ST. LOUIS -- One day after losing their preseason finale 21-17 to Kansas City, the Rams began the process of finalizing their roster and preparing for the regular season opener.
The Rams released 10 players Friday in anticipation of the Saturday afternoon deadline in which the team will have to be down to its final 53 players.
Gone from the roster are receiver Marques Hagans, safety Jerome Carter, receiver Matt Caddell, tight end Nick Cleaver, cornerback Tanard Davis, cornerback Cortney Grixby, linebacker Marcus Riley, center Donovan Raiola, defensive tackle Henry Smith and defensive tackle Willie Williams.
All NFL teams must reach the 53-man mark for their roster by 6 p.m. ET Saturday. Coach Scott Linehan said the Rams will make the remaining 13 cuts tomorrow.
After wrapping up the preseason at 2-2 with some questions answered and others remaining a mystery, the players will have the weekend off to allow the coaching staff to begin preparation for the Sept. 7 opener at Philadelphia and finalize the roster.
"It's like I told you, everything is going to be different, not just change to change," Linehan said. "I thought giving them the weekend off was pretty appropriate. It gives us some more time preparation wise for our opponent and also some time to evaluate our roster and take a look at some things that could pop up for other teams. It gives us some time to focus on the personnel side."
The preseason provided plenty of glimpses of the good and the bad on the Rams roster. A 20-day stay at Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., gave the team an opportunity to get away and focus on football following last year's 3-13 debacle.
The Rams had a disaster in that opening contest but got back on track with two wins at home in the following weeks before Thursday night's rain-soaked finale.
Over the course of the past five weeks, the Rams have played four exhibition games, practiced 32 times and sat through countless meetings.
Along the way, they have found some excitement in the likes of rookie receivers Keenan Burton and Donnie Avery and the emergence of a potentially stout first-team defense. They've had some struggles such as consistent special teams gaffes and running back Steven Jackson's holdout. And there remains plenty of uncertainty such as the health of left tackle Orlando Pace, cornerback Fakhir Brown and an uncertain center position.
The only question that remains is whether the pros will outweigh the cons and the Rams will begin moving in the right direction where it counts: the NFC West Division standings.
"I think it's never a finished product," Linehan said. "I like the direction. I like the attitude of the team. I like the makeup of the team. With that all said, now we have to turn that into productive Sundays and wins. That's how we are going to be judged ultimately anyway."
Notes: Avery suffered a sprained right knee against Kansas City on Thursday night. He had an MRI on Friday that made the injury appear minor. Linehan says he has a chance to play this week.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
