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Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

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  • #1

    Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

    Rams get good news as Avery has MRI exam on injured hip

    BY BILL COATS
    ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
    10/20/2009



    The Rams had every reason to fear the worst when wide receiver Donnie Avery fell hard on his left hip and limped to the sideline early in the second quarter Sunday.

    "It's the same hip I played on last year with a crack in it," Avery said after the 23-20 overtime loss at Jacksonville. "I'm just hoping for something positive."

    The fracture, suffered early in training camp in Mequon, Wis., kept Avery out for most of the preseason. It never fully healed during the regular season, although Avery amassed 53 catches, 674 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie.

    Good news arrived Monday: An MRI exam showed no crack this time. Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Avery would be day-to-day this week, as the winless Rams prepare for unbeaten Indianapolis on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

    "They're calling it a bruise. I'm sure he's sore," Spagnuolo said. "I know one thing: He was already talking about getting back out there (Sunday) in the locker room. He was talking about, 'I'll be out there practicing, Coach, I'll be out there.' That's him. He wants to come back."

    Avery, the first wideout selected in the 2008 draft, got off to a rocky start this year. He fumbled the season-opening kickoff at Seattle, then lost the ball inside the Washington 10-yard line the next week in a 9-7 loss.

    But he'd been rounding back into form. Avery posted season highs with five receptions for 87 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown, last week vs. Minnesota. He'd already scored on a 17-yard toss from Marc Bulger on Sunday before he was hurt.

    RISKY BUSINESS?

    Later in the second quarter, Tim Carter had to be helped off. That left the Rams with just two wideouts, Keenan Burton and Danny Amendola.

    Carter missed only one play, however. Had he stayed out, Spagnuolo said tight end Daniel Fells would've manned a wide receiver spot.

    Asked whether dressing only four wideouts was risky, Spagnuolo said, "I don't think we'd do it any differently. The numbers at one position are tied into all of the others. As soon as you add one somewhere, you've got to take away from somewhere else" on the 45-man game-day roster.

    BARTELL TO BE TESTED

    Cornerback Ron Bartell suffered a mild concussion in the overtime period and will undergo a neurological exam today to help determine a projection for his return.

    The other injuries are considered minor: defensive end C.J. Ah You (sprained ankle), linebacker Larry Grant (bruised ribs), defensive end James Hall (groin), guard Richie Incognito (sprained ankle) and linebacker Will Witherspoon (hip, back).

    Also, Spagnuolo reported that safety James Butler, who has missed three games with a knee injury, worked out Monday without any problems. "So hopefully we can get him out there and get him back in the fold," Spagnuolo said.

    TACKLE COUNT

    With 10 more tackles (according to the coaches' film review), rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis increased his team-loading total to 59. He also had an interception for the second successive week.

    "I'm very encouraged with the way he handles things. His intelligence ... we ask the (middle) linebacker to do a lot, and he's handled most of them really, really well," Spagnuolo said. "He finds a way to make a play. ... He's always around the football.

    "There's things he's got to learn. I'm sure he's probably watched the tape three times already. That's the kind of guy he is."

    Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe led the Rams with 11 tackles. Defensive end Chris Long had six tackles, plus three quarterback hits and three pressures.

    RAM-BLINGS

    The Rams hadn't gone to overtime since beating Washington 37-31 on Dec. 24, 2006. ... Their record in OT is 13-10-1.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

    Good news again. It seems like for the most part, we have been more fortunate with our injuries this year than in recent years past. Maybe it's a sign that our strength and conditioning is working out better now.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

      Guys playing hurt, but still playing. That is football. Good to hear that it looks like Avery is still going to be in there.
      sigpic

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

        Originally posted by r8rh8rmike View Post
        \RISKY BUSINESS?

        Later in the second quarter, Tim Carter had to be helped off. That left the Rams with just two wideouts, Keenan Burton and Danny Amendola.

        Carter missed only one play, however. Had he stayed out, Spagnuolo said tight end Daniel Fells would've manned a wide receiver spot.

        Asked whether dressing only four wideouts was risky, Spagnuolo said, "I don't think we'd do it any differently. The numbers at one position are tied into all of the others. As soon as you add one somewhere, you've got to take away from somewhere else" on the 45-man game-day roster.

