Warner is all but gone, but QB picture still fuzzy

dwilson

The Rams sent a crystal-clear message in the draft last week that their quarterback situation is anything but solved.

Mike Martz said prior to the draft that he wouldn't mind drafting a quarterback in the first round, and probably would have had J.P. Losman fallen into his lap instead of running back Steven Jackson. (By the way, the Rams made great use of their first round pick, because Jackson may be the next Deuce McAlister. And the Rams needed to add some toughness to their offense.)

Even though Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker was picked in the sixth round by the Rams, don't think that Martz wasn't tempted to trade up and draft Losman.

The selection puts an exclamation point on the report that Kurt Warner will become a June salary cap casualty. There's no doubt now that the Rams plan to release Warner.

The pick also complicates things a bit with our current hero, quarterback Marc Bulger, who is trying to negotiate a new contract with the Rams.

Overall, though, it's a good pick, if the Rams can sign Bulger to a two- or three-year deal and allow time for Smoker to develop.

Smoker may seem like a nobody, but in this crazy day of parity the great quarterbacks seem to be emerging from the strangest places (i.e., Tom Brady from Michigan and Jake Delhomme from Who-knows-where). Smoker completed 60 percent of his passes and threw for more than 3,000 yards last year in a wide-open, spread offense. In his career, he smoked Michigan State records in nearly every major offensive category, including total yards.

So, who knows, maybe the kid can play.

If he proves that he can play, then we'll start asking the tough questions.

What happens when Warner is gone and Bulger begins to stumble? Will Martz bring in the rookie? Or will he go to Chris Chandler?

Stay tuned.

Today

I just had a set of tires put on my car last week; I wish I would have waited for this: All fans 16 and over will have a chance to win one of eight sets of tires during the Cubs-Cardinals game at noon.

The quarterfinals of the SEMO Conference baseball tournament are on today's schedule, thanks to Saturday's rain. The semifinals are 6 and 8 tonight at Capaha Field.

Tuesday

Central's girls soccer team will host Jackson at 7 p.m. Kylie Werner, Jackson's sophomore goalie, has recorded a shutout in 13 of Jackson's 14 wins.

A day late, but somebody should win the SEMO Conference baseball tournament title, if the weather doesn't butt in again.

Thursday

Jackson's baseball team continues the rivalry week theme when Central visits at 4 p.m.

There's no big rivalry in this one, at least not yet. But it should be a nice night for a college baseball game: Southeast will host Evansville, one of the few under the lights, at 6 p.m.

Friday

As a prelude to the Charter 250 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, a few drivers will be on hand at St. Louis Mills Mall to sign autographs. Rusty Wallace, Billy Parker, Greg Biffle and Robby Gordon will all be there. As a bonus, a few lucky fans will have a chance to actually race against one of the drivers in a simulator. No tickets to the race, yet? No problem: If you buzz your head while you're there, Great Clips will give you two free tickets to the race. The first driver arrives at 6 p.m.

Saturday

Michael Waltrip will give a testimonial as part of the Christian Family Day prior to the running of the Charter 250. The pre-race activities will include a concert from "Caedmon's Call". The race begins at 7 p.m.

David Wilson is a sportswriter for the Southeast Missourian and a student, for one more week, at Central High School.