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We’ve got to remember that other teams have lots of pending UFA’s, too.

I recall reading where a typical offseason finds any given team with something like 14-16 pending FA’s.

IOW, the Rams are not alone in this FA situation. It also means that inevitably some FA’s from other teams will shake loose that would be perfect fits for the Rams, specifically for Wade’s D.

It all comes down to whether S&M can make the best decisions on the best fits. Last year was impressive and they now certainly have the cap room for a few moves.

I sure wouldn’t bet against these guys.

Preach!!

Defense & Leadership

BUCKY BROOKS, NFL.COM
"When I look at Landry's game, he reminds me a lot of Von Miller during his time at Texas A&M. Now, that is a helluva comparison for a top prospect based on how the Super Bowl 50 MVP has dominated the league as a pass rusher, but Landry's first-step quickness, balance and body control are eerily similar to Miller's movement skills, including the dip-and-rip move that the Boston College star seemingly stole from the Pro Bowl pass rusher."

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2018/02/nfl_draft_2018_harold_landry_scouting_report_might.html

Stedman Bailey

I’m pretty sure assistant NFL coaches make way more then $80k per year. They’re probably around $300k.
Wouldn't be so sure about that. Of course I'm not talking about a top level NFL assistant job like WR coach etc. More likely he'd have to start in College as a quality control guy, or some other entry level gig, and he's already had a little experience as an unpaid assistant so he's seen what kind of bread is being buttered.

DTR Draft Profile: Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State

DTR Draft Profile: Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State

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Name: Devontae Harris
School: Illinois State
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200 pounds
40 Time: 4.43 seconds
Bench Press: 22 reps
Vertical: 32.5 inches
Notable Injuries: Torn small and large intestines
Notable Accolades: 24 starts at CB, 2017 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection and No.1 ranked passes defended in MVC (13 PBU & 2 INTs) in 2017
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STRENGTHS

Harris' athleticism jumps right off the page. The 6-foot CB shows the versatility to play inside or outside man at the cornerback position. He takes an aggressive stance getting right up into the receiver's face to disrupt him off of the line of scrimmage. Harris shows the ability to stick with receivers while flashing his natural athleticism by flipping his hips with ease, back-peddling or just flat-out accelerating. Harris shows enhanced play recognition and will go the extra mile to make a play if he knows the ball is not coming his way. Illinois State often placed him on the edge as well to have him rush the QB and he showed the ability to do that as well. Overall, his play strength in which is shown by his ability to fight through blocks and make contact with the ball-carrier is NFL-worthy. His run support will not go unnoticed due to the fact he shows keen awareness and desire to pursue the ball-carrier. The flashiest part of Harris is not even his athleticism but his hard-hitting ability. He uses timing to dislodge a pass if it gets by him and into the receiver's hands. The timing and power put together allow him to jar passes loose and incomplete. Work ethic is a plus and you can judge that based on the fact Harris benched over 20 repetitions as a CB.

WEAKNESSES

While Harris is aggressive, he will need to be careful at the next level. When you watch the film you do see there are many times where something does not get called in college but you know it will at the next level. Harris can get grabby and hold on perhaps a little too long so he will need to clean that up. Perhaps his biggest knock is his lack of elite production against lesser competition. I don't worry about that too much but it is a tad bit concerning based on the level of competition. He is a little raw and will need to refine his technique but it's nothing a good bunch of coaching can't fix.

DOES HE FIT WITH THE RAMS?

He absolutely does, this is someone that can be versatile and perhaps allow the Rams to potentially fill their nickel corner position if they do not re-up Nickell Robey-Coleman. Harris' physicality and ball skills, as well as his above-average speed, will allow the Rams to do more. Of course, Wade Phillips would also get a corner that was used as a situational pass rusher as well. With the Rams uncertainty at CB, they will likely look to double up or even triple up on corners in this draft and Harris is going to be an obvious fit.

