Turf Show Times

Week 9 Open Thread

2009-11-08T16:43:11Z

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

No need for the bags this week.

It's a bye week for the St. Louis Rams, time to assess, regroup, and get ready for a second half push. Hey, we're on a winning streak too. Here's a quick look at some links of note for your bye week needs.

Here's a Chris Long development story from the PD.
Former Rams S Anthony Smith, picked up from Green Bay, was claimed off waivers by the Jaguars. I kind of liked Smith's potential, but he was buried a bit with James Butler and Craig Dahl back from their injuries.
So Dave Checketts gets (and for a time Rush Limbaugh) gets all the attention for his group's interest in the Rams, but Carl Vogel, a long-time media executive and current board member for DISH Network and Shaw Communications (cable, etc.), is part of Checkett's SCP Worldwide group.
There's still plenty of fantasy action today, so here's recommendations for who to start and who sit.
Some big injury situations out there today. Calvin Johnson still not confirmed to play today, and we'd like to see his team beat the SeaChickens.

I'll leave this up as an open thread for today's games. We're rooting for the Lions to beat the SeaHags and the Titans to put the hurt on the 49ers. I'm indifferent about the Cardinals and Bears.

Rams get ratings; TST joins Sprint's NFL Mobile Live

2009-11-07T16:59:40Z

One win will do wonders for your Nielsen ratings. The St. Louis Rams victory over the Lions last week drew a 17.8 percent market share in the STL metro, the best ratings all season for the Rams.

The Rams bested some tough competition. Check this out:

...drew a higher rating than any World Series game, all Cardinals regular-season contests and is about eight times greater than an average Blues telecast.

Maybe St. Louis is just one winning season away from becoming a "football city." Maybe. Nevertheless, for those wanting the Rams to stick around in the Gateway City, this comes as welcome news.

Sticking with the telecommunications theme, I should mention that Sprint, the NFL's official telecom sponsor, is now also sponsoring SBNation. You may have seen the company's skin on the site recently, tipping you off, and the little white box with magically scrolling updates from SBN sites is located on the right side of the page.

Those updates are featured prominently on Sprint's NFL Mobile Live feature, which if you haven't checked out you really should. Essentially, it's a live scoreboard, updates and in-game features ap for Sprint phones. All schilling aside, it's a nice little thing to have when you trot back into time at your grandparents house for Thanksgiving. You can even get radio broadcasts of the games.

Sprint has also partnered up with the NFL to give out 17 trips to this year's Super Bowl via their new Sprint Can't Miss Plays of the Week. You simply just click here and vote each week on what was the play of the week. Every time you vote, you are entered for a chance to win one of those 17 Super Bowl trip.

Ok, that's all the Sprint pitching you'll have to deal with.

Alright, it's almost college football time, so I have to go start thinking of excuses to avoid visiting family. later.

Race to the bottom: Which teams are contending for the #1 pick in the draft?

2009-11-07T13:15:14Z

by Carlos Osorio - AP

Which NFL team will have the first overall pick in the 2010 draft?

View full size photo »

It's a Saturday morning and the St. Louis Rams are off this week. With a full day of college football, it's a great time to look at the second half of the NFL season and see who's in contention for the top draft picks. Lots more can happen in 8 more games, and 3k's mock draft generated just as much discussion for his final NFL results as the picks. So, let's take a look at the teams at the bottom of the league and see who could end up with their choice of talent come draft time.

Included here is a look at the average DVOA of each team's remaining opponents and rank of future schedule based on that number from Football Outsiders. We're also looking at individual games of note for each team.

0- and 1- win teams

Team	Future Sched	Rank
Cleveland	-10.5%	27
Tennessee	-1.0%	19
Kansas City	-4.9%	24
Detroit	5.4%	10
Tampa Bay	14.3%	3
St. Louis	1.6%	15

It's not unthinkable that Tampa Bay could be the NFL's second winless team in two seasons. They still have to play New Orleans twice. Their remaining home games are against Green Bay, New Orleans, NY Jets and the Falcons. The weakest team they have remaining on the schedule is Seattle, but they're playing them at Qwest Field. Cleveland has games left against Detroit, Kansas City and Oakland, which should keep them out of contention for the #1 pick. To me, the Titans seem to be getting their act together, so a schedule against average opponents, and a game against the Rams, could net them a few more wins. The Rams have some nice homes games yet to play, and I like their chances against a Seahawks team reeling from injuries. Detroit could struggle too, but you have to think a healthy Stafford and Calvin Johson could do some damage to the Browns. I think KC can squeak out another win or two as well, maybe at home against the Bills and at Oakland.

