Howard Balzer

For the second consecutive year, the Rams ended up being wheelers and dealers in the first round of the draft.

In 2012, the Rams first moved from the second overall pick to sixth in a trade with the Washington Redskins that netted them a second-round pick, plus first-round choices this year and in 2014.

They entered Thursday with picks at 16 and 22 in the first round and didn’t use either one. The fact they had the No. 22 choice from Washington emboldened them to trade up to eighth in the first round with Buffalo to select wide receiver Tavon Austin.

Doing that cost the Rams their second-round pick (46th overall) and seventh-round selection (222nd overall)... read more

Well, I held out long enough. You won’t see any Mock Draft 6.0 in this space. One is enough, but I profess to do it differently than many. After all, everyone loves to play general manager, so that’s the goal of this mock draft.

Rather than attempt to predict what a team will do, I prefer to say what each team should do. That does produce wild results, but then again, most mock drafts are far off anyway.

The one clear development is that I truly didn’t care much for what the choices were for the Rams when picks 16 and especially 22 arrived. It’s why I’m convinced the Rams will be doing everything in their power to trade down, perhaps with both selections in order to still get players they like while adding additional selections in later rounds... read more

The Rams now have $3.77 million of salary-cap space, which reflects the restructured contract for defensive end Chris Long and the one-year deal signed by guard Chris Williams.

The Williams contract, agreed to three weeks ago but submitted to the NFL Monday, is worth $1.376 million and includes a signing bonus of $451,154. (For those wondering, Rams executive Kevin Demoff likes to have bonuses be the same numbers frontward and backward.)

The Rams consider Williams mainly a guard, and he is expected to have the opportunity to compete with Shelley Smith and Rokevious Watkins for the starting job at left guard, although the Rams could add to their guard depth in the draft... read more

Finally. It has been assumed for some time the Rams would have to restructure at least one of their players with large cap numbers to clear room in order to potentially sign a veteran or two after the draft as well as their draft class.

So it was on Friday that defensive end Chris Long signed a new contract that converts $6 million of his guaranteed $13.25 million salary this year and makes it a roster bonus. Normally, a roster bonus fully counts against the cap in the year it is paid, but because the money is guaranteed it is prorated over the four years left on his contract.

The restructuring lowers Long’s cap charge by $4... read more

There were some raised eyebrows when Rams safety Darian Stewart was tendered as a restricted free agent at the beginning of the league year. The tender, $1.323 million, counted against the salary cap.

When Stewart signed on April 3, it was believed he had signed his tender. It turns out Stewart agreed to sign a deal for less money than the tender, apparently in exchange for guaranteed money in the form of a $300,000 signing bonus. His base salary is $700,000 and the deal includes $75,000 of incentives for interceptions, playing time and playoffs.

Stewart counts $1 million against the cap instead of $1... read more

Cortland Finnegan     15,000,000

 

Chris Long    13,250,000

 

Sam Bradford    12,595,000

 

James Laurinaitis   12,400,000

 

Scott Wells     6,500,000

 

   Kendall Langford       6,000,000

 

Jake Long     4,250,000

 

Jared Cook    4,000,000

 

Harvey Dahl    4,000,000

 

Robert Quinn    2,573,469

 

Jo-Lonn Dunbar    2,300,000

 

Michael Brockers    2,164,091

 

William Hayes    2,050,000

 

Rodger Saffold    1,460,000

 

Darian Stewart    1,323,000

 

Eugene Sims    1,226,988

 

Brian Quick    1,224,227

 

Janoris Jenkins    1,134,163

 

Lance Kendricks    1,152,555

 

Isaiah Pead      917,750

 

Jermelle Cudjo      730,000

 

Austin Pettis      724,569

 

Trumaine Johnson      696,794

 

Chris Givens      604,257

 

Josh Hull      583,889

 

Shelley Smith      575,000

 

Jake McQuaide      555,834

 

Joe Barksdale      555,000

 

Mike McNeill      555,000

 

Greg Zuerlein      512,205

 

Rokevious Watkins      452,825

 

Daryl Richardson      491,474

 

Brandon Washington      484,484

 

