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The Rams placed starting receiver Keenan Burton on injured reserve Monday, ending his season. The position has been hit incredibly hard by injuries this season, recalling what Seattle went through in 2008.

The Rams were already rebuilding at the position after releasing Torry Holt as part of a youth movement and salary-cap adjustment. General manager Billy Devaney made a solid move in acquiring Laurent Robinson from the Falcons before the season. Robinson was the Rams' best receiver through the first two games, but a season-ending injury landed him on injured reserve. Starter Donnie Avery has hit stride recently after battling injuries most of the season. Brandon Gibson, a rookie acquired from Philadelphia in the Will Witherspoon trade, made strong contributions Sunday.

Burton had shown significant improvement in recent weeks. He ranks second to Avery in receptions among St. Louis' wide receivers. Running back Steven Jackson leads the team overall.

The Rams have had nine receivers on their 53-man roster this season: Gibson, Avery, Burton, Robinson, Danny Amendola, Ruvell Martin, Tim Carter, Nate Jones and Derek Stanley. Fifth-round choice Brooks Foster landed on injured reserve before the season. Ronald Curry was with the team in camp.

Avery, Gibson, Amendola and Martin remain. Sean Walker is on the practice squad. Chris Davis, Skyler Green, David Tyree, Larry Beavers, Courtney Taylor, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent have had tryouts with the team over the last two months.

Keeping Avery healthy is critical. Gibson will continue getting significant reps after catching seven passes for 93 yards against the Saints in Week 10.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Rams will be without injured top cornerback Ron Bartell for the first time this season.

The Rams have named Bartell among their inactive players along with Nate Jones, James Butler, Roger Allen III, Jason Smith, Victor Adeyanju and Darell Scott. Marc Bulger is the third quarterback.

The 49ers have named return specialist Allen Rossum inactive along with Frank Gore, Curtis Taylor, Reggie Smith, Cody Wallace and Ricky Jean-Francois. Nate Davis is the third quarterback. That means receivers Jason Hill and Brandon Jones are both active. Perhaps we'll see the 49ers use a few more multiple-receiver personnel groups.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The latest in our periodic spin around the NFC West radio dials:

Rams

101ESPN St. Louis: receiver Nate Jones

101ESPN St. Louis: Russ Lande on the 2010 draft

49ers

KNBR680: Trent Dilfer

KNBR680: Steve Young

KNBR680: snapper Brian Jennings

KNBR680: Ronnie Lott

Cardinals

azcardinals.com: Cardinals Underground

Seahawks

710ESPN Seattle: The Huddle

710ESPN Seattle: John Clayton

KJF950 Seattle: reporter Dave Boling

KJR950: Seahawks Round Table

KJR950: reporter Danny O'Neil

Dilfer has some terrific comments about Shaun Hill's performance against the Vikings. I might break them out separately. Young had some strong comments about the 49ers' decision making against the Vikings.

Roster counts by position for NFC West Pos. ARI SF STL SEA Avg. QB 3 3 3 3 3.0 RB 5 4 4 5 4.5 WR 7 6 4 5 5.5 TE 3 2 3 3 2.8 OL 9 8 10 9 9.0 DL 6 7 10 11 8.5 LB 8 9 6 6 7.3 DB 9 11 10 8 9.5 ST 3 3 3 3 3.0 Totals 53 53 53 53 53.0

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams continued tweaking their roster Sunday by claiming defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey from the Titans and free safety Anthony Smith from the Packers.

This was probably just the beginning.

The Rams cleared room on their roster by releasing linebacker Quinton Culberson and receiver Nate Jones. That left the Rams with only four wide receivers on the 53-man roster. That number will certainly grow.

The team also signed six of the players it released Saturday to its practice squad, leaving two spots open. The six: linebacker K.C. Asiodu, tight end Eric Butler, defensive end Ian Campbell, linebacker Dominic Douglas, cornerback Cord Parks and receiver Sean Walker.

I'll pass along Scouts Inc.'s take on Ramsey. Scouts Inc. does not have analysis for Smith.

