There's a lot of pressure on the Rams this season to improve on their disappointing 3 win 2007. For the coaches, the stakes are obvious, but individual players will be playing for their reputations as well. For Drew Bennett, the stakes ratcheted way up as soon as the Rams severed ties with Mr. Ram, Isaac Bruce.

Bennett's first year in the Golden Horns was marred by injury and a woeful offense. When Bulger wasn't being sacked and could put the ball in the air, it was usually to trusty targets Holt and Bruce. So now, with Bruce gone Bennett becomes the Rams number two wide receiver, an important role that figures to keep Torry Holt from a constant double team.

The question is, can Bennett be the effective #2 the Rams need him to be? He's certainly getting paid like it, but last year left a bad taste and a dubious opinion of the pricey free agent among Rams fans. Let's look at his stats from Football Outsiders (link includes a review of DPAR and DVOA):

2005 was much worse for Bennett and the Titans, as the team struggled with QB issues with McNair breaking down during their 4-12 season. Bennett also missed 3 games that season, which makes his 58 catches and 738 yards slightly better than it looks, and he was at least still something of an asset to his team according to DPAR. In the seasons before 2005, you can see what made him a household name among football fans.

The thing to remember about Bennett is that he put in lots of time as a #1 WR and did well in the role too. It stands to reason then that he should serve well as a #2 in what could be a pretty well balanced offense with a feature running back like Steven Jackson, a legitimate threat over the middle in Randy McMichael and Torry Holt. It's also worth noting that Bennett's only 29, too, so age certainly hasn't become an excuse yet.

Whatever the numbers say this time next year about Drew Bennett, they'll at least represent a final verdict on him in the minds of Rams fans. Hopefully, he makes it a good one.

I realize baseball season occupies the minds of so many St. Louis sports lovers. I won't lie; I'm pretty excited about it too. But baseball or not, I still need my football. Football games at least never get rained out, dome or not.

Here's a few afternoon distractions to satisfy your pigskin cravings...without having to open a bag of pork rinds at any rate.

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• Hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.
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• The hair issue has been cut from the docket for now. Radio communication between the coaches and the defense was approved though. I don't think  that's a bad move, and it should help make defensive plays as interesting as offensive plays. Thoughts?
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• The Rams, for what it's worth, voted against the radios for the defense. Hmm. Not much to read into it here, as Mike Sando explains in the link above, the Rams have an offensive guy for a head coach.
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• The SBN mock draft continues, with lots of good analysis, more than you get from lots of the other 400 million mock drafts on the internets. Oakland picked McFadden, and that other team form across the Show Me State picks this evening.
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• The official Rams site is giving fans at-a-glance looks at the much changed, dare I say improved, coaching staff.
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It's going to be a short one from me today. I've got a cold that feels worse than a Grant Wistrom hit and don't want to be anywhere but on the coach complaining about how bad daytime TV really is.

Today, I wanted to gauge where the Rams stand heading into the draft. To do this, I've opted for the time honored web tradition of position grades. Today, we'll start with the offense, and tomorrow the defense. (if you want to talk about the hair thing, if you're not sick of it already, it's covered.) So, while I have a minute without mucus rolling out of my nose...

OFFENSE

QB- After last season, it's a wonder Marc Bulger can still walk, much less throw a football. The only person on the team with more pressure on them to improve is Scott Linehan. Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I think he can get back to his old self this season. He also has some motivation with Trent Green behind him on the depth chart, who can easily step in a run new OC Al Saunders' offense...if he's healthy.
Grade: B

RB- Two words: Steven Jackson. Hopefully, though, Brian Leonard will have grown enough as a player to take some carries and keep the Rams from burning out Jackson's legs and serve as a competent blocker. Only more injuries on the o-line or, heaven forbid, to himself can prevent SJ from having a career year.
Grade: A

