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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

Rams Player Released on Cutdown Pos. Current Team Capacity Phil Trautwein OL Browns Active Roster Brock Berlin QB Lions Practice Squad Roy Schuening OL Raiders Practice Squad K.C. Asiodu LB Rams Practice Squad Eric Butler TE Rams Practice Squad Dominic Douglas LB Rams Practice Squad Chris Ogbonnaya RB Rams Practice Squad Sean Walker WR Rams Practice Squad Antwon Burton DL -- -- Ian Campbell DL -- -- Renardo Foster OL -- -- Jerome Johnson RB -- -- Tim Mattran OL -- -- Cord Parks DB -- -- Antonio Pittman RB -- -- Mark Rubin DB -- -- Tim Carter WR -- -- Ronald Curry WR -- -- Todd Johnson DB -- --

The Rams' depth on the offensive line might be better than anticipated for a team with a 5-27 record over the past two seasons.

The team is carrying 10 offensive linemen, one more than typical, while John Greco recovers from wrist surgery.

An 11th, Phil Trautwein, landed on the Browns' active roster when Cleveland claimed him off waivers. A 12th, Roy Schuening, signed with the Raiders' practice squad. Another, tackle Renardo Foster, would seem to be a candidate for catching on somewhere eventually.

I've gone through the initial NFC West cut lists -- those players released at the 53-man deadline -- to see which ones have returned to their teams or caught on elsewhere.

The chart shows results for St. Louis.

Quarterback Brock Berlin signed to the Lions' practice squad after the Rams released him. Defensive lineman Ian Campbell briefly spent time on the Rams' practice squad before the team released him.

A few veterans -- running back Antonio Pittman, receiver Tim Carter, receiver Ronald Curry and special-teamer Todd Johnson -- remain available.

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.

Ex-Rams eligible for practice squad Pos. K.C. Asiodu LB Brock Berlin QB Eric Butler TE Ian Campbell DL Dominic Douglas LB Renardo Foster OL Jerome Johnson FB Tim Mattran OL Chris Ogbonnaya RB Cordelius Parks DB Mark Rubin DB Roy Schuening OL Phil Trautwein OL Sean Walker WR

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFL teams can begin forming eight-man practice squads once released players clear waivers this afternoon.

I've put together a list of recently released Rams players with eligibility for the practice squad. Each was released on the reduction to 53 players.

The decision to keep rookie quarterback Keith Null on the 53-man roster meant releasing Brock Berlin. Does that mean Berlin is finished with the Rams? It could, but the quarterback does remain eligible for the practice squad.

Running back Chris Ogbonnaya seems like a natural candidate. With a new coaching staff and relatively new front office, the Rams could be more likely to consider players from other rosters. Coach Steve Spagnuolo was with the Giants last season. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was with the Eagles. Defensive coordinator Ken Flajole was with the Panthers. Those ties could influence the Rams' thinking.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Biggest surprise: The Rams cut former special-teams captain Todd Johnson, a safety, and they also flushed out two veteran receivers they hoped would contribute, Ronald Curry and Tim Carter. Keeping rookie quarterback Keith Null over the more experienced Brock Berlin made sense because the Rams' top two quarterbacks, Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller, have lots of seasoning. The biggest roster surprise came when the team traded 2006 first-round cornerback Tye Hill to the Falcons. Free-agent addition Quincy Butler stuck on the 53-man roster after a strong training camp and preseason. He looked better than Hill, frankly, and the Rams' new leadership wasn't afraid to part with symbols of past failures. Placing defensive tackle Adam Carriker on injured reserve cleared another spot.

No-brainers: The Rams also released linebacker K.C. Asiodu, defensive tackle Antwon Burton, tight end Eric Butler, defensive end Ian Campbell, linebacker Dominic Douglas, tackle Renardo Foster, fullback Jerome Johnson, center Tim Mattran, running back Chris Ogbonnaya, cornerback Cord Parks, running back Antonio Pittman, safety Mark Rubin, guard Roy Schuening, tackle Phil Trautwein and receiver Sean Walker.

What's next: The Rams still need to make one move by the 6 p.m. ET deadline for complying with the 53-man limit. With only four running backs on the roster, counting fullback Mike Karney, the team probably needs to seek help at the position. Backup Samkon Gado suffered injured ribs in the final exhibition game. The Rams lack quality depth and they are starting over. As a result, the team could pursue players released from other teams.

Update: The Rams placed defensive lineman Eric Moore on injured reserve to comply with the 53-man limit.

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

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals feel as though they are taking steps toward improvement on defense. Strong safety Adrian Wilson: "I thought we played well. We can take a lot of positives from this game defensively. I think we executed what we wanted to execute, which was not to give up big plays, not to give up big running plays and try to keep everything in front of us and get off on third down." 

