Rams to start WR Donnie Avery

Hey, can the Rams suspend their season while they deal with the crisis surrounding the team?

No, they can't, but they did make plenty of adjustments yesterday to try and create some new looks and inject some new blood into the game plan. Lost in the much talked about release of Fakhir Brown and the burying Marc Bulger was a key change that we've been advocating for at TST for some time: making Donnie Avery a starter.

The Rams second round draft pick and the first WR taken in the draft, in case you forgot, will start opposite Torry Holt. Excellent. Dane Looker, who has played decent enough in all the turmoil, will get reps in the slot...along with, ugh, Dante Hall. There have also been whispers of Avery getting some work in the return game, but I can't find anything to confirm that.

It's almost an afterthought in wake of all this that the Rams lost backup RB Antonio Pittman for 4-6 weeks with a cracked fibula. I would have liked to see the Rams throw in a direct snap, Wild Hog trick play, a la Miami last weekend. Pittman, with his speed, would have been perfect. Snap the ball to Steven Jackson who can either toss it over the middle or, more preferably, give the ball to Pittman who breaks open with his speed for a good run with defenders confused and forced to account for Jackson. It's not the answer, but it would likely have given the Rams the chance to shake things up a bit and use the trick play to get the players psyched up.

Lord knows they could have used something to shake up the offense.