This is a good interview with Kurt and Baldy. He talks a lot about strategy.

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Pretty good mock draft website

Rams


My giants from our mock draft

It's that time of year! We can have unlimited local visits with prospects. Word will come soon who we met with at the Combine and the Senior bowl games.

So far we have this from the combine:

Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas (COM)
Malik Willis, Quarterback, Liberty (COM)

The 5 Easiest & 5 Hardest Schedules For The Upcoming 2022 NFL Season​

We are at that time of the year where experts are ranking the upcoming 2022 NFL season.

With Las Vegas setting the official win total projections for the 2022 NFL season, we now have the toughest and easiest schedule rankings for the upcoming year.

Don’t Be Shy… Get the Dopest Sports Content You Won’t Find Anywhere Else!

Based on projected win totals, the Washington Commodes have the easiest strength of schedule for the 2022 NFL season. The next easiest schedules are the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, and Seattle Seahawks.

On the flip side, the Kansas City Chiefs have the hardest schedule in the entire league. They are followed by the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Las Vegas Raiders.

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Last season, the Commodes played the toughest schedule in the NFL and now they get the easiest. The team went 2-7 against playoff teams, but 5-3 against non-playoff teams.

After trading for QN Carson Wentz this offseason, the Commodes could actually make a run for the postseason despite all the controversy the team has to deal with off the field regarding their owner.

The Kansas City Chiefs took a huge blow to their offense when they traded Tyreek Hill, but nobody should feel sorry for them having the hardest schedule, especially when you have Patrick Mahomes behind center.

Still unsigned.

Anyone hoping we spend $ to sign him? Or are we just assuming we roll with Cam, Henderson, Funk, and a new draft pick?

I posted a poll at one point asking which RB people prefer-- Sony or Darrell, and it was like 80 or 90 percent for Sony. Sony had a stretch there where his power game was a lifesaver to pull us out of our losing streak.

But now it seems Sony is an afterthought.

So... pay the man or let him walk?

Matt Ryan Can Cement His Hall Of Fame Case With Colts​

The Indianapolis Colts made the bold move to trade for veteran quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan is the fifth starting quarterback for the Colts since 2018.

Ever since Andrew Luck’s retirement in August 2019, the Colts have been going through quarterbacks every year.

Another year brings another quarterback for the team in 2022.

However, this quarterback has Super Bowl experience.

Ryan proved in his time with the Falcons that he can get a team to the Super Bowl.

He also had great career stats while with the Falcons over his 14 seasons with them.

With the Colts, he can cement his nomination to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Can Ryan Be The Next Matthew Stafford Or Tom Brady?

2020 saw the greatest quarterback of all-time, Tom Brady, leave New England to win a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay.

He did this in his first season with the team.

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2021 saw the Rams trade for Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stafford would then help lead the Rams to a Super Bowl championship in his first year there.

While those two quarterbacks aren’t the same as Ryan, they share one thing together.

That thing is how they won Super Bowl championships in their first year with a new team.

Ryan could do this with the Colts.

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He has a solid running game on offense which can set up the play-action pass for him.

Their defense is solid as well, something that helps Ryan.

With this, he can do what Brady and Stafford did in their past two seasons.

What Can The Colts Do To Help Ryan Cement His NFL Legacy?

Last season with Carson Wentz at quarterback, the Colts were just one game away from making the playoffs.

However, the team fell short because of a devastating loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the last game of the season.

With Ryan at the helm in Indianapolis, they have better chances of making the playoffs.

But they need more pieces around Ryan if they want to help him make the playoffs in 2022.

A playoff run and a ticket to Super Bowl 57 would cement Ryan as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

They have some pieces around him currently.

One of the crucial pieces is running back Jonathan Taylor, who had over 1,800 running yards last season.

With his return, the Colts’ running game will continue to dominate the game plan.

It also opens up opportunities for Ryan with plays down the field.

They need more than Taylor for Ryan in Indianapolis.

The team needs a solid core or receivers if they expect Ryan to succeed.

