We've talked punting. We've talked special teams. We talked backup linemen and their semiotic connection to a Bee Gees impersonation. We poked and probed around the dimly lit corners of interest where it pertains to the Rams this week to get our football craving satisfied while we wait for a season that seems like it'll never start.

Topically, why should today be any different, just because it's Friday Fantasy? We Rams fans know Steven Jackson is a top 3 pick, McMichael's a sneaky TE pick, etc. Let's continue probing dark places (wait a minute, that analogy might have gone too far) and take a look at the hated but necessary fantasy roster position of Defense/Special Teams.

Browsing around the various preseason lists of DST rankings, it comes as no surprise the Rams DST isn't sitting toward the top. On the DST list at CBS Sportsline, the Rams rank 29th.

Again, that's not really a surprise. If you recall our discussion of special teams earlier this week, the Rams, according to DVOA, ranked 27th last season, jumping up from 31st the season prior. Special teams, as those of you who had the Bears DST in recent seasons will recall, get their value from touch downs. The Rams scored no TDs on kick returns and just one on punt returns last season. Fantasy rankings, particularly as it relates to DSTs, are heavily derived from precedent, how they performed the season before. It's no great secret, and using pundit rankings alone have sunk more than one rookie fantasy player's season. And given the Rams recent run of ST performance, that ranking comes as no surprise. I wouldn't expect much from the Rams ST this season, fantasy wise, and as fans we just want them to do their job helping out the offense and defense with field position.

Where you might see some value from the Rams DST is the D. With Little and Long and the Spoon, all healthy and ready to swoop in at the mere taste of blood in the water, the Rams should pick up a few more sacks than the 31 they had last year. Where the Rams D could really surprise us all, fan and fantasy player alike, is in the INT category. Last year, O.J. Atogwe led the NFC with 8 INTs, turning one into a TD. Fakhir Brown, playing in just 12 games, had 4 INTs and a TD. With healthy players and improved work up front from the QB killers, the Rams backfield could match or beat their INT total from last season. Progress among players like Jonathan Wade and Tye Hill could spread the ball around some too.

Of course, their real week-in, week-out value will come from their ability to limit opponents scoring. That's not going to be an easy task early in the season, but if they can play mistake free football and if Haslett can squeeze every precious ounce of effort out of his unit, they could surprise even the most reolute fantasy player, giving someone in some league a decent backup or a solid option to play the matchups right.

Leonard Little, the left defensive end, has made a strong recovery from toe surgery and is flashing signs of his old form.

(From today's PD )

Man is that good news. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to read the PD's story today. This is a team possessed, intenty focused on a mission. We can't know much about the 2008 Rams from the occasional news leaks out of OTAs or random reports in popping into the papers every now and again. I guess that's what makes this kind of thing so pleasing to ears.

Granted, right now, hungry for football's return, I'm highly susceptible to hype and spin, as you might have noticed here. Spin or not, though, a good season has to start somewhere, and that's usually the hearts and minds of the players themselves. Combine that with the good news about recovering players and, knock on wood, a lack of injuries so far, and no contract disputes to speak of, and the 2008 so far, looks good.

The article's money quote and understatement of the summer comes from Linehan:

I'm very fortunate to be here talking about the 2008 season.

• I'd still like to round out the Chris Long versus Glenn Dorsey community projections with a few more guesses. 
• Our division rivals in Seattle are having to use some mix ups for their o-line as players deal with injuries. That the 34-year-old LT Walter Jones isn't 100% doesn't bode well for the Seahawks.

The mere thought of playing without a salary cap in 2010 evokes images of the Wild West, anything goes to the highest bidder. Fortunately, the decision to opt out of the CBA triggered a number of rules and restrictions to keep the Cowboys from turning into the Yankees of the NFL that season. John Clayton has a nice summary over at ESPN , but here's the gist of it. Teams get an extra transition tag for a player, allowing to keep an extra fee agent along with the franchise tag. Players will need to have six years of service in the league, rather than the usual four, before they can become unrestricted free agents. That will make it easier for teams to keep their younger players via restricted free agency. And to keep the top teams from piling up the talent, teams that play for the conference championship for the '09 season won't be allowed to sign unrestricted free agents until they lose one of their own UFA, and the other, less fortunate playoff teams will face additional restrictions on free agency as well. 

