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

Welcome to Wednesday's St. Louis Rams "News and Notes at Noon", the one-stop destination for all major Rams headlines and other updates of interest for Rams Nation.  Today, due to an influx of information, the commentary and analysis will be very brief. 

Steven Jackson Looking for Contract to Ensure He Retires with St. Louis 

In this interview with Mike Florio of profootballtalk.nbcsports.com, Steven Jackson says he is working on a contract with the Rams that he hopes would allow him to retire with the team. 

Jackson discussed a plethora of topics with Florio and I would encourage you to listen to the discussion via the link above. 

Among the topics discussed was the expected role of rookie running back Isaiah Pead, the work Jackson does in hopes of prolonging his career and being in peak condition. 

Rams Agree to Terms with Rookies Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson 

According to Jim Thomas of stltoday.com and this piece, the Rams have agreed to terms with rookies Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson.  

Both cornerbacks, Jenkins was nabbed in round two of the 2012 NFL Draft and Johnson in round three. 

For much more on both players, please check this. 

Rams Camp Watch by Mike Sando of ESPN

Mike Sando takes a look at the Rams upcoming training camp in this submission for espn.com.

Sando takes a look at the St. Louis offensive line, defensive end Chris Long and suspended defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Pat Kirwan of CBS Sports Shares His Predictions for All NFL Teams

NFL insider Pat Kirwan of cbssports.com made his won-loss predictions for each NFL team in this piece at the aforementioned website. 

Kirwan expects St. Louis to be better but, as you will see, Kirwan has very modest expectations for the Rams this Fall.  

A last place finish for the Rams in 2012? I am sorry, but I have to disagree with Kirwan's outlook on the Rams. 

Rams First Round Rookie Michael Brockers Expects a Quick Transition

According to this article by Steve Holley for houmatoday.com, Rams first round selection Michael Brockers, a defensive tackle, expects to transition quickly to the National Football League: 

"

(The Rams) have a 4-3 attack like I played with at LSU. I feel it's going to be good and that I fit in comfortable.

"

"

I feel a little pressure, but I have to step up to the plate and step up to the challenge and overcome it. Hopefully we get a playoff berth with this team.

"

"

I'd love to get rookie Defensive Player of the Year. I don't want to put any stats out there, but I want to be very productive.

"

Brockers also shared some thoughts on head coach Jeff Fisher: 

"

He's a real player's coach. When you hear guys talk about that, sometimes you don't really understand what that is. He was a player, so he understands what the players go through and that's a big thing. That's why players love him.

"

I would suggest reading the piece in full as there is a lot more there to be found including additional quotes from Brockers and others as well as added background info on the Rams first year DT. 

Steve Savard Interviews Jeff Fisher 

Steve Savard of kmov.com and 101sports.com sat down with St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher for this recent interview. 

Savard is also the play by play announcer for the Rams radio network. 

It was interesting to watch Fisher's reaction to a comment from Savard which seemed to presume that the Rams are not Super Bowl contenders. 

It is encouraging to see the head coach far from ready to concede that any goal, even the Super Bowl, is impossible. 

Heat is on for Fisher's First Rams Camp 

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared this interesting piece regarding the Rams upcoming training camp, one that focuses, in part, on the hot weather that is expected to be a consistent aspect to the annual event. 

Among other things, Jeff Fisher talked about how he plans to get the players ready to tell with the expected hot conditions and how he is expected to manage the players to keep them fresh. 

One of the things Fisher plans to emphasize is hydration: 

"

We’ll talk long and hard about the importance of hydration. We’re only practicing once a day. With the roster size (90 players), there’s barely enough reps to go around anyway. We’ll have our walk-throughs inside. The pads don’t go on until four or five days (into camp), so we’ll be fine.

"

Fisher wants to ensure that his players remain in excellent condition heading into the regular season: 

"

It’s about getting the work done; practicing real hard. It’ll be high-speed, a lot of work. When it’s a physical practice, you’ve got to practice smart. ... But the emphasis is going to be on recovery. It’s all about getting ready for the opener.

"

In the above-linked Thomas piece, Fisher also sheds some new information on center Scott Wells and some additional information and detail regarding training camp. 

Tony Softli Shares a Look at Training Camp

Former NFL executive Tony Softli shared an interesting piece at 101sports.com which shared the Rams training camp schedule and some interesting tidbits in regard to general things to watch for at training camp that he has picked up on over the years and some details of what is happening behind the scenes.

Softli suggests that the Rams rookie sessions will help these players get acclimated to the heat and prepare them for their first training camp. 

He also, among other things, talks about first cuts and conditioning tests. 

Nick Wagoner Reports and Previews

Stlouisrams.com senior writer Nick Wagoner has shared a plethora or reports and previews over the last couple of days. 

He has previewed the offense, the special teams and posted a wide ranging new blog update, all of which are worth clicking on and taking time to read. 

Which Rookies Could Make an Impact for St. Louis? 

Ryan Van Bibber took a look at several of the St. Louis rookies in this nice piece for turfshowtimes.com. 

Van Bibber analyzed Michael Brockers, Brian Quick, Janoris Jenkins, Isaiah Pead and Chris Givens. 

Like myself, Van Bibber seems to like Jenkins and Pead very well. 

Michael Schottey Expects Sam Bradford to be Rams Most Improved Player

Featured columnist Michael Schottey predicted the most improved player for each team, including the Rams, in this slideshow for Bleacher Report. 

Schottey, for reasons you can read here, expects St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford to be the most improved Rams player this season. 

Nfl.com Previews Rams Receiver Position 

Brian McIntyre of nfl.com previewed the Rams receiver position in this piece.  

McIntyre expects St. Louis to have a fierce battle for roster spots during the team's upcoming training camp. 

McIntyre's roster predictions for the Rams wideouts, as you will see, might surprise some.  

I would personally have to disagree with one of his choices to retain a roster spot.  

Can you guess which one? 

Rams Chat with Jim Thomas

Yesterday, Jim Thomas (the Rams beat writer for stltoday.com) hosted an interactive chat with St. Louis Rams fans. 

As you can read here, Thomas covered a multitude of topics related to the Rams rookies, the soon approaching training camp, the regular season, the ongoing lease negotiations and much more. 

Story on Rams Free Agent Running Back Nick Schweiger

Finally, for a very nice story on Rams rookie Nick Schweiger, please click this from Peter Gobis of thesunchronicle.com. 

Schweiger played college ball at Dartmouth and turned some heads at his pro day. 

Although he is probably a long-shot to make the 53 man roster, perhaps, if nothing else, he can do enough to earn a spot on the Rams practice squad. 

Have a great day, as always, STL Rams Nation. 

Follow @SGmosportsmag