For a view of things on the other side of the state, I checked in with Chris from Arrowhead Pride, SBN's Chiefs blog. Our QnA is below. 

In the meantime, Rams fans, better go weigh in on the pregame St. Louis bashing thread over at AP. Attack Hill-style thin crust pizza? Not on my watch mister.

1. Let me start by going back to April, the draft. There was plenty of debate among pundits and Rams fans about whether or not the Rams should draft Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey with the second overall pick. So tell us, how has Dorsey looked in camp and through the preseason? What kind of impact will he have in the regular season?

AP: Glenn Dorsey sprained his knee during an off-season practice in early August and is just now getting back to full strength. Prior to the injury, he only participated in a few practices so his off-season hasn’t had much to go on.

Being such a great college player, Dorsey should immediately improve what was in 2007 a very shaky Chiefs run defense. Will there be fireworks, sacks and huge run stops right off the bat? Probably not. Dorsey’s surrounding cast on the defensive line is almost as young as he is and because of his knee injury, the preaseason gelling period will most certainly run into the regular season.

We’re of course hoping for the best with Dorsey but doing so with a lot of patience. You learn patience after being a Chiefs fan the last couple of years. 

2. Chiefs fans are having to get used to the R word, Rebuilding, this year. Give us a quick sketch of the team's rebuilding plans. How soon do you them competing for the division title again?

AP: Herm Edwards, after going to the playoffs in 2006 and putting a freak show of a team on the field in 2007, blew up the team and basically kept and chose players on talent first then age. The Chiefs have quickly become one of the youngest teams in the NFL, adding twelve draft picks this year and not making any significant veteran free agent signings.

We are starting over with a young, young team and I think that’s exactly what you have to do to field a truly competitive squad down the line.

As far as competing for a division title, I look at the San Diego Chargers and I don’t see them slowing down dramatically at least for a couple of years. The Chiefs are looking at even competing for a division title no less than three years from now. 

3. Are you set on Brodie Croyle?

AP: I for one am willing to give Brodie Croyle this entire season to show us what he has. The problem evaluating Croyle has been that his offensive line has been terrible, which will impede and mask the progress of any young quarterback.

Most rational fans are willing to give Croyle at least this season as the starting quarterback. If he doesn’t show much improvement after this year, the doubters will increase and rightly so. 2008 will be his first full season and as fans, we owe him at least that. 

4. Is Larry Johnson ready to go after missing half the season last year?

AP: Sure is. Larry Johnson is back, 100% healthy and should benefit greatly from the up and coming supporting running cast the Chiefs have. 3^rd round pick Jamaal Charles and second year player Kolby Smith are more than capable of giving LJ a few rests each game. Now, the offensive line is still in flux but the runners themselves are ready to rock.

5.  Your other first round pick, Brandon Albert, figures heavily into the plans for the offense this season and down the road. What's the latest on his foot injury?What kind of performance do you anticipate from him this season? Down the road are you optimistic?

AP: Albert is walking on his foot now and I don’t believe he still has a protective boot on it. I’d say now he’s questionable for Week 1 and probable for Week 2 but I’m not privy to the inside info. The reports coming out about that have been few and far between, which I assume means we’ll just have to be patient.

I think I speak for every Chiefs fan when we expect Branden Albert to play left tackle for the Chiefs as long as he physically can. We’ll assume 2008 will be a learning period for Albert (he has never played left tackle before) but after that, expectations are high. 

Big thanks to Chris at Arrowhead Pride.

I'm trying to come up with a Governor's Cup joke here. Every time I get a sentence down though, it erase it, too hackneyed. Let's face it, the Governor's Cup, with most of the starters on the bench, isn't the most exciting football you'll see all season. Might be better than some of those Rams games last season though. For the 20+ guys looking to survive the final roster cut, it is a big game, a last audition. 

The Post-Dispatch has a pretty comprehensive look at the final roster as it stands. To kick off the morning, I thought we'd take a stab at predicting the 8-man practice squad. Before I jump in, some housekeeping. I swapped QnA with SBN's Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride, and will have those up later. Don't forget to check out 3k's preview.

Now, the practice squad.

Roy Schuening, G - Reading about this guy after the draft, I fully expected him to cement a backup role for himself in camp. By all accounts he came to the league as force on the o-line. He could still, and after last season's experience with the o-line, you can bet they'll keep another OL on the practice squad. Probably means Dustin Fry's days as a Rams are numbered. 

