On to this miserable schedule. Ok, I guess the whole thing isn’t brutal, but the first half is. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, here is the list:

Week 1 – vs Philadelphia; Week 2 - at New York Giants; Week 3 – vs Baltimore; Week 4 – vs Washington; Week 5 – BYE; Week 6 – at Green Bay; Week 7 – at Dallas; Week 8 – vs New Orleans; Week 9 – at Arizona; Week 10 – at Cleveland; Week 11 – vs Seattle; Week 12 – vs Arizona; Week 13 at San Francisco; Week 14 at Seattle; Week 15 vs Cincinnati; Week 16 – at Pittsburgh; Week 17 – vs San Francisco.

First, the good news. The Rams will be on Monday Night Football for the first time since 2006, and they will appear twice this season. The first will be Week 2 at New York against the Giants, and they will be one again in Week 14 at Seattle. It’s too bad that they won’t have a home game on MNF, but it’s nice that this exciting young squad is finally getting some national recognition.

Now, on to the bad news. The first eight weeks of this thing are going to be tough sledding. Week 5 against Washington is the only game that I can peg as one we should be favored. Other than that, the other six games could easily be losses. Realistically, if we could get out of those games at 3-4, I would be ecstatic. It’s far more likely that we are 2-5 or 1-6 at the midway point. There are plenty of winnable games after Week 8, but this season is really going to depend on the first 8 weeks. We will meet up with Pat Shurmur Week 10, which is neat, and could have a big one in the elements at Pitt in Week 16.I like being at home for the last week of the season in case we are still playing for something, but I just don’t know if we will still be in a race at that point. All of this assumes, of course, that we actually have a 2011 season. After looking at what’s on our plate, it might not be the worst thing in the world if the first few weeks would be lost to the lockout. That’s sarcasm, but still…

What do you think? Hit up the comment section and let us know how you feel about the 2011 schedule. Also, we are still looking for writers, so hit me up at jstine31@gmail.com if you are interested.

I haven’t exactly decided how I feel about the prospect of Liuget to the Rams. We have a need at DT, and there’s no doubt he would be an upgrade over what we have, but I just don’t know. If Julio Jones isn’t there, I still think I would prefer a pass-rushing end if we pick at 14. Maybe I’m still a little gun-shy about drafting DT’s from the numerous past failures of this franchise at that position, but it’s hard for me to get excited about Liuget. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player, because I really think he will be a very good NFL tackle, but I won’t be jumping for joy if he’s our first pick.

While the actual NFL draft has long since past, Thursday’s supplemental draft could impact the Rams roster for the 2010 season. We have reported here that the team is interested in BYU running back Harvey Unga, and we will find out soon if they are willing to sacrifice a 2011 pick to get him. I like Unga, and I think he would be a good fit here in St. Louis if the team is going to use him. It makes me nervous to sacrifice a pick in next year’s draft, but this kid might just be worth it.

There are three other players eligible for selection tomorrow, but the only one really worth a serious look is Josh Price-Brent, a DT out of Illinois. Price-Brent has been projected by some as a 3rd-4th round talent, but I don’t think the Rams will look at him that high. He was ruled ineligible for next season at U of I, but it is definitely possible that he could develop into a serviceable NFL player.

I will make sure to keep everyone updated if the Rams make a move tomorrow, and as much as I would like to see Unga in the horns, I hope they don’t take him too high.