Best/worst-case scenarios for 15 NFL QBs facing uncertainty in 2021

Another offseason, another spring of uncertainty at quarterback.

It wasn't always this way. The QB position has typically been a place of relative calm in the NFL. But lately, we've seen a wave of changes at the game's most important position. Some franchise stalwarts have aged out of their jobs, while teams seem less precious about their incumbents and more willing to take swings at an upgrade.

Last year, the free agency of Tom Brady dominated the conversation and served as the first domino to fall in the reorganization of QBs across the NFL landscape. Deshaun Watson should be that first domino in 2021, but the Texans have made the situation around their disgruntled star quarterback so murky that we've already seen teams pass on the Watson waiting game in favor of more concrete solutions.

Carson Wentz, Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff have already joined new teams, and they won't be the last name brands to reboot their careers come September. With that in mind, let's take a look at 15 established quarterbacks and break down the different roads they could go down.

Let's start with that aforementioned towering domino ...

Deshaun Watson

Houston Texans · QB

Best-case scenario: Watson gets the fresh start he so desperately craves. The Texans move the star quarterback to a QB-needy team with enough talent to survive the significant loss in draft and personnel that will be necessary to complete the blockbuster trade. The opportunity to stay in the AFC, so as to regularly remind the Texans of their folly? That would be the cherry on top.

Worst-case scenario: The current course holds: The Texans dig in their heels and refuse to acquiesce to Watson's trade demands. It's ugly business that would likely set up one of the nastier player vs. team showdowns in recent NFL history. Could Watson stay put and refuse to play in 2021? Now there's your worst-case scenario.

Most likely scenario: The Texans grasp the reality of the situation and make a swap ahead of the draft. The deal takes Watson out of the picture but allows the Texans to start over with roster reinforcements and a full cupboard of draft assets. Houston becomes an expansion team all over again, and Watson begins anew.

Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers · QB

Best-case scenario: The 49ers do their homework, surveying the free-agent, trade and draft landscape before deciding it's in their best interest to ride with their guy. Garoppolo shows up at training camp feeling great, setting up the inevitable notebook ledes about important changes in his offseason training regimen. Kyle Shanahan makes it clear Jimmy G is his unquestioned starter, taking the air out of any looming camp drama.

Worst-case scenario: The 49ers secure a new starting quarterback from an outside source, and Garoppolo is sent packing to an organization without the personnel and coaching wealth he's grown accustomed to in San Francisco. He ends up with a team that already has a starter in place and goes -- in two years -- from Super Bowl quarterback to camp-battle participant in a strange land.

Most likely scenario: 49ers general manager John Lynch said last month he "really" believes Garoppolo will be the team's starter in 2021. It doesn't promise anything, but you don't get the sense this is the same desperate situation like we saw with the Rams and Jared Goff. If Jimmy G indeed sticks around, it sets up a do-or-die fifth season in San Francisco.

Teddy Bridgewater

Carolina Panthers · QB

Best-case scenario: The Panthers strike out in their (presumed) quest for Deshaun Watson, don't see any other veterans as a significant upgrade over Teddy, and use their top-10 pick to improve the roster around their incumbent QB.

Worst-case scenario: The Panthers decide one year of Bridgewater was enough and trade him to a team with an established starter in place. Bridgewater becomes an overqualified backup for what feels like the 14th time in the last 15 seasons.

Most likely scenario: It seems as if the Panthers are determined to have a new QB1 in 2021. Bridgewater has been a good soldier everywhere he's been, so you can imagine the Panthers would like to trade him to a team that provides some path to the starting job. The Bears? The Dolphins? The Giants?

Sam Darnold

New York Jets · QB

Best-case scenario: The Jets don't get Watson and trade out of the No. 2 overall pick to more efficiently improve a barren roster. New coach Robert Saleh throws his public support behind Darnold, who gets a much-needed reboot in New York. Surrounded by superior players and coaches, Darnold gets a final shot to realize the potential that made him the Jets' highest-drafted QB since Joe Namath.

