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The 2021 NFL Scouting Combine will look a lot different this year. What can you expect?
- By ROD-BOT
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 6 Replies
The 2021 NFL Scouting Combine will look a lot different this year. What can you expect?
The 2021 NFL Combine invitees have officially been announced. Although the league invited 323 draft prospects to the annual event, this year’s iteration will
www.si.com
The 2021 NFL Combine invitees have officially been announced. Although the league invited 323 draft prospects to the annual event, this year’s iteration will not be the same televised spectacle that fans have come to expect. In fact, one of the most anticipated events of the pre-draft process has been drastically altered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
No change will impact the fan experience more than the cancellation of in-person workouts. In other words, this year’s combine will not feature on-field drills or athletic testing. Instead, prospects will perform at third-party pro days hosted by either individual schools or training centers like EXOS. The league has stated that it intends to coordinate with universities to ensure that the athletic testing is as uniform as possible. While prospects are normally able to use their pro days to better times they record at the NFL Combine, this unorthodox offseason does not present the same opportunities.
Although the features of the event have largely been canceled, the 2021 NFL Combine will still offer various behind-the-scenes opportunities for teams to gain crucial information about individual prospects. For example, organizations will be able to conduct remote interviews with the athletes. The NFL hopefuls will also have psychological testing done virtually.
Arguably the most important piece of the annual event in Indianapolis is the medical testing that occurs on-site. The NFL is working with teams’ physicians and trainers to iron out a plan to acquire medical checks on each prospect invited to the 2021 Combine. This will consist of both limited in-person medical evaluations in Indianapolis for a certain number of players and of tests recorded at designated third-party locations for the remaining athletes. The medical check is necessary for a team to feel comfortable drafting any prospect.
This limited version of the NFL Combine will also reduce publicity and general fan attention surrounding the draft. While prospects usually participate in numerous interviews at the annual event, they will not have that chance to promote themselves this year. Instead, schools will be asked to independently arrange media availability for the athletes.
Beyond the absence of on-field testing and media availability, the virtual combine may lead to a reduced number of rumors reported by the media in the weeks before the draft. The Indianapolis event is an opportunity for team officials to meet with their counterparts from other franchises. Naturally, conversations arise which spread news about, for example, a given team’s opinion on a certain player. Similarly, organizations will have less knowledge of which teams are interested in specific players and, consequently, may struggle strategically with trading up and down in the draft order.
The NFL Combine has grown into a fan-centric spectacle. That said, the lesser-appreciated aspects of the event are arguably the most important ones. The league will still allow players to interview with teams and will still arrange for psychological testing. It will even work to organize and consolidate medical evaluations and athletic testing around the country. From a viewer’s perspective, the 2021 NFL Combine has been canceled; however, the restructured event will provide teams with valuable information.
2021 NFL COMBINE INVITATION LIST
11 veterans rumored to be on the trade, cap casualty block
- By dpjax
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 13 Replies
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...ade-cap-casualty-block/ar-BB1enAv1?li=BBnbfcL
On Monday, Michael Brockers and Robert Woods had their names tossed into a pile of players who might be on the move according to SI’s Albert Breer. We don’t know how seriously the LA Rams have considered trading or releasing either player but Breer did throw out a few other names who are reportedly on the block or being discussed by general managers.
© Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
Should the Rams have any interest in the acquisition of any of these players, either by trade or waiting out a release?
Saints LB Kwon Alexander
The Rams could absolutely use a player like Alexander and it is more likely that he is released, than traded. But his career “games played” totals are: 12, 16, 12, 6, 8, and 12.
Eagles G Brandon Brooks
Brooks has a $10.4 million guaranteed base salary in 2021 and a $13.4 million salary in 2022. That’s too much for LA to pay.
Raiders OT Trent Brown
By most accounts, both Brown and Rob Havenstein are right tackles. Not left tackles. So for now, there’s no need for a player like Brown.
Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore
Pairing Gilmore with Jalen Ramsey would be something and any move in this direction likely leads to Darious Williams going to the Patriots. Gilmore would only cost $8 million next season but he may ask for a new deal, like Darius Slay in 2020.
Raiders S LaMarcus Joyner
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock’s work towards rebuilding the Raiders defense should be studied and published in a book called “What Not To Do.” Joyner seems like a good bet to get released and a reunion may not even be that costly.
Jaguars G Andrew Norwell
Norwell reportedly isn’t interested in taking a paycut, which means the team who trades for him will pay him $25 million over the next two years. Not in the Rams’ range.
Browns TE David Njoku
An exciting name, if it’s 2017 and the draft is steadily approaching. Njoku had 19 catches for 213 yards in 13 games last season.
Saints WR Emmanuel Sanders
Should Sanders become a free agent, he might fit as Matthew Stafford’s third option. If LA needed a reliable number two next season — let’s say there’s an injury or a transaction — then Sanders isn’t entirely finished as a receiver who can fill that role. He had 61 catches for 726 yards last season with the Saints.
