Report: Rams sign veteran DT Hovan

Date: Wed, Jun 9, 2010

Multiple media outlets are reporting that the Rams have beefed up their defensive line with the signing of 10th-year DT Chris Hovan, who was released by the Buccaneers in April.

A former first-round pick of the Vikings in the 2000 draft (25th overall), Hovan signed with Tampa Bay in 2005 and made enough of an impact on the team's run defense to warrant a five-year, $17.5 million contract extension in ’06.

But Hovan began to decline the last couple of seasons and became expendable after the Buccaneers drafted DTs Gerald McCoy (first round) and Brian Price (second round) in this year’s draft.

In St. Louis, Hovan would add experience to a DT rotation that currently consists of ex-Giant Fred Robbins, Clifton Ryan, Darell Scott and Gary Gibson.

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Rams to retire Bruce's No. 80

Date: Wed, Jun 9, 2010

The Rams officially announced Wednesday that they will retire No. 80, the number worn by WR Isaac Bruce, during the team’s Oct. 31 home game against the Panthers. Bruce, who played for the Rams from 1994-2007, was reacquired by the Rams in a trade with the Niners early this week so that he could retire a Ram.

In conjunction with the retirement of Bruce’s jersey and celebration of his career, the Rams will wear their throwback jerseys when they host the Panthers at the Edward Jones Dome. The throwback uniforms feature the traditional white, blue and yellow-gold color scheme that the team wore from 1973-99. The uniforms were worn during the Rams’ inaugural season in St. Louis in 1995 through the team’s Super Bowl XXXIV victory following the 1999 season, a game in which Bruce provided the game-winning touchdown catch.

Bruce spent 14 seasons with the Rams after being drafted by Los Angeles in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft and holds every major receiving record in team history, including most career receptions (942), career receiving yards (14,109) and receiving touchdowns (84). He is one of only 18 players in NFL history to lead their franchise in the three major receiving categories. Bruce also is the Rams’ leader in postseason receiving yards (759) and is the only player in team history with four 100-yard receiving games in the postseason.

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Atogwe becomes unrestricted free agent

Date: Wed, Jun 2, 2010

FS O.J. Atogwe became an unrestricted free agent at midnight ET Tuesday after he and the Rams were unable to agree on a long-term contract and the team failed to extend a new qualifying offer, according to multiple sources.

Under the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Rams would have had to offer Atogwe 110 percent of his 2009 salary, or $6,976,000, to retain his services as a sixth-year restricted free agent.

When the free-agent signing period began in March, the Rams were able to avoid offering Atogwe such a lucrative deal by tendering him at the lowest level ($1,226,000) and thereby risking losing him without compensation. But CBA rules required that when he hadn't signed that tender as of midnight Tuesday, the team had to either offer him at least 110 percent of his '09 salary or allow him to become an unrestricted free agent. Last season Atogwe earned $6,342,000 as the club's franchise player.

The Rams still can re-sign Atogwe, but as an unrestricted free agent, he and his agent, Ken Landphere, are permitted to negotiate with all 32 teams.

Atogwe was considered one of the Rams' few quality players last season, but the team clearly didn't believe he was worth nearly $7 million. He now becomes one of the more attractive free agents available.

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Report: Rams trying to re-sign Atogwe before deadline

Date: Mon, May 31, 2010

The Rams are working to reach agreement with FS O.J. Atogwe on a long-term contract, with his restricted free-agent tender set to expire Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the situation has told NFL.com.

Atogwe didn't receive an offer sheet from another team before the April 15 deadline, but he also hasn't signed his tender, which would pay him $1.226 million for 2010, a huge decrease from the $6.342 million he earned last season as a franchise free agent.

If the two sides don't agree on a new contract, the Rams will have until midnight Tuesday to decide whether to extend their qualifying offer at a significantly higher level or allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Because the Rams had franchised Atogwe last offseason, the only way they could avoid tendering him at 110 percent of his '09 salary, or nearly $7 million, this year was to offer him the lowest possible tender. That gave the Rams the right of first refusal on any offer sheet Atogwe might have signed but no compensation if they chose not to match the offer.

