Rams: Five things to know
1. The club had better be careful how it protects quarterback Marc Bulger. It doesn't want another Kurt Warner situation on its hands. Bulger has been laid out twice this preseason with what appeared to be knee injuries -- only to escape unscathed. With tackle Kyle Turley out for the season and Orlando Pace out until ... whenever ... the Rams had better be careful how many times they ask Bulger to throw off seven-step drops or with empty backfields -- otherwise it's, hello, Chris Chandler.
2. The defense is in good hands with coordinator Larry Marmie. He never gained the attention he should have in Arizona when his defenses played well despite a succession of injuries that robbed them of some of their top players. Marmie has to replace his best cornerback, Travis Fisher, but he has been down this road before. At Arizona in 2001, he lost two Pro Bowl players, including cornerback Aeneas Williams, and five linemen en route to starting 14 different combinations, yet his defense improved in almost every area -- including points -- from the previous year.
3. Rookie running back Steven Jackson is the real deal. He leads the NFL in preseason rushing with 251 yards and had an NFL-high 125 against Washington last weekend. Jackson carried 25 times that game, an unusually high number for preseason, but coach Mike Martz wanted to see how he operated when fatigued. That experience can be invaluable if the Rams have to lean on Jackson during the season.
4. After having as many as 10 tight ends under contract the Rams are down to four -- with standbys Cam Cleeland and Brandon Manumaleuna the top two. They believe this is the year Manumaleuna emerges as an impact player, one reason they matched Carolina's five-year, $8.3 million offer sheet to the restricted free agent. Cleelend seems to have overcome a hamstring injury that bothered him earlier this summer, while undrafted rookie Mike Brake is the frontrunner for the No. 3 spot.
5. The Rams continue to be loaded at wide receiver, with Torry Holt and a rejuvenated Isaac Bruce leading the parade of targets. Especially impressive has been Shaun McDonald, who seems to have locked up the No. 4 spot after catching passes of 32 and 35 yards against Washington last weekend.
