10 things with David Long Jr.

Each week, we interview a different Rams player to find out about their lives on the field as well as off of it. Team Reporter, Sarina Morales, asks the questions fans want to know, in a fun and conversational interview. This week, defensive back, David Long Jr., spoke to Sarina about his year two goals, hover boards and what he would be if not for football.

1: Gains

Sarina: How are you doing?

David: I'm doing well. Hanging in there amidst this pandemic. I haven't done much except work out and study, honestly. With the surplus of time I've found ways to maximize my physical gains, as well as make great strides in the mental department.

2: Coach Staley FTW

Sarina: What has been the biggest learning for you from virtual meetings?

David: Virtual meetings have been great. Coach Staley is very energetic and interactive with the entire unit, and great with creating a picture for guys to plug themselves into the defense where they fit. So even though we're not with each other physically, I believe guys have a good idea of his philosophy of the defense.

3: A name amongst numbers

Sarina: Going into year two as a Ram...what is your goal this season?

David: My goal this season is be the best player I can be and really bring everything together. Last season I had a learning curve and progressed well, but I feel I now have the experience and skill set to be the player others have envisioned me to be and more. I also have a better understanding of what to expect, having a year under my belt. Things like lifting, workouts, diets…I just know what my body needs and what I need to get going. I also have a better understanding of the game of football spending a year with Eric Weddle and a good deal of time with Aqib and Marcus in the meeting room. I had a lot of these things last year, but I had to endure a learning curve and get my feet under me. So now I feel ready to make my splash and become a name amongst numbers.

4: T-Rapp is a beast

Sarina: What do you think of your buddy Taylor Rapp and his insane 10,000 calorie workout day?

David: Lol, T-Rapp is a beast for taking on that 10,000-calorie challenge. While it was super wild, I would expect him to attack something like that, and ultimately succeed. That's a dope accomplishment and experience, but I don't think we will ever share that experience, lol.

5: SoFi will be SoFire

Sarina: SoFi stadium is almost complete! What are you excited about when it comes to the new stadium?

David: Most exciting thing about the new stadium is the atmosphere and makeup. I've played in some of the best college and professional stadiums in the country, and I always enjoy the energy at different stadiums and different cities. Hopefully we can mold our home field into one of those stadiums people talk about and how it's a tough crowd!

6: Friends in the league

Sarina: Have any games circled on the schedule this season? Any games stand out to you?

David: No games circled. I'm just ready to get after it with the opportunities given. I am excited to see some of my friends. This past draft class would have been my draft class so a lot of my friends I graduated with or played in college with are now in the league as well. So, while no games are circled, I'm excited for those moments and the start of their journey.

7: Catch him on the couch

Sarina: What is an underrated object in your home right now? Why?

David: My coach in my film room. I can get a nap in, play games, and get some film in all within arm's reach.

8: Tell Perry, David sent you!

Sarina: Favorite LA restaurant you've ordered from a lot these days?

David: Perry's Joint. Perry's Joint is actually in Pasadena, where I'm from, but it's amazing food and excellent service. If anyone is ever in the area, they should check it out. Let Perry know I sent you, lol!!! And get the Hip Bird!

9: Bring Back to the Future

Sarina: What piece of technology do you want invented in your lifetime? Why?

David: A piece of technology that I want invented in my lifetime would be those hover boards from Back to the Future. They kind of have similar things, but nothing like that exact board from the movie.

10: The architect

Sarina: If not football...what would you be doing?

David: If I didn't play football, I think I would've pursued my dream of becoming an architect/structural engineer. I spent a good deal of high school working on civil engineering and a lot of my friend's dads and grandparents were involved in that exact field.

By the way, I told y’all in my thread that I had a feeling about Hallelujah Hajrullahu!!!

Then I see him nailing a 77yd bomb??? Gonna be the battle to watch...

RamFan503 said:

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When the girl sees his junk is a crusty mess...

2020 Offseason Opponent Breakdown: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Now that the Rams' 2020 schedule is officially out, it's time to resume our offseason opponent breakdowns on theRams.com. Up next is Los Angeles' Week 11 Monday Night Football road opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

2019

After three seasons with Dirk Koetter as their head coach, Tampa Bay parted ways with him and brought former Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians out of retirement to succeed him.