2-win teams

Team	Future Sched	Rank
Oakland	3.2%	13
Washington	15.5%	2
Seattle	-12.1%	30

Don't be surprised is Washington doesn't win any more games this season. They have two more games against the Cowboys and one more each with the Eagles and Giants. Those are just their division games. They also still have to play New Orleans, Denver and Atlanta. Their softest game is at Oakland, but I think the Raiders will likely win that one too. Speaking of the Raiders, they have games left against the Browns and the Chiefs to go with their Washington game. All three of those are toss ups. Seattle should pick up a home win against the Lions this week, and a home game against Tampa Bay should put them at 4 wins and out of top three pick range.

All of this could easily change. An injury here or there or even a fluky bounce could give one of these teams an extra win or two. Right now, I think you'll see Tampa Bay, Detroit, Washington and St. Louis in the top four picks of the draft, in that order. Don't be surprised if the coin flip has something to say about draft order though with so many teams struggling this year.

TST: You Pick 'Em, week 9

2009-11-06T20:37:57Z

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

"9.5 point underdogs to the Seahawks!?!?!"

Browse more photos »

The ballots, er, spreadsheets have been counted and the results are in for last week's You Pick 'Em contest.

We run two categories: winner and against the spread. The winner winners each picked 12 of 13 games. Things were tougher in the against the spread pool, with a three-way tie for first with 7 correct picks apiece.

This week's winners are:

WINNER
PCarn, 12
peteyweestro, 12

AGAINST THE SPREAD
mooseknuckles41, 7
james535, 7
BruinHalo, 7

Make you week 9 picks below the fold.

Early returns on the Rams o-line investment

2009-11-06T17:40:48Z

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Jason Smith is part of a well-paid trio that form the foundation of the team's future.

Browse more photos »

The St. Louis Rams have made a big investment in their offensive line over the last two years. It's part of a plan by GM Billy Devaney and new head coach Steve Spagnuolo to lay a solid foundation for the rebuilding process. Get strong up front and build outward.

So far this season, the results have been mixed, but do indeed seem to be trending in the right direction. Check out the OL grades from CaliRamsMan in this fanpost, there's much to mull over there.

This feature at Football Outsiders takes a look at the highest paid interior linemen in the NFL. There are two members of the St. Louis Rams on that list: C Jason Brown and LG Jacob Bell.

The investment in Brown has already paid dividends. Steven Jackson is having a rock solid season, picking up more than half of his carries through the middle of the offensive line. Marc Bulger can't blame the OL for his myriad problems. Last year, too much pressure and too many sacks came through the middle of the offensive line with an undersized, often overmatched center and Jacob Bell struggling with injuries and being underweight. Brown is second only to Jets G Alan Faneca in guaranteed money and average yearly salary, a close second. One key difference: Brown was 25 when he signed his deal with the Rams; Faneca was 31.

Tied for tenth on the list is 2008 free agent pickup G Jacob Bell. Bell had a disappointing season, to say the least, in his first year with the Rams. It's more of a mixed bag this season. The stats show a pretty solid performance from Bell against Detroit last week. According to Pro Football Focus, Bell had a 2.4 rating in run blocking, that number is close to the highest end of their grading system and tied with Jason Smith for best on the team. In the running lane breakdown at PFF, Jackson ran 5 times over the LG for a total of 43 yards and an average of 8.6 YPC. Bell made a nice block (as did others) to spring Jackson for 26 yards late in the second quarter to set up the fake FG touchdown. It didn't help perceptions of Bell that Setterstrom came in for the fourth quarter and performed well.

Last but not least, you've got Jason Smith, the second highest paid OT in the NFL right now. Smith has performed really well so far this season, for a rookie, but it's clear he's going to be a franchise cornerstone. (as and aside, do you agree with Bernie Miklasz's contention that the coaches did Smith a disservice by not starting him in camp?)

Together, those three represent $66 million in guaranteed money, a nice chuck of change. Those are the building blocks for the Rams, and any success next season is predicated on having the OL in place and working like a well-oiled machine.

