I'm talking a small one too. I bought a few 6' x 8' panels and some 4x4 posts. Plan is to install them at the edge of my wife's garden to give the corner area some nice seclusion for a sitting area. Easy project right???

Oh hell no. First off when I started I didn't google how deep to dig because I'm an ignorant asshole, I just figured 4' so I bought 10' posts. This hearkens back to my Maine days when you had to dig beneath the frost layer. But at about 30" or so I hit a layer of rock and clay that stopped me cold and made my wrists and arms sore as hell after a couple hours of hammering the posthole digger down there trying to dislodge them. The silver lining here however was that afterwards I discovered 30" is fine for a 6' high fence. Thank God.

I would like to observe that post hole diggers were invented by Satan. If there is a hell I will certainly wake up there someday and it will involve digging post holes for eternity, because I can imagine nothing worse.

So at this point I have four post holes dug (two of the three panels) and two of them are cemented in. BTW quickcrete is amazing. First time I've used it (my acreage is fenced but I paid a crew to do that thank God). But I'm a week and a half into this shit due to needing rest days to recover from the digging. This project has become a damn oddysey but it's personal now and by God I'm gonna finish it. Feel like I'm in a side story of the Illiad or something. Ok time to ice my wrists again.

Rams camp preview: Who steps up at OLB opposite Leonard Floyd?​

Edge defenders are so important in the NFL, given the way they can impact the game against the run and as pass rushers. The Rams found a good one in Leonard Floyd, who they signed last offseason, but they lost Samson Ebukam in free agency and don’t have a clear-cut starter on the other side of Floyd.

Training camp will help sort things out, but there’s only one true lock at this position, with the other players jockeying for position before cuts happen. Here’s a preview of the outside linebackers, looking at who could start alongside Floyd this season.

LOCKS

• Leonard Floyd

Floyd is just about as safe as anyone on the entire roster. He just signed a four-year deal worth $64 million, so the Rams certainly aren’t going to cut him. And considering how thin on talent they are at outside linebacker, there’s absolutely no reason he won’t be a starter.

He’s the best edge rusher on the team and established himself as a well-rounded defender last season with the Rams. Floyd will be a big part of the defense this year and should play the majority of the defensive snaps.

LIKELY TO MAKE IT

• Justin Hollins
• Terrell Lewis
• Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

I’m not confident enough in any of these players to put them in the “locks” category. They all should make the team and will likely play key roles at outside linebacker, but none of them are certain to make the 53-man roster. Hollins has a good chance to start, as does Lewis if he can stay healthy.

Okoronkwo is likely to be more of a situational pass rusher, given his smaller size and lack of consistency against the run. Lewis has the potential to be a Floyd-type defender on the edge, but he must stay healthy and hold off the Rams’ other pass rushers.

ON THE BUBBLE

• Chris Garrett
• Justin Lawler

Garrett is an undrafted rookie, while Lawler has stuck around since 2018 after being a seventh-round pick that year. Garrett has more upside, but Lawler knows the defense and is more experienced.

It could come down to the Rams keeping just one of these defenders and it might be whichever one plays better in camp and the preseason. In all likelihood, Garrett will spend a year on the practice squad, which could open the door for Lawler once again.

He has a steep learning curve coming from Division II, so he may not be ready for the NFL just yet.

LONG SHOTS

• Max Roberts
• John Daka

The Rams claimed Daka off waivers from the Jets this May, adding another pass rusher to the mix. Roberts was an undrafted rookie out of Boston College, but he has some potential.

Both players will need to really stand out in camp if they’re going to make the 53-man roster, but that still may not be enough because Lewis, Hollins and Okoronkwo are all likely to make the roster anyway.

If Los Angeles is afraid of Daka or Roberts being claimed off waivers, they could opt to keep one of them initially when final cuts are made.

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART

• Starters: Floyd and Hollins
• Backups: Lewis, Okoronkwo and Garrett

Floyd is going to be a starter, but it remains to be seen who lines up on the other side of him at outside linebacker. Hollins seems like the best choice, with Lewis and Okoronkwo also pushing for playing time.

If healthy, Lewis has a great combination of size and explosiveness to be an NFL starter, but he has to remain on the field – which has been troublesome for him in college and the NFL.

Rams ready to see where Matthew Stafford leads them​

In most ways, the Rams’ trade for Matthew Stafford is a familiar football story: Team desperate for a Super Bowl brings in famous quarterback to lead it over the hump.

That’s the plot that paid off in Super Bowl trophies for the Broncos with Peyton Manning in the last decade and the Buccaneers with Tom Brady last season.

But in one way, what the Rams are trying to do with Stafford is without precedent. Unlike Manning and Brady, Stafford arrives without a Super Bowl on his résumé. In fact, one thing Stafford is famous for is being one of the best quarterbacks to have never won so much as a playoff game.

If the 33-year-old former No. 1 overall draft pick leads the Rams to the Super Bowl in February at SoFi Stadium, he won’t do it by saying, “Follow me, boys, I know the way.”

Stafford has been answering questions about his hunger for playoff success after 12 lean years with the Lions ever since the January trade that sent Jared Goff and three draft picks to Detroit, and he’ll still be answering them as Rams quarterbacks and rookies report Sunday for training camp in Irvine.

“Not having too many playoff chances under my belt, it’s frustrating, it’s tough,” Stafford said during the offseason. “You know, you play this game for success as a team, and you want to win games and be in those big moments. I’m excited to hopefully have that opportunity.”

While Stafford has ranked among the NFL’s 10 most productive passers in seven seasons, he made only three playoff starts with the Lions, who lost in the 2011, 2014 and 2016 wild-card rounds.

With the Rams, he joins teams who have known playoff success. Among the 70 non-rookies on the 90-man training-camp roster, 39 have played in at least one postseason victory, including nine holdovers from the Rams’ 2018 trip to the Super Bowl behind Goff. Even backup quarterback John Wolford has more playoff wins to his name than Stafford, having started the wild-card win over the Seahawks in January.

It’s an odd situation for a player stepping into a leadership role.

“I think the biggest thing for me – I try to do it in all situations – is I’m just going to try to be myself. Try and be the best version of myself that I can possibly be,” Stafford said. “I’ll organically get to know everybody and all that. It can’t happen in one trip around the locker room. It takes some time to figure out what makes guys tick.

“(I) understand that there’s been a high standard of success here – really, quarterback play as well. I’ve got to come in here and do my part, and I think that’s the biggest thing that people are going to take away from a quote-unquote leadership aspect of things, is just do your job to the (best) of your ability as often as you possibly can.”

One Rams teammate who can relate is Andrew Whitworth, the two-time All-Pro left tackle who was 0-6 in the playoffs in 12 seasons with the Bengals before he signed with the Rams in 2017 and quickly became the leader of the offensive line.

