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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I thought of something this morning, something about Brian Leonard's role in the Rams Al Saunders' led offense.

(Yes, I think about Brian Leonard while I'm driving to work.)

So far, much of the talk about Saunder's breath of fresh air in the Rams offense ahs revolved around the big expectations from Steven Jackson, Marc Bulger, and a new life for Randy McMichael. Not much about Brian Leonard, other than that he's bulking up and is expected to do more lead blocking. And that's it, right?

Maybe not. A big part of Saunders' offensive systems is creating mismatches in the middle. Getting a strong pass catcher who overmatches the linebackers into the middle of the field forces teams to cover that receiver with a safety and leave the corners somewhat exposed. That role has traditionally been reserved for a meaty tight end under Saunders, think Tony Gonzalez or to a lesser extent Chris Cooley, and McMichael will still get plenty of looks in the middle of the field. But McMichael's strength is route running, and he'll see a lot of his work down the field, behind the linebackers, similar to Chris Cooley, who wasn't often used banging around with middle linebackers for jump balls.

Another player used in a similar role, albeit not under Al Saunders, was our very own Marshall Faulk. Obviously, Steven Jackson, who compares favorably to the great Marshall Faulk, will be doing some of that. A beefier Leonard, who has pass catching skills, could also fit that more specific role well, and save some ware and tear on the Rams feature back (remember, Saunder's running backs have a history of injury - Priest Holmes, Clinton Portis) who figures to be quite an investment once the Rams get a deal done.

Remember, the NFC West features some top tier linebackers with guys like Tatupu in Seattle and Willis in SF who know how to play the game. Brining in Brian Leonard to threaten the middle of the field on a few plays, and eventually forcing defenses to react to his presence, thereby opening up more room for other receviers.

With the expectation that he'll be blocking more this year, the Rams have asked FB Brian Leonard to bulk up in the offseason, an offseason that also included "clean up" surgery on both shoulders to remove scar tissue. Leonard reported to OTAs weighing 234 pounds, about 10 lbs more than his listed weight as a rookie last season. The Rams apparently would also like him to add some more weight to his frame to figure him more prominently in the blocking. Don't rule out some goal line carries for Leonard either.

Now, for the sake of comparison, former Rams FB and part of the Giants' Super Bowl team this season, Madison Hedgecock weighs 266 lbs. Hedgecock is 6'3" making it easier to carry 266 lbs. At 6'1", Leonard's not likely to approach that weight level, and, really, doesn't need to become a clone of the Abrams tank-like prototypical lead blocker as Al Saunders' offense uses more of a H-back.

Talk about full circle... Rams OT Rob Petitti, who  tore his Achilles tendon during the offseason, assumed an everyday role last season when the Rams signed him in late October to fill in for their decimated o-line. Drafted by none other than Bill Parcels in the seventh round in 2005, Petitti's an intriguing guy to have on the depth chart. Sure, the Rams o-line was nothing special last season, but we never really got a good feel for individuals since the whole line was eaten up with injuries. Check out what the Dallas Morning News said about Petitti recently :

Started every game as a rookie. He was doing fine until Flozell Adams was lost for the year and the Cowboys had to take away some of the help he was receiving. He was cut in training camp a year later with Marc Colombo winning the job.

Kind of similar to what happened in St. Louis last season. Petitti is a guy that's probably worth hanging on to based on that potential. He's probably not ever going to be a legit starter, but he could be a lot more than a name on the depth chart. Better depth, as you know, reduces the chances of an injury or two sinking your entire season.

I thought Kansas FB Brandon McAnderson might have a shot to stick on the roster, his 5'10" 240 lbs body filling a role in goal line situations and as a lead blocker. Guess that's why I'm not a scout. The Rams cut him this week. Richard Owens and a bulked up Brian Leonard will fill some of the need at FB and special teams.

We've discussed the role of the full backs plenty, and the Rams, like most other teams, don't necessarily need the traditional power lead blocks from an FB bursting though a tightly positioned offensive line and opening up a hole for the half back to the extent that those power plays used to be used in the game. However, those kind fo plays could be making a comeback according to NFL.com Larry Kirwan.

Here's a prediction for the NFC West , from SBN brother site Field Gulls. Morgan's got the Rams third with a 6-10 record, the Seahawks first, natch', and the Cardinals in second. He based his prediction on the availability of Orlando Pace, which I think is a valid concern. Pace probably doesn't have another three full seasons in his 32-year-old body (hard to type that as a 32-year-old myself), but let's not write his euology just yet. In a pretzel logic sort of way, I think the last two years off, with a should and a triceps injury, has probably saved his legs a little bit and could put a little extra gas in the tank this season. Look no further than Seattle's LT Walter Jones, 34, for proof that old timers can still play on the line. And say, at 34 there's as much reason to wonder if Jones can make it through a full season himself.

That's why they call them predictions though.

Ok, it's gonna be slim pickens for NFL fans over the next month or so. To occupy ourselves and give St. Louisians a break from crucifying the Cardinals' Jason Isringhausen, we'll start a nice little community project next week. We'll also size up the Arizona Cardinals.