WR Dez Bryant to enter 2010 NFL draft

2009-11-06T17:22:32Z

WR Dez Bryant to enter 2010 NFL draft

No surprise here, but the former Oklahoma State WR has officially announced his intention to be among the top WR prospects available in this year's draft. The NCAA suspended him for the rest of this season, thanks to an ill-advised meeting with Deon Sanders. 3k's latest mock draft had the Rams drafting Bryant.

Grading Spagnuolo at the halfway point

2009-11-06T13:08:16Z

We're officially at the halfway point of the season for the St. Louis Rams, and that means evaluation. Let's take the pulse of fan nation this morning...with an approval poll.

Head coach Steve Spagnuolo got his first win last week against Detroit, in case you hadn't heard. It's been a tough season for the rookie head coach. He did inherit a roster with major talent needs and a small budget for free agency and just one draft to try and address some of those needs.

So let's grade the coach. Before you make your mark, consider things like the talent, using the players he has, his assistants, the character of the team and their response, and all of those other intangibles that go into the making of a head coach.

Poll

What grade would give Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo at the halfway point of the season?

What we have here is a strong leader as a head coach. Him and our GM (Billy Devaney) have a vision...

2009-11-05T17:46:19Z

What we have here is a strong leader as a head coach. Him and our GM (Billy Devaney) have a vision and there's no grey areas. They tell you this is where we're headed. Even if you dislike it, it's no question that he knows what he's doing. That makes the road easier.

Steven Jackson on the Rams situation. This is a good read over at NFL.com.

Random Ramsdom: Nov 5th, 2009

2009-11-05T17:28:34Z

While enjoying the Rams one and only victory, take a look at these stories:

Feeling down on Marc Bulger because of the bogus slide he had? Is that his Jim Everett moment? Jim Thomas weighs in. (This is the article VanRam has on his piece of sticking with Bulger)
Speaking of Bulger, here is a tidbit from CBSSports:

Through eight games, Rams QB Marc Bulger is on pace for the lowest QB rating (68.2) and passing totals of his career. Last year, in an injury shortened seven-game season, Bulger threw for 1,826 yards and 14 TDs. He has 956 yards and 3 TDs this season.

Jeff Gordon asks, "Are we really making progress?" It's tough to say when that 1-7 record is glaring at you, but I'd say yes.
Nick Wagoner thinks the Rams are staying on course. The rock through it all? Spagnuolo.
Kevinramsfan reported yesterday that the line against BYE was even. It's now at +2.5 Rams. No faith?

Enjoy your Thursday everyone.

Spagnuolo sticking with Bugler

2009-11-05T15:03:46Z

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

What's next for #10?

Browse more photos »

St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo offered some pretty strong words of praise for starting QB Marc Bulger yesterday. The coaches comments should put to rest speculation that the Rams will remove Bulger as starter, at least in the near term, to the chagrin of plenty of Rams fans. Here's what Spags had to say about his QB:

I think Marc has done exactly what we've needed. He's been a leader, manages the game, gets the ball to 39 [Steven Jackson]. There's pieces that he's working through, too. There's been a lot of guys we've thrown in there as wideouts because of injury and what-not. I think he's been a pro about everything.

Bulger's getting some cushion thanks to the Rams atrocious situation at wide receiver, understandlably so. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is a young group of WRs, with the second year guys being among the most experienced. And in case you forgot, it's a new offensive system.

I'll bite. Sure, those are definitely factors in Marc Bulger's third disappointing season, but anyone who watched the Detroit game saw a QB who looks well past his prime. The slide's a distraction. The Jim Everett comparison that matters most isn't the slide to Everett's famous sack dodge in '89, it's the one pointed out by Football Outsiders this week, comparing numbers of two players at the end of their careers. The fact that Bulger failed to get much done against Detroit's inferior pass defense is a scathing indictment on his ability going forward.

So what's next for Bulger? Mike Sando sees Bulger reviving his career with a change of scenery next season, but that may be too generous. Yes, he doesn't have the receiving options he needs, but he does have solid pass protection and enough time in the pocket to find open receivers. On top of that, passes batted down at the line underscore Bulger's fading ability. I think a more realistic scenario is Bulger finding a backup role somewhere.

And what about the rest of the Rams 2009 season? I think it's a safe assumption that as of now, the Rams plan to stick with Bulger. I think a better way of making this decision would be to ask, as 3k suggested on TSR last night, which QB is the best option for developing the young guys on this team? I don't think that's Bulger, but to be honest, I'm not sure who else that would be.

