How good was the LA Rams offensive line in 2020?
By Kenneth Arthur
Grading PFF grades: How good was the LA Rams offensive line in 2020? - Turf Show Times


The LA Rams did a better job along the offensive line in 2020 than many people had expected them to do, but were they great in that area? And was the offensive line as good as it had been during Sean McVay’s first two seasons at the helm?
At the end of 2020, ProFootballFocus ranked the Rams as having the third-best offensive line in the NFL.

There really wasn’t a whole lot of movement from the Rams this past offseason to add to the group, so the change centered around improvement from the players who were already on the roster. Andrew Whitworth improved his PFF grade by 16 points before his injury, while Austin Blythe’s and Austin Corbett’s grades each jumped nearly 20 points. Those improvements paled in comparison to Rob Havenstein’s jump from a 50.9 PFF grade in 2019 to 80.0 heading into this year’s postseason.
As a result, Jared Goff has been pressured on fewer than 30% of his dropbacks after that number sat at 36% in 2019.

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PFF understandably likes to use their grades, but they remain meaningless to me until greater transparency reveals what I’m supposed to take away from random numbers and colors. It’s very Sesame Street-y. I think we owe Andrew Whitworth and every other offensive lineman in the league the benefit of the doubt before we glance at their PFF bio and assume that a season can be summed up efficiently as “71.1” and “slightly green” and call it a day.

How do we know that said player wasn’t only one sack allowed away from a “73.3” and “more green” or “68.6” and “more yellow”? And what is the sentence I even just typed? Am I writing about football or meteorology?

However, it doesn’t mean that PFF is “wrong” either. It would be hard to be wrong, since PFF is only giving their opinions on these linemen — as that is the only thing possible to give when handing out player evaluations. The numbers they spit out for each individual sure do look like stats — that’s why people share them so readily — but essentially it is no different than PFF being a movie critic.

“During my viewing of Austin Blythe’s dramatic performance in “vs. the Green Bay Packers,” I wept ... but not in a good way. C-.”

That is all PFF is doing and any argument to the contrary would fly in the face of logic. I can tell you who led the NFL in touchdown passes, but that won’t always be the best quarterback. I can tell you who led the NFL in rushing attempts, but that won’t always be the most valuable running back. I can tell you who led the NFL in sacks, but that won’t always be the most dangerous pass rusher.S tats tell you what happened. Grades tell you what “I think” happened.

PFF is telling you “Grades” but showing you something that looks like “Stats” and they only do that because when Fangraphs popularized WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in baseball, it proved that there’s value in companies that provide “values” for players.

In 2018, the Rams o-line succeeded together, finishing sixth in PFF’s o-line rankings.

In 2019, the Rams o-line failed together, finishing 31st.

And in 2020, they were third again.

It’s not a strong endorsement of the grades to see such dramatic fluctuation with the same players, but more than anything else it makes it difficult to understand why anyone should care; if LA can be so great in 2018 and so terrible in 2019 and so great in 2020 — with largely the same players — then what guarantee does anyone have of what’s going to happen next season?

Obviously, we get no such guarantee. But we can still reflect on 2020 and maybe even decide that 2019 was an outlier worth trashing.

The good news is that even outside of PFF’s “movie reviews disguised as stats,” these players are getting good marks.

Over at the SIS DataHub, Rob Havenstein was their highest rated offensive lineman of 2020. Not just on the Rams, but of any offensive lineman in the entire NFL. Havenstein edged out Orlando Brown, Jr and Bradley Bozeman of the Baltimore Ravens. (Fail together, succeed together.) Havenstein had four penalties and 23 blown blocks on 1,021 snaps, and for whatever reason, earned the most “points” at SIS. There’s been little argument that Havenstein didn’t just have an excellent season at right tackle and he is signed for two more years at roughly $8.5 million per.

The second-highest rated Rams offensive lineman is Austin Corbett, who had four penalties and 20 blown blocks at right guard. He is the sixth-ranked guard at SIS and tied in “points” with all-pro Quenton Nelson of the Colts. Corbett is signed through 2021 and could be a consideration at center if Blythe leaves in free agency. But doing so and taking Corbett off of right guard could potentially make two positions weaker.

