Some of the more interesting points raised included a question about how much money the Rams have tied up in contracts for 2011, discussions about the Rams future in St. Louis, labor issue talks, draft stuff, and free agent stuff. I won’t ruin it for you, but if you want to know about any of these issues, check it out. Here is the link.

Jim Thomas Chat

Also, a little update on what to expect from Ramblin’ Fan in the near future. I’ve fallen behind on my combine reports due to some late nights working at the paper, and it turns out it takes forever to write one of those posts. However, I plan on finishing the reports in the coming days. There are still linebackers, corners, and safeties to come, so stay tuned. I am also in the process of working on a lengthy feature about Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, and why I believe he will still be on the board when the Rams draft at 14. At the very least, it will give all of the Jones lovers some hope, so expect to see that soon.

Ok, I posted this article last night but for some reason it didn’t show up on the page. Sorry about the two artcicles back-to-back, but I had no idea it wasn’t up.

Up next on the rookie profiles is cornerback Marquis Johnson out of Alabama. We are now moving into the area of the Rams draft that I wasn’t all that excited with, and Johnson certainly falls into that category. He is a good fit for the defensive scheme we are running here, but I’m not sure Johnson will be able to make this team out of camp this season. He is a good player, but he doesn’t do anything exceedingly well. He was a backup for most of his college career at Alabama, although he was playing behind some pretty impressive specimens in Kareem Jackson and Javier Arenas. He could play some special teams if he makes the squad, but I wouldn’t expect him to make any kind of impact any time soon.

Scouting Report: Johnson has decent size for a corner, and he is physicl in both the run and the pass game. His hands are decent, but are sometimes too active in coverage, which could lead to more penalty calls at the next level. He isn’t great at moving out of breaks in coverage, and he doesn’t locate the ball in the air very well. He is a big hitter for a corner, but sometimes fails to wrap up in the open field when he misses a big hit.

Career: Played in 13 games as a freshman in 2006 and finished the season with seven tackles. In 2007, Johnson played in only nine games and had four tackles, one pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. His junior season in 2008 was the best of his college career, as he started three games and recorded 49 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass breakups. In 2009, Johnson started 10 games and made 29 tackles, one interception, 18 passes defensed, and 17 pass breakups.

My Analysis: I’m not going to denigrate the guy for not being a regular starter in college, because the guys in front of him were really good. With that being said, I just don’t feel like Johnson has a future as an impact player on our team. He has some physical tools that project well, and he may be more of a project for Coach Spags and co. This wasn’t one of my favorite picks this year, but he seems to be a good character guy who will work hard. If he can crack the roster, he may impact special teams, but don’t expect to see him in coverage any time soon.

The Rams are in the midst of a major youth movement right now, and there is little doubt that several positions could benefit from some veteran tutelage this summer. It looks like the cornerbacks will be getting just that during OTAs, as Coach Steve Spagnuolo has invited veteran Sam Madison to come and work with the young DBs over the next few weeks. Madison was a dominant NFL corner for 11 seasons, and he was one of the best press coverage guys to put on the helmet over his career. He played for Spags with the Giants, and needless to say, he was a perfect fit. I don’t know how much Madison will help our young corners, but this can’t be a bad move.

Madison is a smart guy who knows the position and, more importantly, knows exactly what Spags expects from his corners. I am high on the guys we have right now, and I think Ron Bartell, Justin King, Bradley Fletcher, and Jerome Murphy could all be very good players in this league. Madison could be the guy to get these young players over the hump, and at the very least he will provide a different voice, a guy who isn’t a “coach” in the traditional sense. As someone who has played sports my entire life, I know that sometimes players can drown the coach out a bit when he repeats the same things over and over again. Some of the best advice I got during my playing years was from other guys on the team, because you take what they say in a different way. I wouldn’t expect some hug transformation from all of our corners just because Sam Madison talks to them a few times, but if he can say one thing to one guy that helps him become a better player, then this experiment was a major success.