Left tackle Jason Smith now out with stress fracture Brad Biggs
If the St. Louis Rams were at the start of the regular season right now, they would have to think long and hard about exposing rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the draft, to danger.
That’s because the offensive line is in shambles. Better now than come mid-September, but St. Louis has some serious healing to do after left tackle Jason Smith, the second pick in the 2009 draft, was knocked out with a stress fracture in one of his toes.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an MRI revealed the injury and Smith will be sidelined for the remainder of the offseason program, which includes OTA’s and minicamp. It is not believed that surgery will be necessary, but Smith has to heal and you never know. These can be tricky injuries for offensive linemen.
“I thought he was just feeling really comfortable doing some things at left tackle,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said.
Here is where it gets tricky: Per the report, the Rams now have six offensive linemen sidelined with injuries. Six. That is after Mark Setterstrom, an interior lineman, left practice with what was described as a “serious elbow injury.”
If the line is still being pieced together come September, the club is going to have to weigh the risk associated with playing Bradford. Center Jason Brown is the only locked in starter who is healthy right now, and second-round draft pick Roger Saffold is on the shelf. Yeah, this ought to be enough to keep Spagnuolo up at night in mid-June.
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This is why as one Ram's fan I wanted them to draft either Suh or McCoy and then draft one of the top QBs next year when our lines were a whole lot better. This FO said they were going to build from the lines out and then go for the sexy picks, but I think another top 3 pick would have had the whole FO and coaching staff on the street.
That being said, it's not a total loss for the Rams at this point as most of the injuries are considered "minor" w/the exception of Settersrom, who most fans realized was one injury away from retirement. The guy had talent but couldn't stay healthy. He's had a variety of injuries and can't seem to stay on the field. Nothing to be ashamed of just too bad that it happened to a nice guy who was a 7th round pick and tried awful hard and made it for the last several years but just can't stay healthy.
Smith's toe, Saffolds knee, and the others are considered minor but I just don't understand how this can happen during OTAs? I mean this is supposed to be non-contact and just shells, so what are they doing to get these guys hurt or are they just not in condition? This has now happened to this team for the last 3-4 years and it's getting very frustrating for the fans. I guaranty that no other team in football has been hit w/so many key injuries on the OL for so many consecutive years. It's almost like they're cursed.
I've been arrested more than once and no boss of mine ever came running, but these guys bosses run every time one is so much as breathed on by a cop.
I say let them sit in the crossbar hotel a while and learn how it feels to lose all your freedom over stupid mistakes. Maybe they'll actually learn something from it.
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Jun 11, 2010
06:31 PM
Tough break for the hard luck Rams. At least they drafted a QB who can take a hit. Oops, maybe not.