type this the Rams are bunched in a meeting room at Rams Park for their first collective team meeting of the 2008 season. It's minicamp today, the first and only minicamp of the season.

It goes without saying that the many lingering, nay, nagging questions surrounding a 3-13 team will not be answered by Monday. But let's go ahead and ask them anyway.

Over on the official site, they've got a nice little preview that runs down some of the key issues facing the team along with some of the players to keep an eye on .Be sure to give it a read (although I wish the font size were larger for the sake of my old, weak ass eyes). The nice thing about a 3 win team, though, is the fact that there's no shortage of questions, so let's ask a few from the fans' perspective.

Clearly, health is the biggest issue, and not a single piece covering the start of minicamp avoids it. The Rams need all their injured players - which include some big names like Leonard Little and Adam Carriker - to make a full, speedy recovery, but Orlando Pace owns the most scrutinized shoulder in St. Louis. No small feat with all the bums like Mark Mulder the Cardinals are paying to rehab. The team seems to be confident in Pace's recovery, and he'll sit for most of the work this weekend. According to the minicamp preview at the official site, Pace won't be cleared for full activity until training camp starts in July. It's all about rest and rebuilding strength for Pace now, and a guy of his stature with 11 years of experience doesn't really need the work at this point anyway. Little and Carriker are not expected to practice , but there's no indication that they won't be 100% come camp time too.

There's another health question to keep you eyes on as the season's practices and camps get underway: Linehan's planning to make the offseason a little more rigorous , partly with the intention of getting players physical conditioning as close to game ready as possible. Will that innocualte the team against the injury bug? That stated desire will be most evident in the number of snaps the starters see in preseason games this year. Obviously, taking it easy on the veterans didn't do much to prevent injuries last season. We won't know until the fall how well this strategy pays off, but it's a risk the Rams have to take after the filling area infirmaries last year. Keep an eye out for subtle (or not so subtle) indications about the intensity levels of practices...and injury reports.

Before asking the necessary questions about Al Saunders' playbook, I'm particularly curious as to what we'll see from Haslett's defense this season. The unit, despite the record and some misleading stats, really played t heir hearts out last season, and gave the Rams the chance to win more than three games. What will we see this year?

With Little injured and the Rams short at DE for the pass rush last season, Haslett used a 3-4 alignment for outstanding results. OLB Will Witherspoon led the team with 7 sacks thanks to the 3-4 package, and Adam Carriker proved his versatility moving from DT to DE in key situations down the stretch. So how much are we going to see the 3-4 versus the 4-3, and more importantly, what's the overall pass rush going to look like? First round pick DE Chris Long can play in either package and really emerged as a pass rusher in Virgina's modified 3-4-esque package last year. He'll also start on the opposite side (right) of the field from Leonard Little in the 4-3 base defense. While we're on the subject of Leonard Little, will he see some time at LB in the 3-4? The Rams have incredible versatility on the defensive line, lacking only a true NT, that ought to become the stuff of nightmares for Matt Hasselbeck and other QBs.

With such a good looking pass rush on paper, it'll be interesting to see how the defensive backfield does. Fakhir Brown's freedom secure for the time being, the Rams will have both of their starting corners. Brown and emerging star Tye Hill, when they played last season, proved to be pretty solid in coverage toev. Less exposure, as pass plays die in teh pocket, could make them even better. Brown and FS OJ Atogwe combined for 12 INTs last season, and new CB Justin King has decent enough hands that the Rams should get some turnovers in the nickel package.

Now, on the offense, we know Al Saunders' playbook has the length of Tolstoy and the depth of Dostoevsky. In the preview on the official site, there's a general feeling that Bulger and Green's experience with Saunders should smooth adjustment time. And given the ridiculously conservative offense of Linehan and the old Greatest Show players' feelings about it, it ought to be a welcome change. I'm anxious to see how Bennett rebounds, as well as how Donnie Avery gets utilized as a deep threat.

Here's a few more questions about individual players.

How well will Claude Wroten's new found desire to turn it around work out?

