It's been a mixed bag but I think one thing we're not talking about enough is the fact we might have a starting LT. Jackson looks solid man. And I am pretty sure right now Avila is going to get better and better as we go forward so the left side of that OL is potentially going from garbage last season to decent. Now if Jackson can hold up physically and log games we might be lottery winners at LT, but of course that's a ways off.

Still, though, I'll take wins where I can get them. Arcuri wasn't too bad either btw, so him and McClendon might make for a nice bottom of the roster OT duo if they can both make the cut.

RG honestly I still don't know what to think. But Center looks like it'll be ok and maybe we found some fresh blood for that depth chart overall so if and when they solve RG we may have the makings of a line.

Dude seems haunted.

I thought this pre season would be a blast with so many wide open spots to be taken by young players who give it their all and seize the opportunity.

Instead it seems to be mostly players chasing plays and being timid on defense vs a balls out leave nothing in the tank and have no regrets effort.

I saw only 2 young players in Tomlinson and Davis who appeared ready and laser focused to do their jobs. Everyone else seemed outhustled or maybe even worse, out athleted. Maybe most just really are not NFL roster worthy.

But I recall Bill Bates carving out an NFL career despite being smaller and slower than other linebackers. He refused to be blocked on special teams and eventually earned time as a linebacker.

Unlike Bates, the Rams can’t even apparently find gunners who can be within 15 yds of the return man because they can’t get off blocks! I saw #41 put on the ground on one punt. That just can’t happen.

I fear the Rams may lack not only talent, but effort and tenacity. Not a good combination. I hope I’m wrong and I keep telling myself it is just pre season and hopefully come game day we see a different effort.

Just watching him move and throw dimes to WR's sends a quiver to my liver! And yes @Allen2McVay that's a good thing. He looks like the Matthew of 2021 who sliced and diced defenses at will. If we get that Oline up to speed, the Rams will be competitive for a Wild Card this year.

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Who you guys got. I figured Philly was gonna stop the Messi train but dear God they diced those boys up. Don't really care either way but hoping for a fun game and a good illegal stream which may be the bigger problem.

Looks like we've got a big one coming.

The NFL trade deadline this year is October 31, 2023.

The Rams will have played 8 games at that point.

How many wins would the Rams need to have before you'd expect them to be "buyers" in the trade market?

Conversely, how many losses would the Rams need to have before you'd expect them to be "sellers" in the trade market?

Or... do you believe our activity at the trade deadline will be based more on more long-term considerations (i.e. regardless of record, "buying" young players who we'd have room to sign/extend in 2024, or "selling" to stockpile draft picks)?

What is your expectation?

Will 6'th round EDGE Ochaun Mathis finally get some game play ?
Davis Allen or Hunter Long ?
AJ Arcuri & DeAndre Square ?

I am looking forward to more of Warren McClendon, Zach Thomas, Mike McAllister, and yes, even Logan Bruss.
Also, Stetson Bennett along with go-to guys Puca Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Ben Skowronek & ...
And, of course, Zach Evans, Ronnie Rivers & Royce Freeman.

Who passes grade in game 2 ?
I can't wait ...

Our 2023 Sportsbook Game heats up week 1. RamsOnDemand is looking for a volunteer or two to become bookies.

Each week, our bookies post wagers for that week’s NFL games. Within a day or two after the games, they settle those wagers.

There will be training provided, however the tasks are not complex. It just requires a little dedication to help ensure timeliness of wagers and settling. The team splits up things and covers for each other.

If interested; Our active bookies are @RhodyRams and @Karate61. Send them a direct message, and feel free to ask questions.

New to RamsOnDemand?

What is Sportsbook?

Sportsbook is a bragging rights wager game, played annually at RamsOnDemand. As a member, you are automatically in the game. Every week, all members are sent a paycheck of Sportsbook ”cash”. This cash is used to make wagers.

After the Superbowl we crown a champion.

What is fun about Sportsbook each week the paycheck gets you back in the game. Our 2022 winner @wize1980 rallied late in the season to win.

It’s a GREAT Game! Full rules are here:

Ended up in St Louis tonight on my travels and memories of the Thordaddy celebration. What a time that was!