        Uhhh...what is Spag's thinking? If Carter unfortunately had an injury that cost him to sit on the bench for the rest of the game, we would have Amendola and Burton only, and Fells playing WR?!

        I agree with his statement that all the positions are tied together, but when we are so obviously thin at WR, especially with a fragile Avery and who knows what Carter, we can't afford to be this risky...

        Besides, there is no excuse when we have extra players we can kick off like Roach. Why is Roach still on this team by the way?

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

          Good to hear Avery isn't that bad. We really need him!

          And wow. Laurinaitis has been amazing so far, hope he keeps it up!

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

            indeed good news on D.A ..good news all round on the injury front..be good to have Butler back even tho Dahl has covered his spot pretty well all things considered..

            Laurinaitis is indeed a very good player and will only get better.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Rams Get Good News As Avery Has MRI On Injured Hip

              Good news on the Avery front. Love him or hate him, I think we can all agree that the last thing this team needs is more significant injuries at wide receiver.

              Comment

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              • r8rh8rmike
                Rams WR Avery Struggling With Fumbles
                by r8rh8rmike
                Rams WR Avery struggling with fumbles
                By R.B. FALLSTROM, AP Sports Writer
                6 hours, 56 minutes ago

                ST. LOUIS (AP)—It’s two games and two turnovers for Donnie Avery(notes), the St. Louis Rams’ second-round pick last year. He realizes more than those who are making him the franchise’s latest scapegoat that it’s two too many.

                Ball security suddenly has become an issue with a player expected to lead the team’s thin and inexperienced wide receiver corps. His fumble at the Washington 5 in the fourth quarter last Sunday cost the Rams dearly in a 2-point loss, and he lost a fumble on a kickoff return to open the season.

                Returning to practice Wednesday was a major relief for Avery, the better to begin redeeming himself.

                “It was great to get back out there,” Avery said. “I understand it’s going to be a long week, but I just need to get ready.”

                Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he hasn’t lost confidence in Avery, the first wide receiver taken in the 2008 draft and coming off a 53-catch season that was only one off the franchise rookie record set by Eddie Kennison(notes) in 1996. So far, Avery has seven catches for 50 yards for a team that has managed only one touchdown in two games.

                The Rams, who have dropped 12 in a row heading into Sunday’s home opener against the Packers, need his breakaway speed.

                “I know this and I’ve said it before: I love his heart, I love his grit, I love what he’s all about,” Spagnuolo said. “He’ll be fine. We’re banking on him to be fine.”

                Quarterback Marc Bulger(notes) said Avery was tough enough on himself after Sunday’s loss without teammates piling on.

                “We’re going to need him for 14 more games, and he’s too good of a player,” Bulger said. “We can’t let him get down, and he was back out there today looking great.”

                Thus far, Laurent Robinson(notes) has been Bulger’s go-to wide receiver with 11 catches, a 12.8-yard average and the lone touchdown on a 2-yard fade route against the Redskins.

                Avery made several big plays as a rookie, scoring his first touchdown on a 37-yard end around and had six catches for 169 yards including a 69-yard grab against the Patriots. No fumbles, either.

                “I guess you could say when it’s good it’s good, and when it’s bad it’s bad,” said Avery, whose long gain this year is only 16 yards.

                Avery got caught on a spin move on the kickoff return, and hasn’t returned one since, although Spagnuolo wouldn’t say he’d been taken off special teams. The Rams signed return man Danny Amendola(notes) off the Eagles’ practice squad Tuesday, and Amendola could fill both roles this week.

                “It just depends on how quickly we can get him oiled up,” Spagnuolo said. “Until we get to the end of the week, we don’t really know.”

                Redskins safety Chris Horton(notes) put his helmet on the ball after Avery...
                -09-23-2009, 10:24 PM
              • r8rh8rmike
                St. Louis Rams' Donnie Avery Works On Durability
                by r8rh8rmike
                St. Louis Rams' Donnie Avery works on durability
                BY BILL COATS
                ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                06/12/2010

                By trying to simultaneously give up meat and fried foods, Rams wide receiver Donnie Avery bit off more than he could chew. "I got burned out with it," he said. "So I cheat once a week and eat fried food."

                Still, Avery mostly is sticking to chicken and fish, with heavy helpings of fruits and vegetables. He's hoping that an improved diet, plus 10 pounds of muscle added in the weight room, will increase his durability.