Is this the year Joe Klopfenstein emerges into a real asset?

Can Dustin Fry, who they seem to think is a better fit a guard, move up from teh practice squad to a useful bench addition?

Does Alex Barron see the writing on the wall and does he do something about it?

That's more than enough for now. But hardly all of the questions. Starting listing the others right here.

As a fan with bitter memories of the '02 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, I want to be bitter. I want to spew venom. But, I just can't get all that upset about it. If you'll recall, that season saw the 911 attacks, and, for awhile anyway, those events moved the frame, giving us a little perspective on things, and by February, I was just happy to be watching a football game. I'm not exactly a Quaker (I do enjoy oatmeal), but I just don't have the stomach for blood-thirsty revenge anymore.

However, just because I'm not pounding my fist on the desk demanding my poound of flesh doesn't mean there shouldn't be consequences. And the report today that there is no tape of the Rams practicing before the Super Bowl ...ha! I don't believe it. A three point game that decided the championship...what tape would you destroy first? You didn't have to be a Plumber to learn a few things from Watergate. The Patriots had a good defense that season - 13th best DVOA and 10th best pass defense . But you can't go back and look at the box score and not think that maybe, just maybe, the Pats defense had a little help knowing the Rams signals and reading the plays. They held the Rams to a field goal until the 4th quarter, and picked up their first TD on Ty Law INT. They taped the Steelers ahead of the AFC Championship; why stop there?

But, if the evidence isn't there, there's nothing that can be done...for the Super Bowl at least. The tapes that they did get from Walsh give the league plenty of evidence to merit out some kind of punishment. They can't really give back the trophy (though it would actually be kind of funny to replay the SB with the same roster of now aged and retired players), but losing another draft pick...or even being disqaulified from the playoffs would hardly represent cruel and unusal punishment.

That's not a vengeful proposal; just fairness.

Don't get your hopes up though. According to Hashmarks, the league's desire to move on from this PR nightmare outweighs their motivation for repremand.

Will the new information lead to further sanctions against Bill Belichick or his team? I highly doubt it. In fact, the NFL began discounting the tapes before they even had a peek at them.

"This is consistent with what the Patriots had admitted they had been doing, consistent with what we already knew," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Associated Press on Wednesday. 

Of course, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) is waiting on the Hill, gavel in hand, to do more investigation. Unfortunately, after seeing what happened with the ridiculous Congressional hearings on steroids, it's probably a little much. Besides, doesn't Congress have anything better to do? Oh wait, election year...Pennsylvania...tapes of the Steelers...

First, in my everlasting and fruitless desire to want to be loved and respected, I want to go on the record by saying I really get a kick out of Kenny Mayne the person and ESPN anchor.  That being said, I think Kenny needs to work a little on the whole "author" thing.  An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sport  is Kenny Mayne's first stab at writing a book.  The title says it all and it's not necessarily a good thing.  Mayne's straight faced deliveries, dry wit, and stream-of-consciousness diatribes are what made him the sports/entertainment personality he is today, and for the most part, it has rewarded him with a very nice career.  The problem is that his style holds up and translates smoother in 30 second increments with various interruptions from other anchors and commercials.  When reading his book, that same style can seem to drone on endlessly and become quite tiring.  Mayne, himself, refers to his publishing as "not quite a book" as much as it is a "coaster" for a coffee table.  He constantly downplays his own efforts in creating the book and chides the reader for even trying to follow along.  Sadly, the reader (me) ends up agreeing with him and finds it difficult picking it up at times just to get through it.  The book isn't all bad, though.  When Mayne drops the "schtick" and starts writing from the heart about various topics close to him like his children, family, and exploits as an athlete and reporter, the reader becomes engulfed in some pretty amazing stories.  If I was Mayne's editor, I would have had him write nothing but his life and various athletes and personalities he has come across.  Mayne adds a nice touch in the book by offering "illustrations" by his two young daughters.  They are both touching and comical.  As a whole, the book falls way short of it's $24.95 asking price.  In the spirit of Kenny Mayne, I would toss him a ten($) and tell him to start again.

