Mini camp began over the weekend and will continue for nearly a month as the Rams attempt to ready themselves for the upcoming season. Fisher offered these thoughts on his approach to the entire offseason saying: “As we told the ‘varsity’ this past week, we’re going to start again from day one with the installation. And by the time we’re done in mid-June, we will have installed absolutely everything. Then we’re going to do it again when training camp starts. So when they come and report to training camp, they’ll know exactly what to expect through camp. The only difference is we’re going to put some pads on at times.”

The intermixing of veterans with the youngsters began on Monday and promised to show just how steep the learning curve will be for the ten draftees and 24 undrafted free agents trying out for the Rams’ roster. Even though this team will be a young one, Fisher is pleased with what he’s seen from the first year players. Of the rookies, he said: “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. This is a good class. They’re working good together.”

Installing both the offensive and defensive playbooks was the focus for the coaches during a three hour meeting on Friday night. His system reflects his attitude as a coach and the attitude that he wants his players to employ when on the field. When it comes to evaluating the progress he’s seen, Fisher said: “I was pleasantly surprised with how they were able to absorb all of the information and bring it to the practice field.”

The Rams new regime decided that it was time for a change at both punter and kicker after incumbent kicker Josh Brown and punter Donnie Jones underwhelmed in 2011. Money also factored into the decision to move in a different direction as Brown was due $2.7 million in 2012. Now the club will be banking on a pair of rookies to hold down the positions (at least for the time being).

Sixth round draft choice kicker Greg Zuerlein and undrafted free agent punter John Hekker will be first in line for the jobs. Both men have impressive résumés coming out of college which the Rams believe will translate at the next level.

The team had Zuerlein in for a workout pre-draft to just see what he had to offer and special teams coach John Fassel was blown away. Zuerlein made 23 of 24 field goal attempts last year with nine over 50 yards including two from 58 yards away in one game. His leg strength also is an asset on kickoffs where he racked up 30 touchbacks with Missouri Western.

As for Hekker, he was a standout at Oregon State with last year being his third-best average during his time there at 41.3 yards per punt. At 6’5” 221lbs., Hekker certainly has no strength concerns and his bulky build compares favorably to one of the game’s best in Oakland Raiders’ punter Shane Lechler.

These guys won’t get much ink until they either do something spectacular or something equally unimpressive. The fact remains that plenty of contests will be won and lost in the kicking game during the upcoming season and the Rams will be relying on youngsters to come through in the clutch. That plan has the potential to be very rewarding if it works out and just as detrimental should it take a turn for the worse.

Obviously the Rams are in desperate need of some playmakers in their secondary following last year’s injury-plagued campaign. The team believes that they have found two instant upgrades in the back level of defense with both second round defensive back Janoris Jenkins and third rounder Trumaine Johnson.

Head Coach Jeff Fisher was quick to point out the intangibles that both players have to offer as he said: “They’re both very athletic and both have very good pass catching ability and hand-eye coordination and they’re learning. They’re learning, they’re physical, they have long arms. They’re pretty good at the position.” Those positive words bode well for a defense that didn’t have many healthy bodies left at season’s end.

Clearly all eyes were on prized first round defensive tackle Michael Brockers as well and Fisher highlighted his top pick’s strongest asset saying: “I would say just his quickness for a big man, his change of direction. It’s hard to measure his strength out here, other than on the bags, but he’s got great quickness and long arms. He’s going to be an impact player for us.”

Along with those coming into the league with high expectations, the Rams also added a few undrafted free agents with plenty of potential. Linebacker Sammy Brown from Houston, offensive tackle Joe Long of Wayne State, and T. Bob Hebert of LSU all have tons of promise to make the roster. Brown was dubbed as an inconsistent performer with a lack of drive, but he could be a much needed addition to a sparse linebacking corps. Long is the younger brother of Miami Dolphins tackle Jake Long who was chosen first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Hebert is the son of former quarterback for the Michigan Panthers of the USFL and for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.

This weekend was just one small step in beginning the turnaround that the Rams are eager to begin with this new coaching staff. The coming weeks will be crucial in tracking just how quickly this team figures to be ready for the 2012 season.

While Carthon won’t technically be replacing anyone being that the Rams didn’t have a director of pro personnel last season, Morton will be taking over for John Mancini who has been retained by the club as the assistant director of college scouting. Overhauls like this generally occur in May following the NFL Draft as teams look to retool their front office in preparation for the coming year of scouting.

