Yardbarker: Orlando Pace

MARC BULGER LOOKS GOOD

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:39:53 -0500

The "new" offensive system in St. Louis is actually the old San Diego Chargers system still in use by many teams. Having Al Saunders back in St Louis will help Marc Bulger as he returns to a style of offense he was familiar with during the Mike Martz era. Bulger will feel very comfortable in that system and become more productive. If the offensive line can hold up and Steven Jackson does not get injured, the Rams will be able to move the ball. In fact, the more I analyze the Rams, the more it appears as if their entire season will come down to how well the o-line can perform and if they can avoid injuries.

Having Orlando Pace back at left tackle will be huge and getting Alex Barron to play like a first-rounder will be even more important. Barron is way too soft and does not play the game with any power or explosion off the ball.

The Rams need to be very active with what is left of their summer by adding to their overall depth. They clearly need another running back, even after this Jackson situation gets resolved.

The difference between the Rams going 9-7 and 6-10 rests in their ability to find players from this point forward. They must add to their team and pray for a healthy preseason.

Even with their challenges, at the very least they have something the 49ers don't have -- a legitimate pro quarterback.

Fantasy Football Sleeper Rankings - Quarterback Sleepers

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:17:20 -0500

Having not one, but two quality quarterbacks on your roster can help drive you to the playoffs and even a championship, so it's important you evaluate all the quarterbacks and not just concern yourself with the top 10 arms. Luckily, the Bruno Boys help do that for you and below have identified our favorite sleepers and undervalued players at the quarterback position. Two are league veterans poised for a big rebound after injury-riddled seasons last year, while the other two are young guns looking to take the next step. To read who they are, click the link...

Rams Open Camp in Wisconsin Today

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:48:42 -0500

The Rams open training camp today at Concordia University in Wisconsin. Players will attend a morning meeting while two practices are also on tap. Rams wide receiver Donnie Avery is the only rookie left unsigned and will not participate in drills until he is under contract. The "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" is reporting that left tackle Orlando Pace and defensive lineman Adam Carriker have both been cleared to practice.

Rams Open Camp in Wisconsin Today

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:48:42 -0500

Here We Go Again!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:56:00 -0500

Well it did not take long for the St. Louis Rams fans to receive bad news, even before training camp started. The Rams announced Tuesday that Orlando Pace will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list (PUP). It has been almost a full calendar year since Orlando was hurt in the first [...]

Here We Go Again!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:56:00 -0500

Greg Haefner's 2009 NFL Mock Draft - 2 Rounds

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:18:50 -0500

Atlanta: Michael Oher The Falcons need a line to protect Matt Ryan. And yes, they traded up to get Sam Baker this year, but Oher is the best tackle prospect to come along since Orlando Pace. For more: http://walterfootball.com/draft2009greg.php

Fantasy Football Notes - St. Louis Rams

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:58:23 -0500

The St. Louis Rams suffered through a rough 2007 season as they went 3-13, including a miserable 1-5 in their division. But, unlike most crappy teams, they have a very valid excuse as they suffered through a slew of injuries. Star running back, Steven Jackson, was out with a torn groin muscle for 4 weeks. Quarterback, Marc Bulger, missed 4 weeks with a long-list of nagging injuries. Wide receiver, Torry Holt, started all 16 games, but was clearly affected by his bum knee. Offensive tackle, Orlando Pace, played in just one game, and return specialist, Dante Hall, who played in only 7 games due to a high-ankle sprain, was also missed. If the Rams can avoid the injury bug to key players, it would not surprise the Bruno Boys to see the team compete for the NFC West title and produce many fantasy football studs in 2008. That is a big if though as Holt, Pace and Bulger are not getting any younger, Hall is just a smidgen of what he used to be with the Chiefs, and Steven Jackson's injury involves a muscle that men just clearly do not enjoy having hurt! To read more of what Bruno Boy Chris Ziza has to say about the St. Louis Rams and their fantasy football potential, click the link below.

2008 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Q & A - Positional Bargains

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:05:16 -0500

With fantasy football drafts right around the corner, the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff is ready to get you prepared for draft day. To do so, staff writer Chris Ziza offers his expert insight on which fantasy football players can be had at a bargain price in your fantasy football draft. Make sure to click the link to read the full article...

Rams Offensive Line Poised to Be a Team Strength

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:41:55 -0500

A look at the Rams' offensive line prospects for 2008 and its recovery from the disaster of 2007.

St. Louis Rams Offensive Line Analysis - Can they be any worse than in 2007?

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:32:17 -0500

This in depth analysis of the offensive line includes the projected starters for the upcoming season, statistics and injuries from the past season, an overview of players on the line and an outlook for the 2008 season.

NFL: Best Offensive Lineman Of All-Time

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:57:38 -0500

With the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Miami Dolphins selects Jake Long, offensive lineman out of the University of Michigan. Obviously the men upfront are important and they get left out of most conversations about the best players in NFL history. So the idea here is to show the O-lineman some love. With out further adieu here is the list top to bottom in no particular order. www.rawsportsblog.com

Booms and Busts - A Look at the No. 1 Picks Over the Past 20 Years

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:27:00 -0500

Over the past twenty years, the NFL has seen more than a few number one overall picks go "bust." But there have also been some great players who lived up to the hype of being drafted first. Check out the full list with comments on each player.