“Similar to my situation, he (Stafford) played for a really long time for one team in the Midwest and in a place where he was the guy and the leader and everything else,” Whitworth said. “It’s almost invigorating and a little nerve-wracking to come somewhere else, where there’s going to be an expectation. It almost fires you up and makes you feel like a rookie again.

“I think his mentality is similar to what mine was, and I think that’s why he’ll be great. He’s a natural leader and he’s a guys’ guy. You can tell he loves where he is and he’s having fun and he’s excited about the opportunity.”

Just who the Rams’ locker-room leaders are this season remains to be seen. Goff was one of the team captains for three seasons. Also leaving in the offseason were vocal safety John Johnson and defensive lineman Michael Brockers. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald shows the way with his work ethic.

Rams coach Sean McVay describes Stafford’s locker-room presence by citing something ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, said: “When he walks into a room, you know he’s the man, but he can also be one of the guys. He’s got great confidence but a humility as well.”

Stafford impressed teammates in spring practice sessions by being more of a listener than a talker, wide receiver Robert Woods said.

“From a receiver’s standpoint, your quarterback asking, ‘What do you want on this route?’ is super big,” Woods said. “He’s coming into our offense with receivers who’ve made plays, but (he’s) really trying to make us comfortable (with him).”

The result was quickly evident, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd said.

“You can tell guys are buying in to what he’s doing already,” Floyd said after the first day of organized team activities in May.

Being 0-for-the-playoffs with a bedraggled team like the Lions doesn’t mean a quarterback can’t win a championship with a better team like the Rams. You’ve got to start, or restart, somewhere. George Blanda, Len Dawson and Drew Brees had zero playoff wins with one franchise and went on to win titles with another.

But Blanda’s title was the Oilers’ 1961 AFL championship, in pre-Super Bowl days. Dawson and Brees were only 27 when they made their big moves, Dawson going from the Browns to the Chiefs, with whom he won the 1962 AFL title (when they were the Dallas Texans) and the Super Bowl seven years later. Brees was 27 when the ex-Charger signed with the Saints in 2006, and won a Super Bowl three years later.

There are no cases of a star quarterback like Stafford, without a winning playoff start on his résumé yet as he toils in his 30s, switching teams and finding Super Bowl glory. Among those who tried and failed were Sonny Jurgensen (Washington), Fran Tarkenton (Vikings), Rich Gannon (Raiders) and Carson Palmer (Raiders and Cardinals).

That list includes two ex-Rams: Roman Gabriel, 0-2 in the playoffs with the Rams before being traded to the Eagles at 33 in 1973 and never sniffing the postseason again; and John Hadl, 0-1 with the Chargers before replacing Gabriel in L.A. and losing his only Rams playoff start.

The Rams’ one Super Bowl victory, as the St. Louis Rams in the 1999 season, was led by Kurt Warner, then 28 and in his first full NFL season.

Former Rams wide receiver Torry Holt, who caught Warner’s first touchdown pass in that Super Bowl, doesn’t think Stafford’s lack of winning playoff experience will limit his credibility as a leader.

“I’m sure they’re going to allow Matthew to do his thing. The best experience is to get the experience,” Holt said recently. “They know he hasn’t been there. But I don’t think that’s what they’re thinking about daily. They’re thinking about how they can improve to put themselves in the best position for the ultimate goal, and that’s to win it all.

“I think you’ve heard Matthew say, he’s done that part, now he wants to get in more meaningful games with an opportunity to win some championships. And I think Los Angeles gives him an opportunity to do that.”

The rest of the Rams’ players report to training camp Tuesday. The first practice is Wednesday at UC Irvine, the first preseason game Aug. 14 against the Chargers, the season opener Sept. 12 at SoFi Stadium against the Bears.

The Super Bowl is Feb. 13. If Stafford’s quest for playoff success is still a topic then, the trade will be a winner.

I've been thinking on this since yesterday. And it's been a problem for a while.

I am seeing our rams brothers/sisters attack eachother. Yesterday I saw one of my favorite posters of all time on this board refer to people not wanting their vax as "pussies" that was a let down, man.

We've all been on the opposite side of someone else in our group, but. We HAVE to be better. I was reading the homepage and saw what I guess would be the Mission Statement here. And I see how far we've removed ourselves from this founding principle.

"Rams ON DEMAND was founded in 2010 to provide a different online experience; an engaging community where respect for each other is a condition of membership. Share your love of the Rams and special interests with fans from around the world...."

We have lost some terrific members here to banning or outright leaving over stupid shit. This franchise has its history, causing unrest and division in its fans. St.Louis vs LA. Liking or hating Stan. Warner or Bulger....you know, cause Warner was a pussy! Lol jp...we can't let dumb shit outside of this game divide us as well. This isn't fb.

Someone I've grown closer to on this board recently told me Facebook will divide a family in a matter of minutes. Well, we don't need to have that shit around here. If you can't see things from both sides, and you can't respectfully say your side without taking a dig at the other side....then shut the fuck up. For the love of God...shut the fuck up.

I'm obviously a nobody on this board. I'm just a guy who loves his team and likes to crack jokes and be a smart ass. But. I've ALWAYS tried...as much as I could, to be respectful. I'm not perfect at it. But, damn. We can do better....now, off of my soapbox. Let's be better. I love everyone....except a few of you dicks that I have blocked! Haha

I hate baseball. Just don't care for it. I do enjoy going to games. But the sport itself bores me. While it does have exciting moments. Overall, the experience is blah for me.

That said. My parents are huge cardinal fans. And a ton of people I know are as well.

One thing so many of them have in common is their love for Yadier Molina. I've heard many say he is the best Defensive catcher of all time.

Is there any truth to this? Does he even rank up there?

I have OCD about some things. And one of those things is symmetry....I feel like this new banner is gonna give me a stroke. Lol it's off to the left on my screen.

@CGI_Ram don't do me like this!

I’m curious how everyone views this trade in terms of what is an acceptable outcome. We gave up 2 firsts and a third and a struggling but promising young QB who has had success in the league for a QB who has as much damn arm talent as I’ve ever seen, a veteran who can make all the throws, quick decisions, etc. There is obvious thoughts in our FO that Stafford has been held back by his organization and that he will flourish here.

That being said, we were a perennial playoff team who went to the second round even last year. So in my opinion it begs the question what can be considered a successful outcome for the Rams in this situation? Is it based on Stafford’s individual play or overall team success? Does he need that Super Bowl win?

The future of NFL computerized player tracking and data collection: Its rapid evolution and what comes next​

They make footballs at the Wilson factory in Ada, Ohio. And since 2017 they've been making them a little differently for the NFL.

