The roster is officially set for the upcoming 2010 season for the Rams, as the team made its final cuts yesterday. I must admit that a few of the moves surprised me, and I will go over them in a minute. For now, here is the list off all the players who were released by the team yesterday.

WR Danario Alexander, G Roger Allen III, LB Devin Bishop, LB Cardia Jackson, CB Marquis Johnson, T Ryan McKee, WR Brandon McRae, G Drew Miller, FB Dennis Morris, QB Keith Null, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, DT Ernest Reid, DB Antoine Thompson, DE Victor Adeyanju, CB Quincy Butler and LB Bobby Carpenter.  S Kevin Payne (knee) and T Eric Young (knee) were placed on the reserve/injured list.

The guys who really stand out in this group have to be Null, Ogbonnaya, Carpenter, Adeyanju, and Butler. I really thought Null had the edge to be the third quarterback, but the team decided to go with the upside of Thaddeus Lewis. I don’t mind that move so much, it was just a little surprising. Ogbonnaya really played himself out of a spot in the preseason, so you can’t fault the team there. Carpenter wasn’t very good in the preseason either, but after trading Alex Barron for him I thought he would get a chance. Adeyanju really surprises me, because he was versatile and could really play anywhere on the line. Butler is a good player, and I’m pretty sure he will get picked up by another team.

Danario Alexander, Marquis Johnson, Brandon McRae, Ryan McKee, and Drew Miller have all been placed on the practice squad, which I pretty much expected. I still really like Alexander, but he needs to get completely healthy and acclimated to the NFL before he will be ready to contribute.

Ok, none of that really matters. I have to admit, I’m a little excited after seeing what the team has done on both sides of the ball over the last four games, but we all need to be realistic. You can’t tell much from the preseason. That’s just the fact of the matter. Now, I will say I think it’s OK to be encouraged by what Sam Bradford has done, but going 3-1 is meaningless. If the team comes out and looks the same against the Cardinals on opening day, then I’ll be excited. But until then, I suggest no one get their hopes up too high.

As for my quick look at the game without really being able to analyze much since I only listened on the radio, here it is. A more in depth analysis will be coming tomorrow, but this is just my first take.

I thought both backup quarterbacks played well, and I just really like Thaddeus Lewis for some reason. Unfortunately, my guess would be that Keith Null gets the nod as the number three guy. Neither one of them did anything to lose the job, but Null has the experience from last season that probably keeps him employed.

The rookie defensive linemen were very good in my opinion. Eugene Sims had an interception, and George Selvie showed once again that he is capable of getting pressure in the backfield. Also, I thought Bobby Carpenter had his best game of the preseason, as he finished with four tackles and a sack. It’s about time he showed up to the party.

The backup running backs are still pathetic, although Kenneth Darby’s numbers look a little more respectable since he broke off a 29-yarder. He finished with 6 carries for 39 yards, meaning he got a whopping two yards per carry on his other touches. Toston was probably the best out of the group again tonight, as he picked up 47 yards on 10 carries, for a respectable 4.7 average. Chris Ogbonnaya finished with 16 carries for 31 yards. For all you non-math majors out there, that’s a simply unbelievable 1.9 yards a carry. Let me repeat that in case you missed it. 1.9 YARDS PER CARRY!

Bradford was outstanding yet again, as i mentioned above, and he finished a perfect 6-for-6 for 68 yards and a touchdown, making his quarterback rating 153.5. I’ll take that QB rating every Sunday.

I got a late start tonight because I had to watch Hard Knocks before I did anything else when I got home, so I’m going to get through this as quickly as possible. P.S., if anyone out there is a football fan who doesn’t watch Hard Knocks religiously, you need to start. If you don’t have HBO, find it online or go to a buddy’s house. It is can’t miss TV.

Anyway, let’s start with Stan Kroenke. Kroenke was officially voted as the new majority owner of the Rams on Wednesday, so congrats to him. The vote was unanimous, so obviously the other owners are completely behind the move. I’m glad this situation is over, and I hope Kroenke takes an extreme personal interest in the team. Considering the work he has done with his other franchises, I have no doubt he will.

Now, moving on to tonight’s preseason game against the hated Patriots. I know it’s just preseason, but I wish we could pound the crap out of them. Yes, I still hate the Pats for cheating us out of a Super Bowl, and I’m not letting that go anytime soon. Here are a few things to keep an eye on tomorrow night.

1. Sam Bradford- Yes, it is redundant, but Bradford is still the number one thing to watch. With AJ Feeley out with a thumb injury, Bradford will make the start and the plan is for him to play the entire first half. I’d like to see the coaches open up the offense a bit, so look to see if they give him a chance to work downfield.

2. Backup Running Backs- I don’t want to keep hammering these guys, but we have to see someone step up tonight. If we keep getting the same production out of Ogbonnaya, Darby, and Toston, the team needs to serious consider cutting ties with every one of those players. I can almost guarantee you that won’t happen, but someone really needs to prove they can be at least a serviceable NFL back.

3. Receivers- This group has been about as bad as the backup RBs, but I’m giving them a pass for now because of how the offense has been called thus far. This group needs to prove they are better than we think, and tonight will be their best chance so far with the starters seeing a bulk of the time.

4. Secondary- The secondary has been pretty banged up, but they really need a good night. Marquis Johnson needs to build on last week’s game if he wants a roster spot, and someone needs to step up and take that spot opposite Ron Bartell. Watch Bradley Fletcher tonight, as I think he has a chance to be a really good player if he can stay healthy.

5. Offensive Line- Let’s see how the starting line plays against a pretty solid and disciplined Pats defense. I still think there is potential for this line to come together and surprise people this season, but we should learn plenty after their performance tonight.