Rams cut ties with snapper Massey

~ The 2002 draft pick was with the team longer than any current player

ST. LOUIS -- The longest tenured St. Louis Rams player, long snapper Chris Massey, was cut Monday.

The 32-year-old Massey was a seventh-round draft pick in 2002. He lost out to rookie Jake McQuaide, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State.

"It was a good battle," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "But in fairness to Chris, if this was the way we were going, we didn't want to string it out."

McQuaide made a pre-draft visit to St. Louis and connected with special teams coach Tom McMahon. Plus, releasing Massey created cap space.

"I wasn't here to waste my time," McQuaide said. "He told me, 'If you come here, you're going to get half the reps.'"

McQuaide said Massey told him he'd been released and wished him good luck.

Massey appeared in 135 regular-season games with the Rams and had developed a close relationship with kicker Josh Brown and punter Donnie Jones.

The departure leaves running back Steven Jackson, a first-round draft pick in 2004, as the senior Rams player.

Meanwhile the Rams practiced Monday for the first time since the starters got dominated on both sides of the ball in a preseason win against the Tennessee Titans two days earlier.

The defense got beat several times on cutback runs and the offense stalled after getting an 83-yard touchdown strike on its first snap.

Spagnuolo called it a work in progress. He's counting on it looking a lot better Friday night when the Rams (2-0) play at Kansas City (0-2) in the annual Governor's Cup game.

More injuries popped up Monday, perhaps the most significant a calf injury to tight end Mike Hoomanawanui.

Wide receiver Danario Alexander had an MRI on his often-injured left knee. Defensive tackle Daniel Muir aggravated an ankle injury and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard was unable to loosen up a thigh injury.

Defensive end Chris Long returned quickly from a bone spur on his foot that has cropped up from time to time, saying he felt fine. Offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, sidelined with a sore back in the second quarter Saturday, also was back.