The St. Louis Rams absorbed a double blow to their offensive line with season-ending injuries to Mark Setterstrom and tackle Brandon Gorin.

Setterstrom fractured a kneecap in Saturday's exhibition game against the San Diego Chargers and will be placed on injured reserve.

Rams coach Scott Linehan on Sunday said Setterstrom will have surgery sometime this week. Last season, Setterstrom, a seventh-round pick in 2006, tore a knee ligament in the same knee in Week Three, knocking him out for the year.

"It is the same knee; it is just a completely different injury," Linehan said. "But certainly it is some tough luck to have two really tough injuries to the same leg within a year."

Gorin, meanwhile, suffered a shoulder injury in the team's preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. The severity of the injury did not show up on an initial MRI exam.

"He has a pretty significant shoulder injury," Linehan said. "It ... is an injury that will force him out for the year."

Quarterback Marc Bulger also suffered a shoulder strain in the game, but Linehan said it is not serious.

Running back Brian Leonard, getting plenty of playing time with the lengthy holdout of starter Steven Jackson, sprained his shoulder. Linehan said that injury is not considered serious although he termed the second-year back "iffy" for next Saturday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

ST LOUIS RAMS (stlrams.com) -  St. Louis Rams defensive end Victor Adeyanju will be sidelined two-to-four weeks after breaking his right middle finger in practice Sunday.

Adeyanju, a fourth-round pick in 2006 who started seven games last year, was sent back to St. Louis on Monday to have pins inserted. Coach Scott Linehan said it could be as short as two weeks and as long as a month before Adeyanju is cleared to return.

He is competing for a backup spot at end after the Rams took Chris Long with the second pick of the draft. Adeyanju started nine games his rookie season after the Rams released Anthony Hargrove in a disciplinary move, and is perhaps the team's best run defender.

"Once he gets that wound healed he'll be able to get some work done with a club on that hand," Linehan said. "It's a complete fluke deal."

The St. Louis Rams and defensive end Chris Long, the second overall pick in the draft, reached an agreement on a contract Saturday night, according to a published report.

Long, the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, is expected to sign a deal that covers at least five years early next week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on its web site. The Rams report to training camp at Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., on Thursday.

Phone messages left by the Associated Press with Long's agent, Marvin Demoff, and the team weren't immediately returned. But coach Scott Linehan told the newspaper he was relieved.

"I was kind of anxious to get moving on this," Linehan said. "There's nothing guaranteed about when a guy's going to sign and be in camp.

"He was obviously a high-profile pick for us and I'm really excited about it."

The Rams anticipate the 279-pound Long starting at right end to beef up an anemic pass rush.

Long's signing means the top three picks have agreed to contracts before training camp. The Dolphins signed first overall pick Jake Long, an offensive tackle from Michigan, before the draft and quarterback Matt Ryan has signed with the Falcons.

The Rams have signed half of their eight picks.

There is a growing rift between Rams fans and RB Steven Jackson over some comments he made about the hometown fans who sold their tickets last year to visiting Steelers and Packers fans. He's an outspoken young man, and I admire him for speaking out against what he perceives to be wrong. The Rams were putrid last season, and I haven't seen a lot of fire coming out of anyone else's nostrils.

Sometimes you need a guy like Jackson to stir things up. Not only is he talented, he's outspoken and intelligent. He says what needs to be said. I think the coaches would still call him a "locker-room guy" despite his rants. He's not saying anything that isn't true, as Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell points out.

It's going to be very interesting to see what Jackson does this season in a contract year. And for that matter, it will be interesting to see how the Rams play things. With Jackson reportedly being let go by agent Gary Uberstine -- how's that for a reversal of roles? -- before he hits the open market, there might not be a ton of time for Jackson's new agent, whoever it might be, to get something done before camp. And a lot of players prefer not to have their agents negotiate during the season, not wanting to be distracted with numbers talk.

No matter what, you know Jackson will be an interesting man to follow this summer and fall. I believe he'll bounce back with a big season, even with the Rams' offense in questionable shape, especially up front. But it might be the off-field stuff with Jackson that is the most intriguing. Will fans endorse the move if he gets, say, a $70 million deal? Keep an eye peeled ...

