Dude had the balls to print this a year before McVay is hired by Rams.​

He's got my respect.

​

He’s the NFL’s Best Head Coaching Candidate. And He’s 30​

Beloved by players and respected by coaches (even those twice his age), Sean McVay has helped build an unlikely offensive power in the nation’s capital. Washington’s play-calling prodigy is now on pace to become one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history
ANDY BENOITAUG 2, 2016

Selassie I said:

I doubt they do the "Romo guessing game" in the booth act. That ship sailed quickly... especially when everyone realized that Romo's guess rate was about the same as Ben Simmons' shooting percentage from the free throw line.

Peyton can be very funny and he certainly doesn’t take himself too seriously. His insights into the game will be far superior to Romo's. I don't know what to expect from brother Eli, but maybe being in the booth with his big Bro will create some good chemistry.

We'll have to see for ourselves. I know that I will be watching this alternative broadcast. Hopefully it kicks ass and brings MNF back to it's once level of can't miss TV. BSPN has managed to fuck up most things they get their hands on... maybe Omaha Productions can save MNF from it's death spiral.

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Romo must have got worse at guessing. The handful of times a watched him that first season he was pretty accurate.

I really like Hollins. But, Lewis should win IMO. He has all the skill in the world. But Hollins isn't going to make it easy for him.

HX76 said:

“Hawk-Eye is a leader in the sports technology field. It has been used for goal-line tech in international soccer, pit-lane officiating in NASCAR, and it's perhaps best-known for its optical tracking system that enables electronic line calling in tennis.”

I would say it’s best known for its use in Cricket. What chump wrote this?

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i dont watch cricket so idk how often its used there, but as a tennis fan, hawk-eye is slowly replacing lines officials, so its being used every point of the match to judge the ball in or out. Feel like it would be hard to have a more prominent use that in another sport. So maybe hes not a chump?

The banned for life response is weak IMO. That guy should get basic assault charges and pay a hefty fine. Crap, I have money to go to games but enjoy my big screen and recliner to crowds any day of the week. What a bogus response to a dirt bag act.

Rams ready to see where Matthew Stafford leads them​

In most ways, the Rams’ trade for Matthew Stafford is a familiar football story: Team desperate for a Super Bowl brings in famous quarterback to lead it over the hump.

That’s the plot that paid off in Super Bowl trophies for the Broncos with Peyton Manning in the last decade and the Buccaneers with Tom Brady last season.

But in one way, what the Rams are trying to do with Stafford is without precedent. Unlike Manning and Brady, Stafford arrives without a Super Bowl on his résumé. In fact, one thing Stafford is famous for is being one of the best quarterbacks to have never won so much as a playoff game.

If the 33-year-old former No. 1 overall draft pick leads the Rams to the Super Bowl in February at SoFi Stadium, he won’t do it by saying, “Follow me, boys, I know the way.”

Stafford has been answering questions about his hunger for playoff success after 12 lean years with the Lions ever since the January trade that sent Jared Goff and three draft picks to Detroit, and he’ll still be answering them as Rams quarterbacks and rookies report Sunday for training camp in Irvine.

“Not having too many playoff chances under my belt, it’s frustrating, it’s tough,” Stafford said during the offseason. “You know, you play this game for success as a team, and you want to win games and be in those big moments. I’m excited to hopefully have that opportunity.”

While Stafford has ranked among the NFL’s 10 most productive passers in seven seasons, he made only three playoff starts with the Lions, who lost in the 2011, 2014 and 2016 wild-card rounds.

With the Rams, he joins teams who have known playoff success. Among the 70 non-rookies on the 90-man training-camp roster, 39 have played in at least one postseason victory, including nine holdovers from the Rams’ 2018 trip to the Super Bowl behind Goff. Even backup quarterback John Wolford has more playoff wins to his name than Stafford, having started the wild-card win over the Seahawks in January.

It’s an odd situation for a player stepping into a leadership role.

“I think the biggest thing for me – I try to do it in all situations – is I’m just going to try to be myself. Try and be the best version of myself that I can possibly be,” Stafford said. “I’ll organically get to know everybody and all that. It can’t happen in one trip around the locker room. It takes some time to figure out what makes guys tick.

“(I) understand that there’s been a high standard of success here – really, quarterback play as well. I’ve got to come in here and do my part, and I think that’s the biggest thing that people are going to take away from a quote-unquote leadership aspect of things, is just do your job to the (best) of your ability as often as you possibly can.”