Free agency has some options for the Colts to get Ryan.

Former teammate Julio Jones would make for a great pairing with Ryan in Indianapolis.

Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. are also still on the market for the Colts to sign.

If they want to build a team for a run to the Super Bowl, any of these three options would help them.

It would also help Ryan on his way to Canton as a Hall of Fame quarterback.

So I'm looking at Vegas SB odds for 2022 after recent FA signings and coaching changes, current today, and they're not quite what I expected. Rams are SB champs, but almost accross the board they are only the 5th favorite. Bills #1 I can understand, but the Buc's #2, with a new coach? and the Pack #4 without Adams, Rogers favorite WR and no true #1 WR? Rams rated 5th best?

What am I missing?

@CGI_Ram

Typically you want a cname pointing towards you domain..

curl https://www.ramsondemand.com
curl: (6) Could not resolve host: www.ramsondemand.com

at the very least a 301 redirect from www to domain.

Not too much to ask for, along with some birthday cake! How many Championship wins does it take, two or three?

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Dan Snyder has to be on his last leg with the NFL. If there is truth behind this smoke, he is done.

View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2954928-nfl-quarterbacks-who-are-on-the-hot-seat-in-2022

NFL Quarterbacks Who Are on the Hot Seat in 2022​

The 2022 NFL offseason has been filled with notable trades involving quarterbacks. Matt Ryan, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Carson Wentz were all dealt during the first wave of free agency.

Hidden behind the sheer shock value of the trades themselves is the fact that they were largely precipitated by other quarterbacks failing to meet expectations.

The Washington Commodes wanted an upgrade over Taylor Heinicke and dealt for Wentz. The Indianapolis Colts weren't happy with their first year of the Wentz experiment and replaced him with Ryan.

The Cleveland Browns didn't believe that Baker Mayfield was true franchise-quarterback material and traded for Watson. The Denver Broncos felt the same about 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock and replaced him with Wilson.

One can debate whether any of these quarterbacks got a fair shake, but the reality is that franchises are no longer willing to be overly patient with the game's most important position. Mayfield is still with the Browns, but he will soon become the third first-round quarterback from the 2018 class to be gone from the team that drafted him.

The cycle is going to continue, and you'll find a look at seven quarterbacks who enter 2022 on the hot seat below. Each situation is unique, but these players all face the possibility of being replaced next year. Though they certainly have plenty to prove in 2022, second-year players like Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence were not included.

Sam Darnold

To be fair, Sam Darnold might not make it to the 2022 regular season as the Carolina Panthers' starter. Carolina already tried and failed to acquire Watson. It might look to draft a quarterback early too, possibly at sixth overall.

However, the Panthers aren't committed to drafting a quarterback early, at least not publicly. They're also leaving the door open for Darnold to keep the reins this season.

"I think Sam's going to play significantly improved football," coach Matt Rhule said, per Darin Gantt of the team's official website.

Carolina doesn't have a ton of choice at this point. It missed on Watson and is set to pay Darnold $18.9 million guaranteed on his fifth-year option. Even if the Panthers do draft a quarterback, Darnold could still be the Week 1 starter.

"With quarterbacks, you have to say to yourself, who are they going to be in two years, three years? If you're smart, don't rush them," Rhule said.

Whether he's the clear-cut starter or a bridge, though, Darnold is facing his last chance with the Panthers. He never lived up to his draft status (third overall in 2018) with the New York Jets, which is how he became available for Carolina last offseason.

Darnold's inaugural season with the Panthers was just as disappointing as his Jets tenure, if not worse. He threw nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions, went 4-7 as a starter and posted a passer rating of only 71.9. For his career, he has a 76.9 rating and a 17-32 record.

If Darnold flounders once again this season, finding a third team to give him a starting opportunity will become very difficult.

Jared Goff

Like Darnold, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff could be replaced in the 2022 draft. However, the Lions don't appear sold on drafting a quarterback early, and they're at least open to trading the second overall pick.

Detroit has also publicly shown support for Goff, who was acquired as part of the trade that sent longtime starter Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.

