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Shutdown Corner

Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:55 am EDT

Trent Green signs with Rams, autopsy pending

By MJD

Two things happened in the NFL last year, and I think it's important to call your attention to them now:

1) The contents of Trent Green's skull were temporarily turned into mashed potatoes by the knee of Travis Johnson; and

2) The St. Louis Rams had an injury-plagued and horrific offensive line that was absolutely incapable of protecting a quarterback.

And now Trent Green is a St. Louis Ram. Perfect ... it's a match made in the National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury. It's like like an alcoholic taking a job at the Jim Beam distillery. It's not quite the perfect environment for nurturing him back to health.

Last year, Marc Bulger, under the protection of the Rams line, suffered broken ribs, a bruised knee, and a concussion. His replacement, Gus Frerotte, had an ankle injury, a sprained shoulder, and a torn labrum. Trent Green's nose started bleeding immediately upon signing the contract.

Next year, the Rams line should be a little better, if for no other reason than it can't get worse. They had major injury problems, and some players will return, but--and get this--those players are coming off of major injuries (and in the case of Orlando Pace, coming off of major injuries in the past two years). They did sign guard Jacob Bell away from the Titans, though, so that should help.

I didn't want to watch Trent Green again. Now I might have to. But it probably won't be for very long.

• Rams sign Titans’ guard Jacob Bell / Yahoo! Sports

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37 Comments

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  1. nonnie
    1. Posted by nonnie Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:40 pm EDT

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    Let Bruce go and sign Green? Oh yeah, that makes perfect sense! I guess they just want him to finish in his home town. What other bonehead moves can they make?
  2. jamie s
    2. Posted by jamie s Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:21 pm EDT

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    Born in St. Louis!
    Die in St. Louis!
  3. James B
    3. Posted by James B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    Will people laugh when Trent Green gets hit this year and doesn't wake up again? Maybe the guy simply has a death wish and doesn't want to commit suicide by his own hands? Whatever the case, he must have no care about the quality of his life post-NFL. I can't imagine why any team would take on a player who is one blow away from being brain-dead.
  4. Barry B
    4. Posted by Barry B Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    I thought Frerotte had played passably, for a backup, when he had to last year, and I was slightly surprised that he decided to hang it up -- but nobody could blame him for wanting to take that kind of a pounding again, or even half of it, at his age.
    Trent Green has been a victim of bad timing throughout his career. Stuck on the bench behind other guys for a couple seasons, brought in as the Rams' starter in 1999 only to get hurt and watch his backup become MVP, a new start in KC but on a team with no talent at WR. Last year in Miami -- 'nuff said. This is going from bad to worse. I hope for his sake that Bulger can somehow stay healthy all season.
  5. Gary
    5. Posted by Gary Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:21 pm EDT

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    I just hope that the Dolphins got a sweet deal out of him, like the Chiefs did when we traded him. It looks like yet again the two teams in Missouri are going to battle it out for the worst record trophy.
  6. Mike
    6. Posted by Mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    The Rams offensive line struggled last year because of multiple injuries that resulted in a revolving door lineup. The starting unit was solid and talented, and the reserves eventually gelled and filled in respectably. It just doesn't happen overnight. To assume that the same freakish series of events will happen again this year is foolish. The OL will be fine, and in the event that Green has to step in, he will perform like the talented QB that he has been throughout his career.
  7. COWBOY AL
    7. Posted by COWBOY AL Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:49 pm EDT

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    Loser
  8. Tedsticles McPhatsack
    8. Posted by Tedsticles McPhatsack Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:59 pm EDT

