Danario Alexander Strong In St. Louis Rams Preseason Opener

After an invisible performance in the St. Louis Rams' abbreviated training camp, Mizzou alum and noted enigma Danario Alexander put together an excellent preseason debut, making three catches for 43 yards and diving for a near-miss touchdown in the back of the end zone to stand out among the Rams' myriad wide receiver options. Alexander, who emerged as the Rams' most dynamic receiver on the rare occasions he was healthy in his rookie season a year ago, missed the team's yearly public scrimmage earlier this month with ominous knee swelling, but he looked fine on the Edward Jones Dome field Saturday. 

Alexander experienced swelling bad enough to knock him out of practice as recently as early this week, so it's impossible to tell whether he'll be able to stand up to the rigors of a full season. But so long as he's available he's likely to tantalize Rams fans—not to mention Sam Bradford and Josh McDaniels, each desperate for downfield options after a stagnant season in 2010—every time he steps onto the field without crutches.