Turf Show Radio, 11/4: A very special episode

2009-11-05T03:41:41Z

I think I can safely say that tonight was the mother of all Turf Show Radio episodes. 3k and myself thoroughly parsed the St. Louis Rams 2009 season, and when we were through with that, it was time to talk...you know it, you love it, you can't live without it, the draft. We covered everything from questions about Marc Bulger's future, immediate and long term, Steven Jackson, Chris Long to the ideal 1st, 2nd, 3rd rounds for the Rams...covered it like a cornerback on Tim Carter.

An hour and half of action packed, non-stop Rams talk. That's a lot of hubris, but it's really that good...or informative at least. (There was one site flaw in that we didn't run live streaming thanks to the Podcast service, or AT&T DSL and for that we apologize).

Turf Show Radio, tonight, 7 p.m. Central

2009-11-04T22:41:47Z

Turf Show Radio, tonight, 7 p.m. Central

We're talking Rams at the halfway point tonight. A look back at the first 8 weeks, a look forward at the next 8 weeks, and we'll parse 3k's mock draft too.

Action packed! If you can't call in, be sure to post comments and questions in this thread.

St. Louis Rams K Josh Brown named NFC Special Teams player of the week

2009-11-04T18:27:35Z

St. Louis Rams K Josh Brown named NFC Special Teams player of the week

A TD pass and a FG earn Brown the award.

All stats point to greatness for Steven Jackson

2009-11-04T17:57:59Z

The St. Louis Rams are 1-7. They still have the best running back in the league. We don't need stats to tell us how great Steven Jackson is, but it's always nice to see dominance quantified.

Football Outsiders reserved a special section of their weekly DVOA report this week to dig inside Jackson's performance this season. Through 8 games, the Rams have faced 6 of the league's top ten run defenses. He's been one of the top performers against each of those teams. Anyway, give it a look, it's pretty impressive. Kinda makes you wonder how the Rams season would be going if they had a QB and someone to catch passes...

Speaking of DVOA, Jackson's performance pushed the Rams rushing offense's DVOA closer toward neutral. They now have a -3.4% DVOA on the ground, 19th in the NFL. Through the air, their DVOA is -20.4%, 29th in the league.

3k's 2010 Mock Draft, v2.0 (Nov. 4th)

2009-11-04T17:27:08Z

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

This is often all you see of Ndamukong Suh - his arms and legs wrapped around the QB as the fumble he just caused goes bouncing away. Will he be the #1 overall pick? Will he be the Rams next 1st round D-lineman? Will he both?!

Browse more photos »

I dropped a quick mock draft after the 2009 draft, but quite a bit has changed. After the fold, I've got my second mock draft. Join me, shall you not?

I went ahead and projected the rest of each team's schedule and then calculated each team's strength of schedule to have a hypothetically accurate draft order. And bear in mind, too many things happen leading up to the draft, so I know most of these will be way off, so calm down. Very few people saw Tyson Jackson going 3rd to the Chiefs or HeyBey going ahead of Crabtree. Let's do this.

Round 1

1.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-15) - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

This is becoming a consensus pick for Tampa, though I've seen few mocks with them picking first. I could see them going after Russell Okung (OT, Oklahoma St.) or Eric Berry (S, Tennessee) here, but I would think with D-line being such a huge need and having Suh and Carlos Dunlap (DE, Florida) available, one of those would be the top pick if Tampa leads off the draft.

2.) Kansas City Chiefs (3-13) - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma St.

The Chiefs get a young anchor for their line and can move Branden Albert back to his natural position. I wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to move Larry Johnson (or just cut him outright), so C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson) would make sense if they're a bit lower down in the draft order.

3.) Cleveland Browns (3-13) - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

So three picks in and no QBs. But the talent of these three is tough to ignore, especially here for Cleveland. Berry is a vulture at the back of the Vols defense, and he could do the Browns a world of good at the back of theirs. The Browns have a lot of rebuilding to do with Jamal Lewis at the end of his career the Quinn/Anderson saga in full flux, and their GM being fired - Berry is the kind of player you can lean your defense on as you fill in the gaps.

4.) Tennesee Titans (3-13) - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

Kerry Collins is finished, and Vince Young has been handed the reins to see if he can reignite his career. I have my doubts. Nevertheless, at #4, the Titans have a chance to grab the QB of their choice and build an offense that starts with Sam Bradford and ends with Chris Johnson. Not bad at all.

