Rams Take LSU DT Michael Brockers in First Round of Draft

The Rams added some defensive punch to their roster on Thursday night, taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Brockers played just two seasons and started just 14 games at LSU before turning pro after his redshirt sophomore season. The 6-foot-6, 322-pound Brockers totaled 79 tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss and two sacks with one interception and a blocked kick during his 27-game career in Baton Rouge.

Brockers should be an instant starter for the Rams, who released veteran defensive tackles Justin Bannan and Fred Robbins in March and signed former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Kendall Langford to a four-year, $22 million contract on March 17. The Rams also picked up former Philadelphia Eagles second round pick Trevor Laws in free agency, giving them a pass-rushing option in nickel situations.

Rumors of Jackson Being Traded Dismissed by the Rams

The latest draft chatter that has taken over is the rumor that the Rams are going to trade up to three from the Vikings, and then look to move current running back Steven Jackson as they select Alabama RB Trent Richardson.

That talk has been shot down by the Rams, who say they have no designs of moving Jackson, this according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch citing Rams sources.

“Sources familiar with Jackson said he does not have a problem with his current contract. But he could be interested in a contract extension, because he wants to retire as a Ram and feels like he has more than two years left as a player.”

Thomas also reports that two team officials said they were unaware of any request for a new contract by Jackson.

Jackson, entering his ninth NFL season and heading toward his 29th birthday in July, has two years left on his current contract and is due to make $7 million in both 2012 and 2013. Sources familiar with Jackson said he does not have a problem with his current contract.

If the Rams do move up to take Richardson, it would put Jackson on the back burner, and also make him expendable if the team would decide to dangle him in the free agent market.

Rams Workout Three WR Draft Prospects

The Rams have wrapped up workouts with a couple possible draft picks for Thursday night – wide receivers Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), Michael Floyd (Notre Dame) and Kendall Wright (Baylor).

Private workouts of draft-eligible prospects may only occur on a player’s college campus, so a six-person contingent consisting, among others, of head coach Jeff Fisher, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and general manager Les Snead traveled from site-to-site to put the players through the paces.

CEO Kevin Demoff joined the group for Blackmon’s workout in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Blackmon caught 251 passes for 3,564 yards and 40 touchdowns during his 38-game at Oklahoma State and is projected to go in the Top 10 of this year’s draft. Floyd, who measured in at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds at the Combine, finished his college career with 271 receptions for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns, including 100 receptions for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games in 2011 and is regarded as a Top 15 pick.

At 5-foot-10 and 196 pounds, Wright is valued for his route running and ability to get open, which allowed him to haul in 302 receptions for 4,004 yards and 30 touchdowns during his 50-game career. Wright is expected to hear his name called during the first round, possibly in the Top 15-20 picks.

Learning From Cheerleading

It’s the time of year when every NFL team is waist deep in analyzing scouting reports.  They’re trying to find the next diamond in the rough; the next game changer.  Excitement is definitely building as we get closer and closer to the 2012 Draft.  I’m not sure if you know it, but there is another type of talent search going on.  The NFL is also waist deep in tryouts for personnel other than football players.  They are looking for cheerleaders.

Many talented women have under gone intense scrutiny regarding cheering, dancing, general physical fitness, and team work.  Although comparing football players and cheerleaders is kind of like comparing apples and oranges, I couldn’t help but think that football players could learn some things from them.

1 I have never seen a cheerleader line up in the wrong formation.

2 I have never seen a cheerleader show up on game day and not perform as well as they did in practice.

3 Cheerleaders don’t take a break when the offense comes of the field.

4 I have never heard of a cheerleader holding out because she only received a $1M dollar bonus instead of $5M.

5 I have never seen a cheerleader choke in the 4th quarter.

And finally…

6 I have never heard of a cheerleader missing a game because of turf toe.

So let’s give these ladies a hand.  This cheerleading thing is tougher than we thought.  I wish the best of luck to all the candidates.  I hope the 2012 Rams give them something to cheer about.

Possible Rams WR Draft Picks

The 2012 draft is right around the corner.  For years the Rams have had a need for a game-changing wide receiver.  Instead of going after RB Trent Richardson, why not attempt to address this need?  Here are a couple of the names being thrown out as possible Rams WR picks:

Justin Blackmon

Height & Weight: 6’1 – 211 lbs

Blackmon is a Junior coming out of Oklahoma State.  He was the 2010 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.  His stats for the last 2 years are:

Soph, 111 receptions, for 1782 yards, and 20 TDs

Junior, 121 receptions, for 1522 yards, and 18 TDs

The scouting reports for Blackmon say he is good at tracking down the ball.  Although he does not have world class speed, he is good at using his body to get in position to make a catch.