A regulation-sized football weighs 400 grams (please, spare us your Deflategate jokes). Melded into the bladder of the football is a nickel-sized piece of technology that weighs a whole 4 grams. That radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag sends signals to receiver boxes set up in every NFL stadium, and metrics like height and velocity and even RPMs are measured for every single throw of every single game.

Zebra Technologies is entering its eighth season in partnership with the NFL, and the data that ultimately makes the league's Next Gen Stats comes from the tags in the football, individual player shoulder pads, first-down markers and the pylons.

And in reporting this story, what I found is that the future of NFL data collection and analytics is hard to predict.

"Where things can go with the data," says Matt Swensson, the NFL's VP of emerging products and technology, "you can get pretty broad pretty quickly."

Computerized player tracking in the NFL as we know it today is about to enter its teenage years. The league experimented with optical tracking as early as 2009, but it proved too ineffective for wide-scale collection. Following the completion of the 2011 CBA, both the players union and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell showed strong interest in diving into player tracking in earnest. By the 2014 season, the league had partnered with Zebra thanks to its extensive background in RFID technology in retail, manufacturing and warehouse environments.


A player tracking tag from Zebra Technologies is about the size of a nickel. Zebra Technologies

The evolution and refinement of this data has been rapid. By 2015, all venues that hosted NFL games were equipped with RFID receivers. Balls began getting tagged in 2016, but just for preseason games and Thursday Night Football. Each club then began getting their own game data, and the league started putting more on its front-facing Next Gen Stats website. More advanced stats came in 2017 with the help of Amazon's cloud computing services, and in 2018 the league gave all game data to all clubs each week while implementing the new kickoff rules that prohibited the kicking team from getting a running start after, in part, seeing player speeds from the tags and matching that with concussion data.

It was around that point that John Pollard, Zebra's VP of business development, saw a turning point among fans and media in their collective acceptance of miles-per-hour as a football stat. We became more comfortable with the idea of how fast 19 MPH actually was, and that a quarterback reaching a top speed of 21.23 MPH is really fast.

"Eight to 10 years ago none of us would have thought miles-per-hour was going to be a metric of any consideration in American football," Pollard says. "Within the last two to three years, all the broadcast partners have become much more comfortable and fluent in the tracking data and leveraging it in the process of providing new dimensions to storytelling in a game.

"I'd say over the last two seasons in particular we've worked really closely at trying to find new project opportunities — things I can't talk about today specifically — that we're working on to help support game plan evaluation, game operational processes and team processes as well."

So as to not keep you in suspense throughout this piece, let's go ahead and get this out of the way. If there are markers in the football and pylons and first-down sticks, are we heading for an electronic first down or touchdown?

The answer: potentially, yes. But no time soon.

"Inevitably people consistently ask about ball placement," Pollard says. "Is it feasible that RFID technologies, other technologies, can help support game management processes? Yeah, it's technically feasible. Technology can provide added benefits and there are opportunities for that. What those are, we're still in a period of discovery and consideration. But in terms of accuracy and locationing, we're pretty close."

RFID can be accurate to within 3 or so inches, which is much more accurate than GPS tracking. But it still would need to be more precise in order to dictate what is or isn't a first down in a game like the 2017 Cowboys-Raiders contest where our own Gene Steratore took the unusual step of placing a folded index card at the end of the football to affirm his call.

Plus, the tag in the ball doesn't indicate when a knee or elbow is down. And of course you can't tag body parts on every player. Some sort of optical tracking — like Hawk-Eye in tennis — would be needed in conjunction with the RFID tags in balls and markers.

"I do think it's possible. It's not possible today," Swensson says. "I think it comes through a combination of optical and camera-based feeds with tracking data. And then us getting to a precision level that we're comfortable with. We're just not there yet."

OK, so what is being done? And what can be done? Especially when the league is capturing 200 different metrics per play?

We all can see the front-facing metrics they release on the Next Gen Stats site, and so many of those stats have been integrated into broadcasts and in-stadium videoboards. Rush efficiency measures the total distance a ball-carrier traveled against rushing yards gained (a list a north-south runner like Gus Edwards tops nearly annually.) The Air Yards to Sticks uses the RFID tags in the first-down markers to see how far the ball traveled in relation to the sticks. The passing aggressiveness measurement leverages tags in ball, receiver and defender to see how closely the intended target was covered at the time it was deemed catchable.

But there's a trove of information the media and public does not see. The day after any game, all 32 clubs get a data dump from the previous day's game(s). And they can use the helpful tools provided by the league and/or take the whole lump sum of data and have their employees run their proprietary analytics on it. (The Titans have been the only team in the league without a staffer with "analytics" in their title, though that seems to be changing soon after posting a data analytics position in June.)

"There's two kinds of mechanisms that clubs interact with the data," Swensson says. "There's the raw side where they can take all the information where they have some special tools they've built internally. But then we as a league provide them a tool to go through and see every play. They can scrub through the tracking data synced up with video and can see all the different stats that are generated for that play. And then we have aggregate information, whether at the team or player level, that they can look at as well."

NFL clubs are wildly protective of their analytics departments, but here are some of examples of the possibilities:

• Want to help your pro personnel department? Are your special teams gunners not getting to the returner as quickly as you'd like? Scour the data for some of the league's fastest gunners who may get cut for whatever reason, then pick that player up off waivers.
• Need to reinforce what your quarterback or offensive coordinator is seeing on film, all while making the quality control coach's life a little bit easier? Develop heat maps of defensive player schematic tendencies to show what that safety is doing in a certain down-and-distance situation.
• Even the officials are tagged in games to help the league assess their game performance for grading and help with training.

Deciding what to make public versus keeping private is a delicate balance the NFL has to maintain with respect to both competitive edges and the unknowns of sports betting.

"Our goal is to maintain a fair and balanced game and so that's a top priority for us. And that's been true since Day One of this initiative," Swensson says. "And I mentioned how we slow-rolled data not only to our teams but the fans as well. For my team the bar is high when making sure that when we do statistics that the correlations are there. It's statistically and mathematically seeing that this is a true trend and not some anomaly. Because these are the players' careers. A fair game is important to us."


Computerized player tracking tags from Zebra Technologies are located on each side of NFL shoulder pads. Data used for the league's Next Gen Stats comes from tags in the football, shoulder pads, first-down markers and pylons. Zebra Technologies

The ball metrics are what have intrigued me the most. The league and its clubs now have four seasons of ball tracking data that includes height, velocity and RPMs. If you were a team with an aging quarterback that happened to be located in, say, New Orleans, you would have been able to track the force with which he was throwing the football throughout the season and over a span of years.

