Ramblin' Fan » Cadillac Williams

Rams Place Jason Smith On IR

Justin Stine — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 10:02:11 +0000

The IR list got a little more crowded on Friday (as it seems to every day) as the Rams placed OT Jason Smith on as he recovers from a concussion. Smith tried to work out earlier in the week, but he suffered from concussion symptoms when he tried to ramp things up. With the injuries on the offensive line piling up, the team decided to end Smith’s season so they could add another body to the group. To take his place, the team signed G/C Bryan Mattison, who was cut by the Ravens on Wednesday. Mattison has seen some NFL time over the last two seasons, as he has played in 10 games for Baltimore, eight of which came this year.

It was really only a matter of time before Smith was going to go on IR, so I’m glad the team made the move this week. Smith has struggled with concussions already in his young career, and it’s getting to a point where you have to be concerned about his future with this team. He hasn’t lived up to the expecations since coming into the league, and I don’t know if you can count on him to play a full season at this point. It will be interesting to see what happens with Smith next season, but we know for sure we won’t be seeing him suit up again in 2011. More on next page…

King Goes Down Again

Justin Stine — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:23:14 +0000

It’s almost becoming dangerous to play cornerback for the Rams these days. Justin King, who had just been cleared for contact after suffering a mild concussion over the weekend, left midway through practice on Thursday after turning an ankle. Spags called it a tweak when he spoke to the media after practice, but there hasn’t been any word on the severity just yet. If King can’t go, the Rams will obviously have a problem. They are already down to the likes of Rod Hood and Nate Ness, so this may be an issue. We’ll get an update Friday at practice, so stay tuned.

On the good news front, Rodger Saffold was cleared for contact and he is expected to start Sunday against Seattle. He will need to make it to the game without suffering a setback, but it looks like all things will be a go. Lance Kendricks is also recovering nicely and he could be available Sunday as well. After the loss of Illini Mike, it would be huge if Kendricks would be able to go. Jerious Norwood practiced Thursday as well, and it looks like he will be available on Sunday to back up SJ39.

The news isn’t so good on Danario Alexander, who isn’t progressing from his hamstring injury. He had a bad day on Thursday according to Spags, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to be ready. Cadillac Williams is also expected to be out Sunday.

Good News For Rams On Injury Front

Justin Stine — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:37:36 +0000

Things were looking pretty bleak on the injury front after Sunday’s game, but after Tuesday off the participation at Wednesday’s practice was better than most expected. There were only three guys who were unable to go today: (WR) Brandon Gibson, (OT) Jason Smith and (RB) Cadillac Williams. As far as Gibson goes, he is still dealing with a groin issue that flared up a bit today. We’ll just have to see if it feels better in the coming days. Everyone else listed on the injury report participated at least a little in drills, and that list includes: (WR) Danario Alexander, (LB) Josh Hull, (LB) Bryan Kehl, (TE) Lance Kendricks, (CB) Justin King, (RB) Jerious Norwood, (T) Rodger Saffold, (DE) Eugene Sims, (S) Darian Stewart.

I was a little surprised to see Saffold and King both out there today, but apparently they only suffered mild concussions and were non-contact. Spags said he is hopefully they will be cleared for contact by Thursday, so we will have to see. It’s great to see DX and Kendricks both able to go today, and assuming no setbacks they could both be back for Sunday. Thursday is the biggest test, because it determines how the injuries react to the activity of the previous day. We aren’t out of the woods on any of these guys yet, but we will see if the entire group is back out there tomorrow.