Worst-case scenario: The Jets decide a fresh start at head coach with Saleh would be best complemented with a new beginning at QB. Gang Green lands a new face of the franchise via trade or the draft, and Darnold is shipped out of town just when it looked like he was finally being put in a position to succeed.

Most likely scenario: The Jets do bring in a new quarterback, and Darnold is moved for a Day 2 draft pick. Given the raw deal of his first three NFL seasons, Darnold hopefully heads to a healthier situation and gets the opportunity to prove his struggles were a product of his environment in Gotham.

Derek Carr

Las Vegas Raiders · QB

Best-case scenario: Jon Gruden decides he's no longer down with O.P.P. (Other People's Passers) and learns to appreciate Carr for what he is: a proficient, top-15 NFL starter. Onward and upward.

Worst-case scenario: Gruden and GM Mike Mayock watch Marcus Mariota's Week 15 performance against the Chargers on a loop and talk themselves into the former No. 2 overall pick being their guy going forward. Carr, a sensitive fellow even in the best of times, is hurt by the decision and demands to be traded. He gets that wish shortly before the draft.

Most likely scenario: Gruden begrudgingly accepts the fact that he's not losing all those December games because of his quarterback. Carr stays put, and Vegas focuses on improving its wretched defense.

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins · QB

Best-case scenario: The Dolphins exhibit some patience and understand Tua's rookie season came following major hip surgery and without a traditional offseason program or preseason. Tua enters 2021 in a better place mentally and physically, with confidence that he has the support of the organization.

Worst-case scenario: Armed with a ton of draft capital, the Dolphins cannot resist the temptation to make another huge splash at quarterback. Tagovailoa gets Rosen'd: flipped after one season to a team that doesn't offer a clear path to a starting job.

Most likely scenario: The Dolphins keep the faith and give Tagovailoa another year to prove himself. They even let Ryan Fitzpatrick walk in free agency, a move that takes a fan favorite and the league's best backup out of the picture but also allows Tua to focus on his job without looking over his shoulder.

Drew Lock

Denver Broncos · QB

Best-case scenario: The Broncos pick through Lock's deeply uneven game tape in 2020 and decide there's still an impact quarterback buried beneath all the turnovers and hero throws. He enters camp as the unquestioned starter.

Worst-case scenario: New GM George Paton puts his stamp on the organization with a new signal-caller. Tires will be kicked in the Watson hunt, but a new QB enters the picture via the draft. Lock finishes out his rookie deal in Denver as a frustrated backup.

Most likely scenario: Paton may be GM, but John Elway will continue to have his fingerprints all over this organization. And since Elway is Team Lock, it's likely the 2019 second-round pick will get one more shot to prove himself as QB1 material with a healthy (and impressive) crop of pass catchers. The Broncos should give themselves a better safety net by signing an established backup. Hello, Fitzmagic?

Cam Newton

New England Patriots · QB

Best-case scenario: Recent reports out of New England are legit, and Bill Belichick is a much bigger fan of Newton than one would have expected coming off the former MVP's uneven 2020. Cam signs another short-term deal with the Pats and gets a complete offseason to fully grasp an offense that will hopefully be bolstered through free agency and the draft.

Worst-case scenario: The Pats use the draft to find what they hope is a long-term solution behind center. Cam is remembered as a "bridge" from one era to another in New England, and he returns to the open market for the second straight year, with few chances at a possible starting job.

Most likely scenario: The Pats extend the bridge, bringing back Newton as the starter, but this time with a young heir apparent on the depth chart behind him. Cam will need to make significant year-over-year strides to keep his job beyond Halloween.

Jameis Winston

New Orleans Saints · QB

Best-case scenario: Rap Sheet reported on Super Bowl Sunday that Winston is "in the driver's seat" for the Saints' starting job. The biggest obstacle to that reality is removed when Drew Brees finally announces his retirement sometime in late August (I kid). Winston gets a legit shot at reviving his career in a perfect place to do it.