"Jared played good football for us late in the year," general manager Brad Holmes said, per Tim Twentyman of the team's official website. "So we have a lot of optimism about Jared going forward. We have a quarterback."

The question is whether the Lions will have Goff beyond this season. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft is signed through 2024. However, he will have just $10 million in dead money on his deal after 2022. He'll need to show more if he's going to play out his current contract.

Goff hasn't been an embarrassment as a pro by any means. He was a Pro Bowler in 2017 and 2018 and helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl during the 2018 season. However, L.A. wanted Stafford because it believed Goff had hit his ceiling as a good-not-great quarterback.

With the Lions last season, Goff was certainly not great, though again, not a disaster. He went 3-10-1 as a starter but posted a respectable 91.5 passer rating. That was good enough for Detroit's rebuilding year but not enough to suggest that Goff can be the Lions' franchise quarterback.

He could still be that quarterback. With an improved supporting cast, he could return to Pro Bowl form. If he doesn't, though, Detroit will be looking to part with him just as the Rams did—only the Lions won't have to trade his contract to make it happen.

Jalen Hurts

When the Eagles decided to pull the plug on Wentz, they turned to 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts. While Hurts was far from perfect as the starter in 2021, he helped take Philadelphia to the postseason.

The Eagles, it seems, believe that Hurts can be a permanent fixture under center.

"Spending some time around Eagles coach Nick Sirianni during his media session at the just-completed NFL owners meetings, I came away convinced he is all in on seeing if Jalen Hurts can be the team's long-term solution at quarterback," CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora wrote.

Still, Hurts needs to go out and prove Sirianni and the Eagles right in 2022. While Philadelphia did reach the postseason, Hurts went a middling 8-7 as a starter. He was an effective dual-threat quarterback but completed just 61.3 percent of his passes. He ranked 22nd in passer rating (87.2).

The reality is that while the Eagles may like Hurts, they need him to be better on the field. This is a team likely to stick with him because it believes it can win now.

"I don't view the Eagles as being a big player in the quarterback market today," ESPN's Adam Schefter told 97.5 The Fanatic (h/t Rob Tornoe of the Philadelphia Inquirer). "My sense is they think they have a pretty good team, that they can win now, they think it's a good draft, and they're going to help themselves with other players."

If the Eagles can't win now and if Hurts fails to improve in Year 3—his second season as a full-time starter—Philadelphia will likely seek alternatives. Hurts will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2023 and will be a prime candidate to serve as a one-year bridge to a rookie-to-be-drafted.

To keep the starting job long-term, Hurts needs to prove that he can elevate the Eagles offense, not simply manage it.

Daniel Jones

Unlike Darnold and Goff, Daniel Jones is still with the team that drafted him. The New York Giants took the Duke product sixth overall in 2019. He showed flashes of promise as a rookie, finishing with 3,027 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 87.7 passer rating.

He hasn't been as promising since.

As a rookie, Jones took over for an aging Eli Manning. Since being handed the keys in 2020, he has been both inconsistent and underwhelming. He's thrown just 21 touchdowns and 17 interceptions over the past two seasons and has gone 12-25 as a starter with the Giants overall.

Jones has also had a serious fumbling issue. He's put the ball on the ground 36 times in 38 games. That's unacceptable, even for a quarterback on a bad team. Jones finished the 2021 season sidelined by a neck injury.

The Giants are going to give Jones a chance to audition for new head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. However, New York doesn't appear willing to commit beyond this season.

"It seems likely they will pass since he's yet to show any real consistency in his first three seasons as a starting quarterback and it would mean guaranteeing him $20-plus million for 2023," Jordan Raanan of ESPN wrote.

New York doesn't appear likely to draft a quarterback early, but it did bring in journeyman Tyrod Taylor as quarterback insurance. If Jones cannot be a reliable signal-caller in 2022, the Giants might pull him and they will almost assuredly move on next year.

Kyler Murray

A quarterback landing on the hot seat isn't purely about on-field results. Mayfield is a perfect example.

