Tag: St. Louis Rams (Page 15 of 42)

      Stan Kroenke the right man to turn around Rams

      August 25, 2010 /
      9 Jun 2001: Peter Forsberg #21 of the Colorado Avalanche shares a laugh with owner Stan Kroenke after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche won 3-1 to take the Stanley Cup from the New Jersey Devils. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT

      It has been four years since the Rams have been relevant and seven years since they last had a winning record.

      Whether or not owner Stan Kroenke will change the current misfortunes of the franchise remains to be seen, but just having him as the primary owner should be enough for Rams fans to be encouraged about the direction of their team.

      On Tuesday, NFL owners unanimously approved Kroenke’s bid to purchase the remaining 60% of the Rams franchise. He already owns 40 percent of the team and will now be forced to sell the Nuggets and Avalanche as part of his approval to purchase the Rams.

      Kroenke’s experience lies in sports team commercial management and sports marketing, which won’t translate to any more wins on the field but his commitment to winning will. He has also promised to keep the Rams in St. Louis, which was a key concern for the city and more importantly, their fans.

      The key is that this isn’t Kroenke’s first rodeo. He understands how the sports management business works and already has experience working in the confines of the NFL. Obviously the other owners want him in the league, which only works in the Rams’ favor as well.

      While Kroenke certainly has his work cut out for him in St. Louis, this probably won’t be a move that eventually blows up in the Rams’ face.

      External Sports, NFL

      Sam Bradford knocked around, but holds his own in preseason opener

      August 15, 2010 /
      ST. LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 14: Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams passes the ball during the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Edward Jones Dome on August 14, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

      One of the main concerns the Rams had when it came to deciding whether or not to select quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in April was his shoulder after he had surgery on it at Oklahoma. But in the team’s preseason opener against the Vikings on Saturday night, those fears can be somewhat put to rest.

      Even though Minnesota sacked him four times, Bradford said after the game that his shoulder “feels great.” He went on to say that he wasn’t even sore, although the true test will be how he feels today – the morning after his first NFL experience.

      Bradford finished 6-of-13 for 57 yards on the night after a promising start. He hit receiver Laurent Robinson in stride on a slant pattern for an 18-yard gain on third down and then continued to take what the defense gave him.

      He did struggle after that, however, going three-and-out on one possession and taking two sacks on each of his next two drives, but the key is that he didn’t look overwhelmed. He may have even been too comfortable in the pocket. One thing to keep in mind is that he didn’t have great protection either.

      On a whole, the Rams had to be pleased with how their young quarterback handled himself under pressure. Of course, after taking shot after shot, the Rams are probably just glad he made it out of the game with his shoulder still attached.

      External Sports, NFL

      How does the NFL expect teams like the Rams and Lions to compete?

      July 31, 2010 /
      St. Louis Rams newest member, quarterback Sam Bradford, holds up his jersey with head coach Steve Spagnuolo (L) and general manager Billy Devaney as he is introduced to reporters at Rams Park in Earth City, Missouri on April 23, 2010, one day after being selected No. 1 in the first round of the NFL. Bradford played his college football at Oklahoma. UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

      Quick math question to start your Saturday morning: If Sam Bradford is worth $50 million guaranteed, then how much should Peyton Manning make?

      I know it’s a tough question, so I’ll throw out some facts to better assist you while you think:

      Peyton Manning:

      – 50,128 career passing yards
      – 366 career passing touchdowns
      – 95.2 career passer rating
      – 2 Super Bowl appearances, 1 championship

      Sam Bradford:

      – Went to Oklahoma

      Look, nobody blames Bradford for cashing in (six years, $78 million). It’s not like any of us would have said, “You know what, Rams? I haven’t proven anything yet, so to be fair why don’t I just accept a modest starting salary of $40,000-a-year plus dental?”

      The system is broken in the NFL and it’s one of the many things that the NFLPA and owners need to resolve before signing a new collective bargaining agreement (assuming they do sign one, of course) in the next couple of months/year. And it’s not just a Bradford vs. Manning financial thing, either.

      How can the league expect a team like the Lions to field a competitive roster when they gave quarterback Matthew Stafford over $41 million in guarantees last year and they still have to sign No. 2 overall pick Ndamukong Suh this year? Last year, the Rams signed offensive tackle Jason Smith (the No. 2 overall pick) to a $61.775 million contract worth $33 million in guarantees. Between Bradford and Smith, the Rams now have $83 million in guaranteed money wrapped up in two players.

      And they don’t even know if Bradford and Smith can play yet.