Former Rams defensive stand out Adam Archuleta was released by the Chicago Bears yesterday after a woeful season there marred by a broken hand.

Big free agent deals can come back to haunt a team, and Adam Archuleta's seven year, $35 million deal became a flashpoint for the Redskins in 2006. I paid little attention to what happened there at the time, but in as much as his abilities were in obvious decline, the Skins made him the scapegoat for their troubles. Archuleta replaced Redskins SS Ryan Clark, and the Redskins defense went from the 4th best unit in 2005 (-14.4% DVOA) to the worst in the league in 2006. I don't know much about the Redskins, but surely that wasn't all Archuleta's fault. The Redskins replaced him with Troy Vincent on Nov. 3 against the Cowboys and when Vincent got hurt later in teh season they refused to put Arch back in there, chosing to leave their well paid SS on the bench. Redskins fans didn't hold the move in high regard. The situation got even uglier until they parted ways with him. 

They then sent him to Chicago for a sixth round pick. And now he's out of a job.

At 30 and with his past injury history, it's unlikely he'll land a starting role anywhere. I'd be surprised if some team out there in need of depth and experience didn't take a flyer on him.

Arch Delux played gave the Rams the best season of his career in 2002, when he accumulated 102 tackles, 14 assists, 2.5 sacks and one INT. That was also the last saeason he played in all 16 games.

On the upside for him, he is still married to Jennifer Walcott . Grrrr.

I scoured the web to find the dates for the Rams upcoming mini-camp without much success. I finally found it, so I thought I'd post it here for the interested parties.

The Rams will have their mini camp from May 9 thru May 11. It will not be open to the public.

Although I linked to it in the post below, the Football Outsiders "Four Downs" series takes a look at the NFC West in the post-draft edition . Here's what they said about the Chris Long pick:

The need was obvious; St. Louis defensive ends combined for only 5 1/2 sacks in 2007. (That does not count the two sacks of Clifton Ryan whose position, according to ESPN.com, is “DL.”) Long had 14 sacks last season. He started 37 games at Virginia, and will likely be starting for the Rams by the end of the year, pairing with 2006’s first-round pick, Adam Carriker, as the cornerstones of the St. Louis defensive line.

Just because the experts say he's a good pick, doesn't make it so. Anyone remember Tony Mandarich ?

Jerametrius Butler, a former Rams malcontent benched in 2007 before being cut loose in the summer of 2007, still doesn't have a job for the season.

Don Banks sees improvements to the Rams and the other NFC West teams coming at the expense of the Seahawks 10 win season last year.

Whatever faults people may see with the Rams, the offseason shuffle in the coaching and front office ranks will likely have the biggest impact. Here's an interesting look at that from the suite side from Michael Lombardi at SI.

The 49ers seem to be in a kind of flux. They're not a bad team on paper, but to an outsider they just don't appear to be in the mix this season. (Something I have no doubt  fans of other NFC West teams are saying the same about the Rams.) Last season was San Francisco 5th consecutive losing season, and like his counterpart in St. Louis, head coach Mike Nolan enters his third season as head coach with whispers about his job security sure to come

The Chris Long selection nicely complements last year's additions of Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan, and the spiffed up d-line figures to be the perfect monkeywrench for the Niners offense. They've resorted to threatening former first round pick Alex Smith with a competition for the starting spot, competing with such luminaries as Shaun Hill and Trent Dilfer. Hill, however, did play well down the stretch, getting wins in his two starts in weeks 15 and 16 against the Bengals and the Bucs. Few know better than we Rams fans the feeble amount of protection afforded a QB in a Mike Martz system, and the Rams d-line matches up well against the Niners o-line. 

