The biggest problem I have is Morris' read/react style. It by definition puts the defense a step behind. Read/anticipate is the way zone secondaries should be played. Read the route and anticipate in order to jump the route at the top. That is the crucial difference between Staley and Morris. It's why I'm hoping that Pleasant will correct that.

Also, playing a Fangio style DL passes the adantage to the offense for the same reason. Read/react is always a loser as it places the defender be it front 7 or secondary a fraction of a second behind. Staley played it differently with his front 7 i.e. attack, read while you penetrate which played to the strength of AD. It also is the reason Gaines looked so good. But not being a two gap NT is why he's gone. Playing your NT in a 0T puts all the pressure on the ILB and with Morris often only playing one (Jones) it could get ugly. This is why if you are going to play a 0T NT they need to play two ILBs which is where Johnson comes in. But if the offense plays with a Y WR then the defense will be in a nickel while being forced to play their two remaining LBs shaded inside, leaving the perimeter exposed on both sides to a mobile qb. To protect the perimeters both edges must slow their play down to read the play to set a hard edge if needed. This is why most teams play a one gap front 7. It allows them to play a SAM to cover the flats (TE) and allow the Leo to simply focus upon penetration and disruption.

I do expect the defense to have their growing pains. Missed tackles, blown coverages, out of position on run plays, etc. They're young. The complex NFL offenses are gonna confuse them at times. But it will all be part of the growing process. A year of experience and these guys will be better prepared next year.

If the Rams are gonna surprise us and contend it will have to be on the offensive side. The tools are there. Akers seems primed for a breakout year. Kupp and Jefferson can make for a good WR combo. The two new guys they signed could contribute. Tutu can be a legit deep threat. Skow is McVay's swiss army knife. Higbee is a solid NFL tight end.

The offense is where the experience is. The big question there is can the line stay healthy enough? I've been saying all along if they stay healthy the offense can return to form. To me, its all on the line. They determine the success or failure. Stay healthy and play well, they will contend. Injuries bite them again and they have trouble protecting Stafford, I see a repeat of 2022.

RamsSince1969 said:

Been a fan since the Roman Gabriel days, but as a kid, my parents never took us anywhere outside Ventura County. I didn't get to my first Rams game in person until November 10, 1991 when I was 30 years old. Rams, Chiefs at the Big A. They lost 27-20.

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Man, that was a tough loss ... But ... you stuck it out. That is a fan.

IMO that will be a very significant year. It will be the first year of their new team going forward. Stafford, AD and Kupp will probably all retire after 2024. I honestly feel that this year and 2024 will be the last year these three have a shot at a second ring.

I think they will draft a QB in the first round, trading up to get him. Give him a red shirt year behind Stafford. Van Jefferson may or may not be a Ram. He's in a contract year so it remains to be seen if he is extended. I think they should because he won't command a big contract and he's a good X WR. I look for them to draft a tall fast WR next year to give him a year to groom as Kupp's successor. Until then they might extend Jefferson giving them Jefferson at X, Atwell at Y and Nacua at Z. McClendon has reportedly looked good so he might be WR4.

Turner will be expected to start at 3T once AD retires. The Rams have their edges going into the future.

They have the makings of a very good OL. I think in 2024 McAllister might be the starting center and they have Maginn to backup at OG and Center both. Avila is likely to stay at one of the OG positions and I think they hope McClendon can make the transition to OG and be the starter there. If Noteboom gets hurt again, I think its obvious that Jackson will step in and probably becomes the starter moving forward. With McClendon and Avila playing at OG that would move Bruss to RT. Bruss was outstanding in college as an OT and IMO would be an upgrade at the position. Regardless I think the OL will be a top 10 unit going into 2025.

I think Sony is a placeholder this year at RB. I don't see Akers being extended after 2024 so Evans, Williams and a rookie RB will be in the backfield with the Rams second year QB who will be in his first year as the starter.

With luck, Raheem will be elsewhere and Pleasant or Lake will be the new DC. I have no problem if they play the secondary in zone as long as it's played aggressively. More than that I want the Rams to return to a one gap 3-4 style of front. I think both Brown and Murchison can play a 1T. I think Turner will be fine at 3T. Personally, I think the Ram edges might be Young and Hampton in 2025. I think Hoecht remains on the roster but he could play both as a rotational 3T behind Turner or 5T behind Hampton.

If Witherspoon can stay healthy I see him and Durant outside and Tomlinson at SCB. If Witherspoon isn't on the team then they can play Tomlinson outside as that is where he played in college. He could be another Jason Verrett type outside CB. But I think they would draft another CB or sign a young vet.