One Rams teammate who can relate is Andrew Whitworth, the two-time All-Pro left tackle who was 0-6 in the playoffs in 12 seasons with the Bengals before he signed with the Rams in 2017 and quickly became the leader of the offensive line.

“Similar to my situation, he (Stafford) played for a really long time for one team in the Midwest and in a place where he was the guy and the leader and everything else,” Whitworth said. “It’s almost invigorating and a little nerve-wracking to come somewhere else, where there’s going to be an expectation. It almost fires you up and makes you feel like a rookie again.

“I think his mentality is similar to what mine was, and I think that’s why he’ll be great. He’s a natural leader and he’s a guys’ guy. You can tell he loves where he is and he’s having fun and he’s excited about the opportunity.”

Just who the Rams’ locker-room leaders are this season remains to be seen. Goff was one of the team captains for three seasons. Also leaving in the offseason were vocal safety John Johnson and defensive lineman Michael Brockers. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald shows the way with his work ethic.

Rams coach Sean McVay describes Stafford’s locker-room presence by citing something ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, said: “When he walks into a room, you know he’s the man, but he can also be one of the guys. He’s got great confidence but a humility as well.”

Stafford impressed teammates in spring practice sessions by being more of a listener than a talker, wide receiver Robert Woods said.

“From a receiver’s standpoint, your quarterback asking, ‘What do you want on this route?’ is super big,” Woods said. “He’s coming into our offense with receivers who’ve made plays, but (he’s) really trying to make us comfortable (with him).”

The result was quickly evident, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd said.

“You can tell guys are buying in to what he’s doing already,” Floyd said after the first day of organized team activities in May.

Being 0-for-the-playoffs with a bedraggled team like the Lions doesn’t mean a quarterback can’t win a championship with a better team like the Rams. You’ve got to start, or restart, somewhere. George Blanda, Len Dawson and Drew Brees had zero playoff wins with one franchise and went on to win titles with another.

But Blanda’s title was the Oilers’ 1961 AFL championship, in pre-Super Bowl days. Dawson and Brees were only 27 when they made their big moves, Dawson going from the Browns to the Chiefs, with whom he won the 1962 AFL title (when they were the Dallas Texans) and the Super Bowl seven years later. Brees was 27 when the ex-Charger signed with the Saints in 2006, and won a Super Bowl three years later.

There are no cases of a star quarterback like Stafford, without a winning playoff start on his résumé yet as he toils in his 30s, switching teams and finding Super Bowl glory. Among those who tried and failed were Sonny Jurgensen (Washington), Fran Tarkenton (Vikings), Rich Gannon (Raiders) and Carson Palmer (Raiders and Cardinals).

That list includes two ex-Rams: Roman Gabriel, 0-2 in the playoffs with the Rams before being traded to the Eagles at 33 in 1973 and never sniffing the postseason again; and John Hadl, 0-1 with the Chargers before replacing Gabriel in L.A. and losing his only Rams playoff start.

The Rams’ one Super Bowl victory, as the St. Louis Rams in the 1999 season, was led by Kurt Warner, then 28 and in his first full NFL season.

Former Rams wide receiver Torry Holt, who caught Warner’s first touchdown pass in that Super Bowl, doesn’t think Stafford’s lack of winning playoff experience will limit his credibility as a leader.

“I’m sure they’re going to allow Matthew to do his thing. The best experience is to get the experience,” Holt said recently. “They know he hasn’t been there. But I don’t think that’s what they’re thinking about daily. They’re thinking about how they can improve to put themselves in the best position for the ultimate goal, and that’s to win it all.

“I think you’ve heard Matthew say, he’s done that part, now he wants to get in more meaningful games with an opportunity to win some championships. And I think Los Angeles gives him an opportunity to do that.”

The rest of the Rams’ players report to training camp Tuesday. The first practice is Wednesday at UC Irvine, the first preseason game Aug. 14 against the Chargers, the season opener Sept. 12 at SoFi Stadium against the Bears.

The Super Bowl is Feb. 13. If Stafford’s quest for playoff success is still a topic then, the trade will be a winner.

Juggs said:

I hate baseball. Just don't care for it. I do enjoy going to games. But the sport itself bores me. While it does have exciting moments. Overall, the experience is blah for me.

That said. My parents are huge cardinal fans. And a ton of people I know are as well.

One thing so many of them have in common is their love for Yadier Molina. I've heard many say he is the best Defensive catcher of all time.

Is there any truth to this? Does he even rank up there?

