Ramblin' Fan » Kenneth Darby

Big Welcome To The Cadillac

Justin Stine — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:56:23 +0000

I can never remember a time like this when there was a new signing by the Rams seemingly every day, but let me just say that it is amazing. The lockout was awful, but this abbreviated free agency period has almost made it all worth it. Almost. The Rams weren’t done with their signings, as they inked RB Cadillac Williams to what is being reported as a one-year deal today. Williams, the number five pick in the 2005 draft out of Auburn, will likely be the team’s number two back behind Steven Jackson with Jerious Norwood as the third down back/return man. All this is assuming health for both Williams and Norwood, who have struggled to stay on the field consistently during their careers. Williams is a former 1,000-yard rusher, and he has proven to be more than capable as a receiver out of the backfield.

I really like this move by Billy Devaney and the rest of the organization. Cadillac may not be the player he once was, but he is well-known as an excellent leader in the locker room and he can still be very effective in a more limited role. It’s pretty amazing that our stable of running backs last season consisted of SJ39, Keith Toston and Kenneth Darby, and this year it will be Steven, Cadillac and Norwood. You can say what you want about who the Rams did and did not get this offseason, but no one can deny that this running back group has been seriously upgraded in just a few short days. I can’t say enough how important it is for this group to stay healthy, but if they can I feel more than comfortable with this group over a 16-game schedule.

Rams Hire McDaniels As OC

Justin Stine — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:33:54 +0000

If you followed the Josh McDaniels roller coaster that went down on Tuesday like I did, you have to be happy that it is finally finished. First the two sides hit a snag and it looked like the deal wasn’t going to get done, then a little while later he was officially the new St. Louis offensive coordinator. I made it known that McDaniels was my pick early on, so obviously I love this move. For anyone who wants to check out the press conference with coach Steve Spagnuolo and conference call with McDaniels on Wednesday, tune in to 101 ESPN in the St. Louis area or listen to it online at 101espn.com.

For all of you Twitter people out there, you might be interested to know that the Rams players were very vocal on the site today in response to the hire. Here are some of the posts from the players:

Kenneth Darby: Josh Mcdaniel! i dont know the guy personally but i believe he will be a good piece to our Rams organization puzzle. Lets get it.

Donnie Avery: Happy we got Josh McDaniels as the Offensive Coordinator for the Rams. Heard nothing but good things about him.

Steven Jackson: Just got off the phone w/ coach McDaniels.. I’m looking forward to working w/ him; @miklasz I enjoyed speaking w/ u today. I believe he is a good hire. I’m looking forward to being involved n passing game as well as rushing

Chris Long: just read we hired mcdaniels, if so great hire, really exciting.

If you can’t get excited about that, I don’t know what else you need. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post that will recap the presser and give my thoughts on what exactly McDaniels brings to the table.

Another Look At Misery

Justin Stine — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 10:09:00 +0000

The one fallacy in waiting a day to objectively react to a game like yesterday’s is that you have to relive it again when you sit down to write the blog. I hadn’t thought much about the game all day, but now I feel my blood starting to boil again. So, with that being said, let’s try to get through this as painlessly as possible, shall we?

Storm The Cassel – Matt Cassel didn’t have a monster day or anything (15-29, 184 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT), but he made a couple of big throws when his team needed them. I didn’t feel like the Rams got to him enough, and I don’t really remember an instance of somebody on our defense really nailing him to the ground. It seemed like Sam Bradford had somebody in his face every time he dropped back, but Cassel had too much time.

Thunder And Lightning – Obviously the tandem of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones put the hurting on the Rams defense. Charles had 126 yards and a score, and Jones finished with 62 yards and a touchdown of his own. I will say the defense did a better job against Jones than I expected (22 carries), but Charles was pretty dynamic all day. It’s tough to keep those guys under wraps all day, but you can’t give up close to 200 yards on the ground and expect to win.

Something’s Different – It’s hard for me to say whether or not the shortcomings of the offense were directly related to the Chiefs 3-4 defense, but it was difficult to watch for most of the game. After the first drive of the game, the offense was pretty much nonexistent until the fourth quarter. Between the penalties and dropped passes, it was not something I want to see again.

Home Field Advantage – There were plenty of Chiefs fans in the Dome, but I don’t think that had anything to do with the game. There were more open seats than I anticipated, which was a disappointment, but the crowd was a nonfactor. I was really hoping the Dome would be rocking, but that wasn’t the case.

I think we have gone over the trainwreck that was yesterday’s game enough at this point. So let’s just put this one behind us and look forward. This team is still in a great position to win the division, but if they dwell on this game, it won’t happen. On the injury front, Chris Long has a bruised left thigh, and Britt Miller is done for the year with a torn ACL. Ken Darby and Illini Mike are both hoping to practice this week, so things are improving on that front.