Anybody else watching this?

Have no clue where they find the worst people to be a color commentator.

At this point they’re determining players 6-9 for that OL.

About the rumored Boom trade possibility. Doesn’t make a helluva lot of sense cap wise for 2023 but ask yourself this question.

IF Rams are in trade talks over Boom, would they not be holding him out with the same type of some vague excuse? Of course they would.

And instead of a Boom for pick trade, what if it was a player-for-player trade with some team with excess talent at edge, TE, DL, or maybe CB? Wouldn’t that make a helluva lot of sense? Could be a win-win for both teams. And would help a 2023 Ram team THIS year. A team thin at a couple of positions.

IF Boom is traded, Rams would still have McClendon as possible swing LOT or maybe RT. And Zach Thomas sure looked good at LG (and presumably at RG) which is the other position that Rams have been testing Boom.

More I think about it the more doable this hypothetical trade seems. Would love to be a fly on the wall in Snead’s office right now. Lol.

We’ll probably get some answers in the next few days, one way or another.

Yesterday, we received this unfortunate news:

Sean McVay says Joe Noteboom is “dealing with a little something” and didn’t do team drills today.

Click to expand...

Here is how the various types of Rams fans are reacting:

Optimistic Fan: "Probably just being careful as he returns from last year's injury. He should be ready by opening day."

Pessimistic Fan: "He's done. We should just cut our losses with him now."

Snarky Fan: "Probably has a hangnail. For him, that's an IR scenario."

Know it all/Google user Fan: "The Achilles tendon is a strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of the calf to the heel bone. Following a rupture, a surgical grafting is required, which portends a long recovery time. Clearly, Noteboom is demonstrating post operative rehabilitative complication in a statistically normal range."

Crude Fan: "Must be his time of the month."

Non Sequitur Fan: "This shows why the Rams are going to move on from Rob Havenstein.”

All about Me Fan: "I had this injury in high school in 1954. He's clearly not ready to play."

Really Non Sequitur Fan: "I blame Rahim Morris' soft coverage schemes."

Can't Let it Go Fan: "We wouldn't care about this if we had drafted Creed Humphrey instead of Tutu Atwell."

Blue Font Fan: "Bastid!"

So here I go way out on this limb…

Rams O is gonna score some points this season. They will catch some teams unprepared early on, I think.

Stafford is healthy and looking super sharp plus he has weapons everywhere this year.

RB room will be a team strength this year and Akers will have a career year.

Rams OL will finish in upper half of league this year, maybe better, with an emphasis on physicality.

Rams OL will look like this come opening day:

Jackson
Avila
Shelton
Anchrum
Hav

Everybody else is competing for swing or backup positions.

Hopkins will likely be a pleasant surprise this year.

WR pecking order will be Kupp, Jefferson, Nacua/Atwell/Robinson (as a rotating 3rd WR corps indefinitely), Skow will be 6th and final WR on the 53.

Ernest Jones will have a breakout year and possibly Pro Bowl mentions.

CB starters will be Witherspoon, Durant, and Tomlinson and they will improve weekly and be a team strength by November. Gonna get lots of ints along the way.

Fuller and Yeast will be starters come opening day but that might well change as backups progress. IOW, Fuller may lose his starting status by mid season.

Ethan Evans will make the Pro Bowl as punter.

Rams will win 9 games, maybe more, and McVay will be selected as Coach of the Year.

Thoughts?

I’m know my request is likely to be deemed folly by some, but...

Can we please be better than them?

Who are "them"? I'm referring to other places where Rams' topics are discussed. Places that I won't name, but rhyme with things like Schmitter, Scmeddit, and the Schmerd.

Places where people post or quote the biased observations of practices by random people on the internet, then discuss them as if they are presumptively reliable. Places were every blog, no matter how inane, factually incorrect, or obviously predisposed to be clickbait, is posted or linked, then discussed as if they matter. Places where, before evaluating a topic, you have to Google the alleged "source" to determine whether there is anything worth actually discussing.

Can we resolve to be better than them?

Please?

(I already think we are... the way. I'm just hoping to keep it that way!)