Similarly, if you were a team in Tampa Bay interested in acquiring a free agent quarterback who had spent his entire career in New England and wondered if he still had the juice, you had access to three years' worth of data. (I put in a request with the Buccaneers to see if they did this with Tom Brady, and unsurprisingly I did not hear back one way or the other.)

Pollard calls it a "more guarded approach with that capability." Swensson notes that it's important to understand what narratives may be set off a set of data that could be incomplete. In a sample not large enough, spin rate could give you the style of a play but not necessarily of a player. Could a lower spin rate mean a dead arm or just a more finesse thrower?

All that said, a public-facing ball statistic is in the works in the near future. And the league still has some time to make sure something like that is ready for the season.

"We have a couple of stats that I don't want to reveal them yet and they're still in the works," Swensson says. "There were stats that we were looking to launch in one year and we didn't. And it goes back to your point on how careful we are. We don't do it for the sake of doing it. At this point we have plenty of statistics and content that I think are good for fans to dive into.

"When we're creating a stat, if we don't feel it's ready or has that correlation that we want it to have, we're not going to put it out there. While we work on things around the ball, the speed of the ball and how that might map back to certain style of play or certain outcomes, we just need to cross the Ts and dot the Is."

NFL will partner with Hawk-Eye to enhance instant replay capabilities and shorten delays​

In the NFL's continued efforts to enhance and streamline its instant replay process, CBS Sports has learned the league will partner with Hawk-Eye Innovations to aid officials and shave seconds off delays.

The changes, according to multiple sources who spoke to CBS Sports, will include instituting Hawk-Eye's state-of-the-art replay system that will allow the NFL to process live video in real time and sync up various camera angles seamlessly. This comes on the heels of team owners approving expanded duties for replay officials to help with clear, obvious and objective aspects of a play for game administration purposes.

Hawk-Eye is a leader in the sports technology field. It has been used for goal-line tech in international soccer, pit-lane officiating in NASCAR, and it's perhaps best-known for its optical tracking system that enables electronic line calling in tennis.

The NFL will use Hawk-Eye's Synchronized Multi-Angle Replay Technology (SMART) to get control of live video feeds from broadcast partners. All of those feeds can be synced together with time stamps to provide multiple angles of the same play at the exact same time. (TV partners have done something similar for viewers over the years, but not this precise or this quickly after the play.) CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported in 2019 on how the league was eyeing technology like this. The point here is to both get as many calls as possible correct but also speed up the game. Of the 40,032 plays in the 2020 season, only 364 were reviewed. That's slightly lower than the league's 10-year average of 400 plays reviewed since 2011.

Interestingly, the NFL saw its highest reversal rate ever in 2020. Never before had the league seen half of its reviewed plays overturned, and going into 2020 only 38.6% of all reviews had been overturned since 1999. But in 2020, 54% of all reviews were reversed, representing an increase of 7 percentage points from the previous season.

The high percentage of reversals could be due to any combination of factors: no preseason warmups for officials to get into their groove, improved in-stadium technology gives clearer pictures and/or coaches simply getting better at what close calls to challenge.

With reversals up, that usually meant officials taking more time on reviews. And more time equals longer delays. The average delay for reviews in 2020 lasted 2 minutes and 26 seconds, which went up 18 seconds year-over-year and was well above the league-best mark of 1 minute, 44 seconds from the 2017 season.

For years, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made speeding up the game a focal point. We've seen more picture-in-picture commercials during games, for example, and referees no longer go "under the hood" to review plays but instead look at tablets on the field.

With the average delay steadily increasing since Goodell made speeding up the game such a priority, it's no wonder the league is endeavoring this partnership now.

As an example, all turnovers are reviewed. When there's a fumble, officials regularly (and correctly) let the play go rather than whistling it dead too quickly. But oftentimes the replay shows the runner's knee was down well before the ball came out. That pause can be just long enough to necessitate an official timeout and TV commercial break. With this technology, the replay officials should be able to inform the referee of the clear and obvious ruling and not have to delay the game further.

I'm told teams and coaches should be learning more about this new technology during training camp. I've reached out to the league for comment to better understand how this technology will be integrated into game operations and will report back on what's learned.

Why is 12-personnel package more tempting than ever?​

The LA Rams training camp will begin soon, and in the process, some answers will come, some more questions will arise, and the overall matter of who’s in and who’s out will create quite the preseason drama. Of course, who are we kidding? Like it or not, the high-stakes moves of the organization’s front office make each preseason with this team as thrilling as a looper roller coaster. Right now, we are all strapped in, being dragged by the creaks and clangs of the chains that push us to the precipice of the season. At the very top, as preseason games begin, we are able to view the entire season before us. And then, off we go, down down down into the NFL season at breakneck speed.

But before all that happens, let’s try to pause for just a moment and try to make heads or tails of the season before it begins. Even as training camp is about to begin, I cannot help but believe that all the while that the LA Rams have touted deep passes, explosive offenses, versatility, and athleticism, there may be a new wrinkle to this offense that wasn’t advertised. It starts with the 12 personnel package.

Why?

Well, let’s use the data at SharpsFootballStat.com to examine how the Rams lined up the offense in 2020. The team used a base 11 personnel grouping 65 percent of the time. That is one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers. Their next most frequent package is 12 personnel. That configuration is one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers, and was used 30 percent of the time. Finally, the LA Rams used the 13 personnel package, which is one running back, three tight ends, and one wide receiver.

Over the past several years, the LA Rams have constructed that offense around the compatible but equivalent talents of tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, with the augmentation of Johnny Mundt’s blocking ability. But Everett is gone, and the Rams coaches have hinted at a change in offensive philosophy. Word won’t change things. So how might the LA Rams go about getting more points on the board from the tight end room?

More than Mundt’s the aye

The LA Rams TE2, for now, is veteran Johnny Mundt. While that may not hold true throughout training camp, it is where the Rams have things for the moment. Historically, the Rams have used Mundt from a number of positions, but have deployed in such a way that emphasized his incredible blocking skills.

Perhaps that was never more on display than the latter part of the 2019 NFL season. At that time, the LA Rams offensive line was already decimated by injuries, the running game was getting no push, and the team’s passing attack was running into too much predictability and too few yards. And then, tight end Gerald Everett got hurt in the last game of November 2019.

What happened next was completely unexpected, and we’ll discuss that next, but the first surprise was how effective Johnny Mundt’s presence on the offensive line helped to stabilize their effectiveness and enable the team to run the ball much more effectively. Now, with a running game at least partially firing on some cylinders, the offense restored some options.