The Buccaneers lost six of their first eight games last season, and although a 5-3 record across the second half of the season was enough to earn them a second-place finish in the NFC South, their early slide ultimately prevented them from qualifying from the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year.

Changes

The biggest moves came on offense, moving on from starting quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and replacing him former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady via a reported two-year deal in late March.

A little over a month later, they brought Brady's top target in New England, tight end Rob Gronkowski, out of retirement by trading a fourth-round pick in this year's draft to the Patriots. The Buccaneers also received a seventh-round pick from the Patriots in the deal.

Other offensive reinforcements included signing former Colts offensive tackle Joe Haeg to a one-year deal and drafting former Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick in this year's draft.
On special teams, they claimed former Carolina Panthers kicker Elliott Fry off waivers earlier this month to compete with incumbent Matt Gay for the starting job.

Head coach

Arians enters his second season as head coach of the Buccaneers after holding the same position for the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-17. Including playoff appearances with the Cardinals and his stint as the interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, Arians' overall coaching record is 59-35-1 in six seasons.

What to watch for

Rams offense vs. Buccaneers offense

On paper, the talent on both clubs' rosters suggest fans could be in for a reprisal of 2018's Monday Night Football showdown between the Rams and the Chiefs.

A refresher on the records set that night in November, in addition to being the highest scoring game in Monday Night Football history:

• First game in league history in which both teams scored more than 50 points (Rams won 54-51).
• Third-most combined points scored in a game.
• Second-most combined touchdowns scored (14).

When the Rams and the Bucs met last September – pre-Brady and Gronkowski – they scored a combined 95 points at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It's possible they reach or surpass that total this November.

Selassie I said:

That game has a great memory for me too!!!

Cammy and I went off by ourselves to get married in the Bahamas. I got us a fat suite at the Atlantis for 2 weeks. We got married right there at the Atlantis outside by one of their lagoons. I had a band with 3 steel drums out there playing just for us. Anyway... I'll spare all the wedding details, but just know, we were partying very large. I had it set up were all our drinks were included. We stayed lit up like Christmas trees for the whole 2 weeks.

So back to that game. Our anniversary is 11-11, so we were there at the Atlantis during that Monday night game. I don't gamble on sporting events hardly ever. But, having that badass sportsbook and casino downstairs was just too convenient to pass up that night. We were having dinner at one of the restaurants downstairs before the game started. I decided to go place a nice sized bet on the game. I never do this, so it really is out of character for me.

It was a Monday Night game... so we ended up watching the 2nd half up in our room. Actually, it was just me watching in the 4th quarter cause Cammy was asleep at that point. When the clock finally hit double zeros... I had won my bet. I'm very superstitious about saying anything during a game concerning a WIN until the game is over... I know that always pisses off the football gods and will result in a loss every time. So I was extra good about that during this damn game because I actually had cash on the line. I was extra excited to claim my victory at that point.

Like I said, Cammy was asleep... but I couldn't help myself, I started making all kinds of noise jumping around and yelling. I woke her up obviously. So I told her that I was going to go down and collect my winnings downstairs. She said she was just going to stay in the room. So I grabbed my ticket and took off out the door making way too much noise.

I got down to the sportsbook and there was a short line at the cash out area. I was standing there with a big shit eating grin and undoubtedly talking shit. I noticed that I was getting some strange looks as people walked by. I didn't give one fuck. I figured that they were Baltimore crow haters or whatever.

Finally I got up to the window and slapped down my ticket. I told the girl that I had just raced down from my room immediately after the game hit double zeros to collect my cashsheese. She looked at me with a funny smile and a pause... then she said 'I have no doubt about THAT". She gave me my money and I spun out to head back to my room.

I reached down to put my cash in my pocket. I didn't want to just be walking through there holding a wad of cash. That's when I realized that I had gone down there only wearing my underwear. Now, they were kinda like boxers, but not really. Plus, they were more than colorful. I had been through there earlier from the pool area with no shirt so I hadn't even given it a thought about going down there shirtless... but I damn sure forgot to put my shorts on before I left my room. I was in such a daze from winning that I was clearly not thinking straight. When I realized this... I couldn't stop laughing. My stomach hurt from laughing so hard by the time I made it back to the room.