The OL will give the new QB time to throw and the RBs holes to run through. Evans is a very underrated RB IMO. With Long and Allen at TE I don't see a problem there. This offense is built for the long term with the improved OL. The defense has the talent to be a top ten unit if Morris is no longer the DC playing his uber soft style.

People aren't talking about it but IMO the Rams are set at P and PK for years to come. They have two really good rookies this year. Their P looks to become a legit weapon. A true field changer. These two guys can win some games.

I see 2025 as the start of the new Rams team, with top 10 talent on both sides of the ball. If both the offense and defense play to their potential this is another Super Bowl contending team.

The media trying to question Sean Mcvay at the end of the season. He kept saying things were going to change. He was coming back 100%.

He said he was coming back again & then The Media turned on him. Jourdon sold out with her info,not sure if that was the right thing. The way the media went about if was sort of wrong.

Sean Mcvay though knew he had a hard choice to make.The Rams(Demoff) basically needed to know what Mcvay was going to do? There was a lot that had to be decided & The direction The Rams we’re going to go.

There no doubt The Rams(Demoff) was not concerned & needed to know.The Rams had a lot of players that were going to put The Franchise Way over the salary cap.

AD99 wasn’t going to comeback to a total rebuild.The Rams are open with there players & want The Best for each one of them in LIFE & CAREERS.

The Rams without Mcvay knowing basically put out feelers to see if there was any value(market) for Matthew Stafford.

— Caleb Williams at The Time was The NEXT ALL EVERYTHING at that moment & a LOCAL KID(usc) who could be Great for Years.

Sean Mcvay took his time 5 days to see if he still had the FIRE in his BELLY!! He also for the first time had a WIFE to look at there FUTURE together. —She is NOW pregnant.(not then)

The Rams Franchise is in tact. Sean Mcvay a long with Les Snead are building the TEAM the way Sean Mcvay wants it to be.He BELIEVES FOOTBALL is THE GREATEST TEAM GAME there is.

From Day 1 Sean Mcvay put a John Wooden like pyramid that he uses of The Rams culture.He stays TRUE to that!! His coaches all buy into his coaching philosophy.
Mentorship is HUGE!! The BIGGEST LEADER is MATTHEW STAFFORD!! He is not taking LES money.He is EARNING IT!! He believes in himself & The Ram players around him.

AD99 is going to do what AD99 does.Eric Henderson is with him coaching that DLine Up!!

Cooper Kupp is AMAZING!! He practices & cuts in the grass day1 of training camp.It’s a site to see.Robert woods has been his running mate,but Van Jefferson (Stafford) should get some good reps in.

RamsSince1969 said:

Like he needs anything else to feed his already inflated ego.

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I don't prefer Durant in the slot because he is not going to suddenly get good at tackling. He has real cover skills and should be outside the hash or travelling with the top draw vs each opponent.

If Morris sticks him in the slot he will play well there but I think it is an inefficient use of our talent.

NJRamsFan said:

I’m old and the world is changing wahh

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I quite like some changes.

I'm stoked to be able to watch all the Rams Sunday games via YouTubeTV/Sunday Ticket.
I love being able to look up stats with a simple Google search.
I'm a big fan of how the NFL Draft has become an event to bridge the gap between seasons.
I very much like being able to order Rams products on-line, rather than hoping my local Champs of Foot Locker might carry a product or two.
And, as should be apparent, I like being able to log on and discuss Rams football with fans around the world.

Those are all things that have changed since my younger days that I truly appreciate.

Madden ratings, though? Meh. Silly.

kurtfaulk said:

Possibly the greatest theme song in the history of television.


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Fred and Lamont Sanford strongly disagree.

Corbin said:

I will say as a former LB that was a fucking horrific read by number 54 LB as the LG didn't pull left and that LB went hard left and got washed out leaving Weddle 1 v1 . Surprised he didn't at least slow him up there.

Reminds me of that POS Seahorn and that 04' playoff game with Steve Smith's double overtime walk off TD.

Honestly think we would have gotten farther in that playoff ladder because we matched up very well vs those other teams.

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I love the analysis!
Yeah.. Weddle got trucked.. but giving up 30lbs to a guy coming at you full speed is tough.. and that should never happen.

I feel like Schott was a solid coach who was too uptight to win in the playoffs and that was what he passed along to his players. They always choked.