Johnny Mundt is more than just a blocking tight end. If the Rams could only see him that way. They just don’t. And as long as the Rams do not throw to the 6-foot-4 233-pound eligible receiver, the defense will ignore him too. That’s a bit disappointing because when the Rams had thought Mundt worthy of a pass or two, he has stepped and caught the thing. Well, of 12 targets, Mundt has nine receptions in his career. If he could sustain that completion percentage in a normal range of targets, he could put up from 300-400 receiving yards.

Stick with historic success

Okay, now back to the rest of the story. With Mundt drafted to the starting offensive lineup, the Rams had a dilemma. One more tight end meant one fewer wide receiver. Historically, the Rams allowed starters to rotate into the slot to create mismatches against defensive backs. Now, with just two wide receivers on the field, those mismatches did not line up.

So the Rams began to throw to 6-foot-6 255-pound tight end Tyler Higbee for the month of December 2019. The results were amazing. Higbee put up 522 yards in just one month, a performance that displayed just what his talent could unleash upon the NFL if given the chance. Higbee helped to carry the Rams to a 3-2 record in that month, a record that fell just shy of the NFL Playoffs.

With so much instant success, the belief was that the Rams would follow it up with a similarly structured offense in 2020. That sort of fell through. Well, more truthfully, it never happened whatsoever. It was another “Who shot J.R.” version of the NFL, where the LA Rams discovered that tight end Tyler Higbee has serious pass-catching chops, and then forget everything the following year.

The Rams need to get back to that. Especially now with the need to sort out the backfield. An extra blocker/receiver on the line of scrimmage, running either a 12-personnel or an 02-personnel package to help shoulder blocking over an extra man while continuing to threaten secondaries with an entire arsenal of receivers. Higbee can help carry the team on his back. Maybe the Rams should give him another chance of doing so?

Aloha Jacob Harris

Finally, the LA Rams have already begun to start the buzz about the rookie tight end, or is he a wide receiver, no wait.. tight end Jacob Harris. Harris is the 6-foot-5 211-pound rookie who leads an entirely new type of offensive weapons for the team. You can throw 6-foot-4 245-pound Brycen Hopkins and 6-foot-3 224-pound wide receiver, Ben Skowronek, into that mix as well.

Unlike the Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Trishton Jackson mold of solid speed, solid footwork, great routes, Harris is a fast tall athletic-style receiver who will fight for and win contested catches. He is the guy who the Rams believe can get downfield faster, but who can come out of a scrum with possession of the football.

While Harris and Skowronek are rookies, Hopkins is returning for his second season after being redshirted for his entire rookie season. Hopkins was not alone, as rookie receiver Trishton Jackson and rookie running back Xavier Jones were benchwarmers as well. Rookie running back Raymond Calais did see some action on special teams, and rookie receiver Van Jefferson was seldom used until Cooper Kupp missed games late in 2020.

Harris, Hopkins, and Skowronek are a bit unique to this Rams offense because they are less finesse and more physical receivers. They mark the team’s efforts to get more scoring, as they will likely be deployed more frequently in red zone offensive packages. That is not to say they will be exclusive to within the 20-yard line. Simply that in smaller areas to work in, the Rams will need to attack defenses with multiple strategies.

Two tight-end sub-packages are no longer limited to short-yardage rushing attempts. This year, and with the players currently on the roster, the Rams will need to explore attacking defenses in a variety of ways.

Three questions each NFC West team must answer before 2021 NFL season​

There's arguably no NFL division with more juice entering the 2021 season than the NFC West. The Rams have their sights set on another shot at the Super Bowl after upgrading at quarterback. The Seahawks are fresh off a flirt with Russell Wilson drama. The 49ers just drafted their own future QB while preparing for a return to the postseason. And the Cardinals have one of the most electrifying young signal-callers in Kyler Murray. It's anyone's guess as to which team will ultimately end up on top.

As we look ahead to the 2021 campaign, here are three questions each of the West's four teams must answer before kickoff:

CARDINALS

What is Kliff Kingsbury's plan on offense? For the first two years, it's mostly been, "Chuck it or run it, Kyler." And that's not necessarily dumb, considering Murray is one of the game's top dual threats. But the Cardinals need to have a smarter, more defined approach to that side of the ball. Murray, of course, also needs to make better decisions, but good coaching goes a long way.

How much do the old guys have left in the tank? By old guys, we mostly mean A.J. Green and J.J. Watt, who will both be 32 or older at kickoff. Are their names bigger than their value these days? Arizona had better have a good idea going into the season, because if Green can't return to form post-Cincinnati, the Cards will be relying on another Larry Fitzgerald return or injury-prone rookie Rondale Moore to help Murray take the next step. Watt, meanwhile, is the only proven pass rusher opposite Chandler Jones.

Is the defense good enough to make a run? Kingsbury and Murray are the true keys to it all, but the Cardinals need a better defense if they're going to really challenge out of the West. Can Watt stay healthy? Will Chandler Jones stay happy? Is Zaven Collins ready? Is the secondary deep enough? It would behoove them to know, going in, if they've at least got a serviceable unit.

49’ers

How close is Trey Lance to taking over at QB? Jimmy Garoppolo has the clear and understandable lead on the top job, but San Francisco didn't invest so much in a younger, more athletic specimen to let him run gimmick packages. It'd be ideal for the Niners to have a general idea of what it'll take for their new man to step in, whether for short- or long-term purposes. A slow start from Jimmy? Another injury? A bunch of inspiring Lance practices? The rookie's debut could mean either an injection of energy for a title run or an official turning of the page to the future.

Is the wide receiver room deep enough? Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are a good, explosive start. But who's catching passes besides them and George Kittle? Between Richie James, Jalen Hurd, Trent Sherfield and a cast of forgotten characters like Mohamed Sanu and Travis Benjamin, the 49ers need someone else to step up (or keep exploring outside options).

Is the secondary actually finalized? When the 49ers made their recent Super Bowl run, they had Richard Sherman in Pro Bowl form and guys like Akhello Witherspoon, K'Waun Williams and Emmanuel Moseley trading valuable snaps. Now, they're relying on another healthy year from Jason Verrett, as well as rebounds from Williams and Moseley. The corners, even more than the WRs, need help or a standout.

RAMS

Is Matthew Stafford comfortable in the new system? Only time -- and game performance -- will tell whether the longtime Lions QB is just a decent or monumental upgrade on Jared Goff. But going into the year, it's important the new signal-caller has a good grip on Sean McVay's offense. We've seen QBs turn it on late (see: Brady, Tom), but the quicker the acclimation, the better.

Is the offensive line Super Bowl-caliber? The Rams may have a QB upgrade and an enviable cast of weapons, particularly out wide, but it won't mean much for Stafford if the line can't hold up. Injuries are the main antagonist here, because as is, the starting five is solid. But Andrew Whitworth, approaching 40, is coming off an injury-riddled season and must prove ready for another deep run.

