With the Rams loading up on receiving firepower for Sam Bradford in the draft, that still left several voids on a Ram team that appears to be ready to take another step forward.

You can't really discredit the Rams because with all of the holes apparent, it would be impossible to fill them all with the draft alone.

One of the biggest needs that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later is backup RB. Steven Jackson needs some of the load taken off or his remaining years could be shortened.

Low and behold, yet another Rumor. The Who Dat Dish earlier this week claimed that Bush to the Rams is heating up. After the Saints signed Pierre Thomas, and drafted Ingram, Bush even tweeted goodbye to the Saints. Here's another piece in more detail.

With all that firepower in New Orleans, Bush seems like the odd man out.

Rumor has it (if anything happens) the Rams would get Bush plus a late round pick and give the Saints either a second or third round pick (assuming next years draft).

Would Bush be a good fit in St. Louis?

I know one thing, he can also catch the ball, and would certainly give a nice change up to Steven Jackson, one teams would have to respect.

Don't get too excited though if you're on the Bush train, other teams have also expressed interest: Dolphins, Steelers, Giants, Seahawks and Eagles.

I don't see the Giants interested unless they lose Bradshaw, and the Eagles already have a ton of firepower at the position. The Steelers? They typically don't build a team like this. That leaves the Phins, and Seahawks.

Let's see how it all plays out (hopefully all the lockout fiasco ends soon).

As Sam Bradford and a gaggle of players from the St. Louis Rams get together in Arizona for another series of informal lockout workouts, I thought it seemed like as good a time as any to take a stroll around the rest of the division. Mostly, we want to take a moment to point fingers and laugh at the misfortune of the other teams in the division, deserved or otherwise. 

San Francisco
It's almost too easy when players like Michael Crabtree hand you a gem like shoe-gate. Crabtree, not unanimously liked by his teammates, failed to join them on the field for informal practices because new shoes were hurting his feet. He also took a veiled shot at free agent Alex Smith, who is organizing the workouts, questioning his status with the team. Say what you will about the Rams not having a "number on wide receiver" they're better off not having a guy this self-centered on the roster. You have to wonder if at some point in time the new coaching regime in SF won't sour on Crabtree, as soon as they can find an adequate replacement. It could provide an entertaining sideshow throughout the season.

Seattle
Matt Hasselbeck, a free agent, has been the driving force for the Seahawks' informal lockout workouts. He organized them, ran them, taught the classes, etc. Naturally it fueled speculation as to whether or not he'd be back in Seattle. Doubtful say any number of NFL insiders. Running the practices is good marketing for the free agent, reminds teams that he can be a leader and maybe even still get the job done. Peter King says Minnesota will take a look; Jason LaCanfora says Tennessee. Jesus lookalike and ostensible starting QB Charlie Whitehurst has been criticized by some in the media for missing a golden opportunity in ceding the leadership to Hasselbeck. Sure he beat the Rams

Arizona
Not having a QB at least means no QB controversy, but this ain't the bright side edition. Their pass protection stinks, and they've done nothing to fix it. It seems likely they'll overpay for a free agent guard to replace Faneca, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for their needs up front. 

The NFL is open for business...sort of. Player trades and free agency is likely to start on Monday of next week, possibly. That will depend on what the 8th circuit court decides regarding a stay on Judge Nelson's order to lift the lockout. For the St. Louis Rams, tomorrow's an important day as the league will allow teams to open facilities and for meetings between players and coaches to start, even OTAs. 

That means Sam Bradford, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, will get his first chance to meet with the Rams' new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was hired in January, but because of transition time never had any formal sessions with Bradford before the lockout ended their chance to meet. 

Bradford and the receivers have been working out together in Houston, TX during the lockout. Now, they can return to Rams Park, as of tomorrow, to resume a proper offseason. Whether or not they're actually back in town tomorrow remains to be seen. 

Another thing to watch for when the business of free agency resumes: the Rams re-signing WR Mark Clayton. The two sides were said to be very close to a deal before the lockout, and Clayton has been practicing with Bradford et al in Houston. 

In a Dallas hotel, the NFL met with the NFLPA for two hours this afternoon, giving us all hope that there will be football in 2011.

A joint statement was released which stated they, "plan to increase the number, length and intensity" of bargaining sessions so they can perhaps reach an  agreement before the CBA expires March 4.They have also scheduled two sessions to be held next week at an undisclosed location.