The Browns quarterback set a then-rookie record with 27 touchdown passes in 2018. He then led Cleveland to its first playoff victory as an expansion franchise in 2020. However, he struggled in 2019 and again in 2021—though he battled a torn labrum for most of this past season.

Mayfield was a quarterback Cleveland could win with but not consistent enough to justify paying him like an elite signal-caller, so the Browns found what they believed to be an upgrade.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray may be facing a similar situation.

Murray is a two-time Pro Bowler who helped Arizona reach the playoffs in 2021. However, he has a losing record (22-23-1) as a starter, has yet to deliver a playoff victory and missed time with an ankle injury this past season.

He's been good but not good enough to carry Arizona deep into the postseason—and now Murray appears to be angling for a new deal. His agent, Erik Burkhardt, also released a statement expressing Murray's desire for a long-term deal that is "in line with the current QB market."

Will the Cardinals reward Murray with a lucrative long-term second contract? That will likely depend on how he performs in 2022. If the Oklahoma product doesn't deliver a postseason victory, Arizona may hesitate to extend him, leading the Cardinals to a situation similar to the one Cleveland faced earlier this offseason.

Murray might not seem like a prime hot-season candidate, but the idea of the Browns dumping Mayfield seemed unfathomable this time last year. Yet, here we are. Murray must prove that he can do more than put up good numbers in the regular season.

Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill is an outlier on this list because he's an older quarterback—he'll turn 34 in July—and because he came in to replace another quarterback on the hot seat. Tannehill was drafted eighth overall by the Miami Dolphins in 2012. He didn't work out in Miami but has been mostly good for the Tennessee Titans.

Tannehill was brought in to back up 2015 second overall pick Marcus Mariota in 2019. He was a Pro Bowler that season, and Tennessee moved forward with Tannehill as its starter instead of Mariota. It also signed Tannehill to a lucrative four-year, $118 million contract.

While Tannehill has played winning football for the Titans—he has a 30-13 record with Tennessee—he hasn't exactly elevated the talent around him. He's made key mistakes at times too, like in his three-interception game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round this past postseason.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote the following:

"There are real questions on Ryan Tannehill's long-term viability as the Titans quarterback after how last season ended for the AFC's top seed, particularly since so much of their core (Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard, Taylor Lewan, A.J. Brown, Jeffery Simmons) is made up of guys in the prime of their careers, meaning this should be that group's championship window."

Tannehill is under contract through 2023, but the Titans are only truly committed to him for another year. While he'll have $18.8 million in dead cap remaining on his contract in 2023, Tennessee could save $17.8 million off the cap by releasing him.

If Tannehill can't return to Pro Bowl form and can't carry Tennessee deeper into the postseason, the Titans are going to find a quarterback who can.

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has had an up-and-down start to his pro career. He was in and out of the lineup as a rookie—sharing time with Ryan Fitzpatrick—and he missed time with a finger injury in 2021.

Tagovailoa has a 13-8 record as a starter but a passer rating of only 88.8. He's shown accuracy, completing 66.2 percent of his passes. He's also struggled to push the ball downfield.

Last season, Tagovailoa ranked 25th in yards per pass attempt (6.8).

The Dolphins are going all-out to support him. They brought in an offensive coach in Mike McDaniel, franchise-tagged tight end Mike Gesicki, traded for Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill and signed Terron Armstead, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Connor Williams, Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert.

If these additions don't make Miami's offense hum, Tagovailoa will bear the brunt of the criticism.

"The Dolphins have loaded up in ways that should make any quarterback happy and feel well-positioned for success, yet somehow their offseason has come off like a backhanded compliment," Nora Princiotti of The Ringer wrote.

Tagovailoa hasn't been good enough thus far to make Miami consider granting him an extension after the 2022 season—the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers are in a much different position with Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, respectively. He hasn't been awful enough for the Dolphins to pull the plug, either.

This is a make-or-break year for the Alabama product, and if he again struggles with this supporting cast, Miami may look to part ways with Tagovailoa before he reaches Year 4.

