10 Observations from the Rams' June 4 OTA session​

The Rams' organized team activity session on Friday, June 4, was open to the media. Here are staff writer Stu Jackson's 10 observations from it. (Team reporter Sarina Morales contributed to this report.)

1) Leonard Floyd in attendance. The Rams outside linebacker was at the team's facility participating in the OTA session, working with assistant linebackers coach Thad Bogardus. Floyd previously did this with linebackers coach Chris Shula during practice last season, when Shula coached the outside linebackers. Shula sometimes works with the inside linebackers on the field in his new role; when that happens, Bogardus steps in and works with the outside linebackers.

2) We continue to see quarterback Matthew Stafford connecting well with wide receiver Cooper Kupp. During 7-on-7 drills, Stafford hit a wide-open Kupp over the middle.

3) While much attention has been given to Stafford-to-Kupp, was also another solid Stafford to Van Jefferson connection during 7-on-7 drills, similar to the May 27 session. Rams head coach Sean McVay praised Jefferson during his post-practice video conference with reporters Friday, calling the second-year wide receiver "a major bright spot this offseason" and someone who the team is "expecting very big things from" this year.

4) DeCamillis' energy as advertised. Rams kicker Matt Gay on Thursday described him as "super high-energy" on Thursday, and on Friday, DeCamillis was very vocal and energetic during special teams drills.

5) Tutu Atwell's speed on display again. In the first OTA session open to the media (May 27), Atwell used his separate at the line of scrimmage and corral a short pass from Stafford. On Friday, he connected with Stafford on a deep ball.

6) Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris hands-on. While it's expected and understandable given his title, it's still worth noting that Morris was very involved during Friday's drills, bouncing between the defensive backs, inside linebackers and defensive linemen.

7) Running back Darrell Henderson Jr. in action. It was good to see third-year pro participating in some drills Friday. When McVay was asked for a health update on Henderson during his post-practice video conference, McVay told reporters they expected Henderson to be full-speed by the time training camp comes around.

8) Undrafted rookie free agent signee Brontae Harris out of UAB had a nice pass breakup against quarterback John Wolford during 7-on-7 drills.

9) Second-year wide receiver Trishton Jackson, who made the Rams' 53-man roster last year as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, had a nice grab during 7-on-7 drills.

10) Offensive lineman and International Player Pathway Program addition Max Pircher was spotted working with offensive assistant Nick Jones during Friday's session. Given Jones coached offensive tackles – Jones' most recent position while playing in Italy – at one of his stops during his college coaching career, it's a natural partnership for one-on-one work as Pircher gets acclimated to the NFL.

Other than the obvious things like Stafford meshing well into the offense, the defense continuing where they left off (before the GB game), DJax playing 17 games and the center position being solidified.


1. Van Jefferson becoming a weapon
2. The Akers/Henderson duo really being a productive DUO
3. Hopkins emerging as Everett's better replacement
4. Ernest Jones being a huge inspiration to the other rookies
5. Tutu being an electric pumt returner

Sounds like too much to ask for but it really isn't.

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how many times has robert rochell had that said to him throughout his life?

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One thing I am hoping is that the new stadium is LOUD. And I have to think the Rams, assuming it is with all that sound bouncing back off the ceiling, will be very tough to beat at home with that defense keying on offenses that are using hand signals to communicate. The angle of the roof should feed that sound straight back down and cook it good until it's like an oven for opposing offenses. It should really be something man. In fact I think the way the Rams have consistently played on the road under McVay that they're going to be very high win percentage at home and put up a really high win total this year overall. They should be in the running for home field advantage.

And then the Super Bowl of course is in SoFi too. We might be looking at a significant advantage if we go all the way this season as some of us expect.

Coming up shortly. Lots of love for the Rams from Rome.
If someone has a link later, please hook us up. Thanks!

To all -

Quick notice that the site will be offline momentarily for a quick update.

Thank you.

Aaron Rodgers, Julio Jones, and the Limitations of an NFL Trade Demand​

Late spring into early summer is a sleepy period on the NFL calendar. Not much is happening. Most players are at OTAs and minicamps are coming up, but those are teaching periods without heavy competition. The draft is over. Free-agent signings are coming in at a trickle. Any major player news seems disproportionately significant by contrast, and it’s tempting to let the imagination run wild in order to fill the void. Strange questions start to seem like they’re worth asking.

Like: Is Aaron Rodgers’s man bun a symbol of player empowerment?

Ready your “stay off the weed” GIFs if you must. Rodgers has been in the news a lot lately, mostly for reasons unrelated to football but that have been tied to his trade request nonetheless. If this annual lull in the NFL calendar has a saving grace, it is star players making trade demands. There’s inherent drama in a player of Rodgers’s caliber telling his team he doesn’t want to play for them anymore and, until something actually happens, the story can be rehashed ad nauseam. Every detail can be mined for significance that may not actually exist, but feels like it does when there’s not much else going on. It is the water, and we, the football-news-consuming public, will subsist on it like camels if we must.

So when Rodgers popped up on social media while on vacation in Hawaii rocking a top knot—a universal marker of being extremely chill—while the majority of his Packers teammates and coaches were at OTAs without him, it seemed like a statement. I don’t need you. I can’t be bothered. Not even to get a haircut. Have fun doing hill sprints; I’m hiking waterfalls and doing Taylor Swift karaoke with my famous fiancée and our friends.