However, under the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, should the Rams face the decision of whether to extend a new qualifying offer to Atogwe or release him on June 1, they would have to offer him 110 percent of last year's salary, or $6.976 million, to retain exclusive rights to him.

Related link: Restricted free agents who haven't signed their tenders

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Carpenter offers athletic tools to Rams

Date: Fri, May 28, 2010

Both the Rams and Cowboys are banking on changes of scenery being just what the doctor ordered for OLB Bobby Carpenter and OT Alex Barron, respectively, after being traded for one another in a deal involving two former first-round picks who never were able to fully live up to their first-round billing. While Barron, who had been on the trading block for some time in St. Louis, is expected to have to fight for a starting job on the Cowboys' O-line, we hear it's very likely Carpenter will assume the Rams' starting WLB job right away, despite starting only three games in four seasons with the Cowboys. "He's more athletic than I thought," Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo said of Carpenter, who the team believes will be a much better fit in the Rams' 4-3 scheme. "That's something coach Spags loves," Carpenter said of his athletic ability, "A linebacker should be able to run, play downhill and at the same time be versatile. … I think I kind of fit that mold."

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Rams' contract talks with Bradford curiously slow

Date: Fri, May 7, 2010

Considering the trend in recent years to have the top overall pick in the NFL draft signed, sealed and delivered before he is even selected, is it reasonable to assume the Rams' uncertain ownership situation is delaying a contract agreement with Sam Bradford, the new undisputed face of the franchise?

"That's a very interesting question," said one team insider. "In many ways, the deals for the No. 1 guys have become cut and dried, in terms of the dollars and cents involved. But a Stan Kroenke or a Shahid Khan (both potential Rams owners) might want the deal structured in a particular way, and maybe the Rams are dragging their feet a bit because of that."

We hear the time frame for closure on the Rams' ownership situation — with Kroenke now considered to have a 70 percent shot at being approved as the new majority owner by league owners — probably won't be until late summer, at the earliest.

Another interesting potential wrinkle in the Bradford negotiations is the possibility that the Rams may be biding their time because of the outside shot a new labor agreement could be reached later this offseason that would include a rookie wage scale, which would obviously scale down the rookie salary structure dramatically. We hear the Rams' hierarchy has indeed taken this scenario into account, claiming that any whispers at all regarding a new deal are something they would be compelled to take into account. That said, it's worth noting that there's appears to be very little progress in the negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement at present.

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2010 draft choices by team: Rams

Date: Sat, Apr 24, 2010

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Will Saffold replace Barron in St. Louis?

Date: Fri, Apr 23, 2010

So much for trading the first pick on Day Two.

Instead of trading down for more picks to replenish their talent-starved roster, which is what many close observers for the Rams figured would happen, GM Billy Devaney set his sights on Indiana OT Rodger Saffold, a late bloomer that PFW had tabbed as the Colts' likely No. 1 pick in their final mock draft.

Something tells me that Saffold will become a starter right away, but for that to happen, the Rams likely will have to say sayonara to longtime starter Alex Barron, whose durability throughout his career has been offset by his penchant for turning false starts into an art form.

Can you say good-bye Barron? I think you probably can, considering that it's no secret the Rams have made it known for a while now that he could be peddled.

I think you can fast-forward to Week One and envision Saffold and the Rams' No. 1 pick last year, Jason Smith, as the team's starting bookends.

It remains to be seen whether Saffold, a four-year starter at left tackle, stays on the left side at the pro level. That very well could end up being the case with Smith staying on the right side, which is where he played all of last year opposite Barron when he was healthy enough to play.

A big factor will be the physical condition of both Smith, the second overall pick last year who missed a combined eight games with a knee injury and season-ending concussion issues in '09, and Saffold, who has been tabbed by some personnel evaluators as a medical risk due to a quirky back condition.