As for the credentials that each of these individuals boasts, Carthon is 31 and a former running back with Florida who played professionally for two years. Following his brief career, he returned to school to earn his degree before catching on with the Falcons in 2008 as a pro scout. He was responsible for scouting upcoming opponents as well as looking at potential free agents that the club may be interested in signing.

Morton was with the Falcons for a dozen years scouting mainly the southeast region. This designation is certainly lofty given the SEC’s propensity for producing pro-caliber players on a yearly basis. His additional should prove to be quite an asset for a team with plenty of ammunition in the upcoming drafts.

GM Snead still has some work to do with neither vice president of player personnel Mike Williams or scouts Russ Bolinger and Brandon Schwab being brought back by the team. Russ Snead (no relation to Les) is thought to be the lead candidate for Williams’ vacated gig as he worked in the front office during Jeff Fisher’s time with the Tennessee Titans.

Moves in the front office don’t produce the headlines that signings or draftees get, but they can be vitally important to a rebuilding franchise’s future success. These additions to the club will position them nicely to make a real push toward the top in the NFC West sooner rather than later.

Here is a list of those players who signed with the Rams:

Todd Anderson, FB, Michigan State
Sammy Brown, LB, Houston
Jeremy Caldwell, CB, Eastern Kentucky
Derrick Choice, LB, Stephen F. Austin
Matt Conrath, DT, Virgina
Matt Daniels, S, Duke
Austin Davis, QB, Southern Mississippi
Cory Harkey, TE, UCLA
Michael Hay, G, Syracuse
T. Bob Hebert, C, LSU
John Hekker, P, Oregon State
Alex Hoffman-Ellis, LB, Washington State
Jamaar Jarrett, DE, Arizona State
Nicholas Johnson, WR, Henderson State
Noah Keller, LB, Ohio
Joe Long, T, Wayne State
Rodney McLeod, S, Virginia
Calvin Middleton, RB, Jacksonville State
DeAngelo Peterson, TE, LSU
Quinton Pointer, S, UNLV
Nick Schwieger, RB, Dartmouth
Scott Smith, DE, Texas Tech
Travis Tripuka, LS, UMass

Clearly linebacker was a position of emphasis for the Rams who have just four players on their roster at that position. Competition at running back also seems to be an area of focus for the team who is looking to lighten the load on Steven Jackson in the coming year.

While none of these names really jump out as potential superstars, plenty of unheralded collegiate players have blossomed into stars before at the NFL level. The Rams have to hope that their undrafted signees in combination with the players that they drafted can add some much needed quality depth to a team that lacked healthy, capable bodies for much of last season.

Instead the franchise decided that defense took precedence over the league’s worst offense from last season. Selecting defensive tackle Michael Brockers after trading down and adding another second round pick to their arsenal of selections was a smart move. The Rams have pass rushers capable of pinning their ears back and getting after the quarterback, but Brockers can bring that added element of stoutness inside that the defense has been lacking.

The three second round picks are where the team really struck gold with receiver Brian Quick, controversial cornerback Janoris Jenkins, and shifty running back Isaiah Pead. Obviously no one knows whether or not these players will pan out in two to three years, but each fills a position of need with a tremendous amount of potential. Quick has plenty of upside in a big-bodied target with tons of athleticism, Jenkins is a top ten talent who slid due to off the field concerns, and Pead can provide Steven Jackson with a nice change of pace option when he is winded.

On the surface it may seem like the team failed to help out quarterback Sam Bradford enough, but in reality, Quick should be able to step in immediately as the team’s third receiver while Pead will be an instant impact player on third downs. Jenkins has so much potential to be the steal of the draft if he can stay out of trouble off the field. As always, improving a team’s defense is one of the best ways to help out the offense by giving them the ball back.

So while it may be too early to determine a definitive grade for the Rams’ 2012 draft class, the team did what was necessary in tending to some pressing needs on the roster. If each of these early round picks lives up to potential, this will be the class that resurrected the Rams’ franchise.

With their third selection in the second round, the Rams had a shot to add a linebacker to their roster with Lavonte David still on the board. He was thought of by many as a borderline first rounder, but the Rams instead opted to trade down and select running back Isaiah Pead later on.

