EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Many of you might recall the quarterback survey that we did here at ESPN.com earlier this year. In it, we surveyed current and former quarterbacks on a variety of topics, including their participation in sports beyond football.

In many corners of the country, it's become a popular theory that for an athlete to reach the pinnacle in a given sport, that athlete should specialize only in that sport. But the numbers don't necessarily support that.

ESPN NFL Nation columnist Kevin Seifert took a closer look at the idea of playing multiple sports as a way of preparing athletes to become the best they can be.

Going back to our quarterback survey, it was found that 95 percent of the 128 active and retired NFL quarterbacks played two or more sports in high school. This isn't necessarily something that directly relates to the St. Louis Rams but it's an interesting read nonetheless, especially if you're a parent with a child interested in playing multiple sports.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... The Ram-blings started the day with a look at how rule changes could turn up the market on tackle Joe Barksdale. ... I then offered three takeaways from the Rams' rookie orientation. ... Running back Todd Gurley is focused on learning the mental side of the game while he recovers from knee surgery. ... The Rams signed both of their tryout players to rookie deals.

Elsewhere:

ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell has the story of Senator Jeff Flake criticizing the National Guard for its sponsorship deal with teams.

The NFL didn't half-step its punishment for the New England Patriots or Tom Brady in the fallout of Deflategate.

At 101sports.com, hear from the various rookies in their first experience with the team.

At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas writes the story of sixth-round pick Cody Wichmann and his propensity for bringing the hammer.

At FoxSportsMidwest.com, Elisabeth Meinecke examines the Rams' approach to introducing their rookies to the mix.