5.) Oakland Raiders (3-13) - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

*insert Al Davis joke here* Look, we all know Al is pretty damn wacko and he loves the workout warriors. Well, Dunlap is set to drop one hell of a combine. Richard Seymour will likely hit the free agent market; Dunlap gives them a freak athlete on the D-line.

6.) Detroit Lions (3-13) - Brandon Spikes, MLB, Florida

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lions take Spikes here even if Larry Foote does come back. Spikes is a terror of a MLB, even when he's not gouging out opposing RBs' eyes. Similar to the Stafford pick in this year's draft, Spikes gives them a centerpiece to build around.

7.) Seattle Seahawks (4-12) - Jake Locker, QB, Washington

The Seahawks need to revitalize their offense starting with QB. Locker will be riding a hometown media wave into Seattle giving the franchise a much needed jolt. John Morgan at Field Gulls wrote a great scouting report on Locker that was heavily against drafting Locker in the first; however, with Hasselbeck under contract through 2010, the Seahawks could be justified in drafting Locker and letting Hasselbeck mentor him for a year. It may not be the prettiest conversion, but it could be the most beneficial.

8.) Washington Redskins (4-12) - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

In drafting Clausen, the Skins get an accurate, intelligent, game manager. He'll need a younger weapon then Santana Moss, Antwan Randle-El or Chris Cooley soon, but this gives whoever the next head coach is (assuming Zorn is booted this offseason) his signal caller of the future.

9.) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) - Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss

I talked it over with Jags fans thinking DE and QB were their biggest holes, and I came away thinking the same. The Jags get a force at DE that BPAniks could even justify, especially if Hardy has a good combine. Still, I wouldn't be surprised to see a QB here, except for Tebow. I just don't see any franchise sacrificing their rationality for their emotionality.

10.) St. Louis Rams (5-11) - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St.

This is the lowest you'll find the Rams on any mock anywhere. And sure, you could chalk it up to homerism, but if the Rams go 4-4 in their last 8 games, I'll be sure to remind you. Besides, it's a mock draft; I'm trying to predict schedules, free agency moves, roster cuts, combine and pro day performance along with franchise cultures (i.e. the Raiders & Redskins). Cut me some slack.

In any case, I've got the Rams taking the best WR prospect in the draft who brings not just size, speed and hands, but return experience. You could certainly make the case for a QB here or Gerald McCoy (DT, Oklahoma), but if the Rams are sitting at 10 and Dez falls this far, I'd be surprised if he isn't their pick.

11.) Buffalo Bills (6-10) - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

With "The Real" McCoy (apologies), Buffalo continues rebuilding their trenches after using three of their four day 1 picks in the 2009 draft on linemen. In McCoy, they get a serious interior pass rusher to play alongside Marcus Stroud. Buffalo could go a number of different ways here, but given how line focused their last draft was, they could continue to go that route again, and form a very impressive foundation for the future.

12.) San Francisco 49ers via Carolina Panthers (6-10) - Taylor Mays, S, USC

This one just makes too much sense. The Niners get the wrecking ball at the back of the Trojans' defense who adds even more punch to the Mike Singletary Project. If the Niners do make this a reality, they would be amassing a very violent defense.

13.) 49ers (7-9) - Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

On the other side of the ball, it's pretty apparent that Singletary has never been comfortable with Alex Smith, Shaun Hill or ex-Niner J.T. O'Sullivan. Taking a QB with one of their two 1st rounders would give him "his guy" moving forward with an offense that includes the RB tandem of Gore and Coffee (or as I like to call them CoffeeGore - it sounds like a B horror movie about a Starbucks) and the suddenly fantastic fantasy TE Vernon Davis.

14.) Green Bay Packers (8-8) - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

Ryan Grant is a bit of an enigma, and adding the electric Spiller makes them less one-dimensional. They could certainly use him on special teams as well. I don't think he'd hold up well if he has to carry a team alone early in his career, but similar to Dallas' Felix Jones, he could be a wonderful change of pace for almost any team.

15.) New York Jets (8-8) - Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU

It's a win-win with this pick whether or not the Jets re-sign Braylon Edwards. The Jets could use another WR to help Sanchez along, and LaFell is the best blocking WR I've seen in a long, long time. He's got great body control, but he has to improve on his hands to be a more reliable possession target at the NFL level. As a Rams fan, I'd love to see us get his teammate, Terrance Toliver, later on in the draft if he declares, but we'll end up with too high of a pick to nab LaFell.