Marques Hagans, WR - This is a position that will get plenty of attention in tonight's game. Hagans and the others battling for an outside chance at the 53-man roster will get plenty of passes thrown their way as well as return opportunities. Hagans has been the best receiver of these fringe guys, but Derek Stanley has an advantage in the return game. Brandon Williams might be a better kick returner, so he has a decent shot at the practice squad too. Reche Caldwell might make it because of his experience, but he could probably find work complementing the depth on another team. This is the toughest spot by far to round out the bottom of the depth chart. The Rams kept two WRs on the practice squad to start the season last year, Stanley and Dominque Thompson, and it certainly looks like they'll do that again. 

Lance Ball, RB - Ball will get a lot of carries tonight, passes too. The Maryland undrafted rookie has really impressed, and had the Steven Jackson holdout dragged into the regular season, there's no question he'd be on the team. He will make the practice squad. 

Bruce Gradkowski, QB - Last season, when the Rams went with just 2 QBs on their active roster, they had to keep Berlin on the practice squad. Good thing they did too because they needed him. It's possible they'll keep Gradkowski this year, with Berlin favored to retain his old job at #3. However, it's not as likely. 

Eric Bassey, S - This is a tough one too because the Rams have some nagging injuries to key starters. If Jerome Carter can play tonight and doesn't completely suck, they'll almost have to keep the 4th year vet to round out depth at safety by making him the fourth. I'm assuming they'll keep 4 safeties and 5 corners. Vinnett has special teams value. I wonder if they'll keep Macklin, a vet, and put Vinnett on the practice squad? 

David Vobora, LB - This depends on whether or not the Rams keep 6 or 7 LBs. If they keep 7, he's on the 53-man, contributing on ST. That scenario likely puts Marc Magro on the practice squad. 

C. J. Ah You, DE - I suspect they'll keep a DL on the practice squad, and Ah You is the best of the fringe guys at that position. That leaves them a little short at DT, potentially, with just Glover, Carriker and Ryan as the only full time DTs. Of course, DTs Willie Williams and Henry Smith have as many tackles through the preseason as Adam Carriker, so they'll be working hard to make an impression tonight. 

That's my educated guesses at the practice squad. We'll have definitive answers this weekend. Stay tuned.

St. Louis Rams Best Fantasy Player:

This is easy: running back Steven Jackson. Jackson's back, and he's going to produce in Al Saunders' offense. Two cautionary notes that wouldn't have be here w/out Jackson holdout: 1) he won't see as much work as normal in the first and probably the second game of the season. Plan accordingly. 2) Any long holdout automatically gets an injury risk asterisk next to it. There's not really a direct correlation between holdouts and injury, but not having seen contact ups the possibility. Still Jackson's only 25 and has a reduced workload playing just 12 games last year.

St. Louis Rams Fantasy Sleeper:

You can probably draft WR Keenan Burton in the last round or even pick him up off the waiver wire if you want to wait. Burton sits behind Drew Bennett on the depth chart. Last weekend against the Ravens, Bennett missed a quick out on first and 10, the second and final pass thrown to him before he left with an injury. That play is an ugly summary of Bennett's preseason where he has looked out of sync, having no sense of timing with Rams QB Marc Bulger or Al Saunders' complicated playbook. Burton, a 4th round pick this year, has demonstrated a familiarity with the playbook and with Bulger, and even the backup QBs. Burton has the speed and style of play that makes him a threat in tight coverage and clogged routes.

More Rams fantasy discussion here.

It's Trent Green day 'round the internets. The former Rams, former Chiefs starter and current Rams backup QB will get the start against the Kansas City Chiefs in tomorrow night's Governor's Cup. 

Some more items of interest to kill some time on someone else's dime:

• Being a 38-year-old backup (playing on a three year contract) lends itself to wondering just how ready a QB is. The PD asked that question, and the Rams apparently are satisfied with Green's ability at this stage of his career. 
• Drew Bennett wants to get over his preseason on-field foibles and prove his worth. He needs to for the Rams sake and for his own good with Keenan Burton looking like he's ready, or at least the better option. Bennett will not play tomorrow night in the backup exhibition in KC. 
• A Quinton Culberson profile at the official Rams site. Culberson has looked good this preseason, and I think he'll make us forget all about Brandon Chillar, and, even more frightening at one time, prove the Rams front office folks right.
• NFL.com has their Rams season preview up.
• Our friend at Ramblin' Fan takes a look at it.  
• The Football Outsiders have a sneak peak at college football season, which starts in ernest this weekend.
• Field Gulls reviews the tape from the Seahawks loss to the Chargers. 
• A look at the 49ers WR situation.
• Is Kurt Warner going to start this year or not?