Contract information via Spotrac.

Great comedy timing. Couldn’t imagine anyone else playing George’s mom.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...s-toy-storys-mrs-potato-head-seinfeld-dead-93

I certainly Hope So!!!

Too funny but oh, so TRUE.

That's right 12's. hang your heads. No eye contact. Bow before your superiors.
We own the West you peasants.


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The Rams chose the right year to need to draft a punter​

The Johnny Hekker era appears to be over. With his release, the depth chart for the Rams currently has the starting punter listed as... a blank space. If the Rams don't add a new P in free agency, the good news is this is an abnormally deep class of punter prospects. While there might not be a punter at the top of the class as good as players such as Shane Lechler (5th round 2000), Bryan Anger (3rd round 2012) or Michael Dickson (5th round 2018), the class makes up for it with depth.

Perusing some of Lance Zierlein's draft profiles on punters in this year's draft, I found at least 5 players he's given draft grades of at least 5.58 (really there were 6 punters, but I don't think one of them is in the draft, more on that below.) I don't know if there are even more, because they haven't uploaded all of the 2022 prospects into the database yet. Having so many punters graded this high is not typical. This is how many punters met this threshold in recent drafts:

2021: 3

2020: 3

2019: 2

2018: 3

2017: 1

2016: 2

2015: 1

2014: 1

The consensus top punter this year is Matt Araiza, who I already profiled in a fanpost. I think most of the draft boards have him ranked too high. He is a boom or bust type prospect, someone who could turn out to be an elite NFL punter or who could be a total bust and bomb out of the NFL entirely. I see Araiza as being a draftable prospect, but since punter is one of the least important positions on an NFL roster, if I'm going to draft one early, I want that player to be a "slam dunk" good NFL punter, not a risky pick.

If we compared Araiza to a placekicker, I'd use Chris Boswell for an analogy. Boswell had a very powerful leg in college, but had issues with accuracy. He was an UDFA in 2014. He spent his rookie season on a PS, then failed to make the roster of his 2nd NFL team at the start of his 2nd season. He eventually established himself with the Steelers, his 3rd NFL team and has developed into one of the top kickers in the NFL.

Sent Out of Town

In 2018 there were 4 punters drafted, the most in a single draft since 1999. Three of them went in the 5th round, headlined by the great Texas punter from Australia, Michael Dickson. The Australian invasion of punters is still going strong, as multiple punters in this class are also Aussies. In addition to Dickson, JK Scott was drafted in the 5th by the Packers and Johnny Townsend was drafted in the 5th by the Raiders.

His final season in college, Townsend had the best punting average in FBS at 47.9 yards. He also set the record for career best punting average in FBS, a mark that was broken this year by one of the punters in the 2022 draft (we'll get to him eventually). Townsend made his NFL regular season debut against... the Los Angeles Rams. He had a 43.2 punting average as a rookie, ranking 31st in the NFL, nearly dead last. He was 29th in net average.

The following year, Townsend faced competition in training camp from an UDFA. That rookie only had a 5.40 draft grade from LZ and his profile said he had below average leg strength and lacked touch to bury opponents near the end zone. In college, he only had a 42.4 yard average his final season. Based on LZ's evaluation and grade, you'd think the UDFA would only be a camp leg and had little chance of beating out a former 5th round draft pick.

Instead, the rookie was impressive, displaying a stronger leg and better ball control compared to Townsend. The rookie sealed the deal with a strong performance in a preseason game against... the Los Angeles Rams. Townsend was waived after that game. Thereafter, Townsend bounced around on half a dozen NFL teams, mainly as a practice squad player.

Who was that rookie, the guy who supposedly wasn't NFL material? It was AJ Cole, who had the best punting average in the NFL in 2021. He finished 5th in net average (one slot behind Hekker).

