According to sources, Andrew Siciliano will soon be named the play by play radio voice of the Los Angeles Rams. Siciliano has done an excellent job on the Red Zone Channel and NFL Network and has prior radio experience in Los Angeles working for FOX Sports Radio and ESPNLA 710. He also worked as a sports radio reporter earlier in his career in Chicago. His ascension to the play by play position with the Rams has been expected for quite some time. The team utilized him to call pre-season games on television in St. Louis during the past few seasons.
One person who isn’t expected to be part of the Rams radio broadcast team is Eric Dickerson. The Los Angeles Rams legend was the odds on favorite to be named the team’s radio analyst and talks with the team did take place, but the Hall of Fame running back is planning to explore a different role instead. Multiple sources say Dickerson will join AM 570 LA Sports as a contributor for the 2016 NFL season. Details about his role remain unclear. With Dickerson out of the picture, the names Jim Everett, Jerome Bettis, and Maurice Jones-Drew have been mentioned as possible options in the analyst role.
One person who isn’t expected to be part of the Rams radio broadcast team is Eric Dickerson. The Los Angeles Rams legend was the odds on favorite to be named the team’s radio analyst and talks with the team did take place, but the Hall of Fame running back is planning to explore a different role instead. Multiple sources say Dickerson will join AM 570 LA Sports as a contributor for the 2016 NFL season. Details about his role remain unclear. With Dickerson out of the picture, the names Jim Everett, Jerome Bettis, and Maurice Jones-Drew have been mentioned as possible options in the analyst role.
Stedman Bailey will serve as a graduate assistant for West Virginia University's football team during the 2016 season.
Stedman
Bailey is returning to his alma mater, West Virginia, to serve as a graduate
assistant for their football team. The Rams waived Bailey
this past spring. While this will allow Bailey more time to recover from
gunshot injuries he suffered to his head, it also gives him an opportunity
to complete his degree in multidisciplinary studies.
Bailey was a popular fan draft pick in 2013 when the Rams selected
him in the 3rd round after already selecting Tavon Austin,
his college teammate. During his time with the Rams, Bailey had 59 catches for
843 yards, two receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and one of the most
memorable punt return touchdowns in recent memory.
Bailey does not consider his playing days over yet and still is
working extremely hard to get back to 100% football shape. Although the Rams
waived Bailey, they wanted to keep him around in a coaching role during the
team’s latest OTA sessions. It's possible Bailey could eventually return in some
coaching capacity in the future.
Los Angeles Rams plan to have Nick Foles at camp barring trade.
The Los Angeles Rams have made it abundantly clear that Nick Foles is available to trade suitors if the price is right but because the right deal has yet to come along, they will still have him report to training camp.
Foles’ playing status in Los Angeles has been in question since Foles refused to take part in the Rams’ offseason programs earlier in the Summer. This can be attributed to the fact that the Rams have planned their future around number one overall pick Jared Goff and seem to be ready to either have him take the reigns or sit behind quarterback Case Keenum.
By taking this course of action, the Rams have essentially alienated Foles and now the relationship between the team and former starting quarterback is awkward at best. This decision to keep Foles is not an ideal situation for the team but rather a product of no trade options.
Foles certainly did not make it easy for the Rams to gain trade suitors after his 2015 campaign. As a starter Foles was 4-7 and had a completion percentage of 56.4 per pro-football-reference.com. He also threw for 2052 yards, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and had a quarterback rating of 30.01 per pro-football-reference.com.
It was not exactly a performance that would have teams clamoring for his services. The Rams could always use Foles in a backup role if anything were to happen to Goff, Keenum, or even second-year quarterback Sean Mannion.
There is also the option of releasing Foles towards the end of the summer should no options make themselves available in order to move him. Foles is apart of a past that the Rams would like to forget sooner than later.
Jeff Fisher Contract: Latest News and Rumors on Coach's Negotiations with Rams.
As Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher enters the last season of a five-year contract, the team isn't in any rush to move forward with extension talks.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reported the buzz on Fisher's potential new contract, which also applies to general manager Les Snead.
The raw numbers say Fisher hasn't earned an extension at this juncture, so the rumor doesn't come as much of a surprise. Since taking over the Rams in 2012, Fisher has failed to guide the team to the playoffs and has posted a 27-36-1 record with no winning seasons.
