Yes Russell you’ll wish you were the Wilson on the Castaway.

Rams' Sean McVay once pranked Kliff Kingsbury into thinking he'd lose Kyler Murray in NFL Draft​

The NFL is a business, but that doesn't mean players and coaches can't have fun — especially at each other's expense.

That was the case ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, when third-year Rams coach Sean McVay pranked first-year Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. The former Texas Tech coach had just been hired in January and was still learning the ropes of NFL rules — something his NFC West counterpart took advantage of.

"He had done his due diligence of saying, 'OK I know there's some tampering rules in the NFL,'" McVay said during an appearance on The Ringer's "Flying Coach" podcast. "He's been doing his thing in college, played in the league, but he's never dealt with some of these rules in the NFL.

"I'm sure Kliff and (Cardinals GM Steve Keim) already had it figured out, they're taking Kyler Murray No. 1. This guy was walking around like he was 7 foot, he was feeling so good about taking Kyler. And that was the big story. It was probably less than a month away from the draft. So he's so confident about it."

McVay pulled the prank in Los Angeles, where he, Kingsbury and former Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (whom Kingsbury coached in college) were eating dinner. The Rams coach changed one of his friend's contact info in his own phone to read, "Roger Goodell," then had them text his phone as if he were the NFL commissioner.

"So he texts me, 'Hey, you know better than this. You and Kingsbury are both in deep trouble for tampering,'" McVay said.

He showed the exchange to the Cardinals coach, saying Goodell never texted him and that meant it must be serious.

"This guy looked like he was going to throw up," McVay said. "I mean, he's always got a good tan and a nice glow. He was as white as my walls behind me. He was ready to puke. And I wanted to let it go. ... It was probably 30 seconds that probably felt like three hours to him. I said, 'I'm just kidding.' I don't think he ate the rest of the meal."

Kingsbury, who was also on the podcast, chimed in: "I didn't eat the rest of the trip."
Here's a video of McVay detailing the prank:

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Luckily for Kingsbury, he got to keep the team's No. 1 overall pick, which the Cardinals used to select Murray. But how's that for a "welcome to the NFL" moment?

Leonard Floyd in attendance is awesome! The scariest man in the NFL, Aaron Donald, crying at the end of the Greenbay loss, that really hit home to the entire team of how badly AD wants a championship. Everyone on this team is going to give everything they have and more this season. I bet we see an absolutely focused Rams team on both sides of the ball.

Soul Surfer said:

I totally agree with what you're saying here but there's potentially two problems with this theory;

One is that we hardly ever see this implemented.

Two is that they would need to have Whitworth agree to this plan and allow himself to be pulled and if he tells the coach he's just getting warmed up kicking ass.... how do you pull a legend like Whitworth?

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True but it has been done before. If AW is as special as we think then he is sure to understand the need to keep him fully fresh & powered up for the SB run, plus the great need to get Noteboom all the snaps he can get as so the Rams Org can make a good decision on the future contract to award Noteboom. It's a no-brainer to me.

Of all the teams the Cards are most dependent upon the QB's health. The Niners have Rosen a better-than-average backup. The Hawks have Geno Smith, not a quality starter but not completely a train wreck either due to their run game, OL, and offensive scheme. AZ has Colt McCoy who has started only 5 games, played the last 3 years throwing 4 TDs to 5 INTs and an average of 108 yds per game. He's not a running QB so their offense will go nowhere with him. Smith isn't much better but at least he wasn't turning the ball over in his games the last 3 years with about the same number of appearances.

One halfway serious ding to Murray and the Card's season is over in this division. That is the problem when you have a running QB who comes in with minimal experience in reading pass defenses. Both Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are running QBs who have developed their pocket presence. Mayfield was like Murray a one-read then-run QB until he began to show development as being able to get beyond that. Murray showed a bit more last year but not near enough.