                Nagging injuries — from a cracked hip to a stress fracture in his foot to a strained shoulder — hindered Avery during his first two seasons since the Rams made him the first wideout taken (second round, No. 33 overall) in the 2008 draft.

                Avery missed only one game, but he rarely was in top shape on Sundays.

                "It's frustrating, because you know you're not playing at a hundred percent," he said. "But at the same time you're still out there trying help the team as much as possible."

                After the '09 season, coach Steve Spagnuolo suggested that Avery try to bulk up a bit.

                "We talked about that before he left in January, that every time you catch the ball in the NFL, you've got to pop right back up and go in the huddle and make it look like nothing hurts," Spagnuolo said. "You've got to be durable, and one of the things about being durable is getting your body right. I think it's helping him.

                "Now, we don't know; we haven't hit anything yet. But hopefully that'll work out."

                For the organized team activities and the full-squad minicamp under way at Rams Park, the players aren't permitted to don pads, and contact is not allowed, per NFL rule.

                The 5-foot-11 Avery added 14 pounds, up to 198, but wasn't comfortable. "It's kind of trial and error," he said. "I felt a little bit sluggish, so I had to lose some of that weight. I feel good with the 10 right now that I put on."

                Avery's numbers slipped a bit last season from his rookie year. His receptions fell to 47 from 53 and his receiving yardage dipped to 589 from 674. "But my touchdowns went up last year" to five from three, he pointed out. "So that was a positive."

                So far, his spring workouts have been a positive, too. "It's going great," Avery said. "Second year in the (offensive) system, and I feel a lot more comfortable in it."

                Avery made a couple of acrobatic grabs at Friday's practice, which caught Spagnuolo's eye. "He looked really good today," Spagnuolo said. "I've been really happy with what Donnie's done. He'll tell you he's been inconsistent, because he's a pro and he wants to catch every ball. But I think he's doing a nice job."...
                -06-12-2010, 11:46 AM
              • MauiRam
                Avery Back in Action ..
                by MauiRam
                Avery Back in Action

                By Nick Wagoner/Senior Writer

                After hauling in a pass late in Wednesday night’s practice, the cheers came up from the sideline as Donnie Avery hauled in yet another catch and turned up field to run.

                The cheers from the fans were common but the support from his teammates seemed to have a little something extra behind them.

                Avery made his return to the practice field on Wednesday, performed again on Thursday and on Saturday night against the Titans, is on schedule to play in his first preseason game in almost a full calendar year.

                In other words, it’s hard not to root for the soft spoken, humble Avery even if there is some good natured ribbing involved.

                “A couple of guys said ‘Oh, snap No. 17 is back from the dead,’” Avery said. “They kind of gave me crap coming out but it’s kind of nice to know they are rooting for me and on the same page as I am.”

                And why wouldn’t they be? The idea of a healthy Avery certainly brings an element to the offense that may not be there when he’s on the shelf.

                Known for his blazing speed, Avery has been on the sideline for almost a full year after suffering a devastating ACL injury in the third preseason game last year in New England.

                Avery spent the offseason training to get back up to speed, literally. He trained in Houston and did a lot of track work and says he clocked sub 4.3 40-yard dashes on a regular basis.

                Upon the start of camp, Avery was back on the field going full speed. Like with any knee surgery, though, the Rams and Avery had to dial back his work load, which has kept him out of the past week or so of practice and the first preseason game.

                “It was really more of a response, I think, to the surgery,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “Nothing uncommon. We just figured, why set him back? That’s why we kind of shut him down. And I think it was the right thing to do because I think he’ll start to surface now.”

                Avery has indeed surfaced and has stuck out for his play making skills just in the two practices since he’s been back. In Wednesday night’s practice, Avery made a series of catches deep, across the middle and outside the hashes.

                “I thought Donnie looked really good yesterday,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “I thought he looked quick, I thought he looked fast, he made good decisions…Avery is another guy that will give us the opportunity to stretch the field with his speed.”
                Avery had no ill effects linger from Wednesday’s practice and made it through Thursday’s workout just fine. All signs point to him playing Saturday night against Tennessee.