As is often the case with NFL head coaches, though, the lack of a clear-cut solution at quarterback has hindered Fisher's efforts to turn the franchise around. Sam Bradford was injured too often to prove himself as a high-end starter, and his replacement, Nick Foles, flopped last year.
Snead went ahead and got Fisher a potential franchise QB by trading up for the rights to No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff. The California product figures to start in 2016 and may be just what the Rams need to secure a playoff berth for the first time in the Fisher era..
2016 Los Angeles Rams 53-Man Roster Projection: Mid-July Edition
With less than two weeks to the opening of training camp, here’s a look at
the Rams’ full roster and how it might get pared down to the 53-man limit for
Week 1 of the regular season.
Change from last projection: N/A
It’s been two-and-a-half months since my
last projection, so let’s re-visit this as we’re
less than two weeks away from training camp with the major roster-specific
storylines at each position.
QB
2016 projection: 3
In: Jared Goff, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion
Out: Nick Foles, Dylan Thompson
Change from last projection: N/A
Out: Nick Foles, Dylan Thompson
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1b: Anybody
want Nick Foles? The Rams don’t.
Storyline ?: Sean
Mannion is a human, exists on Earth.
RB
(2015: 5, 2014: 5, 2013: 4)
2016 projection: 4
In: Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, Malcolm
Brown
Out: Tre Mason, Aaron Green, Terrence Magee
Change from last projection: Brown in, Mason out
Out: Tre Mason, Aaron Green, Terrence Magee
Change from last projection: Brown in, Mason out
Storyline 1a: Has Tre Mason played his last snap for the
Rams?
Storyline 1b: If he has, who,
between Brown, Green and Magee, is in line for his roster spot?
Storyline ?: Chase
Reynolds is back on a one-year deal. How long can he stick around as
a special teams contributor only?
WR
(2015: 6, 2014: 5, 2013: 5)
2016 projection: 6
In: Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Bradley Marquez, Pharoh Cooper,
Mike Thomas, Brian Quick
Out: Duke Williams, Nelson Spruce, Marquez North, Deon Long, Paul McRoberts
Change from last projection: N/A
Out: Duke Williams, Nelson Spruce, Marquez North, Deon Long, Paul McRoberts
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1a: ROSTER
BATTLE ROYALE
Storyline 1b: Whither
Brian Quick?
TE/FB
(2015: 3, 2014: 5, 2013: 4)
2016 projection: 3
In: Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Tyler Higbee
Out: Temarrick Hemingway, Zach Laskey, Justice Cunningham, Benson Browne
Change from last projection: N/A
Out: Temarrick Hemingway, Zach Laskey, Justice Cunningham, Benson Browne
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1a: Who is the TE1 for Week 1 — Kendricks or Higbee?
Storyline 1b: Does
Hemingway have a real shot at the 53-man?
Storyline ?: Corey Harkey re-signs
on three-year deal. Is he credibly part of this offense for the next
years?
OL
(2015: 10, 2014: 9, 2013: 10)
2016 projection: 10
In: Tim Barnes, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal, Rob Havenstein,
Garrett Reynolds, Demetrius Rhaney, Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Cody
Wichmann, Darrell Williams
Out: Isaiah Battle, David Arkin, Eric Kush, Brian Folkerts, Pace Murphy, Jordan Swindle
Change from last projection: N/A
Out: Isaiah Battle, David Arkin, Eric Kush, Brian Folkerts, Pace Murphy, Jordan Swindle
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1a: The entire 2015 line could come back unchanged. Is
that a good thing?
Storyline 1b: What
were/are/will the Rams doing with Isaiah Battle?
Storyline ?: Are Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney on the 2017 Rams’
roster? Does the answer to that depend on their 2016 seasons, or has it already
been decided?
DL
(2015: 8, 2014: 10, 2013: 9)
2016 projection: 9
In: Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, William Hayes, Robert
Quinn, Eugene Sims, Ethan Westbrooks, Quinton Coples, Dominique Easley, Cam
Thomas
Out: Matt Longacre, Morgan Fox, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Ian Seau
Change from last projection: Easley in, Thomas in, Trinca-Pasat out (due to injury)
Out: Matt Longacre, Morgan Fox, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Ian Seau
Change from last projection: Easley in, Thomas in, Trinca-Pasat out (due to injury)
Storyline 1a: The
D-line remains the strength of the roster. Will it be enough in 2016?
