Rams News Recap: August 13

[RamBill]

Rams Notes: Hooey Put Time on Practice Squad to Good Use –PD
Sean Hooey’s first season in professional football was over almost as soon as it started.

A Humbled Tavon Austin Looks for Better Things in 2014 –PD
English was a second language for wide receiver Tavon Austin when it came to understanding the Rams’ playbook in 2013.

Rams Camp Report: Day 14 –Wagoner
A daily review of the hot topics coming out of St. Louis Rams training camp:

Sam Bradford Eager for Preseason Debut –Wagoner
By the time the St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers kick off Saturday afternoon’s preseason contest, it will have been an even 300 days since quarterback Sam Bradford last played an organized football game.

Hekker Hopes to Improve on Record Season –Wagoner
Attempting to figure out what St. Louis Rams punter Johnny Hekker can do for an encore a season after setting an NFL record for net punting isn’t difficult.

Jeff Fisher says Sam Bradford is ready to go in 2014 –Radio Interview

Wired: Chase Reynolds vs. Saints –Video

Kenny Britt Trying to Make Most of His Time With the Rams –Latsch
Kenny Britt is embracing his fresh start here with the Rams. The former Tennessee Titans wide receiver is also enjoying his new role as a veteran leader of the Rams’ young receiving corps.

Gordon’s Tipsheet: NFL’s Focus on LA Intensifies
The Oakland Raiders came down the California coast to work with the Dallas Cowboys for a couple of days in Oxnard.

Morning Ram-blings: Quinn Speaks –Wagoner
St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn burst on the national radar in 2013 with 19 sacks and seven forced fumbles.

Wagoner’s Rams Buzz: Starting O-line Rounding Into Shape –Video

Sam Bradford: “I really like the group in front of me right now.”

Casey Phillips One-on-One with Rams TE Jared Cook –Video

Jeff Fisher: “It was a really good session” –Video

Rams Playmakers Radio Show

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: The ultimate team
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10492/morning-ram-blings-the-ultimate-team

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN Insider Mark Dominik put together the best team money can buy using every roster and every cap number for players around the league.

In this sort of fantasy football, Dominik only had to work within the constraints of this year's salary cap and did not limit himself to having a representative from every team. For those of you with ESPN Insider, here's the team he put together.

Quinn
As for the team, without giving away the entire roster, the St. Louis Rams had one representative in the form of defensive end Robert Quinn. Considering his talent, potential and relatively light price tag, Quinn is a no-brainer for the team. Dominik has Quinn starting opposite Houston's J.J. Watt. What a nightmare that would be for an offense.

In looking at the rest of the roster, there was only one spot that jumped out to me as one where you could and should have gone with a Ram. That's punter. Dominik chose talented Jacksonville's Bryan Anger. While he's a fine choice, but it's hard to justify taking him over the Rams' John Hekker. Hekker was first-team All Pro and set a league record for net punting in 2013.

Making Hekker even more appealing is that he's actually scheduled to count $573,334 against this year's cap, which is almost $200,000 less than Anger. Not that it's a big deal, but it serves as an easy swap that could have helped with money elsewhere.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Wednesday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we began the day by hearing from Quinn, who appeared on ESPN Radio earlier this week. ... In this week's Buzz video, I discussed the offensive line's movement toward having its five starters in place in the near future. ... Next, we took a look at how Hekker can improve in 2014. ... Then we delved into quarterback Sam Bradford's enthusiasm to get back into game action. ... Finally, we closed with a quick camp report from the team's special teams only practice Wednesday afternoon.

Elsewhere:

At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas looks at the effect receiver Kenny Britt has had on the Rams receivers.

Jeff Gordon offers a look at the increased efforts to get a stadium in Los Angeles.

Joe Lyons recaps the early performance of cornerback E.J. Gaines.

101sports.com has Bradford's interview heading into the second preseason game.

Merril Hoge joined 101sports.com and talked about the impact of defensive tackle Aaron Donald.