Things only went slightly better for JK Scott up in Green Bay. As a rookie, Scott was 27th in the NFL in net punting average and 22nd in gross average. His 3rd pro season in 2020, he was 28th in net average. At the end of the preseason of his 4th year, Scott was waived after the Packers acquired a different punter in a trade with... the Los Angeles Rams. Scott signed with the Jaguars late last season after their starting punter suffered a season ending injury. If the Rams want to try retreads, maybe they could look at punters such as Townsend and Scott.

Out of the three 5th round punters drafted in 2018, the only one still playing with his original team is Dickson for the Seahawks. AJ Cole has turned out to be a more valuable punter than either Townsend and Scott, and also has measured up compared with 2 middle round picks from his own draft class in 2019 (Wishnowky in the 4th and Jake Bailey in the 5th). Wishnowsky was about average in both gross and net punting last season.

The Rundown

Since there are so many players to cover, I'm only going to give a brief summary for each prospect. For comparison. LZ gave Araiza a 6.09 grade and on various boards he's ranked between the late 3rd round to the 5th round.

1. Jordan Stout (Penn State) 5.99 grade, consensus UDFA. 6'3'' tall, 209 pounds. Ran 4.65 sec in the 40. LZ says he has the makings of a steady, long term NFL punter. Quality power, outstanding touch. Limits returns with hang time. Rarely punts ball into the end zone. Consistent quick operation with both 2 and 3 step approach. Very low touchback rate. Only an average directional punter. Watching him, there's nothing overly impressive about his leg strength, but he has good technique, enough passing ability to execute a fake, probably has limited upside to become one of the top pro punters, but has a high floor and could be a reliable punter. He was also the K for PSU, but doesn't quite have enough leg to be a regular pro kicker. 46.1 yard average in 2021. 35 inside 20 and 3 touchbacks. 30 out of 67 punts were fair caught. Zero blocks in 99 career punts. Only averaged 41.5 yards in 2020. 7th in nation in kickoff touchback percentage in 2020. Turns 24 years old in August.

2. Jake Camarda (Georgia) 5.85 grade, 5th round to UDFA rankings. 6'1'' tall, 193 pounds. Set all time record for the best 40 yard dash time by a specialist at the Combine at 4.56 seconds. LZ says he has NFL touch-to-toe speed of operation and NFL leg strength. Adds kickoff ability. Inconsistent hitting ball. Hasn't learned to control ball to deaden it inside 20. Accurate directional control. Below average hang time. Can expedite punts with 2 step technique. Career average 45.8 yards. 46.7 yard average in 2021. Mediocre 25.5% touchback stat compared to Hekker's much better 11.3% rate in his NFL career.

3. Michael Turk (Oklahoma) 5.60 grade. As best I can tell, he decided to stay in college and is returning to OU. He actually was in the 2020 draft and wasn't selected, then the NCAA somehow allowed him to return to college and gave him 2 more years of eligibility. He had a 46 yard average for Arizona State, then after transferring to OU had a whopping 51.2 average last year. LZ says he has tremendous power, lacks ball control, outkicks his coverage, adequate hangtime, inconsistent directional control, below average on pooch kicks. In other words, he has similarities with Araiza, but in my opinion Turk is the better prospect. Plus, by staying in school he can work on his weaknesses one more year. If you draft Araiza and try to put him on PS to work on his game, you could lose him to another team and end up wasting that draft pick. One reason teams might be reluctant to get too crazy pursuing the 2022 punters is if Turk is available next year maybe they could draft him. On the other hand, Turk will be 25 years old by the time of next year's draft. Even if he's not in this draft, keep his name in mind, because it could influence draft strategy.

4. Blake Hayes (Illinois) 5.59 grade. UDFA rankings. From Melbourne, Australia. 6'4'' tall, 226 pounds. LZ says elite coffin corner punter, outstanding control. Lacks hang time and power, operational time too slow, had 3 punts blocked. He's left footed. Had 45.1 average last season, career best. Turns 24 in August. I don't have as much a problem as LZ with his timing, but he doesn't have a strong leg or strikes the ball consistently. He is good at downing the ball inside the 20.