It should be noted that Rodgers’s execution of these winking public appearances is fantastic. His trade request was reported on the first night of the draft; days later, he went to the Kentucky Derby, where he was photographed wearing a name tag that said “Turd Ferguson.” That’s a reference to Saturday Night Live’s “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketch, and that reference both was funny and served as a reminder that Rodgers has potential career paths outside football—he was a guest host on Jeopardy! this spring and has said he’s interested in being Alex Trebek’s full-time replacement. I don’t need you. I can be on TV. In case you forgot, I’m engaged to Shailene Woodley. There should be chapters on Aaron Rodgers in communications textbooks.

Other players have followed a similar lead. Falcons receiver Julio Jones has also reportedly requested a trade. Jones caused a stir in May when he took a photo with a fan in Dallas while wearing a Cowboys sweatshirt. That photo was never likely to remain private and did not. It was ultimately what prompted Jones’s Undisputed interview last week, when he told Shannon Sharpe he was done playing for the Falcons and wanted to go somewhere he could win, while not entirely seeming like he knew he was on live television.

There was a time shortly after the Super Bowl when it seemed like Russell Wilson might go down this same path, but he only went so far as to tell reporters that he’s getting hit too much. Wilson never demanded a trade and hasn’t done any of the public needling that Rodgers and Jones have. Wilson isn’t at OTAs, but is reportedly working out in San Diego with coach Pete Carroll’s support. Carroll said last month on The Rich Eisen Show that any Wilson drama was “old news.” So Wilson doesn’t appear to be making any attempts at creatively engineering a trade. (The lack of drama is a mixed bag for the Seahawks, of course, given that the two most important factors to their success are Russell Wilson and total chaos.)

It’s obvious that these are fun and interesting spectacles. It’s less clear whether any of them actually increase the likelihood that these players will be granted their trade wishes. In most cases, the intrigue seems to far outweigh the impact. Wilson was reportedly interested in leaving the Seahawks at the end of last season, then did little to put public pressure on the team to act on that interest, and is currently unlikely to be traded. Rodgers reportedly told the Packers he doesn’t want to play for them anymore, has put significant public pressure on the team to trade him, and is currently unlikely to be traded. According to Matt Schneidman, a Packers beat reporter for The Athletic, Green Bay has no intention of trading Rodgers; the only scenario in which they might change their stance is if they believed he would hold out all season, which they apparently don’t.

It’s easy to see why teams tend to feel like they hold most of the cards when players under contract ask for trades. Take Green Bay as an example. Rodgers has already forfeited a $500,000 workout bonus by skipping the offseason program to date. If he skips minicamp, training camp, and the season, he’d forfeit $22 million in salary and be fined $93,000 for his minicamp absence and $50,000 for each day of training camp missed. Rodgers has interests outside of football, but he’s still a competitor who loves to play and, especially at 37, does not want to miss a season. In terms of hard power, these factors provide more meaningful leverage for the Packers than Rodgers’s ability to create a public frenzy that’s potentially embarrassing to the team. One reason good quarterbacks change teams relatively rarely is that teams often extend them early on in their contracts, ensuring these constraints stay in place.

Jones is more likely to get traded than Rodgers, but not necessarily because he was photographed in another team’s gear or because of a strange television interview. Atlanta currently does not have enough salary-cap room to sign its draft class, and moving Jones would solve that problem for new general manager Terry Fontenot. It’s possible that Jones’s public revelation that he’s unhappy with the Falcons diminishes the team’s leverage to hold out for a particularly good offer, but that shouldn’t be a major factor as long as there are multiple potential trade partners. According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, and Titans have spoken with Atlanta about Jones. Whatever bidding war arises from those talks will set the market, not Jones’s comments.

There are recent examples of players who have made life difficult for their teams and then gotten their wish for a trade. Jalen Ramsey in 2019 comes to mind, though his circumstances were different. Jacksonville was 2-4 and looking for draft capital to begin a significant rebuild when they traded Ramsey for two first-round draft picks. The Rams signed Ramsey to a lucrative extension a year later, leaving both teams satisfied with the deal. In Jacksonville, Ramsey fought on the sideline with head coach Doug Marrone and missed practices but, for all the apparent drama, it made more sense for a contending team like the Rams to pay Ramsey top dollar and for the Jaguars to build for the future. For all the A blocks and column inches filled, examples of players getting trade demands fulfilled are relatively rare, and usually don’t cut directly against the grain of their team’s needs and goals. Rodgers has to like what Tom Brady has in Tampa, where a team has gone all in on a star, veteran quarterback, but Brady had to wait out his contract and hit free agency before he could leave the Patriots and make that happen.

So does that mean it’s all pointless? If the only goal Rodgers, Jones, or any other player seeking a trade has is to ensure that a move will happen, then maybe. Even if that’s the main objective, though, it probably isn’t the sole one. Since winning MVP in February, Rodgers has gotten engaged, guest-hosted Jeopardy!, gone to the Derby, vacationed in Hawaii, and been announced as one of the players in the charity golf event “The Match,” along with Brady, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau, while the Packers have been served with an unending string of questions about their star quarterback’s dissatisfaction.

“I don’t know,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this week when asked whether Rodgers will report to minicamp next week. “We’ll see come Tuesday.”

The following day, a video of punter JK Scott throwing a football at OTAs circulated online, a ready-made punch line about what happens when a team upsets the reigning MVP.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith, too, is getting constant questions about Jones—he called it “part of the job” on Wednesday—and the Falcons were reportedly upset about Jones’s comments, even though they didn’t do much harm to their actual negotiating position.

All of this at least raises a question: If the teams have all the power, why are the players having all the fun?

