Rams News Recap for March 27

[RamBill]

Rams News Items From March 27

Fisher Sounds as if Rams Will Pass on Watkins –PD
Make no mistake, Rams coach Jeff Fisher likes Sammy Watkins, the gifted wide receiver from Clemson.

Long, Davis Adding to Rams-Niners Rivalry –Wagoner
In what is becoming a sort of offseason tradition, St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long is again stoking the flames of the Rams-49ers rivalry by responding to a tweet coming from the San Francisco area.

Is Shaun Hill An Upgrade to Clemens –Radio Interview

Florio: One-on-One with Rams GM Les Snead –Video

Bernie’s Ram Bytes: Is WR Kenny Britt Worth a Chance?
I’m not entirely sure what to make of the Rams’ free-agent interest in former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt. He’s had off-field difficulties. He’s been slowed and pulled down by knee injuries.

Rams Optimistic About Landing Britt –Wagoner
After a quiet first two weeks of free agency, business has picked up for the St. Louis Rams this week. In a 48-hour span, the team added depth at defensive tackle and quarterback in the form of Alex Carrington and Shaun Hill.

Double Coverage: QB Shaun Hill –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams found their replacement for Kellen Clemens on Wednesday, agreeing to a one-year deal with Shaun Hill to become the team’s backup quarterback behind Sam Bradford.

Morning Ram-blings: On Playoff Expansion–Wagoner
The discussion about the NFL playoffs expanding have been taking place for a while, so it was no surprise to see the subject pop up again at the owners meetings in Orlando, Fla., this week.

There’s No Offseason When You’re Rams DE Chris Long –FoxSports
While some veterans spend the middle of March sprawled out on a beach, enjoying the perks of the NFL offseason, Rams defensive end Chris Long is determined to get better.

Rams DE Chris Long Does Sled Drill –Video

Ron Jaworski Breaks Down Johnny Manziel’s Pro Day –Video

Bigger Impact As A Rookie: Watkins or Evans? –Video

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Carr shopping?
By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/7123/morning-ram-blings-carr-shopping

Despite the addition of veteran Shaun Hill as the backup to starting quarterback Sam Bradford, it's still a strong possibility that the St. Louis Rams will draft a quarterback in May.

The team has made it clear it is devoted to Bradford as the starter and almost certainly wouldn't use a first-round pick on a quarterback with a middle-round selection more likely. But that still leaves the question of how early the team would consider drafting a quarterback.

I've maintained that choice would come sometime between rounds three and five with the caveat that if the right player was available in the second round, the Rams would be tempted to take him. So, who might qualify as the type that could draw the team's attention sooner than later in the draft?

According to NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, Fresno State's Derek Carr might be one possible answer. Jeremiah reported this week that Tennessee, Cleveland, Oakland, Minnesota and, yes, the Rams have scheduled individual workouts with Carr.

None of the first four teams on that list should be a surprise. All of them have documented needs for potential franchise quarterbacks. Carr is considered the fourth-best option in the class after Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and Central Florida's Blake Bortles. But he's also considered a potential first-round pick and likely won't go much later than early in the second round.

The Rams, though, are a little bit of a surprise on the list. If Carr did manage to fall to the Rams' pick in the second round, he could be awfully appealing. It's hard to find quarterbacks with potential starting capability beyond the first round, let alone the second. If the Rams are truly devoted to getting not only an upgraded backup but one who could eventually push or even replace Bradford, Carr would make a lot of sense.

Of course, the other possibility here is that the Rams could be looking to ratchet up the trade market for teams in more dire need of a quarterback, potentially with the thought of moving out of the No. 13 pick.

Teams can conduct as many private workouts with players as they choose so long as those workouts take place on the player's college campus or his home region. They also get the top 30 visits, which allow them to bring players to visit the team facilities though no workouts are allowed on those trips.

Either way, it'll be worth monitoring the Rams' interest in Carr as the draft approaches.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Thursday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we explored the idea of how playoff expansion could benefit the Rams. ... Lions reporter Michael Rothstein and I then delved into the Rams' addition of backup quarterback Shaun Hill. ... From there, we looked at the Rams' optimism that they'll be able to land free-agent receiver Kenny Britt. ... Then, we got the numbers and broke down the contract of newly-signed defensive lineman Alex Carrington. ... Finally, we offered a glance at the brewing war of words on Twitter between Rams defensive end Chris Long and Niners offensive tackle Anthony Davis.

Elsewhere:

There was a lot of discussion about the pro day of Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel on Thursday.

Texans reporter Tania Ganguli writes that Manziel took a bland event and made it exciting.

Ron Jaworski and Jeff Saturday offered rave reviews about Manziel's performance.

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks offers a do-over on the 2005 NFL draft.

FoxSports.com takes a look at Long's offseason regiment.

At stltoday.com, Joe Lyons says defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is looking forward to working with his new team.

Columnist Bernie Miklasz weighs the pros and cons of the possible Britt addition.