Matt Daniels      483,333

 

Johnny Hekker      483,333

 

Matt Conrath      482,000

 

Rodney McLeod      481,333

 

Sammy Brown      481,083

 

Terrance Ganaway      480,000

 

Austin Davis      480,000

 

Cory Harkey      480,000

 

Quinton Pointer      480,000

 

Jabara Williams      480,000

 

Ty Nsekhe      480,000

 

Tim Barnes      480,000

 

Mason Brodine      480,000

 

Chase Reynolds      405,000

 

Nick Johnson      405,000

 

Cameron Graham      405,000

 

Raymond Radway      405,000

                                                       

 

 

110,913,656

DEAD MONEY

 

Danario Alexander        8,889

 

Todd Anderson        2,000

 

Aaron Brown      51,675

 

Sammy Brown       4,667

 

Jeremy Caldwell       1,667

 

Cory Harkey       1,667

 

Michael Hay       1,334

 

T-Bob Hebert          334

 

Alex Hoffman-Ellis       2,000

 

Michael Hoomanawanui     53,878

 

Jamaar Jarrett       2,667

 

Noah Keller       2,667

 

Calvin Middleton         667

 

Quintin Mikell   6,000,000

 

Matthew Mulligan     100,000

 

Jerome Murphy     234,437

 

Deangelo Peterson        4,000

 

Quinton Pointer       1,667

 

Greg Salas    225,578

 

Nick Schweiger       1,667

 

Jason Smith  4,042,500

 

Scott Smith       2,667

       

10,746,628

There's no question in Jeff Fisher's mind the Rams have added an elite left tackle to their roster with the signing of Jake Long. He knows Long has to stay healthy for that to happen, but Long is out to prove his injuries are behind him and he can go back to being the dominant player he was during his first three seasons in Miami.

"It was definitely frustrating," Long said Thursday when asked about playing injured the last two seasons and missing six games. "The last couple years, I've had to battle through some injuries and it definitely wasn't ideal, but I think I battled through them well... read more

Tackle Jake Long has the opportunity to make a lot of money if he plays all the seasons on his four-year contract with the Rams. However, the team also has some safeguards in the contract in the event injuries continue and his performance suffers, as it did the last two seasons in Miami. Long missed a total of six games the last two seasons, including four in 2012.

As originally advertised, Long’s deal is worth $34 million in base terms over four years. However, while $20 million could end up being guaranteed, as of now only $12 million is fully guaranteed. In reality, this is a two-year, $16 million contract... read more

Former Rams center/guard Rob Turner earned the top figure in the NFL’s “Performance-Based Pay” program that compensates players for playing time based upon their salary levels. Turner received $248,067.

League-wide, approximately $110.72 million of Performance-Based Pay will be distributed to players for their performance during the 2012 season.

Players have been paid nearly $700 million cumulatively since the inception of the Performance-Based Pay program, which was implemented as part of the NFL’s 2002 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association... read more

When running back Steven Jackson signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons last week, there were those that questioned whether a team should pay that much money to a running back that will be 30 years old in July. Especially in Green Bay, a team that had interest in Jackson, but indicated the contract was too rich for them.

As usual, however, the devil is in the details of NFL contracts. As reported after he signed, Jackson received $4 million guaranteed in the deal. However, there are no guarantees beyond 2013. Jackson received a $3.5 million signing bonus, while $500,000 of his $1... read more

NFL owners, executives and coaches are in Phoenix for the league meetings, and while there Sunday night the Rams completed a contract with Miami free-agent tackle Jake Long.

Initial reports say the deal is worth either $36 million or “up to” 36 million. That can be significant. When contract numbers are reported after agreements are consummated, the information comes from agents who want the deals to sound as high as possible.

Some agents will include incentives/performance bonuses in the total value, thus inflating the number. For consistency, the best way to report contracts is to simply include base terms like signing bonuses, roster bonuses, reporting bonuses and base salaries... read more

As is often the case in the reporting of contracts, the deal wide receiver Danny Amendola signed with the New England Patriots is not what was originally advertised.

