1. Start-ing Time – The starting units should both see more action than last week, and Bradford and Co. will likely play most or all of the first half. It’s kind of a weird feeling watching the starters in the preseason, because I want to see our big guns as much as possible but it makes me nervous every time Bradford drops back in a meaningless game. I want to see if the offense can get into a groove with the extended snaps.

2. Battle On – There are battles at many positions, but the two that are still stealing the show are WR and LB. With the starters going longer, it will be interesting to see how how the snaps get divided at these two positions. To be honest, I don’t even want to handicap any of these races right now, but this game could provide some separation and clear up the picture.

3. Nice To See You – It looks like we will have some preseason debuts, with Donnie Avery and Michael Hoomanawanui ready to see time and possibly Steven Jackson as well. Mike Sims-Walker could see action, so at least we should be closer to full strength than last week. Avery needs game action badly after missing almost a year, and Illini Mike is still working his way back. It’s always nice when guys get healthy, and if they are on the field against the Titans, that means they are close to 100%.

4. The Rookies – I always like to watch the rookies in every preseason game, whether they be drafted or undrafted. Robert Quinn showed flashes last week, and he should be better against the Titans. Lance Kendricks continues to impress, but let’s see if he can do it two weeks in a row. Austin Pettis and Greg Salas need to make an impact this week, and I’m interested to see Jabara Williams in action.

5. Remember This Titan? – If you are watching the opposition, you will likely see a familiar face starting at quarterback. Longtime Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is guiding the Tennessee crew now, so let’s all give him a nice “Welcome Back” to St. Louis. Also at quarterback is rookie Jake Locker, who is undoubtedly the future there. Locker is more of a project, so I want to see how he looks at the NFL level.

As far as the players under contract go, James Laurinaitis and James Hall led the group of players that showed up at Rams Park today. Hall reportedly showed up at 6 a.m. and Laurinaitis was there at 7 a.m. According to Laurinaitis, “There were a substantial amount of guys in here [Rams Park].” One player who won’t be in attendance is Larry Grant, who was informed by the team that he will be released.

In the free agent market, one big target on the Rams radar is heading elsewhere. DT Barry Cofield agreed to a deal with the Washington Redskins, so we can scratch him off the wish list. I had high hopes that Cofield would be heading to St. Louis, so this one hurts a bit. If the team wants to upgrade at the DT position, they will have to look elsewhere.