With the new rules, some teams are in better shape than others, as pointed out in the Clayton article. That got me curious about the Rams; how are they set when 2010 rolls around? Fortunately, the Rams are in a good spot, with only a few free potential free agent casualties. 

Alex Barron - His contract with the Rams ends in 2009, but that will only be his fifth season in the league. Clearly, Barron's playing for his future this season as it is, but should he start to live up to his promise, he'd be a restricted free agent ahead of the 2010 season, meaning the Rams can tender him an offer just above his previous year's salary ($1.233 million for Barron) and get first right of refusal and a compensatory draft pick for his services. Besides, how Barron responds this season, much will depend on how John Greco develops as a potential replacement. Orlando Pace, who's under contract through 2011, probably can't be counted on in 2010, meaning the Rams will need Barron and Greco to emerge OR find another OT in the next two drafts.

Torry Holt - Holt's status as of 2010 has already received endless speculation. It's probably safe to assume that he won't be back in 2010, and use the capless year to cash in on free agency as he enters his age 33 season. The Rams expect Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton to blossom in the coming seasons to replace Holt.

Randy McMichael - Another contract that ends after 2009. McMichael will be 30 for hte 2010 season, hardly too old to contribute. Will the Rams look for TE talent in the draft before then? Their recent track record drafting TEs hasn't been spectacular, so should they?

Leonard Little - By 2010, Chris Long will be the Rams stand out DE, and they'll likely have to add another speedy pass rushing DE before the 2010 season, as Little will turn 36 early that season anyway.

Claude Wroten - Reportedly this offseason's workout warrior, the former LSU DT says he ready to get serious about the game. His contract ends after the 2009 season, but he won't have enough time in under the new rules to be an unrestricted free agent. Like Barron, the Rams can chose to tender him an offer as a restricted free agent in 2010. Just how far he comes in living up to his potential will determine what that offer is, if there's one at all. 

Some of the names on this list get top billing on the marquee to be sure. Recent draftees should grow to replace two of the biggest names on the list, Holt and Little. Losing McMichael will be a concern, as he figures to be a prominent part of the Al Saunders offense. The Rams will have the option of attempting to sign him to an extension ahead of that time, competitively bid on the UFA, or seek a replacement through the draft or free agency. As for the rest of the roster, we're pretty young in the right places, particularly on defense, and have our starters under contract through the uncapped season. There will be age concerns about some of the players we do have under contract, but with two more drafts between now and then, the Rams should be able to find the next generation of talent to fill those shoes.  

In between now and the 2010 free agent season the Rams will have some big contract issues to deal with. We mentioned the LT situation above, but their current candidates for center and right guard will be looking for contracts before then. Like Greco, if Roy Schuening emerges - and there are those that think he has the talent to play now - that leaves only the starting center role to be filled for 2009. There's also the 2,000 lbs gorilla in the room, Steven Jackson, who's contract expires after this season. 

Still, it's refreshing to see that the Rams won't be completely SOL when the uncapped 2010 rolls around.

Don't forget to make your voice and projections heard in the great Chris Long vs. Glenn Dorsey projection showdown!

We haven't heard the last of the Chris Long/Glenn Dorsey debate, not by a long shot. It's merely in a momentary lull, but as soon as the season starts, as soon as one or the other makes their first NFL tackle or sack, be prepared to see that conversation revisited all over the internets. Throw in the fact that both now play in the same state and you can see the path to year round Governor's Cup jokes.

So let's do something different with the community projections. Let's compare the two, Dorsey and Long, through projections, with nothing but reasoned analysis, idle speculation and fan optimism as our guide.

