Ramblin' Fan » offseason

Week 5 Without The Rams

Justin Stine — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:20:48 +0000

Normally, I hate the Rams bye week. It’s almost like a wasted Sunday for me. But honestly, this season, I’m relieved that I’m going to have a Sunday that I don’t have to worry about what the Rams will be doing. I can watch whatever NFL games I want at noon (with Directv Sunday Ticket) and follow how my fantasy team is doing, and then at 3 p.m. I can tune into Game 1 of the NLCS to watch the Cardinals and Brewers. I don’t have to stress about the problems with the Rams offense or their inability to stop the run. Instead, I can save all that stress for the Cards, because I get a little crazy come playoff time when any of my St. Louis teams are involved.

While everything I said above is certainly true, the bye week also offers a glimmer of hope for even the most disappointing teams. During the offseason every fan thinks his/her team has a chance when the season begins, and I kind of feel the same way about the bye. We might be 0-4, but there’s still that feeling deep inside of every fan that something magical is going to happen during the week when the team doesn’t play. It might be foolish, but I still feel that small sliver of hope. I know that reality is probably going to strike me down hard and fast when St. Louis takes to Lambeau Field to face the defending champs, but for now I need this. Hey, at least we here is the Gateway City still have the Cardinals.

Quintin Mikell Bound For STL?

Justin Stine — Mon, 09 May 2011 07:46:12 +0000

This is normally the time of the offseason when we could look at the potential free agents and try to decide who we would like to see the Rams pursue, but this lockout is really screwing things up. As it it, we are stuck with conjecture and innuendo about which players may or may not be available when this dispute finally ends. Speaking of conjecture, it looks like Eagles safety Quintin Mikell may be prepared to hit the open market. According to an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mikell does not believe he will be back with the Eagles next season. He apparently cleaned out his locker a few weeks ago without incident, and he has not been invited to work out with other Eagles players.

Considering the situation the Rams find themselves in at the safety position, I have to believe that Mikell will be on the team’s radar when free agency kicks in. He’s the kind of veteran player Spags likes, and his time in the NFC East means the Rams’ head coach is plenty familiar with him. Mikell would be an upgrade over anything we currently have on the roster, so this one seems like a slam dunk. Obviously, money will play into how much interest the team will have, but I have to think that Mikell will be on top of the team’s wish list when they are able to sign players. I like the fit, so let’s hope the organization feels the same way.

What’s Next For The Rams?

Justin Stine — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:21:01 +0000

Now that the NFLPA has decertified and the NFL owners have locked the players out, where exactly does that leave the players who are currently under contract to the Rams? The short answer is, it leaves them nowhere. Players aren’t allowed into the team’s training facility, and they won’t be allowed until the courts clear this thing up. The good news is that Rams’ players are apparently still finding ways to work out, as many of the team’s receivers are reportedly training in Texas. Quarterback Sam Bradford has said over the past few months that he plans on getting together with his receivers during the offseason, and it sounds like he might be heading down to the Lone Star State to join his pass-catchers.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that this whole situation still has many twists and turns ahead of it, but the organization and its players are going to have to make the best of a bad situation. For what it’s worth, I still believe that football will be played this coming season, but I’m extremely concerned about how this will affect a young team that still needs to adjust to a new offense. All we can do is sit and wait for now, just like everyone else involved in this whole messy ordeal.