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He's the best since Pudge Rodriguez, I'd say; Pudge was an amazing defensive catcher. Johnny Bench was better offensively and defensively than both of them. Molina is the best defensive - and I'd arguably say the best overall - of his time. He's definitely deserving of the HOF.

Neil039 said:

For the past two years it’s all been about the Oline in my opinion (Nit that I am right). A good to great Oline can change a teams fortunes really fast. So I am still puzzled by the moves, draft and non moves made by the front office regarding the Oline.

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I keep hearing about the o-line being a major concern. But they were rated 3rd by PFF last year and PFF rates them 8th in pass protection going into this year. Is the line that bad? McVay seems to think Goff was a part of the problems. We'll see if that was the case.

Stafford has been sacked quite a bit in Detroit. Sometimes good QB's get sacked a lot. Russell Wilson does. But what separates them is the plays they make when they aren't getting sacked. McVay is betting Stafford will make more plays than Goff.

I think Morris was a friend hire that might blow up in his face. Sean seems to jive best with guys who are gameplanning savants and that is not Morris. Morris is a great leader though so I am hopeful.

Either way what I love about him is the high standards. All coaches give the same lip service re: playing for championships. But very few make decisions and moves that back that shit up.

He is a real rarity and we are blessed right now.

THOUGHT ONE

This stuff is cool and it will really change scouting. It already has with teams like the Rams… but even more in the future as more data becomes available (adaptation at other levels and new sensor technologies). Wild to think about.

THOUGHT TWO

I also can’t help but wonder if the Rams started getting more and more data on Goff, which validated whatever frustration was brewing... leading to divorce?

The Rams signed Goff before the 2019 season. The technology is only 4yrs old. And… year 1 it wasn’t super comprehensive, it sounds. So the Rams might have had 1yr of emerging data before the contract extension.

Or maybe data had nothing to do with it. But… they sure seem bought in as far as using it for their decision making.

THOUGHT THREE

The football marking technology will be great. I can see why that one is complicated. They’ll figure it out.

XXXIVwin said:

Tell that to Phil Valentine. Vaccine skeptic changed his mind now that he's fighting for his life.

Or the terminally ill Covid patients in Alabama begging for the vaccine, only to have the doctor tell them "I'm sorry but it's too late."

If only more people "stood for freedom" against the polio vaccine, we could enjoy the freedom of contracting polio!

Oh, and in before lock...

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99.9 % survival rate. Anectdotal evidnce is basically worthless, unless you are trying manipulate, one way or the other.

Ram65 said:

I miss the Myles and Farr show.

I rewatched this and it was a nice perspective from the group Farr has great insight while Serina adds a great likeable persona. JB has a unique perspective while Lindsey rounds things out. Lots of interesting points to get me excited about the opening of camp.

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I miss Farr always messing with Myles lol

I think they bring in a vet eventually. Stafford played with AP. A few available backs have experience in the offense that McVay runs. Then like Jourdan said there are always camp cuts that they may be waiting on. Unfortunately they won’t have first dibs on anyone.

Malibu said:

The problem with Funk besides the 2 ACLs is sample size he has a very small sample size of work. In college sample size means everything because the competition is not the NFLs. Some teams are hard and some are ridiculously easy so numbers get padded. The NFL the caliber of player is real consistent.

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Agree 1000%. For me it is a feeling, based on the bias that I have seen him play in HS and college and just always felt he was a gem somehow. You can definitely discount my optimism due to that alone. On the other hand.... He is a phukin RAM now... So obviously I am super geeked.

Hell, my sister in law knows his family... I'm definitely biased. I'm a Maryland guy.

CGI looks to open this thread….




Thread is open…



In summary….

When you listen to these guys and you hear the staffs that were on those Tampa and Washington teams you realize a simple truth. That the key to building a team starts with the GM. It doesn't matter who is on the coaching staff if there is a lack of championship talent on the roster for the coaches to build around.

Snead is perhaps the most underrated part of the Ram organization. It all starts with him. He hired McVay who built the rest of the staff. Les then made sure he drafted well not only to bring in the talent but to ensure that this flow is sustainable, i.e. with proper cap management. Hard roster cuts are an NFL reality, and Snead understands that.

Les Snead is a master at talent scouting and player evaluation. Just in the last few years, we have watched the evolution of this team from competitive, to be a legit Super Bowl contender. Even now, people downgrade this year's draft and at first glance, they aren't household names. But if one is to take the effort to deep dive into them you can see the talent and exactly where they fit in the long term. Snead is always drafting 1 or 2 years ahead.