Obviously, we're most concerned with Chris Long. By all accounts, he was one of the most, if not the most, NFL-ready player in the draft, ready to step in and be a contributing member of whatever team that drafted him. But, there's only a certain amount of readiness a rookie can have; the NFL requires some adjustment time, no matter how good you are. So, while he may be ready, he's not going to be at his peak in his rookie season. Duh.

Believe it or not, that actually ups my optimism for the season. Look no further than to those bitter memories of 2005. As mentioned yesterday in the Leonard Little results post, the D-line that year featured Little in his prime and rookie Anthony Hargrove on the other side. In a season that won't be remembered as one of hte Rams best, the two DEs still managed to record 16 sacks, 9.5 for Little and 6.5 for Hargrove. Now, that's nothing special, nothing special at all, but think about it in the context of what third round pick Anthony Hargrove was able to do with Leonard Little on the line with him and Ryan Pickett and Jimmy Kennedy in the middle (who had 5 sacks between them). Little's three years older, but by any measurement the 2008 Rams defense is better than the 2005 defense.

Long has the potential to put up numbers on the level with some of the best Rams rookie seasons in recent memory.

Now, on the other side of the state, the other side of the 2008 draft's "coulda, shoulda, woulda" story, Glenn Dorsey became the centerpiece of a rebuilding project. Like Long in St. Louis, Dorsey became a starter the minute the Chiefs drafted him. But for all the hype accorded to the "best player in the draft" he'll need some time to get used to the Pro game. For your Dorsey projection, I'll refer you to the fine folks at Arrowhead Pride , which is where I'm going to go to get my info to project the numbers, as I know so very little about the Chiefs.

The rules: project for Long and Dorsey the number of games played, tackles, sacks, forced fumbles, and interceptions. Obviously INTs won't be as big a factor, but we'll include them for posterity's sake.

Post your projection in the comments, and we'll tally them up and review on Tuesday.

We're all expecting a solid season from Leonard Little . With first round pick Chris Long set to anchor the right DE spot, Carriker and some combination of Wroten, Ryan and Glover crashing the middle, Little and his healed up toe should be free to do what he's become famous for in St. Louis, sack the quarterback.

Of course, at 34 (he turns 34 in October) and coming off a season lost to injury, there's plenty of questions as to whether or not Little's up to it. Before we delve into the TST community projections, it's worth noting that Little's best season  came in 2006, at age 32 when he started all 16 games and recorded 13 sacks, 56 tackles, and 6 forced fumbles, all career highs.

For the results of our projection, I averaged out the numbers, which were fairly close to begin with.

I didn't explicitly ask for interceptions and forced fumbles to be included in your projections, but 3k added them to his "k-diction" so I listed them here for good measure. Overall, it's a reasonable projection.

Games played
It's very likely that Little won't play all 16 games, and we expect the Rams to be fairly judicious in making that call should he encounter health concerns during the season.

Tackles
In the five seasons before last, Little averaged almost 44 tackles a season. As forgettable as the 6-10 2005 season (with all the coaching hoopla) was for the Rams, LL still managed to record 9.5 sacks and 45 tackles in just 14 games. Starting at DE opposite Little on the right side was Anthony Hargrove, the Rams third round pick in the draft that year. Hargrove managed to rack up 6.5 sacks and 44 tackles. So before we try to totally purge our memories of the 2005 season, it's worth noting the similarities between this season, a top tier rookie RDE in Chris Long and a rejuvenated Leonard Little. Still, with LL likely to see fewer snaps per game than before as the Rams make an effort to save his legs for a full season AND more talent around him on the D-line, his number of tackles might actually fall a bit.

Sacks
And that's fine if he makes fewer tackles, because what we're really counting on are the sacks. Nine sacks is a very possibility for Little given the new look D-line he's leading now. With Long on the right side, Carriker et al in the middle, there's no reason for the Rams to be among the bottom of the league again in sacks. See the note above about the 2005 Rams defense, if you're at all dubious. 