16.) Miami Dolphins (8-8) - Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama

Miami has shown a knack for the specialist: in last year's 2nd round, it was future wildcat anchor Pat White, and in the '07 draft it was (as ESPN finally decided to notice) kick returner supreme Ted Ginn, Jr. In Mount Cody, they get another specialist: a elephantine nose tackle for their 3-4. I say specialist, because he lacks stamina (ESPN insider only). He's lost about 50 pounds...to slim down to about 375. The ESPN label for him is going to be "one-dimensional", but I don't think that will stop the Dolphins. He can be a huge asset (pun intended).

17.) San Diego Chargers (9-7) - Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse

I'm making this based on what I think the effect will be from Williams' combine & pro day. I say that for two reasons. First, if it was on talent and collegiate production, I'd grade him as a mid-1st rounder. But he's had so many off field problems, and this last one persuaded him to abruptly end his college football career. That second reason would drop him down, but I think his pre-draft work will remind people that he can be a force on the football field - think Brandon Marshall 2.0. While Vincent Jackson may re-sign with the Chargers, they could use another weapon to help Philip Rivers guide these team back to the post-season.

18.) Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) - Jahvid Best, RB, Cal

Cincinnati is making the most out of Cedric Benson right now; adding Best gives them a great duo that can offer power and speed, brute force and lithe athleticism. Cincy has shown this year that they have a very well balanced team with very few holes; more than most teams, they can afford to commit to the draft with a BPA mindset. That being the case, I don't really expect Best to be the pick. Either someone more talented will slip through the cracks (as in Spiller or Mays who they could team up with former sledgehammer Rey Maualuga) or they'll grade someone higher than Best as in OLBs Rolando McClain (Alabama) or Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri), Joe Haden (CB, Florida) or Sergio Kindle (DE, Texas).

19.) Denver Broncos via Chicago Bears (9-7) - George Selvie, DE, South Florida

Denver produced a gem out of Elvis Dumervil, a former 4th round pick out of Louisville who they transitioned to OLB in their 3-4. In Selvie, they have a tough decision to make. He'll list a couple inches taller and a couple pounds lighter. They could always package him on the same side as Dumervil to toggle the weights on that side, but who knows. That's a depth chart decision for Josh McDaniels to make.

20.) Dallas Cowboys (10-6) - Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama

Dallas has shown a penchant for signing aging LBs recently in Zach Thomas and Keith Brooking. In McClain, they get a steal in BPA terms. McClain is a technical LB with a shell of desire and tenacity wrapped in a 255 lb. frame. The exact kind of LB the Cowboys need in a younger body.

21.) Houston Texans (10-6) - Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Haden is the best corner coming out this year. In fact, I would put him alone in the top tier of CB prospects. It's just not a good class for CBs this year. That bodes well for Houston who could certainly use his services. Their best CB, Dunta Robinson, is set to be a free agent this offseason. Like other teams above, they'd be better off with this pick whether or not they bring their key FA back.

22.) New England Patriots (10-6) - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

Ben Watson never really developed into a top-tier TE, though he is a nice option. Gresham would provide Brady & the Pats more than just a nice option; he's 3 inches taller than Watson and more athletic, IMO. In fact, he's got tons of raw talent, but his game needs quite a bit of polishing. The Pats have the right kind of staff that can turn Gresham from a prospect into a superstar very quickly.

23.) New York Giants (11-5) - Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse

The Giants are struggling to impose the kind of defensive will they did when Spagnuolo was the DC. With both Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield playing in contract years, the Giants could use a powerful DT like Arthur Jones to open things up for Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.

24.) Arizona Cardinals (12-4) - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

The Cardinals drafted a solid RT in Levi Brown in 2007; they can get their other tackle in Williams and solidify their O-line for the good of their running duo - Hightower and Wells. Now about that QB issue...

25.) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) - Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa

The Curtain has gotten mixed results from RT Willie Colon. He's got solid upside, but between the penalties and the mental mistakes, I think the Steelers could let him walk since his contract ends after this season. Bulaga is a meaty tackle who can withstand the late season weather in Pittsburgh.

26.) Minnesota Vikings (12-4) - Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

Back-to-back Big 10 picks give the Norsemen a force behind their ridiculous D-line. Weatherspoon is the Tigers' leader on defense, and he could carry that to the NFL under the tutelage of OLBs Chad Greenway and Ben Leber, who are both playing under contracts that expire after what would be Weatherspoon's rookie season.