Worst-case scenario: That surprising report about Brees setting personal records in sled pushing turns out to be exactly what it looks like: The 42-year-old decides to return for a 21st season. This makes things pretty awkward in New Orleans, but Asshole Face ultimately stays loyal to his longtime QB, leaving Winston to decide whether he wants to remain an understudy in New Orleans or explore his options on the open market.

Most likely scenario: Um, Brees probably retires? Deshaun Watson doesn't come to New Orleans, and Winston gets his shot, even if it turns into something of a tandem deal with Taysom Hill.

ONE LINERS

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys · QB

We can spin off into fantasy about the Cowboys pivoting to Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson or Joe Montana … but let's keep our feet on the ground here and work under the assumption that Prescott and Dallas get a long-term deal done this summer.

Ben Roethlisberger

Pittsburgh Steelers · QB

Big Ben and the Steelers will work out the business side of things, and he'll have one more shot at getting back to the Super Bowl. It's likely the Steelers will have a more capable veteran behind him on the depth chart, though.

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · QB

This is likely Jones' last shot to prove he's The Man in New York. If he stumbles through another mediocre season, both the 2019 first-rounder and GM Dave Gettleman will be out of the picture come 2022.

Nick Foles

Chicago Bears · QB

I know everybody's been pitching this basically since the day he left, but now can we bring Foles back to the Eagles? With Carson Wentz out of the picture, Foles would be a nice backup option behind Jalen Hurts.

Russell Wilson

Seattle Seahawks · QB

The marriage between the Seahawks and Mr. Unlimmmmmmited should continue for at least one more season. Could it be Super Bowl-or-bust for the Wilson era in Seattle?

What a crazy game this was.

Week 1

1999

Patriots at Jets

This 7 min video does a good job telling the story... The 1999 Jets were a team of hope, but lost starting QB Vinnie Testaverde to achilles injury in this game, week 1.

In steps Tom Tupa, the punter, as the backup QB in the 1st quarter.

The video explains why Parcels chose to go with the Punter over backup Rick Mirer. In short, he would have had to play without a punter had he used Mirer.

Tupa throws 2 TD’s in a crazy game... a season the Jets fall 1 win short of the playoffs.

Parcels retires after this season at 58, and Bellichick ends up in New England.

What if the Jets made the playoffs? Does Parcels retire? Does Bellichick leave?

That story begins with this game.

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NFL Economics 101: How are Rams building a 2021 NFL Budget?

The LA Rams front office is gearing up. In a very short period of time, the NFL Free Agency market will open for business for the 2021 NFL season. When that happens, the NFL has its version of ‘Black Friday’. You see, on that day, 32 NFL teams unleash their checkbooks upon the NFL’s best and most promising players, making them instant millionaires.

This annual ritual brings the mighty teams to brief moments of humility, and the bottom feeders of the NFL to the sunlight of hope and optimism for a brief moment. Each new signing is touted with such descriptions as ‘incredible fit’ or ‘dominating performance’. Teams that have grown accustomed to the annual expectation of a Super Bowl future find the annual hype is rolled out once more, like a red carpet to the rich and famous of the NFL.

But you probably haven’t thought much about the process of building a great NFL-winning roster, have you? And yet, each year, we find ourselves subject to the magic of team spending. Of course, there is a story about it behind the scenes. But many of us are content to watch the magic unfold, never wishing to crawl behind the math of the magic.

What truly is behind the magic of making some players rich and others getting cut in the same year? Is it true that the cause of a player ‘not a fit’ serves as the universal solvent used to justify all roster decisions? There seems to be a science or at least some pattern of the mathematics behind the chaos of decision-making in the NFL. After all, how do teams know who to cut if they cannot be certain who they will use to replace the vacated roster spot?

Positional Spending

Well thankfully, it’s not all blind monkeys throwing darts at a dartboard. NFL teams employ a strategy called Positional Spending. That may seem like pretty fancy terminology, but it’s the term used to name the process of allocating the available annual salary-cap across distinct and separate positions on the team roster.

So how does that work?

Well, NFL teams build roster two ways. One way that everyone understands is the raw number count. So of the 53 man roster, how many players will the team dedicate to the quarterback position? Some teams elect to go with two quarterbacks, while others elect to go with three quarterbacks. That’s how teams build rosters with numerical allocation.