5. Trenton Gill (NCST) 5.58 grade. UDFA rankings. LZ says he has an average leg and mediocre control. 6'4 3/8'' tall, 220 pounds. 45.1 yard average in 2021, 41.5 yard net average. Two year understudy to AJ Cole at NCST and became the new punter after Cole left for the NFL. Career average 46.3 yards. 23 years old, biology major. I like this guy better than LZ does. He's smart and technical, shows some directional control and ball control, hang time, his footwork has improved during his career in college, good size. I think he has upside as a pro.

6. Ryan Stonehouse (Colorado State) Not graded. UDFA rankings. This is the guy who broke Townsend's record for the best career punting average in FBS history at 47.8 yards. His dad and 2 uncles were also Division 1 school punters. 5'11'' tall, 185 pounds, turns 23 years old in May. Had a whopping 50.9 yard average in 2021 (42.3 yard net), but was only 2nd team all conference, because he's in the same conference as Matt Araiza. Had bombs punting on the road at sea level, so his stats aren't just a mirage created by elevation. Has a unique style, holds the ball underhanded, like a restaurant waiter holding a plate. Nice hang time. His footwork is better than Araiza, but like Araiza he needs to improve and change it to adapt to NFL style punting. He'll take extra steps and it hinders the elapsed time to get the punt away. His footwork is better now than it was early in his career. Shows skill with directional punting and some ball control. I think Stonehouse is arguably just as good if not a better prospect than Araiza, but similar to Araiza there is a boom or bust factor compared with the other prospects. Still, if other teams are willing to target Araiza in the 3rd or 4th round and Stonehouse is likely to be available as an UDFA, I think it can make the draft calculus interesting. Is it really worth drafting a punter that early?

7. Ryan Wright (Tulane) Not graded, UDFA rankings. 6'3'' tall, 245 pounds. Has a history of shanks, including a 30 yarder. Slumped in 2019, but improved both in 2020 (45.2 yard ave) and 2021 (47.5 yard ave, a career best). Can expedite operation with 2 step technique to get ball out quickly.

8. Josh Watts (Colorado) Not graded, UDFA ranking. From Tasmania, Australia. 6'4'' tall, 210 pounds. 26 years old. 47.8 yard ave in 2021. Mediocre fair catch and downing inside 20 stats.

9. Ben Griffiths (USC) Not graded, UDFA. From Melbourne, Australia. Turns 31 years old in September. 6'7'' tall, 240 pounds. Former professional Aussie rules football player. 45.4 yard ave over last 2 seasons.

Conclusion

I'd prefer to try to find a punter with NFL experience rather than roll with a rookie this season. It is also important to try to find someone who can be a reliable holder for FGs, otherwise we could see Matt Gay "regress" in 2022. If the Rams do choose to look in the draft for their new punter, there are a number of viable names to consider. I don't think Rams fans have to be fixated on Matt Araiza, thinking that he is the only fish in the sea. Some of the other punters don't have nearly as much leg power as Araiza, but they are much more advanced that he is at things such as directional control and getting the ball to die inside of the 10 yard line in the coffin corner. That might be all the Rams need, because do the Rams really intend on doing a bunch of punting from deep inside their own territory in 2022? A team with a good offense is probably more likely to be punting closer to midfield. I don't know how many punters will be drafted in 2022, maybe none of them will get selected, but even as UDFAs there should be several who could provide legitimate camp competition for NFL jobs.

Do any of the punters listed above appeal to you? Who would be your top 3 names?

I went on the Lambeau Field tour the other day and here’s what I seen.

Now that the Rams and Bobby Wagner have agreed to terms (Great Move by the Rams!!) what can us Rams Fans can expect next (AD extending his contract?, Signing OBJ, etc)?

I have come to always expect with MCVAY & SNEAD the UNEXPECTED!!!

Seems Funny!! Before MCVAY and SNEAD the NFL offseason was pretty much all about the DRAFT but now due to the Rams success and most of their high Draft Picks being traded away the Draft just is not as exciting to me as before (THANK GOODNESS!!!)!