Ranking just inside the top-60 for all offensive linemen is left guard David Edwards, who had one penalty and 16 blown blocks in 14 starts. Edwards remains on his rookie deal for two more seasons.

Andrew Whitworth was playing well in 2020 and was unfortunately injured midseason. Had he played a full season, Whitworth could have easily ranked inside the top-5. But missing games is only going to become less surprising as he reaches age 40 and that too must be a major consideration for how LA approaches its o-line building this offseason. Whitworth was blamed for five penalties in only nine games, but he only had four blown blocks — an elite rate of blown blocks only reserved for all-pro level offensive linemen like Zack Martin and David Bakhtiari and Joe Thuney and Andrew Whitworth.

Finally, Blythe had just one penalty and 23 blown blocks over 1,023 snaps at center. He ranked at roughly average for starting centers in “points” and may stick out as the weak point on the line — which also emphasizes why they were rated so highly as a unit. If Austin Blythe is your worst offensive lineman, that’s a good sign. On some teams, he would have been the best.

Surprisingly, Joe Noteboom ranked low at SIS, posting 14 blown blocks and three penalties in 575 snaps. But again, this is not a fair and complete evaluation of Noteboom, as it wouldn’t be for any offensive lineman. He played in two different spots on the line, which isn’t shown in his “points” or his “grade.” He stepped in at left tackle and played adequately for a team that desperately needed a left tackle after Whitworth was injured. Noteboom should be given a lot more credit than simply “13 points” or “60.3, yellow.”

Some Rams fans saw the offensive line as a great strength in 2020. Others see it as an area of weakness that requires significant upgrades to its interior positions while also planning for potential departures at both tackle spots within the next year or two. Both could be right. Knowing what we pretend to “know” now, how should the Rams approach the offensive line in the offseason?

It is possible that the addition of Matthew Stafford alone will be enough to upgrade the perceived and actual performance of the offensive line. And it is because of the Stafford trade that the Rams know that they won’t have as many resources to upgrade the offensive line moving forward. We can safely assume that Whitworth will return, until he says otherwise. We can also write in Edwards, Corbett, and Havenstein for starting jobs. If Blythe is re-signed, as he was a year ago, then nothing will be expected to change.

LA could draft a “developmental” tackle and a “pro ready” interior lineman and that will basically be the only thing different this offseason as compared to last. And the Rams plan at offensive line last offseason — to do nothing — worked out pretty well.

Well, yeah, I did stay up all night to do this, haha. Well, here it goes:

Cut:

Kenny Young
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Justin Lawler
Nick Scott

(All of these players save valuable cap dollars, cap which will go to free agency.)

Re-sign:

Darious Williams - RFA (second round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender).
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA

(Darious Williams and Johnny Mundt get tenders. Other than that, these are ERFAs.)

Restructure:

Aaron Donald
Jalen Ramsey
Matthew Stafford (extension restructure)

(I hate to ask this of them because I don't know much about the cap this year, but I'm planning on a bunch of free agents, since we're going all in, especially considering some of the trades I'll be making. In Stafford's case, he's restructuring by extending his contract to spread the cap dollars more.)

Release:

John Johnson III
Leonard Floyd
Troy Hill
Gerald Everett
Malcolm Brown
Josh Reynolds
Samson Ebukam
Derek Rivers
Austin Blythe
Morgan Fox
Jake McQuaide
Kai Forbath

(I hate to let JJ3 and Floyd leave, but both of them could return a potential third round compensatory pick each - picks that will be useful with a lack of first round picks for the next two years. Hill has been a solid player, but I could see him going for a number 2 cornerback job. Brown should be replaced by Akers, Henderson, and a draft pick. Ebukam hasn't been effective this year and can be replaced by the combination of Hollins, Lewis, and three draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe, Everett, and Reynolds can all leave without regrets. Rivers is gone as well. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper, and with the latest long-snapper free agent signings, I doubt he stays. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)

Free Agency:

Marvin Jones - two years, 14 million overall.

(I'm on the Marvin Jones bandwagon. He's a solid receiver who will look for ring chasing, so he should come cheap - although less cheap than I hoped last time, haha.)

Desean Jackson - one year, league minimum.

(Yeah, call me crazy for signing him and Jones when we have Kupp and Woods...but like always, I have an idea.)