If St. Louis loses its NFL team after the 2014 season, it can be pinned on the new stadiums being built by the Cowboys and Jets/ Giants. Since these facilities will utilize every sort of revenue-building device available to them, cities such as St. Louis will either have to scramble to find funding to upgrade its football facility or build a new stadium entirely.

There are rumors that the owners of the St. Louis Rams are looking at Los Angeles as a destination in about seven years, when an escape clause in the Rams' current 30-year deal kicks in: The Rams have to be in the upper 25% of stadium revenues; otherwise ownership is free to move, despite having 10 years left on the lease. Rams owner Georgia Frontiere moved her team from Anaheim to St. Louis after the 1994 season, because the city offered her the keys to the city's new domed stadium, which was built as part of a convention center. The stadium is just 13 years old, but with new stadiums coming on board in East Rutherford, Indianapolis, and Texas and the opening of big revenue-producing facilities in Houston, Massachusetts, Detroit, and Arizona, the Rams' ownership will surely no longer be in the top eight by 2015. That is how quickly the economics of the NFL changes.

Frontiere was first approached by St. Louis officials after the NFL awarded expansion teams to Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla., in 1993. The city was looking for an NFL franchise to replace Bill Bidwill's Cardinals, a team that left town after the 1987 season. Bidwill failed in his attempt to get a new football-only facility and moved his operation to Glendale, Ariz. Bidwill was one of the first of the NFL owners to start looking for a facility that had luxury boxes and was one of the first to prove then-commissioner Pete Rozelle correct.

A few years earlier, Rozelle predicted that luxury boxes would be a "bane to the league," and added that there would be franchise movement if cities did not catch up with luxury boxes at the Meadowlands and at Texas Stadium. A quarter of a century later, Rozelle's words still ring true, as franchises will again have to play catch-up to the Meadowlands and the Cowboys in terms of potential revenue.

Now it is atmosphere, restaurants, luxury boxes, and club seats. In 1995, when St. Louis opened its new football facility, it was a state-of-the-art, 66,000-seat stadium that cost $281 million. But the state-of-the-art facility from the mid-1990s is antiquated in 2008. St. Louis could not renovate the stadium to approximate some of the features that have nothing to do with the actual game of football itself — such as the Great Wall, which will go up outside the new Giants-Jets facility. The wall will feature murals of players and great moments in team history in a space that's 400 feet long and 40 feet high. Four restaurants are also being built inside the stadium. The Giants-Jets stadium will also have various naming rights: MetLife has bought one of the four stadium entrances, Anheuser-Busch has another entrance, and there's also the stadium's name itself. The stadium will have 200 luxury suites and 9,200 club seats. The mid-1990s St. Louis stadium can't match that increased source of revenue.

Frontiere died in January, and her son, Chip Rosenbloom, is now the franchise's majority owner. Rosenbloom has acknowledged that there is some interest from people who would like to move or own the team, but he would prefer keeping it for the time being, and remain in St. Louis.

There are a number of other franchises that could be actively seeking new homes. Zygi Wilf's Minnesota Vikings play in a woefully inadequate and poor revenue-producing stadium, and have a lease through 2011. Al Davis's deal with Oakland ends in 2010: The Oakland Coliseum (now known as the McAfee Coliseum) was first opened in 1966, and in 1995 a football grandstand was added. The San Francisco 49ers' ownership wants to leave Candlestick Point as soon as possible, but the York family suffered a major setback last week when Santa Clara officials declined to put a stadium vote in the November ballot because they didn't reach an intent agreement with the Yorks, A referendum could come as early as June 2009.

The Spanos family still wants a new stadium in San Diego for its Chargers franchise. After eight years of talk, there is still nothing concrete in terms of building a new facility somewhere in the San Diego area, though. Then there is Jacksonville, a market that is presently too small to house an NFL team and struggles to sell out the city's stadium (which doesn't have a corporate name). The Jaguars' ownership has put tarps on the upper decks of the stadium to reduce the capacity in the hopes of selling out games and having Jaguars home games on television in the team's home market. Could Wayne Weaver sell his club to interests in Los Angeles, or at least move there? There's one problem with that plan: There is no NFL-ready stadium in L.A., although the chief executive officer of Majestic Realty, Ed Roski, would like to put one up in the City of Industry.

