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Changes looming in New England?
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 35 Replies
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...rady-leading-a-revolt-against-bill-belichick/
Is Tom Brady leading a revolt against Bill Belichick?
Posted by Mike Florio on April 16, 2018
Getty Images
On the 18th anniversary of Bill Belichick’s decision to make Tom Brady a Patriot, is Brady actively trying to unmake the Patriots?
The notion that #Tommy is fomenting Foxborough friction would have been inconceivable a year ago. Now, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston (read article posted below) connects the dots in a way that suggests Brady resides at the center of the storm that keeps gathering around Belichick and his grumpy old man ways.
Curran identifies scattered Patriots who revolted in the past, from Adalius Thomas to Randy Moss to Wes Welker to Logan Mankins. This time, it’s very different.
Curran’s column lacks hard evidence that would support the proclamation that Brady is leading a “pushback,” or that he has launched an “open revolt.”
The column contains plenty of quotes from now-former Patriots that suggest a sea change regarding the willingness of players to continuously be mentally and emotionally beaten down by a “zero fun, sir” head coach whose quest to win each and every Super Bowl may not be shared by guys who eventually have a couple of rings (or more) and who decide that life is too short to let it be run by a single-minded, all-consuming, soul-expunging obsession.
Really, how many times can a guy give everything he has to keep scaling a mountain he already has scaled, especially when there’s no clear evidence that all work and no play is the secret to making it to the summit? The Eagles, a far more fun-loving and loose group than the Patriots, won the Super Bowl this year by beating the Patriots, thanks in part to Belichick choosing to send a message to the locker room in a way that kept one of his best defensive players on the bench for four hours.
It’s one thing to process a pair of losses to the Giants that felt like divinely-intervened flukes. It’s quite another to lose the Super Bowl to a team with a head coach who doesn’t expect his players to be robots, thanks in large part to a specific effort by Belichick to remind his robots that they should remain robotic by removing the battery from Malcolm Butler.
http://www.nbcsports.com/boston/pat...cts-bigger-issues-facing-new-england-patriots
Complexity of Gronk situation reflects bigger issues facing Patriots
By Tom E. Curran
At some point, Rob Gronkowski has to articulate what the endgame is.
Because what we’ve got now is a wildcat strike being carried out by a guy who is wavering about continuing to play because he’s A) concerned about his long-term health, B) unfairly compensated or C) weary of the stifling atmosphere under Bill Belichick.
The streetlights have come on, Gronk’s dinner’s already been scraped into the garbage, all the other kids are upstairs doing their homework and Gronk still hasn’t come home. It’s getting dark.
We’ve all been reduced out here to reading smoke signals on social media.
The latest was a retweet of a Deion Sanders mini-rant:
Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/DeionSanders/status/984859969865551872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fpatriots%2Fcomplexity-rob-gronkowski-situation-reflects-bigger-issues-facing-new-england-patriots
OK, so it’s about money. But is it also about atmosphere and culture? Is it about being “FREE” and “HAPPY” as Gronk implored Danny Amendola to be when the wide receiver lit out for Miami?
Well, yes it is.
Part of Gronk’s off-field brand is built on the premise he’s an oversized pubescent dope who blunders into soft-core trouble because he just can’t help himself. And Bill Belichick has been the perfect foil for that persona, playing Sergeant Carter to Gronk’s Gomer Pyle while Tom Brady’s the big brother/protector who’d love to act out like Gronk but just doesn’t have it in him.
But the joke, apparently, isn’t as funny as it used to be. Or maybe it never really was. Whatever the case, there’s no mistaking that, over the past year, we’ve seen the most vocal and obvious uprising against Belichick’s “Do Your Job” “No Days Off” iron-fist rule.
It was one thing when it was Adalius Thomas sending verbal harpoons at Belichick a decade ago, or Randy Moss using his postgame press conference to whine about his contract in 2010, or Wes Welker making foot jokes, or Logan Mankins calling out the owner.
