By Dan Moore

– Managing Editor

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Aug 31, 2011 – The St. Louis Rams are continuing their trip down to the regular season active roster, and with that kind of bubble-bursting comes the yearly attempt to predict just which of the preseason stars and flops will make the team for Week One. The boldest one yet came Tuesday, when Turf Show Times proprietor VanRam guessed that Donnie Avery—by trade or something more insidious—wouldn’t be on the roster when the Rams finally finished sorting their dysfunctional wide receivers. 

Avery’s been solid in the preseason since returning from last season’s devastating knee injury; for the most part, he’s done everything that could be expected of him. But VanRam guesses that the Rams won’t have a need for his speed-first game in Josh McDaniels’s new offense, and that they’ll try to trade the erstwhile number-one-of-last-resort for whatever they can get, instead keeping newly minted special-teams-gunner Mardy Gilyard around. 

This is plausible to me, but I’m not sure I’m a fan of it. With both Avery and Danario Alexander off the roster we’ll be back to square one—Sam Bradford will have a big-play offensive coordinator, for once, but no big-play wide receiver. 

Read More: Donnie Avery (WR – STL), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Mardy Gilyard (WR – STL), Danario Alexander (WR – STL), St. Louis Rams

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Every other offensive line in the NFC West is struggling this preseason.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith has been harassed relentlessly; the O-line gave up six sacks in the first preseason game on top of an unbelievable amount of pressure.

The Seahawks offensive line should theoretically be better, given an offseason to heal and the development of Russell Okung. Still, even if Tarvaris Jackson wasn’t performing terribly, the Hawks’ line is playing abysmally.

The Cardinals offensive line has Levi Brown playing left tackle. Oh, and future Hall of Fame candidate Alan Faneca retired, who might have been their best lineman even after declining play due to his age.

The Rams drafted Rodger Saffold in 2010, who looks like a slam dunk at left tackle and could be even better as soon as this year. Jason Brown is one of the most underrated centers in the league. Harvey Dahl was a great pickup at right guard, and he brings in versatility as a possible right tackle and a nasty demeanor to the trenches.

There’s no doubt this line is the class of the division. Sam Bradford is well protected, and Steven Jackson will have holes to run through.

By BJ Kissel

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Aug 26, 2011 – The Kansas City Chiefs take on Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams Friday night in Kansas City. Despite being shutout 56-13 in the first two games of the preseason, the Kansas City Chiefs can take some positives away from their loss last week against the Baltimore Ravens.

It was the first time the entire starting defense played together in the preseason and Kelly Gregg showed Chiefs fans why they have a reason to feel good about the nose tackle position, finally. But heading into the game against the Rams the Chiefs still have questions that need to be answered.

Here are a few things to watch for Friday night.

Matt Cassel

For the second time in two years Matt Cassel faces the Rams with a lot of questions surrounding him heading into the game. Last season he was playing less than two weeks removed from surgery that had his appendix removed, and played quite well in that game that proved to be one of the key victories late in the season that helped the Chiefs win the AFC west division.

This preseason, Cassel has been far from impressive in just the limited action he saw last week against the Ravens. It may have been his first real game action of the preseason, but he’ll need to go out and play well Friday night or more questions, and more pressure will follow him to the regular season.

Cory Greenwood and Micah Johnson

Brandon Siler’s injury that will cost him the entire 2011 season was unfortunate for the Chiefs, who had thought Siler would push Belcher for a starting role and contribute on special teams. Instead, the Chiefs get to take a closer look at Johnson and Greenwood. Both have been impressive at times so far this preseason and both should see plenty of action Friday night.

They are both fighting for roster spots that will become more clear on Tuesday, when teams have to shrink their rosters from 90 players, to 80 players. There are always surprises every year but depth at insider linebacker just got a little more thin with the injury to Siler. Greenwood and Johnson are two players to keep your eyes on.

Verran Tucker and Keary Colbert

Tucker was very impressive last week against the Ravens at wide receiver and if he can build on that performance and take it to Friday’s game, along with his special teams ability, he’s going to make it a very difficult decision for Todd Haley and the Chiefs.

Colbert is also in the mix at wide receiver and the veteran, who hasn’t played in a NFL regular season game since 2008, needs to make an impact in Friday’s game to solidify his spot on this team.

