St. Louis Rams: Thursday's Rams News and Notes at Noon

Welcome to Thursday's St. Louis Rams "News and Notes at Noon" the one stop locale for all major Rams updates and headlines as well as other related NFL content.  Sorry, no updates today on the likes of Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus. 

Torry Holt to Retire With the St. Louis Rams 

As reported in a column from Gary Graves of USA TODAY, Torry Holt said on the NFL Network's Total Access show that he will sign a one-day contract next week before holding a press conference to announce his retirement:

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This is something I wanted to happen.  I got drafted by the Rams in '99. I've always wanted to go back and retire at the place I played at, and the Rams have granted me this opportunity.

Next week, I'll sign a one-day contract, and then after that, we'll have a press conference and I'll announce my retirement officially.

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The St. Louis Rams are sharing a plethora of pictures of Torry Holt today via stlouisrams.com in honor of the Rams all-time great.  

You will certainly want to take a few moments to take a look at the above-linked photos and reminisce on the wide receiver's dazzling career.  

As I did, I have to admit I became a bit nostalgic.  You could easily have a couple tears run down the cheeks on those, folks, so bring your Kleenex. 

According to a piece from Ron Clements of cbssports.com, Holt has a strong Hall of Fame resume.

I would certainly agree, however, for whatever reason, receivers are currently having a very hard time earning enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. 

Holt will get his first shot at the Hall of Fame in five years.  Holt's former greatest show on turf compadres will be on the ballot sooner: Isaac Bruce and Kurt Warner retired in 2010.  Orlando Pace last played in 2009.  

As each of you probably know, Marshall Faulk retired in 2007 and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

For another viewing of his retirement ceremony at the Edward Jones Dome, please click here. To take a look back at his Hall of Fame speech, check this. 

As for Holt, I will have more on him in a future column.  In the meantime, it is wonderful to see the classy and elite former St. Louis superstar coming coming home to retire with the Rams. 

Looking at the L.A. Dodgers Sale and the Rams Future in St. Louis

Today, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared a great column regarding the Dodgers sale, how that sale is likely viewed by the NFL, a look at Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and analysis on the Rams future in the Gateway City. 

I have written several detailed columns on the topic in recent months, this being my most recent.  

In short, I agree with Miklasz in believing that the Rams will remain in St. Louis long-term.  There are no guarantees, however, and there are still some potentially uncomfortable steps to be taken during the process.

In the end, though, I am confident that the Rams will call the Show-Me State home for a very long time. 

Bradford is Back

According to an article by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, quarterback Sam Bradford is healthy again after completing the rehabilitation work he was doing to get his injured ankle back to full strength.

According to that Thomas piece, Bradford has been throwing and should be ready to roll going forward as the offseason gets underway.

NFL Rule Changes

The NFL has approved various rule changes, as reported in this video from nfl.com.  

One of the five changes involves automatic instant replay review of all turnovers. For a complete list of the aforementioned rule changes, please go here.

No Guarantee That the Rams Will Stay at No. 6

From a report from Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher offers no guarantee that the Rams will remain at No. 6 in the 2012 NFL Draft:

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I would think there's a very realistic possibility of moving.  Yeah, we could go up or down.  It would probably be more realistic for us to move down than it would up.

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It is no surprise whatsoever that Fisher would not commit to staying at No. 6.  

Nobody wants to show their hand, first of all, in regard to their team's draft plans.  Secondly, it would make sense for St. Louis to move down and acquire more picks considering the roster has a multitude of holes to fill. 

Punter Donnie Jones Leaves St. Louis for Houston

Finally, according to a tweet from Pro Football Talk, punter Donnie Jones (who played in St. Louis from 2007-2011) has agreed to terms with the Texans: 

"ProFootballTalk‏ @ProFootballTalk

Former Rams P Donnie Jones agrees to terms with the Texans, per league source.

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The Rams signed punter Tom Malone earlier in the offseason and it appears obvious that a full fledged youth movement has begun at Rams Park, as discussed and detailed in this piece from Mike Sando of ESPN. 

Have a great day, STL Rams Nation. 

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter.

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