Scouts Inc. on Ramsey: Ramsey has some burst and initial quickness with above-average athletic skills. He has good functional play strength and flashes the ability to shed blocks quickly. He has good lower-body strength when he maintains his pad level at the point of attack. As a pass-rusher, he has adequate closing speed and flashes a variety of pass-rush moves.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams held one more offensive lineman and one fewer running back than usual on their initial reduction to the 53-man roster limit.

That's easy to see once we compare current positional roster counts to Week 1 totals for the Rams since 2003. That's what the chart accomplishes.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed to tackle Eric Young, guard Roger Allen III, defensive end C.J. Ah You, receiver Nate Jones and safety David Roach as "long shots" who survived the latest wave of cuts. The term "long shots" is a relative term. The Rams are rebuilding and their roster isn't as strong as it will become if the organization maintains continuity and makes wise decisions. I think it's unlikely any of those five players would have earned initial spots with the other teams in the division. It's unclear how much longer they might last with the Rams. Expect additional moves.

St. Louis Rams Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Today 3 4 5 3 10 9 7 9 3 2008 3 5 6 3 9 8 7 9 3 2007 2 5 6 4 9 9 7 8 3 2006 3 5 5 3 9 8 7 10 3 2005 3 5 5 3 9 8 6 11 3 2004 3 6 6 2 10 9 5 10 2 2003 3 7 5 3 9 8 6 10 2 Week 1 Fewest 2 5 5 2 9 8 5 8 2 Week 1 Most 3 7 6 4 10 9 7 11 3 2003-2008 Avg. 2.8 5.5 5.5 3.0 9.2 8.3 6.3 9.7 2.7 Current Over Avg. 0.2 -1.5 -0.5 0.0 0.8 0.7 0.7 -0.7 0.3

Equivalent charts for the 49ers, Seahawks and Cardinals ran earlier.

Rams Receiver Career Receiving Touchdowns Donnie Avery 3 Laurent Robinson 1 Keenan Burton 1 Derek Stanley 1 Nate Jones 0 Totals 6

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' offense goes through Steven Jackson. The Rams' offense is Steven Jackson.

• Exhibit A: Samkon Gado is the No. 2 running back for now.
• Exhibit B: The Rams' current wide receivers have combined for three six touchdown receptions.
• Exhibit C: The Rams' current wide receivers combined to start 13 games last season, 12 by Donnie Avery.
• Exhibit D: Quarterback Marc Bulger is coming off two rough seasons and a broken finger.

Avery is an ascending young player. Fellow receiver Laurent Robinson has exceeded expectations after a disappointing start to his career in Atlanta. Tight end Randy McMichael is back from a broken leg. Beyond those counterpoints, it's tough mustering any traction when attempting to paint the Rams' offense as multidimensional.

The Rams will presumably consider all options -- waiver claims, trades, you name it -- in attempting to add offensive firepower.

Rams eligible for practice squad Pos. Perceived Status Marcus Brown DB Likely cut Bradley Fletcher DB Keeper Justin King DB Keeper Cord Parks DB Likely cut David Roach DB Likely cut Mark Rubin DB Likely cut C.J. Ah You DL Bubble Ian Campbell DL Likely cut Eric Moore DL Likely cut Darell Scott DL Keeper K.C. Asiodu LB Likely cut Dominic Douglas LB Likely cut Larry Grant LB Keeper Jerome Johnson LB Likely cut James Laurinaitis LB Keeper Davd Vobora LB Keeper Tim Mattran OL Likely cut Daniel Sanders OL Likely cut Roger Allen OL Bubble Roy Schuening OL Keeper Mark Setterstrom OL Keeper Renardo Foster OL Bubble Jason Smith OL Keeper Phil Trautwein OL Likely cut Eric Young OL Likely cut Brock Berlin QB Bubble Keith Null QB Bubble Chris Ogbonnaya RB Bubble Eric Butler TE Likely cut Jarrett Byers WR Likely cut Brooks Foster WR Bubble Nate Jones WR Bubble Sean Walker WR Bubble

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

More Rams players are eligible for the practice squad this summer after the team parted with a long list of aging veterans this offseason.