Packers DE Preston Smith
A potential Leonard Floyd fill-in who won’t be as costly as some other edge players and should be comfortable in Raheem Morris’s defense.
Giants G Kevin Zeitler
He’s 31 and he’s only missed one game since 2015. If he was looking to play for a Super Bowl contender on a discount (Zeitler’s made $75 million in his career up to now), the Rams might be interesting to him.
Chargers G Trai Turner
It’s not all his fault, but the Chargers only traded for Turner a year ago, when they were desperate for one quality interior lineman, and it’s already gone sour. Maybe not the best investment right now, given that a team is likely to over-shoot the cost for his services.
On Monday, Michael Brockers and Robert Woods had their names tossed into a pile of players who might be on the move according to SI’s Albert Breer. We don’t know how seriously the LA Rams have considered trading or releasing either player but Breer did throw out a few other names who are reportedly on the block or being discussed by general managers.
Should the Rams have any interest in the acquisition of any of these players, either by trade or waiting out a release?
Saints LB Kwon Alexander
The Rams could absolutely use a player like Alexander and it is more likely that he is released, than traded. But his career “games played” totals are: 12, 16, 12, 6, 8, and 12.
Eagles G Brandon Brooks
Brooks has a $10.4 million guaranteed base salary in 2021 and a $13.4 million salary in 2022. That’s too much for LA to pay.
Raiders OT Trent Brown
By most accounts, both Brown and Rob Havenstein are right tackles. Not left tackles. So for now, there’s no need for a player like Brown.
Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore
Pairing Gilmore with Jalen Ramsey would be something and any move in this direction likely leads to Darious Williams going to the Patriots. Gilmore would only cost $8 million next season but he may ask for a new deal, like Darius Slay in 2020.
Raiders S LaMarcus Joyner
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock’s work towards rebuilding the Raiders defense should be studied and published in a book called “What Not To Do.” Joyner seems like a good bet to get released and a reunion may not even be that costly.
Jaguars G Andrew Norwell
Norwell reportedly isn’t interested in taking a paycut, which means the team who trades for him will pay him $25 million over the next two years. Not in the Rams’ range.
Browns TE David Njoku
An exciting name, if it’s 2017 and the draft is steadily approaching. Njoku had 19 catches for 213 yards in 13 games last season.
Saints WR Emmanuel Sanders
Should Sanders become a free agent, he might fit as Matthew Stafford’s third option. If LA needed a reliable number two next season — let’s say there’s an injury or a transaction — then Sanders isn’t entirely finished as a receiver who can fill that role. He had 61 catches for 726 yards last season with the Saints.
Packers DE Preston Smith
A potential Leonard Floyd fill-in who won’t be as costly as some other edge players and should be comfortable in Raheem Morris’s defense.
Giants G Kevin Zeitler
He’s 31 and he’s only missed one game since 2015. If he was looking to play for a Super Bowl contender on a discount (Zeitler’s made $75 million in his career up to now), the Rams might be interesting to him.
Chargers G Trai Turner
It’s not all his fault, but the Chargers only traded for Turner a year ago, when they were desperate for one quality interior lineman, and it’s already gone sour. Maybe not the best investment right now, given that a team is likely to over-shoot the cost for his services.
Space Exploration - James Webb Telescope / Mars Rovers, etc
With this rover landing on Feb-18-2021.
Lots of cool stuff coming in, and to come. If you see something cool, share it here.
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mars.nasa.gov
Lots of cool stuff coming in, and to come. If you see something cool, share it here.
Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/nasapersevere/status/1367643559063523329?s=21
Mars 2020: Perseverance Rover - NASA Science
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover seeks signs of ancient life and collects samples of rock and regolith for possible Earth return.
mars.nasa.gov
NFL Economics 101: How are Rams building a 2021 NFL Budget?
- By ROD-BOT
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 0 Replies
NFL Economics 101: How are Rams building a 2021 NFL Budget?
The LA Rams free agency is subject to an allocation process. NFL Economics 101: How are the Rams building a 202 budget for free agency?
ramblinfan.com
The LA Rams front office is gearing up. In a very short period of time, the NFL Free Agency market will open for business for the 2021 NFL season. When that happens, the NFL has its version of ‘Black Friday’. You see, on that day, 32 NFL teams unleash their checkbooks upon the NFL’s best and most promising players, making them instant millionaires.
This annual ritual brings the mighty teams to brief moments of humility, and the bottom feeders of the NFL to the sunlight of hope and optimism for a brief moment. Each new signing is touted with such descriptions as ‘incredible fit’ or ‘dominating performance’. Teams that have grown accustomed to the annual expectation of a Super Bowl future find the annual hype is rolled out once more, like a red carpet to the rich and famous of the NFL.
