The Roving Ram - Rounds the Horn
By Rams Nation's Brandon Cavanaugh
- St. Louis Rams 26 Tampa Bay 16
Kim Herring returned a fumble by Keyshawn Johnson 59 yards for the score as
Keyshawn watched in horror to get things rolling for the Navy and Gold in last
night’s exhibition game. "Preseason or not, this type of game is
going to show you where you are," Herring stated. "It showed we're
going to be a pretty good team." Kurt Warner ended up going a perfect 7-7
for 55 yards en route to a field goal and, even better news, the Bucs’
defense failed to lay a single finger on him. "Everybody knew it was 1s
against 1s at the beginning of the game, and the defense came up with a big
stop and the offense moved the ball down the field," Warner stated. "We
were able to dominate on both sides of the ball, so it was a very big confidence
booster for us."
Head Coach Mike Martz says that Warner’s showing should help silence
the critics. "I know there's a lot of worry warts out there, but you need
not worry," Martz stated. "Kurt's as good as he's ever been."
Overall, I felt the game was well played and I was pleasantly surprised by the
play of Scott Shanle. He played like an animal in last night’s game garnering
a few solid stops and a sack of Chris Simms. Must be nice to have a position
coach now, eh, Scott?
- Eagles, Staley Have Positive Talks
So Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid and holdout Duce Staley finally
decided to sit down and talk about the situation. Reid got together with Staley’s
agent, Derrick Harrison for about 2 1/2 hours this past Sunday. Staley was not
present but did participate by phone. Neither side actually elaborated much
on any news. "We'll see how things go in the near future. It was a positive
situation," Reid stated. "We'll just see what the results are as we
go on." Staley is entering his seventh year in the NFL and has just one
year left on his contract. He wishes to have some sort of extension or reassurance
that he is in the plans of the Eagles’ future. Over the past weekend,
rumor floated around that the Eagles were willing to trade Staley, but that
is contingent upon his ending his holdout. Hey, Duce, no worries man. Just means
there’s more carries for Buck and that’s fine by me.
- Saints Bring Carter to Camp
The New Orleans Saints are looking high and low for a backup runningback for
Deuce McAllister and they may have found one in former No. 1 draft pick Ki-Jana
Carter. "It's been a long time since I've been in this situation,"
Carter said. "Last year, things didn't work out for me in Green Bay. And
during the season, I was just biting my nails hoping I would get another shot."
On Monday, Carter had multiple opportunities to run the ball and Head Coach
Jim Haslett feels that he made a solid impression. "I think he's got pretty
good vision, pretty good running skills," Haslett stated. "I have
to see him with some pads on, but you could see why he was the No. 1 overall
pick at one time." In his seven years in the league, Carter has only started
14 games, carrying the football 290 times for 1,055 yards and 19 TDs. "I
know that on paper everybody's going, 'Wow, this guy's been through a lot,"'
Carter said. "But I think the body and the mind is a lot stronger than
a lot of people give themselves credit for and I'm a strong-minded person. I
know I've had some setbacks, but my mind and my spirit, my will and my strength
is still there."
- C:, C:\ Doss, Run Doss, Run
Rookie Mike Doss out of Ohio State is going to get plenty of opportunity to
hit, cover and make big plays as the Indianapolis Colts have named him as the
starting strong safety. After smacking around a few Seattle Seahawks, Doss earned
himself the job. "It went pretty good," Doss said. "It was my
first time with Idrees (Bashir). It shows me those guys have trust in me."
Doss had previously looked like it may take a few years to get the most out
of him, but things have rapidly changed. When he arrived, Doss was primarily
responsible for backup duty, but his big hits and coverage have both shown up
in spades. "He's coming along," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "He's
very instinctive, has a nose for the ball and is tough."
- The Roving Roundup: Shanahan Signs 3 Year Extension, Eagles Re-sign Cook,
Patriots Release DB and Jets Waive Four; Sign WR
- Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan has reportedly signed a 3 year deal
with the Denver Broncos, tying him to the franchise until 2008. Team spokesman
Jim Saccomano confirmed the extension and declined to discuss specifics such
as salary. Shanahan had three years remaining on his contract and if he stays
the length of his newly refurbished one, he will have been the head coach of
Denver for 14 seasons.
- The Philadelphia Eagles have re-signed Rashard Cook, a backup safety and
key special teams player who ended up missing most of the 2002 campaign with
a knee injury. "He gives us a little depth at the safety spot," Coach
Andy Reid stated. "It has nothing to do with the younger players. They're
doing a nice job in there. This is a matter of taking the opportunity to sign
a veteran safety that knows the system."
- The New England Patriots have released veteran cornerback Otis Smith, ending
his second stint with the former Super Bowl Champions.
- The New York Jets have released backs DeShaun Hill, Will Hunter and Kevin
Knight along with kicker Danny Kight along with inking WR Cedric James.
Questions, comments and your summertime fun stories can be sent to
===Brandon a.k.a. Blankman
#71===