Ramblin' Fan » Mardy Gilyard

Rams Roster Set (For Now)

Justin Stine — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:33:46 +0000

The final cut day came and went for the Rams, and so did a number of players who are quality NFL players. I have to admit that I was shocked when the team let Donnie Avery go, and although admittedly I’m not an Avery fan, I still couldn’t believe it. The bad news is that Avery did not get claimed by any NFL team through the waiver process, which means that the team will have to pay his base salary of $638,000 that was guaranteed.

Although Avery is still unclaimed, several of the players who got cut did find new homes quickly. Thad Lewis was picked up by the Browns, which comes as absolutely no suprise considering former Rams OC and current Browns head man Pat Shurmur is a big Lewis fan. I too am a big Lewis fan, so I hope he carves out a spot in Cleveland. Speaking of guys I’m a big fan of, DE George Selvie was claimed by the Carolina Panthers. If I have one major beef with the roster decisions, it’s that Selvie was cut while CJ Ah You and Eugene Sims were not. Still, Selvie should be able to get some time in Carolina, and I have a feeling he will be a good NFL player. Also, WR Mardy Gilyard is heading to New York to join the Jets. He just seems like a Jets kind of player, so hopefully they will give him a chance. More after the jump…

Rams Finish Undefeated Preseason

Justin Stine — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:43:27 +0000

Let me preface this all by repeating that preseason records mean absolutely nothing. With that being said, the Rams looked awfully good again on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I thought our first-team offense and defense were both significantly better than Jacksonville. Sam Bradford looked sharp again, and Lance Kendricks made yet another touchdown catch. The defense was outstanding against their starters, and the line really made life miserable for David Garrard for the entire time he was in the game. I know the offense only scored seven points while they were in, but they were in the middle of another big drive when the backups came in. Overall, as far as the starters go, I thought they looked ready for the regular season.

Now, I don’t know how much stock the decision-makers put into tonight’s game as far as roster spots are concerned, but I thought a few guys stepped up and made a ncie showing in their final game. Greg Salas was pretty solid, and I liked what I saw from Jerious Norwood more than Keith Toston. Danario Alexander had a nice catch for big yardage (although he dropped one too), and Donnie Avery looked like a real weapon with the ball in his hands. Thad Lewis was outstanding again, and I really think he is pushing AJ Feeley to be the team’s backup. On the other side, I don’t think Mardy Gilyard helped his cause with a drop on special teams and another on offense. The roster will be down to 53 on Saturday, so it’s going to be a couple of tense days for a bunch of guys.

Rams Not Letting Kickoff Rule Affect Decisions

Justin Stine — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:32:40 +0000

The NFL lockout is long over, so that means the nation needs a new controversy to discuss. Well, for now at least, that issue is the new kickoff rule. For anyone who doesn’t know, kickoffs have been moved up to the 35-yard line in hopes of “reducing injuries” on kickoff plays. First of all, let me just say that I have been against this rule from the beginning. With the leg strength of kickers now days, it’s pretty obvious that a vast majority of kicks are going to end up in touchbacks. Not only does this greatly affect field position, but it takes away a ton of the excitement from NFL games. How can anyone be excited about every kickoff being downed and every possession starting at the 20? This whole thing is ridiculous, but we are going to have to deal with it.

Now, for how this will impact the Rams. GM Billy Devaney was on PFT Live on Wednesday, and he said the new rule won’t affect how the team decides who makes the roster. Devaney said that every kick won’t be out of the end zone and that teams will still need a player capable of handling kicks. Now, as far as I can tell from going back in the record book, the Rams haven’t returned a kick for a touchdown since Chris Johnson (no, not THAT Chris Johnson) did it in 2005 and Tony Horne in 2000 before that. Now I know that touchdowns aren’t the only way a returner can impact the game, but it’s obvious that this rule won’t affect the Rams as much as some other teams. We obviously need someone who is capable of returning kicks when possible, but I don’t think a player should make the team based solely on his kick return ability. For instance, if Mardy Gilyard isn’t one of the top 6 receivers, the fact that he can return kicks shouldn’t factor into that decision. I don’t think that’s going to matter when it comes time to make cuts, but the rule is still bogus.