We still laugh about that to this day. I only wish that I had a picture of myself standing there in that line. Somebody probably does...

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LOL That’s awesome!

LARams_1963 said:

For 2020 to be a successful season, the Rams MUST ...

Get their credibility back. You do that by making it to the playoffs.

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This is the kind of high quality analysis and critical thinking that I need from my sports journalism. How would I have known that making the playoffs counts as being successful if it wasn't for this guy? Thanks Adam. You're the real hero.

This is a cool story.

That play was pivotal to their Superbowl win... they almost used it earlier in playoffs...

Nick Foles: Eagles almost spoiled Philly Special by running it in NFC title game

The Philly Special is arguably one of the most iconic plays in NFL history, and Nick Foles recently revealed that the Philadelphia Eagles nearly spoiled the opportunity to run the spectacularly clever trick play in Super Bowl LII.

Foles of course was the star of the Philly Special, which was called on a 4th-and-goal play during the second quarter of the Eagles’ 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

The Eagles signal-caller became the first player in NFL history to both throw and catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl when wide receiver Trey Burton found him wide open for a huge TD.

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Speaking on his “Mission of Truth” podcast alongside Chris Maragos, Foles revealed that the Eagles almost ran the play in the team’s 38-7 drubbing of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field two weeks prior.

“There’s a lot of detail in the book ‘Believe It’ but this is one I don’t think is there,” Foles said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We were going to run the Philly Special vs. the Minnesota Vikings and Doug called the play.”

It turns out that Foles was reluctant to run it because of a sore rib caused by a hard hit by Vikings linebacker Anthony Bar earlier in the game. Not only that, Foles questioned the wisdom of running the play when the Eagles were already beating up on the Vikings at the time.

“We were already up, I think, 31-7, something like that,” Foles said. “I talked to Doug and I was like, ‘ah, we don’t need it. We’re up by so much, let’s not waste it.’ But in reality, another reason was I was worried about turning and running out and trying to catch the ball. I didn’t know if I would be able to lift my arm up and turn and catch it because of the rib shot earlier in the game.”

Things obviously worked out ideally for the Eagles, as having the Philly Special in the team’s back pocket paid off big time in their Super Bowl victory thanks to the gutsiness and timing of the call.

And the eventual Super Bowl LII MVP is understandably relieved that the Eagles wisely saved the Philly Special for another day, a grander stage and a more critical time.

“It almost happened and it was one of those moments honestly it probably does happen if my ribs aren’t killing me,” Foles said. “Because it would have just lit the Linc on fire. It was already insane. Obviously, the Philly Special became a legendary play. I’m glad we didn’t use it then.”

Flint said:

Seems like people think highly of him and Anchrum too, but who knows what to expect from late rounders.

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Well when the lights turn on, I believe the stage will not be to bright for Clay Johnson.
Just the fact Farve & Weedle is pretty cool. A nice trend for The Rams.

-X- said:

125 miles biking (103 in one ride), 1.25 miles swimming, 4 miles hiking, 3 miles running, a short workout, and 7,300 feet of elevation later, #10kcaloriechallenge completed

I couldn't do 1/10th of that.
In a week.

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yikes!!!! made me so tired just reading that. must go take my after noon nap now.

Rams looking to write their own story in 2020

I forget at what point I started pocketing predictions about the 2020 Rams, but I've been collecting for over a month, now.

Less than a year removed from reigning atop the NFC and being pegged as a favorite to return to the Super Bowl, it's been jarring to find the perception of the 2020 Rams closer to where Sean McVay found them when he arrived in early 2017: cast as an underdog in their own division.

We'll get to whether the Rams agree with that assessment in a moment. (Spoiler alert: They don't.)

But first, I want to underscore that with very few exceptions, the Rams are still widely respected. Various power rankings have them slotted in the top half of the league.

This is largely a reflection of how strong the West has become, and more simplistically, how the division stacked up a year ago.