The answer likely has something to do with the type of power we’re talking about. Teams have the hard power when they control players under contract. Star players, though, do have the kind of soft power that comes simply from being Aaron Rodgers or Julio Jones, or someone like them. They can make life a little unpleasant for the teams that aren’t doing as they wish. It may not be enough to force a trade, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy offering the reminder. Rodgers’s frustrations with Green Bay’s front office seem to stem from the feeling that it hasn’t included him in major decisions, as some teams do for star players. General manager Brian Gutekunst did not call Rodgers before drafting quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft, and the Packers haven’t mortgaged their future to make splashy “all in” free-agent signings like the Buccaneers did for Brady, or even teams like the Rams and Saints have done. If Rodgers doesn’t believe he’s being given the weight a team should give a star quarterback and wants to assert some control, his ability to create a news cycle at least serves as a reminder that he’s one of the major faces of the NFL.

Player empowerment is a growing trend in the NFL, but its tangible effect is still limited. Players have watched their peers in the NBA force trades, have say in personnel, and create superteams for years. The banana boat was a joke until it was real. NFL players envy that kind of power but, because of non-guaranteed contracts and the nature of the sport, they lack it for themselves and will continue to, barring a new collective bargaining agreement with significant changes that would be at least a decade away. These players are doing just fine (and have the Instagram content to prove it) but, as far as professional sports contracts go, it is a relatively tough hand. Rodgers’s man bun may not be a true symbol of player empowerment, but it might be a symbol of its limitations in the NFL. What’s a star player under contract to do? Go to Hawaii, put your hair up, and let the team sweat it out at home.

USFL relaunching in spring 2022 with at least eight teams​

The USFL is relaunching in 2022, four decades after the spring football league's short-lived run that featured such stars as Reggie White, Herschel Walker, Steve Young and Jim Kelly, as well as future President Donald Trump as an owner.

The new USFL announced Thursday that it will play next spring with a minimum of eight teams and will "deliver high-quality, innovative professional football to fans."

Although the teams, cities, head coaches and schedule won't be announced until later, the league said it retains the rights to "key original team names." The USFL also is using the same red, white and blue stars-and-stripes logo it did from 1983 to 1985.

The USFL's return could result in two pro leagues playing football in the spring. The XFL has been targeting a 2022 resumption of play after owners Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners purchased the league out of bankruptcy in 2020. Planning for the XFL's 2022 season has been on pause since March, when it entered into negotiations regarding a collaboration with the Canadian Football League.

Fox Sports, which has a minority equity stake in the company that owns the new USFL, will serve as the league's official broadcast partner.

"I'm extremely passionate about football and the opportunity to work with Fox Sports, and to bring back the USFL in 2022 was an endeavor worth pursuing," said Brian Woods, co-founder of the new USFL and founder and CEO of The Spring League. "We look forward to providing players a new opportunity to compete in a professional football league and giving fans everywhere the best football viewing product possible during what is typically a period devoid of professional football."

Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks called the USFL's relaunch "a landmark day for football fans and Fox Sports."

The USFL was launched in 1983 but crumbled after three seasons because of out-of-control spending and an ill-conceived push led by Trump, owner of the New Jersey Generals, to compete directly against the NFL with a fall season.

Launched originally to serve as more of a complement to the NFL than a direct competitor, the USFL helped change professional football in its short life span. The USFL featured rules innovations, helped usher in underclassmen being drafted by the NFL, and pushed the NFL to pay bigger salaries and create real free agency.

In the end, the USFL's most enduring legacy was the $3 judgment it "won" in an antitrust suit against the NFL, a ruling that finished off the league in 1986 before it carried out the Trump-backed move from spring to fall.

Rams punter Johnny Hekker reboots after subpar season​

The last time the Rams held spring workouts, in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, punter Johnny Hekker was among friends in his eighth year working with the same long snapper, placekicker and special teams coordinator.

But following snapper Jake McQuaide’s departure to the Dallas Cowboys this winter, and a year after kicker Greg Zuerlein and coordinator John Fassel left L.A. for Dallas, Hekker is the last remaining star of the specialist unit that helped the Rams to the 2018 NFC championship.

In fact, with defensive lineman Michael Brockers traded to the Detroit Lions, Hekker is the longest-serving member of the entire Rams roster as he prepares for his 10th season.

“Now and then I’ll look around and say, ‘Hey, you remember when that guy was here?’” Hekker, 31, said of banter with teammates. “And I realize none of them were here when said player was around.”

Hekker also realizes his own time with the Rams will end sooner or later.

The possibility it would be sooner rose in April when the Rams signed former Bills punter Corey Bojorquez to a one-year contract.

General Manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay quickly described the signing as COVID-19 insurance and said Hekker doesn’t face competition from Bojorquez or 2020 practice squad punter Brandon Wright.

But Hekker said Thursday he isn’t taking his job for granted.

“When push comes to shove, they have to make the best decision for this roster,” the four-time All-Pro said of the GM and coach. “There’s no running around the financial aspect of it, too. So you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

“Corey’s wildly talented. For me, for a second, to not think this is a competition, and not prepare myself every day like it is a competition, would be doing myself and this team a disservice.

“Every time I step on the field, or in the weight room or in a meeting, it’s a competition.”

Hekker is the NFL’s highest-paid punter. According to overthecap.com, releasing him now, before the third year of a five-year, $18.8 million contract, would save the Rams $3.75 million against the 2021 salary cap, more than the $1.2 million it would cost them in dead cap money.