The original plan was to make Smith the left tackle for the next decade, and I suspect that is probably still the way the Rams would prefer to go. Then again, maybe not if Saffold, who really started showing up on scouts' radar screens after an impressive showing in this year's East-West Shrine Game, continues to impress.

Saffold isn't flashy, but he is considered a very solid, tough, technically sound performer.

The words "technically sound" have never applied to Barron, and with that in mind as much as anything, I would have the say the Rams are 2-for-2 so far in the 2010 draft with a big-time need to keep that batting average at a high level.

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Bradford should start for Rams right away

Date: Thu, Apr 22, 2010

Now comes the really hard decision for the Rams.

After doing what most draft experts were predicting they would do for weeks, Sam Bradford is the new face of a franchise badly in need of a sexy new centerpiece.

But how effectively will he face the pressure of starting from Day One after operating out of a spread offense at Oklahoma devoid of the all-important NFL nuances Bradford quickly must grasp?

One local columnist went out of his way to suggest that the Rams should handle Bradford very carefully and would be better served slowly working him into the mix behind the more experienced A.J. Feeley, who has a genuine familiarity with the Rams' offensive system after playing under Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur for six years in Philadelphia.

But going that route just doesn't feel right, not when you really look at Bradford's superb intangibles and recognize that this isn't a kid who is going to cave under pressure.

As was the case with Mark Sanchez with the Jets and Matthew Stafford with the Lions last season, Bradford needs to start in Week One of the regular season. And there are other really good reasons besides his blue-chip deportment.

For starters (no pun intended), Feeley has not thrown a pass since 2007. His experience is offset by the rust on his throwing arm.

In addition, the Rams' schedule is not all that imposing. Four of the Rams' first six games are at home, and the only opponent that really looks vastly superior to the Rams is San Diego.

Finally, there are a lot of people who believe Bradford, whose injury to his throwing shoulder last season has been well documented, will get killed behind a Rams offensive line that has been criticized more often than not in recent seasons.

Truth be told, though, the Rams' O-line actually isn't half bad, especially on the interior.

Make no mistake: The Sam Bradford Era needs to kick into full gear from the get-go.

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Kroenke throws Rams a curve ball

Date: Thu, Apr 15, 2010

Don’t expect closure on the sale of the Rams any time soon in the wake of minority owner Stan Kroenke’s very surprising decision to exercise his right of first refusal to purchase the 60 percent share of the team currently owned by Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez. However, Kroenke may have expedited league approval of his majority ownership of the Rams when he announced on April 14 that he would abide by the NFL’s cross-ownership rules and relinquish his principal stakes in the NBA Denver Nuggets and NHL Colorado Avalanche. But what quickly became a bit more disturbing to close observers of the team than any potentially lengthy delays in the sale process was the fact Kroenke said nothing in the team release announcing his intention to become the Rams’ majority owner about keeping the team in St, Louis. Said one team insider: “It seemed real puzzling to me not mentioning St. Louis, especially coming from a Missouri native who just happens to have a home in Malibu (Calif.).”

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Kroenke prolongs Rams' sale process

Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2010

Don't expect closure on the sale of the Rams any time soon in the wake of minority owner Stan Kroenke's very surprising decision to exercise his right of first refusal to purchase the 60 percent share of the team currently owned by Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez. The league would have to alter its cross-ownership rules on behalf of Kroenke, who currently owns both the NBA's Denver Nuggets and NHL's Colorado Avalanche, and team sources expect a potentially lengthy process, in any event. "Right now, you're looking at a rudderless ship for probably at least several more months," said one team insider. "It will take weeks just to fill out all the paperwork," As far as Rams Nation is concerned, we hear there is some degree of optimism about Kroenke, who has been well regarded for the most part since becoming involved with the team and is considered a proven commodity. "But the fact the whole deal is going to be dragged out certainly has added more anxiety," the insider said.