Michael Floyd

Height & Weight: 6’3 – 224 lbs

Floyd played all four years at Notre Dame.  In 2010 he was named MVP for Notre Dame and the Sun Bowl.  His stats for the last 3 years are:

Soph, 44 receptions, for 795 yards, and 9 TDs

Junior, 79 receptions, for 1025 yards, and 12 TDs

Senior, 100 receptions, for 1147 yards, and 9 TDs

The scouting reports for Floyd say he has great height, hands, and size.   He is not considered that fast off the line and he is an average blocker.  He was arrested for DUI in 2010 so his character is currently in question.  He is projected to be an average #2 receiver at the pro level.

I actually like both of these 2 guys (Blackmon as a #1, and Floyd as a utility receiver).  What both of them have in common is they score touch downs (and when push comes to shove this is really the most important stat).  Blackmon’s stats are just sick and I hope the Rams pick him up.  Floyd is said to have ‘character’ issues, but his stats show performance improvements every single year.  To me that’s a sign of commitment.  Floyd is not really a first round candidate for the Rams, but he could be a solid receiving contributor.

Williams Already Taking Steps to Try and Get Back Into the League

League sources said Wednesday the process of potential reinstatement for St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams already is underway.

Williams, through his advisers, has been in contact with high-ranking NFL officials to discuss what steps are to be taken during his indefinite suspension to allow him to apply for reinstatement.

Williams was suspended for his role in the New Orleans Saints’ “bounty” scandal, in which he offered payments to his defenders for cart-off or knock-out hits during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Williams is eligible for possible reinstatement the day after the Super Bowl — less than a year away — and, according to those who have been in contact with him, he has been using his time away from football to reflect upon and think critically about how to emerge from this as a better coach, and how to enact positive change from it.

Williams could be required to give speeches and perform outreach work related to player safety and sportsmanship as part of the reinstatement process, and he has been willing to comply in any way possible through the early stages of this process, according to league sources.

Rams 2012 Schedule Released – Open at Detroit September 9th

St. Louis Rams 2012 Schedule
Wk Date Matchup TV Time
1 Sun, Sept. 9 at Detroit Lions FOX 1 p.m.
2 Sun, Sept. 16 vs. Washington Redskins FOX 4:05 p.m.
3 Sun, Sept. 23 at Chicago Bears FOX 1 p.m.
4 Sun, Sept. 30 vs. Seattle Seahawks FOX 1 p.m.
5 Thu, Oct. 4 vs. Arizona Cardinals NFLN 8:20 p.m.
6 Sun, Oct. 14 at Miami Dolphins FOX 1 p.m.
7 Sun, Oct. 21 vs. Green Bay Packers FOX 1 p.m.
8 Sun, Oct. 28 vs. New England Patriots CBS 1 p.m.
9 Bye
10 Sun, Nov. 11 at San Francisco 49ers FOX 4:15 p.m.
11 Sun, Nov. 18 vs. New York Jets CBS 1 p.m.
12 Sun, Nov. 25 at Arizona Cardinals FOX 4:15 p.m.
13 Sun, Dec. 2 vs. San Francisco 49ers FOX 1 p.m.
14 Sun, Dec. 9 at Buffalo Bills FOX 1 p.m.
15 Sun, Dec. 16 vs. Minnesota Vikings FOX 1 p.m.
16 Sun, Dec. 23 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers FOX 1 p.m.
17 Sun, Dec. 30 at Seattle Seahawks FOX 4:15 p.m.

Bradley Fletcher Fighting For Starting Slot

Recovering from an injury in the NFL is well-known for its rigorous recuperative schedule, allotment of recovery time, and complications involved with integrating players back into practice. Many coaches are reluctant to return injured players to the starting lineup for fear of risking a second injury that could take even longer to recover from. In the case of St Louis Ram’s head coach Jeff Fisher, fresh off his 16-year stint as coach of the Tennessee Titans, there is no guarantee Fletcher will regain his starting cornerback spot.

Two factors come into play here. One is the nature of the injury itself. A torn ACL is notorious for its recovery time. Many players struggle to return to full form and must often wear a knee brace for months after surgery in order to anchor the weakened ligament and the muscles and cartilage surrounding it. This is followed by no less than 6 phases of rehabilitation that include immobility, physical therapy, controlled ambulation, and weeks of closely monitored moderate activity. It can take up to 6 months to fully recover. This is Fletcher’s second ACL tear and it’s still unclear whether he will be able to immediately begin adding fresh digits to his 121 career tackles.

The other factor complicating Fletcher’s return is the changes in the Rams coaching staff. Not only does the tean have a new head coach in Fisher, many of the assistant coaches are new as well. Cornerback is a tenuous position in the NFL, and one coach’s defensive roster may not be the same as the coach who preceded him. It’s looking more and more like the Rams, who finished the 2011 season with an abysmal 2-14 record—despite rookie sensation Sam Bradford helming the quarterback position—could be looking to make major changes to their defensive lineup.

One thing is for certain, Bradley Fletcher will have to fight for his starting cornerback slot for the 2012 season. And coming off the low of last season with a new coaching staff, Fletcher may not be the only player who has to prove himself worthy of a starting position.