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    #8 i think you're rallying around the blue and gold a bit too much. the rams o-line never performed well in 07 and injuries do not just miraculously vanish; hence the term "injury-prone." maybe the replacements seemed to have done well or seemed to have overperformed when you compare the team's performance after bulger got pounded in two home openers, including six rib-busting sacks by an otherwise sorry 9er pash rush, and after how the o-line's Baltimore performance made Frerotte look a cross between a pancake and a flailing garo yepremian, but none of the season's starters ever did very well. even after they moved RT starter alex barron to his "natural" position at LT, he simply reverted to his old, false-starting ways. romberg and incognito never even played enough to be judged, and both had injuries that could easily return this year, just like orlando's chronic shoulder problems. so the o-line is terrible and signing an immobile injury-prone qb simply exacerbates the problem. plus, it ensures that rams must now waste a roster spot on 3rd qb just in case of injury. this was a bad move by bad decision makers, which is too bad because it followed a good decision in picking up the TN guard Bell.
  9. bigcrow6004
    9. Posted by bigcrow6004 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    On the subject of QB for the Dolphins, I was fortunate enough to be in the position of talking to Chad Pennington the other day. He said he might be QB for the 'fins next year. Nothing (well, maybe not nothing) could make me happier. Are you listening Coach Bill?
  10. Mike
    10. Posted by Mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    Oh geez.....OK chicken little, the sky is falling so you better tuck your tail and run. This is big boy football and it's no game for the gutless. I think you better find a trendy team like New England and jump on their bandwagon.
  11. tall
    11. Posted by tall Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    trent green to st louis how stupid is that the man is already dead.
  12. tall
    12. Posted by tall Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    do anyone think trent green will make a full season, i give it two weeks and he will retire. the team is just not that good, they will be this years version of the miami dolphin.
  13. Mark K
    13. Posted by Mark K Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:07 pm EDT

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    Does the health insurance offered by the NFL to it's players cover nursing homes? Green is gonna need a policy that does............
  14. tall
    14. Posted by tall Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    he going two need that policy plus more to make it this year. it is all over trent is done.
  15. IVAN
    15. Posted by IVAN Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:25 pm EDT

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    It's funny to me when some guy who probably never played any type of sportsin his life can talk s__t about someone who plays poefessional. the rams will be ok what are the chance of there offensive line all going down again. maybe i'm saying this because i'm a rams fan so lets not say what is going to happen when nobody really knows what going to happen if they can stay healthy they pkay against any team and win.
  16. the professor
    16. Posted by the professor Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:46 pm EDT

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    as a true die hard ram fan, i am very troubled by the events that are happening here lately with this organization. when you have problems on the o-line and d-line and you can get some help in the free agency....you go and get that help!!! i mean something is not right in the archway...your best free agent signing is a kicker!!!! the people running this team need to get their heads out of you-know-where and get this ship back to the team everyone knows is and can become again..."the greatest show on turf". get rid of linehan...he is not the solution, just the problem(ask mr. holt-greatest wr in the league) and bring in someone who is not afraid to get the right personnel in here and return to the top(paging martyball)
  17. Ivan F
    17. Posted by Ivan F Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:25 pm EDT

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    Trent must have signed a contract with the Rams because he may not be wanted anywhere else.
  18. John D
    18. Posted by John D Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    ram fans everywhere................BELIEVE!
  19. whatthefrillyfuzz
    19. Posted by whatthefrillyfuzz Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:44 pm EDT

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    he'll be at best the #2 qb. he'll play, of course, with an offensive line like we have it's sort of hard for him not to play, plus with bulger seemingly missing at least three games every year, he'll probably end up starting a couple. as long as they can get in the way of the defensive line, it should be better times for rams QB.
  20. Sinny
    20. Posted by Sinny Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:06 pm EDT

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    pray for him he is gonna need it. he played well for kc we had our shots back then . Now he is gonna be taking shots in the end.
  21. Kyle in Lodi (Just another Laker year!)
    21. Posted by Kyle in Lodi (Just another Laker year!) Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    im a true rams fan, hands down...but why??? the rams staff are a bunch of retards for getting his a$$ back. we're definitely on the loss cloumn of the free agency for sure. unless we pick glenn dorsey or jake long in the draft...either of them will be fine.
  22. BIG AL
    22. Posted by BIG AL Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:51 pm EDT

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    For the love of god trent stay home ! as a huge rams fan you will get killed in preseason !!! .. trent did you talk to bulger?? he still is in traction!!! i will pray for you!!
  23. kevin
    23. Posted by kevin Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    this just in off the wire.... "st louis rams sign helen keller as head coach. although thought dead long ago, keller surfaced just as trent green signed his 3wk 40mil dollar contract with the rams last week. keller is expected to hire stevie wonder as quarterback coach and britney spears as public relations vp. more as it comes in......also, g. frontier the late owner of the rams is believe to be still dead. doctors confirmed that her heart stopped beating years ago with the leaving of rams coach, john robinson...."
  24. Landon
    24. Posted by Landon Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    This column is absolutely funny... keep it up. :OD
  25. Andy S
    25. Posted by Andy S Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

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    surprised there wasn't more consideration for him going to Minnesota. Good O-line and they could use someone like Green

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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