It will be interesting to see if McCutcheon can challenge Johnson for #7 with Trammel as the longshot to leapfrog both, which I don't see happening. McC didn't look great in his reg season snaps, but maybe that experience and another TC will help him digest the nuances and let the game come to him.

Sounds like something similar to what my wife was experiencing 20 years ago. She was in a lot of pain. There was bloating and bleeding. She wasn't on her cycle. They couldn't pinpoint the problem. So they did a hysterectomy. No more problems.

Starters: Avila, Young

+50% of snaps: Hodges-Tomlinson

33-49%: Turner, Hampton

less that 33, more than 20%: Nacua, Z. Evans, Square

Just now reading this.

As a USCG vet myself always hate to hear about another fellow military man passing away.

My condolences and hope he RIP. Don't know you personally, but we are here for you friend.

NFL training camp 2023: Three questions each NFC West team must answer before start of new season​

My Canes have done amazing this offseason tbf. Thinking very hard about getting a season ticket.

2024 doing The Derby & maybe triple crown? At least opening day Del Mar. Once again the ratio was impressive from a source of a source.

OldSchool said:

Geno Smith?

Geno Smith has a good body of work?

The guy that played 15 games in 6 entire season prior to last year has a good body of work?

My goodness

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Well Mcvay’s first season as a Rams HC he had this QB coach named Greg Olson who did well with Jared Goff.
We’ll see what he Shane Waldron does as Geno’s OC for 3 years in a row.IMO he played well enough to let Russell Wilson go & use those trade pieces to really expand the Hags depth.
I thought Seattle was done before that trade & there 2022 draft.Now with this 2023 draft it’s going to put the Hags in a spot to beat the NINER’s & contend for years.
The contract Geno Smith signed is a pretty sweet heart deal that will make him successful & maybe see a bigger payday in the closer future.

—Jared Goff’s body of work is by far Greater & not even close.His development as a QB continues to grow.He has an excellent chance to win the NFC Central & get a BIGTIME deal.
—I look forward to what Matthew Stafford brings.Tutu Atwell is a player I just overlooked.That DEEP connection is going to be on display on Saturday. Mark my words about that.
—A-HOLE Face is another thing? Thought Russell Wilson might be done.The NFL has talent which makes each game exciting & you never know.Ask Steve Young & Aaron Rogers about experience .Just because you don’t play doesn’t mean you STOP LEARNING.

snackdaddy said:

I didn't put this in the Make Us Laugh thread because someone died. That would be pretty tacky. I'm hearing it was a 73 year old woman who had a medical emergency. The only thing I can think of was she went unconscious and her foot pressed on the gas pedal. Or maybe a seizure that made her leg stretch out. That car was going really fast. Prayers for her family.

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My thoughts are with her family. Poor lady didn't have a chance. I think - were she alive - she'd be happy to know that nobody else got injured or worse. I'm just saying this because I live around St. Louis, so...yeah.

Loyal said:

That's why we need a Bubba and Den tag team camp report!

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Yeah @bubbaramfan to do all the work & yours truly to carry his beer.

Makes me look at where I'm at as far as age. If my life was a football game I'd say I'm in the 4th quarter. Question is, would it be early, mid or late 4th quarter?

Elmgrovegnome said:

A few fumbles by Akers and he’ll be right back to half in on the running game.

@Neil039 good point and it could be a conundrum. McVay wants a Gurley level back so that he can trust his run game. However he won’t want to pay a Gurley level runningback. I guess he was willing to roll with McCaffrey but guys like him are few and far between. So does this mean that we may never see a 100% committed to the run under McVay?

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I dunno... seems for a team that didn't have a run game in 21', he certainly kept trying to run it in the playoffs and Super Bowl.

HitStick said:

Burrow by a landslide. Dude is a winner.

Herbert is a what he is. He will put up stats but not necessarily wins…much like Desean Watson.

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Or like Tony Romo

True year removed from his Achilles? Count me in to Cams Camp. He should be getting that explosion back.

If McVay schemes a run game like he did for Gurley, Cam will arrive

Merlin said:

This demonstrates why the FAA exists. You need to have a governing body that ensures companies aren't cutting corners due to operational and financial pressures. Aviation is among the safest methods to travel in spite of the fact that it is extremely unforgiving, and this is due to the rules that are largely written in blood.

Sadly niche areas like submarine excursions can sort of sidestep the regulations. So this is an event that will lead to improved oversight with some rules that are written in blood. It is very sad but this is what we do. We learn the hard way that as valuable as greed is for an economy it must be balanced with some fear and oversight.

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"for a lack of a better term, blood is good." ~ Merlin Gecko