27.) Atlanta Falcons (12-4) - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

While I'm skeptical of JP-P having just arrived to FBS football from the Juco ranks, he has taken some of the focus away from Selvie. He measures well and he's definitely played his way into contention for the draft. I wonder if he'll declare for the draft or wait a year for the DE prospect pool to thin out, because it's going to be overflowing with talent in this draft.

28.) Indianapolis Colts (13-3) - Navorro Bowman, OLB, Penn St.

Bowman injects some technique to the Colts' power defense. His biggest flaw is his pass rushing skills, but with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, the Colts can absorb that flaw easily.

29.) Seahawks via Broncos (13-3) - Damian Williams, WR, USC

DWill is a solid athletic WR prospect who would give rookie Jake Locker a more athletic option than TJ Housh. He needs to add some bulk to his frame, but he should have time. He is the most polished route-runner in the draft, so it would add some certainty in that aspect tot the passing game.

30.) New Orleans Saints (14-2) - Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas

The Saints could bolster their defense, which has been impressive this season, by adding Kindle. He's a high energy, high impact LB/DE prospect who could be the eventual successor to Scott Fujita.

31.) Baltimore Ravens (12-4) - Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

My pick for AFC champions right now, the Ravens can't make the most out of Joe Flacco due to their WR corps. Derrick Mason came out of "retirement" to return to the Ravens, but they can't rely on that moving forward. Benn is of solid build and has electric talent, but he is very unpolished. Flacco and he could be a serious tandem for the Ravens for years to come if Coach Harbaugh can develop Benn into a more technical weapon.

32.) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) - Everson Griffen, DE, USC

Griffen is a powerful end with above average speed who is still improving. After the Eagles win the Super Bowl, they'll look to fill their last D-line hole with EG. The Eagles line is young and talented - a mixture that Griffen would fit in perfectly with.

So there it is, v 2.0. I'll add a second round next time; right now, things are bound to change so signnificantly that I don't know if it warrants the effort to even put a second round together.

Some names that didn't make the 1st round: Tim Tebow, Jevan Snead, Jonathan Dwyer, Ciron Black, Jerry Hughes, Trevard Lindley and Earl Thomas.

Holler at me.

Poll

If the Rams end up with the #1 overall pick, who should they pick?

Random Ramsdom, 11/4

2009-11-04T13:30:30Z

This might be the best bye week ever. We get to enjoy the first of many Rams wins in the Spagnuolo era for two weeks. And last I checked, the Rams won't be losing this week, either. On a personal note, I'm glad they picked Sunday to win. The night before, my football spirits were in the dumps as I was on Rocky Top witnessing my school on the wrong end of a good ole' fashion beat down in the steady rain and cold. God those uniforms were hideous. On to the links...

Broken by ram_rod yesterday, the Rams did some roster shuffling, cutting Tim Carter. Carter had to go and we're thin at corner. He's gotten some important targets in the red zone this year and did nothing with them.
James Laurinaitis gets some love in the Jeremy Green's Rookie Watch.
Steven Jackson will not tolerate your insolence! (Or in this case, the Lion's)
An injury report from the AP regarding Danny Amendola and Jacob Bell. Let's hope these two get back soon. Amendola has been a find this year and I really admire the passion he plays with.
Sean over at SBN's own Pride of Detroit has a drive-by-drive breakdown of the Rams' first win.
Interesting, if not exhausting, debate about the QB situation at the PD. VanRam wrote about Bulger yesterday and I agree he's just not the solution anymore, although its hard to argue with the decision to bring him back.
I'd much rather hear Steve Korte talk about Steven Jackson's will to win that overcomes everything. Including 17-game losing streaks. I've said it here before, we must build around him. His performance Sunday was borderline inspirational, and the Rams can be great (yes, I said great) if we make him the centerpiece of the team like we did against the Lions.
The line is even for Rams against Bye this week. Should be a push, they're pretty evenly matched.

In all seriousness, enjoy your Wednesday. And as always, GO RAMS.

Sent SJAX An "Honorable Tweet" + Shower Loofa

2009-11-03T23:52:04Z

Anyone here use Twitter? I was looking around SJAX web site and came across his honorable tweet page and low and behold I made the list!

http://www.sj39.com/news/tweet-response-sj39-vs-lions/2009/11/03 (second one Honorable Tweet section PeterDunbar)

Steven really is a BEAST. Anyone who feels different needs to go play with a Barbie Doll, and give up football entirely.