Rasul Douglas - one year, league minimum.

(Douglas is a bigger cornerback who was drafted in the third round by the Eagles and later cut this year and picked up by the Panthers. We sign him to see if there's any potential left.)

Jarrad Davis - one year, 3.5 million.

(Davis is a lottery ticket at inside linebacker. We can upgrade over Reeder and Kiser. He's a former first round pick who has struggled in his career...but so did Floyd. I think he's worth a shot.)

Patrick Onwuasor - one year, 3.5 million.

(Onwuasor is an interesting player. He signed a one year deal with the Jets after a solid tenure with the Ravens, but had hamstring issues that caused him to play only one game. I think he competes at the now-empty inside linebacker spot that Young had filled.)

Alex Mack - one year, 6 million.

(Yeah, I figure that he'll be a better option at center than Blythe, and he'll come fairly cheap. Mack isn't close to his prime, but he's still an upgrade over everyone we have.)

Trades:

Darious Williams signed by Dallas Cowboys, we don't match and get second round pick.

(Honestly, if we only sign Williams to a second round tender, we're asking teams to poach him, in my honest opinion.)

Michael Brockers to the Tennessee Titans for 2021 fourth round pick.

(Tennessee needs good players on the defensive line; both DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford are unrestricted free agents. Brockers could easily fit in the middle of that defense, and we could get much needed salary relief and a pick, to boot. And that's not even mentioning the amount of depth we have on our defensive line; even without Brockers, we have Joseph-Day and Gaines in the middle, Donald and Robinson as other starters, and with draft picks ready for large roles - hell, even Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams, Marquise Copeland, and Eric Banks could find potential roles on the D-line. We can afford to lose Brockers and Fox.)

Rob Havenstein to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick.

(Havenstein is easy to move; he has a large contract, and with the Mack signing here, I think that we could move one of Edwards or Evans to right tackle. Meanwhile, Cincy needs offensive line help for Burrow not to be killed, and they won't get Sewell. From what has been reported (although I'm not sure of the realism, but hey, that's why this is a mock, right?), the Rams are trying to move Havenstein, and he apparently has value. Second round pick is bullshit, in my opinion, and judging by ROD members, I won't get a third, but a fourth round pick to a desperate team? Works for me.)

Joseph Noteboom to the Indianapolis Colts for 2021 fifth round pick.

(Indy gets protection for Carson Wentz and replaces Anthony Castonzo.)

2021 fifth round pick (Noteboom/Colts pick) and Brycen Hopkins to the Philadelphia Eagles for Zach Ertz.

(Apparently, there's Ertz to the Rams rumors, and I'd love this kind of deal (apparently, I overpaid in the last one.) We need to upgrade our tight end room and no, Hopkins isn't the answer. Hoping Ertz doesn't cost too much, but I'd love this. Meanwhile, Philly gets a needed pick and a young tight end replacement.)

Cooper Kupp to the Miami Dolphins for 2021 second round pick (Texans).

(Stealing from @jrry32 . I love Kupp, but he's expendable because of injuries and because Woods and Jones do the same thing.)

Robert Woods to the New York Giants for 2021 second round pick and 2021 fourth round pick.

(Yeah, I've officially lost it...or have I? Yeah, I think that Jones, Jackson, and Ertz hold down the fort for our younger skill position players, and the Giants desperately need receiving help. And trust me, the skill position players I take are worth it.)

Tyler Higbee to the Carolina Panthers for 2021 fourth round pick.

(To me, Higbee is who he is: a decent receiver and a good blocker. His contract is a hold-up, but I think that a team like the Panthers, who desperately need weapons and help for their quarterback, could definitely be interested.)

2021 second round pick (ours) to the Minnesota Vikings for 2021 third and 2021 third (Baltimore).

(Minny trades up for an offensive tackle (Cosmi, most likely), while we trade down for picks.)

2021 third (Holmes compensatory) and 2021 third (Fowler compensatory) to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2021 third and 2021 fourth (ours).

(We trade up for a specific player, while Jacksonville trades down.)

Draft:

2nd (Dolphins) - Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State. (6'5", 250 lbs.)

