St. Louis Rams Could Add CB Rod Hood to the Active Roster

St. Louis Rams beat writer Jim Thomas of the post dispatch just announced over Twitter that the team may be looking to add cornerback Rod Hood to the roster.

jthom1: Rams waive s jermale hines from active roster, waive te/fb ben guidugli from practice squad. Cb rod hood could be joining active roster.


The possible signing is a reaction to the pitiful performance by CB Justin King last Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.


King was burned for three touchdowns in the first quarter alone, all three touchdowns were scored by rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith, who was making his NFL debut for Baltimore.


King is filling is for injured Rams veteran Ron Bartell, who is out for the season with an injured neck. The loss of Bartell is one of the more underrated injuries in the NFL, as his absence is effecting his team as much as any injured NFL player besides Peyton Manning.


Rod Hood could be a suitable temporary replacement for Bartell, and a permanent replacement for King.


Hood started his career with the Philadelphia Eagles between 2003 and 2006, where he played under current Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, who was the defensive backs coach (2003) and the linebacker coach (2004-2006) during Hood's time there.

CB Rod Hood breaks up a pass intended for
WR Hines Ward during Super Bowl XLIII

Hood then played with the Arizona Cardinals for two seasons (2007, 2008), where he was a starter at cornerback during the Cardinals 2008 Super Bowl run. He also recorded the best season of his career with Arizona in 2007, where racked up 57 tackles and five interceptions (both career highs).


Hood most recently played for the Tennessee Titans in 2009. He started in four out of his six games with the Titans and was able to get three interceptions within that short time period. His season with the Titans ended after he was placed on injury reserve following an ACL tear.




- Hood is obviously the most appealing addition, but the Rams also worked out cornerbacks Bryan McCann, who was just recently released by Dallas, as well as Jeremy Ware (Oakland Raiders) and Mike Holmes (Chicago Bears). These workouts were confirmed by Jim Thomas through Twitter.


-The Rams also worked out wide receivers Chris Brooks, who spent time with Indianapolis and Tampa Bay in 2010, and rookie Adam Mims, who was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp. These workouts were also confirmed by Jim Thomas through Twitter.


-To make room for the anticipated moves, the Rams waived safety Jermale Hines, who was the team's fifth-round pick last April out of Ohio State. They also released tight end Ben Guidugli from the practice squad.

UPDATE 9/27/11 8:00 PM

Rams Agree to Terms With CB Hood

Jim Thomas just reported on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Rams have officially agreed to terms with cornerback Rod Hood.  


The 29-year-old veteran should be on the practice field by tomorrow (Wednesday), but it's unclear if he'll be up to speed in time for Sunday's match-up against the Washington Redskins.

However, whether he's fully acquainted yet or not, it's likely that he's still a much better option as a starter than Justin King, who has been a liability ever since replacing the injured Ron Bartell as the starter.