The pushback now is being led by Brady. And it’s not about one thing, it’s about everything. It’s about the culture. A culture we’ve all celebrated for nearly two decades as being the reason the Patriots from 2001 through 2019 will be the standard by which all American sports dynasties are measured.
But when the player whose buy-in is most important -- Brady -- begins an open revolt, then what? What changed? Who changed? How many teammates agree with him? What next?
In Tom vs. Time, Gisele Bundchen stated that her husband just wants to go to work and have “fun” and be “appreciated.” The inference is obvious. He isn’t feeling either of those. And the fact he took the initiative to get that out there (though it would be most effective if he articulated it clearly himself) emboldened others.
Gronk is the one most obviously emboldened and his situation is ongoing.
But Dion Lewis, Danny Amendola and Nate Solder -- all free agents who departed this offseason -- laced their praise of the Patriots program with laments about how hard it was to play here.
Solder:
Before I tell you what happened next, I need to let you know a little about what it’s really like playing for the Patriots.
It can be a tough environment. It’s very businesslike, and at times it can be cold. Everything in New England is predicated on performance. It’s a place where people sometimes treat you differently based on how you practiced that day or how you answered a question in a meeting.
One day, you could walk around the facility feeling like a Pro Bowler — the next, like you’re about to get cut.
I don’t mean that to sound harsh or negative. It’s also an incredible place to play, and I’m grateful for the years I spent there. It’s just that it could be tough sometimes. The Patriots have set a standard, and the pressure is very real. That’s the culture they’ve built — a winning culture — and it’s why they’ve been so successful.
Amendola:
I understand Bill [Belichick] runs a tight ship, and he hasn't been known to pay his players, really. I understood that I gave money back to him so I could play for him and play for my teammates and fulfill my side of the contract, and at the end of the day, I had faith that he was going to give me an opportunity to stay,"
It's not easy, that's for sure. He's an a--h--- sometimes. There were a lot of things I didn't like about playing for him, but I must say, the things I didn't like were all in regards to getting the team better, and I respected him. I didn't like practicing in the snow, I didn't like practicing in the rain, but that was going to make us a better football team and that was going to make me a better football player.
It wasn't easy, and he'd be the first to admit, at the [Super Bowl] ring ceremony, that it wasn't easy playing for him. The silver lining was that we were at the ring ceremony.
Lewis:
I just wanted to be in a place where I felt comfortable and felt wanted. That's what I felt (in Tennessee) so I'm going to work to make this situation right.
Obviously, we’ve all known that the grind in New England has always been very real. But the fact so many players are speaking on it is unusual.
Still, if the “cultural issues” were confined to a few very important players growing weary of Belichick’s bedside manner, it would easier to believe the problem was easy to quarantine.
But Amendola’s comments to Mike Reiss on the Super Bowl benching of Malcolm Butler hint at a more widely-shared belief on the team that Belichick’s iron fist did real damage.
I have my thoughts about it because I was out there putting my blood, sweat and tears out on the field that night, and one of our best players wasn't on the field," he said. "To tell you the truth, I don't know why. I did ask, but I didn't get any answers. I can't make decisions like that, so I don't necessarily worry about it, but I know Malcolm is a great player and he could have helped us win. For whatever reason, he wasn't out there . . .
“Nobody really got an explanation for it. He's a brother of ours. He was a brother of ours that year. And I hate to see a guy who worked so hard throughout the season not get a chance to play in the biggest game of the year and really get no explanation for it. With that said, I don't know how the business aspect went into that decision. I don't know how the personal aspect went into that decision between him and Bill. But as a friend, I would have loved to see him on the field that day.
If Brady, Gronk and assorted other Patriots are pissed at the exile of Alex Guerrero or find their off-field “brand” stifled, that’s an issue but it doesn’t really rise to tearing at the fabric of the team.