Widely circulated as a five-year contract worth $31 million, the total value is actually $28.5 million and $2.5 million of that are per-game roster bonuses of $31,250 that are included in each of the five years of the deal.

If Amendola is able to play all 16 games in a season, his total take from the roster bonuses would be $500,000. In the last two seasons with the Rams, Amendola played a total of 12 games; one in 2011 and 11 last season... read more

Talks were ongoing Thursday between the Rams and Miami free-agent tackle Jake Long. Rams vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff tweeted a picture of himself dining with Long’s agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra at a St. Louis restaurant.

Long underwent a lengthy physical Wednesday after experiencing injuries to both knees, his shoulder, triceps, biceps and back during his seasons with the Dolphins.

It is believed Miami was still making a push to keep Long.

Meanwhile, there were rumors when free agency started that Rams left tackle Rodger Saffold would ask for a trade if Long was signed... read more

Rams coach Jeff Fisher has always had his eyes on tight end Jared Cook.

It began in 2009 when Cook was draft-eligible after his playing career at South Carolina. Then in Tennessee, the Titans wanted Cook so badly, they traded a second-round pick in 2010 for New England’s third-round pick in 2009 so they could select Cook.

“It was his production,” Fisher said Thursday when asked what he liked about Cook four years ago. “His size and his speed, his ability to stretch the field, the hand-eye coordination. He’s got giant hands. He makes the tough catches... read more

The contract figures for Rams tight end Jared Cook are official, and this is one instance where the numbers communicated by the agent were totally accurate.

The total value of the five-year deal is $35.1 million with $19 million guaranteed. The contract includes a $5 million signing bonus plus a $3 million fully guaranteed roster bonus to be paid on the third day of the 2014 league year.

His base salaries are $3 million in 2013 and 2014, $7 million in 2015 and 2016 and $7.1 million in 2017. The salaries in 2013 and 2014 are fully guaranteed as is $5 million of his 2015 base.

The signing bonus is prorated at $1 million per year, making his cap charges $4 million in 2013, $7 million in 2014, $8 million in 2015 and 2016 and $8... read more

The numbers are in for the three-year contract signed by Rams defensive end Williams Hayes. The total value is $10.25 million and includes a $3.75 million signing bonus.

His base salaries are $800,000 in 2012 guaranteed; $2.595 million in 2014, $1.2 million of which is guaranteed, and $3.105 million in 2015. The total guaranteed is $5.75 million.

There are also $600,000 in possible incentives each year and a $250,000 escalator in 2014 and 2015.

The five-year contract signed by tight end Jared Cook with the Rams is worth $35.1 million with $19 million in guarantees. His cap charge for 2013 is $4 million, according to reports. The specific Breakdown is not yet available. Also haven't yet seen the breakdown for defensive end William Hayes' three-year contract.

Meanwhile, the two-year contract Rams defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo signed before the start of free agency is worth $1.805 million and includes a $350,000 signing bonus.

Cudjo was scheduled to become a restricted free agent, and to tender him would have cost the Rams $1... read more

Let the chaos ensue.

That was the essence of the official start of the 2013 NFL league year at 4 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday.

Within two hours, the Miami Dolphins struck quickly to upgrade their offense and defense, while the Indianapolis Colts reached agreement with five unrestricted free agents.

The biggest loser was the Baltimore Ravens, who within a 24-hour time period traded wide receiver Anquan Boldin to San Francisco and then lost linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe as free agents. Kruger signed with Cleveland, while Ellerbe surprisingly went to Miami. The Dolphins, as expected, signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace and later added linebacker Phillip Wheeler (Oakland)... read more

Call it the calm before the storm.

As the weekend came to a close, leaving reduced time before the beginning of the 2013 league year at 4 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, groundwork has been laid for possible deals with an expected onslaught Tuesday afternoon.

Perhaps the most notable news emerging Sunday was the speculation coming from Atlanta that tight end Tony Gonzalez is on the verge of returning to the Falcons rather than retiring.

Late in the season, and during the post-season, Gonzalez let it be known he was 95 percent sure the 2012 season was his last. However, the Falcons held out hope they could convince him to come back for another season... read more

Let the scrambling begin.