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(Freiermuth's called Baby Gronk for a reason, and it clearly shows. He's a physical do-it-all tight end who has the potential to dominate a game. In my mind, the only reason he's not a first round pick is because of his injury history, but he's flat-out the second best tight end in this class only to Pitts. You may wonder why I picked him this high. I say that he's the best player available, and Higbee, as much as I like him, is more of a blocking tight end with decent receiver skills (and that's if he isn't traded/cut with his contract). Freiermuth could potentially be elite.)

2nd (Giants) - Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia. (6'1", 185 lbs.)

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(Stokes is your Williams replacement. He has fantastic ball skills and is athletic enough to cover all but the fastest receivers in the league. He's also a solid tackler, albeit slight for his size. He can get grabby and needs to turn his head around to avoid penalties. Still, he's a physical cornerback with great ball skills, and that's a good thing for a corner.)

2nd (Cowboys) - D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan. (5'9", 189 lbs.)

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(Eskridge is fast. Blazing fast. 4.3 flat (or somewhere around that area) fast. This kid, in my opinion, could be a lot like Tyreek Hill-lite. It's not enough for him to be explosive, but he knows how to run routes as well, he has a good catch radius for his size, and he has return ability on both kickoffs and punts. I think he could end up taking Jackson's spot before too long.)

3rd (Jaguars - Josh Myers, OC, Ohio State. (6'5", 312 lbs.)

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(You want a powerful, athletic, and nasty center? Myers is your guy. I've seen him slip out of the second round in some places, but I wouldn't hesitate to scoop him up with a high third. Honestly, I don't know why he'd slip; he's pretty much everything you want out of a center.)

3rd (Vikings) - Hamilcar Rashed Jr., OLB, Oregon State. (6'3", 254 lbs.)

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(Rashed had an absolutely insane 2019 season, leading the NCAA in tackles-for-a-loss (22.5, if you're curious) and tossing in 14.5 sacks to boot. I don't think he played in 2020 because of the Pac-12's response to Covid-19. This is a kid who is athletic, knows how to set up offensive tackles, and while he needs work against the run, he could eventually become a solid player.)

3rd (Vikings from Ravens) - Seth Williams, WR, Auburn. (6'2", 224 lbs.)

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(Williams is a fucking tank. He has underrated deep speed, sure, but his forte is high-pointing the ball, plucking it from the air, and coming down with the catch every time, cornerbacks/safeties/linebackers be damned. I think he needs work with routes, so putting him in Jones' hip-pocket to learn from him should be a priority. He could be dominant in this league.)

4th (Bengals) - Walker Little, OT, Stanford. (6'7" 309 lbs.)

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(Little has had injuries and technique issues that drop him here. But he could be our left tackle of the future if we develop him properly - something I think McVay and his new offensive line coach (who coached Little at Stanford) can do. He's got good athleticism and strength; he just needs work with technique and to stay healthy.)

4th (Panthers) - Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan. (6'0", 189 lbs.)

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(Thomas is an underrrated corner who doesn't usually get mentioned with the top cornerbacks in this draft. He's underweight and doesn't have the best length. He also struggles when it comes to giving wide receivers space. But he's an athletic freak with underrated ball skills, and that's more than worth an early fourth round pick.)

4th (Giants) - Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas. (5'9", 170 lbs.)

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(I'll be honest: Darden is probably the player I want most in this draft, even over Nick Bolton. His ability to start, stop, and start again is almost Faulk-like. He's amazing at returns; despite stopping and starting, he'll always net you positive yards. He's explosive, has solid hands, and runs routes well. Yeah, he may be small, but I don't think he's ever missed a game. Count me as wanting him.)

4th (Titans) - Marvin Wilson, DL, Florida State. (6'3", 319 lbs.)

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(How far the mighty have fallen. Wilson was once considered a first round draft pick, but an awful 2020 season sunk his draft stock. He's still a huge presence up front, and with Aaron Donald next to him taking rushers, maybe he regains his old form. Is he a bit of a risk? Sure, but in this mock, we have the draft capital to take a risk.)

4th (Jaguars, originally ours) - Malcolm Koonce, OLB, Buffalo. (6'3", 248 lbs.)

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(Koonce provides a solid depth piece as an edge rusher. He struggles against the run and setting the edge; he'll need to gain significant lower-body strength for him to be trusted on anything other than pass-rushing downs. He also needs a counter-move when his original plan fails. But his speed to bend the edge, his length, and his motor could make him a great pass-rusher.)