And it’s not breaking news that the Patriots can be tight with the contractual dollar and really demanding on their employees. That’s barely an issue.
But Amendola’s comments on Butler make it clear that he felt -- at the very least -- let down by the decision to bench Butler. At worst, he felt betrayed.
If one of the Patriots’ most loyal soldiers of the past six seasons felt that way, how many others feel that badly or worse?
The 2018 season unofficially begins this week with voluntary workouts. But it feels like there’s still so much unfinished business left to address from 2017.
Maybe that’s why the reason for Gronk’s absence and pinning down his endgame is so difficult.
It’s a little bit of everything.
Is Tom Brady leading a revolt against Bill Belichick?
Posted by Mike Florio on April 16, 2018
Getty Images
On the 18th anniversary of Bill Belichick’s decision to make Tom Brady a Patriot, is Brady actively trying to unmake the Patriots?
The notion that #Tommy is fomenting Foxborough friction would have been inconceivable a year ago. Now, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston (read article posted below) connects the dots in a way that suggests Brady resides at the center of the storm that keeps gathering around Belichick and his grumpy old man ways.
Curran identifies scattered Patriots who revolted in the past, from Adalius Thomas to Randy Moss to Wes Welker to Logan Mankins. This time, it’s very different.
Curran’s column lacks hard evidence that would support the proclamation that Brady is leading a “pushback,” or that he has launched an “open revolt.”
The column contains plenty of quotes from now-former Patriots that suggest a sea change regarding the willingness of players to continuously be mentally and emotionally beaten down by a “zero fun, sir” head coach whose quest to win each and every Super Bowl may not be shared by guys who eventually have a couple of rings (or more) and who decide that life is too short to let it be run by a single-minded, all-consuming, soul-expunging obsession.
Really, how many times can a guy give everything he has to keep scaling a mountain he already has scaled, especially when there’s no clear evidence that all work and no play is the secret to making it to the summit? The Eagles, a far more fun-loving and loose group than the Patriots, won the Super Bowl this year by beating the Patriots, thanks in part to Belichick choosing to send a message to the locker room in a way that kept one of his best defensive players on the bench for four hours.
It’s one thing to process a pair of losses to the Giants that felt like divinely-intervened flukes. It’s quite another to lose the Super Bowl to a team with a head coach who doesn’t expect his players to be robots, thanks in large part to a specific effort by Belichick to remind his robots that they should remain robotic by removing the battery from Malcolm Butler.
http://www.nbcsports.com/boston/pat...cts-bigger-issues-facing-new-england-patriots
Complexity of Gronk situation reflects bigger issues facing Patriots
By Tom E. Curran
At some point, Rob Gronkowski has to articulate what the endgame is.
Because what we’ve got now is a wildcat strike being carried out by a guy who is wavering about continuing to play because he’s A) concerned about his long-term health, B) unfairly compensated or C) weary of the stifling atmosphere under Bill Belichick.
The streetlights have come on, Gronk’s dinner’s already been scraped into the garbage, all the other kids are upstairs doing their homework and Gronk still hasn’t come home. It’s getting dark.
We’ve all been reduced out here to reading smoke signals on social media.
The latest was a retweet of a Deion Sanders mini-rant:
Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/DeionSanders/status/984859969865551872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fpatriots%2Fcomplexity-rob-gronkowski-situation-reflects-bigger-issues-facing-new-england-patriots
OK, so it’s about money. But is it also about atmosphere and culture? Is it about being “FREE” and “HAPPY” as Gronk implored Danny Amendola to be when the wide receiver lit out for Miami?
Well, yes it is.
Part of Gronk’s off-field brand is built on the premise he’s an oversized pubescent dope who blunders into soft-core trouble because he just can’t help himself. And Bill Belichick has been the perfect foil for that persona, playing Sergeant Carter to Gronk’s Gomer Pyle while Tom Brady’s the big brother/protector who’d love to act out like Gronk but just doesn’t have it in him.