But you probably haven’t thought much about the process of building a great NFL-winning roster, have you? And yet, each year, we find ourselves subject to the magic of team spending. Of course, there is a story about it behind the scenes. But many of us are content to watch the magic unfold, never wishing to crawl behind the math of the magic.
What truly is behind the magic of making some players rich and others getting cut in the same year? Is it true that the cause of a player ‘not a fit’ serves as the universal solvent used to justify all roster decisions? There seems to be a science or at least some pattern of the mathematics behind the chaos of decision-making in the NFL. After all, how do teams know who to cut if they cannot be certain who they will use to replace the vacated roster spot?
Positional Spending
Well thankfully, it’s not all blind monkeys throwing darts at a dartboard. NFL teams employ a strategy called Positional Spending. That may seem like pretty fancy terminology, but it’s the term used to name the process of allocating the available annual salary-cap across distinct and separate positions on the team roster.
So how does that work?
Well, NFL teams build roster two ways. One way that everyone understands is the raw number count. So of the 53 man roster, how many players will the team dedicate to the quarterback position? Some teams elect to go with two quarterbacks, while others elect to go with three quarterbacks. That’s how teams build rosters with numerical allocation.
But that does nothing for the salary cap allocation. So NFL teams use a separate technique that they call ‘positional spending’. How does that work? Well, the coaching staff and the front office collaborate in the offseason to create a positional spending priority. Then that becomes the template for the front office to know how much the team is willing to spend on each positional group.
If done correctly, the template for how much to spend is self-correcting. How so? If a team agrees to spend 10 percent of the annual salary cap allotment on the quarterback position, the team creates an auto-adjusting dollar budget as soon as the NFL announces the annual salary cap. So if the cap rises from 200 to 220 million, a 10 percent allocation raises the quarterback position raises from 20 to 22 million.
And this year, the NFL salary cap appears to be dropping from the 2020 salary cap of $198.2 million to an amount no less than $180 million. So using the same 10 percent for the quarterback position, the team would need to get from $19.8 million to $18 million.
So that is the basic principle. And it’s this fundamental basic principle that gives NFL teams enough information to trim roster salary expenses before the NFL Free Agency market arrives, and where the trim needs to occur.
Positional Spending – Intermediate
So that’s a great basic understanding. Now, the real world creates a few wrinkles that each team must address separately. Like what? Well, dead cap money for starters. Special teams players for another. Versatile players who fit in more than one positional-category for another. Nothing is clean and clearly distinguished in the real world. So let’s attack these problems one by one.
Dead cap money creates a problem because it is money can is committed without the benefit of a player’s performance to benefit the team. To resolve the matter, the team can apply the dead cap as a reduction to the overall salary cap (all positions are penalized) or directed to a specific position (Gurley dead cap money added to the running back total).
Special teams are not typically broken out with their own category (see Over The Cap.com Positional Spending). To avoid confusion, some teams will factor the placekicker as a member of the offense, and factor the punter into the defense. Any method is correct, as long as the team applies the same method to each year.
Finally, players who can contribute in two distinct areas (such as a hybrid linebacker/safety combination) can be considered in either category or split evenly between two or more positions on the field. Of course, if the cause for using the safety on the field is due to sub-defensive packages, then the team would probably just plan to spend more on the more heavily used positions. As of today, the LA Rams have 64 players under contract for the 2021 NFL season. The team has $96,024,279 committed to the offense and $90,219,094 committed to the defense.
Right now, the LA Rams are at a salary cap deficit of between ($35 million) and ($39 million), In comparison to other NFL teams, the Rams spend less on the offensive line and running back, and spend more on tight ends and wide receivers than other teams. The Rams spend less on edge rushers, linebackers, and safeties, spend more on cornerbacks and are the NFL’s top spending team on interior defensive linemen.
Now you have a good basis to form your opinions and expectations for the LA Rams to be active in free agency and the NFL Draft. What can the LA Rams truly afford to spend, and where? Good luck and happy shopping!
3 positions Rams must address this offseason
- By ROD-BOT
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 82 Replies
3 key positions LA Rams must address this offseason
The LA Rams free agency is about to go to full speed quickly. But what are wants, and what are needs? 3 key positions LA Rams must address this offseason
ramblinfan.com
The LA Rams enter the NFL Free Agency market with coins to spend, while other NFL teams are already flashing stacks of cash. Big Bills. Franklins. Fat stacks. Buku bucks. Tidy sum. You name it, the other teams seem to have it, and the LA Rams simply do not. While that has not hampered the team’s success, it does create a dampening effect on the offseason hoopla that happens when bad teams spend way too much on a free agent.
Those big deals themselves are not the problem. What is the problem is the simple fact that it triggers wave after wave of bad takes. Let’s start off that no matter how many times the Dallas Cowboys are ‘favored’ to win the Super Bowl after NFL Free Agency or some incredibly insightful NFL Draft, they won’t. They didn’t in 2019, despite being overhyped to do so. And they didn’t in 2020.