He also averaged a career-low 45.6 yards per punt in 2020, even though he was named the NFL’s special teams player of the week and player of the month for October after a Monday night win over the Bears in which he put all five of his punts inside the 10-yard line, including 57- and 63-yarders.

“I’m my own biggest critic, so I’m never going to be really happy with my performance. I think last season I definitely did not perform to the best of my abilities,” said Hekker, who thinks he “got maybe ahead of myself mentally and wasn’t focusing on the little things.”

Meanwhile, Bojorquez, 24, a Bellflower native who played at Mayfair High in Lakewood and Cerritos College before going on to New Mexico, averaged a league-high 50.8 yards per punt in his third year in Buffalo.

“I’m happy for the competition, happy to have Corey here,” Hekker said. “He’s a great, young guy that works really hard. Him and Brandon are both guys that are sound technically and are going to keep me on my Ps and Qs.”

Rams kicker Matt Gay, getting ready for his first full season, said Hekker is smart to treat this as a competition.

“I think Johnny has the right mindset for it,” Gay said. “They’re both great punters, and it’s been fun watching them going at it.”

It’s a year of change on the Rams’ special teams, which aim to reverse a decline.

Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has replaced John Bonamego a year after Bonamego replaced Fassel. A full year of Gay should help, and he’s backed up by Austin MacGinnis. Long snappers Steven Wirtell and Matthew Orzech, both acquired this year, will battle to replace McQuaide. Punt returner Nsimba Webster could be replaced by wide receiver Tutu Atwell, a second-round draft pick. Wide receiver Jacob Harris, a fourth-round pick, is one of several rookies expected to make an impact in kick coverage.

Two weeks of voluntary OTAs end Friday. Three days of mandatory minicamp start Tuesday in Thousand Oaks.

It has been different for Hekker.

“A lot of the football stuff hasn’t changed. The guys I’m around have changed quite a bit,” Hekker said. “I’m definitely starting to feel like the old guy, but I’m still having a ton of fun showing up every day and giving it everything I’ve got.”

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Much of this won't be surprising but it's nice to get hunches validated.

- Who's with the one's on oline (no surprises there)
- What does the depth chart look like at Center (Shelton moving on up!)
- Notebroom news and Anchrum plays all the spots!

- Jalen stays with "star"
- but what happens when he's not there??
- Burgess in and out of nickel, can Long show he can play nickel?
- Most likely camp competition between Deayon and Long for outside when Jalen moves to "star"
-Burgess and Fuller at safety with Rapp prob taking over for Burgess when he slides into nickel
-Burgess might get the green dot (Jourdan speculation)
-You're gonna see a lot of Nick Scott on D (My speculation: which means there's yet another hole on ST and another reason why Rams went after a lot of ST guys late in draft)

The rams came in at number 27 in the worst offseason in football according to ESPN. That means only 5 teams had a worse offseason, and what’s the reasoning behind that? The Rams didn’t address the oline and instead drafted another wr.
makes sense, of course some media expect the rams to go deep in the playoffs also.

Let me say this first, that I love Whitworth and think his future should be as a coach. He's already coaching up the OL with his workouts, and his mentoring. But that said, I noted before he got hurt last year that his age was beginning to show. He simply seemed less fluid in his play allowing penetration he didn't in previous years. His smooth quick slide wasn't there consistently.

Then he had his ACL/MCL injury and he seemingly miraculously returned from what should have been a season-ending injury. But what concerns me is how he played post-injury last year. It was clear to me that not all was right with Whitworth so just some casual digging I came across this from Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports:

"He allowed 10 pressures and eight hurries in 61 pass-blocking snaps last postseason, the 16.4% pressure percentage allowed significantly higher than the 1.8% pressure percentage allowed in the regular season (326 pass-blocking snaps, six pressures allowed). "

Yes, Andrew has had a full offseason to continue to heal. But I know firsthand how after a certain age we simply do not respond to injuries long-term like we did when we were younger. My concern is that Whitworth despite looking like his old self, may not in fact be that same "old self". Should we expect a new norm from Whitworth going forward? I think it's a very real possibility and with the Rams being so analytic-centric as an organization, I'm sure if Kerr could see it so does the Ram FO. I think they are going to monitor it closely and if Andrew in fact doesn't return to his pre-injury form that Noteboom will be the starter next year. Also, as I've noted in previous posts, Noteboom is in a contract year, and the Rams need to start him or lose him.

Whitworth signed a 3-year extension last year but I said when he did it was a 2 year deal in its structure. That is to say, that the contract is written in anticipation of this year being his final year, to coincide with Noteboom's contract status. I hope that when that time comes the Rams keep Whitworth in the organization as an OL coaching assistant.

Ranking all 32 NFL receiving corps ahead of the 2021 season​

The NFL is now more pass-heavy than ever, and the very best teams are the ones that are able to move the ball through the air effectively.

When ranking pass-catchers, there’s a balance between identifying teams with elite No. 1 options and those groups that run three or four deep. In today’s NFL, the top teams have several passing-game options, and they’re able to keep defenses off balance with a variety of different playmakers. It's that kind of depth that earns favorable consideration in PFF's receiving corps rankings.

Here are the best pass-catching units in the NFL heading into 2021.

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7. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS​

The 49ers have built a dangerous group of playmakers; it’s just a matter of keeping everyone on the field this season. Deebo Samuel has been used everywhere in this offense. He excels on “space” plays, as he’s averaged 9.6 yards after the catch per reception in his two years in the league, and he is also adept at working the intermediate route tree when lined up on the outside. Former first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk has similar YAC ability, but he was used in a more traditional role last season on his way to an 80.8 receiving grade, second-best among rookies.