It's why I see the Niners as fighting it out with the Hawks for the #2 & #3 position. The Rams and Niners have the best backup QBs in the NFCW. The Niners also have a better defense compared to the Hawks and Cards. The Niners are tough because when healthy they are good on both sides of the ball.

Rams, Niners, Hawks, Cards

I think the Cards will be lucky to finish 9-8 with the reverse more likely.

Did he transfer from Minsk U?

Rams43 said:

Isn’t it an interesting contrast between how Stafford/Lions and Rodgers/Packers have handled their respective QB’s wishes to be traded?

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one's a great guy and the other is a whiney bitch.

disclaimer - i have no idea what happened behind closed doors at green bay.

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Robinson was a good player in Det. Solid in all areas with big upside because he was still young. Last year had to be frustrating for him, missing all the time due to covid and his heart health or whatever. Wouldn't be surprised if he's better than Brockers this year. If SJD continues to develop as well as Gaines, and with the addition of B Brown we should be very solid in the middle.

Coming up shortly. Lots of love for the Rams from Rome.
If someone has a link later, please hook us up. Thanks!

OldSchool said:

Nice mock! And on those "experts" I just don't get the safety picks high. It smacks of people who don't pay attention to the roster. I can see one later like you have because if nothing else they're good on teams and can work their way up like Scott has. Robinson and Molden along with Stokes and Joseph are intriguing at that spot. Robert Rochell and Ambry Thomas in the 3rd with Thomas getting a boost for his return ability.

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Another good call.

It looks like a harmless black rat snake. I picked one up a few days ago. It tried to strike me once, then it calmed down pretty quickly. My sons was holding it for several minutes. It never struck at him at all. It was approximately 4.5 feet long. Beautiful creature. The biggest I've caught was just about 6'.

Some snakes are more inclined to strike and poop on you. Mature Garter snakes are very defensive. Water snakes will strike at first but are quick to calm down. Supposedly Racers are pretty defensive too. We've caught lots of the first two. I've never found a racer. The bites don't hurt if you happen to get nipped. In PA we only have two venomous snakes species. But its very easy to tell different snakes apart with a little bit of studying.

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Much of this won't be surprising but it's nice to get hunches validated.

- Who's with the one's on oline (no surprises there)
- What does the depth chart look like at Center (Shelton moving on up!)
- Notebroom news and Anchrum plays all the spots!

- Jalen stays with "star"
- but what happens when he's not there??
- Burgess in and out of nickel, can Long show he can play nickel?
- Most likely camp competition between Deayon and Long for outside when Jalen moves to "star"
-Burgess and Fuller at safety with Rapp prob taking over for Burgess when he slides into nickel
-Burgess might get the green dot (Jourdan speculation)
-You're gonna see a lot of Nick Scott on D (My speculation: which means there's yet another hole on ST and another reason why Rams went after a lot of ST guys late in draft)

Greg Robinson ruined the Rams. That left a massive void in the offense until Whitworth solidified it.

I went to the Rams @ Chiefs in 2014. Greg had no answer for Tamba Hali. It was deflating beyond description.

Now, this all just sucks. I thought our receiver corps was top notch.

"Julio. Julio. We need you now, or we're doomed!"

Andrew Whitworth: Rams Offensive Line Going Through 'Feeling Out' Process After Offseason Changes - Rams Newswire

Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth says the offensive line is in a 'feeling out' process after significant offseason changes.

ramsnewswire.com

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Andrew Whitworth: Rams Offensive Line Going Through ‘Feeling Out’ Process After Offseason Changes​

There was plenty of speculation regarding the future of Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth going into the offseason.

The Rams signing Whitworth to a three-year contract last April provided them with some much-needed security up front. The veteran had even been playing some of the best ball of his career until a knee injury landed him on injured reserve for the last seven games of the regular season.

Whitworth managed to defy the effects of Father Time by returning just in time for the playoffs. It seems the challenges he overcame in his comeback helped nullify any lingering doubt about sticking around.