We’re not trying to pick on the Dallas Cowboys. It’s the same for any team that gets headlined as Super Bowl contenders before the 53-man roster is even set. Hyping success based on paying a lot of money for NFL Free Agents has no correlation to success. So why do so many NFL fans think that way?
There’s an old Pennsylvania Amish adage that goes: ‘If you sling enough mud at the barn door, some of it is bound to stick.’ In translation, if you read it in enough headlines, you are bound to believe it. For the fans, the best that you can hope for is a distraction from what is really important. The front office and coaching staff must work within strict limitations to assemble the best roster possible. That means that they won’t have the $10 million or more per year to sign up many of our favorite free agent targets.
The complexity of some issues is the fact that the Rams are stuck a bit in financial quicksand. To get free, the Rams will need to part with a player or two. Perhaps the team will need to rework some contracts. And of course, there is always the option of asking Matthew Stafford to help out his new team by extending now, and pushing some of his 2021 salary expense into future years.
If you can’t beat it, join it. No, that’s not right. If you can’t buy it, build it. Yes, that’s better. So can the Rams promote players to fill known needs? Let’s check it out:
Position of need: Center
Why is this a need? The LA Rams starting center for 2019-2020, Austin Blythe, is about to test the free agency market. While this is his second year of doing so, the Rams may be looking for a changing of the guard this year. Who might that be? That truly depends on what Austin Blythe believes his fair market value to be. The Rams are making a change at quarterback, so economics is driving this decision.
Who can fill the role from within? The LA Rams have potential here, but nobody has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can handle a starting center role. As it stands, the Rams have competition set up between 2019 starter Brian Allen and versatile offensive lineman Coleman Shelton. Allen is back after a prolonged rehabilitation that carried partway into the 2020 season. While that rehabilitation was prolonged and adds a question about how well Allen will play on a repaired knee, he struggled in 2019 before the injury.
Shelton should be ready to compete for a more significant role this year. He’s entering his fourth NFL season with very limited usage. In college football, he raised eyebrows as one of the most dominating offensive linemen in the Pac-12. Since entering the NFL in 2018, Shelton has bounced on practice squads and special teams, but not broken through just yet. I like Shelton’s upside, and I am rooting for Allen to return to full health. If the Rams do not have funds, then let the pair compete. Even Jamil Demby should be given the chance to earn the spot.
Rams likely plan to address the position: The LA Rams haven’t spent enough on their offensive line and need to remedy that this year. If they free up enough salary cap space, then this one becomes relatively easy. If the Rams pass on re-signing Blythe, then get a solid veteran on the roster like former Atlanta Falcons veteran Alex Mack on as affordable of a one-year deal as possible. Then, draft his padawan on day three of the draft and dedicate that player to learn the role for the 2022 position.
Position of need: Deep threat WR
Why is this a need? The LA Rams have enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game with NFL defenses over the ability to score instantly from virtually any spot on the football field. But as of late, there has not been much quick-strike happening when the LA Rams have the ball.
Who can fill the role from within? The LA Rams have committed quite a bit to the receiver role already for the 2021 NFL season. Of course, there are no hard or fast rules to prohibit the Rams from spending more money. But what good will it do for the Rams to sign up a free agent wide receiver if they ignore more pressing needs on the offense or defense? The LA Rams have two rookie wide receivers who could find themselves very important to the offense’s plans in 2021.
Van Jefferson is fast than many had expected. Unfortunately, he played a very limited role in the offense in 2020. His speed should earn him plenty of offensive snaps, particularly in the wake of Josh Reynolds testing the NFL Free Agency market. Keep an eye on teammate Trishton Jackson too. Jackson plays a very similar style to that of Reynolds and could play a vital role in the offense this coming season.
Rams likely plan to address the position: The Rams simply have spent too much to keep Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Until the NFL Salary cap rises significantly, I expect the LA Rams will not further invest in the receiver group. The Rams may grab a late rookie in the NFL Draft, or comb young prospects to seek a diamond in the rough after the draft. But the budget simply can’t support signing a big-name deep threat wide receiver. Look for the Rams to rely upon a younger player stepping up.
Position of need: Outside linebacker
Why is this a need? The LA Rams had lost their two starting outside linebackers in 2020, and risk losing another pair of starting outside linebackers this year as well. Both Leonard Floyd and Samson Ebukam are projected to test the NFL Free Agency market. A year ago, the Rams watched Dante Fowler Jr. sign a huge contract with the Atlanta Falcons and outright released his teammate Clay Matthews.
Who can fill the role from within? The LA Rams have cobbled together a few players who make up a solid rotation. The team currently has OLB Justin Lawler, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Justin Hollins, and Terrell Lewis. Among this group, one player should be able to win a starting role. Of course, the problem lies in the fact that the Rams truly need to fill two open positions.
