Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Here's how Idaho linebacker David Vobora summed up his expectations a week before the St. Louis Rams made him "Mr. Irrelevant" as the final pick in the 2008 draft:
"Give me an opportunity to play, 34th round or seventh round, whatever, I'm going to get it done and earn my spot." -- Vobora, as quoted by the Idaho Statesman on April 22 (also see: KLEW video interview)
Vobora had to like his chances with the Rams. Coach Scott Linehan played quarterback at Idaho in the 1980s. Rams secondary coach Mike Cox played linebacker for the Vandals at about the same time. They have more invested in Vobora than coaches generally have invested in players taken so late in the draft.
Cox even ran Vobora through a predraft workout on the Idaho campus, an indication the Rams thought Vobora might be more relevant than his new moniker would suggest. Since the draft, the Rams have said they think Vobora has a good chance to make the 53-man roster.
A couple weeks before the draft, the Rams were the only team in the league with fewer than six linebackers. They signed Dedrick Harrington before the draft. They drafted Tulsa's Chris Chamberlain and Vobora in the seventh round. They reached agreement with Virginia Tech's Vincent Hall and West Virginia's Marc Magro as undrafted free agents. Those additions have left the Rams with 10 linebackers.
Teams with 4-3 defenses often keep seven heading into the season. The Rams had seven on their roster for the 2007 regular-season opener.
Promising prospects have virtually no shot at earning roster spots when the numbers are stacked against them at a position. Barring unexpected additions at linebacker, the Rams should have a spot for Vobora heading into the season. The numbers are on his side.