                “It’s important to me because I haven’t been on the team, playing in a game in a year so I just need to get the ball in my hands and I think I’m explosive when it comes to making people miss and getting that YAC,” Avery said. “That’s...
                -08-19-2011, 01:14 AM
              • Varg6
                Rams' Avery wants kickoff job
                by Varg6
                ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Donnie Avery wants to keep returning kickoffs for the St. Louis Rams besides playing wide receiver, despite fumbling the opening kickoff of the season.

                The gaffe set up the Seahawks at the Rams' 19 yard line, but the defense prevented a score with an interception in the end zone.
                Running back Samkon Gado returned the only other kickoff last week for St. Louis. Avery said he knew he had made a mistake and he found out about it Monday during evaluations.

                "Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) wrote on paper, 'spin equals fumble so don't spin,"' Avery said with a laugh.
                No official word has been given if Avery, who is in his second season, will return kickoffs in Sunday's game at Washington. He returned one kick in 2008 for 21 years. He also returned kickoffs in college at Houston.
                "If they call my name, I'll go in there," Avery said. "I wasn't surprised when they asked me to do last week. It's fun back there. If he puts me back there, he puts me back there."

                He said returning will not detract him from receiving duties. He pointed out Washington's Antwaan Randle El and Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson both return punts.

                But it's receiving where St. Louis and Spagnuolo want Avery to make his mark.
                The Rams' receiving corps led by Avery is short on experience. Seattle frequently put eight men up front to thwart the run, almost daring St. Louis to pass.

                Those types of defense will be common this season, running back Steven Jackson said.

                However, he predicts Avery, along with the other young receivers, will grow as the season progresses and force defenses to change their thinking.

                "Everyone comes along differently. Donnie had success last year in his rookie year, but in this league, guys don't go off one year. A lot of defensive coordinators want you to prove yourself over time," Jackson said. "I'm going to do my best to make sure they respect the running game and hopefully get some one-on-ones on the outside. Those guys are talented enough to take advantage of the one-on-ones."

                Spagnuolo said he believes Avery will benefit and prosper. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur agreed.

                "I think Donnie's a hard worker. He's a smart football player and he understands how to play the game," Shurmur said. "All those things matched with his great ability are going to make him a great for a long time."
                Avery said the offense can get going and score points. The team must limit mistakes and penalties. Last week, the Rams were whistled for 10 penalties.



                NOTES: S Craig Dahl (hamstring) and G John Greco (wrist) are out for Sunday and will not make the trip. ... DT Leger Douzable was signed to the practice squad. Douzable spent the first week on the New York Giants' active roster. To make room for Douzable, LB K.C. Asiodu was release...
                -09-18-2009, 08:42 PM
              • r8rh8rmike
                WR Avery Ready To Go; Reports "No Problem At All" With Sore Hip
                by r8rh8rmike
                10.23.2009 1:55 pm
                WR Avery ready to go; reports “no problem at all” with sore hip
                By Bill Coats
                St. Louis Post-Dispatch


                Given that the St. Louis Rams might have to put up 50 or so points Sunday to have a shot at derailing the unbeaten Colts, the news that WR Donnie Avery has recovered from his bruised hip and will suit up Sunday was welcome at Rams Park.

                Avery reported “no problem at all” after fully participating in practice Friday. Avery, injured last Sunday at Jacksonville after grabbing a 17-yard touchdown pass earlier, sat out Wednesday and took only limited reps Thursday.

                “It’s a lot better,” Avery said. “I’m feeling really fluid out there.”

                Notes & quotes:

                *Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he hadn’t decided whether newly acquired WR Brandon Gibson would be on the 45-man game-day roster. “It’s probably 50-50,” Spagnuolo said. “But the other (wideouts), everybody’s kind of stepped it up and had a pretty good week. So that’ll be a tough call.”

                *DE James Hall (groin), CB Justin King (groin) and WR Ruvell Martin (hamstring) were limited Friday. S James Butler (knee) and G Richie Incognito were full-go and are expected to start Sunday.

                *Despite the cool temperature and strong winds, the team practiced outside.

                *Colts safety Bob Sanders, the 2007 NFL defensive player of the year, not only will suit up for the first time this season, he’s expected to be in the starting lineup. Sanders has been recovering from offseason knee surgery.

                All for now…
                -10-23-2009, 05:26 PM
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