After Samuel and Ayiuk, the wide receiver snaps are up for grabs to a plethora of options. Travis Benjamin has played just 189 snaps since 2019, but at his best, he has take-the-top-off-the-defense speed that has led to 14.9 yards per reception in his career. Richie James Jr. has created plenty of big plays himself, averaging 18.1 yards per reception in his 38 career catches, but he also has five drops. Former third-rounder Jalen Hurd is a wild card after he showed early promise during the preseason as a rookie, but he’s yet to take a regular-season snap.

George Kittle is the league’s best all-around option at tight end; he’s one of the few options who can run block effectively in-line while keeping defenses off balance with his route-running and after-the-catch ability. Kittle has graded at 84.0 or better in each of the last three seasons, including an incredible 94.4 grade in 2019. Ross Dwelley will battle 2020 sixth-rounder Charlie Woerner for the backup job.

The 49ers have an excellent trio of pass-catchers in Samuel, Ayiuk and Kittle, but it’s all about health and one more target emerging to move them into the upper echelon of the league.

8. LOS ANGELES RAMS​

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp lead this receiving corps as two of the best route-runners in the league. Woods has been open on 62.1% of his targets against single coverage over the last three years, 11th-best in the NFL, and he’s only dropped 34 of his 596 catchable passes in his career. Kupp has been open on 59.5% of his single-coverage targets, 21st in the league since 2018, and he’s posted a receiving grade of 76.0 or better in each of his four years.

Van Jefferson earned a solid 68.1 grade as a rookie and should be more of a vertical threat moving forward. The Rams added the ultimate vertical threat in DeSean Jackson, though he’s only been on the field for 245 snaps over the last two years. When healthy, he’s an all-time great deep threat, and he could add much-needed juice on the outside. At worst, Jackson is a mentor for second-rounder Tutu Atwell, who is similarly diminutive and speedy. Atwell will be a weapon in the jet sweep game while being able to line up all over the formation.

Tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett each saw 59 targets a year ago, but with Everett moving on, Higbee will take on a bigger workload. He’s graded “in the green” in each of the last three years, including an impressive 86.1 effort in 2019. Johnny Mundt will compete for backup snaps with Brycen Hopkins. Mundt has played just 391 career snaps since 2017, while Hopkins didn’t play offensive last year as a rookie, but he came out of the 2020 draft as one of the better vertical threats at tight end.

The Rams have one of the deepest receiving units in the league, and they have even more big-play ability with the additions of Jackson and Atwell.

10. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS​

Last season, Seahawks wide receivers graded at 79.2, eighth-best in the league. D.K. Metcalf has become one of the most difficult covers in the NFL, as his size/speed combination is a nightmare for defenses. He led the league with 480 yards on 20-plus-yard passes, and he could have had even more if he hadn’t dropped three of his 15 catchable deep passes.

Lockett has been incredibly productive in his six-year career, generating a passer rating of 125.7 when targeted. He has done much of his damage from the slot over the last two years, but don’t be fooled by his 5-foot-10 frame — Lockett is a downfield threat who has caught an impressive 56.1% of his contested catches since 2017.

The big question in Seattle is what happens beyond the big two, and that’s why they spent a second-round pick on D’Wayne Eskridge. Eskridge adds even more speed to the mix, given that he ran a 4.38 40 at his pro day, but he also adds the route running and quickness to expand the Seattle passing attack horizontally. He’ll compete with Freddie Swain, Penny Hart and John Ursua for No. 3 snaps, while a pair of undrafted free agent rookies Tamorrion Terry and Cade Johnson will also be in the mix.

At tight end, Gerald Everett comes over from the Rams, where he had an up-and-down career. He’s effective with the ball in his hands and is another necessary piece as the Seahawks look to expand their passing attack. Will Dissly also returns as a solid backup option, as does Colby Parkinson and his 6-foot-7 frame that could become effective in the red zone.

The Seahawks have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, but they need a third and fourth option to emerge if they’re going to take their passing attack to the next level.

17. ARIZONA CARDINALS​

Last year’s addition of DeAndre Hopkins boosted the receiving corps, but there’s room for even more growth in Arizona. Hopkins played more of a possession role, finishing with a career-low 9.0 average depth of target, but he also led the league with 75 first downs plus touchdowns. On the other side, A.J. Green comes in to replace Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald, but Green is coming off a career-low 66.3 overall grade. His injury issues caused him to look like a completely different receiver last season, so unless he’s back to his previous self, Green looks like another possession option after a career as one of the best downfield threats in the NFL.

Christian Kirk played on the outside last season and was counted on to be Arizona’s deep threat with a career-high aDOT of 13.2. However, he finished with just 12.9 yards per reception while catching just six of 19 deep passes for 282 yards. He’ll compete with second-round rookie Rondale Moore for those downfield targets. Moore brings a tiny frame but he’s an explosive playmaker who could line up all over the field, including becoming a weapon on jet sweeps and out of the backfield. Andy Isabella, a 2019 second-rounder, has had a few highlight-reel plays, but the consistency hasn’t been there as he’s graded below average on his 463 career snaps.

The tight end position is a secondary option in Arizona’s offense, and they had the second-fewest routes run among tight end groups in the NFL last season. Maxx Williams’ 81.3 run-blocking grade is second-best in the NFL since 2017 and he’s a solid receiver when called upon.