Wallace Gilberry

Gilberry has been one of the more quiet pieces of the Chiefs defensive puzzle so far this preseason. He was second on the team in sacks in 2010, behind Tamba Hali, and was looked at prior to the draft as one of the key defensive lineman in 2011. Teams know about Tamba Hali and they started to notice Gilberry towards the end of 2010, but Allen Bailey, Andy Studebaker and Justin Houston need to become consistent threats to get after the quarterback.

Tyler Palco and Ricky Stanzi

The backup quarterback position is currently open and Palco and Stanzi will have some time on Friday night to show that they are ready to be the guy to step in should something happen to Cassel. It’s been a hot topic over the last week that the Chiefs should look for a veteran quarterback to backup Matt Cassel. Stanzi is a rookie and will be given time to develop should he become 3rd string.

So Palco is playing for his career Friday night and the following week should he make it that far. Palco led the Chiefs of an impressive touchdown drive against the Ravens that ended with a touchdown pass to Terrance Copper. If he can put together another drive or two like that on Friday, some of those doubters may go away.

These are just a few of the players to keep an eye on Friday night against the Rams. Generally the 3rd game of the preseason is when the starters will play the longest for most NFL teams. The first half of this game should give Chiefs fans an indication of where exactly this team is in their maturation process.

It should be fun to watch.

Read More: Kelly Gregg (DT – KAN), Matt Cassel (QB – KAN), Wallace Gilberry (DE – KAN), Micah Johnson (LB – KAN), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Cory Greenwood (LB – KAN), Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams

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“Consistency,” said the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. “One of the biggest things is we’ve got to be more consistent.”

Bradford has shown flashes of brilliance in helping the Rams to a 2-0 record this preseason. He has also struggled at times, going 15 of 27 for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He has thrown one interception and has a 85.9 quarterback rating.

Bradford was 8 of 15 for 138 yards in a 17-16 win over Tennessee on Saturday, including an 83-yard scoring pass to Brandon Gibson on the first play from scrimmage. But the first-team offense sputtered the rest of the half.

The first unit had appeared razor sharp in a 33-10 win over Indianapolis on Aug. 13. Bradford put up 17 points on his first four possessions then.

That type of effort was missing on Saturday.

“In order to be a good offense in this league, you’ve got to be able to put good plays together,” the former Oklahoma star said. “We’ve just got to get into our rhythm.”

Bradford expects to play at least three quarters against Kansas City, in what is traditionally the last dress rehearsal before the start of the season.

So Bradford is hoping the offense will start rolling against Kansas City.

“If you’re going to put together scoring drives, you’ve got to put together eight, 10, 12 plays in row,” Bradford said.

The Rams are learning a newer, more complex offense under new coordinator Josh McDaniels.

St. Louis receiver Danny Amendola, who had a team-high 85 catches last season, likes the way Bradford is handling the new schemes.

“He really seems to be getting a hold of this offense,” Amendola said. “We all acknowledge him as our leader out there and he’s doing a good job.”

ST. LOUIS — The first play and the last play were the two highlight reel moments for the St. Louis Rams.

Sam Bradford threw an 83-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson on the first play from scrimmage and Josh Brown kicked a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the Rams’ 17-16 preseason win over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.

The 55,442 fans at the Edward Jones Dome saw the Rams improve to 2-0 on the preseason. The Titans are 1-1.

Bradford found Gibson wide open behind the Titans’ defense to put the Rams ahead 7-0 just 15 seconds into the game.

“In order to keep the defense honest, you’ve got to take shots,” Gibson said. “That’s a well-known fact, so I think we’re going to build on that.”

The play accounted for more than half of the 153 first-half yards put up by the Rams’ first-string offense.

Bradford completed 8 of 15 passes for 138 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was 7 of 14 for 55 yards after the touchdown pass.

“This is Week 2 of the preseason, but it’s allowing us to be in the offense now going on three weeks,” Rams running back Steven Jackson said of the transition to new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system. “As you can see, we still have things to work on, but we’re still making progress,”

Jackson saw his first action of the preseason. He had six carries for 10 yards and one reception for four yards. His longest run went for five yards.

“It felt good to be out there,” said Jackson, who was held out of practice this week because of a sore hip. “I’ve got some rust to knock off still. I haven’t practiced much and it’s kind of aggravating not being able to do what I want, but it was nice to get out here and get hit again, catch a ball or two and get your feet wet.”

The Titans answered Bradford’s TD pass to Gibson with a drive that ended with a 46-yard field by Rob Bironas. It was the first of Bironas’ three field goals in the game.

On the Rams’ second offensive possession, Bradford threw a pass a little too far ahead of intended receiver Mike Sims-Walker.