But that does nothing for the salary cap allocation. So NFL teams use a separate technique that they call ‘positional spending’. How does that work? Well, the coaching staff and the front office collaborate in the offseason to create a positional spending priority. Then that becomes the template for the front office to know how much the team is willing to spend on each positional group.

If done correctly, the template for how much to spend is self-correcting. How so? If a team agrees to spend 10 percent of the annual salary cap allotment on the quarterback position, the team creates an auto-adjusting dollar budget as soon as the NFL announces the annual salary cap. So if the cap rises from 200 to 220 million, a 10 percent allocation raises the quarterback position raises from 20 to 22 million.

And this year, the NFL salary cap appears to be dropping from the 2020 salary cap of $198.2 million to an amount no less than $180 million. So using the same 10 percent for the quarterback position, the team would need to get from $19.8 million to $18 million.

So that is the basic principle. And it’s this fundamental basic principle that gives NFL teams enough information to trim roster salary expenses before the NFL Free Agency market arrives, and where the trim needs to occur.

Positional Spending – Intermediate

So that’s a great basic understanding. Now, the real world creates a few wrinkles that each team must address separately. Like what? Well, dead cap money for starters. Special teams players for another. Versatile players who fit in more than one positional-category for another. Nothing is clean and clearly distinguished in the real world. So let’s attack these problems one by one.

Dead cap money creates a problem because it is money can is committed without the benefit of a player’s performance to benefit the team. To resolve the matter, the team can apply the dead cap as a reduction to the overall salary cap (all positions are penalized) or directed to a specific position (Gurley dead cap money added to the running back total).

Special teams are not typically broken out with their own category (see Over The Cap.com Positional Spending). To avoid confusion, some teams will factor the placekicker as a member of the offense, and factor the punter into the defense. Any method is correct, as long as the team applies the same method to each year.

Finally, players who can contribute in two distinct areas (such as a hybrid linebacker/safety combination) can be considered in either category or split evenly between two or more positions on the field. Of course, if the cause for using the safety on the field is due to sub-defensive packages, then the team would probably just plan to spend more on the more heavily used positions. As of today, the LA Rams have 64 players under contract for the 2021 NFL season. The team has $96,024,279 committed to the offense and $90,219,094 committed to the defense.

Right now, the LA Rams are at a salary cap deficit of between ($35 million) and ($39 million), In comparison to other NFL teams, the Rams spend less on the offensive line and running back, and spend more on tight ends and wide receivers than other teams. The Rams spend less on edge rushers, linebackers, and safeties, spend more on cornerbacks and are the NFL’s top spending team on interior defensive linemen.

Now you have a good basis to form your opinions and expectations for the LA Rams to be active in free agency and the NFL Draft. What can the LA Rams truly afford to spend, and where? Good luck and happy shopping!

Done

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Yeah, the Rams have somewhat buried themselves with the Cooks, Gurley, Goff contracts cap wise. But another year or two and that’s behind us with lessons learned, hopefully.

Meanwhile, Snead has us right in the thick of SB conversations, anyway.

Plug a couple of holes on O and 2-3 more on D and we’re in business. Very doable.

I see the Rams as a perennial deep playoff team for several years to come with this FO and coaching team in place.

I also see Snead possibly continuing with his policy of trading away 1sts for elite type players at premium positions. I think he could do this successfully indefinitely.

No way they get rid of Big Whit. I could see them giving him a wink, wink deal to cut his CAP number and end up paying him his money after he retires.

Connor is a tapping machine ~ Habb

JackAttack85 said:

Although I agree with most/all of this post, I still have to add this image:
View attachment 44110

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Hahahahahaha! Pretty much...

Nice job man.

Mack represents a massive upgrade at the pivot which would be felt immediately on this line. That alone is probably a couple wins difference tbh, where we are less likely to wilt up front vs the physical fronts. And on top of his play that dude's leadership yeah. Would be a massive signing if they can get that done.