San Fran's biggest move in the draft came last year, when they traded their '08 first rounder to New England to get OT Joe Staley. Starting on the right side, Staley did not disappoint. This year he faces a bigger test when he moves over to become the starting left tackle SF switcharooed their '07 and '08 drafts to get. Without a doubt, Staley looks legit at LT, but it's not unreasonable to expect some adjustment time in the higher profile role. On the other side, it looks like Jonas Jennings will start . Jennings played in only three games last season thanks mostly to a high ankle sprain that eventually required cleanup surgery. I'll have to defer to Fooch at Niners Nation as to who would start should Jennings go down again, but I suspect it would be Adam Synder, currently penciled in at RG. Second round draft pick G Chilo Rachal could be in the mix too. Either way, the Rams defensive line ought to able to find ways to exploit the San Francisco offensive line and get to the QB, whoever that winds up being.

Don't forget that Long is also considered a good run defender, and the Rams defenisve line should still find their hands full against Frank Gore, if he's healthy. Again, the SF o-line will be a factor here too. I think on rushing downs in a 4-3 with Carriker and Glover (or Ryan or Wroten) in the middle, the Rams should be capable run stoppers. Remember, the final stats didn't shake out so well for them last season, but the Rams defense didn't allow a 100 yard rusher until week 16 against the Steelers.

Obviously against a Mike Martz-led offense the passing game will be key, and as much as we heart Isaac Bruce, it's encouraging to know that he's the 49ers top wide receiver. I'll let Football Outsiders sum up that siutation:

Of course, it takes two players to complete a pass, and the receiving corps for the 49ers was just as dreadful. Their leading wide receiver in DPAR was Taylor Jacobs, with a whopping 0.0 DPAR and a catch percentage of 33 percent. Every other wide receiver came in below replacement level. The 49ers are hoping that Smith or Shaun Hill (who played well in the final three games of last season) can turn things around at the quarterback position, and that Isaac Bruce, who will turn 36 during the season, can save the receiving corps. This is madness. This is San Francisco.

Again, it's nice that Fakhir Brown is indeed going to be back this season, and the Rams 4th round pick, speedy CB Justin King, should get some nice opportunities playing nickelback against the 49ers.

On the other side of the ball, the Jacob Bell signing might prove to the Rams best offseason move of all. As long as the health of various members of the o-line holds up, particularly Orlando Pace, they should be able to exploit a team that struggled to stop runs up the middle (26th in the league) as well as power runs on 3rd and 4th downs. The 49ers first round pick, 29th overall, Kentwan Balmer, upgrades their line, but confusion reigns as to whether or not he'll play DE or NT. Bringing in Justin Smith via free agency adds to their pass rush, but the loss of Bryant Young (he retired) hurts. Again, for the Rams so much will come down to the health of key cogs on the offensive line. If they do stay taped together fairly well, they should be able to move against the SF front, although runs up the middle could be tough with ILB Patrick Willis in the middle of the field.

Against the pass, SF had the 29th ranked defense, depsite the addition last year of nate Clements to complement Walt Harris at CB. The two even had four INTs apiece, but it wasn't enough to keep them from allowing 225 yards per game, 25 TDs, and a 63.5% completion rate (6th worst in the NFL). Harris will be 34 this season, so depth matters . Draftee Reggie Smith figures to be more of a return man. After looking at the Seattle and now the SF secondary, I think there's more reason to be encouraged by the Donnie Avery draft pick. That speed could burn more than a few defenses this year.

All in all, the Rams (ans I'm biased) appear to have the advantage this season against the 49ers. Mike Martz will test the defense though, and no game between these two rivals can be taken for granted.

I'm working on the sizing up the Niners post. My wife and I are expecting our first child, and as you might imagine, it's really exciting. Anyway, the first doctor visit was Friday and we ducked away for the weekend to celebrate the good news. Ok, that's enough about me...

Let's talk about an exciting subject...fullbacks! (Has the draft's sheen waned so much as to bring up this conversation?) Last year, with a tape and bailing wire o-line, the Rams lack of blocking from less celebrated quarters like TE and FB became even more of a hindrance, limiting the damage Steven Jackson was able to do on runs through the line as well as undercut screen plays. Obviously a FB or TE isn't going to have the same impact of say a healthy Orlando Pace, but it's an important element nonetheless.