A deal between the owner of the New Orleans Saints, Tom Benson, and Louisiana is done after 2010. Will Louisiana continue subsidizing Benson to the tune of $23.5 million annually after the lease is up? And will the Buffalo Bills play in Orchard Park, N.Y., beyond 2012, when the lease agreement expires — or will the moving vans pack up the Bills' equipment and lug it over the Ontario border to Toronto?

If any of these teams relocate, or get new stadiums, blame it on the Giants or Jets or Cowboys. History is going to be repeating itself very soon, as NFL teams will be looking to keep up.

St. Louis Rams Football

The St. Louis Rams on Thursday signed quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who was released last week by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We wanted to go into training camp with four quarterbacks," coach Scott Linehan said. "With Bruce's talent and experience, we will have four quality quarterbacks competing in camp this year."

In addition to starter Marc Bulger, the Rams also have veterans Trent Green and Brock Berlin on the roster.

Gradkowski, 25, was thrust into the role of starter as a rookie with Tampa Bay in 2006, appearing in 11 games. He spent last season on the sidelines with the arrival of Jeff Garcia as starter.

With the Bucs signing Brian Griese in the offseason and Chris Simms recovered from injury, Gradkowski fell victim to the numbers game in Tampa Bay.

Gradkowski, who played collegiately at Toledo, has completed 54 per cent of his passes for 1,791 yards, with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his career.

The rival San Francisco 49ers have beaten out the Rams for the services of veteran offensive lineman Barry Sims. On Monday, Sims agreed to a two-year free-agent deal with the Niners. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Sims, 33, started 119 games, mostly at left tackle, in nine seasons with Oakland before the Raiders released him Feb. 29. He met with coach Scott Linehan, offensive coordinator Al Saunders and offensive line coach Steven Loney on June 13 at Rams Park.

"The meeting went very well, and I had had some good talks with (personnel chief) Billy Devaney," said Ken Vierra, Sims' agent. "From a football perspective, San Francisco and St. Louis both afforded Barry an opportunity to come in and compete. That's all he was looking for."

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Sims also made visits to New England and Baltimore, but the Rams and 49ers emerged as the finalists. "It was a tough call," Vierra said. "When it came time to put a deal together, the 49ers were really aggressive. That was the difference."

Sims was signed by Oakland during training camp in 1999 as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Utah. He became a full-time starter in 2001.

TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS HERE: http://stlrams.com/forums/p/51/76.aspx#76 

Though it hasn't been publicized in the wake of longtime owner Georgia Frontiere's death earlier this year, the St. Louis Rams are on the market, according to several NFL sources.  The possible sale of the franchise could have major ramifications, with a potential return of the team to Southern California hanging over any transaction. Adding intrigue to the situation: One of the prospective buyers who has had preliminary discussions with an intermediary about buying the Rams is Eddie DeBartolo, who owned the rival San Francisco 49ers from 1977 to '98.

"I know that they are definitely in play," DeBartolo told Yahoo! Sports last week. "Georgia's kids (son Chip Rosenbloom and daughter Lucia Rodriguez) have decided to sell the team. I've talked to some people who are brokering things, and they've told me about the price and what the deal might entail."

St Louis Rams president John Shaw, who has been the de facto leader of the franchise since Frontiere moved the Rams from Anaheim to St. Louis in 1995, declined to comment on the team's potential sale.

While DeBartolo said he has only a "slight" interest in purchasing the Rams, who sources say are being shopped in the $850 million to $900 million range, he conceded that part of the deal's allure would be the possibility of filling the void in the L.A. market that has existed since the Rams and Raiders left town before the '95 season.

Their lease (at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis) is up in 2012, and they would be a natural for that to happen," DeBartolo said of the Rams' return to L.A. under new ownership. "It would be something to look at, and it's interesting to see the numbers and everything. But it wouldn't be my first choice of a franchise if I chose to get back in."

DeBartolo, who lives in Tampa, would prefer to purchase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was part of a group that included Outback Steakhouse founder Chris Sullivan which approached Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer about buying the team seven years ago, but their interest was rebuffed.