The ball tipped off Sims-Walker and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan to Titans cornerback Altreraun Verner, who returned the interception 15 yards.

Another 15 yards was added at the end of the play on a low block by Rams center Jason Brown.

Jamie Harper, who had 11 carries for 83 yards in the first half, ran a yard for the touchdown to put the Titans ahead 10-7.

Harper was starting because Titans All-Pro running back Chris Johnson, who has rushed for 4,598 yards over the last three seasons, is holding out for a new contract..

Harper, a rookie out of Clemson, had a 46-yard run to set up a 25-yard field goal by Bironas with 1:57 left in the first quarter.

“We gave up some big runs that we have to clean up,” Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “I was happy with how we ended up stopping them on a few drives when they were in the red zone and holding them to three points instead of seven, but we expect more out of our defense.

“For them to get 13 points in the first quarter, we have to take that to heart.”

Titan quarterback Matt Hasselbeck left the game after being shaken up with 5:45 left in the second quarter.

Rookie Jake Locker replaced Hasselbeck, and he threw a 29-yard pass to Jared Cook that led to a 23-yard field goal by Bironas, whose boot stretched the Titans’ lead to 16-7.

An interception by James Butler helped the Rams’ second-string offense cut the Titans’ lead to 16-14 early in the second half.

Butler intercepted a pass by Locker and returned it 44 yards to the Tennessee 21 before being tackled by Locker.

Two plays later, Rams backup quarterback A.J. Feeley threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Donnie Avery.

The Rams’ final possession started at the St. Louis 9, and third-string quarterback Thaddeus Lewis engineered a 12-play, 67-yard drive that produced the game-winning field goal.

Notes

The Rams had only three players — guard Jacob Bell (knee), cornerback Marquis Johnson (knee) and defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo (back)– who didn’t dress for the game. Veteran Hank Fraley started at left guard in place of Bell. … Rookie running back Chase Reynolds, who was released earlier this week by the Seattle, and rookie offensive tackle Coby Habben, who was released by the Oakland Raiders on Aug. 10, have been added to the Rams’ 90-man roster. Running back Eddie Wide and offensive lineman Roy Watts were released to make room for the two additions. … Former Rams running back Marshall Faulk, recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, received a standing ovation in the second quarter. Faulk was working in the broadcast booth as a color analyst for KTVI Channel 2.

The St Louis Rams picked up their second-straight victory to open up the preseason on a game-winning Josh Brown field goal, defeating the Tennessee Titans 17-16.

It wasn’t the prettiest of victories and, given the fact that a victory in preseason doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, the St. Louis Rams have shown that they still have a long way to go before they are a top-tier team in the NFL. 

Let’s review, shall we?

The Good

- On the very first play of the game, the Rams went with a play-action fake that worked beautifully and Sam Bradford hit wide receiver Brandon Gibson for an 83-yard touchdown pass. It was a very aggressive and very smart play call by OC Josh McDaniels, as most people would assume the Rams would want to get star running back Steven Jackson into a rhythm. The safety bit badly, and Gibson was about as wide open as he could be.

- Josh Brown continues his stellar start to the season. His game-winning field goal as time expired wasn’t too difficult of a kick, but the fact that he is coming through in pressure situations in addition to making just about any kick they ask him to make is very promising.

- The safety position generated another turnover, this one in the form of a James Butler interception on a poorly thrown ball by Jake Locker.

- Donnie Avery had a very impressive return to the football field. He only had two catches for 24 yards, but one of those catches was a very difficult grab for a 19-yard touchdown. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make me believe that Avery can contribute in a positive manner this season.

- Mardy Gilyard had another impressive game, and for the second straight week I am completely baffled by his progress. Where was this last season? Is he going to beat out someone like Danario Alexander, Donnie Avery or another receiver for a spot on the football team? With a clutch catch and plenty of contribution on special teams, Gilyard is really making an impact early on in the preseason.

- Thad Lewis is a guy I’ve had my eye on since he took over the starting quarterback position at Duke. He doesn’t have all the size of an NFL QB, but he possesses awfully intriguing skills. He doesn’t have a great arm, but he has enough arm. He doesn’t have Michael Vick speed, but he’s capable of making plenty of plays with his feet. And make no mistake, the Rams won this football game because of Thad Lewis. Finishing 8-of-10 for 74 yards, including leading the Rams for the game-winning drive, has to have the third-string quarterback winning the Player of the Game honors.

