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.
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.
With NFL teams going though OTAs and minicamps this offseason, we look at 10 young players who can make an impact in 2009. These players have five years or less than NFL experience.
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.
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.
The 2008 season was an unmitigated disaster for the Rams. They had their star running back hold out, only to be re-signed and get injured -- an injury which lingered far too long. They fired their coach after four embarrassing games, won two straight under his replacement, but then dropped their final 10.
It was hard to find a strength on this team. The offense ranked 27th in the league, while the defense was 28th. Then again, Donnie Jones was one of the best punters in the league. So there's that.
About a month into the 2008 season, Jerry Jones sent the Cowboys' first- and third-round draft picks to Detroit for wide receiver Roy Williams. In 10 games with Dallas, Williams caught 19 passes for 198 yards, including a lone touchdown.
For the first time, well, ever, the Lions looked like they actually made out in a personnel-related move that involved a wide receiver. But NFL Network draft sage Mike Mayock thinks the Cowboys were wise to deal for Williams, at least relative to what they might've been able to get via the draft.
Lance Moore only caught 32 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns in 2007. In 2008, he caught 79 passes for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns. It came from out of nowhere, considering all the other receiving options in New Orleans, but that doesn't mean we can't start grasping at who could be the one who goes from relative fantasy obscurity to a great contributor in the time of one season.
Let's check it out those who will likely see an expanded role in their offense next season, in addition to growth as a playmaker. Please realize these are for deep keeper leagues. Do not even think about keeping any of these over an elite receiver.
Donnie Avery, Rams -- As I said in my top-10 picks post about Steven Jackson, the Rams can't get any worse. They'll figure some things out in the offseason and Mr. Avery is going to be an important part of the offense for any new administration due to his youth. We saw the flashes of talent this time around, and next season we'll see him grow into a real NFL receiver. Plus, it's not like his division is chock full of beastly defenses.
You have to love NFL receivers! They seem to have more drama surrounding them than any other position in sports. Well, add in Rams wide-out Torry Holt to the list of receivers who hate not getting any attention.
Interviewer from St. Louis Post Dispatch: Are you surprised that you're not getting the ball more?
Holt: "Yeah, absolutely, I'm surprised. But I guess they feel that Donnie obviously has been stepping up and making some huge plays, and they want to continue to get him the football."
Interviewer: Are you frustrated?
Holt: "Absolutely. When you go from getting as many opportunities and touches that I've had in the past to not nearly as many, yeah, there's definitely a sense of frustration."
By the way, Holt leads the Rams in receptions and is second to Donnie Avery for receiving yards. Lately, Avery has become a go-to guy for Marc Bulger and is getting a lot of attention for his good play.
Again, this is a St. Louis Rams team that started 0-4, then beat the Redskins and Cowboys before losing a close game in New England last week. Crying about your role now looks extremely selfish and petty.
FanHouse fantasy positional rankings are compiled weekly by the staff in order to provide answers to possible lineup questions. These are assuming most leagues use Fleaflicker's standard scoring structure. If you need clarification, you need more players ranked, or have funky league rules, feel free to shoot us an email question.
- Santonio Holmes is back on the field this Sunday, but I worry about his production after the off-week. He was already a big-time bust before Da Bust. Plus, Big Ben's wing is tweaked, and the Redskins are tough on the pass at home.
- If Brandon Lloyd plays, watch out. I'm expecting a huge week outta him.
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. 
Training camps have wrapped up, the 
The Rams have been getting noticed for their incredibly physical training camp under the new 
Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 
About a month into the 2008 season, 
You have to love NFL receivers! They seem to have more drama surrounding them than any other position in sports. Well, add in Rams wide-out 
