NFL Power Rankings: Rams 'Can Be Better' In 2012

Finishing a season 2-14 and earning the second pick in the NFL Draft usually doesn't yield the greatest results in the power rankings before the beginning of the ensuing season. The Rams, with new head coach Jeff Fisher, ranked toward the bottom in Joel Thorman's first power rankings of the regular season, although they did manage to rank ahead of four teams:

28. St. Louis Rams (LW: 28): I think this will be a better team but had trouble finding any way to get it higher on the list. Cornerback was a major weakness but now a strength. Sam Bradford should be better. Steven Jackson has some help. It can be better.

By trading down from the second pick to the sixth pick in a huge trade with the Redskins, the Rams began a rebuilding process that will feature many high draft picks in years to come. So while the future is bright for the franchise, Thorman doesn't believe the 2012 season is as bright.

For more on the Rams as the regular season kicks off, head on over and visit Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or with SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Rams Claim DT Kellen Heard, RB Terrance Ganaway Off Of Waivers

The St. Louis Rams have been busy this weekend as they have claimed former Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kellen Heard and former New York Jets running back/fullback Terrance Ganaway. Bringing on Heard gives the Rams more depth at the defensive tackle position which is necessary since they suffered some injuries late in training camp.

Ganaway is a sixth round draft pick from this years draft by Jets, and he was brought on because he is a powerful runner and that is something the Rams need.

Since both players were claimed off of waivers the Rams must adjust their roster accordingly to get back down to 53 player. One player who may get the axe is running back Brit Miller, because once they added Ganaway that gave them five running backs.

For more on the Rams as the preseason comes to an end, head on over and visit Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or with SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Rams Roster: Practice Squad Taking Shape For St. Louis

The St. Louis Rams have made some roster moves since they cut their roster down to 53 players on Friday night. Now with their initial 53 players set, the Rams can concentrate on setting up their practice squad. So far they have signed six players to their practice squad. The NFL allows teams to sign eight.

• Tim Barnes, center
• Chase Reynolds, running back
• Nick Johnson, wide receiver
• Cory Harkey, tight end
• Mason Brodine, defensive end
• Aaron Brown, linebacker

All six of those players were with the Rams during training camp, but Brodine had spent the least amount of time with the Rams as he was acquired in a trade just last week.

For more on the Rams as the preseason comes to an end, head on over and visit Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or with SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Seneca Wallace, Brian Hoyer Among St. Louis Rams' Veteran Backup Quarterback Options

The St. Louis Rams cut Kellen Clemens Friday, leaving Sam Bradford without a veteran backup on their 53-man roster, but few expect GM Les Snead is satisfied with their current situation—Austin Davis, an undrafted free agent, is currently their only other option at the position. The good news, such as it is: Lots of other teams just finished cutting their own veteran backups, which means that reasonably interesting names like Seneca Wallace and Brian Hoyer are now available for Snead's perusal ahead of the regular season.

None of these names are especially exciting, of course, and few of them are significantly better than Kellen Clemens, which is what makes the Rams' move so surprising; the most superficially compatible Mediocre Veteran Backup on the market was already Clemens, a Brian Schottenheimer refugee and the Rams' somewhat-less-infuriating replacement for A.J. Feeley.

No doubt Les Snead has a plan, but at this point it looks inscrutable to anybody who doesn't have an in with the Rams' braintrust. We'll just have to wait, with Seneca Wallace and company, until they make their overarching plan clear.

Rams Roster Cuts: St. Louis Names Initial 53-Man Roster

The St. Louis Rams announced their 53-man roster Friday night, and they had to cut 20 players to get down to 53. Earlier on Friday the Rams announced 13 players who did not make the team, but now they released the other seven players.

The Rams waived quarterback Kellen Clemens, which means that the only quarterbacks on the team are Sam Bradford and his backup, which will be undrafted free agent Austin Davis, at least for the time being. There were other quarterbacks waived such as Brian Hoyer and Seneca Wallace, so those two could get a look at the backup spot.

Here are the 20 players who did no make the team:

• DT Cornell Banks
• C Tim Barnes
• QB Tom Brandstater
• DE Mason Brodine
• LB Aaron Brown
• LB Sammy Brown
• CB Kendric Burney
• DE Vernon Gholston
• FB Ben Guidugli
• TE Cory Harkey
• OL T-Bob Hebert
• DE Jamaar Jarrett
• WR Nick Johnson
• OT Joe Long
• G Bryan Mattison
• FB Ovie Mughelli
• TE Deangelo Peterson
• RB Chase Reynolds
• DE Scott Smith
• OL Jose Valdez

For more on the Rams as the preseason comes to an end, head on over and visit Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or with SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Rams Roster Cuts: St. Louis Officially Releases 13 Players

The St. Louis Rams have already announced that Vernon Gholston had been released earlier in the day on Friday, and now the Rams have officially made an announcement of 12 other players who did not make the 53-man roster.