With free agency set to begin at 4 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday (March 12), an open negotiating period commenced at the stroke of midnight Friday.

Knowing that clandestine talks were usually held anyway in the past between teams and agents prior to the official start of the league year, the new guidelines were put into effect.

No contracts can be signed or agreed to and there can't be direct contact with players, but financial parameters can be set for those players that become unrestricted free agents Tuesday.

One player that won't be able to benefit from that is Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed because he doesn't have an agent... read more

To hear what Steven Jackson said on SiriusXM NFL Radio Thursday, it sounds like his career in St. Louis is probably over.

Jackson voided the final year of his contract with the Rams this week, officially making him an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday. Now, Jackson will seek a team that not only has a chance to win a championship, but one that wants him as the “bell cow.”

Said Jackson, “I’ve opted out of my position of being with the team and being comfortable because I want to continue to still be the bell cow. So that’s how I want teams to look at me... read more

In a move that is hardly surprising, running back Steven Jackson will elect to void the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent March 12.

Jackson was scheduled to be paid $7 million in 2013, but an agreement in September between Jackson and the team gave him the right to void the final year and be able to test the open market.

Despite the belief that Jackson is as good as gone, agent Eugene Parker acknowledged that the door isn’t closed to the possibility that Jackson could still end up re-signing with the team.

Coach Jeff Fisher said he remains confident and optimistic a way will be figured out for Jackson to return... read more

Last season, the Rams took a risk by selecting cornerback Janoris Jenkins in the second round of the draft. Jenkins produced in his rookie year, although he was benched in a game against San Francisco for missing curfew.

Now, the Rams have taken another leap of faith by claiming troubled wide receiver Titus Young on waivers from the Lions. No other teams claimed Young, who was waived Monday (Feb. 4) following a turbulent season in which he punched safety Louis Delmas during offseason workouts, purposely lined up in the wrong spot in a game against Green Bay when he tried to switch places with tight end Tony Scheffler because the play was designed to go to Scheffler... read more

The Rams and running back Steven Jackson made an adjustment in his contract Dec. 29 that moves the final year of signing bonus proration of $1.899 million from 2013 to the current league year. The 2013 league year begins March 12.

In the previous Sept. 8 renegotiation, the final year of his contract at $7 million would void if he was on the Rams roster five days after the Feb. 3 Super Bowl.

The most recent maneuver removes any roster requirement for the possible void and provides Jackson with sole control of the void. That allows the acceleration of the proration.

However, there is no actual savings against the 2013 cap because unused cap space from 2012 carries over to the following year... read more

The Rams have a chance to achieve something the franchise hasn’t done since 2003, the year before running back Steven Jackson was drafted: finish a season with a winning record.

Following a 28-13 victory over Tampa Bay, the team’s third straight road victory, the Rams learned they were eliminated from the playoffs because of Minnesota’s win over Houston.

However, as Jackson said, "We have a lot to play for, a winning season, undefeated in the division. It's something to build off of and go into the offseason feeling happy and strong and make it appealing to free agents as well... read more

The playoffs were a longshot anyway, and even though those hopes were virtually gone after a 36-22 loss to Minnesota Sunday, there is a lot to play for in the final two games of the season, beginning Sunday in Tampa Bay.

"We're going to play and play hard and finish up strong," coach Jeff Fisher said. "We're going to come back and practice and get ready to win the next ball game. So, that's our approach. We've got a good thing going in that locker room and we're going to continue with it."

The same theme was endorsed by quarterback Sam Bradford, who said the team will abide by "the same approach that we've had all year... read more

Forgive Rams running back Steven Jackson if there are a swirl of emotions during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

A win over Minnesota would keep alive the team's chances of making the playoffs, and would put them one victory away from having the first winning record in Jackson's nine seasons with the Rams.

There is also the challenge of competing against the league's leading rusher, Adrian Peterson, who has 1,101 yards in his last seven games and has a goal of topping the NFL's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards held by Rams Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.