Roche is also a fantastic fit. My two favorite OLBs in this draft for where we are picking are Roche and Weaver. Roche upgrades us over what we have but he has a shot to play the blindside which makes him an outstanding addition there. Weaver is talked about as a 4-3 guy and is slated later on most boards but to my eye he's smooth enough standing and with that motor I expect he will be an impact defender strong side for some lucky team. He's a stud IMO.

Werner is also a massive upgrade. Just massive. I'd be very happy with his addition. In fact I think we are at the point where the team knows it needs better off ball linebacking to help the edge let alone be stout in a playoff game.

Bushman is a really nice late round pick too. I've been crunching the TEs and I like his game as well for translating to what we need.

Only move I don't like is Ingram. But if that's our offseason I'm feeling pretty fucking good. Sign me up.

El Chapo Jr said:

Has be been convicted or charged with anything? I thought they were just probing him? That last question sounds so wrong hahahaha

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Oh the memories, look at that ticker

Merlin said:

I flip-flop a bit with Floyd where I bounce from thinking he's gone to thinking maybe they get something done. One thing's for sure... If they don't then they're up shit creek at OLB meaning they'll need to go get another FA because they're not gonna enter the draft with holes on both edges. And a prove-it type is not something you can assume you'll hit on. Rams have for two years running but there's no guarantee they'll hit again.

What is going for us is that Floyd is a strong side guy and he's one of the best there but strong side guys don't get paid crazy money generally. Plus this FA market still looks like it's going to be strong. Plus there's a lot of teams in cap trouble who normally might mortgage things to add a piece like him.

I'm kind of expecting us to ink him then also draft OLB at our round 2 pick where there's probably gonna be some really nice options. Do that and you might have something with that front.

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He may only get half the snaps, but besides potentially losing Floyd & Ebukam, we're also likely losing our DE edge in Fox.
Retaining Floyd is a must imo, otherwise this won't be the same defense.
With a long-term deal, the Rams can effectively slash Floyds 2021 CAP hit, next year when all the new TV revenue kicks in, paying future debt will be much easier. jmo.

“Is it a level up?” Michael Brockers said. “In my heart, deeply, just understanding what [Stafford] brings, it’s a level up [over Goff]. It’s a level up.”

The NFL is in the midst of another defensive evolution

The NFL is in the midst of another defensive evolution, and it’s going to follow the tried-and-tested way football usually changes: it's going to move very slowly and then all of a sudden everyone will be doing the same thing.

We saw precisely that in the early 2010s when the explosion of Pete Carroll’s single-high defense took over the league. If you win games, especially on defense, people will want to copy you. And not only did Seattle's defense win games, but it also helped neutralize the NFL's offenses. It allowed them to bully outside receivers and control the game.

The Carroll tree was subsequently stripped and exported throughout the league, and we ended up with a whole NFL that wanted to play single-high-safety defenses.

But these defensive answers can never last. Offenses eventually figure them out, and the defense must get out of its way and find new answers. Of course, getting out of your own way is probably the most challenging part; coaches probably always feel like they can fix problems with better execution when the problems often need to be solved at the structural level.

At a time with all the single-high defenses that spun a safety down in the box, running lanes became clogged. At the same time, the NFL started to feel the trickle-up effect of better quarterback play across all levels of the game. Quarterbacks were training better and getting more reps as youngsters, which led to them coming into the league with so much more passing experience than any generation before. The NFL became a passing league.

A single-high safety coverage is always going to give a team answers against the run — they have the advantage of an extra player in the box. You can still select more than capable pass defenses — such as Cover 1, Cover 3 spot-drop or Cover 3 match — but those coverages often need special players on the outside, which is precisely what Pete Carroll happened to have.

Without the kind of All-Pro defenders the Seattle Seahawks used to deploy, two-high coverages — especially quarters-type coverages — are probably best when it comes to defending the pass in today's NFL.

As noted, fixing your problems with an entirely new structure is hard work — it takes thinking outside the box. And yet, 2020 was the first year we saw real change, and 2021 could be the year that everyone decides they’ve had enough of the single-high world.

