Rams Finish Cuts, Three More Draft Picks Get Axed

Sep 2, 2007, 5:34 GMT

St. Louis, MO - The St. Louis Rams made their final nine necessary cuts on Saturday, releasing three 2007 Draft picks to reach the 53- player maximum.

Fifth-round draft pick and center Dustin Fry (Clemson), seventh-round selection and defensive tackle Keith Jackson (Arkansas), and seventh-round choice and wideout Derek Stanley (Wisconsin-Whitewater) were three of the players chopped, though all three could end up on the team's practice squad when it is named on Sunday. That trio joins another previously released '07 pick, tackle Ken Shackleford (Georgia), on the outside looking in.

Also waived on Saturday were linebacker Jon Alston, quarterback Brock Berlin, safety Andre Kirkland, tackle Jeremy Parquet, wide receiver Dominique Thompson, and cornerback Darius Vinnett.

Of those players, only Alston, a third-round draft choice out of Stanford in 2006, saw time on the active roster last season.

As previously reported, the Rams on Friday released tight end Mark Anelli, linebacker Jamal Brooks, wide receiver Fred Gibson, safety Andre Kirkland, cornerback Josh Lay, kicker Kevin Lovell, defensive tackle Tim Sandidge, Shackleford, wide receiver Shaine Smith, tackle Drew Strojny, and running back J.D. Washington.

Tackle Todd Steussie (foot) was placed on season-ending injured reserve Saturday, and Fakhir Brown will spend four games on the team's reserve- suspended list after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Also, as previously reported, St. Louis traded backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to Cincinnati for an undisclosed draft pick.

St. Louis opens its season on Sept 9th, at home against the Carolina Panthers.

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