Two years ago, in a story I wrote for Sports Illustrated, DeBartolo said he was intrigued by the prospect of purchasing the Raiders and relocating them to L.A. At the time two prominent NFL owners, including the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, said they believed DeBartolo would be approved should he attempt to return to the league – something that was in question after he became embroiled in a Louisiana gaming scandal a decade ago and ultimately pled guilty to a felony (not reporting an extortion attempt by the state's former governor, Edwin Edwards).

"I love the guy, and a lot of people in that room (at an NFL owners meeting) like him," one AFC owner said earlier this month. "I think he'd be approved."

Given the decline of the 49ers' fortunes since the popular and wildly successful owner's departure – and DeBartolo's acrimonious relationship with brother-in-law John York, who currently runs the franchise – the thought of him owning a reprised L.A. Rams ranks with the previously floated Raiders scenario as a 49ers fan's worst nightmare. But DeBartolo, who has worked hard to repair his once-bitter relationship with sister Denise DeBartolo York, insists he's not motivated by any sort of revenge fantasy.

"Oh, (expletive), I'm past that," DeBartolo insisted. "I would only do it for the right reasons – business reasons. I don't know, the Rams, they were always my arch enemy. (St. Louis is) a good city. And, you know, we took care of the Rams pretty good when we owned the 49ers."

DeBartolo, 61, also says he is not as high on the Los Angeles market as he was two years ago.

"First of all, who's proven in L.A. that a damn team even works?" DeBartolo asked. "It didn't work for Al Davis, and he won a Super Bowl there. I think L.A. has yet to prove it wants to support a pro football team. And unless somebody does an awfully damn good survey and market-research study indicating otherwise, I'll be skeptical."

One high-ranking league source says the Jacksonville Jaguars are another team that might be sold and relocated to L.A. and that owner Wayne Weaver has solicited potential buyers in recent months. But DeBartolo discounted the possibility of purchasing the Jags, saying, "I think (he'll sell) every year, but it doesn't happen. I get the feeling that Wayne really wants a Super Bowl, and every year he keeps thinking, 'It's gonna be the year,' and he decides to keep them."

As for the Rams, an NFL owner familiar with the situation says at least two groups not involving DeBartolo have had discussions with those brokering the sale about a possible purchase. The owner said it appears unlikely that Stan Kroenke, a Rams minority owner, will try to buy out Frontiere's heirs and assume control of the franchise. To gain NFL approval, Kroenke would have to divest himself of his ownership interests in the NBA's Denver Nuggets and NHL's Colorado Avalanche because failing to do so would violate the NFL's cross-ownership policy (which does not allow someone with controlling ownership in an NFL franchise to own major pro sports teams who play in a different NFL city).

"It'll be interesting to see what happens," DeBartolo said.

Discuss the possible Sale here

Source: sports.yahoo.com

Strengths: Possesses world-class speed. Gets from 0-to-60 mph in a hurry. Is able to consistently get over the top of CB’s in man-coverage. Can be a huge threat after-the-catch if he catches a crease. Is quick, shifty and agile. Possesses soft hands and good body control to adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Shows the ability to pluck on the run and get up the field immediately. Shows a rare second gear to run away from defenders. Has experience as a return man and rare speed alone gives him a chance to contribute in that facet of the game in the NFL.

Weaknesses: Is undersized. Not strong or physical. Is a small target in the passing game. Is too much of a straight line athlete. Struggles to get off press coverage. Needs to become a much more polished route runner. Is too slow getting in and out of breaks. Rounds off too many of his routes. We question his toughness. Doesn’t go over the middle much. Gives an inconsistent effort as a blocker and lacks the strength to sustain even when he gets in position and locks on.

Overall: Avery redshirted in 2003, and then started every game for Houston a year later. In his first three seasons (2004-’06), he appeared in 37 games (31 starts) and amassed 119 receptions for 1,833 yards (15.4 average) and 12 touchdowns. As a senior, he ranked fourth in the country in receiving yards per game (112.0) and 15th in receptions per game (7.0). He finished 2007 with totals of 91 catches for 1,456 yards (16.0 average) and seven TDs in 13 games (11 starts). For his career, Avery also 40 kickoff returns for 896 yards (22.4 average) and a touchdown, three punt returns for 28 yards and 14 tackles (including one for a loss). A hyperextended left knee and MCL sprain in August 2007 didn’t cost him any playing time. Bottom line: Avery is quite possibly the fastest player in the 2008 class. While there’s no doubt of his homerun-hitting potential for the next level, Avery remains too one-dimensional, with really just the ability to run go routes to threaten a defense. He is somewhat reminiscent of New Orleans and former LSU burner Devery Henderson, who has not transitioned to the NFL very well. Avery is dangerous, but he isn’t a refined route runner and he must learn to separate from man-coverage better in order to contribute as a consistent pass-catcher in the NFL. Avery is a bit overrated for those reasons and will be over-drafted if taken higher than the late-second or third round range.