And, there is the added element of it possibly being his last home game in a Rams uniform... read more

Only twice this season have the Rams allowed a running back to gain at least 100 yards in a game: Seattle's Marshawn Lynch (20-118) and New England's Stevan Ridley (15-127). In the last three games, their opponent's leading running back hasn't reached 60 yards and in those games, Beanie Wells, Frank Gore and C.J. Spiller have combined to rush for just 143 yards on 47 carries (3.0 yards per attempt).

Taking that one step further, in the last three games, all of the opponent's running backs have totaled 175 yards on 64 carries (2.7 average).

Six times this season, the Rams have allowed less than 100 yards on the ground, and in four of the games where they allowed more, the opposing quarterback enabled it to happen... read more

While most everyone wants to hear Rams coach Jeff Fisher and his players talk about the playoffs, mum's the word when it comes to any such discussion.

The Rams' 15-12 victory over Buffalo Sunday evened their record at 6-6-1, while providing a third straight win for the first time since the 2006 season and it was also the team's second consecutive win on the road.

It's understood that any hope of qualifying for the post-season is dependent on the Rams finishing with three straight wins, and that will be a significant challenge first with a home game this week against the Minnesota Vikings and two road games to follow at Tampa Bay and Seattle... read more

When the Rams played the 49ers to a 24-24 tie on Nov. 11, rookie wide receiver Chris Givens was on the sideline watching because of a curfew violation two nights before the game that landed him on the inactive list.

This week, the 49ers come to St. Louis and Givens will be on the field showing his array of skills. Now, more than a one-trick pony, Givens can account for yards deep, and his deep-play ability is forcing defenses to play him differently.

Sunday against Arizona, Givens had his first 100-yard game, while catching five passes for 115 yards. Targeted six times, the five receptions were for 13, 18, 22, 25 and 37 yards with the latter being a touchdown... read more

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said it best as he talked about his team's 31-17 win in Arizona Sunday.

"It seems like for weeks or forever we've been talking about turnovers," Fisher said. "We kept saying that they often times come in bunches, and they did today."

They sure did. After a drought that saw the Rams go five weeks without a takeaway and a victory, they feasted on rookie quarterback Ryan Lindley, intercepting four passes, including two returned for touchdowns by rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins. He is just the fourth rookie in history to have two such returns in a game and the first rams player ever to do it... read more

On the final offensive play for the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 4, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn stripped the ball on a sack of quarterback Kevin Kolb and defensive end William Hayes recovered, ending any hope of a comeback in a 17-3 Rams victory.

That play is notable for several reasons. It was the first forced fumble of the season for the Rams (in their fifth game) and it remains the only fumble recovery they have had this season. It is also the last turnover the Rams have caused this season.

The loss for Arizona started a six-game losing streak. The win for the Rams put them over ... read more

Consider me someone that is very confused. It also wouldn’t surprise me if Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, is a bit confused, too.

You see, it was Anderson that put his words on record when the league moved quickly on Monday to suspend Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed for one game without pay after his hit on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in a game the night before.

While the suspension was imposed by Merton Hanks, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, it was Anderson that was quoted in the league release... read more

Six weeks ago, the Rams were over .500 for the first time since the 2006 season. Now, after a desultory 27-13 loss to the Jets following what appeared to be a promising tie with the 49ers, they are 0-4-1 in their last five games and reminding fans of the previous five seasons that produced an overall record of 15-65.

The offense sputtered to a halt after an opening 86-yard drive for a touchdown against the Jets, and they now head to Arizona with many wondering which are the real Rams: The team that totaled 458 yards on the road against San Francisco (367 in regulation), or the one that managed just 281 yards at home against the Jets... read more

Now that we are three days removed from Sunday’s mind-numbing 24-24 tie between the Rams and 49ers, it’s important to understand that it’s possible to express overwhelming disappointment that the Rams failed to win a game that was there for the taking, while still acknowledging that the team was in position to win for an obvious reason: they answered San Francisco’s physical play with their own and made enough plays to have a chance to win.

It’s obvious that if the Rams are to become a consistently good team, they have to find ways to win games like that... read more

In Week 8, when the 49ers were preparing to travel to Arizona for the Monday night game that week, our normal Friday gathering on The Sports Edge (2-3 p.m. on 590 the Fan KFNS) was discussing the weekly H-Bomb.

