Ramblin' Fan » North Carolina Tar Heels

Johnson Placed On IR

Justin Stine — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:59:09 +0000

That makes 10. The Rams placed cornerback Marquis Johnson on IR with a lacerated spleen on Tuesday, making him the 10th corner to go on IR for the Rams this season. Johnson spent the night in the hospital with what was originally called an abdominal strain, but tests revealed the actual injury. According to doctors, Johnson will not need surgery but will need rest and recovery. It’s a tough break for a guy who hasn’t been able to catch one so far in his career. I thought he did a decent job this season when he was out there, and he certainly looked better than he did last year in the preseason. Hopefully he will recover fully and give it another go next season.

To fill the empty roster spot, the team signed offensive lineman Thomas Welch off Buffalo’s practice squad. Welch has some NFL experience, as he played a handful of games with the New England Patriots earlier this season and made one start for them. He’s a big boy, so hopefully he can make an impact on the line this week. The team also added CB Kendrick Burney to the practice squad to fill the spot vacated when Kevin Hughes was promoted to active duty last week. Burney is a rookie out of North Carolina, and he spent training camp with the Carolina Panthers.

Quinn, DX Likely To Be Active Monday

Justin Stine — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 06:52:09 +0000

We all know about the Rams injury problems at this point, so it stands to reason that some guys who were inactive on Sunday will be in the lineup when the team travels to New York for this week’s Monday Night Football game against the Giants. Lucky for the Rams and for us as fans, we have some pretty good players who will be filling in some of those spots. It looks like 2011 first-round pick Robert Quinn will be active in place of CJ Ah You, who will miss at least one week after having surgery on his injured wrist. I’ve heard some people begin to grumble about Quinn and how he was inactive last week, but everyone needs to remember that this guy had very little offseason work because of the lockout. Because of that, and because he missed his final season at North Carolina due to eligibility issues, he hasn’t played meaningful football is close to two years. Give him some time. He has all the tools to be an elite pass-rusher, so when he starts to figure this NFL thing out, he’s going to be dangerous.

Also likely to make his first appearance of the young season is Ramblin’ Fan favorite Danario Alexander. Danny Amendola is expected to miss at least a month with his dislocated elbow, so I would expect Alexander to get the nod against the Giants. The Rams got absolutely nothing downfield through the air against the Eagles, and although that was mostly due to Philly’s great secondary, DX will provide another deep threat for this team. I really want to see him get involved in the offense this week to solidify his spot on the active roster, so keep an eye on #84.

In other news, Ron Bartell has been ruled out for the entire season, but he told the media on Tuesday that he plans to play again next season. The neck injury is a serious deal, so let’s all keep Bartell in our thoughts and hope for a return in 2012.

Draft: Day Two Preview

Justin Stine — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:44:00 +0000

After the pleasant surprise that was Robert Quinn on the first day, it’s time to look forward to Day Two of the 2011 NFL Draft. The first round was pretty crazy with four QB’s going in the top 12 picks, and there are plenty of very good players left for the Rams over the next couple of rounds.

Honestly, it’s hard to predict what will happen over the next few days after the wild first round, but the second round should be quite interesting, especially for the Rams. Only one running back went in the opening round, so a guy like Mikel Leshoure is still there and could still be there for St. Louis. DT is another position that should be available, and although a guy like Stephen Paea is still available, I doubt he will be when the Rams pick. How about a guy like Marvin Austin, Quinn’s teammate from North Carolina? Austin is an impressive talent at DT, and I would have no problem going with Tar Heels in our first two picks.

As far as WR’s go, I was very disappointed when Jon Baldwin went off the board in the first, but there are still guys like Torrey Smith and Leonard Hankerson available. I know the Rams like Smith, and I really like the big-play ability of Hankerson. Those two will both be options, as will Washington OLB Mason Foster. I don’t know if Foster will be there in the third, so it might be time to pull the trigger. Also, no safeties went off the board, and I’m sure the Rams would be interested in Rahim Moore if he were still there, though I doubt he will be. Jaiquawn Jarrett is available as well, so watch out for him.

As you can see, the options for the Rams in rounds two and three are numerous, especially considering our needs and the players available at the positions. I am still excited about getting Quinn, and it is making me look forward to tomorrow even more. Stay tuned, because this thing is off to a good start and it only promises to get better.