Now the search must begin to flesh out a depth chart among a cast of already picked over free agents. The best of that bunch has to be Washington Redskins’ Rocky McIntosh who fits well on the weakside of a 4-3 defense. Mario Haggan of the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals backer Brandon Johnson also fit the bill, but neither of them would provide a huge upgrade.

The Rams’ linebacking corps looked so weak last season in part due to the depleted complement of defensive backs that they were able to put on the field. With a revamped secondary and some definite improvements along the front four, the linebackers will have a lot more help in 2012 than they did a year ago.

The Rams are in the position to break their lease with the Edward Jones Dome following the 2014 season should the stadium not be up to their standards. The plan that the team rejected from the CVC earlier this year included $124 million in improvements consisting of an enormous 96-foot long scoreboard, new club seats, windows to provide natural lighting for a relatively dark stadium, and a 50,000-square-foot attachment with a suite for electronics enthusiasts and fantasy football players.

Even though the Rams gave no specifics as to why they rejected the original plan, it would seem that the price tag had something to do with it. The initial proposal said that the team would pay 52 percent of the cost, or about $64.5 million while the taxpayers of St. Louis and surrounding counties would foot the remaining $60 million.

While the stalemate remains under the current lease, the two sides have until June 15 to reach an agreement before the arbitration process would kick off.

The city of St. Louis has lost a football franchise in a similar fashion before as the Cardinals left in 1987 over stadium issues when their owner Bill Bidwell moved the team to Arizona. The current facility must be amongst the league’s top eight stadiums for the Rams to stay and that renovation will carrying quite a price tag.

There is still plenty of news to come on this front, but for the people of St. Louis, professional football may not be long for their city.

Day three of the draft was busy as well for the team as they added five more new players to the roster. Of these guys, three will compete for and possibly attain starting jobs in the 2012 campaign.

There was no denying a deficiency at the wide receiver position for St. Louis last season. Chris Givens was selected in the fourth round to give the team that explosive slot threat that can blow games open with one deep grab. At Wake Forest, Givens was productive racking up 83 catches for 1,330 yards last season. Expect him to compete immediately for a starting role in three-receiver packages as a speedy slot target.

Round five saw the team go big with offensive guard Rokevious Watkins out of South Carolina. Watkins is a punishing run blocker and at 6’5” 340lbs. that should come as no surprise. The Rams’ offensive line struggled last season to put it mildly so Watkins has a chance to compete for a starting gig from day one.

In a move that was somewhat anticipated, the team selected local product Greg Zuerlein out of Missouri Western. The team hosted Zuerlein for a private workout in the pre-draft process and was definitely in the market for a new kicker. Perhaps his best quality is the combination of accuracy and power that his leg offers with the ability to boom kickoffs through the end zone while still nailing 50-plus yard field goals with regularity. Zuerlein will be expected to take over the starting place kicker job in 2012.

The focus has been on the glamour rounds of the draft, but GMs make their money in rounds four through seven. The Rams hope that they have found a few hidden gems to provide instant contributions to their team next season.

With the first pick in round two (33rd overall), the Rams chose wide receiver Brian Quick from Appalachian State who many feel was a first round talent. He is a physical target at 6’4” 220lbs. and was super productive with more than 2,000 yards during his 2011 season. His ability to go over the middle of the field and make the tough catches will make him very valuable to Bradford on third down situations. The skill set that he possesses reminds me an awful lot of Terrell Owens.

The third pick for the Rams in round two was 50th overall and that is where they landed scatback Isaiah Pead from Cincinnati. At 5’10” 197lbs., Pead should give the team a much needed change-up to powerful workhorse Steven Jackson in the backfield. He will also provide a reliable check-down receiver for Bradford when under duress.

General Manager Les Snead acknowledged the fact that many were uncertain of the Rams’ strategy after passing on a receiver in round one. He went on to elaborate on these two prospects saying: “I think every player we got is going to help us next year. So, it seems like everybody wanted a wide receiver … we did, too. We did a lot of work with this kid (Quick), and we’re looking forward to developing him. We’ve got a running back that’s going to help us next year. He’s a change of pace for Steven (Jackson) and can return (kicks).”

That is the game plan for the Rams with the players that they drafted, but the question remains: did they do enough to help Bradford this offseason? Only time can properly answer that query.