DRAFT GRADE
What they are saying: Rounds 6 - 7
What I'm saying: Round 3 -4

PLAYER COMPARISON
Sheldon Brown
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I love this comparison more than you know. First of all, I fell in love with Davontae Harris on tape, it's just evident he offers so much to the table and that is without looking at what he did at the Combine. When you see a cornerback that runs a 4.4 and benches over 20 reps, you simply take notice. This is a cornerback that you should want on any team. The reason I compared him to Sheldon Brown is for the simple reason that both guys are athletically gifted and can lay the boom. Brown and Harris play bigger than their size suggests and they both ran in the 4.4's. Everyone remembers Sheldon Brown because of his hard-hitting ability that he displayed on Reggie Bush his rookie year and Steven Jackson when he knocked his helmet completely off. Having a player like Brown is like having an enforcer in hockey, a pitcher that is not afraid to throw near a batter in baseball or a center that blocks the ball and shoves the shooter in basketball to send a message. When you see Harris over the middle, you will think twice about throwing in that direction. Brown developed that kind of mentality in many QB's and of course, he gained a reputation for it that lasted just about his whole career. Expect Harris to be that kind of player.

DID ANYONE SEE THIS CAP NUMBER????

Donald - Gurley, 5th year contract (which will be formally set this spring). Much of the OL needs to be signed or replaced. The Rams still need 3 starting linebackers. etc etc

Meaningless number at this point. Sorry

It would seem that way but they supposedly like Littleton in Ogletree's spot. They also like Longacre at OLB. That may just be what they are telling reporters but maybe it's true. Plus McVay praised Barwin at the combine so maybe they really like him. If they sign Tru and NRC they can go into the draft and free agency with no dire needs and spend less overall.

Rush OLB is now our top need

I've got him in the 3'd in my mock, but he's done a lot to help himself lately, i've seen some mocks recently with him going in the 2'nd, and that was before the Combine. 3'rd round does seem more likely to me now though.

https://www.draftsite.com/mydraftsite/jsc4820/nfl/mock-draft/2018/

Interesting mock there River, and I can get waaaay behind that one lol. Guy like Evans under Wade's scheme would be outstanding, as he can do a bit of everything.

River's Post Combine Mock ...

Isn't D.J. Moore considered to be a 1st/2nd round pick right now?
Since the Combine i'm seeing him everywhere from the 2'nd to he 4'th, so this may be a problem. If Moore is gone, i'd seriously consider QB Luke Falk in the 4'th round since Mannion will be a free agent following this season. Instead of drafting a WR here, Hemmingway would become our 6'th WR and 4'th TE as near half his college snaps were at WR.


My favorite Rams 1'st round mock ...
https://www.draftsite.com/mydraftsite/MHMRoch/nfl/mock-draft/2018/

PFF Tweet: Lowest INT Rate Under Pressure

Each year I like to go back and spend some time analyzing my biggest “hits” and “misses” from the previous season. I was much higher on Watkins than Woods, which turned out to bite me, but I’m not really faulting myself for having Watkins ranked higher when he outscored Woods by 98 fantasy points in six fewer games during their time together in Buffalo.

I was far too low on Gurley, but higher than most, citing McVay’s desire to use him more in the passing game in 2017. Goff, however, I had ranked as one of my lowest quarterbacks, and I was dead wrong. McVay whispering sweet nothings audibles into his ears pre-snap surely helped, but one reason for the jump in production was probably one I should have seen coming.

My data suggest that Goff’s offensive line play in 2016 was the worst of any quarterback that year and the worst for any quarterback in the six seasons prior. In 2017, it was well above average.

Nice article and even nicer to see an analyst going back and grading himself like that. Because he fell into the BS that all the media did, where they completely disregarded not only Jared but the team in general because of previous failures. Truth is that there is turnover every season in this league, with teams rising and falling, but the "experts" inevitably only foresee the same exact results as the previous season. It's something that drives me effin crazy with these guys, the complete and utter inability to look deeper at a roster and coaching staff makeup than last season's results and actually BE an expert on the game in their prognostications.

But anyway.

One other note is that wrt QBs there can be significant deviation in the OL stats over a season based on how well he plays. Which is one of many reasons why the position is so coveted. That said, clearly GRob's performance the previous year and the OL at large in 2016 were not related to just Jared. And further, McVay's addition brought deeper understanding for the QB, outlets for most given situations that could be made in-time wrt the blitz, that enormously impacted line play in a positive fashion above and beyond the additions of Big Whit and Sully.

Great read though and thanks for putting that up! (y)

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez Talks Quinn and Peters Trades

Good info @den-the-coach, thanks. Brings us some clarity on what the Rams' plans are (at least publically). I'm not looking forward to the Todd Gurley extension decision, myself. Worried that the smart thing will be to not pay him if he demands a huge number, and I like him as a player and personality, and would hate for him to be gone.

The upcoming Bell contract will tell us all we need to know. That said, I don't know how we keep him.

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