FanHouse LaurentRobinson

After three Rams losses, it's pretty evident 2009 is going to be a long season in St. Louis (the third straight of the variety). Monday, they received some more bad news -- that Laurent Robinson, a member of the already paper-thin receiving corps, will likely miss the remainder of the season after injuring his lower leg (both a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain) during Sunday's loss to Green Bay.

Quarterback Marc Bulger also left the game injured, but his injury isn't deemed as serious, now that he's been diagnosed with a bruised rotator cuff. Earlier Monday, some feared Bulger had a torn rotator cuff and would also miss the remainder of the season. Of course, clouding matters is that Kyle Boller came in relief of Bulger and looked far superior.

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Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

The Rams enter the 2009 season in full-on rebuilding mode. Another bad season wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the future of the franchise as a whole, as they need to continue to grow their young players. The remnants of the strong Rams rosters from earlier this decade are either gone or aging quickly. New head coach Steve Spagnuolo will look to mold the next generation his way, starting immediately.

The Rams have been getting noticed for their incredibly physical training camp under the new Steve Spagnuolo regime. There are many positives to having a physically intense camp, but there's always the increased risk of losing an important player to injury. Remember, the Rams dodged a close call with their franchise player last week.

Friday night, No. 1 wide receiver Donnie Avery came down with a foot injury during an intrasquad scrimmage. The injury wasn't believed to be serious, but, come Sunday, Avery was experiencing enough pain that the team ordered an MRI. The results came back with bad news.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

The Rams entered the draft with far too many holes to be filled with simply seven picks. Steve Spagnuolo entered the Gateway City with the task of returning the Rams to national prominence after they have fallen apart in just a few years. There are some talented pieces in place, and they've addressed some needs this offseason, but many more positions need attention. The logical starting point -- because they've done it before with Orlando Pace -- was a stalwart left tackle. Jason Smith was taken to fulfill this role with the second overall pick.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterbacks: If he develops as expected, and if he doesn't have a hidden dog-fighting hobby, the Falcons have their franchise quarterback for the next decade at least. Matt Ryan will be the team's starting quarterback by the start of 2009 for sure. The question is whether he'll be stepping in to replace Chris Redman early this season. Considering how bad Atlanta will be, the likelihood is he'll be under center by Week Eight, when the Falcons come off their bye. Heat Index: 4

Running Backs: If there is one position on the Falcons' roster where they compare favorably to the rest of the league, it may be running back. Jerious Norwood has been one of the most productive backup running backs in the league over the past two seasons (202 carries, 1,246 yards with a 6.2 yard per carry average), and was expected to step into the starting role whenever Warrick Dunn aged out of the position. Dunn finally left town to head back to Tampa Bay, but Norwood will still be the backup, as the Falcons signed LaDainian Tomlinson's understudy, Michael Turner, to a big-money deal. Turner's resume is very similar to Norwood's--he's been a productive backup for three seasons (228 carries, 1,257 yards with a 5.5 YPC average) who is looking to step into a larger role. The two should complement each other pretty well, as Turner is a bigger, one-cut home run hitter with good speed, while Norwood is a shiftier, smaller back with blazing speed. Together, they could be an outstanding combo if they didn't have to run behind such a brutal offensive line. Heat Index: 7

The New York Jets started their preseason with a bang. Led by back-up quarterback Kellen Clemens (16 of 22 for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns) and running back Leon Washington (127 total yards), they were able to ground the Atlanta Falcons in a 31-16 victory.

One of the more sparkling plays of the game came courtesy of cornerback Drew Coleman, who made an excellent read on a Chris Redman pass and was able to tip it away. Unfortunately, he missed an easy interception only a few plays later.

Jets back-up tight end Sean Ryan (4 receptions for 29 yards) also had a an excellent game, grabbing two touchdown -- one of which came on a brilliant diving catch in the back of the endzone.

Finally, cornerback Alphonso Hodge had a very impressive open field tackle on the Falcons' Laurent Robinson that saved a first down and ended Atlanta's drive. Little things like this go unnoticed in the box score, but you can bet Eric Mangini gives him a pat on the back tomorrow when they watch the film.