Ramblin' Fan » Steve Smith

Rams Sign Steve Smith

Justin Stine — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:59:15 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but I’m down in Florida for St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training and the Internet connection isn’t great. I will try to get some stuff up when I can for the rest of the week, so bear with me.

The Rams have continued to stay busy in free agency over the last few days, as they inked receiver Steve Smith to a one-year deal. Smith made a Pro Bowl in 2009, but he has struggled with injuries over the last few years. If he’s completely healthy, this could be a nice signing. I don’t really know what to expect from him this season, but the potential is there for him to help this team.

In other news, the team also inked tight end Matthew Mulligan to a two-year deal. Mulligan is a blocking TE who comes from the Jets, and although he doesn’t do much pass-catching, he is a valuable blocker and a decent add.

Rams Hosting More Free Agents

Justin Stine — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:34:19 +0000

Feb 5, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) makes a catch along the sideline in front of New England Patriots free safety Patrick Chung (25) during the second half of Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The Rams introduced new cornerback Cortland Finnegan on Thursday, but they are still exploring other free agent options. Several players are scheduled to be in town to visit over the next few days, and some of the options are pretty attractive. First, defensive lineman Jason Jones left St. Louis without a contract, and he is scheduled to visit with the Seahawks in the coming days. This doesn’t mean Jones isn’t going to be a Rams, but he will explore his options before making a decision.

Also in town on Thursday were center Scott Wells, quarterback Shaun Hill, and wide receiver Steve Smith. The Rams are going to be in the market for a center after the release of Jason Brown, so giving Wells a look makes sense. Hill is a guy I’m not a huge fan of, but the team is looking for a veteran backup behind Sam Bradford. Smith wouldn’t provide much of an upgrade over what we already have at WR, so I wouldn’t say I’m excited about his visit.

Scheduled to visit in the coming days are wide receiver Mario Manningham, offensive guard Travelle Wharton, offensive tackle Eric Winston and defensive lineman Kendall Langford. I have been a Manningham fan since his days at Michigan, but he is another complimentary guy who doesn’t really solve our problem. Wharton could be a nice fit for the right price, and Langford could be as well if he even makes it to town. He could sign with the Bengals before he comes to St. Louis. I already talked about Winston yesterday, but we have to see if he’s healthy first.

Get To Know The Giants

Justin Stine — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:27:14 +0000

Continuing with our weekly feature of getting together with an opposing team’s blogger for a little Q & A, this week I talked with Andrew Ilnicki of GMen HQ about the upcoming Monday night contest with the Giants. He are some of his answers to my questions, and as always, if you want to see what I had to say about the matchup, follow the link and head over to the Giants site to check it out.

1. The Giants are coming off a loss in a game they probably expected to win going in against the Redskins. How is the confidence level of the team and of the fans after falling to 0-1?

The fans for the most part are pretty concerned that the Giants have looked as flat as they have this whole offseason, preseason, and last week. The loss of two fan favorites in WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss are not going to be forgotten easily or soon, especially when the offense cannot move the chains for half the game.

I think the players are confident in themselves and realize they need to execute a lot better on both sides of the ball. If the Giants get off to a good start and show they really prepared and overcame some things this week, the fans will feel a lot better about the season.

2. How did the running game look last week? The Bradshaw/Jacobs tandem seems pretty fomidable, so are they both looking good so far?

There was one drive last week that featured the run heavily that ended in a TD. Beyond that it’s hard to say since Jacobs only got 6 carries and the Giants only ran the ball 6 times total in the second half. Together they feel like they can dominate anyone, feel like they’re the best backs in the league — offensive line miscues don’t exactly make it easy. If the Giants offense can overcome some of those mistakes and find a way to stay with the run this week it will be the first time we’ll see the Giants look like the Giants in 2011.

3. Eli Manning has received plenty of praise and criticism in his career. What is your take on the Giants’ QB, and where would you rank him in relation to other quarterbacks in the league?

Less praise than criticism by a wide margin. But he is a top 10 QB right now. I did a post earlier in the year that ranks him at #8, and I think that’s about right. He’s not a top 5 guy – in most people’s eyes. However, he’s a great student of the game, has developed his offense well the past 4 years through a major change in personell and scheme, and has shown a lot of toughness both in dealing with the overly critical media and not getting hurt, knock on wood. I think if he simply minimizes the mistakes (INTs, Turnovers) like he did when the Giants won their championship in 2007 and in 2008 when they were so hard to stop offensively, the Giants will be in good shape.

4. The Giants’ pass rush has been very good for a long time, so how is the group looking this season?

Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are both injured… Tuck may play Monday night. Osi won’t so that’s still a big loss. Mathias Kiwanuka is playing OLB this season, not defensive end — he can still get to the QB though depending on what DC Perry Fewell wants to do with his coverage. JPP is going to be a beast, he’s already showing signs of dominance. I’d like more consistency from him this season than last season, I think he’ll get it with improved technique and a year under his belt. The central push is the thing that really creates opportunities for the Giants though — if Canty and 2nd year player Linval Joseph and establish that push and collapse the pocket it will get ugly. All in all, the Giants are a little shorthanded but I think in coming weeks they’ll be back to 100% effectiveness.

5. The Giants, like the Rams, have been hit hard by the injury bug as well this season. How is the team coping with those injuries and who are some of the new faces we should look out for?

There were so many, including their first and second round picks from this spring, that the Giants already have an uphill battle ahead of them. But truly devastating injuries to CB Terrell Thomas and MLB Jon Goff were very hard to swallow…. so Aaron Ross will be starting at corner and rookie Greg Jones will be captaining the middle of the defense. Both players NEED to make an impact this season, if not the Giants are fighting for an 8-8 record and pride.