Steve Smith

Rams rookie WR Brian Quick, the first pick of the 2nd round, was mostly jammed at the line. He couldn't handle the Colts' aggressive press coverage. Welcome to the NFL.

From what I could see, Quick didn't seem to maintain speed going into, or coming out of, his breaks. This game is going to move a lot faster than what Quick saw at Appy State.

He'll need time to adjust. The question is, will he be able to adjust -- and if so, how soon?

There's a lot of pressure on Quick. Snead and the Rams' people hyped him up after making him a somewhat surprising pick. And when you hype a kid, fans and media immediately expect more from him. So if Quick gets off to a slow start in his rookie season, you'll see the Donnie Avery comparisons thrown at him right away.

Is it fair? No. But it is the NFL ... elsewhere: it looks like Austin Pettis, in his second season, has learned how to escape press coverage. He looked good ... if he stays healthy, Steve Smith should be able to help. Might turn out to be a smart signing. But again, it's only preseason.