PFF has charted the defensive looks on every play of every game since 2014, and the 2020 season was the first time defenses lined up in a pre-snap middle-of-the-field-closed look on less than 50% of first- and second-down snaps.



Pictured: A defensive alignment that PFF charts as “middle of the field closed.”

As opposed to a pre-snap open look:



Pictured: A defensive alignment that PFF charts as “middle of the field open.”

In all, 48.6% of all early-down snaps were played with that middle-of-the-field closed look, down from 53.9% in 2018 and 57.6% in 2019. And the important thing to know about these numbers is who is pulling the average down under 50%.

The Los Angeles Rams led the NFL in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play this regular season and played the fewest early-down pre-snap closed looks — only 11% of their early-down snaps were in a pre-snap closed look. For reference, the 2015 Seahawks did this 75% of the time.

Of course, some teams played a low percentage of snaps in this look before the 2020 Rams came along, but the schemes that spread throughout the league are the ones that dominate statistically. That’s what the Rams did in 2020 with new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who landed a head-coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers after just one year of coordinator experience.

Staley previously coached under Vic Fangio in Denver and Chicago. And for what it’s worth, Fangio’s 2020 Broncos recorded the second-lowest pre-snap middle-of-the-field-closed rate in the league. Back in Chicago, the Bears hired Sean Desai as defensive coordinator this offseason, and Desai has worked with both Fangio and Staley.

The scheme spreads via coaching personnel and tape. Entrenched defensive coordinators will also look at what Staley and Fangio have done over the last few years and pick up on some strategies.

The purely single-high teams were at risk of getting run out of the building as offenses found better ways to manipulate their defense. Last offseason, I wrote about how deep crossing routes manipulated these one-high structures and concluded with the following:

“With more teams going to the Shanahan-style wide-zone offense, we could see the popularity of these routes skyrocket in the coming years until the inevitable shift to a quarters (two-high) landscape will cause another change in the offense-versus-defense dynamic.“

If the shift does end up being to quarters, we will see offenses respond with different routes. In 2020, we saw teams target different routes based on whether the defense ended up in a post-snap closed or open coverage. We saw the percentage of targeted deep crossing routes double when going from two-high to single-high — offenses targeted these routes around 3% of the time against two-high and 6% of the time against single-high. Over-routes are the 14th-most targeted route against two-high and the sixth-most targeted route against one-high.

Offenses will still want to attack the space outside the seam in the 18-22 yard range, but we could see those targeted routes start from the same side of the field rather than coming across the formation. Concepts that involve a deep vertical route from an outside receiver and an intermediate out-route from the slot are common versus quarters coverages because the combination puts the safety and cornerback to that side in a bind about who is going to pick up which route.

Quarters could be an answer. After all, we saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminate the potent Kansas City Chiefs offense by playing quarters variants in Super Bowl 55. Last season, we also saw the highest number of quarters-coverage snaps against passing plays since we began charting in 2014. So, it’s an excellent place to start.

The other answer is staying in a two-high look long enough and then spinning a safety down after the snap as a robber but still playing either Cover 1 or Cover 3. These types of coverages give the defense layers.

If a defense plays Cover 1 and rushes only four players, there will be a free “rat” player looking to eliminate difficult routes. If the team is already aligned in a pre-snap closed look, that player will almost certainly be a second-level linebacker. This role has no problems picking up and “robbing” underneath routes, but there is no answer against deeper routes:



The Mike linebacker, No. 44, is just standing there while Tyreek Hill runs by him.

NFL defenses showed two-high and then spun down to single-high at the second-highest rate we have ever charted on early downs last season, at just under 13% of the time — two percentage points higher than in 2019.



Here, we can see how the safety dropping down to become a robber player spooks Jimmy Garoppolo on the crossing route, which forces him to throw late and blind for an interception. Layers.

In the copycat league that is the NFL, we can easily see an explosion of these styles of defense because of the success of the Fangios and Staleys of the world. This could be the first year of many in succession that the league falls under 50% of early-down pre-snap closed-look defenses. It’s going to force offenses to adapt, and the cycle will continue.

