jap said:

I hope Wade is preparing some heirs to his DC chair. This guy is even more so than our former DC, Bud Carson, from the Dick Vermeil days like a distinguished professor of high renown. We can't have his scholarship dying when he retires. His disciples must carry on . . .

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I get the feeling, from hearing other coaches and players talk about him that Wade's heir apparent if he decides to retire within a couple of years could be Aubrey Pleasant. Seems to be very well respected by everyone and a quick riser who was with McVay in Washington as well. Wouldn't be surprised if McVay is having him soak up Wade to eventually take over for him. The more obvious choice would probably be Joe Barry. If they weren't quite ready for Aubrey to take that jump or if he gets a better job some where else which might happen if our defense of super stars play half as good as we are all hoping this season. Our defensive coaches will get plucked away quickly.

I'd love to see the Rams find another London Fletcher. A good run defending linebacker is a big need. I don't think Littleton will be that level of a thumper.

HellRam said:

I play in a fantasy football league with atleast half of my buddies being whiner fans. Real talk....they are actually like this.

Living in Oregon I know plenty of Hawks and Niner fans. Whiners are the worst. It's not even up for debate.

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I feel ya. I'm in NorCal and I laugh at how much the Niner fan's posts resemble my friends' statements. Let's see how Jimmy does this year at least!

I'd guess Landry....he's the only top 15 pick I see up there....

So much here Den...thanks a bunch on a slow day....

Top 10 overrated:

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den-the-coach said:

1. Josh Allen - QB - Wyoming

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I remember a guy named Matt Ryan....57% completions in college....didn't he complete like 30 passes in a row against us?

den-the-coach said:

2. Marcus Davenport - Edge - UTSA

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Not sure on this one den....may agree....

den-the-coach said:

3. Calvin Ridley - WR - Alabama

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He seemed like he was dogging it late in the season....def. not like Cooper w/Raiders

den-the-coach said:

4. Mason Rudolph - QB - Oklahoma State

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I like this kids demeanor....I like his size...I think he could be good....
but

Something happens to OSU Cowboys on the way to being decent pros....Call it the curse of Thurman Thomas...my buddies used to love him.

den-the-coach said:

5. Orlando Brown - OT - Oklahoma

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ummmm....hahahahahahah....AGREE....LOLOLOL

den-the-coach said:

7. Shaquem Griffin - LB - UCF

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Agree here too...

den-the-coach said:

8. Derrius Guice - RB - LSU

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Wow....wow...he ran better with Fo-nette....but who wouldn't? I like his physical style...if his body can hold up...he's a good one...can he catch should be the only concern.

den-the-coach said:

9. Arden Key - Edge - LSU

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Worse than Mingo....and I liked Mingo...this guy has those birthing hips....with a bird chest...and went to LSU....totally agree...

den-the-coach said:

10. Leighton Vander Esch - ILB - Boise State

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Like his attitude....don't like his game....just don't

Top 10 under-rated:

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Now we're in my ballpark...

den-the-coach said:

1. Dorance Armstrong Jr. - Edge - Kansas

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I like Willis from Kansas St. WAY more....that's a lot more...this guy was getting manhandled in the senior bowl practices....and def. not as fast as expected....didn't I say I really LOVED Willis...
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/jordan-willis?id=2557884

Long-time Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder called Willis "the epitome" of Kansas State football. That's high praise from a Hall of Fame coach who has led the program all but three years since 1989. Willis earned that praise with his play on the field and attitude off of it. He was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and also garnered third-team Associated Press All-American honors, as he made 52 tackles and led his team with 17.5 tackles for loss and topped the conference with 11.5 sacks. Big 12 coaches and media inexplicably left Willis off their all-conference teams in 2015, even though he started every game and made 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, while forcing four fumbles (tied for ninth nationally). Willis started each game for the Wildcats as a sophomore, as well (25 stops, 6.5 for loss, four sacks). The Kansas City Star All-Metro pick as a high school senior played in nine games (his one tackle was a sack) his first year in Manhattan.

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Good eyes vs. zone read; sees mesh point clearly. Quick responder once he diagnoses the action. Excellent change of direction ability to stay in the hunt. Finishes tackles, rarely allowing runners to escape grasp. Pursuit will not stop until the whistle blows. Proficient with hands. Hands are strong and control the action. Well-schooled with excellent stack-and-shed ability. Good strength in base and plays with adequate contact balance. Stays clean setting edge while spying into backfield. Uses blockers' forward lean against them, sends them tumbling forward. Arm over is a pet move that gives him early wins. Track-stance pass rusher who comes out of the blocks with decent burst to the edge. Hard worker. Productive in sacks and forced fumbles over final two seasons at KSU.

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den-the-coach said:

2. Simmie Cobbs Jr. - WR - Indiana

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Who??