But the joke, apparently, isn’t as funny as it used to be. Or maybe it never really was. Whatever the case, there’s no mistaking that, over the past year, we’ve seen the most vocal and obvious uprising against Belichick’s “Do Your Job” “No Days Off” iron-fist rule.
It was one thing when it was Adalius Thomas sending verbal harpoons at Belichick a decade ago, or Randy Moss using his postgame press conference to whine about his contract in 2010, or Wes Welker making foot jokes, or Logan Mankins calling out the owner.
The pushback now is being led by Brady. And it’s not about one thing, it’s about everything. It’s about the culture. A culture we’ve all celebrated for nearly two decades as being the reason the Patriots from 2001 through 2019 will be the standard by which all American sports dynasties are measured.
But when the player whose buy-in is most important -- Brady -- begins an open revolt, then what? What changed? Who changed? How many teammates agree with him? What next?
In Tom vs. Time, Gisele Bundchen stated that her husband just wants to go to work and have “fun” and be “appreciated.” The inference is obvious. He isn’t feeling either of those. And the fact he took the initiative to get that out there (though it would be most effective if he articulated it clearly himself) emboldened others.
Gronk is the one most obviously emboldened and his situation is ongoing.
But Dion Lewis, Danny Amendola and Nate Solder -- all free agents who departed this offseason -- laced their praise of the Patriots program with laments about how hard it was to play here.
Solder:
Before I tell you what happened next, I need to let you know a little about what it’s really like playing for the Patriots.
It can be a tough environment. It’s very businesslike, and at times it can be cold. Everything in New England is predicated on performance. It’s a place where people sometimes treat you differently based on how you practiced that day or how you answered a question in a meeting.
One day, you could walk around the facility feeling like a Pro Bowler — the next, like you’re about to get cut.
I don’t mean that to sound harsh or negative. It’s also an incredible place to play, and I’m grateful for the years I spent there. It’s just that it could be tough sometimes. The Patriots have set a standard, and the pressure is very real. That’s the culture they’ve built — a winning culture — and it’s why they’ve been so successful.
Amendola:
I understand Bill [Belichick] runs a tight ship, and he hasn't been known to pay his players, really. I understood that I gave money back to him so I could play for him and play for my teammates and fulfill my side of the contract, and at the end of the day, I had faith that he was going to give me an opportunity to stay,"
It's not easy, that's for sure. He's an a--h--- sometimes. There were a lot of things I didn't like about playing for him, but I must say, the things I didn't like were all in regards to getting the team better, and I respected him. I didn't like practicing in the snow, I didn't like practicing in the rain, but that was going to make us a better football team and that was going to make me a better football player.
It wasn't easy, and he'd be the first to admit, at the [Super Bowl] ring ceremony, that it wasn't easy playing for him. The silver lining was that we were at the ring ceremony.
Lewis:
I just wanted to be in a place where I felt comfortable and felt wanted. That's what I felt (in Tennessee) so I'm going to work to make this situation right.
Obviously, we’ve all known that the grind in New England has always been very real. But the fact so many players are speaking on it is unusual.
Still, if the “cultural issues” were confined to a few very important players growing weary of Belichick’s bedside manner, it would easier to believe the problem was easy to quarantine.
But Amendola’s comments to Mike Reiss on the Super Bowl benching of Malcolm Butler hint at a more widely-shared belief on the team that Belichick’s iron fist did real damage.
I have my thoughts about it because I was out there putting my blood, sweat and tears out on the field that night, and one of our best players wasn't on the field," he said. "To tell you the truth, I don't know why. I did ask, but I didn't get any answers. I can't make decisions like that, so I don't necessarily worry about it, but I know Malcolm is a great player and he could have helped us win. For whatever reason, he wasn't out there . . .