Matt Levin of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston will undergo an MRI exam on a stiff knee. Coach Ken Whisenhunt did not sound concerned.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals expect rookie running back Beanie Wells to return from an ankle injury in time to play in the next exhibition game. Also, Whisenhunt was generally pleased with the Cardinals' performance against the Steelers.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says 49ers coach Mike Singletary didn't see much from the quarterbacks Friday night. He also called the pass rush non-existent. On the injury front: "Fullback Zak Keasey sustained a fractured right forearm. Running back Thomas Clayton sustained a right knee injury and was carted off the field in obvious pain."

Also from Maiocco: running commentary from the first half of the 49ers' game against Denver.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says injuries to the 49ers' running backs could mean more playing time for scoring machine Brit Miller.

Also from Barrows: some in-game notes.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers quarterbacks Alex Smith and Shaun Hill looked OK -- particularly compared to Kyle Orton.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News quotes 49ers president Jed York as saying the team will eventually sign first-round choice Michael Crabtree. Not that York was going to say the team likely never would sign Crabtree.

Also from Brown: Dre Bly was quite pleased to pick off a pass against his old team.

Andrew Davidson of Niners Nation provides a 49ers game overview. Was that Brit Miller or Leonard Weaver out there?

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams were generally pleased by their performance against the Jets -- and ecstatic for rookie quarterback Keith Null. Marc Bulger even retrieved the ball Null threw for his first NFL touchdown pass. Bulger: "I said, 'Who cares if it's preseason? It's still your first touchdown pass in the NFL. It was a great throw. That pass looked like it was (thrown) by a 10-year vet." Sounds like a little camaraderie.

Also from Thomas: Samkon Gado and Antonio Pittman were far better than Kenneth Darby. All three are battling to be the second-team running back.

More from Thomas: positives and negatives from the Rams. Rookies Brooks Foster, Sean Walker and Null made big plays.

Turf Show Times' VanRam saw improvement from the Rams' linebackers.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com says the Seahawks will let backup quarterback Seneca Wallace get some snaps behind the starting offensive line. 

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times sizes up the competition for one or two spots at receiver on the Seahawks' roster. I would think the team would find a spot for Ben Obomanu.

Also from O'Neil: The Seahawks are unapologetic about adopting cut-blocking techniques even though defensive linemen despise them.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune explains how the Seahawks identify the strong side, thereby determining where Aaron Curry lines up.

John Morgan of Field Gulls sizes up the Seahawks' offensive line heading into the team's exhibition opener at San Diego. Morgan: "The other matter is seeing the team's progress zone blocking. Everyone matters, but I will pay special attention to Rob Sims, because he never looked good pulling in Mike Holmgren's system, and Ray Willis, because he has potential to be an elite run-blocking right tackle. Overall, the line must move and slide and block as a unit."

Also from Morgan: a look at attempts to project Matt Hasselbeck's production in 2009.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Keith Null was ready when the Rams needed him. The rookie quarterback completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sean Walker shortly after the Jets knocked Brock Berlin from the exhibition opener at Giants Stadium.

Rookie Chris Ogbonnaya ran well on the drive. Ogbonnaya also picked up the blitz to help give Null the time he needed to find Walker in the end zone.

No word yet on Berlin's injury status. This was a great opportunity for Null and better for him that he was ready.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The Rams appear content moving forward with their current receivers after learning Donnie Avery suffered a broken fourth metatarsal bone. They added safety Mark Rubin to replace the injured Eric Bassey.

I arrived at Rams camp in time to watch most of their afternoon practice. This was a non-contact practice without pads. I did not see pass-rush drills and did not see enough from the healthy receivers to get an initial feel for them. Nate Jones and Sean Walker caught deep passes. Friday will provide a much better opportunity to get a feel for the Rams.

Running back Kenneth Darby and quarterback Keith Null botched a handoff exchange. Running back Antonio Pittman dropped a short pass from Kyle Boller. Rubin picked off a pass from Null after a teammate whose identity eluded me batted it near the line of scrimmage.

Adam Goldberg was still working with the starters at right tackle, ahead of No. 2 overall choice Jason Smith. Smith won't get a break in this camp as long as Leonard Little is healthy. That's a difficult matchup for the best veteran tackles, let alone a rookie. I'll be watching Smith very closely in the Rams' exhibition opener against the Jets.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams' depth at receiver was already a concern before they learned top wideout Donnie Avery would miss four to six weeks with a foot injury.

Avery

Avery reported soreness in his foot Saturday, but never did the Rams expect to find an injury this significant. Avery apparently suffered it during the team's scrimmage Friday night.

The Rams have conducted a very physical camp, but none of their injuries appear related to live tackling. This is a very tough break for a rebuilding team without enough depth to compensate for injuries to certain positions, notably receiver.

With Avery out, the Rams might need to consider adding another veteran. Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Ronald Curry, Tim Carter, Derek Stanley, Brooks Foster, Jarrett Byers and Sean Walker are the other receivers on the roster.

According to the Rams, the MRI showed more damage than the initial X-ray revealed.

Update: Upon reflection, I think the headline on this item is a little overly dramatic.

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.