Rams News Recap: June 15

[RamBill]

Could the 2016 NFL Draft Provide Leverage for a Stadium Deal? –TST
The 2015 NFL Draft will be held in a totally different location. Depending on how that goes, the talk around the water cooler says that the NFL may very well decide to change the venue every year.

Tre Mason’s Famous Father Helps Him Deal with NFL Spotlight –AL.com
St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason drew national attention last football season as he set an Auburn single-season rushing record and led the Tigers to the BCS national championship game.

Four Takeaways from Rams OTAs So Far –101ESPN
With apologies to the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s NFL draft, Greg Robinson, another crown-jewel offensive lineman has attracted the most attention in the Rams’ first two weeks of OTA practices.

Looking Ahead to Final Week of OTAs –Wagoner
Like the rest of their NFL brethren, the St. Louis Rams are closing in on the completion of organized team activities. Some have already finished but those that haven’t will do so this week.

Power Ranking the NFL General Managers by 2014 Offseason Performance
It’s amazing just how time flies. We are less than two months away from the start of NFL training camps as well as the Hall of Fame Game, hence the start of the 2014 preseason.

Rams’ RB Tre Mason’s Dad Helping Him Deal with Being a Celebrity
Rookie St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason burst onto the national scene last year when he was maybe the most integral part in helping the Auburn Tigers become a national championship contender and champions of the SEC.

How Lamarcus Joyner Can Replace Cortland Finnegan in the Rams’ Defense –Video

Jake Long “I’m really happy with how I’m progressing.” –Video

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Feeling a draft?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/9288/morning-ram-blings-feeling-a-draft

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- By almost all accounts, it sounds like the NFL draft is going to be on the move from its heretofore residence of New York City.

With the draft apparently searching for a new home, other large markets such as Los Angeles and Chicago are most prominently mentioned as replacements. That's no surprise given the surplus of hotels and options to house it in those cities.

But it's also possible the league could use the draft as a carrot for other cities in future years. Which brings us to the question of whether St. Louis could be in the mix to host it at some point. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch explored that very possibility over the weekend with the Rams and the city expressing interest in bringing the event to the Gateway City.

While one could certainly argue that St. Louis needs to get its stadium situation in order before becoming a player for the draft, on paper St. Louis at least looks like a potential stop along the way.

Because of its central location, it would be easy enough to get those involved to the city and there is no shortage of hotels for the assembled league personnel to stay. And while St. Louis isn't teeming with venues that could host it, the Fox Theatre and Peabody Opera House are both big enough that they could be potential options worth exploring.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to making St. Louis the host city and it's probably not in the mix for 2015 anyway. There aren't many direct flights to NFL cities from Lambert airport which in part could nullify the centralized location at least in terms of the logistics of bringing players here.

But Indianapolis has proved an ideal host for the scouting combine and the Super Bowl because of its location and its convenient downtown. St. Louis has plenty of catching up to do to compare favorably to Indianapolis but that should be a good blueprint for the city to follow in its rebuilding efforts to draw major events like the draft.

Either way, it certainly makes sense for St. Louis to throw its hat in the ring for a major event such as the NFL draft.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of the weekend's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... On Saturday, we looked back at Friday's chat which covered a wide range of topics on the Rams. ... On Sunday, we previewed the week to come as the Rams wrap up their organized team activities.

Elsewhere:

Columnist Ashley Fox writes that kickers shouldn't be punished for doing their jobs well.

We're seeking your input for the annual franchise rankings. You can vote here.

Also at stltoday.com, Joe Lyons discusses the addition of defensive lineman Alex Carrington.

Jim Thomas has the interesting story of cornerback Greg Reid's journey to the NFL.

Also from Lyons, the football legacy of undrafted rookie linebacker Johnny Millard.

 

[RamBill]