Compare the TST projection to this one from Footballguys.com's John Norton. He sees Little making 45 tackles and 9 sacks. There's also this from SykosSports that we mentioned here last week commenting that 12 sacks isn't out of the question.

A big year for Leonard Little will be a big year for Rams fans, a confirmation of our belief that we're going to have a very respectable defense this season.

Another community projection coming tomorrow. Who will it be?

Like everyone else returning from an injury plagued 2007 season, Leonard Little will be looking for a nice rebound. (Is anyone tired of hearing that about Rams players yet?) Little was mostly invisible for the seven games he did play last season, overwhelmed with the rest of the Rams defense forced to be on the field for the bulk of each game.

But this promises to be a different year. Little's healthy again, and so are all the other starters that missed the bulk of last season. If ever there was a team ripe for projections, it's the 2008 Rams. So, as you might have gleaned by that lead in, we're kicking off our own blogging experiment here at TST to derive a projection for all those players of whom so much is expected this season, starting with Leonard Little.

Before we go further, let's lay down one ground rule: assume a "normal" rate of injuries for the team, i.e. starters will miss a game here and there, but no fluke plague of injuries throughout the locker room.

Little's coming off a toe injury that required surgery. While he was limited in minicamp, he's expected to be 100% for training camp later this summer. However, Leonard Little starts the season at 33-years-old, and he'll turn 34 in October. As discussed ad nauseam ahead of the draft, that was a big factor in the decision to draft Chris Long over Glenn Dorsey.

Take a look at the single season sack leaders in the NFL. Players age 30 and above are definitely in the minority. But they are there. If you winnow it down to players above 33, your list gets down to 14. That list includes several players who made the list for more than one season beyond the age of 33. There are even a few players who made the list over the age of 35, so Little's chances of having a two solid seasons to finish out his contract with the Rams are hardly impossible. Like the other names on that small list of over-33 players on the leader board, Little's a special talent. Also, don't forget the season before last he had 13 sacks, during the same season he turned 32.

But still, any way you slice it, Little's age will be a factor. How much of a factor really just depends. First and foremost is the supporting cast. If you look at the other 33+ sack leaders, you'll immediately notice they weren't alone among their defensive linemates with an impressive number of sacks. A second factor will be the number of snaps Little sees. Clearly, Haslett will take him out on a good number of rushing downs, and, as mentioned yesterday, the Rams can use the 3-4 for some pass rushes as well. Those two tactics will save some wear and tear on LL, similar to how they preserved LaRoi Glover last season. 

Here's Leonard Little's page at NFL.com , for you reference.

Once we get a decent number of projections, I'll compile them and get a baseline total from the results.

Now, without further ado, on with the projections!! For Little, leave projected totals for Games played, tackles, and sacks. You can included INTs if you want.

Ok, start turning over rocks, look in your closets, etc. we've got to find some football to talk about. Between dragging out the Super Bowl to February, the Pro Bowl, training camps, and the draft, the NFL made almost every month of the year interesting to the fans. They extended the season for me and you and all those hard working outfits that sell the things you need to have as a fan. It's almost a year round game. Almost. We've entered the dry spell, left to drift like a loney sailor at sea with nobody but his scroungy ship mates to catch his eye. Argh. It's a long slough 'til July maties, but I think we can make it. Tomorrow, we'll kick off the TST fan projection series, wherein we collectively posit the numbers for a key Rams player...similar to what you've seen 'round the internets with baseball fan projections. Anyway, more on that tomorrow. Here's a few links for a slow Monday.

Lost, somewhat, in all this talk about how many sacks Chris Long will or won't have in his frist season with the Rams is informed speculation about how often Haslett will employ the 3-4 that served the Rams so well last season. Yes, the Rams now have two studs to start at DE in a healthy Leonard Little and second overall pick Long, but Long's a rookie and Little's long in the tooth and will need to be kept fresh by not playing each and every snap. And, and, and...it would be foolish not to use a scheme that was so successful against the pass last season. 