How will the defense respond to Raheem Morris' direction? The Rams aren't lacking talent on this side of the ball. Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey alone give L.A. a high floor in key areas of pressure and pass coverage. But the switch from Brandon Staley to Morris, who bounced around all kinds of roles in Atlanta in 2020, will be important to a strong start.

SEAHAWKS

Are Russell Wilson and Shane Waldron on the same page? You'd certainly hope/think so, considering Wilson has significantly downplayed his concerns about Seattle's offensive philosophy since adding Waldron as the new coordinator. But the question must still be answered going into Week 1, or else the team's star QB is due for even more internal friction this year.

Is Pete Carroll also on the same page? Again, this might seem obvious, but there's a reason Wilson's big-picture concerns came to light this offseason; he and Carroll have had differing visions for how to best utilize the QB's talents in the framework of the offense. For the entire team's sake, Carroll and Wilson and the offensive staff need to be on the same wavelength out of the gate.

Can the defense take pressure off Wilson? Even if there's offensive confusion, the mere presence of Wilson -- alongside star talent like DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Chris Carson -- makes Seattle's floor very high. But a championship run probably won't happen if the "D" isn't at least somewhat improved. The Seahawks should welcome any clarity they can get at spots like pass rusher and corner ahead of the season.

DeAndre Hopkins considering retirement after recent NFL news​

by Adam Patrick18 hours ago Follow @Str8_Cash_Homey

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is questioning his future in the NFL after some new rules were announced on Thursday.

In his first season with the Arizona Cardinals last year, DeAndre Hopkins was basically everything the team was hoping for when they made a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire him.


Hopkins appeared in all 16 games for the Cardinals last season, finishing with 115 catches for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns.

Arizona was hoping to see more of the same from their top wide receiver during the upcoming season. But now, Hopkins playing for the Cardinals this year might not happen.

Tweet from DeAndre Hopkins places his future with the Arizona Cardinals in doubt​

On Thursday, the NFL introduced some new rules that could potentially have a significant impact around the league during the upcoming season.

Teams that have a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players during the regular season could now be forced to forfeit games if any impacted matchups are unable to be rescheduled. If a game is canceled next season due to a COVID-19 outbreak, no players from either team in the matchup will receive a game check.

After finding this news out, Hopkins then posted the following on his Twitter account.



Hopkins actually ended up deleting the above tweet shortly after posting it. So maybe he’s no longer thinking about sitting out of the 2021 season?

Either way, Hopkins doesn’t sound too thrilled about the new rules put in place by the NFL on Thursday.


If he doesn’t play this year, it would be a tremendous blow to the Cardinals’ chances of getting into the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Arizona’s passing attack would obviously suffer greatly without their No. 1 receiver out on the field.


We will likely find out more about what Hopkins plans to do for the upcoming season in the near future. But until then, Cardinals fans will be anxiously awaiting his decision.

It won't happen until the 2025 season, but I for one am hype (as an OU fan). SEC = better games. Something CFB really needs.

I will miss the Big 12 rivalries, Bedlam, Iowa St, Baylor, etc but I'd take OU v Florida/Bama/Auburn etc all day.

https://247sports.com/college/texas...LongFormArticle+has+been+successfully+created

Listen: Sean McVay has Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris on 'Flying Coach' podcast​

Sean McVay and Peter Schrager are going out with a bang for the final episode of their podcast, “Flying Coach.”

To close out the season of the show, McVay and Schrager had Raheem Morris and Mike Tomlin on the podcast to talk about their careers, including their favorite moments.

Morris was hired by McVay as the Rams’ defensive coordinator this offseason after Brandon Staley led them to the No. 1 defense in the NFL. He and McVay worked together in Tampa Bay, building a relationship over the years.

Tomlin and McVay have never worked together, but they were clearly comfortable on the podcast, making for a great episode.

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The Rams deepest and most shallow position groups headed into training camp​

The Los Angeles Rams kick off training camp at UC Irvine next week with rookies arriving on Sunday, July 25th and the first practice taking place on Wednesday, July 28th. The Rams figure to be in the national spotlight for the 2021 season, and are scheduled to be featured in a league-leading 5 primetime games.

The NFL season is notoriously long and the physical nature of the game takes a toll on players, this is especially true heading into the league’s first 17-game season. All teams suffer injuries to key players, and the Rams are no exception. Playoff contenders separate themselves with roster depth and a “next man up” mentality. Some rosters are better prepared for this than others. Which position groups on the Rams roster are considered the most deep? Are there any particular areas of the team where depth is a significant concern?

Positions with sufficient depth

Defensive Line

While most of the attention on the defensive line is rightfully focused on 2020 Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Los Angeles has a number of ascending role players that will be competing for playing time in 2021.

Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and A’Shawn Robinson are considered starters for the Rams at the start of training camp. Greg Gaines, a former fourth-round draft choice in the 2019 NFL draft, represents a starting caliber player that will be a rotational piece on the defensive line this season. Los Angeles drafted rookies Bobby Brown (fourth-round of Texas A&M) and Earnest Brown (fifth-round from Northwestern) to bolster depth ahead of the 2021 season. Both rookies could reasonably earn a role in the rotation as situational players.

The Rams also return second-year undrafted free agents Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams, and Eric Banks. Hoecht has been working with trainer Eddy McGilvra and could fill a similar role to the departed Morgan Fox. McGilvra has trained a number of defensive linemen with the team, including Fox, Joseph-Day, and Gaines.

Safety

Safety and defensive signal-caller John Johnson left the Rams during the 2021 free agency period and signed with the Cleveland Browns. Los Angeles has several remaining players with starting experience that can be trusted with a larger role in Johnson’s absence.

Jordan Fuller earned a starting role on the team last season after impressing coaches during training camp. Third-year safety Taylor Rapp has filled in for Johnson before, stepping up as the starting strong safety in 2019 when Johnson was placed an injured reserve with a shoulder injury. The Rams also drafted Terrell Burgess from Utah in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, but his rookie campaign was cut short due to a season ending injury.

Nick Scott’s primary role is on special teams, but he was a significant defensive contributor in the second half of the year, sometimes playing in half of the snaps on defense.

Offensive Line

This may be surprising to some, but Los Angeles seems to have a wealth of players along the offensive line with starting experience and a couple of players who may be considered starting caliber. Joseph Noteboom is expected to start training camp as the reserve left tackle, but he entered the 2019 season as the team’s left guard. Brian Allen was also a starter in 2019, but both his and Noteboom’s seasons were cut short due to injury. Other depth pieces include players that have been stashed on the Rams roster for multiple seasons: G Jamil Demby, C Chandler Brewer, and G Coleman Shelton.