The St. Louis Rams made their cuts today, trimming the roster down to the league mandated 75 players.

As we surmised yesterday, injuries made the cuts easier. CB Justin King, a 4th round pick this year who was looking good in the early goings, was placed on injured reserve. The actual cuts claimed RB Lavarus Giles, who was brough in with Steven Jackson's holdout dragging into it's third week; WR Shaine Smith and K Justin Medlock.

We predicted Giles and Smith yesterday, but I'm a little surprised by Medlock. He's an NFL quality kicker and will find work somewhere. The Rams tried to trade him for a late round pick, but obviously didn't find any takers since teams knew he was going to be a roster casualty at some point anyway.

We talked Keenan Burton yesterday, looking at his impressive performance with the first team and the possibility of the Rams replacing a out-of-sync Drew Bennett with him if needed. It's hard not to be impressed with Donnie Avery's performance too. Avery, playing in his first preseason game, worked with the first team, second team and returned kicks. He finished the night with 5 receptions, tied with Looker for the most, and 65 yards, tops on the night. Not bad for a guy who's been at practice a little more than a week. 

Like everything preseason, take it with some skepticism, but it looks like Avery can be a contributor this season. The Rams certainly need him to be. We've been fairly bullish on his prospects since the draft. He could be a threat out of the slot right away since he seems to get the playbook. So, I thought I'd do a little comparison with Avery. 

Lee Evans, BUF - Evans had a nice rookie year, staring in 11 games and making 48 receptions for 843 yards and 9 TDs. The Bills had a solid #1 WR in Eric Moulds and a steady hand in Drew Bledsoe at QB. They also had a solid running game as McGahee broke out in his rookie year. A balanced team that didn't have to deal with too many significant injuries.

Kevin Curtis, STL - Most of us are pretty familiar with Curtis' work. He played in just 4 games his rookie season, 2003, and was down on the depth chart. The next year he played in 15, catching 32 passes for 421 yards and 2 TDs. As you know, Curtis was kind of buried here behind Holt and Bruce. 

Earlier in the summer, after reading a piece on Greg Jennings and Santino Holmes breakthroughs working out of the slot, I compared Avery to those two guys, who had nice rookie seasons and blossomed in their second year. Both of those players debuted on a team with similar circumstances to a healthy 2008 Rams team.

Anyway, taken all together, I think there's enough precedent to think that Donnie Avery could have a solid rookie season in St. Louis. I suspect he'll get some playing time Thursday night against the Chiefs which ought to give us a little more of a feel for how well he's grasping the playbook.

If Burton and Avery can prove their worth as rookies, it'll put a lot of minds to rest about the Rams depth at WR, to say nothing of making Bennett and his big contract expendable next season.  

Still basking in the glow of the Rams win this weekend? Yeah, me too, but it's important not to overlook the fact that it was, after all, a preseason game. There was a lot to like about it though, but the night didn't end without a few red flags going up.

Drew Bennett played just one drive before leaving with a groin injury. He only needed one drive though to elicit even more groans and signs from fans and pundits alike. When the first pass of the game was thrown his way, Bennett missed it, easily defended by Ravens backup CB Frank Walker. A second pass came Bennett's way late on the drive and sailed by. Two pass attempts this week added to performances from the previous two weeks made it perfectly clear that Bennett is struggling with this offense. Whether it's his timing with Bulger or learning the playbook - I suspect a little of both - he's not right. Here's ESPN's Mike Sando:

Bulger and Bennett still aren't on the same page. They weren't close to connecting on this quick first-and-10 pass attempt toward the right sideline.

Bennett has a lots of pressure on him to perform this season after signing a big free agent contract last year and having a bust of a season, along with the rest of the Rams. He did have injury issues limiting him last year too.