Chris Chandler.Remember listening to him playing Joe Montana & Marcus Allen driving to my moms.I believe The Rams defense helped win the game,but still he was a decent QB.

fearsomefour said:

I hate Reba.
In fairness, I don’t think she’s a big fan of mine either.

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YOUSONOFA ~ Reba

VegasRam said:

Fine. Just don't let it happen again.

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So any news on DWill?

ArkyRamsFan said:

River,
Not sure we'll be able to get a 3rd for Brockers but I like the direction of your mock
Would be pretty happy if something similar to this happens in April.
Keep 'em coming!!

~ArkyRamsFan~

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As we draw closer to the opening day for free agency, i'm finding your statement may be somewhat prophetic. The Rams need to get under the CAP soon, and the two vets (Brockers, Havenstein) who might otherwise project in trades may no longer be capable of garnering much or anything when considering just how many teams lack CAP space to make meaningful offers. Those fewer teams than normal with lots of available CAP space can just sit back and wait it out while other teams are forced to cut valuable players. Seems a bit of an injustice to be affected this way by what is hopefully a one year only plague, but I guess some teams will have to pay the price, and we may be one of them should we find it necessary to outright cut these guys. jmo.

Force16X said:

Slapshot
Spinal Tap

2 of the best movies at making me happy...............

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Think of synonyms for happy: glad, jubilant, GAY, thrilled... One of those...

Rams tender contracts to LB Travin Howard, OL Coleman Shelton - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
Rams tender contracts to LB Travin Howard, OL Coleman Shelton

The annual frenzy surrounding unrestricted NFL free agents will begin in less than two weeks.

In the meantime, the Rams made moves to ensure the return of inside linebacker Travin Howard and offensive lineman Coleman Shelton, tendering one-year contracts to the exclusive rights free agents, the team announced Thursday.

Players with fewer than three accrued NFL seasons on expiring contracts are regarded as exclusive rights free agents. Players cannot negotiate with other teams if their original team offers a one-year contract at the league minimum for their credited seasons.

Howard, a 2018 seventh-round draft pick, was regarded as a potential starter last season before he suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp. Shelton signed with the Rams in 2019. He played in 15 games last season.

Free agency officially begins March 17, but it will be preceded by a so-called “legal tampering” period that begins March 15.


Rams News: Rams tender exclusive rights free agents Howard, Shelton - Turf Show Times

OK. I'm going to lock this thread and hope it goes away. If someone wants to start another Kyler Murray thread that hopefully is about Kyler Murray's play and how he figures into the NFCW battles coming up, have at it.

Cheers.

CGI_Ram said:

As you can see in the video below, Stafford was sharp on the drive, completing every pass he threw (except for a spike). His most impressive throw was a deep shot into tight coverage over the leaping linebacker and into the waiting arms of Kenny Golladay for a huge gain.

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I mean just look at this drive to win the game. The 2nd and 10 throw where he's flushed from the pocket, steps up to avoid pressure, escapes to his right and throws a 15yard dart. Next throw is even better. 2nd and 10, flushed out of the pocket, this time to his left, while still moving to his left makes a sidearm 27yard laser throw in a very tight window to Amendola for a 1st down. Next throw is even better. 2nd and 10, with traffic around his feet throws a flat footed 42 yard bomb into the soft spot in a deep zone barely over the LB for a 1st down. Then wins the game on a play where he gets to his 3rd read in the progression. Watch his eyes. Starts left, then comes right, pump fakes right and makes the DL jump, extends the play with his feet running left, comes back Hockenson on the left which was at least his 3rd read. Just expert level quarterbacking. The more and more I watch of this dude gets me more excited by the day to see him paired with McVay.

Saw the last couple of minutes, should not have needed to press after having a big lead. That won't happen with the Rams. Like the way he ran the two minute and as already stated, he had the winning TD if the RB doesn't take his eye off the ball when he is wide open going into the end zone.

Just one good example of him not being able to drag that team to a win. He will look great in horns!