Damn. The St. Louis Rams lost WR Donnie Avery in Friday's scrimmage. Didn't someone tell them football is dangerous? Anyway. The, uh, sort of good news is that if hits the middle of that 4-6 week time frame for recovery, he'll be suited up to face the Seahawks to open the season. It's not great news, but it's not the end of the world either. Some RAMifications rippling from Avery's foot fracture...
- Reports out of camp so far, including the spring, have Avery and Bulger connecting well in the new offense. That's good, and should mean that last year's rookie surprise shouldn't be totally lost in the offensive system when he returns.
- Laurent Robinson and Keenan Burton are the top guys now, with Ronald Curry a probable candidate for top three on the list. Robinson has the speed and ability to be a deep threat, stretching the field. The former Falcon has also looked good in camp's early going, showing good run after catch ability. This year's camp just got even more important for Burton, who needs to establish himself as a top possession threat. Curry is a good set of hands in coverage too.
- It was a tackle by CB Justin King that put Avery on the shelf. King had his season ended early in camp last year, after a promising start, with a toe/foot injury. Oh the irony.
- The PD mentions some free agent possibilities for the Rams, none of whom would be straight up replacements for Avery. I'd say to watch Avery's progress, and if he's not on the speedy side of a recovery, the Rams will probably add a player from among the roster casualties as teams hone their rosters down to 53 players.
- No offense to Avery, but be happy this wasn't Steven Jackson.
Avery's the worst of the injury news, but there's more to be concerned about. DT Adam Carriker is day-to-day, and could miss two weeks. FB Mike Karney is still sitting out some activities, but should be back to full speed soon.
What to make of the Rams interest in DT Shaun Smith? I'd say they're giving him their due diligence with Carriker's situation and a little more size up front never hurts. They haven't signed him yet, and he was cut after some reported disagreements with a Browns coach.