The Rams edge rushers, with the exception of veteran Leonard Floyd, truly got off to slow starts in 2020. For the Rams to find steady success, the team will need a veteran on the outside to set the edge and get to the quarterback constantly. That means that the team will need to invest the $8-10 million necessary to get the job done by signing a contract. A young hungry player such as Cincinnati Bengals Carl Lawson fits the need very nicely. Of course, if veteran Jadaveon Clowney plays it wisely, he could sign an inexpensive one-year deal with the Rams, reassert his defensive reputation, then move on to a huge payday with the next team.
Rams likely plan to address the position: There is no way around this one, ladies and gentlemen. The LA Rams need one veteran addition to the outside linebacker position, hopefully, someone who can assume a starting role with the team on day way. The bookend position on paper will be won by Obo or Lewis. But Justin Hollins flashed brilliance in 2020 despite arriving late to the party. The Rams should be looking to draft an edge player as well, perhaps as early as round three of the 2021 NFL Draft.
If the Rams had to face the 2021 NFL season with no salary cap space free up, the options still exist for the team to fill their starting roles with existing players. But looking at how the Rams have already allocated their spending, the Rams free agency plan is beginning to form. The Rams need to invest in both the center and outside linebacker positions. The team has invested heavily in the receiver group for now.
McVay touts second-year running back Cam Akers as an 'every down back'
- By ROD-BOT
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 21 Replies
2021 NFL free agency mock draft: Jameis Winston to Bears, Aaron Jones to Dolphins, Ryan Fitzpatrick to Saints
What if free agency were conducted like the draft? Let's forecast the first round
www.cbssports.com
One of the Rams' biggest questions last offseason would be how the team would replace Todd Gurley, the team's bell cow since 2015. As promised, Sean McVay said that the team would have more of a running back by committee approach in 2020. That was certainly the case, as Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Malcom Brown combined to rush for 1,668 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Rams' success on the ground was one of the reasons for the team's return to the playoffs after a one year absence.
While the Rams will likely continue to spread the wealth among their backs, McVay recently touted Akers, who overcame a slow start to lead the Rams in rushing as a rookie. After just 26 carries during the season's first seven games, Akers finished the regular season with 625 rushing yards on 145 carries. His 171-yard effort propelled Los Angeles to a 23-3 win over the Patriots in Week 13. Akers' 131 yards and a score helped the Rams upset the Seahawks in the wild-card round. In a losing effort, Akers rushing for 90 yards and a score on 18 carries against the Packers in the divisional round.
"You could see he's always had a real and authentic confidence, but then as he's getting more and more comfortable for the different ways that we were able to utilize him, I think he can come alive in the pass game," McVay said earlier this offseason, via Stu Jackson of the Rams' team website. "I think he can continue to play at a high level. Really, I think he's an every-down back. I think he's a special player."
Leading up to the draft, Akers was touted as one of the best running backs in the draft. But despite a solid combine performance, Akers was the fourth running back selected, behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire, D'Andre Swift, and Jonathan Taylor. He was picked just ahead of J.K. Dobbins, who was taken by the Ravens with the 55th pick. While Edwards-Helaire and Taylor enjoyed instant success, Akers, Swift and Dobbins took a while to get going. For Akers, things started to come together midway through the season.
"That's when I started to get a good grasp on the run, the concepts, what the coaches wanted, how everything was being blocked," Akers said earlier this offseason. "I kind of settled in and played football and it showed."
Akers' rapid improvement was noticed by his teammates, specifically Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
"He just got his opportunities and he took advantage of them," Ramsey said. "He got unleashed and he did his thing. (It's) something that I always knew (with) who he was, he had it in him. I can't wait to see him grow from here, and I just pray that he can remain healthy and lead the offense, because we need him."
He's not the flashiest running back, but Akers possesses a unique blend of power and agility. He also has enough speed to turn a moderate gain into a big run. Akers also has patience as well as the ability to hit the hole once it is developed.
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"This guy's going to be a big-time player," McVay said. "He got more and more confidence as the season went (on). I have tremendous confidence in him, and I think (running backs coach) Thomas Brown did such a great job being able to help him continue to mature throughout the season. I think this guy has an unbelievably bright future."
Akers will likely be more involved in the passing game in 2021 after catching just 11 passes as a rookie. A more versatile Akers might be a necessity, given that Brown, receiver Josh Reynolds and tight end Gerald Everett are slated to enter free agency. And while a heavier workload presents its own unique set of challenges, Akers appears ready and willing to accept that role.
"Ultimately, I was able to grow as a young man and as a player, and that's all you can really ask for," Akers said of his first season. "When you know you went out on the field and put everything you got on the line, that's all you can really ask for, is to grow and learn from wherever you went wrong. You want to build on that."
Matthew Stafford sucks!
- By NJRamsFan
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 12 Replies
Just kidding...just trying to get your attention....I’m hoping we can take this time to show our gratitude to ROD and the unpaid work our mods do. How many 9s can we get for our new qb?
League is about to strike another Gold Mine ...