The big questions are Green’s health and who emerges as an explosive playmaker — both questions need strong answers if the Cardinals are going to complement Hopkins, who remains one of the league’s best receivers.

​

With Drew Brees retirement, the Saints are set to go all-in with Tasom Hill and Jamesis Winston camp battle for the starting QB job.

Do either of those guys get you excited?

I mean... they go from “Hall of Fame Drew Brees” to.... one of those two?

We never really heard the Saints mentioned seriously in trade rumors on draft day for one of the top rookies. Even trade rumors for Wentz, or Rodgers... not much noise about the Saints.

Is Hill or Winston a long term option? Or... will the Saints find themselves in the QB market next year?

This whole situation seems “weird” to me. I wouldn’t be happy going into 2021 with Hill and Winston as my top two guys... but the Saints don’t seem to be blinking twice about it.

Rams have a potential steal in 7th-round RB Jake Funk​

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t had a first-round pick since the 2016 NFL Draft when they used the top overall pick on Cal quarterback Jared Goff. That hasn’t stopped them from being one of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to finding great value throughout the NFL Draft, whether on the second or third day.

Even without a first-round pick, the Rams still had nine selections in the 2021 NFL Draft overall, and they used a handful of them on some intriguing dart throws at the offensive skill positions.

One selection, in particular, was highly intriguing and could pay significant dividends immediately.

The Rams picked Maryland running back Jake Funk in the seventh round of the 2021 Draft and Funk has a chance to be a key contributor early and often for this Rams team.

Funk certainly proved himself this past season at Maryland to the tune of 516 rushing yards on just 60 attempts with 10 receptions for another 68 yards. He scored four total touchdowns in the 2020 season, and finished his time at Maryland with over 1,100 all-purpose yards, 13 total touchdowns, and seven yards per touch.

He not only was able to prove himself on offense as a running back and receiver, but Funk was an awesome special teams player for the Terps with 30 tackles in his time on campus as well as 13 kickoff returns.

There’s no special teams unit this guy has not played on and been productive, which will unquestionably give him an edge at a roster spot early in his time with the Los Angeles Rams.

Funk appeared on the popular NFL Network show Good Morning Football and really sold himself as a prospect, which Rams head coach Sean McVay told Peter Schrager — one of the hosts of the show — made a difference.

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Funk is a pretty outstanding story of perseverance considering the fact that he suffered a season-ending ACL injury to the same knee two years in a row in 2018 and 2019.

Those knee injuries are obviously a concern, but they would be much more concerning if Funk had not posted such impressive numbers at the Maryland pro day. He ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, had a 38-inch vertical jump, 122-inch broad jump, 22 reps on the bench press, and a stellar 6.71 in the three-cone drill.

That three-cone time put him in the top four percentile at the running back position and in the top six percentile at any position. His 1.5-second 10-yard split ranked him in the top six percent, regardless of position, as well.

That kind of explosiveness certainly comes across when you watch Funk play the game.

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He plays fast, is a no-nonsense type of runner, and has impressive one-cut abilities with contact balance and burst to the second and third level.

With Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson as the top two running backs on the Los Angeles Rams’ depth chart currently, it’s not like Funk is going to be coming into Rams camp and stealing RB1 duties.

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What he very well could do, however, is come in and earn a job as the team’s RB3 and factor into the rotation for a handful of snaps each game while being one of the team’s top special teams aces.

With seventh-round draft picks, you’re looking for guys who can contribute in that phase of the game immediately as well as players with high upside. Funk is the ideal seventh-round pick from that perspective and is certainly not going to miss out on an NFL roster spot for lack of effort.

For Rams’ A’Shawn Robinson, the weight is over​

For their defense to stay on top, the Rams must see a lot more of A’Shawn Robinson this year.

And a lot less.

After signing as a free agent in 2020, the defensive tackle got a late start to his first season with the Rams, spending seven weeks on the non-football injury list with what he described as a “respiratory situation.”

But he has arrived for 2021 spring workouts not just healthy and ready for a full season on the field but flashing the effects of an offseason diet and workout program aimed at trimming 30 pounds from his listed weight.

Players often report for training claiming to be in the best shape of their lives. They don’t often sound as serious about it as Robinson.

The 26-year-old said his fitness kick-started when the Rams asked him to lose weight after his return to action last November.

“I thought about how I played in Detroit and how big I was and how much better I would be if I was cleaned up some,” Robinson said Wednesday, the sixth of the Rams’ eight days of organized team activities (OTAs) in Thousand Oaks. “I got my workout regimen in place, I started on my Pilates and yoga.”

He hired a new chef, gave up carbohydrates and fried foods, and switched “more of a vegan, pescetarian (diet).”

The results began to show in March, Robinson said.

“I’ve really invested a lot in my body so I can be ready for the team,” he said. “Honestly, I want to be the best for these guys. I’m not going to go out here and slack and let any of these guys down. I don’t want to let A.D. (Aaron Donald) and Bash (Sebastian Joseph-Day) and Greg (Gaines) and coach Henny (defensive line coach Eric Henderson) down.”

Joseph-Day said Robinson looks “locked in.”

“A’Shawn’s transformed his body, lost weight, toned up,” said Joseph-Day, who started all 16 games at nose tackle in 2020. “He looks thinner, he looks more explosive.

“I’m excited for him, because he’s going to have an opportunity to play a full (season). It was a difficult situation he had to battle through.”

Robinson, a second-round draft pick from Alabama, was a free agent after four years with the Lions when the Rams signed him in March 2020 to replace Michael Brockers on the defensive line.

