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Rams notes: Club waives injured Pead as training camp wraps up
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_cf7ee859-ad67-5bd5-b11a-a3278ffd1997.html
In a bit of a surprise, the Rams listed running back and special teams player Isaiah Pead as waived/injured on Wednesday.
Pead, a second-round draft choice (50th overall) in 2012, suffered a torn ACL to his left knee while returning a first-quarter kickoff Saturday in the team’s 21-7 loss to the visiting Green Bay Packers. At the end of a 33-yard return, it appeared Pead’s foot got caught in the turf while he attempted to make a jump-cut. There was no contact on the play.
The Rams’ decision to put Pead on waivers allows any other team in the league 24 hours to claim the third-year pro. But that’s not likely given his injury status and 2014 salary ($757,100).
The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Pead starred at the University of Cincinnati, earning the Big East offensive player of the year award as a Bearcats senior. But he never reached that level in St. Louis. In two seasons with the Rams, he made one start and played in 25 games, rushing for 75 yards on 17 carries while catching 14 passes for 94 yards. In addition, he returned 14 kickoffs for 350 yards.
Pead was suspended for last season’s opener for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse but came on last season to earn a spot as a core special teamer.
PRACTICE SQUAD WILL EXPAND
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to expand practice squads from eight to 10 players for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
That could be significant for a young Rams squad that appears to be deeper than it has been in past seasons.
“It gives us an opportunity to develop two additional players,’’ Fisher said. “And everybody else, too. It adds players to the pool, the developmental pool, which will be good. Gives us some flexibility as far as decisions are concerned.’’
All 32 teams in the NFL will be required to cut down to a 53-man roster on Aug. 30. Released players will go through waivers and may be claimed by any NFL squad. Following the waiver period, teams will be able to sign unsigned players to their practice squads.
The NFL cutdown from 90 to 75 players is Tuesday, Aug. 26.
RAM-BLINGS
The Rams closed out training camp Wednesday afternoon with a dizzy-bat relay race involving the club’s rookies and interns.
At the 50-yard line, the relay runners were required to spin while leaning over with their head on a bat. At the same time, the veteran players are there to taunt them and to add water to the race.
“Yeah, that was interesting. Probably one of the best,’’ Fisher said. “What happens is, the guys run out of water in the beginning. They get too excited and run out of water. But we have a good rookie group.’’
Fisher continued; “All in all, from a camp standpoint, I thought we got a lot accomplished. We have a challenge ahead of us right now because typically break-camp week is a distraction. Even though camp’s a little different than it has been in the past, we are breaking camp and now we have to go on the road. So we have to get focused and go into a tough place to play against a team that’s going into its preseason home opener.”
The Rams (0-2) will close out their preseason schedule with a pair of road games, Saturday at Cleveland and Aug. 28 at Miami.
• Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis returned to practice and took part in seven-on-seven drills while offensive lineman Lonn Dunbar and Pat Schiller, defensive end Sammy Brown, cornerbacks E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee and guard-center Barrett Jones.
• According to Forbes Magazine’s annual report, the Rams’ franchise value ranks last in the NFL at $930 million. The Dallas Cowboys, at $3.2 billion, are No. 1 in the league.
A year ago, the Rams were No. 29, ahead of Buffalo, Jacksonville and Oakland.
But the Rams were valued at $200 million when they moved to St. Louis, meaning the franchise is 4½ times more valuable in 2014 than in 1995.
• Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams watched the Rams practice Wednesday.
• The local Pro Football Writers of America chapter presented plaques to Laurinaitis and Chris Long as co-winners of the “Good Guy Award’’ for their work with the St. Louis media.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_cf7ee859-ad67-5bd5-b11a-a3278ffd1997.html
In a bit of a surprise, the Rams listed running back and special teams player Isaiah Pead as waived/injured on Wednesday.
Pead, a second-round draft choice (50th overall) in 2012, suffered a torn ACL to his left knee while returning a first-quarter kickoff Saturday in the team’s 21-7 loss to the visiting Green Bay Packers. At the end of a 33-yard return, it appeared Pead’s foot got caught in the turf while he attempted to make a jump-cut. There was no contact on the play.
The Rams’ decision to put Pead on waivers allows any other team in the league 24 hours to claim the third-year pro. But that’s not likely given his injury status and 2014 salary ($757,100).
The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Pead starred at the University of Cincinnati, earning the Big East offensive player of the year award as a Bearcats senior. But he never reached that level in St. Louis. In two seasons with the Rams, he made one start and played in 25 games, rushing for 75 yards on 17 carries while catching 14 passes for 94 yards. In addition, he returned 14 kickoffs for 350 yards.
Pead was suspended for last season’s opener for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse but came on last season to earn a spot as a core special teamer.
PRACTICE SQUAD WILL EXPAND
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to expand practice squads from eight to 10 players for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
That could be significant for a young Rams squad that appears to be deeper than it has been in past seasons.
“It gives us an opportunity to develop two additional players,’’ Fisher said. “And everybody else, too. It adds players to the pool, the developmental pool, which will be good. Gives us some flexibility as far as decisions are concerned.’’
All 32 teams in the NFL will be required to cut down to a 53-man roster on Aug. 30. Released players will go through waivers and may be claimed by any NFL squad. Following the waiver period, teams will be able to sign unsigned players to their practice squads.
The NFL cutdown from 90 to 75 players is Tuesday, Aug. 26.
RAM-BLINGS
The Rams closed out training camp Wednesday afternoon with a dizzy-bat relay race involving the club’s rookies and interns.
At the 50-yard line, the relay runners were required to spin while leaning over with their head on a bat. At the same time, the veteran players are there to taunt them and to add water to the race.
“Yeah, that was interesting. Probably one of the best,’’ Fisher said. “What happens is, the guys run out of water in the beginning. They get too excited and run out of water. But we have a good rookie group.’’
Fisher continued; “All in all, from a camp standpoint, I thought we got a lot accomplished. We have a challenge ahead of us right now because typically break-camp week is a distraction. Even though camp’s a little different than it has been in the past, we are breaking camp and now we have to go on the road. So we have to get focused and go into a tough place to play against a team that’s going into its preseason home opener.”
The Rams (0-2) will close out their preseason schedule with a pair of road games, Saturday at Cleveland and Aug. 28 at Miami.
• Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis returned to practice and took part in seven-on-seven drills while offensive lineman Lonn Dunbar and Pat Schiller, defensive end Sammy Brown, cornerbacks E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee and guard-center Barrett Jones.
• According to Forbes Magazine’s annual report, the Rams’ franchise value ranks last in the NFL at $930 million. The Dallas Cowboys, at $3.2 billion, are No. 1 in the league.
A year ago, the Rams were No. 29, ahead of Buffalo, Jacksonville and Oakland.
But the Rams were valued at $200 million when they moved to St. Louis, meaning the franchise is 4½ times more valuable in 2014 than in 1995.
• Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams watched the Rams practice Wednesday.
• The local Pro Football Writers of America chapter presented plaques to Laurinaitis and Chris Long as co-winners of the “Good Guy Award’’ for their work with the St. Louis media.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