“Nobody really got an explanation for it. He's a brother of ours. He was a brother of ours that year. And I hate to see a guy who worked so hard throughout the season not get a chance to play in the biggest game of the year and really get no explanation for it. With that said, I don't know how the business aspect went into that decision. I don't know how the personal aspect went into that decision between him and Bill. But as a friend, I would have loved to see him on the field that day.
If Brady, Gronk and assorted other Patriots are pissed at the exile of Alex Guerrero or find their off-field “brand” stifled, that’s an issue but it doesn’t really rise to tearing at the fabric of the team.
And it’s not breaking news that the Patriots can be tight with the contractual dollar and really demanding on their employees. That’s barely an issue.
But Amendola’s comments on Butler make it clear that he felt -- at the very least -- let down by the decision to bench Butler. At worst, he felt betrayed.
If one of the Patriots’ most loyal soldiers of the past six seasons felt that way, how many others feel that badly or worse?
The 2018 season unofficially begins this week with voluntary workouts. But it feels like there’s still so much unfinished business left to address from 2017.
Maybe that’s why the reason for Gronk’s absence and pinning down his endgame is so difficult.
It’s a little bit of everything.
Longacre Signing Tag
- By tomas
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 1 Replies
Joyner, Longacre Sign Tenders, Rams add Two Free Agents
Posted 1 hour ago
Myles Simmons Rams Insider @MylesASimmons
View Gallery | 36 Photos
PHOTOS: Players Arrive for Offseason Workouts
In conjunction with Los Angeles’ offseason program beginning on Monday, the Rams have submitted four transactions to the league.
First, safety Lamarcus Joyner
has signed his franchise tender, putting him under a one-year contract with the club. The Rams used their non-exclusive franchise tag on Joyner on March 6, electing to use it for the third year in a row and ninth time overall in club history. Joyner joined the Rams as a second-round pick in 2014, moving to free safety in the first year under head coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
Outside linebacker Matt Longacre has signed his restricted free agent tender and is now under a one-year contract with L.A. Longacre finished third on the team in 2017 with 5.5 sacks, playing in a rotational role.
Los Angeles also added a pair of familiar free agents in offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas and Darrell Williams. Lucas joined L.A. in September of 2017 after spending the first four years of his career in Detroit. He started the Week 17 matchup against the 49ers at right tackle.
Williams has been with the Rams since signing with the club as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He participated in all 16 games during 2017, mainly on special teams. He also started the Week 17 contest against San Francisco at left tackle.
Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Joyner-Longacre-Sign-Tenders-Rams-add-Two-Free-Agents/a7f0db84-9f57-41ae-8f10-3a329bc9c352
Posted 1 hour ago
View Gallery | 36 Photos
PHOTOS: Players Arrive for Offseason Workouts
In conjunction with Los Angeles’ offseason program beginning on Monday, the Rams have submitted four transactions to the league.
First, safety Lamarcus Joyner
has signed his franchise tender, putting him under a one-year contract with the club. The Rams used their non-exclusive franchise tag on Joyner on March 6, electing to use it for the third year in a row and ninth time overall in club history. Joyner joined the Rams as a second-round pick in 2014, moving to free safety in the first year under head coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.Outside linebacker Matt Longacre
has signed his restricted free agent tender and is now under a one-year contract with L.A. Longacre finished third on the team in 2017 with 5.5 sacks, playing in a rotational role.Los Angeles also added a pair of familiar free agents in offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas and Darrell Williams. Lucas joined L.A. in September of 2017 after spending the first four years of his career in Detroit. He started the Week 17 matchup against the 49ers at right tackle.
Williams has been with the Rams since signing with the club as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He participated in all 16 games during 2017, mainly on special teams. He also started the Week 17 contest against San Francisco at left tackle.
Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Joyner-Longacre-Sign-Tenders-Rams-add-Two-Free-Agents/a7f0db84-9f57-41ae-8f10-3a329bc9c352
Brandin Cooks' reliability on deep passes should help Jared Goff immensely
- By badnews
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 25 Replies
From arm strength to outer space?Wow , you guys can side track a thread in a hurry.