The Bad

- The Rams’ starting unit played virtually the entire first half and were dominated by the Chris Johnson-less Titans. By halftime the score was 16-7 and the defense looked completely battered and bullied. Guys like Stafon Johnson and Jamie Harper ran rampant over the starting unit, showing that the Rams still have plenty of room to improve. 

The offense was no better. Except for a well-played play-action fake, they were completely shut down by the Tennessee defense.

- Steven Jackson only managed 10 yards on six carries. This, however, isn’t much to worry over as Jackson always seems to turn it up a notch once the regular season rolls around.

- The linebacker play was below-average. After a solid performance against the Indianapolis Colts, many people had high hopes for the unit, but they fell flat on their faces on their second attempt. I imagine things will get smoother once the Rams decide on a starting unit and are able to begin designating roles, but until then this unit has a whole lot to work on.

- First-round pick Robert Quinn was shut down by the Titans offensive line, and it doesn’t appear he is ready to be an every-down starter in the NFL just yet. Expect him to see time mostly as a situational pass rusher in the regular season.

The Random

- The Rams had 44 net rushing yards (Titans had 198). McDaniels promised the Rams he’d keep an established running game! 

- Despite a few players such as L.T. Saffold leaving the game with injuries, Spagnuolo said none of the injuries were serious.

- That’s about it. There wasn’t much in terms of oddity in this football game.

With the St Louis Rams fresh off a 33-10 beatdown of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the preseason, they’ll look to continue their solid play against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.  For the second straight week, the Rams’ opponent will be missing their premiere player, with the Titans missing star running back Chris Johnson due to a contract holdout (the Colts were missing Peyton Manning). 

While the Titans will be without their biggest impact player, they still present a very intriguing matchup and challenge for the St. Louis Rams.  Here is what to watch for:

A Familiar Foe

The Tennessee Titans starting quarterback is Matt Hasselbeck, a guy the St. Louis Rams are all too familiar with.  The last time Hasselbeck started a football game against the Rams, however, the Rams emerged victorious, 20-3.   Regardless, it will be interesting to see if Hasselbeck can still work some magic against his old rival.

First String Getting Loads of Playing Time

Steve Spagnuolo said he wants to play the first string players for the entirety of the first half, giving us a chance to get a good look at the players we’ll be seeing on a regular basis.  Steven Jackson will be receiving playing time, Donnie Avery and Mike Sims-Walker will return from injury and we’ll get to see even more Lance Kendricks. 

The first half won’t give a strong understanding of how well the offense can perform in Josh McDaniels’ spread, but it will show how much progress they have made.  Should they struggle, don’t panic.

Can the Linebackers Have an Encore Performance?

One of the most pleasant surprises from the Week 1 win was the performance of the linebackers.  Second-year linebacker Josh Hull held his own in the middle, and outside linebackers such as Brady Poppinga, Zac Diles, Bryan Kehl and Na’il Diggs all played above expectations. 

The most peculiar thing about the performance was the fact that they were without star linebacker James Laurinaitis.  As previously stated, they won’t receive the ultimate challenge due to the lack of Chris Johnson, but another solid performance would be very encouraging to Rams fans.

Will the Safeties Perform Well Again?

Heading into the preseason, one of the Rams’ biggest concerns was the safety position.  They had lost O.J. Atogwe to free agency and were looking at starting Craig Dahl and James Butler, two players that likely wouldn’t start for most other teams.  The team went out and signed Quintin Mikell away from the Philadelphia Eagles to give them an immediate and immense upgrade at the position.

Last week, the unit performed decently against the Colts, picking up three interceptions and giving plenty of reason for hope at the position in the near and distant future.  Can they follow up with a repeat performance?

Will A Receiver Stand Out?

Of all the members of the Rams group of receivers, only Danario Alexander and Mardy Gilyard performed above average last week.  Will anyone in this unit step up this week and make a few plays? 

Brandon Gibson has been an absolute monster in training camp, but he has yet to show huge improvement in the field.  Donnie Avery is a receiver everyone has been waiting on for a breakout season, and he will receive his first playing time of the preseason on Saturday. 

Danny Amendola continues to be Sam Bradford’s favorite target, but he needs to avoid taking so many big hits.

Five Picks to Click:

-TE Lance Kendricks: The rookie looked phenomenal last week.  With a whole half-worth of playing time this week, he could have another big performance.