To my knowledge, no credible pundit has gone so far as to pick the Rams last in 2020. Still, I suspect someone might be bold enough eventually. After all, Patrick Peterson believes his Cardinals are the "best football team (he's) been a part of on paper."

But according to the consensus, Los Angeles has been safely ensconced in third for much of the spring, impervious to the tides of the Draft and free agency.

Overlooked is the nuance of the Rams finishing a missed 44-yard field goal away from sweeping Seattle last season, giving the eventual NFC Champions everything they wanted in Week 16 in Santa Clara, and having yet to lose to Arizona under Sean McVay.

Nonetheless, it's understandable after another April without a first-round selection, plus the departures of recognizable talents like Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Dante Fowler, and Cory Littleton.

"Los Angeles took its shot at a Super Bowl, and the bill is coming due," goes the prevailing narrative.
The league's official site concurred, citing "several roster holes and not enough cap space or draft picks to fix everything in one offseason."

An ESPN.com columnist put a finer point on that matter.

Mix in one of the most challenging schedules in the NFL according to multiple outlets, and there you have it. Los Angeles may still be one of the better teams in football, but they're looking up at the 49ers and Seahawks until proven otherwise.

Unsurprisingly, the Rams aren't ready to concede that point, here in late May.

"I don't really care what the narrative is, I care about the belief I have in our players, our coaches, and how excited I am for us to attack this opportunity and to write our own story," McVay said this week.

"Our goal and expectation is to prepare to win every single game," was his reply to whether 2020 might be categorized as a rebuilding year. "We didn't do what we needed to do last year. I own that. I take full responsibility for it."

Ask Cooper Kupp about returning to the role of hunter rather than hunted, and he echoes McVay's sentiments.

"Our expectations haven't changed; our standards haven't changed. If anything, they're continuing to elevate," the fourth-year receiver said on the Rams Revealed podcast.

There may come a time this fall when a doubting or disparaging word might appear on the proverbial bulletin board. But for now – unlike this writer – Kupp and the Rams don't seem interested in collecting receipts.

"We judge ourselves within the walls we go to work in," Kupp said. "…Any narrative that can be created outside of those walls doesn't matter to us."

Deac said:

More like Florio is an idiot for trying to make something out of a non -story

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that's the whole point of his website.

.

It's just that those first 3 games are the toughest non-conference games on our schedule and rarely has a team that has started 0-3 made the playoffs. I can't remember if it has been done.

NFL tables fourth-and-15 onside kick alternative proposal

The fourth-and-15 alternative to the onside kick was not approved during Thursday's virtual meeting.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that ownership tabled the proposal for further discussion.

The proposal would have given teams an alternative to the onside kick in an effort to retain possession after a score. The rule would have provided coaches the option to attempt one untimed down to convert a fourth-and-15 from their own 25-yard-line. If the play failed, the opponent would have taken possession at the dead-ball spot.

The NFL has been looking at ways to improve the odds for a trailing team to retain possession late in games after the onside kick has been neutered in recent seasons due to rule changes that help make kickoffs safer.

Alas, owners decided it wasn't the time to make the drastic change by implementing the fourth-and-15 option. It's possible after further discussion that such a change could take place down the road.

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Pelissero added there was no official vote on the proposal, but owners did take a show of hands during the virtual meeting, and it didn't have the support to pass at this time. Any proposal needs the approval of at least 24 of 32 owners to be employed.

Pelissero also reported that owners approved a report from the league's competition committee that included a plan to test in the preseason expanded booth-to-official communication with certain objective information. This comes after Wednesday's news that the two "sky judge" proposals had been withdrawn.

While the fourth-and-15 rule was tabled, owners did make several other changes:

• A bylaw change increased the number of players who could return for injured reserve from two to three per team.
• Made permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any successful or unsuccessful point-after-try attempt.
• Expanded defenseless player protection to a kickoff or punt returner who is in possession of the ball but who has not had time to avoid or ward off the impending contact of an opponent.
• Teams are prevented from manipulating the game clock by committing multiple dead-ball fouls while the clock is running. The rule will eliminate the ability for teams to drain clock while in punt formation with more than 5 minutes remaining on the game clock, which became more prevalent this past year.