Saturday's session was considered a, "continuing effort to narrow the differences and reach a fair agreement that will benefit the players, teams and fans." There has been no indication that any progress (if any) was made.

This sounds like serious hope amid all of the negative news we've recently been hearing. Perhaps the NFLPA threats of holding out draft players from participating in workouts shook up the league a bit.

Either way, I for one am elated to at least hear about the two sides talking and would love to see all of this settled before March 4th, allowing trades to become a major part of the draft.

Also, so many other lives would be affected by a lockout (food vendors, manufacturers of supplies and memorabilia, assistant coaches), an agreement would be great to have because of that as well.

You can read the full details here.

Or watch the video below.

  After nearly 200 responses, I'm pretty much calling it a day on the TST needs tracker.  If you haven't filled it out, feel free; maybe we'll go back and look at this before or after the draft and your votes could give that one-thousandth push to make a difference.

  In that early update, we had some interesting votes.  Posting the averages didn't change that, though it might have affected the integrity of the voting process.  Being as informal as this was, that shouldn't really bother anyone.

  A couple people voted more than once; in those cases, the final vote was used.  No stacking the boxes in this one, fellas.  And I flipped the votes for the following people: GreetingsADM, KBRams, Bronx_Bomber26, Peteyweestro, jatty, and draft.

  A breakdown of the votes follows the jump.

Continue reading this post »

After looking at what options the Rams would have for defense, it's time to take a look at the offensive side of the ball. A lot has been said about the inconsistency the Rams have had on offense, either when talking about players or play calling. Either way, it's clear the Rams could use some help here too. Below are some players that could help out the team next year, as long as the NFLPA doesn't go guerrilla warfare on the CBA negotiations.

Jerome Harrison, RB, Eagles:

This guy played for the Browns up until just recently. After gaining over 1,000 yards (receiving and rushing) last year, he lost his job to Peyton Hillis and was subsequently traded to the Eagles. He's been doing well in a backup role, averaging 4.7 yards per carry in the crowded Eagles backfield. He played at WSU, and as such, he was one of the few college players I saw play. Even though the Cougars were (and still are) horrible, he was probably the only bright spot on that team when he was there. The guy can run, and if you look at his stats, you'd tend to agree.

Darren Sproles, RB, Chargers:

The Rams almost nagged before he was tagged by the Chargers, so it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say he'd still be on the teams radar. His price tag has probably dropped, which isn't a bad thing either. He'd be a good change of pace runner who could also chip in on returns should Danny Amendola want a break. (What am I thinking, Amendola never needs a break. Sorry VT.)

Evan Mathis, G, Bengals:

He's been pretty quite this year. He lost the job after an ankle injury took him out last year, but you'll notice from Football Outsiders that their mid/guard rushing rating dropped from 10th best in the league to 25th (2009 to 2010). It can't all be attributed to him, sure, but he's both a good pass protector and run blocker, and most certainly would be an upgrade over Adam Goldberg, or even Jacob Bell, if the coaching staff so desired.

Steve Smith, WR, Giants:

After having a huge season last year, Smith has dropped off a bit with only around half the yardage and touchdown totals this year. The problem is that the Giants have always been pretty keen to spreading out the ball, and he simply isn't getting the same amount of receptions this year as he did last year. Considering the fact that New York has quite a few players ready to hit the free agency, Smith may be tempted by a starting position and a familiar coach.

Sidney Rice, WR, Vikings:

What's not to like about this guy? If the Rams don't get it done with Vincent Jackson the second time around, he'd be a hell of a Plan B. I don't think there is any legitimate reason to not go after him. He's a deep threat, has size, and is everything you wished the Rams had at that position. Having a proven threat like this could be the key to opening up this offense and seeing just what type of plays Pat Shurmur really has in that head of his.

Ramblings. Get it? Hopefully it's just lame enough to get you to chuckle. If not, hopefully it will provide some good, "what if"s in your mind while you head into the weekend (your mind- head into the weekend...I'll stop now). Also (more importantly), if you like this article listen into TSR later today because an overwhelming majority of you wanted Van and 3k to talk about this very subject. Maybe a few of you will feel so inspired to call in, because that makes you awesome and all.