Really? This thread isnt bad at all.
At least my post was about Goff and though written clearly as sarcasm - was still fairly on topic.
Sheesh.
Offseason Opponent Breakdown
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 20 Replies
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/04/16/seahawks-signing-another-non-kaepernick-quarterback/
Seahawks signing Austin Davis
Posted by Darin Gantt on April 16, 2018
Getty Images
The Seahawks continue to add to their depth chart. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Seahawks are re-signing quarterback Austin Davis, adding another less-than-stellar backup to Russell Wilson.
Davis didn’t throw a pass for the Seahawks last year, and has a 3-7 record as a starter during his stints with the Rams and Browns.
Presence, not statistics, is what makes Suh so valuable
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 0 Replies
Presence, not statistics, is what makes Suh so valuable
Numbers fail to capture what Ndamukong Suh can bring to a defensive line. If he records just one sack in 2018, his $14 million contract is worth it.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59399049/627690214.jpg.0.jpg)
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
There’s no question that on paper, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line is the best unit in the league. However, on-paper talent is wildly different than on-field performance, and the difference should be the grain of salt when we talk about DT Ndamukong Suh.
No one is questioning Suh’s talent. Even at 31, Suh’s intensity and strength is still in peak condition and there’s little evidence to suggest he’s slowing down.
When Suh came into the league in 2010, he racked up 10 sacks and 48 tackles, which is an impressive season even for a veteran, let alone a rookie. But Suh has not reached that sack total since. The closest he got to a double-digit season was in 2014—his final season in Detroit—when he recorded 8.5 sacks. He has not reached more than six since then.
However, his value to the Rams’ is not what statistical numbers he can provide, but what opportunities he can provide for his LA teammates.
All eyes on me
If all we cared about were statistics, then the Rams could have signed anyone else at defensive tackle for a much lower price like former Miami Dolphins’ teammate Andre Branch who had the same number of sacks Suh had in 2017 (4.5).
The rhetoric surrounding Suh after he was cut from Miami seemed to be that he never really lived up to the massive contract the Dolphins gave him. But another way of looking at it is the Dolphins failed to capitalize on Suh’s presence on the line.
Through the first eight games of the 2017 season, Suh attracted 68 double-teams (8.5 per-contest). This gave the Dolphins mismatches in the running game, and 2017 saw the running game improve compared to the previous two seasons.
In 2015 and 2016, however, the Dolphins failed to capitalize on the mismatches Suh’s double-teams created and the run-defense surrendered the fifth and third-most yards-per-game, respectively.
Near immovable object
Despite Suh’s size and strength, there were times when the double-teams got the better of him in 2017 and moved him out of the way to create a lane for running backs.
Yet, there were plenty of times when Suh refused to be uprooted from his position, which either blocked the running lane and redirected the runner, or welcomed the runner to his warm and violent embrace.
Window of opportunity
Say what you want about the contract the Dolphins gave Suh. No one can knock what they were trying to accomplish. With DE Cameron Wake and DE Olivier Vernon, the Dolphins had an impressive defensive line on paper with Suh in tow.
Miami’s mistake was not taking advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime in the lifetime of the opportunity. Suh attracted double-teams in both the run and the pass, but the Dolphins could not execute on the advantage. After Wake’s 2015 injury, he still resumed his usual double-digit sack output, and the rest of the defense resumed it’s lackluster pass-rush.
The Dolphins finished near the bottom of the league in sacks in each season Suh was in the teal and orange.
L.A.’s best supporting actor
Opposing offenses will have to pick their poison in 2018. If they want to double-team DT Aaron Donald, Suh will likely kill them on the outside, and if they commit two to Suh, Donald will be the same disruptive force he’s always been.