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Kroenke exercises option to buy Rams

Date: Mon, Apr 12, 2010

Rams minority owner Stan Kroenke has decided to exercise his option to purchase the 60 percent interest in the Rams that he doesn't already own. He released a statement announcing his decision late Monday, the deadline for exercising the option.

Current Rams owners Chip Rosenbloom and his sister, Lucia Rodriguez, had announced Feb. 11 their intention to sell their 60 percent interest in the team to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan. They had inherited the majority ownership in the team from their mother, Georgia Frontiere, who died in January 2008.

Kroenke, 62, who made his fortune in real-estate development, became a 40 percent minority owner of the club when the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1995.

Kroenke's decision comes as a surprise to most observers. The NFL currently has a cross-ownership rule that prohibits its majority owners from holding a controlling interest in another professional franchise in any sport, and Kroenke is the owner of the NBA's Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to comment on the cross-ownership issue, saying it was a matter between Kroenke and the other NFL owners.

Under his right of first refusal, Kroenke had the option of keeping his 40 percent interest, selling it or buying the 60 percent controlled by the Rosenbloom family. He chose the latter.

The amount of Khan's bid for the Rams has not been disclosed, but reports have estimated that Khan offered approximately $750 million for 100 percent of the team, less than the $913 million value placed on the club by Forbes magazine. By exercising his right of first refusal, Kroenke would pay a pro-rata portion of the purchase price for the 60 percent of the team he doesn't already own — approximately $450 million, if the rumored sale price is accurate.

Khan, 55, president of Urbana, Ill.-based auto parts maker Flex-N-Gate, could re-enter the picture if the owners choose to block Kroenke's purchase based on the cross-ownership rule.

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New LB Diggs figures to start somewhere for Rams

Date: Thu, Apr 8, 2010

As had been expected for a few weeks now, the Rams finally signed former Packers and Panthers OLB Na'il Diggs, who worked under Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole for three years in Carolina when Flajole was the Panthers' LB coach. While it remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old Diggs, who will be entering his 11th NFL season, will play on the weak side or strong side, we hear the odds are strong that he will be starting at one of those positions for the Rams and filling a valuable veteran leadership role, which is something he said he is really looking forward to.

"I definitely embrace it," Diggs said in a conference call. "I've seen a lot of leaders. When I first got in the league with Green Bay, I had great leaders. I think they set the stage up for me the rest of my career … Just by me observing these guys, I learned skills and behavioral traits that carried me throughout the league. It's something that's kind of like parenting a little bit. We're all kind of products of our parents' behavior."

Diggs indicated that he thought the Rams might want to start him out filling the strong-side "Sam" role, but we hear it's quite possible that he will end up filling the "Will" role on the other side in a LB corps that could also include former Ohio State alums James Laurinaitis in the middle and possibly Larry Grant on the strong side. "It'll be a LB corps full of Buckeyes, which is always a good, successful chemistry to have," Diggs said. "I haven't met those guys yet, but I've heard a lot about them. I've heard they're great guys and good players, too."

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Rams sign veteran LB Diggs

Date: Wed, Apr 7, 2010

The Rams solidified their LB corps Wednesday with the official announcement that they have signed former Panthers and Packers OLB Na’il Diggs. The 31-year-old Diggs, who will be entering his 11th season, figures to be a primary candidate for the Rams’ starting WLB job next season.

The 6-4, 240-pound Diggs has played in 145 games with 127 starts and has also started seven postseason contests. A versatile player, Diggs has started on both the strong and weak sides during his career. He spent the last four years in Carolina, where Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole served as Diggs’ position coach from 2006-08.

"Na’il is an experienced NFL linebacker," head coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "He’s been productive throughout his career, and we’re excited to add a player of his caliber to our team."

Prior to joining the Panthers, Diggs spent six seasons in Green Bay and led the Packers in tackles for three consecutive seasons (2002-04). During his time in Green Bay, Diggs started 62 consecutive games and earned All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly in 2000. His career totals include 11½ sacks and five interceptions.

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