TE- The Rams needed a blocker for the TE spot, so they went out and signed Anthony Becht. At 29, McMichael should have plenty left to be a playmaker at the position. But what's the deal with Klopfenstein and Byrd?
Grade: B

WR- Losing Bruce hurts, but if Bennett can stay healthy and play up to his potential this season, the Rams have a solid #2 behind Torry Holt. At 32, Holt's no spring chicken, but he played his way to another 1000+ yard season and right into the Pro Bowl with a knee that was less than 100%. What exactly do we have in Hagans, Stanley and Williams? They need a speedy route runner for the #3 WR spot. Some may argue with my grade, but Holt and Bennett (with regained form) are still better than the receiving corps on many NFL teams.
Grade: C+

OL- This is the big one for the 2008 iteration of the Rams. Pace is healthy and the Jacob Bell signing significantly strengthens pass protection on the left side of the line. There's a question mark in the middle, but Romberg, Incognito and Stetterstrom are at least interesting options with some potential. This should be a make or break year for Alex Barron, but changes in the coaching staff have the potential to help him realize at least some of his potential. Quality depth will be key.
Grade: B- (assuming health)

Feel free to debate these grades and offer your own. I'm probably more forgiving than I should be.

defense tomorrow.

Let's talk draft day trading this morning. It seems to be a fairly popular option among Rams fans as evidenced by the poll on your right and our community discussion of the first round pick a week ago.

There's enough information, factual and anecdotal emerging to assume that a trade for the Rams is at least a very distinct possibility. In a Friday blog post recapping his AM 1380 interview with Billy Devaney, the new Rams player guru said that he expected to get calls before and up to draft day from teams interested in moving up to the second overall pick. Notably, Devaney said that they will listen to all offers.

Yesterday, Peter King at Sports Illustrated took a look at some of the recent past's more active trading teams with a concentrated number of picks on the first day. The team that should stand out for Rams fans is the Cowboys, whose owner Jerry Jones is reportedly dying to get Razorback rusher Darren McFadden.  

McFadden should be an easy get with the second overall pick and the Cowboys have what might be of interest to the Rams with two first rounds picks, 22nd and 28th. A swap of those two picks for the Rams second pick doesn't quite even out points wise. The 2nd pick is worth 2600 points, and the 22nd pick and 28th pick are worth 780 and 660, respectively. That's a net difference of 1160 points, meaning the Cowboys would likely have to sweeten the pot with a player on their roster or another pick. If they manage to sign Pacman Jones, maybe they'd have some interest in putting a CB in the deal. That's neither here nor there; for the sake of argument here, let's just assume the Rams would get a player that at least fills a depth need with this trade scenario.

That's a big trade down, and it means the Rams would not get a Vernon Gholston, Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, and any of the other guys meriting top pick consideration. It would, however, give the Rams three picks concentrated in a potentially rich area of the draft, 22nd, 28th and their 34th overall pick, which essentially becomes the first pick of the second round since NE forfeited their 31st pick thanks to gratuitous videotaping.

With that grouping, the Rams should be able to fill several positional needs from among the draft's elite prospects. They could take a CB, an OT and DE like Quentin Groves. Or, depending on whether or not they get a player from Dallas in such a trade, they could make a WR one of those three picks.

That's one draft day trade possibility.

The Chiefs need o-line talent...badly. They covet Jake Long, but know he probably won't be there with their 5th overall pick. The Chiefs and Rams could swap the 2nd and 5th picks, and to even things out getting the Chiefs to throw in their second round pick, 36th overall, would almost even it out points wise. The Rams should be able to get Vernon Gholston with the fifth pick and another high pick int he second round should net them another blue chip prospect ready to play in 2008.

The scenario with the Chiefs makes the most sense, in that the Rams still get one of the home run picks they're looking for early in the draft, while adding another high second round pick. You have to wonder if all the hype the team is giving Jake Long doesn't have some ulterior motive...

