On the same day the St. Louis Rams dumped troubled asset starting right guard Richie Incognito, they sent starting left guard Jacob Bell to the injured reserve list. One to purgatory, one to heaven or hell, depending on how you feel as a player being a member of the Rams.
That means the Rams will have three backup linemen when they take the field against the Houston Texans. One of the two remaining starters, Alex Barron, will have the unenviable task of containing Mario Williams who has four sacks in his last three games. In the middle, C Jason Brown will be flanked, most likely, by John Greco and Mark Setterstrom. As frustrating as it is to see two more starters off the roster, the silver lining here is getting Setterstrom and Greco some playing time. Setterstrom started six games in 2006 at guard, and made a real impression as a rookie. Injuries have limited his progress since then, but the Rams made resigning him during this offseason a priority. Second year man John Greco, a third round pick from the 2008 draft, is no stranger to filling in for Richie Incognito. The Toledo product started in Cog's place during the final game of the season last year; Richie was seen eating a candybar on the sidelines...connect the dots between here and there for Richie.
A flurry of other moves to bolster o-line depth: The Rams signed OT Ryan McKee who was released by the Jets. At 6' 6" 291 lbs, McKee may be more of a guard than anything, until he adds some weight. OT Eric Young was signed from the Rams practice squad to the active roster.
In two seasons with the Rams, Bell has dealt with injuries and played just 13 games in both seasons. Bell improved his play considerably this year, after playing through injuries and underwieght last season. The Rams need this guy to stay healthy, but since he hasn't shown the ability to play 16 games, it's good to get a look at the depth behind him.
I miss Jason Smith in the lineup.