If the season started today, I would imagine Suh lines up at DE on nearly all of his snaps. This could allow him to see an increase in one-on-one match-ups, unless opposing offenses want to put a tight end on the end of the line every snap.
The run-game gave the Rams’ defense trouble throughout 2017. With Suh on the line, it could be the Rams’ giving opposing rushers nightmares all season.
[www.turfshowtimes.com]
Numbers fail to capture what Ndamukong Suh can bring to a defensive line. If he records just one sack in 2018, his $14 million contract is worth it.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
There’s no question that on paper, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line is the best unit in the league. However, on-paper talent is wildly different than on-field performance, and the difference should be the grain of salt when we talk about DT Ndamukong Suh.
No one is questioning Suh’s talent. Even at 31, Suh’s intensity and strength is still in peak condition and there’s little evidence to suggest he’s slowing down.
When Suh came into the league in 2010, he racked up 10 sacks and 48 tackles, which is an impressive season even for a veteran, let alone a rookie. But Suh has not reached that sack total since. The closest he got to a double-digit season was in 2014—his final season in Detroit—when he recorded 8.5 sacks. He has not reached more than six since then.
However, his value to the Rams’ is not what statistical numbers he can provide, but what opportunities he can provide for his LA teammates.
All eyes on me
If all we cared about were statistics, then the Rams could have signed anyone else at defensive tackle for a much lower price like former Miami Dolphins’ teammate Andre Branch who had the same number of sacks Suh had in 2017 (4.5).
The rhetoric surrounding Suh after he was cut from Miami seemed to be that he never really lived up to the massive contract the Dolphins gave him. But another way of looking at it is the Dolphins failed to capitalize on Suh’s presence on the line.
Through the first eight games of the 2017 season, Suh attracted 68 double-teams (8.5 per-contest). This gave the Dolphins mismatches in the running game, and 2017 saw the running game improve compared to the previous two seasons.
In 2015 and 2016, however, the Dolphins failed to capitalize on the mismatches Suh’s double-teams created and the run-defense surrendered the fifth and third-most yards-per-game, respectively.
Near immovable object
Despite Suh’s size and strength, there were times when the double-teams got the better of him in 2017 and moved him out of the way to create a lane for running backs.
Yet, there were plenty of times when Suh refused to be uprooted from his position, which either blocked the running lane and redirected the runner, or welcomed the runner to his warm and violent embrace.
Window of opportunity
Say what you want about the contract the Dolphins gave Suh. No one can knock what they were trying to accomplish. With DE Cameron Wake and DE Olivier Vernon, the Dolphins had an impressive defensive line on paper with Suh in tow.
Miami’s mistake was not taking advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime in the lifetime of the opportunity. Suh attracted double-teams in both the run and the pass, but the Dolphins could not execute on the advantage. After Wake’s 2015 injury, he still resumed his usual double-digit sack output, and the rest of the defense resumed it’s lackluster pass-rush.
The Dolphins finished near the bottom of the league in sacks in each season Suh was in the teal and orange.
L.A.’s best supporting actor
Opposing offenses will have to pick their poison in 2018. If they want to double-team DT Aaron Donald, Suh will likely kill them on the outside, and if they commit two to Suh, Donald will be the same disruptive force he’s always been.
If the season started today, I would imagine Suh lines up at DE on nearly all of his snaps. This could allow him to see an increase in one-on-one match-ups, unless opposing offenses want to put a tight end on the end of the line every snap.
The run-game gave the Rams’ defense trouble throughout 2017. With Suh on the line, it could be the Rams’ giving opposing rushers nightmares all season.
[www.turfshowtimes.com]
How do you clean hats?
Tide works really well to clean almost anything with .I just throw mine in the dish washer , or washing machine
Jrry32 Pre-Combine Mock Draft
- By JonRam99
- NFL DRAFT / COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- 20 Replies
:yess:I've got a new one coming out later today. Patience, my friend.
