Just when you think the Rams have hit rock bottom and just when you think things can't get any worse for the woebegone franchise there is always something else to go wrong.  The NFL announced today that starting linebacker David Vobora has been suspended for four games, without pay, for violating the league's performance enhancing drug policy.  Vobora will become eligible to play for the Rams after the Indianapolis Colts game in late October.

The Rams are now 0-3 and without their top receiver due to a season ending injury, without their starting safety with an injury, without their number one draft pick with an injury, most likely without their starting quarterback this weekend and now without their starting linebacker and oh yes they have to go on the road to one of the toughest places for this team to play, San Francisco.  I keep saying that I don't think things can get much worse but clearly the bottom is not the bottom.  There is room to go further down.

What bothers me about this story, as much as the poor timing, is that I continue to not understand how the NFL continues to get a free pass on the use of illegal substances while baseball gets crucified for it.  Jim Thomas at the Post-Dispatch has posted a very interesting article about the Vobora situation in which he quotes Vobora's agent saying that his player did not take steroids but merely took a tainted supplement.

The agent Marc Lillibridge says that Vobora "took a (workout) supplement that was tainted.  A highly respected toxicologist has proven this to be the case.  David did everything by the book in regards to investigating this supplement before he began using this product.”  Whether or not I believe, or you should believe, the story is not important.  But what bothers me is that every case in the NFL that comes up like this is some variation of this story.  It is always something along the lines of my client took a supplement and asked the NFL if it was OK and was cleared but something came back dirty so he will be suspended.  It is not my client's fault.  If a baseball player, like Manny Ramirez for example, said it, no one would believe them.

To Vobora's agent's credit he is claiming that they are suing the supplement company who manufactures the product.  Whether or not he ever wins it remains to be seen.  It just doesn't make sense for players not to take something mainstream, that the league approves, or why the league doesn't say if you want to take a supplement this is the product you have to use.  With all of the advancements in the way athletes workout I understand the need for supplements but there is no reason that they all can't choose from two or three different brands.  The reality is that the supplement "loophole" is really just an excuse to say that my client didn't take steroids that it was just a bad supplement.  THAT IS NOT TO SAY I BELIEVE VOBORA DID OR DOES TAKE STEROIDS....but I do believe that some NFL players use it as an excuse.

So where do the Rams go from here at linebacker?  Larry Grant will most likely get first crack at the spot.  I have been a big fan of Grant's and had it not been for the injury toward the end of training camp I am not certain that Grant would not have beaten out Chris Draft for the starting spot.  Chris Chamberlain is not the most likely candidate to play strongside backer but you might see some shifting around to get Chamberlain some more opportunities as well.

The Rams season is now starting to enter that Twilight Zone stage.  Anything and everything is possible at this point.  Just when you think the Rams story can't get goofier....it does.

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