Rams News Recap: May 11

[RamBill]

Rams Sign Tryout Players Daniel Rodriguez and Tyler Ott –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams only invited two players to their rookie orientation on a tryout basis over the weekend, but they both did enough to earn contracts.

Rams 6th-Round Pick Wichmann Fueled by Underdog Mentality –FSMW
Two traits highlight the playing style of Rams sixth-round draft pick Cody Wichmann: He plays with an edge, and he thrives as an underdog.

Jim Thomas Talks Rams Rookie Orientation –Audio

TIOLI: Gurley Will Be the Best RB in the NFC West by 2016

Rams Among 14 NFL Teams Paid By DOD to Display Support of Military –TST
More than $5m has been paid out by the National Guard to multiple teams across the NFL since 2011.

The Rams Rookies Are Adjusting to Being the New Kids –Schnake
Someone called police on Jamon Brown the day the Rams drafted him, but not for the reasons too often surrounding NFL prospects. Neighbors made the call to police regarding his family’s reaction to getting the Rams’ call.

Former Texas RB Malcolm Brown Working for role with Rams –Latsch
Malcolm Brown is ready to work and ready to learn and the former Texas running back is aiming to be the next undrafted free agent to earn a job with the Rams.

Rams’ Todd Gurley Focused on Making Mental Adjustment –Wagoner
Standing on the sidelines as his rookie St. Louis Rams teammates went through the paces of their orientation over the weekend, running back Todd Gurley couldn’t help but find himself popping into the occasional huddle.

Three Takeaways from Rams’ Rookie Orientation –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams wrapped up their rookie orientation over the weekend after spending a couple of days getting their rookie class acclimated to how the Rams do things.

Morning Ram-blings: The Next Round of Free Agency and the Rams –Wagoner
Free agency in the NFL isn’t what it used to be. Where once there was a glut of teams waiting for June 1 to make certain moves for cap purposes, the league and the players association have made some changes to when that business can be done.

Howard Balzer Talks Rams Draft –Audio

Les Snead Breaks Down the Rams Draft Picks –Audio

Where’s the Beef? Rams O-Line –Video

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Sports specialization and the NFL
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...-ram-blings-sports-specialization-and-the-nfl

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Many of you might recall the quarterback survey that we did here at ESPN.com earlier this year. In it, we surveyed current and former quarterbacks on a variety of topics, including their participation in sports beyond football.

In many corners of the country, it's become a popular theory that for an athlete to reach the pinnacle in a given sport, that athlete should specialize only in that sport. But the numbers don't necessarily support that.

ESPN NFL Nation columnist Kevin Seifert took a closer look at the idea of playing multiple sports as a way of preparing athletes to become the best they can be.

Going back to our quarterback survey, it was found that 95 percent of the 128 active and retired NFL quarterbacks played two or more sports in high school. This isn't necessarily something that directly relates to the St. Louis Rams but it's an interesting read nonetheless, especially if you're a parent with a child interested in playing multiple sports.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... The Ram-blings started the day with a look at how rule changes could turn up the market on tackle Joe Barksdale. ... I then offered three takeaways from the Rams' rookie orientation. ... Running back Todd Gurley is focused on learning the mental side of the game while he recovers from knee surgery. ... The Rams signed both of their tryout players to rookie deals.

Elsewhere:

ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell has the story of Senator Jeff Flake criticizing the National Guard for its sponsorship deal with teams.

The NFL didn't half-step its punishment for the New England Patriots or Tom Brady in the fallout of Deflategate.

At 101sports.com, hear from the various rookies in their first experience with the team.

At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas writes the story of sixth-round pick Cody Wichmann and his propensity for bringing the hammer.

At FoxSportsMidwest.com, Elisabeth Meinecke examines the Rams' approach to introducing their rookies to the mix.