The chart shows all 33 current Rams players with eligibility, arranged by position. The team had 24 players eligible when I produced a similar list nearly one year ago.

The lists come in handy when analyzing battles for the final few roster spots. I've added loose status descriptions for eligible players based on my general expectations.

To review: NFL teams must reduce rosters from 80 to 75 players Sept. 1. They must reduce to 53 players Sept. 5. They can begin forming eight-man practice squads Sept. 6 at noon ET.

The league explains the process this way:

"After 12 noon, New York time, clubs may establish a practice squad of eight players by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free-agency credit or who were on the 45-player active list for less than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s). A player cannot participate on the practice squad for more than three seasons."

The Rams have only one running back, seventh-round choice Chris Ogbonnaya, with practice-squad eligibility. Eight other NFC West running backs have eligibility.

I'll break out corresponding lists for the rest of the division, answering a frequently posed question that follows a familiar format: "Is so-and-so eligible for the practice squad?"

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' roster requires additional study after a thorough house-cleaning this offseason. With so many new faces, I feel less familiar with the Rams than with the other teams in the division. This initial look at the roster will hopefully help bring some focus.

Donnie Avery's injury and overall health concerns at receiver could influence how many players the Rams carry into the season at the position.

Marc Bulger's broken pinky shouldn't affect the roster as long as he recovers on schedule. Teams must reduce to 75 players by Sept. 1 and 53 players by Sept. 5. Those initial 53-man rosters sometimes change by Week 1 kickoffs. For that reason, I've been focusing on Week 1 rosters when setting baseline expectations for each position.

St. Louis Rams Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Fewest 2 5 5 2 9 8 5 8 2 Most 3 7 6 4 10 9 7 11 3 Average 2.8 5.5 5.5 3.0 9.2 8.3 6.3 9.7 2.7 Currently on roster 4 7 10 5 15 13 9 14 3

T
he chart provides a framework for how many players the Rams might keep at each position heading into the regular-season opener against the Seahawks.

Here's a quick look at which Rams players I might keep on the cutdown to 53 players:

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

An accounting note related to the Rams' acquisition of receiver Ronald Curry from the Lions: Chad Lucas is no longer with St. Louis.

The Rams released Lucas, leaving them with 12 receivers, still above the NFL average (10.6). Teams without established players at a position sometimes load up at the position heading into training camp, improving the odds of stumbling upon contributors.

Lucas had been with the Bucs before joining the Rams. He caught five passes for 82 yards while with Tampa Bay during the 2007 season.

Current Rams receivers: Curry, Laurent Robinson, Keenan Burton, Tim Carter, Travis Brown, Donnie Avery, Nate Jones, Derek Stanley, Horace Gant, Sean Walker, Jarrett Byers and Brooks Foster.

WR Count ARI SF STL SEA Current 11 11 12 11 2008 Opener 6 5 6 6 2007 Opener 6 6 6 6 2006 Opener 5 5 5 4 2005 Opener 7 7 5 7 2004 Opener 6 6 6 5 2003 Opener 6 6 5 4

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seahawks and 49ers appear dramatically improved at receiver this season. The Cardinals might also improve at the position if 2008 third-round choice Early Doucet emerges following an injury-affected rookie season.

Uncertainty at the position in St. Louis could lead the Rams to keep an eye on the NFC West discard pile when roster limits tighten.

The chart shows how many receivers each NFC West team has carried for its past six regular-season openers. The top row shows current counts. A look at how they stack up:

Arizona: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet and Jerheme Urban are back. Sean Morey, listed as a receiver, has been a Pro Bowl player on special teams. Lance Long is reportedly looking good again this offseason. Also: Shane Morales, Justin Brown, Ed Gant and Onrea Jones.

San Francisco: Isaac Bruce, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Brandon Jones, Jason Hill and probably Arnaz Battle stick around. Dominique Zeigler isn't a significant contributor on special teams, hurting his chances if the others stay healthy. Also: Maurice Price, Mark Bradford, and Dobson Collins. Note: I have listed Michael Spurlock as a kick returner. That's why his name didn't show up on this list initially. I changed the 49ers' count to 11 given that Morey is counting at the position for Arizona. Thanks to redng0ld for pointing it out.