Positions with concerning depth

Running Back

Darrell Henderson will enter Week 1 as the Rams lead back after Cam Akers suffered a season-ending injury during offseason workouts. Xavier Jones, Jake Funk, and Raymond Calais will look to carve out a role as contributors on offense; however, if Henderson misses time, Sean McVay will risk putting too much pressure on new quarterback Matthew Stafford. LA will need contributions from the young reserve runners in order to keep Henderson fresh over the course of 17 games and potentially the playoffs. This will be a position to watch closely during training camp and the preseason.

Who is the most likely to emerge as an offensive role player behind Henderson?

Tight End

Tyler Higbee has been a reliable presence on the Rams offense since McVay was hired. It’s hard not to shudder at the thought of a 2021 season with either Johnny Mundt, Bryce Perkins, or Jacob Harris in the starting lineup should Higbee have to miss a significant amount of time.

Mundt is capable of filling the more traditional tight end role and contribute as both a receiver and blocker, similar to Higbee. Mundt has caught nine passes for 84 yards in four seasons with Los Angeles.

Hopkins and Harris are intriguing, hyper-athletic pass catchers, but in McVay’s offense tight ends should be well-rounded and willing to contribute in the run game. Both players are expected to play a significant amount in the preseason, but it seems unlikely that Harris will be ready to play tight end this season given that he was a college wide receiver and a high school soccer player.

The Rams have high expectations heading into the NFL’s first 17-game season and the roster’s depth will be tested. In order to make a playoff push and reach the super bowl, unexpected contributors will have to emerge.

Between The Horns: What To Expect From The Rams 2021 Training Camp​

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No crowds.

Won't be the same -- the Football has started and I believe the Opening Ceremony is Friday night.

Feel for the athletes - comes around every four years (five years in this case) and they don't get to showcase their talent in front of fans.

Anyone have any sports they're looking forward to watching?

Yeah this will probably be locked or maybe it should just be locked immediately but passing along for information purposes. Definitely something to be aware of as it would really suck to have a loss due to an outbreak. Hopefully this won't be an issue at all.

@CGI_Ram @RamFan503 @Selassie I @RhodyRams @Prime Time just pinging moderators if you want to lock immediately.

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Why Jake Funk can prove people who doubt he’s a running back wrong once again​

With Cam Akers out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles suffered during training, Darrell Henderson has been vaulted to the top of the depth chart for the Los Angeles Rams and behind him is an inexperienced backfield that features Xavier Jones and Raymond Calais, but to me the most intriguing of them all is the 2021 seventh round draft pick out of Maryland, Jake Funk.

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What makes Funk such an intriguing option can be seen in what little film and experience that he brings to the Rams. But what he lacks in game experience he makes up for in determination, resilience, and effort. Funk is an underdog story that is worth sharing, even in a league of many underdogs.

As a senior at Demascus High School in Maryland, Funk rushed for 2,866 yards and 57 touchdowns behind an offensive line that featured his brother Jordan at left tackle. In the state championship game, the same Funk who was teased for being “too small” and “too slow” rushed for 270 yards and seven touchdowns to cap off his final high school season with a perfect 14-0 record.

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Despite rushing for roughly 4,700 yards during his final two seasons, Funk had a difficult time finding Power 5 programs that would make him an offer without asking him to switch positions away from running back. Funk recently said in an interview with the Rams website that colleges told him that they’d have be taking “a chance on me to play me at running back.”

Teams that were scouting Funk didn’t know if they were recruiting as a safety (where he also played, and you can can see a little bit of him doing it in that highlight video where he scores seven offensive touchdowns), a special teamer (which he volunteered to play in high school because he wanted to play as much as possible), as the dreaded “athlete” label, or as a running back.



Funk wound up as a two or three-star prospect and his only Power 5 offer came from nearby Maryland, and even that was a difficult process for Funk.

“He had some people along the way who talked to him — extra coaches and things that he was doing with and working out with — and tell him, ‘You are a running back,’” Jim Funk said in a phone interview this month. “And he always seemed to be natural at that position. I mean, even from a young age, he seemed to have the vision, seemed to be able to see the field really well, had the speed.”
The recruiting process took a sour turn in the spring of his junior year, when a former Maryland coaching staff member and area recruiter told Funk he wasn’t a Big Ten running back, nor was there enough tape of him playing safety to extend a scholarship offer.

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Though offensive coordinator Mike Locksley wanted Funk as a running back, head coach Randy Edsall didn’t agree. Fortunately for Funk, unfortunately for Edsall, the head coach was fired after a 2-4 start in 2015 and replaced by Locksley, and within two days he had his running backs coach at one of Funk’s practices.

“Jake was not being heavily recruited at the time, but with me knowing this area so well, (and) the numbers that he was putting up that year, I just thought, ‘There’s no way you don’t offer the leading rusher, the guy that’s rushed for 57 touchdowns, playing that level of football in the state of Maryland, the chance to come play (here),’” Locksley, a Washington, D.C., native, told theRams.com last week.

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Funk, awaiting his opportunity to take over the backfield, stood out as a high effort tackling machine on special teams and he was named as the Maryland’s Special Teams Player of the Year in 2017.

He then took the first devastating blow to his football career when in 2018 he tore his ACL on a routine kickoff which ended his junior year early. Funk made it through that rehab in time to suit up in Week 1 of the 2019 season against Howard, carrying the ball 12 times for 79 yards and a touchdown. In Week 2, Funk had a 54-yard run against Syracuse and finished with 94 yards on five carries, but the best week of his college career would soon turn into the worst.

In the following game against Temple, Funk tore his ACL again. It was again on a kickoff.

“Jake played an integral role, not just on offense but on special teams,” Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said. “That’s a huge blow for us.”

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With back-to-back ACL injuries and the NFL still sounding like a dream that couldn’t come true, Funk could have easily put up his cleats and called it. His college career at that point was four seasons, two ACL tears, 75 carries, 452 yards, and though everyone loves his effort on special teams, his knees clearly do not.

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Instead, Funk went right back to rehab and Maryland was even looking to see if they could get him another redshirt year and potentially two more seasons with the Terrapins.

Because of the restrictions in place Funk could not train at Maryland’s facilities and would enlist another brother, Josh Funk, owner of Rehab 2 Perform, as his trainer. After another year’s work, Funk’s determination to get back on the football field would pay off. He would be named the starter for Maryland in 2020, averaging 8.6 yards per carry and 516 rushing yards on 60 carries over a five-game season that was shortened due to the pandemic.