Storyline 1b: The Rams signed
Easley and signed
Thomas after my last projection. Are they and newly-signed
Coples all going to make the roster as veteran depth?
Storyline ?: How
good is Aaron Donald going to be?
LB
(2015: 6, 2014: 5, 2013: 6)
2016 projection: 5
In: Alec Ogletree, Akeem Ayers, Bryce Hager, Cameron Lynch,
Nicholas Grigsby
Out: Josh Forrest, Brandon Chubb, Kache Palacio, Zack Hodges, Matthew Wells, Darreon Herring, Cory Littleton
Out: Josh Forrest, Brandon Chubb, Kache Palacio, Zack Hodges, Matthew Wells, Darreon Herring, Cory Littleton
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1a: ROSTER
BATTLE ROYALE PT. II
Storyline 1b: Special teams impact on the back of the roster! Get
excited!
Storyline ?: How
will Alec Ogletree perform (a) coming back off of season-ending
injury in 2015 and (b) taking on a position switch to shift inside?
CB
(2015: 4, 2014: 6, 2013: 5)
2016 projection: 5
In: Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus
Roberson, Coty Sensabaugh
Out: Troy Hill, Melvin White, Michael Jordan, Jabriel Washington
Change from last projection: N/A
Out: Troy Hill, Melvin White, Michael Jordan, Jabriel Washington
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1a: The Rams will be without CB1 Janoris Jenkins for the
first time since 2011. Will Tru make the jump to the top CB spot without issue
and can E.J. Gaines return to form after missing
last season with a Lisfranc injury?
Storyline ?: The
Rams made huge investments in their secondary since Jeff Fisher and Les Snead
took over. Has it paid off?
S
(2015: 5, 2014: 4, 2013: 5)
2016 projection: 5
In: T.J. McDonald, Mark Barron, Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis,
Christian Bryant
Out: Brian Randolph, Jordan Lomax, Rohan Gaines
Change from last projection: Randolph out
Out: Brian Randolph, Jordan Lomax, Rohan Gaines
Change from last projection: Randolph out
I slimmed down from six to five to make room on the defensive line
since that’s much more Fisherball.
Storyline 1a: Who
steps up to fill the hole left by Rodney McLeod?
Storyline 1b: Cody Davis is in the Chase Reynolds boat as
contributing in ST in a meaningful way but nothing more. How
much longer can he stick it out?
Storyline ?: Is Maurice Alexander poised to make a big leap in
2016? If not, how much of a need is the second safety slot in six months?
ST
(2015: 3, 2014: 3, 2013: 3)
2016 projection: 3
In: Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake
McQuaide
Out: Taylor Bertolet, Jeff Overbaugh
Change from last projection: N/A
Out: Taylor Bertolet, Jeff Overbaugh
Change from last projection: N/A
Storyline 1a: Greg Zuerlein. That is all.
Storyline 1b: How good is Johnny Hekker?
Storyline ?: Let’s have a long, healthy discussion in a well-lit
room about long snapping.
Bubble Watch
Close calls: RB Tre Mason, RB Aaron Green, WR Duke Williams, WR
Nelson Spruce, WR Marquez North, TE Temarrick Hemingway, OT Isaiah Battle, OL
David Arkin, OL Eric Kush, OL Brian Folkerts, DE Matt Longacre, LB Josh Forrest,
LB Brandon Chubb, S Brian Randolph, S Jordan Lomax, S Rohan Gaines
Tough to get a sense of the bubble at WR, LB, CB and S right now.
Not only that in general, but it’s certainly hard to parse those positions for
special teams contribution levels since that’s obviously what will make or break
the candidacies for many of those younger players.
And I’ve got Tre Mason on the outs, but he could certainly factor
back in come camp & preseason time. It’s just one of those calls I’m making
today.
We’ll do roster projection updates throughout training camp and the
preseason as we near the roster cuts in the run up to the 2016 season.
A satirical look at more than 75 years of Football's Rams history, combined with discussions of American Exceptionalism and almost 50 years of personal experience in the life of a Rams Fan. The history parallels and intertwines life to form a humorous, yet serious look at American History, World History, an American Football team, and Political Science.