St. Louis: Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson and Tim Carter comprise the likely top four based on what we know so far. Derek Stanley is recovering from knee surgery. Brooks Foster is a rookie fifth-round choice. Also: Travis Brown, Nate Jones, Horace Gant, Chad Lucas, Sean Walker and Jarrett Byers.

Seattle: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and Deon Butler comprise the likely top four. Courtney Taylor and Ben Obomanu could be favorites for the final two spots if Seattle keeps six. Also: Billy McMullen, Michael Bumpus, Mike Hass, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Chris from parts unknown writes: Sando, Wassup man. I wanted to know, will the rams pick up a free agent WR heading towards the draft or do you think they will draft a WR? If so, who do you think they will pick up??

Mike Sando: Adding a veteran receiver sounds like a good idea until you take a closer look at the 14 unrestricted free agents at the position:

Amani Toomer, age 35
Dane Looker, 33
Dante' Hall, 31
Darrell Jackson, 30
Justin McCareins, 30
Ashley Lelie, 29
Koren Robinson, 29
Edell Shepherd, 29
Shaun McDonald, 28
Drew Carter, 28
Tab Perry, 27
Keary Colbert, 27
Reggie Williams, 26

Plaxico Burress and Torry Holt are probably the best available receivers among those released by their teams (released players do not qualify as unrestricted free agents). Given that the Rams have said they will not pursue college prospects with known off-field issues, I would not expect them to consider Burress, whose legal troubles are significant. And Holt's time in St. Louis has passed.

Toomer would make sense for the Rams if they were desperate for a mentor. His Giants career overlapped with Steve Spagnuolo's time there. So far, however, the Rams have appeared more determined to get younger than to add aging veterans. That type of move would probably wait until after the draft.

I see no sure-fire way to fix this position in one offseason. The Rams probably would have drafted Jake Long if given the opportunity last year. I would expect them to draft a tackle with the second overall choice this year. The team might then need to help its defense. Under that scenario, it becomes harder to find a likely starter at receiver in the draft. And I do think the Rams need a starter to pair with Donnie Avery, even if the coaches like Keenan Burton's potential.

Bottom line: As much as the Rams need help at receiver, I'm not sure they can afford to address the position aggressively at the expense of other needs. The value would have to be strong -- a possibility at the top of the second round -- or they would have to surprise us by selecting Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin early. Perhaps we'll see them looking for a veteran stopgap after the draft.

The team's current receivers include Avery, Burton, Chad Lucas, Nate Jones, Joel Filani, Travis Brown and the rehabbing Derek Stanley.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

A quick look at 53-man rosters from Feb. 1, date of Super Bowl XLIII, provides a reference point for seeing how NFC West teams have changed so far this offseason.

I'll continue with St. Louis.

Gone from the Rams' 53-man roster and injured reserve list in the 58 days since the Super Bowl (18):

	Kevin Terrell/Getty Images
	Orlando Pace was drafted by the Rams in 1997.

Offense

Orlando Pace, T

Torry Holt, WR

Dante' Hall, WR

Drew Bennett, WR

Dane Looker, WR

Travis Minor, RB

Anthony Becht, TE

Cory Withrow, C

Brett Romberg, C

Anthony Davis, T

Nick Leckey, C

Brandon Gorin, OL

Rob Petitti, OL

Defense

Corey Chavous, SS

Jason Craft, CB

Fakhir Brown, CB

La'Roi Glover, DT

Special teams

Gary Stills, LB

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' long-awaited decision to release Torry Holt, announced Friday, continues their trend toward youth with an eye toward the salary cap.

Holt

The team has parted with eight players recently. Seven played offense. Most were aging players with higher salaries.

Before cutting Holt, the Rams released left tackle Orlando Pace, tight end Anthony Becht, receiver Drew Bennett and quarterback Trent Green. Strong safety Corey Chavous was a casualty on defense. All five were in their 30s.