The scenario with the Cowboys is intriguing because it could potentially add a lot of talent to the team with one swoop. Losing the home run potential you get from a top five pick causes the most hesitation.

It's a lot to think about.

You've got to put down your brackets and look pretty hard to find much going on in the football world lately. The free agent market has died down and teams are retreating to their war rooms to chart out a strategy for the draft.

When I first read the news that the Rams will move their training camp this summer, I didn't really think much of it. Is it really that big of a deal?

I understand the point that proximity to other teams has the potential to improve the way the Rams practice and get ready for the regular season. I even get the sense from the PD article that another year of ugly preseason losses won't be viewed favorably by the powers that be. I can only imagine the reaction from what's left of the fans. If they really think that moving training camp is going to make the Rams a better football team, then by all means go for it.

Mostly I wondered about the move from a marketing perspective. (guess what my background is?) Will empty fields at Rams Park leave fans feeling abandoned? Somehow, I kind of doubt it. But with the talk of a move to Wisconsin, I wonder if the team's not missing an opportunity to expand their footprint outside of the Metro area. I live in Springfield and grew up at the Lake of the Ozarks, two fairly populous areas of the state outside of STL and KC. In either place, you're never more than a few feet away from a Chiefs flag or bumper sticker or jersey. The restaurants and bars advertise Chiefs games on big vinyl banners. The rest hold the Rams in approximately the same regard as the Blues, acknowledged so as not to miss them. I'm not as familiar with the situation in IL, but I can't imagine the Rams garnering too much appeal outside of the Metro area with fans also having the Bears or the next door Colts to root for.  

I can't help but wonder if there's at least some opportunity for the Rams to grow their fan base and expand their footprint by holding training camp at a location like Missouri State in Springfield, MO. Obviously, since I live here and am a Rams fan, I would love to see the team here each summer. But even if I lived in North Platte, Nebraska, I'd still make the same case.

Now, in terms of the media market it might not make all that much of a difference, i.e. there's a lot more economic muscle for an audience concentrated in the Metro area than there is for an outstate fanbase. And with a national TV contract, NFL teams don't have to depend on the regional media to the same extent the Cardinals or Blues do. However, a season ticket buyer's a season ticket buyer. My father-in-law gets Chiefs season tickets (I still love him anyway) and treks up to KC, which takes a lot longer to drive to than STL, for each home game. Thus, if the price is right for such a move, I'd think it would only be to the Rams advantage.

Of course, winning will bring in fans better than anything, so ultimately that factors heaviest in the decision of where to move training camp...and whether or not fans support such a move.

Now here's an interesting approach to brining in a fullback, something we discussed briefly yesterday.

The Eagles, those wacky Eagles, have signed free agent DT Dan Klecko to compete for the fullback job. That's not a typo, which is something of a minor miracle in and of itself for a hunt and peck typist such as myself. Klecko is 5'11" 275 lbs, which would make him a beast of fullback.

Klecko sat out last season after being cut by the Colts. He made his presence known and probably gave someone in Philly the idea when he caught a TD pass in the AFC Championship that put the Colts in the Super Bowl a year ago.

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Could this be the WR we've been looking for? The Redskins waived 25-year-old Ole Miss product Mike Espy. Espy was well considered by the Gibbs regime in Washington, but ruptured his patellar tendon in his right knee in training camp last summer, ending his season before it even began. According to reports at Rotoworld, Al Saunders might be interested in giving him a look, if he's healthy, in camp this season. Low risk, potential upside, sounds like a good move to me.

One thing an o-line fix might reveal this season is just what kind of player the Rams have in FB Brian Leonard. Without a doubt he can run and catch, and is, by most measures, the Rams #2 runner behind Steven Jackson (apologies to Travis Minor). However, his size - 6'2" 230 lbs - limits the contributions he makes as a lead blocker. After routine offseason shoulder surgery, the Rams expect him to bulk up and do more lead blocking in the coming season. With speed and technique I have no doubt that he can block okay some of the time, but the lack of a big blocking fullback bothers me a little bit, traditionalist that I am. Think about it Madison Hedgecock is 266 lbs, and a quick perusal of NFL fullbacks puts many in the 250-260 lbs range. Last year, with the line in taters, the lack of a FB hurt the Rams running game.