After entertaining trades with other teams wanting to move up, the Rams held on to their No. 2 overall pick and selected Virginia defensive end Chris Long.

While the Rams debated between Long and LSU's Glenn Dorsey, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long won over the team.

Chris Long appeared in 30 games (24 starts) in his first three seasons (2004-'06), recording 108 total tackles (24 for losses) and seven sacks. He turned in a brilliant senior year, collecting 79 tackles (19 for losses), 14 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception that Long returned 25 yards.

After entertaining trades with other teams wanting to move up, the Rams held on to their No. 2 overall pick and selected Virginia defensive end Chris Long.

While the Rams debated between Long and LSU's Glenn Dorsey, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long won over the team.

Chris Long appeared in 30 games (24 starts) in his first three seasons (2004-'06), recording 108 total tackles (24 for losses) and seven sacks. He turned in a brilliant senior year, collecting 79 tackles (19 for losses), 14 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception that Long returned 25 yards.

Chris Long was a unanimous All-America selection, winner of the Ted Hendricks Award (given to the nation's top defensive end) and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. Long missed five games in 2004 while suffering from mononucleosis. He is the son of Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long.

Chris Long is developing into one of the ACC's premier defensive players, and most expected his presence would be felt at Virginia, as he is the son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long.  Howie Long was a second-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in the 1981 NFL Draft and the 48th player selected overall. He played in the NFL for 13 seasons, recording 84 career sacks and seven Pro Bowl appearances. A two-time defensive player of the year selection, Long led Oakland to a Super Bowl title and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2000. Obviously, Chris Long has learned a lot from his father as he is starting to make a name for himself at defensive end.

Long arrived at UVA after a heralded prep career starring for St. Anne's-Belfield School in Ivy, Virginia. A three-time first-team All-State selection on both offense and defense, Long was named the 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia, rated as the second-best player in Virginia by the Charlottesville Daily Progress "Gold List," No. 3 by the Roanoke Times and No. 4 by SuperPrep. He finished the 2003 season with 91 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks on defense while adding 72 pancake blocks on defense.

A heralded freshman, Long received minimal playing time in 2004, recording five tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a quarterback sack.

He really burst on the scene in 2005, as he played in all 12 games for the Cavaliers. Starting every game and facing All-American D'Brickashaw Ferguson during training camp and practice, Long kept getting better and better. He finished the season with 46 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and two quarterback sacks. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder also added an astounding 26 quarterback hurries and seven pass breakups.

Because of that productivity, Long entered this year with high expecations, as he was the lone returning starter from last year's defensive line and tabbed a preseason first-team All-American by Street & Smith's. He hasn't disappointed.

Through eight games, he has tallied 40 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, four quarterback pressures and a forced fumble. He is being double-teamed on every play, and this has opened up opportunities for the other defensive linemen, most notably Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

A redshirt freshman from Richmond, Fitzgerald has totaled 44 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, six quarterback pressures, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a forced fumble.

Fitzgerald is going to start receiving more attention because of his productivity, and that will open up even more chances for Long. With a motor that never stops running and the size, intensity, and athleticism coaches look for in a defensive lineman, Long has the total package.

"That daggone Long guy, Howard's son," said NC State head coach Chuck Amato when asked what stands out about UVA's defense. "I wish he had twins and sent one our way. Boy is his good. He puts on a clinic everytime he plays.

The restructuring of the St. Louis Rams hierarchy continued Saturday with the hiring of veteran executive Billy Devaney, who will head player personnel.

The Rams also named a new secondary coach, Ron Milus. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant secondary coach for St. Louis.

Devaney worked as a scout for seven seasons with the Washington Redskins before going to San Diego in 1990 as director of player personnel. He spent 11 seasons with the Chargers, helping them to their only Super Bowl appearance, in 1994.