The Rams also parted with center Brett Romberg, who signed with the Falcons. Another offensive lineman, restricted free agent Mark Setterstrom, did not receive a qualifying offer. He could conceivably return at a price lower than the $1 million minimum tender for RFAs.

Getting younger comes with a short-term price for the Rams. Despite being proactive in signing center Jason Brown and safety James Butler while re-signing cornerback Ron Bartell, the Rams will enter the draft with multiple needs.

Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Derek Stanley, Travis Brown, Joel Filani and Nate Jones are their receivers.

Without Pace, Alex Barron becomes the only established tackle on the roster. Guard Jacob Bell and second-year pro John Greco might be able to make the move to tackle if needed, but the Rams still need numbers, particularly if swing tackle Adam Goldberg leaves in free agency.

St. Louis is down to six offensive linemen: Brown, Bell, Barron, Greco, Richie Incognito and Roy Schuening. Expect the Rams to find at least two linemen in the draft.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Thanks to those who contributed to the weekly NFC West chat even though I forgot to promote it here on the blog. Quite a few people seemed to find it anyway, probably from the main NFL page. Apologies to those of you who find the blog through RSS feeds or other routes.

We'll continue the discussion in the comments section of this item for those still interested. Frankie from Chicago feared what releasing Torry Holt would do to the Rams' situation at receiver, particularly after Drew Bennett's release.

jesse (sacramento, CA): do you see a possible holt trade in the works or is it most likely a salary cap cut situation. why not trade him to the Eagles for lito shepperd, that way both sides get what they need in return for players that are on their way out anyway

Mike Sando: A trade would seem unlikely. The acquiring team would pick up a $6.65M salary and a $1.25M roster bonus. The Rams will not keep Holt at his current price. If they release him, another team could sign him for much less than $6.65M in base and $1.25M in roster.

Frankie (Chicago): What is going to happen with Orlando Pace, and Torry Holt? They combine for about 16 mil against the cap this year, but can we really afford to cut/trade Holt now that Bennett is gone? We would just be creating more needs. Whats going on here?

Mike Sando: I would expect the Rams to release Holt and probably Pace as well. Keeping Holt would just seem to cost too much. That is my feel.

Frankie (Chicago): I just don't think releasing Holt now makes much sense. So we'e going to have 2 rookies from last year, who both showed lots of promise in Donnie Avery, and Keenan Burton as our starters, with another 2nd year player, Derek Stanley as the #3 guy? I dont like the sound of that.

Mike Sando: Let's continue this discussion on the NFC West blog. You raise good points. I just think the writing is on the wall. They weren't going to get anything out of Bennett anyway, most likely.

If the Rams' released Holt, their receivers would consist of Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Derek Stanley, Nate Jones and Joel Filani. Dane Looker and Dante Hall are scheduled to become restricted free agents. When I look at what remains beyond Holt, I wonder if the Rams might be wise to consider a receiver with the second overall choice. Then again, teams can't reach for needs with these early picks, so the value would have to be right.

The Rams found Avery in the second round of the 2008 draft. He was good, but he was not ready to carry the offense for a full season. The Rams definitely need Avery and Burton to grow into increased roles for 2009. Can they afford to part with Holt?

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

I've updated the NFC West roided-out rosters to include moves made this week. Those are available for download.

I'll tack on a Steelers version in the next edition, scheduled for Super Bowl week. In the meantime, let's take a quick look at players NFC West teams have signed to future contracts. These players will become part of the 80-man rosters after the Super Bowl.

Arizona: punter Waylon Prather, quarterback Tyler Palko, running back Justin Green, guard Ben Claxton.

St. Louis: receiver Nate Jones, defensive tackle Willie Williams, receiver Joel Filani, receiver Travis Brown, running back Samkon Gado, defensive end C.J. Ah You.

San Francisco: tight end J.J. Finley, tackle Joe Toledo, receiver Mark Bradford, linebacker Justin Roland and kick returner Michael Spurlock.

Seattle: defensive back Marquis FLoyd, tight end Joe Newton, receiver Michael Bumpus, defensive tackle Kevin Brown, tight end John Tereshinski, long snapper Ryan Senser, receiver Mike Hass and Receiver Billy McMullen.