10-pack: Players who should retire

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:10:01 -0500

LOL! someone made a 10 list of players that should retire & NOW lol!!!!! some i agree with & some i don't!!! THOUGHTS?? 1. Jason Taylor, DE, Miami Dolphins: By skipping a big chunk of the offseason workout program so he could cut a rug in a dancing competition aimed at reviving the careers of has beens or kick-starting the show business runs of wannabes, Taylor is making it known that his passion for football has waned. Unless, of course, he can't parlay his twice-per-week exposure on national television into something that pays better. He still has the physical tools to play in the NFL, but football isn't really a priority for him anymore. If it were, he'd save the Fred Astaire routine for later. 2. Zach Thomas, ILB, Dallas Cowboys: I'm not a neurologist (and have not played one on television or stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night, or ever). The fact that being in a fender-bender caused Thomas to develop post-concussion syndrome tells me he has had his brain box busted a few times too many. Maybe he should be the one Dancing with the Stars -- it's a better outcome than regularly seeing them. (New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Dan Morgan and St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green fall into this category as well, but without the fender-bender. It would have been easy to make them No. 3 and No. 4 on the list with "See Zach Thomas" as the explanation, but I get paid by the word. Yes. I do. By the word. Punctuation. Too.) 3. Michael Strahan, DE, New York Giants: Last year, Strahan wanted more money. When he didn't get it, he stayed away from training camp as he "contemplated retirement," which most folks interpreted to mean, "hoped for more money or a trade to a contender." The irony is he ended up playing for a legitimate contender and landing an unlikely Super Bowl trophy. Strahan's best move would be to get out while he's still reasonably healthy and parlay that title into a media career that would instantly eclipse the well-engineered (but poorly executed) post-football endeavors of former teammate/nemesis Tiki Barber. 4. Brad Johnson, QB, Dallas Cowboys: With Vinny Testaverde finally packing it in, Johnson now is the official over-the-hill quarterback with the arm strength of a Tyrannosaurus. Johnson was dreadful in his final season as a starter with the Minnesota Vikings; if Tony Romo ever gets hurt, the team facing the Cowboys can confidently replace its safeties with nose tackles. 5. Byron Leftwich, QB, free agent: I actually feel bad for Leftwich. After four NFL seasons, Leftwich was abruptly dumped by the Jacksonville Jaguars in favor of a career backup who now has pocketed a big-money contract. Leftwich, meanwhile, was deemed to be not good enough for the quarterback-starved Atlanta Falcons and still is waiting for the phone to ring. He should exercise what little remaining control he has over his life by ripping the phone out of the wall. Permanently. 6. Jonathan Ogden, OT, Ravens: Ogden is another guy who should quit talking about retirement and just do it. For the future Hall of Famer, however, it's not about whether he loves the game. It's about whether he can continue to use a constantly injured toe to push off his 345-pound frame. (Then again, it's likely the toe is constantly injured from all those years of doing just that.) 7. Orlando Pace, OT, Rams: Although the first overall pick in the 1997 draft hasn't mused about calling it quits, he should. As the cornerstone of St. Louis' offensive line, Pace has been too injured far too often. The Rams can no longer rely on him, and Pace can no longer rely on his body. The team might give him a nudge in a few weeks by drafting Michigan's Jake Long. If Pace doesn't take the hint, the smarter move might be to move him to right tackle and treat any game in which he's actually able to play like a $20 bill found in an old pair of stone-washed jeans. 8. Chad Johnson, WR, Bengals: In a misguided effort to get out of town, the Bengals' No. 1 wideout has been threatening to retire. Coach Marvin Lewis has called his bluff. Johnson should call Marvin's bluff and pack it in. Not because it's in Johnson's best long-term interests to do so, but because the football-following world is sick of listening to his routine. The only problem is someone would likely hire Johnson to talk about football on television. So maybe it's better if he doesn't retire. Ever. 9. Troy Brown, WR, free agent: Brown is a legend in New England, but the Patriots aren't interested in bringing him back for another year. Arguably, however, Brown has been on scholarship for several seasons; he has started only 12 games in four years. Last month, Brown visited the Jets. Sure, he's free to go where he wants, but why taint his legacy in Boston to spend another season riding the pine? He has as much of a claim to the launch of the Pats' dynasty as does Tom Brady or Adam Vinatieri. If Brown finishes his career in another helmet, the memory of Pats fans regarding this specific point could fade a bit. 10. Matt Jones, WR, Jaguars: Three years ago, Jones created a huge buzz in the days leading up to the draft. Chris Mortensen of ESPN sang Jones' praises, predicting he'd qualify for more Pro Bowls than pretty much any of the rest of the skill-position players taken in Round 1. But in his third year -- the one in which receivers are supposed to break out -- Jones had a career low in catches (24) and yards (317). Although he still has the physical tools to remain in the NFL for several more years, the reality is that Jones, by all appearances, doesn't care. And if he doesn't care, he should quit. There are too many guys with less natural ability, but loads more desire and heart. Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a frequent contributor to Sporting News.

Doctors Earning Their Keep In St. Louis

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:13:12 -0500

Six games, and six losses, later, it's needless to say that the only thing the Rams are battling for is the first overall draft pick. And at least one of the reasons is injuries.