There was a consensus among co-host Jeff Vernetti and George Weber of Weber Chevrolet, who participates each week in the fun, that Arizona would be able to cover the 7-point spread. To be “H-Bomb eligible,” games have to feature a favorite of 6.5 points or more.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I have been awful in my H-Bomb picks this season. Be that as it may, I was surprised they both liked Arizona because I frankly didn’t see how the Cardinals would be able to score enough points to be close... read more

After their four days off, the Rams returned to the field Tuesday for a short practice to get begin preparations for the second half of the season.

With a 3-5 record, the Rams face five games on the road, including one against each team in the division. It all starts Sunday at 6-2 San Francisco, also coming off a bye. So far, the Rams have lost three "official" road games, plus the last game before the bye, a 45-7 pasting by the Patriots in London.

Concerning the bye after eight games, coach Jeff Fisher said, "I don't think you'll find a coach that is not happy with the timing of their bye week, regardless of where they fall... read more

I can’t explain how shocked I am that the NFL trading deadline passed Thursday afternoon and running back Steven Jackson remains a member of the St. Louis Rams.

Talk about much ado about nothing. Of course, that still doesn’t address what Jackson’s future will be, but that’s a story for another day. After all, the Rams still have eight games remaining in the season, and winning as many of those games as possible remains the focus of the team.

As Jackson said Thursday during his weekly talk with reporters, when asked if what happens in the final two months of the season will determine whether he is back with the Rams or ends up elsewhere, “I’m not quite sure on that... read more

As the season was beginning, the St. Louis Rams restructured the contract of running back Steven Jackson, a move that will likely make Jackson an unrestricted free agent after the season.

It was odd that almost one month after the new contract was filed with the league, the news was “leaked” to a national reporter on the day the Rams played the Cardinals (Oct. 4) in a nationally televised NFL Network game.

The reality is that when stories like this are revealed, the information usually comes from an agent. If that was the case with the Jackson story, it’s obvious it was done with the hope of getting maximum exposure and letting the NFL world know his career with the Rams could be winding down... read more

When they won two games in 2011, the Rams totaled just 193 points, an average of 12.1 per game.

In being 3-4 this season, heading to Sunday's game in London against the New England Patriots, the Rams have already scored 130 points, an average of 18.6 a game.

In fact, that 18.6 average is right about where the Rams were in 2010 when the team went 7-9. It averaged 18.1 points per game. The trend is easy to see: score more points, which leads to allowing fewer points, and there will be more winning. It’s borne out by the numbers from the last three seasons.

In 2009, the Rams scored 175 points (10... read more

There wasn’t much time for the Rams to do what is normally done after a typical game day in the NFL. That’s because about 28 hours after the 30-20 loss to the Packers, the team was on a plane to London to begin preparations for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

They arrived early Tuesday morning and were quickly at an NFL Play 60 event with about 500 kids. Wednesday morning, it was business as usual as much as possible with a practice at the Arsenal soccer club facilities. Making the transition easier was the fact that owner Stan Kroenke also owns Arsenal... read more

The Rams played a home game Sunday against Green Bay where it seemed half the building were Packers fans in a 30-20 loss. Now, the Rams head to London for a "home" game against the New England Patriots and another outstanding quarterback.

Tom Brady will be the opponent this week after Aaron Rodgers carved up the Rams for 342 yards on 30-of-37 passing with one of the incompletions a spike.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis could have been talking about Brady when he said of Rodgers, "I think what he does the best is that he's good at improv. He escapes to make the deep throws and maneuvers in the pocket... read more

With wide receiver Danny Amendola sidelined for at least another three games, there was understandable skepticism that the Rams' passing offense would be able to be productive with their leading pass-catcher unavailable.

 

Instead, on the road at Miami, quarterback Sam Bradford completed 26 of 39 passes for 315 yards, spreading the ball around to 10 different receivers. Of the 26 connections, 14 were to wide receivers.

