Rams News Recap: May 19

[RamBill]

Burwell: Sam Can Use the Silence
Late Monday morning, the world was back to normal at Rams Park. The squadron of TV satellite trucks that had been encamped in the parking lot last week had gone.

Sifting Through Rams Receiver Options –Wagoner
For the better part of the past decade, any time even a semi-notable wide receiver becomes available or is perceived as available, fans of the St. Louis Rams wonder whether the team will be pursue him.

The Sam Chronicles, Chapter II (From His MMQB Column)
In the end, Michael Sam did the right thing. He told coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead that he was going to make his situation right, after the Rams were blindsided by the news of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) planning a “docuseries” on his rookie year as the first openly gay NFL player.

Fisher: ‘Highly Unlikely’ Rams Will Be on ‘Hard Knocks’ –PD
With the NFL getting closer to its “Hard Knocks” decision for 2014 training camp, don’t hold your breath waiting for the St. Louis Rams to get chosen.

Tony Softli Talks Gilbert, Gaines, and other Rams Rookies –Radio Interview

Projected Starters: St. Louis Rams –NFL.com
Around The League predicts the Week 1 starting lineups for all 32 teams, analyzing the potential impact of each rookie class.

Fox Analyst Daryl Johnston Impressed with St. Louis Rams’ First Day Selections –Cover32
While Johnston was unable to watch the complete draft, the fourteen-year sports broadcaster was impressed by the St. Louis Rams’ first day picks in Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Sam Bradford: In A Class All By Himself –TST
When it comes to Sam Bradford, there does not seem to be anyone else in the entire league like him

Busy First Week for Rams Rookies –Softli
Following a seemingly endless road to the 2014 NFL Draft, the Rams rookies first arrived in Earth City and began to get adjusted to the professional side of the football business.

Rams Usually in No Rush to Sign Draft Picks –Wagoner
Since the new collective bargaining agreement in 2011 offered a defined rookie wage scale, teams have begun signing their draft classes earlier and earlier.

Morning Ram-blings: Richardson to Jets –Wagoner
Although the writing was clearly on the wall, some were surprised when the St. Louis Rams released running back Daryl Richardson last week.

St. Louis Rams Rookies by the Numbers –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams have received rave reviews for their 2014 NFL draft class, especially the first four players they selected. The reasons for that positive outlook range from strong workouts and athleticism to leadership and intangibles.

Mo Alexander and EJ Gaines: Rams Rookies with Local Connections –Video

Greg Robinson on Overcoming Adversity “I use it as motivation.” –Video

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: On expanded playoffs
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/8612/morning-ram-blings-on-expanded-playoffs

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Way back when the idea of expanded playoffs was first floated last season, we spent a little time discussing what that could mean for the St. Louis Rams, especially in the short term.

Obviously, expanding the field to 14 teams offers more opportunities for teams to get in. That's a benefit for every franchise in the league so clearly it's one for a team like the Rams that hasn't made the postseason since 2004.

On Monday afternoon, NFL Nation columnist Kevin Seifert took a closer look at what he describes as an "inevitable" move by the league.

There's a lot to chew on in Seifert's piece and I highly recommend reading it but breaking it down to its simplest form, it's the same as any other decision the league makes along these lines. It's all about the money. More playoff games equals more revenue. That's pretty simple.

Over the long haul, adding more playoff teams is going to be a plus for teams that might otherwise be left at home. Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already said he likes the idea, in no small part because he runs a .500 team that keeps coming up short. The Rams are in a similar boat, or at least they have been the past two seasons under coach Jeff Fisher.

More to the point, the short-term benefit for St. Louis is that it is in the league's toughest division. Even if the Rams make up ground on Arizona this year, it's going to be difficult to catch San Francisco and Seattle. If that's the case -- and nothing is guaranteed -- then the Rams suddenly only have one playoff spot they can grab. It's not impossible for three teams from the same division to make it. It happened in the AFC last year, but it's certainly not easy.

The sooner the playoffs would expand, the better if you live in the NFC West. For proof, simply ask Arizona. The Cardinals went 10-6 and were playing as well as any team at the end of the year but stayed home in January.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... The Ram-blings began the day with a look at Daryl Richardson's landing with the New York Jets. ... Next, we had some fun with numbers as we looked at some statistics of the Rams' top four rookies and how those might translate in the NFL. ... From there, we examined why the Rams are usually a little behind the rest of the league when it comes to signing their rookie class. ... Finally, we worked through the Rams' current receiver options.

Elsewhere:

John Clayton's weekly mailbag with some thoughts on DE Michael Sam.

Mel Kiper Jr. believes defensive tackle Aaron Donald can be an impact player from day 1.

At stltoday.com, Joe Lyons writes that Florida State defensive back Lamarcus Joyner is eager to make his mark.

Lyons also explores the pending absence of offensive tackle Mitchell Van Dyk because of the league's rules on graduation.

Stlouisrams.com looks at the early praise rookies have for defensive line coach Mike Waufle.