4th (Littleton compensatory) - Jaylen Twyman, DL, Pittsburgh. (6'2", 290 lbs.)

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(Twyman is another undersized defensive lineman from Pittsburgh who has the number 97. Guess who he reminds people of? Yeah, he's not Donald; he struggles more against the run than Donald did, and he's not the pass-rusher Donald is. He opted out of the season, so there's no telling who he really is. But he's explosive, knows how to set up offensive linemen, and he had an amazing 2019 season.)

6th - Chris Rumph II, LB, Duke. (6'3", 225 lbs.)

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(Rumph is someone that @jrry32 mentioned, and after looking at his film...I can see why. He flies all over the field, has an astounding array of pass-rushing moves, a motor that doesn't quit, etc. He's literally the perfect edge rusher, but he'll fall because he's underweight. Hell, he could probably fit inside as well, and he'd be solid special teams as well. I'd take him with our sixth.)

7th - Gerrid Doaks, RB, Cincinnati. (6'1", 225 lbs.)

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(Doaks is a physical back who - while he won't win too many footraces, especially in the NFL - has underrated speed. He's got decent hands as well, and if he learns the nuances of pass-blocking, he could see a lot of third down situations.)

Roster: (Starters = bold; Rookies = italics.

QB - Matthew Stafford, John Wolford.

RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Gerrid Doaks.

WR - Marvin Jones, Van Jefferson, Desean Jackson, D'Wayne Eskridge, Seth Williams, Jaelon Darden.

TE - Zach Ertz, Pat Freiermuth, Johnny Mundt, Kendall Blanton.

OL - Andrew Whitworth, Bobby Evans, Alex Mack, Austin Corbett, David Edwards, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Josh Myers, Walker Little.

DL - Aaron Donald, A'Shawn Robinson, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Jaylen Twyman, Marvin Wilson.

LB - Terrell Lewis, Jarrad Davis, Patrick Onwuasor, Justin Hollins, Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Malcolm Koonce, Chris Rumph II, Micah Kiser, Travin Howard, Troy Reeder.

DB - Jalen Ramsey, David Long Jr., Terrell Burgess, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Ambry Thomas, J.R. Reed, Juju Hughes.

ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Steven Wirtel/Colin Holba/UDFA.

So, let me know what y'all think.

13 interior offensive linemen on the free agent market who are under 28

The Los Angeles Rams don’t have much money to spend, but they do have needs on the interior of their offensive line and Les Snead will need to get creative in how he plans to fortify their depth in that area. The following 13 names will not be “exciting” for most of you but these are potentially the more realistic options at Snead’s disposal when it comes to the 2021 free agent market.

Plus, these players are all under 28 years old, giving them some hope of developmental progress to come.

Elijah Wilkinson, 26, Broncos

Wilkinson, undrafted out of UMass in 2017, started seven games at guard in 2018 and has started 19 at tackle over the last two seasons. The blog Predominantly Orange doesn’t see Wilkinson as a player who will develop into a consistent right tackle.

Going into the season, the Broncos would be betting on Wilkinson or Anderson as the RT1, placing a lot of responsibility on them and Mike Munchak. I would not be overly surprised if one of them can develop, but I do not think it is likely, and I do not think the Broncos would make this scenario happen, but it is possible.

Alex Redmond, 26, Bengals

Undrafted out of UCLA in 2017, Redmond started 15 games at guard in 2018. He has started nine over the last two seasons. He served a four-game suspension for PEDs in 2019 and spent much of 2020 on the practice squad.

Ethan Pocic, 26, Seahawks

A second round pick out of LSU in 2017, Pocic struggled at guard for three seasons and was moved back to his natural position of center in 2020. Pocic started 14 games at center for Seattle last season. The blog Seahawk Maven sees Pocic as a strength in the passing game and a weakness in the run game.

Starting a career-high 14 regular season games, he made tremendous strides in pass protection keeping Russell Wilson clean, allowing only two sacks, three quarterback hits, and 20 total pressures during the regular season per Pro Football Focus. In his first two NFL seasons alone, he allowed eight sacks on 577 pass blocking snaps. He also committed just three penalties on over 900 offensive snaps, bringing much-needed stability to the middle of Seattle’s offensive line.

