St. Louis Rams training camp: Jerome Murphy feared to have fractured ankle

The St. Louis Rams suffered their first serious injury of the season today, potentially. Second-year cornerback Jerome Murphy went down on his ankle wrong during today's practice. Team officials fear that he has a broken ankle. 

Ouch. That's a big hit for the Rams secondary, if true. Murphy was being counted on to contribute as the team's third cornerback, a big part of the nickel and dime packages. A third-round pick in 2010, he struggled to catch on, showing better later in the season last year. Cornerbacks often take time to develop, but this will be a big hit to Murphy. 

As a reminder, nothing is confirmed. The concern about a broken ankle comes via Tony Softli from ESPN 101, who has been covering camp. (Ironic, that the man who drafted Tye Hill now gets to see a good cornerback play). Murphy had an x-ray, and the results are forthcoming. 

If Murphy is out for an extended period of time, it puts more onus on Justin King, and makes the Al Harris signing a little more important to the team's plans. Remember, Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher have had their fair share of injuries in the past. 

Murphy posted an exasperated tweet moments ago: "Pissed!"

Followed by: "There will indeed be better days!"

Let's hope those better days come sooner rather than later. 

And, yes, you may begin wondering if the lockout isn't contributing to what seems like a rash of injuries around the NFL, just one week into camp. 

UPDATE: Damn, the injuries keep adding up. Michael Hoomanawanui and David Vobora both sustained concussions. Concussions can have a varying impact on how long a player is sidelined, so stay tuned. Hopefully, they can pass a concussion test soon enough and get back on the field.