Tight end blocking is pretty well shored up with the Anthony Becht signing. The Rams are looking elsewhere to answer the fullback question. Last year's second round head scratch pick, Brian Leonard, is a solid runner and pass catcher (although he wasn't helped with the depleted o-line last season), but blocking at the NFL level proved not to be his forte. However, the Rams had him bulk up this offseason with the expectation that he'll do more lead blocking. With more certainty at LG with new addition Jacob Bell and hopefully fewer injuries at C and RG, his  task should be helped a bit, but some of the more elite LBs and strong safeties Leonard will run into still figure to have an advantage.

The Rams also signed Kansas FB, Brandon McAnderson as an undrafted rookie free agent. One scouting report called McAnderson a "fringe player," but at 6' 235 lbs he has a little more of the Sherman tank build of a FB than Brian Leonard, who clocked in at 6' 2" 226 lbs last season. In college, McAnderson displayed a nice ability to punch it in from the goalline, and even racked up 1100+ yards and 16 TDs for a Kansas powerhouse that came to be loathed across much of the Show Me State.

Illini FB Russ Weil, anotehr rookie FA signing, will also get a look in camp.

In a Q n' A session on the Rams home page, Nick Wagoner offered some insight into the Rams FB plans :

McAnderson has some chops as a runner and if he proves to be a capable blocker, he’s got a real shot to make it. Weil is more of a blocker but has some decent hands and could also be in the mix. The Rams usually use more of an H-Back as opposed to a true lead blocker. Joe Klopfenstein has done some of this in the past and Anthony Becht is also capable. Leonard will be considered the top “fullback” on the depth chart but he will be used in a variety of ways.

And that's where we come to the final point: how important is a FB? Al Saunders and Joe Gibbs used the H-back in Washington, which is essentially more of a hybird tight end that blocks some, runs routes, and works pass protection. The Rams even used this approach some with Klopfenstein last season, as pointed out above. McAnderson showed some ball handling ability in college, but route running may be a stretch.  The Becht signing really could eliminate the need for a one dimensional FB, and Brian Leonard may prove to be more than capable in the occasional H-back role himself. McAnderson's value might come more on special teams.

I highly recommend reading the Brian Burwell's piece about Leonard Little in the PD today. It's a powerful piece of storytelling. I know I've made a few comments about Leonard Little over the years for causing that accident and getting off easy, but those weren't entirely fair sentiments. Having never been through anything like that it's easy to throw out those kind of statements. However, the punishment and reckoning a person's conscience - and it's clear from the story that Little does indeed have a conscience - puts them through can be far more difficult than any punishment merited out by the law. 

Back later to size up the Niners.

In an offhand sort of way, we've been joking about visions of Matt Hasselbeck being pummeled by the new and improved Rams defensive line. But, the Rams moves in the draft really should go along way to making that vision a reality.

Inspired by the talk of Jacksonville stocking up on pass rushers to break the Colts' grasp on the division, I think it's worth taking a look at the Rams moves in the context of how they figure to size up against our division rivals. And who better to start with the reigning division champ over the last four seasons, the Seattle Seahawks.

The most obvious place to start is with those lofty visions of Matt Hasselbeck sacked again and again. The Seahawks biggest need arguably was at offensive tackle. I'll let our friends at Field Gulls sum up the situation on the o-line there:

Walter Jones is no longer an elite left tackle. Where once Jones was irreplaceable, he is now simply inadequately able to be replaced. That is, Jones is not so good that the Hawks couldn't hope to replace his production with another player; they just don't have that player on roster. Sean Locklear wouldn't be lost at left tackle, perhaps deficient, but not disastrous or crippling. His replacement on the right, though, presumably Ray Willis, would jeopardize any hopes of contention. Willis may yet develop into a serviceable starter, but we're far from knowing that. Combining the inherent value of the position, the age of the incumbent and the overall team depth, no position presents a greater need for Seattle than offensive tackle.