Case in point, Robinson is a legit starting NT. But Snead is mindful of the Ram's ability to keep him financially. So enter Bobby Brown who has the talent if realized to eventually replace him. Ernest Jones is another at ILB. He doesn't need to be a starter this year as they have options with guys already on the roster. The examples go on and on rippling yearly through the roster, as Snead is always looking for that player upgrade. Rochell is another example. This kid has the potential to be another Ramsey and he's their insurance that they might not be able to hang on to Darious Williams.

Snead has had his missteps, all GMs do. But the progress has continued despite those missteps. Most of the time those missteps were made when attempting to make the team a contender while key young talent is developed. Snead can't address all the team holes in a single draft. But by the use of bridge players such as Suh and Talib he gave McVay the talent to get to a Super Bowl.

Perhaps the thing I really love about Snead is he is unafraid to make the mega-trade. His trade for Ramsey changed this defense completely. Now the blockbuster trade for Stafford has the potential to do the same for the offense. Snead has shown that talent can be found in all rounds of the draft if you are good at talent evaluation.

Yup Snead isn't afraid to trade away his first-round picks, because after teams use their 1st round picks and develop the player, he can always grab those guys later like he has with Stafford and Ramsey. Besides, the Rams will be drafting at the bottom of the first round for the foreseeable future.

That's the risk these MMA fighters take with leg kicks. Silva did it too. They try to bludgeon the other fighter's leg muscles so they can't stand up anymore then ground & pound, which works sometimes, but if you do it wrong you'll break your own leg.
Tough ending for McGregor's career but he'll be in the MMA HOF if there's such a thing.

tempests said:

That wasn't the point of his comment. He was asking why Stafford didn't win in Detroit.

And Jimmie Ward questioning someone else' s lack of playoff success is stupid when he has none himself. He has spent every January except one sitting on the couch watching the playoffs on TV with the rest of his 49er teammates.

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Regardless of the point ( and I agree with your interpretation )
I just want take this time to thank Jimmie Ward for the quote.
This is going to make for some very nice bulletin board material.

RamFan503 said:

Close enough on the dead heat one. It comes from horse racing. They only tracked wins. If a race or "heat" ended in a tie, it didn't count - therefore it was considered dead.

Saved by the bell - boxing? Is it when a boxer survives a potential knock out by the bell ending the round?

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In the old days when the plague was killing millions they used to double up family members in the same coffin. They would dig up a coffin to put someone with their family members.

Occasionally they would see scratch marks on the inside of the coffin. They realized they were burying people who weren't dead. So they cut a hole in the coffin and attached a string that went up the surface attached to a bell. If someone they thought was dead wakes up they could pull the string and alert the grave keepers that someone was alive. Hence the term, saved by the bell.

Which brings us to a bonus term. Someone would have to stay in the grave yard all night in case the bell rung. The term for that job was called the graveyard shift.

Position battle preview: Second safety spot​

A handful of offseason departures have created openings for multiple key roles on both the Rams' offense and their defense that will be closely monitored during Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union.

TheRams.com will be previewing the candidates for each ahead of camp. After breaking down those for nickel defensive back and the second EDGE spot, today we examine those vying for the other safety spot alongside Jordan Fuller.

The skinny

John Johnson III was counted on not only as an experienced voice in the Rams' secondary, but also the on-field signal caller for their defense as a whole last year. He was also valuable because of his range and instincts as a reliable tackler.

In March, Johnson parlayed that into a three-year deal with the Browns as an unrestricted free agent, leaving the Rams with a big void to fill next to Fuller.

The candidates (in alphabetical order)

Terrell Burgess
Experience: One season

Notes: As covered in the nickel cornerback overview, whether Burgess plays alongside Fuller depends on whether defensive coordinator Raheem Morris views that position as a hybrid role, and in turn decides to to take advantage of Burgess' versatility, or play him at his listed position instead.

Paris Ford
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Pitt, Ford was "hailed as the Panthers' most devastating hitter in at least two decades," according to his school bio. He tallied 45 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups while playing and starting at safety the Panthers' first seven games last year, finishing with Second Team All-ACC recognition from the Associated Press.

Jovan Grant
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Merrimack College, Grant collected 49 total tackles, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception during his final collegiate season in 2019.

