Rams Struggle Against Vikings

by Nick Wagoner

- The Rams fell to Minnesota 28-7 on Saturday night in a game that featured a few big plays, most for Minnesota and a whole lot of penalties.

- On the injury front, the Rams made it through the game relatively clean though cornerbacks Jerome Murphy (left ankle) and Kevin Dockery (hip) were forced from the game with ailments. Neither injury appeared serious.

- LB Dominic Douglas suffered a shoulder injury and Craig Dahl "bumped" his knee according to Spagnuolo.

- The extent of those injuries won’t be known until tomorrow but they did leave the Rams woefully thin at corner where rookies Marquis Johnson and Antoine Thompson got most of the rest of the work.

- With Murphy and Dockery hurt, the Rams were missing that duo as well as Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Justin King at the corner position alone not to mention safety James Butler.

- On the offensive line, the Rams were missing just guard Jacob Bell (hamstring) from the lineup and shuffled accordingly. They started the night with Rodger Saffold at left tackle, Adam Goldberg at left guard, Hank Fraley at center, Jason Brown at right guard and Jason Smith at right tackle. That group stayed in for the bulk of the first half with the only change moving Brown to center and Fraley to guard when rookie QB Sam Bradford stepped in.

- Speaking of Bradford, he got off to a nice start on his first possession. After misfiring on his first attempt, Bradford settled in and hit Laurent Robinson for a gain of 18. He got the Rams the furthest in the first half, moving them to Minnesota’s 36 before that drive failed.

- In addition, Bradford was able to silence any naysayers who believed he wouldn’t be able to handle getting hit. Bradford took a few shots in his time, including three sacks and bounced right back up from each of them.

- All told, Bradford took 22 snaps and got his first taste of NFL action. Like any rookie, there’s plenty of work left to do.

- The Rams got a little early dynamite from one of training camp’s most impressive players as Danny Amendola continued to make an impact. He returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown and showed burst that he might not have showed before, outracing the majority of the Vikings coverage unit for the score.

- Linebacker Larry Grant provided a bright spot in the first half as he was seemingly all over the field on both defense and special teams. He finished with four tackles and two pass breakups.

- Another impressive defensive youngster was end George Selvie, who just continues to find ways to make plays when the lights shine brightest. He had a sack and created pressure on multiple occasions throughout the night to follow his big scrimmage at Lindenwood University when he had two sacks.

- Additionally on the injury front, receiver Brandon McRae missed most of the game because of what Spagnuolo called a "significant" ankle injury.

- Chris Massey (special teams), Steven Jackson (offense) and James Hall (defense) were the pre-game captains for the Rams.

- As expected, Jackson was held out of the game as the Rams attempt to protect him from unnecessary wear and tear before the regular season.

- The Vikings did the same with RB Adrian Peterson, who also did not play.

- Rookie RB Keith Toston showed some burst on a nice kickoff return and again as he got some carries in the game’s waning moments before an injury ended his evening about three minutes early. He had the wind knocked out of him but should be OK.

- Thaddeus Lewis did a nice job on his first possession, advancing the Rams the furthest they were able to move all night as he got the Rams into the red zone for the first time.

- The Rams are back to practice on Monday and visit Cleveland next Saturday night.

Bradford creates a buzz for St. Louis Rams

Bryan Burwell bburwell@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8185 | Posted: Sunday, August 1, 2010 12:05 am

It was just a little before noon, and already the Rams' marketing department worker bees were busy scrambling about in a focused fury, transforming one corner of the parking lot in front of Rams Park into a makeshift, interactive football carnival.

Over there, they were scurrying about stocking the shelves of the merchandising trailer with new Sam Bradford jerseys. And over there, they were pounding a life-sized color cutout of their new rookie quarterback into the soft green grass just in front of the entrance gate.

And what was that over there?

Why step right up and get your digital photo taken in an authentic Bradford game jersey and regulation Rams helmet.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think going to Rams Park on Saturday afternoon was a pretty big deal or something. More than three hours before the franchise unveiled its nouveau riche No.1 draft pick in his first official practice of training camp, Rams fans were already lining up just outside the facility gates, eager to be among the first to get an up-close-and-personal glimpse of the kid with the newly minted $78 million contract and the outsized professional expectations. Eventually, nearly 1,300 spectators would walk through the Rams Park gates, buzzing with an excitement that isn't often felt around a team coming off a 1-15 season.

They would come in their Bradford Rams jerseys and their Bradford Oklahoma jerseys. They would come clutching photographs and mini footballs and helmets and small scraps of paper and just about anything else with a flat surface for young Mr. Bradford to autograph.

But all of that was three hours away, and right now the only thing that was of the utmost concern to Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff was those dark and ominous storm clouds that were gathering over Earth City, threatening to ruin the show.

"I told (coach Steve Spagnuolo) this morning, 'I don't care if it's a torrential downpour and lightning bolts are striking the goal posts. We're practicing outside today, OK?'" Demoff joked.