I can't imagine we've seen the last 3-4 set with a play ending in a Will Witherspoon sack. Haslett, as you know, likes to mix up his play calls. Bringing out the 3-4 with Wtiherspoon featured as a rushing LB will keep opponents honest and fans happy. It also might make Will Witherspoon as vrey, very rich man when his contract with the Rams ends in 2011. You see, in resolving the Terrell Suggs situation in Baltimore, the league created the "defensive end-linebacker" franchise designatio n, whereas prior to that a pass rusher was either a DE or a LB, which was not a technicality given the disparity in salary attached to either position. Anyway, the more Witherspoon plays as a pass rusher, the more claim he has to that mantle come contract time.

Of course, with the collective bargaining agreement now looking like it might lapse in 2011 , it could be dead issue anyway.

I tried to forget, but reminders that the Rams scored just five rushing touch downs last season just keep appearing. That's likely to change this season. Mike Sando at ESPN takes a look at the Al Saunders/Steven Jackson offensive match made in heaven.

The PD looks at the Al Saunders/Randy McMichael match made in heaven.

You're really got to focus and try to read between the lines to glean much information about the first day of camp, at least if you're looking for much more than the usual platitudes that accompany such an affair. But there's a few positives to be found, for sure. 

First and foremost, nobody got injured. That's not exactly storming the beaches at Normandy news, but after whatever version of the bubonic plague swept through the knees and ankles and shoulders of the Rams last season, it's a plus. While we're on the subject of injuries, the Rams players expected to sit out went through all but the most strenuous activities in camp yesterday, including Leonard Little, Adam Carriker and Pace, who went through individual work and walkthroughs. It sounds like Carriker's status won't be a problem for the regular season. Head coach Scott Linehan told the PD that Carriker could play in a game "if he had to." Carriker's unflappable dedication will make this d-line a success. 

And that's the other positive sign we can carry away from the earliest of camp reports. There's an obvious enthusiasm and a real desire to move away from the three win campaign last season. That lacks any science, but the reassurance can't be ignored.

According to the Belleville News Democrat , Chris Long impressed Rams coaches his first day in camp. Other items of note in that piece:

• With Pace limited, Alex Barron worked at LT with the starting unit. Barron made some strides last season in that role; small strides that were mostly obscured by the rest of the makeshift line. He still had 13 penalties for 81 yards last season, so he's got a ways to go. However, I am interested to see if he finally starts to put that talent to work this season; he'd better because...
• Rams third round pick, John Greco, worked at RT with the second team offense. In the week after the draft, the Rams staff immediately stated that they expected Greco to compete with Barron for the RT job. Odds are that Barron keeps the RT job, but watch this story closely as the summer moves along.
• Adam Goldberg took reps at RT with the starting unit. It's good to see Goldberg back in action. He provides excellent depth, and is exactly the kind of guy you like to have in reserve - God only knows we could have used him for more than 4 games last season. His yeoman work filling in at G and LT in 2006 can't be forgotten. I also have a particular fondness for his alma matter. Go Pokes!

I'll be anxious to hear reports of the other draft picks, particularly wide receivers Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton.  I still like Avery and defend the pick, but I keep getting this feeling that Burton might be the receiver who really becomes a marquee player for the Rams down the road. He's physical, speedy and smart, and with some time to refine his skills for the Pro game, Burton might be a first down machine and the new face of a new greatest show. I'm not alone on this either. the estimable John Morgan from SBN's Seahawks blog FieldGulls said this  about Burton in a look at the Rams draft yesterday:

Burton has a pretty good shot of winning the starting #2 spot from Drew Bennett, and the two taken as a package, Burton and Avery that is, are nice combination of refinement and potential.

Here, here. Be sure to give Morgan's review of the Rams draft a good read. Prior to the draft he favored the Seahawks taking G Roy Schuening. 

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.