JuJu Hughes
Experience: One season

Notes: Similar to Burgess, Hughes' candidacy for playing alongside Fuller depends on if the Rams view him as a better fit at nickel. Hughes was one of three undrafted free agents to make the Rams' initial 53-man roster for 2020, mainly contributing on special teams while appearing in 12 games and both of Los Angeles' playoff games.

Taylor Rapp
Experience: Three seasons

Notes: Rapp offers the most experience of the group, with starting experience from his 2019 rookie season to lean on. He logged 44 total tackles, three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in nine games last year.

Nick Scott
Experience: Two seasons

Notes: The 2019 seventh-round pick has become one of the Rams' most valuable special teams players and has missed only one regular season game over his first two seasons. Scott posted 17 tackles across 15 games last season.

Troy Warner
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of BYU, Warner notched 29 total tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions across 12 games in his final collegiate season.

Neil039 said:

I’m a bit dumber naw

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YOUSONOFA ~ Pookie

Florida_Ram said:

These two players are becoming the 2 most hyped pre-camp players and they were selected as 4th and 7th round draft picks.

WR Tutu Atwell, LB Ernest Jones, DT Bobby Brown and CB Robert Rochell were all drafted sooner but they don't have the hype Funk and Harris are getting as of 07/21/2021.

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Probably because the first two weren't what the general populous wanted.

If Anthony Davis was a character in Dances with Wolves his name would be Falls down a lot.

Position battle preview: Second EDGE spot​

A handful of offseason departures have created openings for multiple key roles on both the Rams' offense and their defense that will be closely monitored during Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union.

TheRams.com will be previewing the candidates for each ahead of camp. After examining nickel cornerbacks first, we will now take a look at the second EDGE spot.

The skinny

In 2020, it was Leonard Floyd and Samson Ebukam manning each EDGE spot on the Rams' defense. While they brought back Floyd on a four-year deal earlier this offseason, Ebukam signed a two-year with the 49ers as an unrestricted free agent, opening up the starting job opposite Floyd.

The candidates (in alphabetical order)

John Daka
Experience: One season

Notes: Daka is listed as a defensive end, but photos from organized team activities showed him working out at outside linebacker, so it's worth including him among the candidates. He was claimed by the Rams off waivers from the Jets in early May. Prior to that, the Jets had signed him to a futures deal in January. Daka originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent signee of the Ravens after producing 67 total tackles (28 for loss) 16.5 sacks, 13 QB hits four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 16 games for James Madison University in 2019.

Chris Garrett
Experience: Rookie

Notes: The Rams used their final draft pick (Round 7, No. 252 overall) to select Garrett, a product of Division II Concordia St. Paul who had a record-setting career. He finished his final season at CSP (2019) with 69 total tackles (20.5 for loss), 14 sacks, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, seven QB hits and five pass breakups.

Justin Hollins
Experience: Two seasons (one with Rams)

Notes: Part of the reason the Rams claimed Hollins off waivers from the Broncos in early September last year was because of his familiarity with then-defensive coordinator Brandon Staley's scheme – he was learning both inside linebacker and outside linebacker in Denver. However, his primary position was outside linebacker, so he could be in the mix here. Hollins appeared in all 16 regular season games and both of the Rams' playoff games last year, collecting 25 total tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble.

Justin Lawler
Experience: Three seasons

Notes: After spending the 2019 season on injured reserve following season-ending foot surgery in the preseason, Lawler spent the entire 2020 season on injured reserve with a foot injury. He did appear in all 16 games as a rookie in 2018 (six total tackles), though, and at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds gives Los Angeles additional length to bookend Floyd's frame.

Terrell Lewis
Experience: One season

Notes: Knee issues limited Lewis to just eight games as a rookie, but when on the field he primarily contributed on defense with some special teams action mixed in, chipping in five total tackles and two sacks. If he can stay healthy, his upside is massive – one NFL analyst leading into the 2020 draft compared him to "a bigger Von Miller."

Obo Okoronkwo
Experience: Two seasons (was on Physically Unable to Perform list for first nine weeks of 2018 rookie season, then declared inactive for remaining seven regular season games and three playoff games)

Notes: After missing his rookie year due to foot surgery and being in a reserve role the last two seasons, this upcoming season presents Okoronkwo with his best chance yet at getting a starting job. He appeared in 10 regular season games last year, finishing with 10 total tackles, one sack, three QB hits and one pass breakup.

Max Roberts
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Boston College, Roberts has experience playing defensive end (Boston College as a grad transfer, Maine) and linebacker (Fordham). He registered 22 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss for Boston College last season.