-WR Brandon Gibson: With Donnie Avery and Mike Sims-Walker back, Gibson won’t have to face coverage from the opponent’s best corner, likely setting him up for a big day.  He has been showing plenty of improvement in training camp, and it’s only a matter of time before he brings it all together.

-RB Jerious Norwood: The running back looked fully healed from a knee injury, and he should receive plenty of playing time in the second half of this one.  Expect the speedster to pick up his first touchdown as a Ram tomorrow night.

-DE Robert Quinn: The Rams first selection from this year’s draft looked great against the Colts, displaying the speed and strength he showed in his brief career at North Carolina.  He should receive more playing time this week, and he should cause plenty of havoc in the backfield.

-LB Brady Poppinga: The OLB showed the strength and nastiness he brings to the field immediately, and don’t expect that to change tomorrow.  Poppinga laid a couple big hits last week, so don’t be surprised if he makes one or two big plays against the Titans.

By design, Josh McDaniels’ offense for the St. Louis Rams’ preseason opener was not a radical departure from last season.

It’s no time to be unveiling the playbook.

The small portion the Rams used while scoring 33 points in a victory over the Indianapolis Colts was effective enough, even without Steven Jackson.

They had planned on easing the Pro Bowl running back into action in Week 2 of the preseason Saturday night against Tennessee, although Jackson watched most of Tuesday’s practice because of soreness in his left hip.

“We know the plays, we know what we’re trying to do,” guard Harvey Dahl said. “Now it’s just the little things, the communication, working together.”

McDaniels said players have been introduced to most of his system, along with most of the staff back from last year.

The former Denver Broncos coach, fired last December, said he’s enjoyed concentrating on one side of the ball and getting a chance to work closely with quarterback Sam Bradford.

“I think we’re having a lot of fun, and I don’t think you hear that word a lot in training camp,” McDaniels said. “I think our guys are really enjoying getting into the system.

“They’ve got a great attitude, we love the way they’re working for us, and every day we come out and make a little bit of a stride here and there.”

St. Louis averaged 18.1 points last year, tied for 26th in the NFL, and was 26th in total offense under Pat Shurmur, now the Cleveland Browns’ head coach.

Besides McDaniels, the Rams added Dahl, wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker and backup running backs Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood in free agency, and second-round draft pick Lance Kendricks is starting at tight end.

The Rams scored on six of their first seven possessions of the preseason opener using mostly the base offense, also capitalizing on early turnovers.

They totaled 169 yards rushing behind strong games from Williams and Keith Toston, and the line gave up no sacks.

Players didn’t seem too satisfied after Week 1, using the last two practices to iron out kinks. Wide receiver Danny Amendola’s overall assessment: “I felt like it was OK.”

The Rams face some tough choices at wide receiver with perhaps nine strong candidates for six spots. That’s a departure from coach Steve Spagnuolo’s first two years when that position didn’t get much attention.

Amendola, Sims-Walker and Brandon Gibson appear assured of jobs, along with rookies Greg Salas and Austin Pettis, drafted in the third and fourth rounds. Deep threats Danario Alexander and Donnie Avery have to show they can stay healthy, and Mardy Gilyard could make the team as a return man.

Spagnuolo includes rookie tight end Lance Kendricks, who has been impressive, in that group because he’ll often be split wide. There are likely seven spots to fill and versatility will be a big plus, given McDaniels’ penchant for moving receivers around and altering the game plan based on the opponent.

“They’ve got to be flexible,” McDaniels said. “The more they can do, the better off they’ll be. We may end up having more guys in slot formation one week and the next we don’t line up in the slot formation at all, because that’s not really how to beat that team.”

NOTES: OT Rodger Saffold (back) did not practice a day after leaving early. … OLB Brady Poppinga wasn’t out for long after needing stitches to close a cut on his lower right leg. “He jumped in there and said ‘Stitch it up and let’s go practice,’” Spagnuolo said.

By design, Josh McDaniels’ offense in the St. Louis Rams’
preseason opener was not a radical departure from last season. It’s
no time to be unveiling the playbook.

The small portion the Rams used while scoring 33 points in a
victory over the Indianapolis Colts was effective enough, even
without Steven Jackson. They’ll ease the Pro Bowl running back into
action in Week 2 of the preseason Saturday night against
Tennessee.

McDaniels said Tuesday that players have been introduced to most
of his system. The former Denver Broncos coach, fired last
December, said it’s been enjoyable concentrating on one side of the
ball and getting a chance to work closely with quarterback Sam
Bradford.

