December 4, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; St. Louis Rams punter Donnie Jones (5) on the sideline during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Rams 26-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Before I get started, let me apologize for the lack of content on the site over the last week. I was out of town on a trip to Cardinals’ Spring Training in Jupiter, FL and although I did have limited internet access, I wasn’t able to post more than once while I was gone. The situation was unavoidable, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m back in town and we will have plenty of Rams’ coverage moving forward, especially with the draft approaching.

Now, on to the news. Considering how bad the offense was for the St. Louis Rams last season, you would think they would make the position of punter somewhat or a priority considering how much he is on the field. Apparently, the Rams have decided they will look elsewhere to fill that spot for the 2012 season. Donnie Jones, the team’s punter for the last five seasons, signed a deal with the Houston Texans earlier in the week, leaving the Rams with yet another hole that needs to be filled.

I’m sure the team has a plan here, but I can’t really figure this one out. His play obviously slipped in 2011, but I thought he was one of the top two or three guys in the league the four years before that. If the team believes his best years are behind him, then this is a good move. I don’t know if I necessarily believe that, but I’m not the one making the decisions. It just seems like this team has enough holes to fill without worrying about this one. It’s not like Jones is going to break the bank (one year, $890,000 with Houston in 2012), and it seems to me that it would have been worth it to just sign him and have it done with.

I guess it’s not a big deal, but for some reason this situation is bugging me. I’m sure the Rams will find a punter and everything will be fine, and we also want to wish Jones luck during his time with the Texans.

As far as Chris Long goes, he did not practice Friday and his status is still up in the air as well. Spags didn’t have much to say about Long after practice other than calling him day-to-day, so we’ll see. Like I said yesterday, If I had to put money on it I’d say he will play, but the fact that he couldn’t go today is certainly a concern. Darian Stewart still hasn’t been cleared for contact, and it’s starting to look like a long shot that he will play. Spags sounded more concerned about Stewart’s status than the others, but nothing definitive has come out as of yet.

The one piece of good news was that Justin Bannan was able to do more today, and the coaching staff was encouraged with his participation. There’s certainly a chance that he plays Sunday, but a lot will depend on how his body responds after going on Friday. Also, Donnie Jones was still hurting on Friday but apparently will punt Sunday unless something crazy happens.

Obviously, it’s time to be at least a little concerned. I don’t know what our chances are to beat the 49ers this weekend, but I do know that as small as they might be, they will decrease significantly if Bradford and Long can’t go. Losing Long specifically would be devastating, and things could prove to get ugly if they can’t go. Stay tuned for an update tomorrow, and keep your fingers crossed.

In other news, Darian Stewart practiced today as he battles a mild concussion. There wasn’t much contact, but it looks hopeful that he will be able to go tomorrow. Donnie Jones was limited with his ankle injury, but he should be fine. Everything else is pretty much the same. The big thing right now is to get Long and Bradford healthy, and I expect at least Long to practice tomorrow. I think Bradford will as well, but I’d say his chances aren’t quite as good.