He had one run that many older Rams fans would say looked strikingly similar to Roger Craig's run against US where our players got posterized for decades... and it appeared in highlight reels in just about every NFL "greatest" type videos as well.

Legs moving, grinding, dragging people, shoving players to the ground... Steven looked like me heading to the buffet at Ponderosa...

But seriously, it was breathtaking... and I hope those runs get appreciated by everyone in the league at the talent we have in the backfield.

NOW on another note, Steven snapped a picture of his Locker just before the season started and I, along with others, gave him crap for having a pink shower loofa...

http://twitpic.com/c3lu8

NOW because Steven looked like a mad savage beast on Sunday (I can still hear the Detroit villagers screaming), I felt I now needed a shower loofa too... bottom line, if using a shower loofa can make you even half the man Steven was Sunday, I'm owning one:

My apologies to you Mr. Jackson for giving you crap about your shower loofa... although if you look at the bottom left corner, mine is officially called a "Deck Scrubber Shower Tool" whatever to hell that means... but it still sounds better than loofa...

BUT back to my point...

After Sunday, it's scary to think about what we could have going for us if we can get a few more pieces in place (WR, QB, D-Line).

BEAST (had to say it again)

He led all Rams tacklers with seven tackles this past week and had a pass deflection in their first...

2009-11-03T23:33:33Z

He led all Rams tacklers with seven tackles this past week and had a pass deflection in their first win this season over Detroit. Despite the Rams' struggles, he has been all over the field making plays with his exceptional motor and ability.

Jeremy Green from Scouts Inc. ranks Rams MLB James Laurinaitis #6 on his weekly rookie report.

The twilight of Marc Bugler's career

2009-11-03T21:01:52Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger has lost it.

Browse more photos »

Football Outsiders has their "Quick Read" feature up today, looking back on the individual performances from week 8. The numbers confirmed two things for the St. Louis Rams.

First, Marc Bulger was unable to make much happen against one of the league's worst pass defenses, even with time in the pocket. Few Rams watchers will forget memorable throws in the bottom of the strike zone against the Lions defensive line. Here's what FO said:

If you take Marc Bulger's combined performance from 2007, 2008, and the first half of 2009, and then place it on a 16-game scale, his numbers aren't pretty: 266-of-465 for 2855 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. They're a dead ringer for Jim Everett's 1996 season in New Orleans: 267-of-464, 2797 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Why is that relevant? Mainly because Everett would take 75 more snaps as a professional quarterback after that season. Bulger is just about done, and his inability to produce against an awful pass defense was just a sign that he's part of the problem in St. Louis, not the solution.

Looking back, I don't think the Rams had much choice in keeping Bulger. The cap hit for releasing him would have been huge and left the Rams with lots of dead money. And, there was ample reason to think that with a better OL and a healthy Steven Jackson that Bulger would have been acceptable for a rebuilding team. I think the team and lots of fans underestimated just how talent-depleted our group of WRs were. Had Laurent Robinson not been injured, that might have been a different story, giving Bulger a reliable option and keeping Avery in the deep threat role he's built for.

GM Billy Devaney and the coaching staff made the decision to focus their efforts on the offensive line, and I still think that was the right call, no matter how painful it is to watch Bulger play. I'm a big believer in the theory that teams build success from the lines up, and the Rams had big issues on the OL. Sure, Pace is having a decent season this year, but he couldn't be counted on for much beyond that given his age (look at Seattle's predicament with Walter Jones now). Getting an OL in place and a cornerstone lineman in Jason Smith sets the Rams up well for the 2010 season, when if they need to take a QB in the draft they can because they can put him behind an experienced line.

And on the hero of the game, Steven Jackson, here's what FO said about him:

Jackson had 17 carries on first down, and nine of them were successes, including three first downs and a 25-yard touchdown run that gave the Rams a lead they would not relinquish. He also converted a pair of third-and-1 attempts.

The Rams had 21 first downs through the whole game and ran Jackson on 17 of them. If the Rams are going to win anymore games this season, they'll have to have a liberal dose of Steven Jackson.

Rams sign CB Gorrer, release WR Tim Carter

2009-11-03T20:57:07Z

Rams sign CB Gorrer, release WR Tim Carter

As reported by Yahoo! Sports, the Rams signed CB Danny Gorrer who was originally with the Saints on their practice squad. He was a two year starter at Texas A&M. To make space, the team released WR Tim Carter.