Rams News Recap: Jan. 14

[RamBill]

L.A. Stadium Project Moving Forward with Consultant –USAToday
St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke still has many hurdles to scale before his new stadium proposal in Los Angeles ever breaks ground – if it ever does.

St. Louis stadium plan likely requires public approval –AP
A proposed open-air football stadium that backers hope will persuade St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke to keep the team from returning to Los Angeles will likely require voter approval of its public financing component.

Bernie: ‘Too little, too late’ argument is bogus
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a man of immense wealth and a surplus of opinions, set off another round of sirens to alarm tormented Rams fans.

Rodger Saffold’s Shoulder Surgery is a Success –PD
Rams offensive guard Rodger Saffold should be healthy and ready to go in time for training camp following shoulder surgery last week.

Will the NFL Block Kroenke from Moving the Rams to LA? –Audio

Rams Head Toward Draft with Fewer Chips –Wagoner
For most of the past three years, no team has come to the NFL draft poker table with a better hand than the St. Louis Rams.

Divisional Losses Could Be Rams’ Gain –Wagoner
The news that Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is taking over as the head coach of the New York Jets should be well received in St. Louis.

Bernie: Rams’ Standards Are Too Low
The Denver Broncos fired coach John Fox after he’d amassed an impressive four-year record of 46-18 that included four consecutive AFC West titles, an AFC Championship, a playoff win with Tim Tebow starting at quarterback, and a 17-1 record in the division over the past three seasons.

Morning Ram-blings: Breaking Down Stadium Plans –Wagoner
As St. Louis moves forward with its proposal and plans to try to keep the NFL in the city, there are plenty of differing opinions from sports fans and media alike.

Top Ten Rams Defensive Plays from 2014 –Video

Meaningful Rams Stadium Negotiations Can Now Begin –Video

Dave Peacock’s Message to Rams Fans: “Support the team” –Video

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Raising the bar
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15462/morning-ram-blings-raising-the-bar

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- We take a break from your regularly scheduled stadium, Los Angeles, etc., lead to the Ram-blings for something more football related.

The St. Louis Rams' 6-10 record in 2014 fell below expectations and below the two seven-win seasons that preceded it. Despite that, the Rams don't seem to have much urgency to make changes that could help the team. They will have a new offensive coordinator though it remains unclear who really made that decision.

Nonetheless, stltoday.com columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote Wednesday that the Rams have set the bar too low and need to raise their standards if they are ever to return to the greatness they enjoyed at the turn of the century.

There will be roster changes forthcoming and the Rams will most likely again place heavy bets on quarterback Sam Bradford but otherwise, it seems that continuity is the word the current Rams regime favors most.

What say you, Rams fans? Are the Rams standards too low? What changes would you want to see that would make you believe they really are headed the right way?

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Wednesday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we opened the day with a look at the St. Louis stadium plans from an economics expert. ... This week's Buzz video discusses the next step in the stadium situation in St. Louis and Los Angeles. ... The departure of Todd Bowles from division rival Arizona is good news for the Rams. ... The Rams don't have as many trade chips this year as they have in the recent past which could alter their approach.

Elsewhere:

The Niners settled on defensive line coach Jim Tomsula as their new head coach.

Niners reporter Paul Gutierrez says the Tomsula hire makes sense in some ways.

At 101sports.com, former Rams coach Dick Vermeil discusses the possibility of a Rams move.

Also at stltoday.com, Jim Thomas offers his take on Jerry Jones' comments about Stan Kroenke and the Rams' situation.

David Hunn writes that the public money being bandied about for a possible St. Louis stadium might not be so easy to secure.