The 39-year-old admits that this was all the proof he needed to return for the 2021 NFL season, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:

On returning for another season, Rams OL Andrew Whitworth said after having that hunger to return from his knee injury for the Rams' playoff run was when he knew he still wanted to continue playing football.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) June 1, 2021

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Whitworth will once again be tasked with serving as a stabilizing factor for an offensive line that underwent some key changes this offseason with new coach Kevin Carberry and a new center in Austin Corbett. He feels this is a crucial period for Carberry, Corbett and the rest of this group to get on the same page:

Rams OL Andrew Whitworth says this time of the offseason is a "feeling-out" process for the unit, between new OL coach Kevin Carberry and Austin Corbett at center. For Corbett, focus is on the technical work, and Whitworth said he's assisted with that transition where he can.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) June 1, 2021

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Whitworth is now poised for his most important job yet as the blindside protector for quarterback Matthew Stafford. He made it clear that he is all in on the team’s Super Bowl efforts after taking a pay cut in order to help the Rams to get under the salary cap.

The three-time All-Pro is slated to make some history this season as long as he stays healthy. Whitworth is set to make his 221st start to break a tie for the 10th most among offensive linemen in the season opener. He will also join elite company as one of the few players to play in their 40s once Week 14 rolls around.

Of course, all this pales in comparison to Whitworth’s desire to add that elusive Super Bowl ring to his Hall of Fame resume.

Merlin said:

The bigger zero turns with broad bases are great for slopes. There's a field by my house that this guy mows the edge next to the road and to be honest I don't know how he does it. You see them taking care of the sloped grass all over though, and they come with roll bars too!

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On the family farm we've been loyal to EXmark Lazer zero turns for the last twenty + years and wouldn't get anything else for bulk yard/grounds mowing. Those things are amazing... pricey($10k-15k)... but amazing. I remember the first time my dad bought one way back around 98 and suddenly mowing the farm and yards went from a 9 hour project down to 3. Was a godsend for me since one of my unofficial titles back then was "Mowing Bitch"... was kind of a self given title.

Hill is definitely not going to get them anywhere at QB. Winston is their hope. And the guy has as much talent at QB as anyone.

There is room for the Saints to get better with Winston because they've been playing with a shrunk field with Brees back there for a couple years now. But seems to me that long term Winston will let them down. He might play lights out this year and get a big contract but he'll revert to who he is.

What I do like about Winston is his aggressiveness. He's not a guy who is cowed by a top defense. Good compete he's just a dickhead.

CGI_Ram said:

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Rams LT Andrew Whitworth Looks Forward to Playing at 40​

Andrew Whitworth knows the game on this year’s schedule when he’ll turn 40 years old.

It’s a Week 14 road contest on Dec. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Whitworth turns 40 years old a day earlier on Dec. 12.

However, entering his 16th NFL season, the 39-year-old veteran doesn’t take anything for granted; Whitworth knows he must make it through the league’s grueling, marathon season first -- which includes playing a 17-game season for the first time in his NFL career.

“If we get there and we have that opportunity, it would be a really cool feat,” Whitworth said. “Honestly, just playing my 16th season is the first thing to check off, and I can’t wait to walk out Week 1, and just the journey to get to that. I take it step by step, and I’m looking forward to this season. I’m excited about it.”

Whitworth was unable to do that in 2020, missing seven games during the regular season due a PCL and MCL tear in his left knee.

However, the hunger to get back on the field and speed of which he returned for the postseason confirmed Whitworth’s desire to play another year.

“As soon as I realized in the offseason that rehab and all of those things had gone really well and we felt like we were in a great spot, I knew I wanted to play the game mentally and, in my heart, so it was a pretty easy decision,” Whitworth said.

Of course, there were some financial considerations to take care of first.

