When Billy Devaney took over as general manager of the Rams and started his search for a new head coach, he knew whoever he hired would be dealing with a roster that needed a major overhaul.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo has spent the offseason getting the roster younger and trying to fill as many holes as possible. They also knew everything necessary wouldn’t happen in one offseason.

With training camp approaching, the area that appears to be in most need of upgrading is at wide receiver. Releasing Torry Holt and Drew Bennett, along with the decision not to re-sign Dane Looker and Dante’ Hall, left the Rams with a group headed by second-year players Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, who was acquired in a trade from Atlanta, Derek Stanley, who is battling back…

Don’t be so quick to make McNair a hero
Steve McNair may have been a leader on the field, but off it he neglected the most important thing in life, Jason Whitlock says.

Few in LA expect Rams to return

He sits in his comfortable living room wearing a vintage pale blue T-shirt with “Los Angeles Rams” printed across his chest.

NFL suspends Boley 1 game over battery charge
Giants linebacker Michael Boley has been suspended by the NFL for the first game of the regular season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Boley, who spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta before he signed with New York in the offseason, was arrested in May of 2008 and charged with battery on his wife after she accused him of becoming “too physical” after an argument. He was with the Falcons at the time. The league said the suspension stems from that episode.

Which act will get the nod for Super Bowl XLIV?
Michael Jackson set the standard for Super Bowl halftime acts in 1993. But who will be next? Alex Marvez ranks the favorites for 2010.

Tennessee's state medical examiner said Tuesday that investigators have been hesitant to conclude that Steve McNair's girlfriend killed the NFL star and herself because she didn't appear to have a motive, but that murder-suicide is the most likely scenario. After the couple was discovered shot to death on Saturday, police were quick to label McNair's death a homicide.

Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams to Re-Relocate to Los Angeles

Two NFL teams are returning “home.” Leaked reports indicate both the Oakland Raiders and St.

Inman: McNair was a warrior in the Coliseum in AFC title game vs. Raiders

A LOSS TO the 2002 Raiders in the AFC Championship Game personifies Steve McNair’s 13-year career as a tough-as-nails NFL quarterback, mostly for the Tennessee Titans.

Running backs in the NFL not only have a short shelf life but some say they are a dime a dozen.

Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams to Re-Relocate to Los Angeles

Two NFL teams are returning “home.” Leaked reports indicate both the Oakland Raiders and St.

Police: McNair’s girlfriend bought gun Thursday (AP)

Police say the gun found at the scene where former NFL star Steve McNair died was bought by his girlfriend less than two days before the two were shot to death. Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Monday that 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi bought the semiautomatic handgun Thursday evening from a person he didn't name.

VIDEO: Glazer on McNair’s toughness

VIDEO: Schein says Cowboys’ need to run
Are the ‘Boys done with no T.O.? Hardly. Not only is the sky not falling, Adam Schein says a run-focused team makes them tougher.

Scout.com: NFL rookie rankings for ‘09
Matt Stafford was picked higher than Mark Sanchez, but this year will it matter? Scout.com’s Chris Steuber ranks the top 20 rookies.

Police rule ex-QB McNair death a homicide
Shot twice in the head and two more times in the chest, former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was the victim of a homicide, police declared Sunday. But authorities wouldn’t say it was a murder-suicide - even with his 20-year-old girlfriend dead at his feet from a single bullet. McNair had been dating Saleh Kazemi for several months, and Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Sunday that a semiautomatic pistol was found under her body. She was shot in the head.

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, who led the famous Tennessee Titans' drive that came a yard short of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl, was found dead Saturday with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Police said a pistol was discovered near the body of a woman also shot dead in a downtown condominium.

49ers 2009 opponent breakdown: St. Louis Rams

June 27, 12:15 AM Comment RSS Marc Bulger hopes to lead the Rams offense back to where it once .

St. Louis Rams, Steve Spagnuolo, mini camp, russell training center

Rams writer Bill Coats subs for Jim Thomas this week and goes one-on-one with readers at 1 p.m. Tuesday in a live chat.

Summer two-a-days: AFC South, NFC North
Can Peyton uphold Indy’s playoff streak? Will Cutler win in Chicago? Peter Schrager continues our summer two-a-days by division.

VIDEO: Schein rants on Brandon Marshall
With a rap sheet, injury issues and his stock at an all-time low, Brandon Marshall’s trade demand is a fantasy, Adam Schein says.

NFL’s top 10 smurfs
Height isn’t everything in the NFL. Jets RB Leon Washington is just one of Adrian Hasenmayer’s top 10 smurfs in a league full of giants.

Positional Power Rankings: RB packages
The best ballcarriers usually come in pairs. Adrian Hasenmayer ranks the NFL’s top RB packages, headlined by two Panthers.

Vick switches job to work with Boys & Girls Clubs
Suspended NFL Star Michael Vick is leaving a job with a Virginia construction company to work with youngsters at Boys & Girls Clubs. Steven Kast, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula, says Vick will be working with children on health and fitness activities at several clubs in the Hampton Roads area. Vick was a regular at the Boys & Girls Club in Newport News as a youngster.

VIDEO: Can Ravens, Giants stay defensive?
With defensive gurus scoring promotions elsewhere, Alex Marvez asks whether the Ravens and Giants can sustain their stellar Ds.

Jags trade WR Northcutt to Lions for S Alexander
The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded receiver Dennis Northcutt to the Detroit Lions for safety Gerald Alexander. The deal was finalized Tuesday after both players passed physicals. Northcutt gives the Lions a veteran receiver opposite rising star Calvin Johnson. Alexander, a second-round pick in 2007, gives Jacksonville depth in the secondary. He started 16 games as a rookie, but missed most of last year following a neck injury.

Former Chief won’t be charged in fatal crash
Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Rich Baldinger will not face charges in a traffic accident that left a 61-year-old woman dead. Jackson County (Mo.) prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Velda Cook said Monday that investigators have determined that a car collision Saturday in Blue Springs between Baldinger and Marilyn Walters of Grain Valley was accidental. Walters was killed in the collision. Baldinger played for the Chiefs from 1982-93.

Vick plan offers more money to creditors
Suspended NFL Star Michael Vick would give up more of his future income under a revised bankruptcy plan. Vick’s lawyer, Paul Campsen, disclosed the basic outline of the new plan Tuesday in U.S. Bankrupcy Court in Norfolk. The full plan is still being finished. It’s due to be filed by Thursday. A judge in April rejected the first plan, saying it was not feasible. Under the new plan, Campsen said 10 percent of the first $750,000 Vick earns would go to creditors.