 

Said coach Jeff Fisher, "Any time you have an injury, somebody steps up. In this case, we've got an entire group that has stepped up. They're interchangeable; the guys know the various positions and Sam's very comfortable... read more

Rams players voted running back Steven Jackson a captain this season, and he has often said he wants to retire a Ram. The question now is whether that will happen following a contract adjustment signed by Jackson on Sept. 8, one day before the start of the regular season.

While numerous reports Thursday evening said Jackson has the option of voiding the 2013 final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, my sources indicate the void is automatic if Jackson is on the Rams roster five days after the Super Bowl, which would be Feb. 8.

Certainly, there is the possibility that his contract could be renegotiated again before Feb... read more

If it was up to Michael Brockers, he would be on the field Sunday when the Rams play the Seattle Seahawks. But the Rams will make sure Brockers, who suffered a high ankle sprain, is ready just four weeks after the injury occurred on Aug. 30.

Perhaps impacting the decision is that the Rams will play two games in five days. Brockers' ability to stuff the inside against the run would be welcome against the Seahawks and running back Marshawn Lynch. Arizona, the opponent next Thursday, doesn't run the ball consistently, especially with power.

It's not out of the question that Brockers could see some snaps Sunday and then sit down until the Oct... read more

In five days starting Sunday, the Rams’ season could very well be defined. In a period of five days, the Rams will play two home games against division rivals Seattle and Arizona, currently two of the better defensive teams in the NFL.

No, that is not a misprint. The Seahawks and Cardinals, after three games, are two of the better defensive teams in football. Lost in the chaos of Monday’s night’s officiating debacle was just how good Seattle’s defense was against Green Bay. Heck, the Seahawks sacked Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers eight times ... in the first half... read more

Every week in the NFL seemingly has a theme.

 

After the Rams’ Week 1 loss to Detroit, the debate was whether this was “the same ol’ Rams.” Some said it was, some said it wasn’t. The reality, clearly, is that one game is not enough to paint an entire picture.

 

Naturally, after the Week 2 win over Washington, it was thought to be a slam dunk that it wasn’t “the same ol’ Rams,” even though that game could have just as easily been lost as won.

 

So it was that the Rams laid an offensive egg in Chicago Sunday, losing 23-6, and gaining 160 yards in the process (2... read more

The Rams begin preparing in practice Wednesday for the game against the Bears this weekend, but the buzz still remains from Sunday’s win over Washington on several levels.

First, there is the ongoing debate over running back Steven Jackson’s groin injury. Second, is the incompetent officiating from the game and the way the game ended with a 15-yard penalty against Redskins wide receiver Josh Morgan for throwing the ball at Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan.

Starting with Jackson, I’ll admit to a bit of skepticism regarding the reality of Jackson’s injury against the conspiracy theorists that are totally convinced Jackson was benched by coach Jeff Fisher for spiking the ball when he was upset there was no touchdown signaled on the play in question... read more

The five-year contract extension signed by Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis is worth a total of $42,219,960 and includes $23.62 million of guaranteed money. While his base salary of $620,000 remains the same for 2012, it is now guaranteed and Laurinaitis did receive a $2 million signing bonus.

The new money in the deal totals $41.5 million. He will also be paid $22 million in 2013 and 2014 in the form of a $1 million guaranteed salary in 2013, a $10 million salary in 2014, of which $9 million is guaranteed and an $11 million guaranteed roster bonus in 2013.

Here is the way the guarantees work:

*The $1 million 2013 salary was guaranteed for injury at the time he signed and becomes guaranteed for skill and cap when he is on the roster on the fifth day after the Super Bowl in February... read more

Paul Boudreau has his work cut out for him.

It was going to be hard enough anyway, but after the Rams' numerous roster moves over the weekend, the team's offensive line coach is now trying to piece together an offensive line that will have someone starting at left guard Sunday against Detroit that hasn't had any snaps with the first team this summer at that position.

Consider this: Throughout the offseason OTAs and minicamps, Bryan Mattison got virtually all of the reps with the first unit at left guard. That was partly because Ojinnaka saw time at left tackle with Rodger Saffold not having been cleared for practice as he recovered from a pectoral injury that landed him on injured reserve last season... read more