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Despite the lack of interest in him following a 2,800-yard season in high school, all the setbacks in his college career, two ACL injuries, and a shortened Covid-era final season, Funk found himself in a draft class that would increase his odds of getting selected. Because the NCAA granted everybody an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, the 2021 NFL Draft had one-third the number of prospects as a normal year because so many players opted to return to school to improve their draft stock. Many of those prospects could have been day three picks and that might have pushed Funk off of the draft board and into the undrafted free agent pool.

Instead, the Rams surveyed their options, perused the roster, and realized that they could use a player who would contribute on special teams as a gunner, potentially as a returner, and general manager Les Snead probably also fell in love with Funk’s pro day numbers: 4.43 40-yard dash, 38” vertical, 10’2 broad jump, and 22 reps on the bench.

Colleges refused to see Funk as a running back and then during his college career he averaged 7.2 yards per carry and scored 10 times on only 135 carries. The NFL probably didn’t view Funk as a running back either — certainly LA is more likely to believe he’s a special teams gunner than the next Marshall Faulk — but now he has a chance to move up with the injury to Akers and there are not actually a ton of roadblocks right now between him and Henderson.

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It would take an outstanding preseason for Funk to move up to the number two position on the depth chart, but without much clarity in the Rams’ backfield, Funk has every opportunity to make an impact with this team this season.

Position battle preview: Second safety spot​

A handful of offseason departures have created openings for multiple key roles on both the Rams' offense and their defense that will be closely monitored during Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union.

TheRams.com will be previewing the candidates for each ahead of camp. After breaking down those for nickel defensive back and the second EDGE spot, today we examine those vying for the other safety spot alongside Jordan Fuller.

The skinny

John Johnson III was counted on not only as an experienced voice in the Rams' secondary, but also the on-field signal caller for their defense as a whole last year. He was also valuable because of his range and instincts as a reliable tackler.

In March, Johnson parlayed that into a three-year deal with the Browns as an unrestricted free agent, leaving the Rams with a big void to fill next to Fuller.

The candidates (in alphabetical order)

Terrell Burgess
Experience: One season

Notes: As covered in the nickel cornerback overview, whether Burgess plays alongside Fuller depends on whether defensive coordinator Raheem Morris views that position as a hybrid role, and in turn decides to to take advantage of Burgess' versatility, or play him at his listed position instead.

Paris Ford
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Pitt, Ford was "hailed as the Panthers' most devastating hitter in at least two decades," according to his school bio. He tallied 45 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups while playing and starting at safety the Panthers' first seven games last year, finishing with Second Team All-ACC recognition from the Associated Press.

Jovan Grant
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Merrimack College, Grant collected 49 total tackles, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception during his final collegiate season in 2019.

JuJu Hughes
Experience: One season

Notes: Similar to Burgess, Hughes' candidacy for playing alongside Fuller depends on if the Rams view him as a better fit at nickel. Hughes was one of three undrafted free agents to make the Rams' initial 53-man roster for 2020, mainly contributing on special teams while appearing in 12 games and both of Los Angeles' playoff games.

Taylor Rapp
Experience: Three seasons

Notes: Rapp offers the most experience of the group, with starting experience from his 2019 rookie season to lean on. He logged 44 total tackles, three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in nine games last year.

Nick Scott
Experience: Two seasons

Notes: The 2019 seventh-round pick has become one of the Rams' most valuable special teams players and has missed only one regular season game over his first two seasons. Scott posted 17 tackles across 15 games last season.

Troy Warner
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of BYU, Warner notched 29 total tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions across 12 games in his final collegiate season.

If Tyson made a comeback, against Logan Paul or whoever, that would be something to see.

At 55... dude still packs a load. Check this out;

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Position battle preview: Second EDGE spot​

A handful of offseason departures have created openings for multiple key roles on both the Rams' offense and their defense that will be closely monitored during Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union.

TheRams.com will be previewing the candidates for each ahead of camp. After examining nickel cornerbacks first, we will now take a look at the second EDGE spot.

The skinny

In 2020, it was Leonard Floyd and Samson Ebukam manning each EDGE spot on the Rams' defense. While they brought back Floyd on a four-year deal earlier this offseason, Ebukam signed a two-year with the 49ers as an unrestricted free agent, opening up the starting job opposite Floyd.

The candidates (in alphabetical order)

John Daka
Experience: One season

Notes: Daka is listed as a defensive end, but photos from organized team activities showed him working out at outside linebacker, so it's worth including him among the candidates. He was claimed by the Rams off waivers from the Jets in early May. Prior to that, the Jets had signed him to a futures deal in January. Daka originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent signee of the Ravens after producing 67 total tackles (28 for loss) 16.5 sacks, 13 QB hits four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 16 games for James Madison University in 2019.

Chris Garrett
Experience: Rookie

Notes: The Rams used their final draft pick (Round 7, No. 252 overall) to select Garrett, a product of Division II Concordia St. Paul who had a record-setting career. He finished his final season at CSP (2019) with 69 total tackles (20.5 for loss), 14 sacks, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, seven QB hits and five pass breakups.

Justin Hollins
Experience: Two seasons (one with Rams)

Notes: Part of the reason the Rams claimed Hollins off waivers from the Broncos in early September last year was because of his familiarity with then-defensive coordinator Brandon Staley's scheme – he was learning both inside linebacker and outside linebacker in Denver. However, his primary position was outside linebacker, so he could be in the mix here. Hollins appeared in all 16 regular season games and both of the Rams' playoff games last year, collecting 25 total tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble.

Justin Lawler
Experience: Three seasons

Notes: After spending the 2019 season on injured reserve following season-ending foot surgery in the preseason, Lawler spent the entire 2020 season on injured reserve with a foot injury. He did appear in all 16 games as a rookie in 2018 (six total tackles), though, and at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds gives Los Angeles additional length to bookend Floyd's frame.

Terrell Lewis
Experience: One season

Notes: Knee issues limited Lewis to just eight games as a rookie, but when on the field he primarily contributed on defense with some special teams action mixed in, chipping in five total tackles and two sacks. If he can stay healthy, his upside is massive – one NFL analyst leading into the 2020 draft compared him to "a bigger Von Miller."

Obo Okoronkwo
Experience: Two seasons (was on Physically Unable to Perform list for first nine weeks of 2018 rookie season, then declared inactive for remaining seven regular season games and three playoff games)

Notes: After missing his rookie year due to foot surgery and being in a reserve role the last two seasons, this upcoming season presents Okoronkwo with his best chance yet at getting a starting job. He appeared in 10 regular season games last year, finishing with 10 total tackles, one sack, three QB hits and one pass breakup.

Max Roberts
Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Boston College, Roberts has experience playing defensive end (Boston College as a grad transfer, Maine) and linebacker (Fordham). He registered 22 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss for Boston College last season.