Jeff Fisher has finally come to a decision on which rebuilding process he wants to overtake:

He’s headed to the “Show Me State.”

The St. Louis Rams have named Fisher as head coach per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Fisher chose the Rams over the Miami Dolphins apparently due to the structure that St. Louis offered. One can only estimate what that means, although the Rams do have a potential franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford, a workhorse back in Steven Jackson, and the No. 2 overall pick in next April’s draft. At least from the outset, there appears to be more to work with for Fisher in St. Louis than in Miami.

The Rams are also expected to make Fisher one of the league’s highest-paid head coaches and he will reportedly have a say in who the team will hire as general manager.

Fisher had the NFL’s fifth highest winning percentage from 1998 to 2008, before falling out of favor in Tennessee. It was no secret that he and former No. 3 overall pick Vince Young didn’t have the best relationship, which put strain on the entire Titans organization. Now he has an opportunity to work with a young man in Bradford who had a ton of success in his rookie season but took a step backwards in his sophomore campaign. (Mostly due to injuries, a new offensive system and an overall lack of talent around him.)

This was exactly the type of hire that St. Louis fans were hoping for. Following back-to-back losing tenures of Scott Linehan and Steve Spagnuolo, respectively, Rams patrons were clamoring for a big name. Outside of maybe Jon Gruden, who reportedly wants to stay in TV for the time being, the team couldn’t have landed a bigger name in Fisher.

At least on the surface, this would appear to be a great fit. But Fisher has a lot of work to do in order to get the Rams to where the franchise was early last decade.

Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain has been arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred on Wednesday evening in his hometown of Decatur, Alabama.

McClain, 23, has been charged with discharging a firearm within city limits, which is a third degree assault, as well as menacing and reckless endangerment. According to Decatur police, McClain allegedly stood over another man with a pistol and aimed it at the victim’s head. When the victim begged for his life, McClain allegedly fired a shot past the man’s ear.

The incident stemmed from a fight that occurred around 10:20 p.m. CST on Wednesday night. The victim allegedly got into a fight with a man identified as Jerradius Willingham, who was also booked in connection with the situation. During the fight, the victim sustained injuries to his head and face and was bleeding from the nose and mouth while giving his report to police officers. The victim then drove himself to the hospital following questioning.

This isn’t the only shooting incident that McClain has been involved in during the past year. In January, someone shot at the linebacker’s Chevy Tahoe and while McClain was unharmed, the police did remove one bullet from the rear hatch of his SUV. McClain was also traveling in Alabama at the time.

The Raiders selected McClain with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He’s been limited this season due to an ankle injury but McClain has recorded 58 tackles thus far. He apparently missed practice on Wednesday while attending his grandfather’s funeral.

The Raiders have yet to comment on the shooting outside of to say that they are aware of the situation. McClain’s status for this Sunday’s game against the Titans is uncertain as of this writing and the NFL is currently looking into the incident. As of right now it’s hard to gauge whether or not he’ll be suspended but it’s not a stretch to say that his season may be in doubt. Losing McClain for the rest of the year would be a massive blow to an Oakland team that is currently in first place in the AFC West and is one game up on Denver in the division.

The Raiders play at Tennessee Miami this Sunday.

Mike Florio is reporting that Carson Palmer has been traded by the Cincinnati Bengals to the Oakland Raiders. Jay Glazer broke the story and the compensation appears to be a first-round pick in 2012 and a conditional pick in 2013 which is a second-rounder that could become a first-rounder.

This deal can be a huge win for both teams. The Bengals get two high draft picks for a player who basically told them to go to hell. The Raiders all of a sudden have a front-line quarterback to pair with their powerful running game. They are mortgaging the future, but they must see real potential to get to the playoffs and compete this season. Ironically, this is a the type of deal All Davis would have made.

Palmer has been an excellent quarterback for years, but his skills seem to have slipped a bit. That said, he has a big arm, and he can rejuvenate his career on a team with a running game.

As for the Bengals, everyone left them for dead at the beginning of the season because they had a rookie quarterback, but the Bengals have a solid defense and Dalton looks pretty good so far. Now they have more picks to build for the future.

Actions speak louder than words but at least Tony Romo hasn’t lost his confidence.

While speaking to the media recently, Romo promised that the Cowboys would win a title at some point. Of course, didn’t say whether or not “some point” would be any time soon.

“This team’s going to win a Super Bowl at some point, and it’s going to be exciting when that time comes,” Romo said. “And when we look back we’ll know who was on what side of he fence during the tough moments. That’s exciting for us as competitions that we get a chance to get better and go out there and have a chance one day.”