Keenan Burton has the stuff to do what Bennett does as the number two receiver. Burton also has had a much better preseason than Bennett. Burton has 5 receptions for 74 yards and a TD to Bennett's 4 catches for 34 yards. Now, which one do you think has had more balls thrown his way too? As with all things preseason, take the numbers with a grain of salt, but the rookie Burton looks far more comfortable in this offense than the veteran Bennett. That much we do know.

Burton's fast and the size and physical style to play in tight coverage, a la his TD on Saturday. You'll recall, that's the kind of thing the Rams brought Bennett here to do. Burton lacks Bennett's height - 6' versus 6'5" - but bests him on speed, which combined with his rough and tumble style of play should make him more valuable in getting those all important yards after catch.

Going against Burton right now is the fact that he is a rookie, and rookie receivers can struggle to pick up the pro game. Conventional wisdom says three years for wide receivers to develop, but there are plenty of exceptions. In a previous look at Burton, one of his strengths is his ability to pick up the game. But, let's look at some of his comparables.

• James Jones, GB - Jones profiles very similar to Burton, and the Packers' 3rd rounder used an impressive preseason to earn playing time. Now, he was playing with Brett Favre, so weight that factor as you will. As a rookie, Jones played in 16 games, started 9, and made 47 catches for 676 yards and 2 TDs.
  
• Arnaz Battle, SF - Battle played some pretty crappy 49ers teams to start his career, which began mostly as a returned, until his 3rd season in league. In his first year of regular work at WR, he made 32 catches for 363 yards and 3 TDs.
• Hines Ward, PIT - Starting out as the 4th WR on the depth chart on a team with Kordell Stewart as your QB isn't a great way to begin a career. Ward had 15 catches for 246 yards in 1998. During his second season, he really came into his own as a starter, on a 6-7 team with QB troubles he made 61 catches, tied for the lead, 648 yards and 7 TDs, the team leader.
  
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN - John Kitna threw 12 TDs and 22 INTs. Housh and fellow rookie Ohco Cinco, then known as Chad Johnson, were pretty far down the depth chart. Housh made 21 recpetions for 228 yards. His next season he had 41 receptions for 492 yards and 1 TD, on a two win team that used three QBs. He missed the next season, but in his 3rd full season, he had 73 rec, 978 yards and 4 TDs.
  

This Rams team is certainly more stable than the team the last three comparables made their debuts with. I say that realizing things could change with one unlucky snap. Burton certainly has the chance to emerge here. And if Bennett continues to struggle, Burton's ascendency could be accelerated. As impressive as Donnie Avery was in his debut this weekend, Burton's the one to keep an eye on. And Drew Bennett should keep an especially keen eye on him.

LATE UPDATE: I want to extend a welcome the UK fans stopping by to read about a former Wildcat who is sure to become an NFL standout. Burton's rapidly becoming a Rams fan favorite, and I suspect he'll give us a lot more as the season goes on. Anyway, be sure to register and jump in on the ongoing Burton-mania through the rest of the season. We'd love to hear what you've got say about Burton having seen him play much more than Rams fans have. There's plenty more UK talk over at A Sea of Blue too.

According to the Post-Dispatch, former Saints center and Cleveland free agent bust C/G LeCharles Bentley will be in St. Louis today for a physical and a meeting with St. Louis Rams team officials.

If he's healthy, as we've mentioned here before, he would give the Rams quality depth in the middle, and may even compete for a starting gig given his resume. He hasn't played in the last two seasons because of major knee surgery.

What if? The Rams aren't exactly deep at center. They've got Romberg and Leckey and further behind them, Donovan Raiola, who's yet to see NFL action. Despite losing Mark Setterstrom, the Rams have better depth at guard, but that depth is primarily rookie John Greco and Roy Schuening. Greco's looked good through early returns in camp at guard. If the Rams did sign Bentley, I wonder if Greco would get some looks at tackle, at least in practice. Schuening has skills, but right now looks headed to the practice squad, where a smart team will grab him.

Putting Bentley in the mix at guard would allow the Rams to use Richie Incognito at OT, where he filled in some, quite admirably, in 2006. If Bentley, 28, can play at the level that got him to the Pro Bowl in 2005, then you'd have to assume he'd be a starter here. The only question is who he might replace on the line, either Leckey/Romberg or Incognito. Given that the Rams have made Incognito a starter on the o-line for this season since early summer (when they said he was the starting center), I'd say Bentley would become the Rams new starting center. He's been to the Pro Bowl as both a guard (2003) and center (2005).