      Again, how does the league expect teams like the Lions and Rams to compete with the likes of the Colts and Saints when they have to break the bank for unproven players? What happens when Calvin Johnson (a player the Lions actually know can play) needs a new deal in two years? Will the Lions be able to sign him? What if they can’t? They let one of their best players go because they have all of their money tied up into high draft picks?

      Talk about a vicious cycle – it needs to end.

      External Sports, NFL

      Rams wise to pass on Terrell Owens – will Bengals pursue him?

      July 26, 2010 /
      CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 25: Terrell Owens #81 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 25, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

      Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson and Jason Smith are still largely inexperienced.

      Sam Bradford, Mardy Gilyard and Rodger Saffold are really inexperienced.

      That’s why the Rams’ decision to pass on Terrell Owens today was the correct one. This is a team in rebuilding mode and adding a 37-year-old receiver coming off a bad year and who has a history of criticizing quarterbacks isn’t ideal. Can T.O. still contribute in the right situation? Yes, but not in St. Louis.

      Some are quick to point out that T.O. wasn’t a distraction last year in Buffalo. That’s because he couldn’t have been a distraction – the team was awful and so was he. Does anyone really think that he would have kept his mouth shut if he had posted solid numbers week in and week out and the Bills still lost? Not a chance.

      The Rams are better off in the long run. Avery, Robinson and Gilyard all of upside – Owens doesn’t. Besides, what’s the best case scenario if the Rams sign T.O.? He plays well and they go 4-12 instead of 2-14? It’s saying a lot that Owens would even be worth two wins, so signing him would almost seem unnecessary for St. Louis.

      Cincinnati, however, is a different story. They made the playoffs last year, have a veteran quarterback at the helm and in their offense, they have enough playmakers so that T.O. wouldn’t be the focal point (unlike if he landed in St. Louis). Not to mention, their locker room isn’t as inexperienced as the Rams’ is and one would think that Chad Ochocinco would nullify anything Owens brought to the table in terms of personality. Carson Palmer wouldn’t stand for being treated like a 2-year-old either.

      The Bengals are a decent fit for T.O. – the Rams are not. We’ll see if Cincinnati eventually pulls the trigger on a contract for Owens. My guess is they will.

      In other Rams-related news, FOX Sports is reporting that the team is close to signing No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford.

      External Sports, NFL

      T.O. finally receiving serious interest, as Rams make a push for WR

      July 25, 2010 /
      JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 22: Reciever Terrell Owens #81 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on November 22, 2009 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

      Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reports that the Rams are serious about signing Terrell Owens to a contract, presumably because they want to stunt the growth of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. (Just goofin’!…Kind of.)

      The Rams asked Owens through his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, if he would consider a serious contract proposal, even though they are not considered a playoff contender. Rosenhaus told the team Owens would definitely consider it, sources said.

      Apparently the Bengals are also still in the mix for T.O.

      The Cincinnati Bengals, as reported by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, are also engaged in talks with Owens. The Bengals signed free-agent receiver Antonio Bryant during the offseason but Bryant has struggled so far. According to a team source, that has motivated the Bengals to take another look at Owens.

      One source said the Rams have gotten very aggressive in their pursuit of Owens and it’s possible that Owens will sign with the Rams or Bengals within the next 48 to 72 hours.

      However, the Bengals still have given no indication they’re ready to offer a contract. They want to get a good look at their young wide receivers and have five preseason games to do it. They need some of those guys to play special teams. Chad Ochocinco, Bryant and Owens would not be special teams-type guys, so it’s uncertain how quickly the Bengals would react if they sensed he was about to sign with someone else.

      The names listed on the Rams’ receiving depth chart aren’t going to stand out: Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, Mardy Gilyard, which is why signing T.O. makes sense on the surface. But believe it or not, all three of those wideouts still have a lot of upside and if they can stay healthy, I for one believe that St. Louis could have a solid receiving corps in 2010 and beyond. I wouldn’t view signing T.O. as a bad thing necessarily, I just don’t think it would be necessary for a team like the Rams.

      The Bengals, on the other hand, make more sense. There wouldn’t be much concern that T.O. would damage the team’s locker room (really, how more can it be damaged?) and Cincy has a veteran quarterback in Carson Palmer who could deal with a personality like the one Owens has. Plus, a trio of Ochocinco, T.O. and Antonio Bryant would, at the very least, be an upgrade over the unit the Bengals had last year. Not that T.O. is an elite receiver or even a great No. 2, but he could be a decent complementary piece in an improved Cincinnati passing game.

      External Sports, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

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