As well as Pocic held up in pass protection, he continued to struggle as a run blocker, which remains a key part of Seattle’s offensive attack. Even after bulking up to 320 pounds, he still has issues moving defenders off the snap and his inability to create push consistently hurt the Seahawks’ ground game between the tackles. Per Sports Info Solutions, he had eight blown blocks in the run game and Pro Football Focus gave him a mediocre 61.9 run blocking grade, which ranked 23rd out of 30 qualified centers with over 700 offensive snaps.

Jermaine Eluemunor, 27, Patriots

A fifth round pick of the Ravens in 2017, Eluemunor only started three games in his first two seasons. He went to the Patriots in 2019 and started eight games at tackle last season. Pats Pulpit liked his versatility, but he was not without struggles.

From a performance perspective, Eluemunor’s 2020 season has to be split in two halves: his pre-injury outings were impressive and he played some good football at the right tackle position. After missing time on IR and later being asked to take over Wynn’s role as the Patriots’ left tackle, however, he struggled with consistency and eventually was benched following a bad game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14. Eluemunor finished the season having given up 18 quarterback pressures, including a team-high five sacks.

Forrest Lamp, 27, Chargers

Lamp is one of the more well known options because he was a fringe first round pick in 2017, going 38th overall to the Chargers. Lamp missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. When he returned in 2018, Lamp was relegated to a backup role. He then broke his leg in 2019. Lamp started all 16 games in 2020 but there’s been little talk from Chargers world about retaining him. LA is looking to overhaul most of their line from last season.

Dan Feeney, 27, Chargers

Cole Toner, 27, Chargers

Rashaad Coward, 27, Bears

Pat Elflein, 27, Jets

A third round pick out of Ohio State in 2017, Elflein started 27 games at center in his first two seasons, then 15 games at left guard in 2019. He was waived last year and he spent six games with the Jets. Elflein has interior versatility but may not be of starter quality.

Danny Isidora, 27, Steelers

Jordan Simmons, 27, Seahawks

Simmons went undrafted out of USC and has a long and troubling injury history that has robbed him of most opportunities since high school. He finally put it together in 2020 and appeared in 14 games, but only six starts and he wasn’t seen as an upgrade for one of the worst offensive lines in the league.

Aaron Stinnie, 27, Bucs

Ike Boettger, 27, Bills

Undrafted out of Iowa in 2017, Boettger didn’t get his first chance to start until last season. Buffalo’s injuries inside forced Boettger into seven starts and he was given adequate marks for his performance.

Appearing 12 total games and making seven starts, Boettger was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Overall, Pro Football Focus graded Boettger a 65.3 mark. While the eye test didn’t always follow suit here, his run-blocking grade actually carried him.

Rams 2021 free agency preview: What's next for Johnny Mundt?

Along with Darious Williams, Johnny Mundt will be a restricted free agent for the Rams this offseason. As the team’s reserve tight end, he doesn’t contribute in significant ways statistically; he has just nine catches for 84 yards in three seasons.

However, he’s a good blocker when the Rams need him to be, which is an important part of playing tight end. Will the Rams try to bring him back or will they let him walk in free agency next month?

2020 stats

4 receptions (4 targets)
53 yards
1 first down
2 broken tackles
PFF grade: 64.6

Analysis

Mundt was the No. 3 tight end for the Rams last season, playing behind Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. He suited up for all 16 games but played just 121 snaps (11%), which shows how sparingly he was deployed by Sean McVay.

Primarily a blocking tight end, Mundt did most of his work along the line of scrimmage when the Rams either ran the ball or threw it off play action. But when he did get the ball in his hands, which was rare, he looked pretty elusive.

This was Mundt’s best play of the season, shaking off a tackler and picking up big yardage.

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View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/1320897464971399168?s=21

Mundt was clearly the preferred choice as the No. 3 tight end over rookie Brycen Hopkins, earning far more playing time, even if it was mostly as a blocker.

Positional need: Low

Tight end isn’t exactly a pressing need for the Rams. They can easily re-sign Mundt for a fairly low cost, which would keep him in the mix along with Higbee and Hopkins. Everett is probably going to leave in free agency for a team that gives him a better chance to play meaningful snaps.

