Seems like the injury prevention edition. That is kind of a relevant topic for the Rams though. Here's your morning reading.

• Being prepared for more o-line injuries, especially in the wake of last year's disaster, is not a bad thing. So bringing in free agent offensive tackle Barry Simms for a visit makes sense. He's visiting other teams, so the 33-year-old could wind up elsewhere. 
• It's a lot of reading - for the web - but this Football Outsiders article looking at the differences between patterns for college receiving routes versus the pros is a darn good read. Makes me wonder about getting the Rams rookie WRs like Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton up to snuff on Saunders' playbook. Avery's the one who'll really be in the spotlight, but from the sounds of things he'll be concerned with mostly a handful of deep routes.  
• OTAs are chugging right along. The Rams have added sand pit to train in, with the idea that it strengthens ankles and legs. Whatever it takes.
• Should be interesting to see what DT Clifton Ryan has for an encore this season. 
• Nick Cleaver (great sports name), the New Mexico State TE that the Rams signed earlier this week, has some college experience in the H-back role, acting as a plow/blocker on some plays and Al Saunders preferred option as opposed to a full-time fullback. Cleaver had a good workout at his pro day and could be impressive. There's some redundancy with Anthony Becht, but Cleaver is certainly worht a look and might not be a bad option to have around should the Rams need blocking help. 
• Finally, here are some OTA photos over at Real Rams Fans forum.

The hope/excitement of the draft has yet to wane and with reports of Chris Long breezing through the love fest that was the Rams minicamp, thoughts of rookie sensations are sweeping through my head.

And with nothing much happening on the Rams front for awhile, what better time than to pull the cib webs off the ol' history book, crack it open and take a look back at some of the better rookie seasons in Rams history.

Unfortunately, you've got to have a long, really long memory for stuff like that, as football just hasn't established the footprint on the web that baseball has, where a click or two of the mouse gets you arse deep in history and tradition. So, I thought I'd break it down by memory, starting now with the Rams' history since coming to St. Louis in 1995. Again, not to slight the team's history, but I have a much better recollection of the Rams after they came to St. Louis than before. We'll get into the Los Angeles period later this week.

Kevin Carter, 1995
Taken by the Rams with the sixth overall pick in the 1995 draft , we all hope Chris Long enjoys a long and prosperous career like Carter's. In his rookie season, the team's first in a new city, playing in that old bowl shaped monument to the functionalist architecture of the 1960s, Carter started all 16 games, recorded 33 tackles, 6 sacks, and a safety for good measure.

Eddie Kennison, 1996
That's right, before he was the Chiefs' possession guy, he had a three season stint with the Rams , who drafted him 18th overall in the 1996 draft. His rookie season, it turns out, would be his most memorable for awhile, until he landed with LC in 2002. With the Rams in 1996, Kennison caught 54 passes for 924 yards and a 9 touchdowns. Not bad for the Tony Baks era. It would be his best season until 2004 with the Chiefs, when offensive coordinator Al Saunders' system helped EK, at 31, get his first 1000+ yard season and 8 TDs to boot. If there's ever been a reason to feel confident in the Rams WR picks, it's now, with Al Saunders on board.

Orlando Pace, 1997
There's not really much in the way of stats for the o-line, but Pace started 9 games for the Rams in his rookie season. That year, the Rams allowed 44 sacks and passed for 3,198 yards and 14 TDs. The year before, the Rams allowed 57 sacks, passed for 2,765 yards and 18 TDs. It was the beginning of something beautiful.

Tony Horne, 1998
Finding something good about the '98 season taxes even the most optimistic fans, but Horne picked up 1308 yards on 56 kick returns, including one for a 102 yard TD.

Torry Holt, 1999
Who didn't have a good season in 1999? Holt, the 6th overall pick in the draft , madea splash with 52 catches, 788 yards and 6 TDs, behind only the great Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce in receptions and receiving yards in the year the Greatest Show on Turf was born.

Kurt Warner, 1999*
Technically, Warner's rookie year was 1998, but since he made only one appearance and threw just 11 passes, maybe we can make an exception. Besides, Warner was kind of an exception already, getting his into to hte NFL in his late 20s. Anyway, it's not hard to remember Warner passing for 4353 yards and 41 TDs. It's easy to see why fan boards are still filled with "bring back Warner" posts.

Adam Archuleta, 2001
Fans take note, another Rams first round pick had an impact season in their rookie year. Arch Delux didn't lead the team in any one category, but the safety became a solid contributor out of the defensive backfield in his rookie year. He posted 2 sacks, 47 tackles, a forced fumble and 3 pass deflections.

Marc Bulger, 2002
Starting seven games in place of the injured Kurt Warner, Bulger made his mark as the future franchise QB passing for 1826 yards, 14 TDs and just 6 INTs.

Pisa Tinoisamoa, 2003
Arguably his best season so far . The Rams newest LB and 2nd round pick recorded 2 sacks, 67 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 7 pass deflections and 3 INTs. Injuries have conspired to hide all that Pisa is capable of for the last two seasons, and the Rams will be counting on him to have a healthy and productive year in 2008.

Steven Jackson, 2004
Not his most memorable season  by any means, but on 134 carries, SJ had 673 yards and 4 TDs. Faulk, who played in just 14 games that year, had 774 yards on 195 carries and just 3 TDs, ruining fantasy hopes across the country. Jackson also had 138 yards on 19 receptions.

Tye Hill, 2006
Sour times for Rams fans and rookies. You really have to get the magnifying glass out to see the team's bright spots in the middle part of this decade. Hill, the Rams first round pick, had 47 tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 3 INTs, tying him with Brown and Atogwe for the team lead in a season where the Rams defense was forgettable at best. His second year marred by injury, we're all anxious to see what Hill can do this year.

Clifton Ryan, 2007
You thought I was going to say Carriker here, huh? Well, intangibles aside, Ryan owns the better rookie numbers from last season. The surprise stand out from the 5th round played his way into an indispensible role at DT. In the process, he accumlated 24 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks. Nothing huge, but enough to help put the Rams defense back on the road to respectability.

Ok, feel free to add your own picks in the comments below. The encouraging thing here is that there's a solid history of Rams rookies making their presence known right away. This season, there are several candidates to have a big impact on the team's fortunes. The easy pick is Chris Long, but guys like Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Roy Scheuning, John Greco, Justin King and even Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora, could surprise us all. Care to venture a guess?

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.

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.