OK, now based on the consistently wretched recent history of this ill-fated franchise, this is where we would honestly expect storm clouds to gather, a twister to come rolling over the horizon and lifting Rams Park into the air like a scene out of "The Wizard of Oz," then have it come crashing down right on top of our young QB phenom, crushing him like he was the wicked witch, and Demoff would be left to curse his fate and mutter, "Ohhh, what a world!"

But if you are looking for signs that the fortunes of the woebegone Rams might actually be turning, maybe this was it. A gentle wind blew the clouds off to the north, and the largest crowd in recent years to watch a Rams practice poured into the facility and got to see exactly what they were looking for. All Sam, all the time.

Really, the best sign that things were changing around here was the simple fact that Demoff delivered Bradford to camp with a complicated six-year deal that makes Bradford's contract the richest rookie deal in NFL history, and he did it without a protracted holdout. When the full squad of rookies and veterans walked onto the field shortly before 3 p.m., Bradford was with them.

That nothing bad or crazy or weird or goofy or tragic or just plain stupid cropped up at the 11th hour to keep Bradford from reporting on time might not seem like a miracle to anyone who doesn't follow the Rams closely. But to long-suffering Rams loyalists who have spent an eternity hoping for the best but always, always expecting the worst, this was a refreshing change of pace.

And that explains why one particularly excited and grateful fan approached Demoff in the parking lot, and upon discovering that he was the Rams executive who was responsible for Bradford being signed, sealed and delivered, the fan actually bent down on one knee, clutched the VP's hand and shouted "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" much to the obvious embarrassment of Demoff.

Eventually, all the clever marketing and skillful negotiations in the world won't matter nearly as much as a team delivering victories on football Sundays. But for the time being, doing things the right way, the smart way and the sensible way off the field can't hurt. History shows that far too often in the past, good things happened to the Rams in spite of their efforts, not because of them.

When things like this happen, when you see the franchise find a way to not only get the Bradford deal done on time, but also without any unnecessary trepidation about the blow back of giving the kid the sort of money that the current market bears for a quarterback drafted No.1 overall, it makes me think that I can lose that reflex action that expects something bad to always happen to the Rams.

And it helps that there are some legitimately hopeful signs on the field, too. Bradford just might be as good as advertised.

"How 'bout that bleepin' kid?" eight-year veteran offensive tackle Adam Goldberg said as he watched Bradford walk off the field after practice. "I mean, how 'bout him, huh? He's so cool and calm for a rookie. Doesn't act like anything gets to him. I couldn't believe how even-keeled he was out there. Walked into the huddle like he'd been there all his life. Now we'll have to see how that all works when another team's blitz package is thrown at him. But man, today he walked right into the huddle and took control. (Veteran center Hank) Fraley and I looked at each other and both of us said, 'Hmmmmm.' We noticed right away how the kid had immediate command as soon as he came into the huddle."

One day down, a career to go.

The clock in ticking on Bradford, Rams

by Matt Bowen
July 11, 02010
Is anyone else preparing to see the Rams head into training camp without rookie QB Sam Bradford? The possibility is real—as it is with any first round pick in this league. But unlike last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Matthew Stafford of the Lions (who was signed before the draft even began in 2009), St. Louis will have to get their top pick under contract in less than three weeks.

Time for concern today? Not quite yet, as Bradford and his agent Tom Condon have some time before the Rams report and begin their actual preparation for the 2010 season. However, let’s talk about what Bradford will miss if he isn’t under contract when Steve Spagnuolo’s club starts practicing.

Bradford can't afford to miss time during training camp as a rookie.
 
Forget about Bradford starting for St. Louis in the first week of the regular season for a moment. Yes, that could still be a possibility for this team, but take a step back and look at what Bradford needs from the training camp experience. Too often we tend to overlook the impact of camp in general for rookies, and with QBs that is magnified to a point where time spent at home waiting for a contract to be delivered is devastating to their development.

Position players can miss some time. I saw it myself during my own career where a first round pick missed out on a week—or even two weeks—to open up camp only to be thrown directly into the fire on the first day they put on a helmet. Their “football education” happens right there on the field. The coaching staff speeds up the learning curve that way—and corrections are made in between snaps in the middle of August. Not the best way to introduce a rookie to the NFL, but it can be done.

But, you can’t do that with a QB if you expect him to contribute early in the regular season. They need to be there everyday on the field and in the meeting room.

Forget about OTAs and minicamps. Those are lowly dress rehearsals compared to the atmosphere of an NFL training camp. And, the time invested in just one day is crucial when it comes to not only the QBs development but that of the offense as well.

And, rookie QBs need to make mistakes in camp. It is part of their “football education” at this level. Working everyday, and experiencing some adversity along the way eventually forces them to mature into pro players at the position.

However, that only happens when you are on the field—and you need a contract to do that.