The Rams offense goes through the wide receivers anyway, with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods getting most of the targets. Then there’s Van Jefferson and Cam Akers, too, so the tight ends are lower on the pecking order.

Prediction: Signs 1-year, $1 million extension with Rams

Mundt is a restricted free agent, which gives the Rams an edge when it comes to re-signing him. If they want to, they can tender him at the original-round level, but that would cost the Rams an estimated $2.133 million against the cap.

Mundt probably doesn’t carry enough value to warrant a $2.133 million contract from the Rams, but I think Los Angeles will still try to bring him back at a lower rate. A one-year deal for $1 million seems like a fair cost for the Rams to give themselves some insurance in case Hopkins doesn’t pan out.

Former NFL Pro Bowler and pioneer sportscaster Irv Cross passed away Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles announced. He was 81.
Cross played nine years in the NFL after Philly selected him in the seventh round of the 1961 draft. The Northwestern graduate contributed in a multitude of ways for the Eagles and later the Los Angeles Rams, earning Pro Bowl honors in 1964 and 1965. In all, he registered 22 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles and a pair of defensive touchdowns. Cross also averaged 27.9 yards on kickoff returns and returned punts as well.

After five productive seasons with the Eagles, the 6-foot-2 corner was traded to the Rams. In Los Angeles, Cross continued to make an impact and reached the postseason for the first time in 1967. He returned to Philadelphia for the 1969 campaign as a player/coach before retiring from the playing field and remaining on staff for another season.

In 1971, he joined CBS Sports and became the first African-American to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, a role he continued in until 1994. Cross then served as an athletic director at Idaho State and Macalester College in Minnesota.
He was the 2009 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. The Indiana native was also inducted into the state's football hall of fame. Per the Eagles, Cross died near his Minnesota home and is survived by his wife, Liz, and four children, among others.

"Our thoughts are with Irv Cross' family," the Vikings posted on Twitter. "He was a trailblazer in the sports broadcasting industry and we appreciate all he did on a national level and here locally in the Twin Cities."

Side note: Irv Cross was an excellent corner for the Rams. I know Coach Allen loved his game and he was an integral part of some tremendous Rams defenses back in the day. But he may be remembered most for his contributions after his retirement from Pro football by his opening doors for minorities in sports media.
He was as excellent a broadcaster as he was a player.

Blessings and prayers to his family. He will be missed.

~ArkyRamsFan~

The first bombshell was obvious when they traded away Goff for Stafford. We’ve all talked that one half to death. But if we ask ourselves why they made such a drastic move it always comes back to probably McVay became convinced that an upgrade from Goff was necessary IF McVay wanted to be able to unleash his full O arsenal and maximize his creativity. That’s an oversimplification but I do think it’s generally accurate.

Which brings us to the other fundamental offseason O renovation. One not quite so obvious. Namely, the new OL blocking style that McVay has concluded is necessary to maximize Stafford’s effectiveness. IOW, bringing in Stafford was only half the job in retooling this formerly great Ram O.

Think about it. A highly respected OL coach was politely shown the door rather late after season end. Very unusual. What to conclude but that there was a failure to be on the same page philosophically with McVay’s vision for the ‘21 season? I think it’s likely that new blocking schemes are in store and I suspect that new faces will be seen as starters on OL this year. The new OL will be different and it will fit more hand in glove with both Stafford and with McVay’s goals on O.

So there we have it, a Snead/McVay double barreled offseason strategy to turbocharge this Ram O. Either one, alone, would not be sufficient to achieve Ram goals in this SB window. But in combination? Could well become a lethal upgrade needed for this current rather mediocre O.

Thoughts?

Yeah guys, my post on the Last Movie You Watched Thread gave me this idea. I am addicted to several YouTube subscription channels that I wait for new episodes every week. I have many interests, but my two favorites are:

Mr Ballen : former special forces guy started on TikToc but transitioned to YouTube for a longer story format of weird scary and true stories. It’s really good.

Ghost Town Living: a guy bought Cerro Gordo, a ghost town near Death Valley....He has gained a huge following for good reason!

Yeah... I know; fuck the 49’ers... who cares... this should be Rams Talk... Yada yada. I feel that way too, really... But...