That “one day” won’t come soon if Romo continues to play like he did against the Lions in Week 4. The Cowboys were up 20-3 at halftime and extended their lead to 27-3 early in the third quarter before Romo suffered a meltdown. Detroit linebacker Bobby Carpenter returned a 34-yard interception for a touchdown and then corner Chris Houston followed suit with a 56-yard pick-six of his own.

Romo’s horrific second half didn’t stop there. He threw another interception late in the fourth quarter that set up a 2-yard Calvin Johnson touchdown reception to give the Lions a 34-30 lead with under two minutes to play. Detroit eventually hung on to win by that same score as Romo and the Cowboys dropped to 2-2 on the season.

Romo has always been a polarizing figure in Dallas, but even more so this season. He was chastised for his play in Week 1 against the Jets and then lauded for his gritty performance against the 49ers a week later when he played with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Despite the team’s issues at wide receiver and center, he willed the Cowboys to a victory over the Redskins in Week 3 on Monday night before suffering his collapse against the Lions in Week 4.

His Super Bowl comments only open the door wider for fans and the media to question whether or not he’s the right man for the job in Dallas.

The Houston Texans confirmed that Mario Williams will be placed on IR and will be out for the rest of the season. Williams injured his pectoral muscle, with many speculating that he suffered a tear. Williams has been a dominant pass rusher for the Texans throughout his career and this year he had five sacks. Williams played defensive end in the 4-3 alignment, but this season he made the move to outside linebacker in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense. The transition had been going well until the injury.

Coach Gary Kubiak reacted to the news on the team’s official website:

I feel so bad for Mario because man, he’s been such a heck of a player, and what we’re doing to me is really going to blossom his career from now on. I think he had really taken to the position he’s playing. He was improving every day in practice, improving in every game and really enjoying – I think I’ve never seen him so upbeat about what was going on – and to lose him on a freak play, it doesn’t look like much at all.

The Texans can’t seem to catch a break. The team was poised for a breakout season with the Colts floundering in Peyton Manning’s absence, and now they lose their best player on defense.

In what could be devastating news for the rookie, Cardinals running back Ryan Williams “probably” has a torn patellar tendon according to head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

From Rotoworld:

It’s a season-ending and potentially career-threatening injury depending on Williams’ recovery process. The good news is that Williams is still just 21 years old, and the injury is occurring now as opposed to November. He’ll have a better chance to be healthy by the start of 2012 training camp. The bad news is that Williams will need major knee surgery and his rookie season in the NFL will be a washout. Beanie Wells will dominate carries in Arizona this year.

This poor kid can’t catch a break. After breaking multiple Virginia Tech and ACC rushing records in 2009 (including VA Tech’s single season rushing yards record, the ACC single season rushing touchdown mark and the ACC single season TD record), Williams injured his right hamstring in a game against East Carolina and wound up missing four games in 2010. Now he faces an even bigger injury hurdle.

Those we kept an eye on him in training camp were impressed by his quickness and ability to change directions without throttling down his speed. Given Beanie Wells’ injury concerns and inconsistently woes, Williams figured to see plenty of playing time in 2011. Hopefully he’ll only miss his rookie season and will be back in training camp again next year.

That now makes two players from the running back class of 2011 that will miss this season due to injury. The Lions’ Mikel Leshoure tore his Achilles’ tendon in practice last week.

You knew somebody was eventually going to say something stupid when it came to the current state of the NFL.

Meet Adrian Peterson, that “somebody.”

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson made some controversial comments about the NFL labor situation in an interview with Doug Farrar of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner. The interview was conducted just before the NFLPA decertified.

“It’s modern-day slavery, you know? People kind of laugh at that, but there are people working at regular jobs who get treated the same way, too. With all the money,” Peterson continued. “The owners are trying to get a different percentage, and bring in more money.”

Farrar took out the quote shortly after publishing. He tweeted that he wanted to give Peterson an opportunity to explain. Farrar described the comment as “a real misstep.”

As expected, AP is being ridiculed about the remarks. A person set to make $10.72 million in a down economy can’t refer to his job as “modern-day slavery” and not expect to receive backlash for it. In fact, at least one player has already taken to Twitter to disagree with what Peterson said. Below is a series of tweets from Packers’ running back Ryan Grant.

I have to totally disagree with adrian Peterson’s comparison to this situation being Modern day slavery..false..

Their is unfortunately actually still slavery existing in our world.. Literal modern day slavery.. That was a very misinformed statement

But I understand what point he was trying to make.. I just feel like he should have been advised a little differently

Actually, it’s hard to understand the point Peterson was trying to make. Is he saying he’s been forced to play football against his will the past couple of years? Is he viewed as property of the NFL or the Minnesota Vikings or can he come and go as he pleases? Is he treated poorly or met with violence if he doesn’t serve his employer?

