Clifton Ryan News

Chris Long and the Rams defense got some help this offseason as new head coach Steve Spagnuolo drafted defenders with three of the team's first four draft picks.

The Rams eased the congestion in their offensive backfield and filled a need on the defensive line Thursday, trading running back Brian Leonard to the Cincinnati Bengals for defensive tackle Orien Harris.

St. Louis Rams General Manager Billy Devaney said there were few surprises in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Clemson's Dorell Scott isn't exactly the "big fat guy" needed at defensive tackle to shore up the Rams' porous run defense.

There's no doubt that B.J. Raji can be a beast on the football field. But is he also a burden? Last season for Boston College, the 6-foot-1, 337-pound defensive tackle registered 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage plus eight sacks.

LaMarr Woodly, linebacker for the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, and Clifton Ryan, defensive tackle for the St.

You have to start somewhere, and for coach Steve Spagnuolo and his Rams, the just-completed first minicamp was all about attitude, tempo, accountability and the concept of team.

NFL Charities, the National Football League's nonprofit foundation, has donated $500 to Heroes for Kids to support summer recreation in Saginaw.

Defensive tackle Clifton Ryan led the Rams with $185,462 in additional pay for his efforts during the 2008 season.

Now that cornerback Ron Bartell has decided to return to St. Louis, agreeing to a four-year deal, the Rams are two-thirds of the way along in their Killer Bs strategy to open free agency.

St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Clifton Ryan didn't care if his new head coach specialized in offense or defense.

Other than interims Jim Haslett for 12 games this season and Joe Vitt for 11 games in 2005, the Rams hadn't had a defense-oriented head coach since Ray Malavasi in the early 1980s.

The 2-13 St. Louis Rams have been outscored 434-205 this season for an average per-game deficit of 28.9-13.7. But it's far from the worst season performance in NFL history.

The NFL Draft industry is humming along, filling the Internet with breathless speculation about which young hopeful will go to which also-ran team.