Rams News Recap: Mar. 1

[RamBill]

Gordon: Relocation Talk Reduces Rams Draft Intrigue
While most pro football fans were gearing up for their team’s big games in recent years, Rams fans have fired up for the annual NFL draft.

Rams Free-Agent Preview: Specialists –Wagoner
The free-agent market is scheduled to open March 10 and teams may begin negotiations with those poised to hit the market beginning March 7.

Peter King: On Los Angeles, St. Louis and How It All Shakes Out
I’m like everybody else with this Los Angeles thing. I’m on page 24 of a 300-page book, and it’s not all that interesting so far. But I hear the end is compelling, so I’d rather speed past the next 230 pages and go straight to the climax. Tell me what the end game is.

Jeremiah: Rams Can’t Pass on Marcus Mariota in 2015 Draft
If you were the GM of the St. Louis Rams, who hold the No. 10 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, which quarterback would you rather have for next season: a healthy Sam Bradford or Marcus Mariota?

Rams Mailbag: Heading Toward Free Agency –Wagoner
We’re still a little more than a week from the start of free agency, but teams have already begun slashing players from the roster to create salary-cap space.

Talking Analytics, SPARQ to Enhance Evaluations –Audio

Inglewood Mayor Blasts Terrorist Risk Report of NFL stadium –USA Today
The mayor of Inglewood, Calif., blasted a report that warned a proposed NFL stadium in Inglewood could be a target for terrorist attack and, as a result, should not be built.

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: L.A. battles underway
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16638/morning-ram-blings-l-a-battles-underway

The competition to get a stadium built in Los Angeles has been going on for years. But St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke hasn't been much about talking. Like Marshawn Lynch, he's been about that action.

Which is why last week Kroenke's Inglewood-based stadium plan was placed on the fast track by the Inglewood City Council and quickly sent his competition scrambling.

Little did anyone know just how far that scrambling would go. The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that a study commissioned by competing AEG says that the Inglewood project is a potential target for terrorists. AEG has long sought to bring football back to Los Angeles via the Farmer's Field project.

The study was conducted by former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, who concluded that the stadium should not go forward because it's in the direct flight path toward Los Angeles International Airport.

According to Ridge, the stadium could easily be targeted by terrorists who either commandeer a plane or shoot one down in the area.

Of course, Los Angeles city officials and aviation experts have said otherwise with the FAA twice giving its blessing to the site for a stadium. Further, the City of Champions plan calls for the stadium to sit 100 feet below ground level so it won't rise out of the ground high enough to be a problem. That plan would actually leave the stadium 8 feet shorter than the limit.

In response to the study, Inglewood mayor James T. Butts called Ridge's report "contemptible" in a Sunday story from USA Today.

As for my take, this study comes off as absolutely absurd. It's not only intended to stir things up but it's fear-mongering of the highest order. This is big business, I get that, but to reach such a desperation point that you'd go so far as to play on people's fears goes above and beyond the normal battles that take place in situations such as these.

There are a lot of dollars at stake here but it's quite clear that Kroenke's plan in Inglewood is the best and most realistic Los Angeles has seen in 20 years. Trying to undermine that in this manner not only reeks of desperation but is probably only going to backfire in the end.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of the weekend's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... Todd McShay mocked Alabama receiver Amari Cooper to the Rams. ... The free-agent preview continued by looking at the interior of the offensive line. ... Saturday's mailbag hit on a variety of topics as we head toward free agency. ... Sunday offered the free-agent preview with a look at the specialists.

Elsewhere:

Here is the full version of McShay's latest mock draft.

One quarterback domino fell over the weekend with the Browns signing veteran Josh McCown.

Within the division, the Arizona Cardinals parted ways with long-time Rams nemesis Darnell Dockett.

At stltoday.com, Joe Strauss selected the top 25 teams in Missouri over the past 25 years with some Rams mentions.

Jim Thomas writes that new quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke is high on quarterback Sam Bradford.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

No football in LA cause their stadium is in a flight zone and Terrorists can commandeer a plane and crash it into everyone?
Wow......
Tom Ridge everyone....AEG..... this is fantastic

 

[fearsomefour]

If there is one thing we have learned it is that terrorists who hijack a plane stay on flight paths....idiocy knows no bounds.

 

[CodeMonkey]

To not build it for fear of terroist attack is both sad and rediculous. Terrorism prevails.