He was fired by San Diego in January 2001 and became pro personnel director in San Francisco. The 49ers reached the playoffs all three seasons Devaney was there. After doing TV work in 2004 and 2005, Devaney served as assistant general manager in Atlanta in 2006-2007.

In St. Louis, he'll have the title of executive vice president of player personnel. The Rams said he will oversee scouting and evaluating of college draft prospects, will run the draft room, and will evaluate NFL players as well.

"Billy brings a wealth of NFL experience to the Rams in the areas of player personnel and scouting," general manager Jay Zygmunt said. "He has proven to be an excellent evaluator of players throughout his career in the NFL and will work with coach Linehan in making final decisions on all personnel matters." Advertisement

The Rams had the league's second-worst record, 3-13, last season under second-year coach Scott Linehan. Linehan was retained but the Rams have made many changes.

Last month, soon after Al Saunders was fired by Washington, the Rams hired him as offensive coordinator. The Rams have also hired Art Valero as assistant head coach/running backs coach, and Steve Loney as offensive line coach.

St. Louis hasn't made the playoffs the past three seasons after failing to do so just once from 1999-2004. Part of the problem has been a generally poor showing in the draft.

This April, St. Louis has the second overall pick.

Milus has previously been secondary coach for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. Linehan said he offers continuity and experience.

Source: http://stltoday.com 

The Miami Dolphins began preliminary talks Tuesday with a representative of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long on a contract to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, according to two sources close to the discussions. However, Miami’s early move could be used as leverage to put pressure on Long or one of the other top prospects to get a deal done before the draft.

For now, it appears that Long, the massive left tackle, is tops on the team’s list. Long’s agent, Tom Condon, met with multiple members of the team’s staff at the Dolphins training facility in Davie, Fla. Condon also represents Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, but the two sources indicated that the Dolphins broached the subject of a contract with Long, not Ryan.

However, the obvious play for Jake Long could be a ploy by the Dolphins to put pressure on other players, such as Virginia defensive end Chris Long, who many believe the Dolphins are also interested in taking. The Dolphins have done extensive work on both Longs, Ryan and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Along with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, many NFL personnel analysts believe the top five players in the draft are relatively equal in value.

The meeting with Condon confirmed the belief among many NFL executives and player agents that the Dolphins will extend contract offers to as many as four players prior to the start of the draft on April 26. That’s far from a new strategy, but it’s nonetheless intriguing because of the subsequent back-door maneuvering as players, agents and teams figure out who will succeed in the cash grab that goes with each pick.

McFadden is unlikely to get an offer from the Dolphins because the team already has running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

“(Chris) Long is the safest player in the draft,” one team executive said, echoing comments made by many NFL personnel people. “But with him, you have to ask yourself if you’re going to be happy with a guy who’s probably going to be like (Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl defensive end) Patrick Kerney. That’s a good pick, but when you have a quarterback there who could change the future of your team, it’s a tough choice.”

Many people feel that the difference between Chris Long, Ryan, Jake Long and Dorsey is not significant. However, the difference in the amount paid to whoever goes No. 1 vs. No. 4 or 5, is significant. For instance, No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell signed a deal with the Oakland Raiders worth $29 million in guaranteed money and another $3 million in easily attainable incentives last year. By contrast, No. 4 overall pick Gaines Adams reportedly received $18.56 million in guarantees from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One advantage for the Dolphins in making a preemptive offer (teams with the No. 1 overall pick are allowed to negotiate before the draft starts) is that leveraging players against each other can also reduce the chance of a holdout.

Last year, the Raiders did not work out a pre-draft deal with Russell, who eventually held out through training camp and didn’t sign a contract until September. Conversely, in 2006, the Houston Texans were able to sign defensive end Mario Williams on the Friday before the draft after they spent the week negotiating between Williams and running back Reggie Bush.

There was significant incentive for Williams at that time because agent Ben Dogra believed that if Williams didn’t go No. 1, he was going to fall to the New York Jets at No. 4 overall. At the time, such a fall would have cost Williams $8 million in guaranteed money.

Similarly, in 1991, the Dallas Cowboys signed defensive tackle Russell Maryland as the No. 1 overall pick when it negotiated with multiple players before the draft.