St. Louis averaged 18.1 points last year, tied for 26th in the
NFL, and was 26th in total offense.

ST. LOUIS – Sam Bradford produced 17 points in four possessions with big help from a defense that jumped on Peyton Manning’s backups for a pair of early interceptions as the St. Louis Rams opened the preseason with a 33-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night.

Josh Brown’s 60-yard field goal capped an almost perfect first half not just for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ rebuilt attack but for all phases. Brown’s boot bettered his career best of 58 yards in 2003 with the Seattle Seahawks and he added a 53-yarder in the third quarter.

Manning almost blended into the crowd on the Colts sideline in blue jeans and wearing a ball cap, but his presence on the field was sorely missed. Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky threw costly interceptions early, giving the Rams possession deep in Indianapolis territory to set up 10 easy points.

The St Louis Rams have announced via twitter that James Laurinaitis suffered an injury during training camp Tuesday:

Rams LB James Laurinaitis has an “aggravated pectoral” injury. He’s going to get an X ray per Spagnuolo.

The problem with pectoral injuries is they tend to drag out for a few weeks, regardless of severity.  There is a chance that the injury isn’t all that serious, and should that be the case, Laurinaitis will likely be back in a couple of weeks. 

Should it be something more severe such as a tear, then the Rams could realistically be looking at missing their defensive leader for as long as a quarter of the season. 

As of now, there is not much known about the injury, but chances are the Rams are going to need someone to fill in at middle linebacker for at least the preseason. 

The recent signing of veteran linebacker Ben Leber might help, but Leber is more adequately suited to play on the outside, as he is more of a coverage linebacker than a guy who can patrol the middle of the field. 

Josh Hull is also a guy the Rams could give playing time to in Laurinaitis’ absence, but whether or not they would seriously consider giving playing time to a second-year linebacker who spent a large portion of his rookie season on the IR is unknown.

This is more of a wait-and-see type of situation, but considering how tough of a player Laurinaitis is, I would expect him back sooner rather than later.

This article was originally posted on RantSports.com.

The St Louis Rams have announced via twitter that James Laurinaitis suffered an injury during training camp Tuesday:

Rams LB James Laurinaitis has an “aggravated pectoral” injury. He’s going to get an X ray per Spagnuolo.

The problem with pectoral injuries is they tend to drag out for a few weeks, regardless of severity.  There is a chance that the injury isn’t all that serious, and should that be the case, Laurinaitis will likely be back in a couple of weeks. 

Should it be something more severe such as a tear, then the Rams could realistically be looking at missing their defensive leader for as long as a quarter of the season. 

As of now, there is not much known about the injury, but chances are the Rams are going to need someone to fill in at middle linebacker for at least the preseason. 

The recent signing of veteran linebacker Ben Leber might help, but Leber is more adequately suited to play on the outside, as he is more of a coverage linebacker than a guy who can patrol the middle of the field. 

Josh Hull is also a guy the Rams could give playing time to in Laurinaitis’ absence, but whether or not they would seriously consider giving playing time to a second-year linebacker who spent a large portion of his rookie season on the IR is unknown.

This is more of a wait-and-see type of situation, but considering how tough of a player Laurinaitis is, I would expect him back sooner rather than later.

This article was originally posted on RantSports.com.

By Shaun Al-Shatti

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Aug 9, 2011 – St. Louis Rams third-year inside linebacker James Laurinaitis suffered an “aggravated pectoral” during Tuesday afternoon’s practice, according to head coach Steve Spagnuolo. The extent of the injury is not yet known by the team. Spagnuolo ordered an x-ray after the conclusion of practice to assess the damage.

The Rams front office is hopeful that the injury does not result in a tear. Should that be the case, it’s extremely likely that Laurinaitis would miss games during the regular season. However, if the damage just ends up being a pull, the 24-year-old would likely return to action by the end of the preseason.

Regardless, St. Louis signed free agent linebacker Ben Leber Tuesday’s night to replace the vacant spot left by Laurinaitis.

Laurinaitis was a three-time All American in his four years at Ohio State University, compiling numerous awards including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Dick Butkus Award, and the Lott Trophy. He was selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by St. Louis, and promptly led the team in tackles while being voted to the NFL All-Rookie team.

For updates on the status of James Laurinaitis and the St. Louis Rams, check out Turf Show Times.

Read More: nfl news, laurinaitis injury, nfl injury, rams injury, James Laurinaitis (LB – STL), St. Louis Rams

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