2020 Offseason Opponent Breakdown: Seattle Seahawks

Now that the Rams' 2020 schedule is officially out, it's time to resume our offseason opponent breakdowns on theRams.com. Up next is Los Angeles' Week 10 home opponent and Week 16 road opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.

2019

The Seahawks won eight of their first 10 games en route to an 11-5 finish which secured them the first NFC Wild Card spot. Seattle defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 17-9 in that round, then fell to the Green Bay Packers 28-23 in the divisional round.

Changes

In March, the Seahawks traded a fifth-round pick in this year's draft to the Washington Redskins for cornerback Quinton Dunbar. However, most of the changes thereafter occurred on the other side of the ball.

On offense, Seattle overhauled its offensive line by releasing starting center Justin Britt and tackle D.J. Fluker. The day before trading for Dunbar, it signed center/guard B.J. Finney and tackle Cedric Ogbuehi. Finney entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ogbuehi was a 2015 first-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars last year.

From a coaching staff standpoint, there were no major changes but a few differences.

Head coach

Pete Carroll enters his 11th season as head coach of the Seahawks, compiling a 110-66-1 overall record (regular season and playoffs) through his first 10 years with the franchise.

What to watch for

Another sequence of close games?

True to form, last year's Rams-Seahawks matchups played out similarly to previous years. The Rams suffered a narrow 30-29 loss in Seattle in Week 5, then responded with a 28-12 victory in Los Angeles in Week 14.

Historically, though, the results have more closely resembled Week 5's result compared to Week 14.

In the Sean McVay era, four of the six games between the teams have been decided by six or fewer points. The exceptions were Week 14 last season and a 42-7 Rams win in Seattle in December 2017.

Even with the personnel changes on both sides, 2020 still figures to have at least one tightly contested game in store.

The Athletic is a great paid site. Worth the scratch IMHO

I honestly wonder if Florio even believes his own bullshit.

Inside Florio's head, just before he hits "submit":

"Should I even publish this transparent click-bait piece of shit? Oh well, gotta pay the bills..." >click<

Yeah of course I didn't like that starting lineup either for 2019.
As I have mentioned repeatedly, Ad nauseam, I would have moved blithe over to center from the get-go I can understand why he tried Noteboom there but I would have had a camp battle between Edwards and Evans for that Right Guard spot.

It probably still would have been pretty weak because Noteboom was not ready/able for a guard position.

I see everybody on our offensive line now as being very stable or an up-and-comer other than Whitworth who might continue to slowly diminish from age.

Ramlock said:

I thought she couldn’t be any more annoying....I was wrong

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She's a walking grudge fuck if I ever saw one...

Stats Junkie said:

I had the pleasure of watching Ralph Dieter Brock play QB for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when I was young.

He re-wrote the single season passing records in the CFL in 1980 & 1981 only to have Warren Moon eclipse those numbers in 1982 & 1983.

Known as Ralph Brock when he started his CFL career, it was Coach Ray Jauch who was responsible for the name change. After practice one day (1978), Jauch asked Brock if he had a middle name - it is Dieter. Jauch told him that Dieter Brock sounds like a football players name let's go with that. Brock's mother had always referred to him as Dieter so he was quite comfortable with the name change.

I was very happy to see Dieter Brock get his NFL opportunity in 1985.

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Good Stuff there Brudda.

For the millionth time:

PAY THE MAN.

kurtfaulk said:

i don't think so man. every move the team has made this offseason indicates they want a defense that can tackle well. i don't think barron fits that bill.

.

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Should have used blue font. I feel Kiser, and Howard will both get downs there.

I hope they experience super bowl alcohol poisoning.

Zodi said:

Wait... so our second game, EVER, in our new stadium will have it decked out in Chargers bullshit?! What?!

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Meh... with the logos how it is basically the same shit.

Not a bad off season watch during this slow period.

Sorry if it has been previously posted .

I have been a somewhat spotty visitor over the past several weeks


Be well Ramily

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Umpa Lumpa doesn't need "grapefruits" to pull that off... he'd need a much thicker labia though.