Ramblin' Fan » Zac Diles

Rams Sign Leber, Officially

Justin Stine — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:39:11 +0000

I think we all knew it was going to happen, but the St. Louis Rams made it official on Thursday with the signing of linebacker Ben Leber to a one-year deal. The Leber signing is going to make for a very interesting position battle at linebacker after the signings of Zac Diles and Brady Poppinga. It’s interesting to note that the reported $1.25 million deal is exactly what Na’il Diggs is set to make this season. That doesn’t mean anything necessarily, but it’s just an interesting note.

For those of you who won’t be able to make it to the Dome on Saturday for the Rams first preseason game of the season, you will be able to watch locally on Fox 2. It was announced today that the game will be televised live locally which is obviously way better than a complete blackout or tape delay.

On the injury front, Al Harris was limited to conditioning drills on Thursday due to a knee injury, and his status for Saturday’s game is in question. James Laurinaitis will likely miss the game with his pec injury, and Michael Hoomanawanui is still dealing with concussion symptoms. Also, Fendi Onobun had a little setback with the groin injury today, but it doesn’t sound overly serious at this point. Spags also said that the starting offense, including Sam Bradford, will open Saturday and likely see about 12 plays or so.

Leber To St. Louis Rams?

Justin Stine — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 03:58:54 +0000

Rams fans have had plenty of experience dealing with rumors of free agents coming to town, so it was no surprise when we had another one of those incidents on Tuesday. Howard Balzer of 101 ESPN tweeted this afternoon that the team had agreed to a deal with former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ben Leber. Then, Balzer said that a team source told him there was no deal done. Finally, he said that a source told him that the deal was completed, at which time John Clayton of ESPN reported that the two sides agreed to a one year, $1.25 million deal. I don’t know if it’s actually “official” just yet, but it sounds like Leber will be a part of this team in 2011.

Assuming this deal is finalized, it represents another nice move by the Rams front office. Leber is a guy we talked about a lot during the lockout as a potential nice fit here in St. Louis, and he was one of the top players left in the free agent market. What makes this move even better is that the Seahawks were also in talks with Leber. That means that not only did we pick up a durable veteran player at a need position, but we also kept him away from Seattle. Leber gives the Rams some flexibility at the position after the signings of Zac Diles and Brady Poppinga, so it will be interesting to see how the starting positions shake out during camp. Overall, it looks like a win-win for the Rams.

Free Agency Grades: St. Louis Rams

Justin Stine — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:25:25 +0000

My guess would be that the Rams aren’t done in free agency just yet, but with practice started I wanted to get my rankings out since most of the players who will be on this team in 2011 are with the club. Overall, I thought the Rams did a nice job in free agency. We had some glaring holes, and most of them have been filled, and filled with pretty solid talent. I really like a few of the signings, and some I’m not as excited about, but overall I understand all of them to this point. What I don’t understand is why this team still hasn’t added a backup running back. Billy Devaney has been saying we need to address the spot for two years, and he still hasn’t done anything to do it. I still expect him to bring someone in before long, but it’s frustrating when you hear names like Darren Sproles and Reggie Bush during the offseason and then these guys go elsewhere for a reasonable price without the Rams being in on them.

As far as the moves I really liked, I can’t decide whether I like Mike Sims-Walker or Harvey Dahl more. Both filled a huge need, and both have the chance to not only fill a hole, but be a major upgrade in talent at their respective positions. We needed a guard badly, and I think Dahl is perfect for that spot. As far as MSW goes, I think there’s a chance he could have a monster season. More after the break…