- By Riverumbbq
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 35 Replies
Analysis: NFL's very rich owners about to get much more rich
The league is on the verge of extending its broadcast deals with its current partners, and with a new full-time rights holder in Amazon likely acquiring streaming rights. The astronomical numbers figure to double in many cases, displaying once more that despite a pandemic, lower ratings for the...
Analysis: NFL's very rich owners about to get much more rich
FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2020, file photo, the NFL logo is displayed at midfield during an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J. There are some very rich people about to get a whole lot richer. Who else but NFL owners? Probably within the next week, those 32 multi-millionaires/billionaires will see their future earnings increase exponentially. The league is on the verge of extending its broadcast deals with its current partners, and with a new full-time rights holder in Amazon likely acquiring streaming rights. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, FIle)More
BARRY WILNER
Fri, March 5, 2021, 2:48 PM
There are some very rich people about to get a whole lot richer. Who else but NFL owners?
Probably within the next week, those 32 multi-millionaires/billionaires will see their future earnings increase exponentially. The league is on the verge of extending its broadcast deals with its current partners, and with a new full-time rights holder in Amazon likely acquiring streaming rights.
The astronomical numbers figure to double in many cases, displaying once more that despite a pandemic, lower ratings for the 2020 season, and the waves of viewers finding alternate ways to watch games, the NFL is the most desirable of all commodities for broadcasters.
“There is so much interest in the NFL coming back in broadcasting and digital and all the ancillary programming and fantasy leagues and sports gambling," says Marc Ganis, co-founder of Chicago-based consulting group Sportscorp and a confidant of many NFL owners. "Nobody wants to leave the NFL right now.”
That's particularly evident when it comes to television. Though the networks, mainly Disney-owned ESPN/ABC, may have balked at the rights fees the NFL is seeking over the next decade, they also pretty much are swallowing hard and ponying up.
ESPN spent the most in the current deal at $1.9 billion annually — increased to $2 billion once it got a wild-card playoff game. That provided it the Monday night showcase and the playoff representation. The league is eager for some of the Monday nighters to land on free-to-air ABC, while Disney is even more eager to get back into the Super Bowl mix on ABC.
The price tag probably won't approach $2 billion per season, but it will increase substantially. And only ESPN's deal ends after the upcoming season; the rest go through 2022.
Fox currently has a Sunday afternoon package of primarily NFC games and the Thursday night package at $1.76 billion per year. Amazon — with cable's NFL Network, owned by the league — is in line to grab the prime-time portion, but Fox's fee for the Sunday games could double from $1.1 billion.
CBS, which once had the Thursday night package, is paying $1 billion a year for the Sunday afternoon AFC-dominated telecasts and also seems headed for doubling that.
NBC, which has next February's Super Bowl — potentially in the middle of the Winter Olympics that the network also broadcasts — has been paying $950 million a year for the prized Sunday night deal. That, too, could double in rights fees.
Amazon's buy-in is projected in the $1 billion range. And then there's the DirecTV Sunday Ticket package of out-of-town telecasts, which is at $1.5 billion annually and figures to jump to $2 billion or so — with several bidders lined up.
So, from $7.185 billion a year to, say, $12 billion is in the ballpark.
Why is the league so eager to get the broadcast extensions done now? The NFL's business year begins March 17.
Well, most stadiums were fully empty for all of 2020, and team expenses skyrocketed during the pandemic-impacted season. The loss of incoming revenues means a reduced salary cap this year (to about $183 million), and would have heavily impacted future caps without the upcoming tidal wave of rights fees profits.
There's also the financial security the new contracts will provide. Not that Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft needs to worry where his next dollar is coming from. But they soon will know where their next millions of dollars are coming from.
The players, who wisely agreed to a new labor deal a year ago before the COVID-19 pandemic hit full force, will see the fruits of that pact throughout the decade. Not this year, when the new broadcast deals won't have much effect. But definitely down the road paved with gold.
And despite how much they will be shelling out, the broadcast partners will benefit. Just look at the TV ratings for 2020, the newsiest of years with the pandemic; a stormy presidential election campaign and aftermath; and a racial and social awakening in America. Yes, the number of eyeballs watching on television dropped for the NFL, but the league still brought in an average of 15.6 million television and digital viewers during the regular season, according to the league and Nielsen.
As general managers or coaches like to say after making a trade, “It's a win/win for everyone.” In this case, that's almost certainly true.
Will Cooper Kupp's "Knees" be dependable?
- By Florida_Ram
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 87 Replies
Rams WR Cooper Kupp out for season with torn ACL in his knee Nov 12, 2018
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is out for the season after tearing his ACL during Sunday's 36-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks, coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday.
Kupp suffered the injury in the fourth quarter on a play away from the ball. He was running a route, jostled a bit with the defender, then went to the ground and grabbed his knee. Kupp walked off the field with assistance from the training staff.
