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Rams have no extra draft picks

DANA POINT, CALIF. — The Rams have had more than their share of success with compensatory draft picks in recent years.

Linebacker David Vobora, wide receiver Derek Stanley, offensive guard Mark Setterstrom, fullback Madison Hedgecock, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and linebacker Brandon Chillar all came to St. Louis as compensatory picks.

But for the first time since 2002, the Rams will not have any compensatory picks in the draft. The NFL announced 32 compensatory draft picks Monday — to 16 teams — starting with New England at the end of the third round (No. 97) overall, and ending with Mr. Irrelevant to Kansas City with the last pick of the draft (seventh round, No. 256 overall).

The compensatory pick system was initiated to aid teams that lost more or better players through free agency than they gained in the previous year. The signing of offensive guard Jacob Bell by the Rams last year to a $36 million contract in free agency far outweighed any free agents lost by the team. As a result, the Rams received no extra picks this year.


CRYING WOLF

The league's talk of impending financial gloom and doom without a revised labor agreement might be easier to swallow, particularly in these lean economic times, if the owners weren't holding their annual league meetings at the ultra-posh St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort.

"This is an annual meeting of the NFL that we have to commit to many years in advance," said Commissioner Roger Goodell, insisting that the league remains sensitive to what's going on in the general economy. "I think we committed to this (hotel) at least four years ago, if not more."

BIG GAMES SET

The NFL announced its Kickoff Weekend matchups for 2009: Tennessee opens at Pittsburgh on Thursday, Sept. 10 (7:30 p.m., Central time, NBC); Chicago visits Green Bay on Sunday, Sept. 13 (7:30 p.m., NBC); and the Monday night ESPN doubleheader Sept. 14 features Buffalo at New England (6 p.m.) and San Diego at Oakland (9:15 p.m.)

The league also announced its Thanksgiving matchups: Green Bay at Detroit (11:30 a.m., Fox); Oakland at Dallas (3:15 p.m., CBS); and the New York Giants at Denver (7:20 p.m., NFL Network).

LINK >> 03/24/2009 - Rams have no extra draft picks - STLtoday.com

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