They feel like the team that could pivot quickly to “dark horse” in the NFCW.

Most likely the Rams will have the buzz, favorite status... Seattle will always be in the conversation with Russ around...

But the 49’ers... what happens there?

If you look at 49’er forums... they are where we were with Goff toward the end. They have a “Jimmy Garapollo Thread” and it’s packed full... “He needs support“... “He sucks“... the whole deal.

They have the 12th pick in the 2021 draft.

Sit tight with Jimmy? Use the 12th pick to support him?

Trade Jimmy, picks, etc for Watson?

Use the 12th pick or trade up for a QB... Lance, Fields, Jones, Wilson, etc. Jimmy is kept or traded in this scenario.

I agree with @Merlin (THREAD: NFC West - All About the Rams vs 49’ers) the 49’ers are one to watch...

What do they do at QB?

Hmm...

Good Or Bad: Top Paid Rams Players Are On Defense

Salary construction is the invisible pair of hands that pull the strings of success in the National Football League. An unbalanced salary allocation is a bad salary allocation. In other words, too much money in the wrong place leaves too little in the right place. Bad fiscal teams are bad teams and good fiscal teams are good teams.

The Los Angeles Rams currently have their two most expensive players on defense in defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Donald is expected to make $27.892 million and Ramsey is expected to pull in $22.5 million. Combined, Donald and Ramsey are expected to take up about 28 percent of the 180 million salary cap.

Is it bad that the top-paid Rams players are on defense? A look around the league at the other five teams with this current salary allocation sheds light on this.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are paying outside linebacker Khalil Mack $26.646 million and cornerback Kyle Fuller $20 million. Currently, the Bears are in trouble as they are coming off a fairly disappointing four-year stretch with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and are expected to move on. With Trubisky, the Bears had one playoff appearance (two if you count this past season where Trubisky and Foles essentially split time) and one winning season.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are paying cornerback Trae Waynes $15.8 million and defensive tackle Geno Atkins $14.7 million. The Bengals franchise is also in a rough spot and currently in a five-year drought since a winning season or any true excitement. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been in the building for a season now, but he hasn’t proven to be the savior yet. His rookie season, while statistically very good, ended early with disappointment as he tore his ACL and MCL. 2021 will be a massive year for the Bengals to see if they can build toward something with him or if they should go back to the draft board. Unfortunately, the tide already could be turning against the Bengals with Burrow on the path to being injury-prone.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ top two most expensive players are also on defense. Cornerback Byron Jones is expected to take in $16.1 million and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is also expected to make $13.9 million in 2021. The Dolphins are coming off a decent season and a rare case of winning 10 games but missing the playoffs.

However, it could be argued that the Dolphins shot themselves in the foot by continuing to force rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into games that veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to win. It seemed that Tagovailoa’s offense was stymied easily while Fitzpatrick’s offense picked up immediately when he was inserted.

In terms of recent history, the Dolphins were over .500 in two of their last five seasons. In 2016, the Dolphins made the playoffs and lost in the Wild Card round when Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was hurt and backup Matt Moore started. The Dolphins should be cautiously optimistic for 2021 if Fitzpatrick returns to the team as long as they frontload his snaps and use Tua Tagovailoa for relief.

New England Patriots

The Patriots are expected to pay cornerback Stephon Gilmore $15.015 million and inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower $12.445 million. In their first year without Quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots didn’t do too hot as they finished their season with a 7-9 record. General Manager and Head Coach Bill Belichick had last year as a mulligan but the NFL has a way of keeping teams down once they slip. If Belichick does not right the ship in 2021, the Patriots’ era of dominance will officially have ended in 2020. Looking to 2021, the Patriots need to find an explosive quarterback to avoid being back under .500.

“What do these teams have in common with the Rams? They have all recently started over at quarterback.”

Philadelphia Eagles

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and defensive end Brandon Graham are expected to make the two highest salaries on the team in 2021. Cox is in line to make $23.880 million while Graham is expected to take home $17.928 million. In terms of recent history, the Eagles are the best team so far.

They won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2017 season and made the playoffs in each of the next two years. However, after that, the team went 4-11 in 2020 including an embarrassing tank-job in Week 17 on Sunday Night Football. