I'm trying to come up with a Governor's Cup joke here. Every time I get a sentence down though, it erase it, too hackneyed. Let's face it, the Governor's Cup, with most of the starters on the bench, isn't the most exciting football you'll see all season. Might be better than some of those Rams games last season though. For the 20+ guys looking to survive the final roster cut, it is a big game, a last audition. 

The Post-Dispatch has a pretty comprehensive look at the final roster as it stands. To kick off the morning, I thought we'd take a stab at predicting the 8-man practice squad. Before I jump in, some housekeeping. I swapped QnA with SBN's Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride, and will have those up later. Don't forget to check out 3k's preview.

Now, the practice squad.

Roy Schuening, G - Reading about this guy after the draft, I fully expected him to cement a backup role for himself in camp. By all accounts he came to the league as force on the o-line. He could still, and after last season's experience with the o-line, you can bet they'll keep another OL on the practice squad. Probably means Dustin Fry's days as a Rams are numbered. 

Marques Hagans, WR - This is a position that will get plenty of attention in tonight's game. Hagans and the others battling for an outside chance at the 53-man roster will get plenty of passes thrown their way as well as return opportunities. Hagans has been the best receiver of these fringe guys, but Derek Stanley has an advantage in the return game. Brandon Williams might be a better kick returner, so he has a decent shot at the practice squad too. Reche Caldwell might make it because of his experience, but he could probably find work complementing the depth on another team. This is the toughest spot by far to round out the bottom of the depth chart. The Rams kept two WRs on the practice squad to start the season last year, Stanley and Dominque Thompson, and it certainly looks like they'll do that again. 

Lance Ball, RB - Ball will get a lot of carries tonight, passes too. The Maryland undrafted rookie has really impressed, and had the Steven Jackson holdout dragged into the regular season, there's no question he'd be on the team. He will make the practice squad. 

Bruce Gradkowski, QB - Last season, when the Rams went with just 2 QBs on their active roster, they had to keep Berlin on the practice squad. Good thing they did too because they needed him. It's possible they'll keep Gradkowski this year, with Berlin favored to retain his old job at #3. However, it's not as likely. 

Eric Bassey, S - This is a tough one too because the Rams have some nagging injuries to key starters. If Jerome Carter can play tonight and doesn't completely suck, they'll almost have to keep the 4th year vet to round out depth at safety by making him the fourth. I'm assuming they'll keep 4 safeties and 5 corners. Vinnett has special teams value. I wonder if they'll keep Macklin, a vet, and put Vinnett on the practice squad? 

David Vobora, LB - This depends on whether or not the Rams keep 6 or 7 LBs. If they keep 7, he's on the 53-man, contributing on ST. That scenario likely puts Marc Magro on the practice squad. 

C. J. Ah You, DE - I suspect they'll keep a DL on the practice squad, and Ah You is the best of the fringe guys at that position. That leaves them a little short at DT, potentially, with just Glover, Carriker and Ryan as the only full time DTs. Of course, DTs Willie Williams and Henry Smith have as many tackles through the preseason as Adam Carriker, so they'll be working hard to make an impression tonight. 

That's my educated guesses at the practice squad. We'll have definitive answers this weekend. Stay tuned.

It's gametime.  Is it Week 1 of the regular season?  No.  Does it mean much in the full scope of Ram relevance?  Not really.  Does it give us a chance to break down some of the more intriguing storylines of the off- and preseason while getting to watch football?  Yes.  Yes, it does.

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A quick stroll around the internets finds some Rams-related reading to help transition you into the work week. Be disciplined with it though, we don't want you becoming some kind of ultimate Rams fan on someone else's dime no do we?

• Mike Sando offers his roster analysis over at ESPN's NFC West blog. A must read. 
• At the same blog, Sando notes QB troubles in San Fran. Say what you will about the Rams heading into the season, I'm damn glad that our starting QB is settled. Now if only the running back situation...
• The Rams are sorting out the battle for the 3rd QB spot, Berlin or Gradkowski. Berlin's a more accurate passer, and Gradkowski's got the shufflin' skills that allows him to work outside the pocket. Who would you take?
• The heat of the spotlight figures to get a little cooler this week, as the Rams head to TN on Tuesday to start practicing with the Titans, ahead of their preseason game on Saturday (which TST will be covering, if the thought of preseason football tickles your fancy). 
• The Rams have signed Fresno State LB Marcus Riley, a second cousin to WRs coach Henry Ellard, to replace the waived/injured Vince Hall, who had shown some inspired play. Riley has some hybrid ability, and lined up as a rusher on more than one occasion in college, including a memorable tilt against West Virginia.

A week is in the books. Still no Steven Jackson, but this time next week we ought to be seeing him in camp. For now, here's a look at the day in camp notes.

Around the Horns

• Gradkowski? Berlin? Yawn.
• From the "Too Good to Be True" pile, Darius Vinnett (who? yeah, that's what I said) "has improved his skills considerably." With Brown out for a few weeks and Hill sitting out Wednesday with a sore hammy, the CBs lower on the depth chart have the chance for some extra time. Is this a classic camp flash in the pan or are the Rams going to have some nice depth in the backfield?

• Nick Wagoner has good things to say about the d-line in his report from yesterday. Carriker is a guy to watch this season. You just kinda figure on him for his reliability, but 2008 looks like a coming out party. Don't think of it as a battle between James Hall and Chris Long for the RDE starting spot. Long will still get his reps; second overall picks just don't spend much time on the bench, except for QBs. Having Hall, Long and Little has advantages: 1) Rotating three DEs gives the Little a few snaps off and helps keep his legs fresh all season. 2) Can you really have enough talent on the D-line? Exhibit A, New England's only loss last season.
• Just when I said the defense looked to having the best camp so far...guess who? Bulger and Holt making it look easy.
• A Roy Schuening sighting.

The first practice of the Rams' training camp is a week away.  It's tough to get from the final days of April, which host the draft, to the end of July which awakens the football fans who have slept through the summer.

But now we're here, close enough to start looking at some of the storylines we should be following as Rams fans, storylines that hint at whatever destiny awaits us over the next 5 months of this NFL season.

Position breakdowns after the fold.

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There. They did it. The Rams found their new third string QB in Bruce Gradkowski. The PD says that he is expected to replace Brock Berlin on the depth chart. Gradkowski has started 11 games in his career, with some success. Gruden isn't known as a friend to young QBs and developing an arm has never been his forte, so Gradkowski comes to the Rams with some upside: he's only 25, has had some success as a starter, and is motivated. As an understudy to the more experienced Bulger and Trent Green, he should get a good lesson on the game.

Is he the QB of the future? Well, that's kind of a loaded term, now isn't it?

The Bears and Raiders also put in waiver claims for Gradkowski.

The NFL network is reporting that the Rams may try to pick up Tampa Bay QB Bruce Gradkowski, who was placed on waivers last Friday. 

Gradkowski was once Bucs' coach Jon Gruden's pet project, and he recently admitted that he made a mistake sticking with him in the 2006 season before handing it over to QB Tim Rattay. Huge vote of confidence in the kid there. At 25, it's not unreasonable to think Gradkowski might still have some upside left. A rookie no more, he just might have something to prove, and the Rams could use a younger QB with the graying Trent Green as their primary backup.

Is he a better fit than Brock Berlin though?

Now, let's use some caution on this. That report has not been confirmed. We do know that the Rams eyeing one of Tampa Bay's QBs has been mentioned several times throughout the offseason, and remember too that on Monday there was some informed speculation that the Bucs would look to trade QB Chris Simms before the season began.

Hello Wisconsin! The Rams will head to the northern reaches of the Midwest for training camp this year, mixing the corporate retreat theory of team building through isolation with the opportunity to scrimmage other NFL teams. I know for some of us who've enjoyed a stop by to watch snaps at training camp, the move kind of sucks. But, I'll say what I said last time, I don't care if they hold training camp in the Green Zone as long as it helps them win a few more games this season.

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About those Tampa Bay QBs
Some expected/wanted to see the Rams take a QB later in the draft this year. Not necessarily the QB of the future, but a 3rd QB with a little more upside than Brock Berlin. Since the Rams came away from the draft with the same 3 quarterbacks on the roster as before, scuttlebutt has since had us keep an eye on Tampa Bay, with six QBs on the roster now. Below are the six Tampa quarterbacks with odds of the Rams getting them and a pithy comment. Yay, pithy comment!

Jeff Garcia - Garcia's probably the starter, barring injury, etc. Odds: 0

Brian Griese - The really, really poor man's back up QB. The Bucs actually traded a 6th round pick in the 2009 draft to get Griese. I'd say he doesn't make the Bucs final roster AND we're not that desperate for a 3rd QB. Odds: 200:1

Josh Johnson - The Bucs' 5th round pick in this year's draft, and in all likelihood, their 3rd string QB. Gruden et al invested in Johnson, from San Diego, with the expectation and scouting reports to match that he can develop into an NFL starter.  Odds: 0

Bruce Gradkowski - The "Polish Rifle" madea splash filling in for an injured Chris Simms in 2006. He had a great five game run as a starter, beginning in week five, but the wheels came off in week 10 as he threw eight INTs over his next four games before finally being replaced by Tim Rattay in week 15. he saw action in just two games last season, none as a starter. How much upside does he have left? He's probably getting cut, according to the  Odds: 20:1

Luke McCown - drafted by the Browns (an ominous start to your career) in 2004 and traded to the Bucs in 2005, McCown started three games last year, and made a splash in his Tampa Bay starting debut beating the Saints in week 13. He's most likely the #2 QB this season in Tampa Bay. Odds: 50:1

Chris Simms - 'Memba him? He became the talk of the league, the next big thing, after a rocky start to his 2005 season, losing to the Redskins in the first round of the playoffs thanks to an Edell Shepherd butterfinger catch. Then there was the injury in 2006 that caused him to lose five pints of blood thanks to a ruptured spleen. Then there was the contract extension in December of '06 with the assumption he'd start...only he didn't. He got injured and that led to the pundit controversy around whether it was mostly his pride that was truly injured. Anyway, Tampa received several trade offers, reportedly, for Simms this spring, but decided to keep him on the roster and see what happens in training camp. The problem? He's healthy this year and opting to skip team activities. In short, he's a goner. There figures to be some demand for his services, so it likely comes down to a bidding war. I'd think he'd have some upside, particularly for a 3rd spot on the depth chart, but would he sign on to be the 3rd QB? He'd be a good get, at the right price for the Rams, but therein lies the problem. Odds: 25:1

Suffice it to say, the Rams quarterback of the future probably isn't going to be found among the Tampa Bay reject pile. Gradkowski, if he really offers much upside over Berlin, is the most intriguing for the 3rd QB role, and Simms would be really interesting if the Rams hadn't invested heavily in Trent Green as their backup. However, Green's fairly elderly, in NFL terms, and coming off a concussion, so nabbing a guy with #2 potential, even at a #2 cost, isn't the worst idea in the world. As far as the next face of the franchise, I think we'll have to wait for the 2009 draft.