"It's a huge loss for our football team, he's such an important part of what we do and a great football player, a great person, and it's tough, but fortunately we've got guys that are ready to step up," McVay said.
www.espn.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Jan 16, 2021 The Los Angeles Rams won’t have leading receiver Cooper Kupp available for their NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Green Bay Packers.
Kupp headlines the Rams’ list of inactive players for Saturday’s game. He had been listed as questionable with a knee injury.
Kupp had 92 catches for 974 yards in the regular season to lead the Rams in both categories, and three of his receptions went for touchdowns. He followed that up by catching four passes for 78 yards in a 30-20 playoff victory at Seattle last week.
www.washingtontimes.com
I personally don't believe the Rams can trust Kupp's knees.
They better not be content with Woods, Van Jefferson and Kupp's (knee injury history) as their top 3 WR's going into the 2021 season.
Drafting a rookie WR in the 2021 NFL draft is not going to be enough insurance. :noway
They need to sign a solid veteran Free Agent WR and there are no if ands or buts about it.
Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/PCXkni-mARs
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is out for the season after tearing his ACL during Sunday's 36-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks, coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday.
Kupp suffered the injury in the fourth quarter on a play away from the ball. He was running a route, jostled a bit with the defender, then went to the ground and grabbed his knee. Kupp walked off the field with assistance from the training staff.
"It's a huge loss for our football team, he's such an important part of what we do and a great football player, a great person, and it's tough, but fortunately we've got guys that are ready to step up," McVay said.
Rams WR Kupp out for season with torn ACL
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the Rams, coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Jan 16, 2021 The Los Angeles Rams won’t have leading receiver Cooper Kupp available for their NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Green Bay Packers.
Kupp headlines the Rams’ list of inactive players for Saturday’s game. He had been listed as questionable with a knee injury.
Kupp had 92 catches for 974 yards in the regular season to lead the Rams in both categories, and three of his receptions went for touchdowns. He followed that up by catching four passes for 78 yards in a 30-20 playoff victory at Seattle last week.
Rams won’t have WR Cooper Kupp for playoff game with Packers
The Los Angeles Rams won’t have leading receiver Cooper Kupp available for their NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Green Bay Packers.
www.washingtontimes.com
I personally don't believe the Rams can trust Kupp's knees.
They better not be content with Woods, Van Jefferson and Kupp's (knee injury history) as their top 3 WR's going into the 2021 season.
Drafting a rookie WR in the 2021 NFL draft is not going to be enough insurance. :noway
They need to sign a solid veteran Free Agent WR and there are no if ands or buts about it.
Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/PCXkni-mARs
The NFL is in the midst of another defensive evolution
- By ROD-BOT
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 0 Replies
Galina: Why two-high defenses are poised to take over the NFL
Single-high defenses crafted in the Pete Carroll style are going out of fashion in the NFL. Now, two-high coverages — especially quarters-type coverages — are probably best when it comes to defending the pass in today's NFL.
www.pff.com
The NFL is in the midst of another defensive evolution, and it’s going to follow the tried-and-tested way football usually changes: it's going to move very slowly and then all of a sudden everyone will be doing the same thing.
We saw precisely that in the early 2010s when the explosion of Pete Carroll’s single-high defense took over the league. If you win games, especially on defense, people will want to copy you. And not only did Seattle's defense win games, but it also helped neutralize the NFL's offenses. It allowed them to bully outside receivers and control the game.
The Carroll tree was subsequently stripped and exported throughout the league, and we ended up with a whole NFL that wanted to play single-high-safety defenses.
But these defensive answers can never last. Offenses eventually figure them out, and the defense must get out of its way and find new answers. Of course, getting out of your own way is probably the most challenging part; coaches probably always feel like they can fix problems with better execution when the problems often need to be solved at the structural level.
At a time with all the single-high defenses that spun a safety down in the box, running lanes became clogged. At the same time, the NFL started to feel the trickle-up effect of better quarterback play across all levels of the game. Quarterbacks were training better and getting more reps as youngsters, which led to them coming into the league with so much more passing experience than any generation before. The NFL became a passing league.
A single-high safety coverage is always going to give a team answers against the run — they have the advantage of an extra player in the box. You can still select more than capable pass defenses — such as Cover 1, Cover 3 spot-drop or Cover 3 match — but those coverages often need special players on the outside, which is precisely what Pete Carroll happened to have.
Without the kind of All-Pro defenders the Seattle Seahawks used to deploy, two-high coverages — especially quarters-type coverages — are probably best when it comes to defending the pass in today's NFL.
As noted, fixing your problems with an entirely new structure is hard work — it takes thinking outside the box. And yet, 2020 was the first year we saw real change, and 2021 could be the year that everyone decides they’ve had enough of the single-high world.
PFF has charted the defensive looks on every play of every game since 2014, and the 2020 season was the first time defenses lined up in a pre-snap middle-of-the-field-closed look on less than 50% of first- and second-down snaps.