As of now, however, no talks have happened, said both agent Marvin Demoff, who represents Chris Long, and agent Joel Segal, who represents Dorsey.

Still, the days leading up to the draft could feature shenanigans. And it all starts with a team now run by a man who’s an expert in drama and suspense.

Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells has made a career of working angles, such as in December when it was widely reported one morning that he was going to work for the Atlanta Falcons, only to take the Dolphins job by the afternoon. Thus, some end-game work by Parcells and the Dolphins with some of the top players in the draft seems to be a likely play.

“You would be silly to think that Bill Parcells wouldn’t try that,” one veteran agent said. “He’s going to throw that out there and he’s probably going to do it late in the process. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dolphins called on the Wednesday before the draft and told the two or three or four players they’re thinking about, ‘This is what we’re offering, who will take it?’”

Even more intriguing: Exactly where would the top tier prospects prefer to play? Each of the top four teams in this year’s draft is in some serious state of flux, ranging from ownership changes in Miami and with the St. Louis Rams to general dysfunction with the Falcons and Raiders.

“With each one of those teams you have to really ask yourself, who is going to be running the operations long term?” one agent asked, rhetorically. “The Dolphins are in the midst of changing owners. St. Louis is going to change owners in a year or two. Arthur Blank in Atlanta is a wonderful man, but he changes his mind all the time about what he wants to do. Then you have Al Davis in Oakland. Al’s health is obviously an issue, but even if he’s there, you don’t know what’s going to happen. The place is in chaos all the time.”

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com

The Vikings finally made it official Tuesday, announcing the signing of veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte.

The Vikings announced today what had been expected for more than a week – they have signed veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte.

Frerotte played two of his 14 NFL seasons for the Vikings – in 2003 and 2004 – and has been credited as being a positive influence on the development of former Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

Although he is expected to take on a similar role in the development of Tarvaris Jackson, Frerotte has started 82 career games and helped lead Detroit in 1999 and Denver in 2000 to the playoffs. He started two games for the Vikings in 2003 when Culpepper was injured and went 2-0 in that span. In his first start with the Vikings on Sept. 28, 2003, he set a Vikings single-game record with a 157.2 passer rating against San Francisco, but that was with a different offense and different coaching staff.

Frerotte spent the majority of his NFL career with the Washington Redskins, starting 46 games for them from 1994-98, where he was originally a seventh-round pick (197th overall). He was selected to the 1996 Pro Bowl during his time with Washington.

After leaving the Vikings following the 2004 season, Frerotte followed former Vikings offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to the Miami Dolphins, and continued to follow Linehan when he was hired as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. The Rams re-signed Trent Green this offseason and let Frerotte leave. Last year, Frerotte 

The St. Louis Rams have had quite a fall from the greatest show on turf days when Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt, and Isaac Bruce roamed the field catching and running past everybody in sight.

Now, only Torry Holt remains from those days.  Faulk retired, Warner is a Cardinal, and Bruce just left the team over the off-season and signed with the San Fransisco 49ers.

Marc Bulger is still a strong quarterback, but he flies extremely under-the-radar.  (It doesn't help that the only good receiver he has is ready for Social Security)

They had some injury problems, and that hurt their team extremely last season, and probably is the only reason that they are even a part of this season.

I have a feeling if everybody was healthy, they would have been at least close to a playoff spot.

Instead, they are picking 2nd in the NFL Draft, and I have to write about them now.

Possible Draft Directions

Torry Holt is not getting any younger.  At age 31, they should start looking for somebody to follow him, and grabbing somebody in this draft would be perfect, but there are no #2 caliber WR's in the draft, so look for them to fill that need in the 2nd or 3rd round.

The offensive line had a lot of injuries last season.  Jake long would be a nice player to add to the line and playing with Orlando Pace is one of the best things for a young lineman to do.

They could help out the defensive front and grab either Chris Long (no relation to Jake) or Glenn Dorsey, which would be good for a defense that struggled last season.

They need some help at cornerback, and they could grab Brandon Flowers or Reggie Smith if they fall into the 2nd round.

Overall, this is a team that, again, could either go to the playoffs, or end up right back here at the top of next years draft.

I guess we will have to wait and see.