Seattle did not draft an offensive lineman this year, not a one. Last season, they ranked 19th in pass protection , allowing 37 sacks and a had a sack rate of 7.1%. (The Rams, by comparison, has a sack rate of 8.1% and the paper thin o-line ranked 25th overall in pass protection.) With LT Walter Jones another year older and at a little higher risk for injury, they could very well struggle with pass protection. At the very least, figuring they stay at about the same level, the Rams figure to be much improved in their pass rush. The addition of Chris Long, the return of Leonard Little, improved play from second year players Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan, the rejuvenation of La'Roi Glover, and whispers of Claude Wroten being the offseason's hardest worker, gives the Rams plenty of depth. Add to that equation Haslett's ability to attack with different looks in the 3-4, utilizing the emergence of Will Witherspoon as a rushing OLB, and the 4-3, and the passing game could get pretty difficult for Seattle.

The Seahawks' questions at wide receiver were also left unanswered in the draft and free agent period. Their best pass catcher, Deon Branch, has health questions, and behind him they lack a solid pass catching threat. The Rams d-backs, Fakhir Brown included thanks to his successful appeal,figure to have some good games against the Seahawks this season.

Of course, Seattle did make plenty of moves to beef up their running game, no longer dependent on the rusty jallopy Shaun Alexander. Bringing in Julius Jones from Dallas and T.J. Duckett gives them a pretty good 1-2 punch, with Duckett supplying the short yardage help they lacked last season. The addition of Mike Whale at guard figures to beef up the run game as well as the addition of West Virgina FB Owen Schmitt, who profiles as a top flight blocker in the NFL. The Rams pass attack has the chance to shine, but the run defense will have to build on last season's gains and prove it wasn't a fluke.

On the other side of the ball, Seattle's made solid improvements on their d-line. The addition of Lawrence Jackson at DE in the first round of the draft gives them a nice pairing with Patrick Kerney. The addition of Jackson will also save Darryl Tapp's legs for situational pass rushing. The Rams better be damn sure about Orlando Pace's health, and it's truly now or never for Alex Barron. The blockers will need to be firing on all cylinders in order for Bulger to make his passes.

While their defensive front improved, the Seahawks sport the same old backfield featuring Marcus Trufant as the only real threat. Take a look at Seattle's rank against types of receviers from last season:

With Trufant tied up with Holt and if the blockers up front can stave off the rush, the Rams second round draft pick, Donnie Avery, could have some nice games against the Seahawks, catching a couple deep balls and using his speed to cruise downfield relatively unfettered.

I like the way the Rams stack up against their division rivals, who've been wrongly holding the division title we grew accustomed to having. This, of course, is all on academic at this point. We'll get a much better sense of things in week three when the new look Rams pay a visit.

With the draft come and gone, the next to circle on the calendar is June 1, when the next round of roster cuts happen. Granted, June 1 ain't what it used to be; teams tend to have their cap issues sorted out ahead of time. The days of big names being dumped by their teams and chased by others are mostly over. Now that we've downplayed expectations, that doesn't mean June 1 will roll around without news of some cuts here and there.

As far as adding players, it's probably not worth more than a cursory look at your news aggregator to see who's out there on June 1 that might be of interest to the Rams.

The big question for the Rams on June 1 will be whether or not they keep Dante Hall. Hall's due $1.9 million, and because the Rams acquired him via trade, they're not on the hook for any bonus money that cause a cap hit if they cut him.

Why would they cut Hall?  Hall's had a great career, but he's long in the tooth and spent a good part of last season dealing with injuries. With resigning Steven Jackson and O.J. Atogwe on the Rams to do list, saving $2 million becomes a big deal.

More importantly, they jsut don't beed him. Last year, rookie Dereck Stanley proved himself to be a more than suitable replacement for Hall. Stanley accrued 509 yards on 20 kick returns - in just the last three games of the season. He did have plenty of opportunities to return kicks in those games though as opponents scored a total of 122 points in those last three games. 17 of his 20 returns were for 20 yards or more, with his longest run being 49 yards.

The two receivers the Rams drafted this weekend, Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, are both speedy players that change directions well and could be pressed into return duty.