.

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Ted is one of the best writers at the Athletic. His insight should be money.

1. Its August, when things really heat up, literally and figuratively.

2. The first preseason game was everything I could have hoped for - no significant injuries.

3. I have a love/hate relationship with camp reports and evaluations of preseason play. On the one hand, after months of waiting, I'm eager for real news as the season approaches. On the other, I find myself constantly wishing to respond with "hold your horses."

4. When it comes to practice reports, observers often fail to recognize the "zero sum game" involved. If the OL is struggling, maybe it means the DL is excelling. If receivers are making big plays, maybe it means we have an issue at CB.

5. As for preseason games themselves, putting a lot of stock in what you see (particularly as an untrained layperson) is folly. There is no correlation between preseason wins and regular season records. You need not look any further than 2021, when the Rams went 0-3 in preseason and failed to score 20 points in any of the games.

6. I also find myself trying to balance my impulse to critique with my recognition of the success that our team's leadership has achieved. They know more than any of us, and their track record is pretty darn good. Does that mean we can't criticize? Of course not. I do think, however, we (myself included) sometimes take it too far.

7. Raheem Morris is a good example of this. The way some talk about him, you'd think he was an incompetent failure. In reality, he's a guy who has been on the defensive coaching staff of two Super Bowl champions, including the 2021 Rams. Will that stop me from yelling at my TV when we allow an opponent to convert a 3rd and 9 by throwing a quick pass to a receiver who is unimpeded due to soft coverage? No. But, again, the guy hasn't lasted this long in the NFL for no reason.

8. Trey Lance has become one of my favorite players. Not Lance himself but, rather, the effect he's had on the 49ers. I think its fair to say that, if their current push does not produce a championship, the ill-fated Lance trade will go down as the reason. That, and a timely meeting with a certain Detroit QB in Mexico!

9. Speaking of Mathew Stafford, its amazing how quickly the talking heads have forgotten 2021. Perhaps they are simply unwilling to bank on Stafford's health (which, at the moment, seems to be as strong as its been since he arrived). When I see him ranked in the bottom half of league QBs, though, I just chuckle. If Stafford plays 17 games, I will guarantee he'll be a Top 3 QB in the NFC, and Top 10 in the league, by the end of the season.

10. Aaron Donald is in great shape and has a chip on his shoulder. Opposing QBs... be afraid. Be very afraid.

11. I'm saddened by the recent news about Michael Oher suing the Touhy family. While it comes as no surprise to me that The Blind Side was, at best, "based on a true story," I did not expect to see this type of animosity. It also sounds like, between the two sides' current accounts, there's truth on both sides. You want these stories to be more pristine, but reality gets in the way (Rudy, by the way, later had to pay a large settlement after being accused of securities fraud. Not a great storyline for a sequel.). You just can't have good things, sometimes.

12. Seems like now is as good a time as any to make some predictions...

13. Cam Akers will finally have a breakout season.

14. Cooper Kupp will have more receptions and yards than any two Rams' players combined.

15. Steve Avila will be on every All-Rookie team.

16. Aaron Donald will have 14 or more sacks.

17. The Rams will hit their stride after the first 6-7 games and finish with a 10-7 record, shocking many "experts" and sneaking into the postseason.

18. The Eagles will return to the Super Bowl.

19. Only to lose to the Bengals.

20. Watch out for the Rams in 2024!

This topic is a lot more interesting than usual given that we finally have a rookie QB to track vs his peers. There's some funny ass vids out this week on youtube so will start throwing them in here as I make my way through them. Will start with dumbass since he goes through all their performances in preseason week one:

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Not a big deal but I like McVay making a connection and also being open to some outside input. I wonder if Wendell isn’t quite working out. He should be able to pick his Oline.

This seems like welcome news.

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First of all, this podcast is a great listen when you want to know more about football in general. Second, amazing preview of NFC West and of the Rams in particular with a few nuggets you probably didn't know (like losing our trainer to Vikings and sports science guys to Eagles, thoughts on new coaches, etc...) and the future of the offense and defense.

Rams are 3rd team previewed after 9ers and Hawks.