This season that figures to be better, hopefully, thanks to upgrades on the line. Are those upgrades enough to minimize the impact of a big FB opening giant holes for Steven Jackson? The addition of blocking TE Anthony Becht bolsters the blocking game too, and the Rams could embrace an approach more akin to the Colts, a team opting for two TE sets rather than a FB lead blocker.

At any rate, I'll be interested to see what Leonard can with the ball and without.

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The new mock draft at FL Draft Countdown has the Rams taking Michigan WR Mario Manningham with the 33rd pick. Manningham is getting some love after a big weekend at Michigan's pro day, where he ran a 4.38 40-yard-dash after having a bad week at the Combine, according to Hashmarks. His scouting report at Draft Countdown notes that he's a good route runner, but other sites seem lukewarm on his ability. At 6', I wonder if he's not a little shorter than what Linehan likes in his receivers. The Rams do need a good route runner, but I'd have to think they could have a few to choose from if they go that "route" in the second round.

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The Rams have St. Pat's Day private workout scheduled with Hampton DE Kendall Langford. Langford flashed impressive ability at the Senior Bowl and the Combine, showcasing his pass rush ability and an aggressive approach. At the moment, he's a 3rd or 4th round pick. Here's his Draft Countdown profile and NFL.com profile.

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The SeaChickens also have some interest in C Justin Hartwig. We still have a couple options at C; resign Romberg, making Incognito their center, or brining in someone else. Hartwig, barring some earth-shattering trade news, sounds like the best option, but you have to wonder about the cost/cap equation. Here's Hartwig's Scouts, Inc. profile:

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There's a great discussion going on for the Rams second round pick. Don't forget to make your voice heard.

The TST mock draft continues with Round Two.

Pick-wise, the Rams have the first pick of the second round, since New England forfeited a first round pick thanks to the whole video taping thing. So, with an early pick in the round the Rams have a chance to get some high-level talent that fills one of the key needs going into the 2008 season. Roughly, those needs encompass a DE, OL, WR, CB, LB, and DT. The degree of need at each position is subject to interpretation, to say the least. Based on our community vote and discussion for round one, let's assume for the sake of argument the Rams take a DE (Gholston or Chris Long) with their first pick. Without much doubt though, that pick fills a big need for the Rams, bolstering their defensive front.

So which need do they try and fill in the second round? Supposedly, this isn't a great draft for top-flight receivers, but since the Rams have Holt and Bennett could they find a talent who can develop without much pressure under the tutelage of those two and Al Saunders, someone fast enough to stretch the field and tough enough to play in the slot? It's a great draft for offensive tackles. Can we find the future LT with this pick? We've talked lots about OTs and WRs in the second round, but adding a CB or SS is a definite need and a key ingredient toward making the defense respectable this season.

Anyway, this pick is a little more exciting since it's way more wide open than the first round, where there are basically four or five players worth considering with the second overall pick. It also means there's a little research involved. Because of that, here are some helpful links that even the most draft-phobic football can will enjoy.

NFL Draft Scout: I like this site, because it ranks players at each position and gives the appropriate round where the player is worthy of being selected.

This Mock draft data base gives you a rundown of all the draft sites...for the Redskins. But, you can use it to easily find mock drafts with more than one round.

Here's the NFL.com player profiles for players in the draft this year.

Round Two at WalterFootball.com.

DraftTek has all seven rounds projected.

We'll leave the thread/polls open through midweek, depending on response, and then tally it up. That ought to give us a fair picture of what round two might shape up to be for the Rams. Have a good weekend.