But Brockers’ agreement to join the Ravens fell through, and he returned to the Rams for a ninth season.

While Robinson was on the inactive list – and then playing only about one-fifth of snaps in the 10 games for which he was active – he was listening to lessons from Brockers.

“It was honestly just understanding the intensity and work and the focus that it takes so I can do this at a high caliber,” Robinson said this week.

Now Brockers really is gone, traded to the Lions in March in a salary dump. Morgan Fox, another piece of the defensive line rotation, signed with the Panthers. They’re among the offseason departures from a top-ranked defense that also has a new defensive coordinator in Raheem Morris, after Brandon Staley left to be the Chargers’ coach.

The Rams drafted defensive linemen Bobby Brown III (Texas A&M, fourth round) and Earnest Brown IV (Northwestern, fifth). But the big addition to their line might be having Robinson for a full year.

Big, just not as big as he was. Robinson was listed at 330 last year. He aims to play at 300-305.

According to Jourdan, Kupp will be on a management plan this season due to bursitis in his knee. This is where Jefferson gets his reps IMO.

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Where are They Now? Doug Smith​

Doug Smith was overlooked from the beginning.

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, he hoped to play football for the hometown Ohio State University. It, however, didn't recruit him.

"I couldn't go to any other Big Ten schools," Smith said. "They all offered me, but I felt like I was a Buckeye. So I decided to go to Bowling Green."

A second-team All-MAC center as a senior, Smith was overlooked again in 1978 when he wasn't chosen during the NFL Draft.

"The Browns wanted to sign me (as a free agent), and the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Rams offered me a little bit more money because I didn't know that the cost of living was higher in L.A. than it was in the other places," Smith laughed. "They needed a long snapper, and I long-snapped since I was 10, so I thought that may be my way into the NFL.

"They had lost a playoff game because of their long snapper not getting it done, so I knew that was going to be a priority. George Allen was the (first-year) head coach and got fired (after two preseason games). He was known for not liking rookies and actually brought a long snapper with him from the Redskins, Dan Ryczek."

Surviving a coach who wasn't fond of rookies and impressing his replacement, Ray Malavasi, Smith beat the odds and made the team.

"What you begin to realize after you've been around for a while, I was hungry," Smith said. "Some of the guys that went to the big schools and were All-Americans and everything, they'd already been signing autographs from the time they were sophomores in college. I signed my first autograph when I got here and it was kind of a big deal to me."

It was also a big deal for the rookie to be playing in Los Angeles.

"Just even running out on the Coliseum floor for me, I knew the history of the Coliseum from the 1932 Olympics," Smith said. "I'm like, man, there's been so many famous Los Angeles Rams, the Dodgers played there at one time, USC, UCLA, all the spectacular people that had been there, I was in awe.

"But also, my adrenaline didn't shut off for a second even though I was on the kickoff return team. I got called into the game because Rich Saul dislocated his finger, and got moved to second-team center without knowing it."

Starting at right guard in 1980, and at right tackle the following season, Smith became the Rams' first-team center in 1982. Two seasons later, his seventh in the league, he was chosen to play in his first Pro Bowl.

"Coach (John) Robinson came up and told me I'd been selected, and I said, 'You've got to be kidding me," Smith said with a laugh. "How am I going to walk into those locker rooms with all these guys and nobody knowing who I am?'"

It turned out that he needn't have worried.

"(Chicago Bears running back) Walter Payton came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder, and introduced himself. I said, 'You don't have to introduce yourself. I know who are,'" Smith laughed. "And he goes, 'I really look forward to you blocking for me.' It was a much more difficult game then; it was much more challenging. People played considerably harder than they do today."

For six consecutive seasons, 1984-89, Smith's hard play was acknowledged around the league by being named to the Pro Bowl team.

"It's an honor and it was voted by the players. That's what I was so excited about," Smith said. "I was always appreciative because they're the guys that are watching you. The defensive guys are watching you. The other linemen are watching you after you make one Pro Bowl to see if they think you're good enough to go back.

"And the Rams had such a rich tradition of great offensive linemen. They were expecting somebody to be good from the Rams offensive linemen. A lot of those years, there were four of us there. Kent Hill, Tom Newberry, Dennis Harrah, Jackie Slater, Rich Saul, Tom Mack, all those guys were part of that tradition."

With the average length of an NFL player's career less than three seasons, Smith played 14. A remarkable 187 regular-season and 10 playoff games by someone in the middle of the trenches who had contact on every offensive play.

What makes him most proud of his career?

"I guess part of it was proving people that didn't think I was going to make it wrong. When I left on the plane (after signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent), there weren't too many people not expecting me to be back home in a few weeks," Smith said.

"The other part of it was having abilities that God let me use. I realized how blessed I was because there's a lot of good football players that maybe got cut from another team because they didn't go to the Rams, they might have been better than me at the time. I was blessed to be able to play a game for a living."

After playing the game for a living, Smith turned to coaching. First as a volunteer for one season with the Rams, which was followed by five seasons at USC, and then for 20 years, he coached the offensive line at Orange Coast College. Retiring in May 2020.

"I told all my offensive linemen I've had over the last 20 years, they're in my offensive line family," Smith said. "I had an understanding of what they were going through, the stresses they were under being a college athlete."

One of Smith's fondest memories from his time with the Rams is the camaraderie that he shared with his teammates, particularly with his fellow offensive linemen. It's a strong relationship that continues today.