Started with the Monday Night game in AZ and finished the Baltimore game today.

Realized it then but kinda forgot...boy the Rams did not play well and Stafford was horrid for 3Qs. With a healthy Lamar I think the Ravens win that game fairly easily the way the were running and controlling the ball.

If this video was already posted, I apologize and expect the Mods to move it or delete it.

The Rams organization is on a different level compared to most of the other 31 NFL team owners regarding salary distribution (guaranteed) money, (signing bonuses) and all of the other factors involved when it comes to beating the system regarding the NFL's salary cap rules.

The Rams have a salary cap wizard in Tony Pastoors.

(Mr. Pastoors is as good at gets in the NFL)

Without Kroenke opening his wallet and willing to pay out of pocket (even) when the Rams brass convince him to make bad investments, Pastoors' salary cap skills would be limited on most of the other NFL teams.

The (F) those picks and (F) the cap cliches are only possible because of Stan Kroenke willing to pay the piper even if the investments go belly up.

Kroenke puts a lot of stock in his Rams and has wasted tons of money on bad Rams investments.

Stan still keeps putting his chips on the table and we are fortunate to have him as the Rams owner.


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I dont blame the guy... get it while you can. Even he and his agent were surprised at the offer.

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1. 2021: "All in!"

2. 2022: "All in, all the time!"

3. The plan is working.

4. The first order of business was to, in light of Andrew Whitworth's retirement, ensure that we have reasonable continuity on the OL. By locking in Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen (and, to a lesser extent, Coleman Shelton), mission accomplished.

5. Losing Von Miller was not part of the plan, but neither was adding Bobby Wagner. Sometimes, you have to adjust on the fly. While Wagner does not bring the pass rush presence of Miller, his leadership, ability to "quarterback" the defense, and impact on the run defense will be huge.

6. Speaking of the run defense, I think their playoff performance has been largely overlooked. In the four playoff games, the Rams allowed 60.3 rushing yards/game and a YPC average of 3.3. That's impressive... and now we add Wagner.

7. I'm as sorry to see Robert Woods go, but I understand the move. Allen Robinson brings a dimension that we lacked - a guy who can punish smaller CBs and win on 50/50 balls.

8. If we are able to retain OBJ and enter next year's playoffs with a trio of him, Robinson and Cooper Kupp... watch out.

9. I have a never say never attitude when it comes to signing FAs. That said, I'm having a hard time believing we'll land Stephon Gilmore.

10. Jerry Hughes is an attainable target who I think would be a great fit.

11. The Rams are currently built to contend this year, and in 2023. While we'll have a few starters (Havenstein, Edwards, Robinson, Gaines, Scott/Rapp) and some key rotation players (Henderson, Long) to deal with, and likely won't retain all of them, the core is set.

12. Havenstein is a guy I'd love to extend now, if possible.

13. In the draft, I think the Rams will continue to look for depth in positions that could be eroded through FA in 2023.

14. At the EDGE spot, I'm intrigued by Western Kentucky's DeAngelo Moore, a small-school prospect who excelled at the Senior Bowl.

15. At CB, I think that Joshua Williams, another small school guy (Fayetteville State) is worth a look. His measurables (6'3, 193 lbs., 4.53 forty) entice, but I really like his tackling ability.

16. At RB (yes, RB), I really like Brian Robinson from Alabama.

17. I smile every time I see another team's fan post a "how do they keep signing guys" or "doesn't the salary cap apply to them" post.

18. Meanwhile, the 49ers don't know if their intended starting QB is ready, the Packers have lost their best (and third best) WR, and the Bucs are suddenly under a new HC.

19. Speaking of the Bucs, you can't tell me that Arians' departure wasn't a condition of Brady's return. Sure, they've weaved a Kumbaya narrative, but it seems pretty clear to me.

20. Running it back!

Newest thread for random jokes and funny memes about the NFL that don't seem to fit anywhere else.

Previous threads.

Since last couple of threads started with Brady and then Cowboys we'll just keep that theme going to start the new year.


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