•Tim Barnes, C
•Kendric Burney, CB
•Tom Brandstater, QB
•Mason Brodine, DE
•Sammy Brown, LB
•Vernon Gholston, DE
•Ben Guidugli, FB
•T-Bob Hebert, C
•Nick Johnson, WR
•Joe Long, OT
•Ovie Mughelli, FB
•DeAngelo Peterson, TE
•Chase Reynolds, RB

This list is a confirmed report of players who have been released. There are still nine more moves that the Rams need to make to get their roster down to 53 players. The deadline for that is 8 p.m. CT Friday night.

For more on the Rams as the preseason comes to an end, head on over and visit Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or with SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Rams Cut Defensive Lineman Vernon Gholston

The St. Louis Rams have cut defensive lineman Vernon Gholston, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The former sixth-overall pick in the 2008 draft signed with the Rams on Aug. 22 as a free agent and had one tackle in Thursday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Gholston was drafted by the New York Jets in 2008 and was expected to be their star outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense, yet struggled to get on the field in meaningful situations his rookie season. Gholston converted to defensive end under coach Rex Ryan yet never came close to living up to lofty expectations.

In three years with the Jets, Gholston recorded no sacks and was out of football in 2011 after failing to make the Chicago Bears roster in training camp.

For more on the St. Louis Rams as the preseason continues to roll along, head over to Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or SB Nation's YouTube channel:

St. Louis Rams Could Play Daryl Richardson And Isaiah Pead In Regular Season

Isaiah Pead's gotten stiff competition from an unlikely source in the St. Louis Rams' preseason battle to be Steven Jackson's backup: Seventh-round pick Daryl Richardson. Richardson, No. 252 overall out of Division II Abilene Christian, has looked pretty good in the Rams' three preseason games, rushing 22 times for 90 yards and adding 24 more through the air. It's a sturdy performance, but it wouldn't attract much attention—except that Isaiah Pead's preseason has been a mess.

50 yards on 25 carries later (to go with 10 yards on seven receptions), it looks like Richardson could earn significant playing time out of the Rams' backfield. Isaiah Pead's saving grace in the early going—nobody expects him to continue struggling like this—could be his ability as a kick returner; he's looked excellent there.

Nobody was expecting the carries/special teams balance to run quite in that direction, but Turf Show Times's latest suggests the Rams believe they have a place for both of their rookie running backs.

Danario Alexander Cut: Not So Surprising Considering Injury History

As a senior at the University of Missouri, wide receiver Danario Alexander led the NCAA with 1,781 yards and 14 touchdowns. However, despite his very successful collegiate career, Alexander went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft due to a knee surgery in February of that year.

After a long recovery he eventually signed with the St. Louis Rams and spent time on the practice squad before joining the active roster in October 2010. At times he looked like Sam Bradford's go-to receiver, but after non-stop injuries during his time with the team, he was released by the Rams on Monday during the first round of roster cuts.

Ryan Van Bibber of Rams blog, Turf Show Times, reacted to the news:

"The Danario Alexander news is a bit of a shocker when you consider his talent level, but not so much when you look back at his injury history. He has yet to play in a preseason game while suffering from a never-ending hamstring injury.

It will be interesting to see if DX gets a flyer from another team. He certainly has the talent, but not the knees after having five knee surgeries. The Rams could also re-sign him after he clears waivers."

In two seasons with the Rams, Alexander recorded 46 receptions for 737 yards with three touchdowns.

For more on the St. Louis Rams as the preseason continues to roll along, head over to Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or SB Nation's YouTube channel:

Danario Alexander Among The St. Louis Rams' Roster Cuts

The St. Louis Rams' most painful cut Monday afternoon was one of their least surprising: The Rams waived Danario Alexander, a Mizzou alum and periodically the best wide receiver in Sam Bradford's arsenal, after a preseason filled with hamstring injuries amid a career filled with, well, knee and hamstring injuries.

Alexander was on the bubble even before he proved unable to play in the Rams' first three preseason games. With Brian Quick and Chris Givens in need of playing time, and Danny Amendola back on the active roster after a year spent recovering from injuries, the Rams didn't have much room for a receiver who couldn't stay on the field from week to week.

If it's any consolation for Danario Alexander fans, I'm not sure anybody could have predicted the success Laurent Robinson, the Rams' last wide receiver castoff, had in his first season out of town. If Alexander can stay upright long enough to work out for some other teams, he's likely to get offers. He was, after all—terrifyingly enough—the Rams' best wide receiver last year.

St. Louis Rams Roster Cuts Figure To Include Danario Alexander This Year

NFL Cuts 2012: The St. Louis Rams' roster cuts leave Danario Alexander on the shakiest side of the bubble.