“You’re sitting there, and you’re trying to figure out how to fit yourself under the salary cap,” Whitworth said. “And at the same time, I’m joking that, ‘Hey, if I would have stayed healthy, I would be asking you guys to double my salary. But unfortunately, I didn’t, so here we are and let’s figure it out.’”

The Rams and Whitworth’s representation did just that, coming to a compromise on a contract restructure that included a salary reduction from $7 million to $4 million in guaranteed money in 2021 for Whitworth, helping the Rams get under the salary cap.

Now, Whitworth is focused on returning to the Pro Bowl level form he showed before a knee injury derailed his 2020 season.

“It’s really about that individual mentality, what can you do to get better and get ready for the season,” Whitworth said, when asked about his goals this offseason. “I can remember Anthony Munoz when I was in Cincinnati was somebody I leaned on a lot as a mentor of mine, one of the greatest to ever play the game. And he used to always tell me the offseason is the time to be selfish.

“And what he meant by that is that it’s the time to really hone in what you do, and really fine tune those skills. So that when you get together in camp and in the season, it’s really about executing football.”

Last season, Whitworth created a home workout space in his garage due to COVID. Now that he has the space at home, Whitworth hosts all the offensive linemen for workouts during the week. He’s nicknamed the place “The Dojo.”

Whitworth said the biggest hurdle to creating his home gym was convincing his wife Melissa that it doesn’t rain very much in Southern California, unlike the couple’s native Louisiana, and that they could park their cars outside.

“I would say last year we probably had seven to eight guys that trained every day in the offseason in the gym,” Whitworth said. “And this year, I think we have every single guy except for the rookies. … It’s been fun these last few weeks, just all being together, having two workout groups.

“And the gym has grown over the year and a half substantially. We’ve got all kinds of nooks and crannies and gadgets in every corner, and every cabinet I can find is stuffed with some type of equipment I use.”

This offseason, part of the transition for Whitworth and the rest of his teammates has been adapting to new quarterback Matthew Stafford’s cadence and communication in the huddle, and his overall demeanor on the field.

“One of the things that Stafford has that Jared (Goff) couldn’t have had at this moment is experience,” Whitworth said. “When you’ve played eight, nine, 10 or 11 years -- you’ve gotten into a groove where how many coverages is there really that you haven’t seen multiple times? Played against multiple defenses and have had a lot of experience playing against different coverages and running different routes into those coverages.

“It’s just that experience. One of the things you can tell with him (Stafford) with the way he carries himself and the way we do things, he understands all the little nuances of things. And there’s just no way you can have those things without the time in the game, and without the experiences.”

Whitworth also has had to adapt to a new person at center in Austin Corbett and a new offensive line coach in Kevin Carberry.

“It’s been a little bit of a transition there,” Whitworth said about Corbett. “Obviously, in an offensive line group, there’s five guys your kind of used to working with. So, Corbett slides in there as someone we’ve worked with in the past and had to communicate with.

“It’s pretty seamless, as far as that stuff goes. You’re not getting a lot of crazy stuff going on that’s really going to be difficult this time of year. It’s more technique work and kind of working on the basics. And probably for him, learning the center position and those kinds of things, so I’m just trying to help where I can and help him in that process to explain that position.”

Whitworth said Carberry is taking his time to get to know the offensive line group.

“It’s almost like a feeling out process of time together,” Whitworth said. “It’s like, here’s some things we’re going to check and see where we are with these things. And him kind of getting to know us, and what he can help us with. And vice versa, us getting to know him and what we can help him with.”

No little blue pill for me, plumbing works just fine. Following Grandpa's advice, "use it or lose it".

RamDino said:

Call me a homer, but I love these "where are they now" stories.

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You ARE a 'homer' ... and you're sentimental. I should know. I am too.

Merlin said:

Very cool show. I like the way they're bringing in guys around the league.

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McVay continues to make the Rams and those associated with the rams relevant again. After years of the sosar stink.