Rams News Recap: May 15

[RamBill]

Tre Mason taking cues from great Rams RBs –PD
After completing a record-breaking junior season at Auburn and deciding to turn pro, running back Tre Mason heard from one of the all-time greats at the position: Marshall Faulk.

Rams Notes: Rams release RB Richardson –PD
From the moment the Rams drafted Auburn running back Tre Mason in Round 3 a week ago, you knew either Daryl Richardson or Isaiah Pead was in trouble.

New Rams QB Gilbert Eager to Prove his Worth on the Gridiron –FSMW
The quarterback the Rams selected in the sixth round Saturday got to meet the rest of the St. Louis QBs — Sam Bradford, Shaun Hill and Austin Davis — on Tuesday and almost immediately began to pick their brains.

Mistake For Michael Sam To Do Documentary? –Video

Rams Release Cudjo, Richardson –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams did a little roster housekeeping Thursday afternoon, parting ways with four players, including a pair who have contributed at various points in the past.

Michael Sam Receiving Backlash from Teammates and Media for Documentary
Michael Sam’s reality show is not on air yet, but the reviews have been bad so far.

Aaron Donald Brings Variety to Rams’ D-Line –Wagoner
Before last Thursday night, if you wanted to come to the conclusion that the St. Louis Rams had a “type” when it comes to their defensive tackles, it would have been easy to see what it was.

Projecting Rams Depth Chart: Defense –Wagoner
With that said, here’s one man’s guess at how the defensive depth chart figures to shape up as we head toward summer.

Rams Player: Michael Sam Show may be Distraction –ESPN
A player on the St. Louis Rams, speaking on condition of anonymity, says Michael Sam’s upcoming reality show on the Oprah Winfrey Network could potentially cause friction within the team.

Gordon’s Tipsheet: Rams Remain Longshots Despite Draft Haul
Yes, the Rams helped themselves immensely in the draft. Most experts gave Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Co. excellent grades.

Morning Ram-blings: A 2015 Mock Draft –Wagoner
If you didn’t get mock draft burnout with the extra two weeks leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, well, you’re in luck. Because the fun has already begun anew.

Bryan Burwell One-on-One with Greg Robinson –Video

New Rams CB Joyner is Fueled by Desire to Escape Miami Projects –FSMW
“You could tell from Day One that there was something in the kid,” Johnson told FOXSportsMidwest.com on Thursday. “That he had something that he wanted to be, that he wanted to be something, that he wanted to make more of life than things that surrounded him.”

Michael Sam’s Agent Talks About the Oprah Documentary –Video

Jim Thomas Talks Michael Sam and the Rams Draft –Radio Interview

Some Afternoon Rams Notes –Wagoner
Here are a few quick hits that might have been lost in the shuffle in the past week:

Greg Robinson Excited He Fits in His Locker Now –Video

Les Snead Talks Drafting Greg Robinson With Jim Rome

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Gilbert a bargain?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/8526/morning-ram-blings-gilbert-a-bargain

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It was a bit surprising when the St. Louis Rams waited until the sixth round to draft a quarterback in last weekend's draft.

It was there that they took Garrett Gilbert of Southern Methodist University. Gilbert was one of about a dozen quarterbacks the Rams scouted and worked out in the pre-draft process so it was no surprise to see his name pop up.

On Thursday, a story on NFL.com ranked the five potential NFL draft bargains in the NFC West division. The lone Rams representative on the list was, you guessed it, Gilbert.

The story describes Gilbert's strong arm and categorized him as "probably as good as they come for rookie backups."

That would be quite a coup for the Rams if it turned out to be true. The Rams probably would have gone with a quarterback earlier in the draft had they not given up their fifth-round pick to move up three spots and secure defensive back Lamarcus Joyner. That probably would have put them in the running for Alabama's AJ McCarron or Georgia's Aaron Murray (who made the AFC West version of the list).

St. Louis even considered trading back into the fifth round for a shot at McCarron. When all was said and done, the Rams went with Gilbert, who did have some impressive numbers at SMU.

Still, it's rare for quarterbacks drafted so late to become productive NFL players. If this evaluation turns into reality, it would be a boon for the Rams.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Thursday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we began the day with a look at Todd McShay's 2015 mock draft. ... Next, we completed our attempt at projecting the Rams depth chart with the focus on the defense. ... From there, we did a little housekeeping with some news and notes that might have been lost in the shuffle during the busy week. ... Finally, we closed with a look at how defensive tackle Aaron Donald fits the Rams' defensive line.

Chat: At 1 p.m. ET today, the Rams chat will be up and running. You can join in by submitting questions now or checking in when we get underway.

Elsewhere:

Josina Anderson reports that an anonymous Rams player has some questions about the potential distraction of Michael Sam's docuseries.

NFL Nation columnist Kevin Seifert takes a look at some under-the-radar officiating changes made by the league.

At stltoday.com, Joe Lyons takes a closer look at newly-added safety Christian Bryant out of Ohio State.

Jeff Gordon rounds up the various Power Rankings from around the Internet.

At 101sports.com, D'Marco Farr writes about the plight of the undrafted free agent.