Pictured: A defensive alignment that PFF charts as “middle of the field closed.”
As opposed to a pre-snap open look:
Pictured: A defensive alignment that PFF charts as “middle of the field open.”
In all, 48.6% of all early-down snaps were played with that middle-of-the-field closed look, down from 53.9% in 2018 and 57.6% in 2019. And the important thing to know about these numbers is who is pulling the average down under 50%.
The Los Angeles Rams led the NFL in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play this regular season and played the fewest early-down pre-snap closed looks — only 11% of their early-down snaps were in a pre-snap closed look. For reference, the 2015 Seahawks did this 75% of the time.
Of course, some teams played a low percentage of snaps in this look before the 2020 Rams came along, but the schemes that spread throughout the league are the ones that dominate statistically. That’s what the Rams did in 2020 with new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who landed a head-coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers after just one year of coordinator experience.
Staley previously coached under Vic Fangio in Denver and Chicago. And for what it’s worth, Fangio’s 2020 Broncos recorded the second-lowest pre-snap middle-of-the-field-closed rate in the league. Back in Chicago, the Bears hired Sean Desai as defensive coordinator this offseason, and Desai has worked with both Fangio and Staley.
The scheme spreads via coaching personnel and tape. Entrenched defensive coordinators will also look at what Staley and Fangio have done over the last few years and pick up on some strategies.
The purely single-high teams were at risk of getting run out of the building as offenses found better ways to manipulate their defense. Last offseason, I wrote about how deep crossing routes manipulated these one-high structures and concluded with the following:
“With more teams going to the Shanahan-style wide-zone offense, we could see the popularity of these routes skyrocket in the coming years until the inevitable shift to a quarters (two-high) landscape will cause another change in the offense-versus-defense dynamic.“
If the shift does end up being to quarters, we will see offenses respond with different routes. In 2020, we saw teams target different routes based on whether the defense ended up in a post-snap closed or open coverage. We saw the percentage of targeted deep crossing routes double when going from two-high to single-high — offenses targeted these routes around 3% of the time against two-high and 6% of the time against single-high. Over-routes are the 14th-most targeted route against two-high and the sixth-most targeted route against one-high.
Offenses will still want to attack the space outside the seam in the 18-22 yard range, but we could see those targeted routes start from the same side of the field rather than coming across the formation. Concepts that involve a deep vertical route from an outside receiver and an intermediate out-route from the slot are common versus quarters coverages because the combination puts the safety and cornerback to that side in a bind about who is going to pick up which route.
Quarters could be an answer. After all, we saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminate the potent Kansas City Chiefs offense by playing quarters variants in Super Bowl 55. Last season, we also saw the highest number of quarters-coverage snaps against passing plays since we began charting in 2014. So, it’s an excellent place to start.
The other answer is staying in a two-high look long enough and then spinning a safety down after the snap as a robber but still playing either Cover 1 or Cover 3. These types of coverages give the defense layers.
If a defense plays Cover 1 and rushes only four players, there will be a free “rat” player looking to eliminate difficult routes. If the team is already aligned in a pre-snap closed look, that player will almost certainly be a second-level linebacker. This role has no problems picking up and “robbing” underneath routes, but there is no answer against deeper routes:
The Mike linebacker, No. 44, is just standing there while Tyreek Hill runs by him.
NFL defenses showed two-high and then spun down to single-high at the second-highest rate we have ever charted on early downs last season, at just under 13% of the time — two percentage points higher than in 2019.
Here, we can see how the safety dropping down to become a robber player spooks Jimmy Garoppolo on the crossing route, which forces him to throw late and blind for an interception. Layers.
In the copycat league that is the NFL, we can easily see an explosion of these styles of defense because of the success of the Fangios and Staleys of the world. This could be the first year of many in succession that the league falls under 50% of early-down pre-snap closed-look defenses. It’s going to force offenses to adapt, and the cycle will continue.
Retirement.....
- By LARams_1963
- OFF TOPIC
- 81 Replies
A month ago I had a very productive zoom call with my financial advisor. I'm 57 and would like to retire at 59.5, 33 years with the company. We hashed out the game plan and she said we were in great shape to do it, so we were looking at June of '23 for a retirement date. We had a second meeting yesterday and the first thing I mentioned was that I wanted to actually up the amount I would bring home on a monthly basis. She said the plan still worked well. So just for shits and giggles I asked If the plan looks that good can I retire earlier? She crunched the numbers and said.... You can go now if you want.
So I've set a date for June 1st of this year! We are so excited it's not even funny. It's absolutely amazing to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our plan is to move to Florida, probably the Port Charlotte area, from California. The house search will start June 5th!
There is one MAJOR bummer about going now. I will probably not get to see a live game in the new stadium, which I have season tix for. Frikken COVID!!!!
There is one MAJOR bummer about going now. I will probably not get to see a live game in the new stadium, which I have season tix for. Frikken COVID!!!!