As Grant noted, slavery still remains today so Peterson’s comment was pretty insensitive and, to use Grant’s words, misinformed. It was a dumb comment and he should take every opportunity to clarify what he meant (or better yet, tell everyone that it was stupid to even suggest such a thing).

If I’m AP’s publicist, I just fired myself.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports writes that the Jets have rewarded head coach Rex Ryan with a two-year contract extension.

The new arrangement transforms his deal to last through the 2014 season, something the team also announced Friday that they did for general manager Mike Tannenbaum last month with a new five-year deal.

It’s unclear how much new money Ryan received, but clearly the Jets believe they have their answer at head coach for the foreseeable future. It’s certainly odd that an NFL head coach would get a new deal after just one season. But it shows just how much faith that owner Woody Johnson has in his current head coach.

I was shocked it took until last year before Ryan got his first chance to become a head coach in the NFL. His brashness may have rubbed some front office types the wrong way in interviews, but the Jets obviously love him, as do their players. While he only has one year under his belt, he has already made believers out of everyone who follows the Jets.

New Orleans Saints:
Reggie Bush was limping noticeably after cutting Wednesday morning’s practice short, although he says his knee is fine. An MRI was taken on Bush’s knee earlier this week and apparently the results were positive, so the running back might just have to miss the next few days as a precaution. (FOX Sports.com)

San Francisco 49ers:
Apparently Alex Smith has pulled ahead in the starting quarterback derby according to 49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco. While Hill still seems like the more physically gifted quarterback between the two, it’s good to see that the franchise isn’t giving up on Smith (a former first overall pick) just yet. But Smith could also play himself out of the starting role in preseason, so stay tuned. (Matt Maicco on Twitter)

Denver Broncos:
Brandon Marshall continues to sit out with an undisclosed injury that he suffered last weekend. The Denver Post suggests that the injury was due to Marshall’s offseason hip surgery, although head coach Josh McDaniels refuses to comment on the situation. (Denver Post)

Kansas City Chiefs:
Head coach Todd Haley has reportedly been impressed with how good running back Larry Johnson has looked so far in camp. Teammates have apparently marveled at how good of shape the 29-year-old running back is in this season. Kansas City’s offensive line still needs some work, but it’s good enough to give a motivated LJ a chance to shine again this season. Maybe Johnson will be one of the surprise performers in ’09. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Atlanta Falcons:
Harry Douglas was carted off the field on Wednesday with a left leg injury and it apparently the situation doesn’t look good for the Falcons young receiver. Atlanta’s already in a heap of trouble at the wideout position with Roddy White holding out for a new contract. If Douglas has to miss significant time, GM Thomas Dimitroff (who traded promising WR Laurent Robinson to the Rams for half a can of original Pringles earlier this offseason) might be forced to get a deal done soon with White. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

New York Jets:
Quarterback Kellen Clemens continues to struggle with his pocket presence according to a report by the New York Daily News. Considering the Jets have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, this seemingly is a huge problem, even though it’s still early in camp. Maybe this news bodes well for rookie Mark Sanchez starting right away. (New York Daily News)

Green Bay Packers:
The Packers are having trouble signing first round pick B.J. Raji and according to ESPN 540’s Scott Wisniewski, the two sides are far apart on a deal. Rotowold speculates that Raji’s agent could be waiting on No. 10 overall pick (Raji was the No. 9 overall pick) Michael Crabtree to sign a deal with the 49ers before he gets something done for Raji in Green Bay.. (Rotoworld)

Training camp is still a month away but you don’t need daily reports from the grueling two-a-day sessions to see what players are going to have the heat turned up on them this season. I’ve complied a list of 10 players (in no particular order) who, not necessarily the same reasons, face make or break seasons in ’09.

1. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
If Romo doesn’t get the Cowboys to the playoffs in 2009 will Jerry Jones look for other options at quarterback in 2010? No. But if you read between the lines, the Cowboys jettisoned Terrell Owens this offseason so that Romo will have every opportunity to be the team’s most influential leader and hopefully go from being a great quarterback to one of the elite. While it might not technically be a make or break season for Romo, his career is certainly at a crossroads. Romo’s numbers last year were solid – 3,448 yards, 26 TDs, 91.4 QB Rating – but his play faded over the last month of the season and the Cowboys imploded. Since then, Romo’s work ethic, offseason dedication and leadership skills have been questioned and it appears as though the QB’s career has come to a fork in the road. If he continues on the path his currently on, he might put up decent numbers and lead the Cowboys to the playoffs a couple more times before his days are done. That’s certainly not bad, but Jones and the rest of the Cowboy faithful want Romo to be extraordinary and if he completely dedicates himself to the game, maybe he can take this talented team to the next level. One thing’s for sure – with T.O. out of the way, this is now Romo’s team and it’s up to him where he and the Cowboys go from here.

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