"I'm kind of going through a tough time in my life right now. My wife, Debbie, has been ill for the last year. She had a stroke," Smith said. "I've had so many of the guys that I played with call or text and let me know, 'Hey, Smitty. We're praying for you.' They remember my wife being at team functions. It truly is a family. Particularly with the offensive linemen, we're a tightknit group.

"Jackie and Annie Slater have been our friends since 1978. Going to their kids' weddings and watching their boy, Matthew, play for the New England Patriots, that's been awesome."

The Smiths make their home in Mission Viejo, CA. They have three adult children: Jessica, Jenna, and Cole. They're also the grandparents of six, soon to be seven.

No option for neither etc, who do ya think??

Let’s say you have the ability to “remove a team from the NFCW race”... the ability to knock out a team so they become a non-factor...

Which team do you get out of our way?

For me, I throw the hex on Seattle and get them out of the race. Take our chances against the 49’ers and Cardinals.

The 49’ers on paper appear a tough team, but I’ll bank over the course of 17 games Jimmy G goes down. Regardless the backup who steps in, they lose some games if Jimmy G goes down.

The Cardinals won the off-season. Or at least they won free agency in the NFC west. But, until the Cardinals put something together I’ll take our chances against them.

So... I eliminate Seattle.

Three horse race; Rams, 49’ers, Cards. We win that race.

You?

Andrew Whitworth brought offseason training home for Rams offensive linemen​

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth began outfitting his garage with gym equipment.

Whitworth did not initially envision that it would become a workout spot for Rams teammates. But the 15-year veteran said all offensive linemen, except for recently drafted rookies, have spent this offseason training together in his Westlake Village home gym.

“Most of the guys just call it ‘The Dojo,’ right now,” Whitworth said Tuesday during a videoconference, adding, “Everybody’s involved and invested in it and that’s made it unique. It’s created a really special bond between us.”

Whitworth, 39, is the leader of a line that must protect new quarterback Matthew Stafford for a team that will begin the season as a Super Bowl contender.

Whitworth will celebrate his 40th birthday on Dec. 12, the day before the Rams play the Arizona Cardinals in a late-season game on “Monday Night Football.”

“I tell him all the time, he’s like a fine wine,” coach Sean McVay said. “He gets better with age.”

Whitworth signed with the Rams in 2017 after playing 11 seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals. Last season he suffered a knee injury that forced him to sit out the final seven games. Whitworth returned for the playoffs, helping the Rams to an NFC wild-card victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The season ended with a divisional-round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

In February, McVay replaced Aaron Kromer, the Rams’ offensive line coach the last four seasons, with Kevin Carberry, who coached the last three seasons at Stanford. Carberry and the linemen have worked together for the first time during organized team activities, which conclude next week with a minicamp.

“Almost like a feeling-out process,” Whitworth said, “Like, ‘Hey, here’s some things we’re going to check, and see where are we with these things.’ ”

Whitworth said Bengals Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz, who retired after the 1992 season, mentored and instilled in him the importance of offseason work, and the need to focus on individual improvement.

“He used to always tell me, ‘Man, the offseason is the time to be selfish,’ ” Whitworth said. “And what he meant by that is that it’s really the time to hone in on what is that you do, and really to fine tune those skills so that when you get together in camp, when you get together in a season, it’s really about executing football.”

Whitworth gets in his work while enjoying the camaraderie of teammates. He said his garage is replete with squat racks, weight benches, dumbbell racks and cardio equipment to work on strength and mobility. There are other training devices as well.

“We got all kinds of nooks and crannies and little gadgets everywhere, in every corner, in every cabinet I can find stuffed with some kind of equipment,” he said.

Whitworth, 6 feet 7 and 330 pounds, has not given in to age. He follows a regimen that during the season includes a controlled, healthy diet. He acknowledged that he allows himself some dietary liberties during the offseason.

“Every time I DoorDash to Taco Bell, I feel it,” he joked. “So, my joints know what happened, I can assure you that.”

Whitworth aims to be in top shape when the Rams open the season Sept. 12 against the Chicago Bears at SoFi Stadium. He will be protecting the blind side of Stafford, a 12-year veteran acquired in a trade with the Detroit Lions for quarterback Jared Goff and two first-round draft picks.

As with Whitworth, Stafford joined the Rams after spending more than a decade in the Midwest with a team that did not win a playoff game.

“It’s almost invigorating, and then also a little nerve-wracking to come somewhere else where there’s expectation,” Whitworth said, adding, “It almost fires you up and makes you feel like a rookie again.”

After playing with Goff for four seasons, Whitworth — and younger Rams linemen — are getting acclimated to Stafford’s voice, snap cadence and movement. Whitworth said there is not a coverage scheme or defense that Stafford has not seen.

“He understands all of the little nuances of things that, there’s just no way you can have those without the time in the game and without the experience,” Whitworth said.

This thread is just a list of things Stafford didn't have in Detroit.
Bottom of the barrel thread? Maybe.........
I'm blaming it on @Shuie3225
He posted one Baldys clips in another thread and I couldn't help but start digging into
his old breakdown clips and got fired up watching them.

So here are a couple things Stafford has never had-

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Anybody got something to add to the list?

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Ok, we always hear about how significant June 2nd is for the salary cap. Does anyone have any thoughts on what the Rams may be doing starting tomorrow?

Do we add Wright or Poole? Does Kenny Young get the boot? Anyone else?

Nothing - all their moves have been made?

Just a little sumptin sumptin to get yawlz geeked up. Most of you have probably already seen this but....

https://www.therams.com/video/best-mic-d-up-moments-rams-2020-season