With part one, I'll take a look at some defensive options the Rams have. I'll be going off this list, so if it's inaccurate, find me a better one that I can use for part two. If you haven't already guessed, I'm going to just ignore that small thing called "potential lockout and work stoppage" for now.

So here are five players (because five is just a nice number) that the Rams could look at if they felt so inclined:

Barry Cofield, DT, Giants:

Cofield was the other half of Fred Robbins when they played together in New York, and was part of a stellar defensive line (he still is). He is a big, (6-4, 306 pounds) run stopping defensive tackle who is also a subtle pass rushing threat that has both experience with other players of the Rams (the numerous ex-Giants, including the ageless Fred Robbins) and HC Steve Spagnuolo. The Giants may let him slip through the cracks since they already have another defensive lineman up for free agency (Kiwanuka), and if so, Spags may go for yet another one of his boys.

Ernie Sims, OLB, Eagles:

Sims could provide the much needed assistance on the weak-side if the Rams were to pick him up. He has been banged up the last couple of years (in addition to changing defenses when Detroit changed their coaching staff), but he is a hard hitting quick linebacker who excels in flying to the ball. He isn't the best in coverage, but is talented enough to improve on that facet of his game. He's also quick enough to be useful in a blitz, and if there is anyone who can coach him, it would be Steve Spagnuolo and DC Ken Flajole, who have already gotten quite a bit out of the no-name players who currently reside on the roster at OLB.

Justin Durant, OLB, Jaguars:

Durant has been a steady player during his four years with the Jaguars. He has had some injury problems, never playing a full 16 game season, but is a quick linebacker who can keep up with tight ends. I honestly think the Rams will go for an OLB in the draft as opposed to the free agency given the lack of "superstar" type options, but if they do, look for someone like Durant to draw there interest; consistent and most likely inexpensive.

Richard Marshall, CB, Panthers:

I hoped that the Rams would get involved in the RFA market last year with him, but nothing ever came up. Giving up their second rounder (Rodger Saffold) turned out to be too high a price. But this year Marshall will be free to walk, and his past experience with DC Ken Flajole could be a factor in getting him to visit St. Louis. He's a physical corner who racks up tackles like no other and also lends support in the run game. He isn't known for his ball-hawking ability, but that makes it seem like he'd fit right in with the CB's in St. Louis anyway.

Cullen Jenkins, DE/DT, Packers:

Jenkins might be on his way out even though he's had a good season with the Packers, as they may not have enough money to retain him. But he's had experience in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 defense, and has undeniable pass rushing ability, something that could make the Rams front four downright deadly in their passing attack. He had five sacks last year, which may not look like much, until you realize he had another 35 QB hits/pressures to go along with it. He has an injury history, but with his flexibility and talent, he may be tough to overlook.

Hopefully this will get the wheels rolling. Call into TSR and weigh in on your Rams!

I swear I have a heart, but anyone else get a little giddy any time another team gets a bad break, whether its a holdout, suspension, or injury?  One person's loss is another's gain.

• Crossing our fingers, we had the good news today that Jason Smith participated in 11-on-11 drills today for the first time in training camp.  While he practiced with the second-team, it looks like he'll be fine in no time.
• Our savior who will lead us out of the desert of misery and losses and into the land of milk, honey, and touchdowns...I mean Sam Bradford...got the nod as "Worth Consideration Off Your Waiver Wire" for fantasy football, with a comparison to Matt Schaub.  I think I'll pass, but maybe you see some potential.

Cameron Hollway over at CBS Sports got some good stuff on the Rams today:

• Coach Steve Spagnola on rookie CB Jerome Murphy: "In this league, what slows down rookies is this part," said coach Steve Spagnuolo, pointing to his head. "What we've seen on tape isn't coming through yet, but we expect it to."
• C Jason Brown (6-3, 328) has been the most impressive offensive lineman in the one-on-one "Oklahoma Drill," road-grating anyone the defense puts in front of him.
• An illustration of how young the WR corps is: rookie Mardy Gilyard's nickname for Laurent Robinson, 25, is "Old Man." The oldest of the 10-man group is third-year WR Donnie Avery, who turned 26 in June.
• Rookie WR Mardy Gilyard on his blocking duties: "I was a slickster with it (at Cincinnati) -- show low and hit high. I'd try to scheme my way into having good blocks. I have to work on being a blocker. I'm a slim 195, so I have to lean toward the technique side of it."