Before I look this guy up...anyone EVER heard of him?? His name really Simmie??? That sux:rolllaugh:

den-the-coach said:

3. Rashaad Penny - RB -SDSU

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Finally, truth at last....SDSU RB's do well if they have good size and...and ....run that 4.4

den-the-coach said:

4. Alex Cappa - OG - Humboldt St.

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Manhandled in senior bowl practices...not the athlete I expected....now he's listed as a guard....6th round only...way better prospects...

den-the-coach said:

7. PJ Hall - DL - Sam Houston State - Another FCS kid, but ran a 4.78 at 310 lbs. Strong as an ox. Someone is going to get themselves a highly productive penetrating DL.

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Don't know this kid...but I want to....300 lb'er moving at 4.7?????

den-the-coach said:

8. Olasunkanmi Adeniyi - Edge - Toledo

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And I saw this Toledo team...in a bowl....think I saw him....nothing specal.

den-the-coach said:

9. Tegray Scale - ILB - Indiana

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Think I heard of him....Saffold is enough Indiana players on our team...

den-the-coach said:

10. Mark Walton - RB - Miami -

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Who??? Seriously? How I never saw him is...incredible...Think I watched 2 Miami games...the one vs ND was one of them....and they had some defenders out there....didn't notice much on offfense.

den-the-coach said:

I found this interesting because I concur about Josh Allen not being accurate never translates well to the next level

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Matt Ryan....Carson Palmer....Mike Vick....Mark Brunell, Phill Sims....and...my fav....Cam Newton
https://www.thephinsider.com/2007/4/16/0619/91876


Comp. %%% is skewed by the offense a QB plays in....his teammates (o-line and receivers)...and play calls...it's easier to complete shorter passes, earlier in the downs...
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/65zs0w/oc_why_585_is_the_magic_number_for_qbs_in_the_nfl/

They claim 58.8% is the magic number....for failure or success.
What does that have to do with threading the needle on 3rd and 7????

den-the-coach said:

As to Armstrong, the Kansas football program is a mess and their Head Coach David Beaty is so far over his head, it's just unfathomable and that aids to the fact not utilziing Armstrong correctly, would look forward to him working under Wade Phillips and linebacker coach Joe Barry, who's only over his head when he's a defensive coordinator.

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Meh....Kansas has always Kansas'd

fanotodd said:

Certainly a fan of D. Armstrong jr. Had him going to the Rams in my mock. I think this guy could thrive in quinn's old spot.

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meh...

jrry32 said:

He does absolutely nothing for me. The one redeeming quality I thought he had was that he was an insane athlete who could be coached up. People kept telling me that, so even though I didn't see it on film, I thought it might be there to be unlocked. The guy tested as badly as Hercules Mata'afa did at the Combine. Between the two of them, give me Mata'afa. He at least has a special trait. With Armstrong, I saw good power for his size and somewhat heavy hands. He also has long arms. But he's not going to overpower NFL OTs. And he doesn't have the explosion or athleticism to win the edge or be a dominant speed-to-power rusher. I don't see it at all with him. I see a JAG. We'll see. It's always possible that I'm wrong, but I don't see a trait that will get him wins in the NFL besides effort.

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hmmm, I agree

Merlin said:

OTs are a problem. Hopefully next year's crop will be better,

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They are....

I was trying to make a list of the guys I like this year...

Harrison from W. Georgia is my favorite.

LACHAMP46 said:

Damn....forgot it was his back....must have weak abs....or an imbalance in there....

And when has a guy went thru a disk operation....and came back with NO lingering effects?

C'mon bubba....you're my age....backs are tricky....esp. if you don't change something big time.
boi you sure love to pass the buck....it wasn't just the loss of the kicker. Ball security...baby...just take care of the rock...and tackle...and let the offense and defense do the heavy lifting.

I'll say this here.....and it's a good thing....ST's are now our weakest unit. Bones needs to step it up...better prep on our trick plays....left a couple out there on the field with those Hekker throws....

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Just sayin' that the mindset of the ST changed after Greg the Leg went down. It was night and day different. The adverse change was dramatic, which inexplicably was represented by Cooper fumbles and other mistakes.

My wife just got the call from her friend's husband, telling her dear friend "Sarge" died last night. He could barely speak through the tears in describing the events prior to her death. I only ever met Sarge once back when my wife and I were married and travelling through rural Arkansas. She called several times a week, so it feels like I knew her. They were peculiar in that they lived a life without medicine and used herbs, etc for health. She had heart problems 17 years ago and the doc told her she had only a year to live....The herbal stuff must have worked to prolong her life.

We have a blind puppy dog we named Braile, and Sarge had adopted her long distance and always asked about "her Braillee." My wife had her Sarge who was like a second mother, so it's sad times here right now. I guess I'll give Braillee a hug and think of the Mom she never knew.

The Rams made mostly trades. Suh must be in the middle somewhere.

Sullivan was a good value signing even @ 5 Million a year. Rams need that stability in the middle.

CGI_Ram said:

4. Trey Burton, Chicago Bears
Deal: Four years, $32 million

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That surprised me. As well as this.

CGI_Ram said:

1. Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs
Deal: Three years, $48 million

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Time will tell how these and other signings compare. Best not to get into a bidding war.

If we end up keeping Barwin, it'll be for camp and the preseason as a mentor. Once the season starts, he probably would be inactive most of the time on game day in favor of the youth movement unless injuries dictate otherwise. Vet minimum is probably all that will be offered.

Florida_Ram said:

Chargers 20/1

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Florida_Ram said:

Raiders 25/1

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Florida_Ram said:

Ravens 33/1

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All three of these made me say "WTF".

TexasRam said:

Vegas buying the hype lol.

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Nope, Vegas SELLING the hype. That's what they do.

Elmgrovegnome said:

The Niner hype will make Vegas some money. It's best for them to feed it. It will get 49ers fans excited and they make foolish bets.

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Corbin said:

My first thoughts as well. Vegas won't have no qualms about taking over confident Whiner fan money.

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Yup to both of these things..........

LesBaker said:

How about now?

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That Luck hasn't lived up to his hype? Yes, it's the same answer. I hope his shoulder doesn't end his career, but if it does, it's unfortunate. He made lemonade out of lemons for years in Indy.

Hey Jake. Throw your hat into the ring on the Rams Draft thread.


2018 ROD $$$ RAMS DRAFT THREAD

HeiseNBerg said:

You going to see any of the games in person?

I'm personally screwed for the first round -- I've got DirecTV and I live in the Philly TV market. Therefore, any of the games that are broadcast on the regional sports channels will be blacked out on my TV. I only run into this when the Penguins play the Flyers in the first round, because the RSN's only have broadcast rights for the first round. So the LAST team I wanted to face in the first round was the Flyers, because of the TV snafu. I'll get to see every other first-round series, too.

Was REALLY hoping the Jackets or Devils would end up finishing 3rd in the Metro.

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No plans to go this spring but my son is going to game 1! He’s stationed at Naval Base Norfolk and is driving over.

Sorry to hear that you’ll miss some games. I haven’t seen the broadcast schedule yet.

Maybe you can pick up Mike Lange on radio.

We listen through the Pens app when they’re not on TV.

Living in the South, no blackouts of hockey games.

Go Pens!

Is that not the funniest way imaginable to illustrate that the fabric breathes?

I've shown a couple of people and everyone is laughing like mad.

The black and white striped ones with the pocket for your junk are hilarious!

Depending on who we get in the draft, I'd say use our last pick of the draft on him, as I don't see anyone else drafting him before the 7th round.

bubbaramfan said:

I still want revenge for those 17 straight loses.

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Indeed. Those were some dark days man, the 90s ugh. At least in the 80s we had hope, and made the damn playoffs. 90s were like the bubonic plague for us. Just horrible.

And I'll always hate the whiners for that, along with the team leadership who bumbled their way through those years.

Steve808 said:

When I titled the thread "Super Bowl or Bust", I don't believe the Rams will suck and go downhill if we don't win the Super Bowl this next season. What I do believe is that McVay and Snead recognize that while Gurley, Donald and Goff are on their rookie contracts, they have more "margin for error" in making splash signings. With the promise of the 2018 season, the Rams are capitalizing on their 2017 success to make a serious run at the Lombardi.

It's also possible that giving up draft picks for bonafide pro bowl players might become the way to do business in the NFL. It's going to become a balancing act to keep your core star players while mixing in enough young talent to stay on top.

P.S. I hope we demolish the whiners early in the season so they can get over their Jimmy Carapaolo delusions. I still think JG is the next Brock Osweiler.

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This is so accurately stated. They are in a unique position to take a chance, so they are.

I'm also in agreement with trading draft picks for players as the opportunity presents, though I still think that there are absolutely positions where a player can play a role and make an immediate impact, dependent on system. Then considering the that the cost of keeping early round draft picks can often outweigh their value to the team, especially when you consider fan pressure and emotional investment into the players, to include the pressure of sunk cost fallacy.

I love this stuff. He touches on something that I was telling my son the other day; if you double up on Suh and Donald, Brockers will eat you alive. These guys could be scary good.

Akrasian said:

Unless he sucks in camp - is clearly the odd man out - yes, it would hurt the Rams' reputation to cut Tavon. Tavon could have taken the $5 million he was guaranteed, got cut, and then signed a contract with another team and earned another million or two. Instead, he renegotiated his contract so that he only gets the $5 million unless he plays well enough to get the incentives. That was a nice gift to the Rams, and implicit in it is that the Rams will give him a good faith opportunity to make the team with playing time. If they screw him over, then it will be used as an example by every agent for years about why players should never trust the Rams.

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The Rams have been rather ruthless in trading Quinn and Ogletree and cutting Webster when he was injured. They really had no choice if they wanted to reshape the D, add Suh, then add Cooks. They got some blowback from Quinn and Webster that I'm sure they would prefer to avoid. It does undermine the notion that management is looking out for players. They are... but only to the extent they can play, fit in, and are needed, and only within the context of Snead and McVay's overall view of the roster.

Notwithstanding all that, they will keep Tavon because they couldn't save money by cutting him and because there's a chance he could really help the offense and return game (if needed).

Always a great finish at Augusta

Definitely better than the other Cook we had. Lol. Can we anoint this one the new cookie monster?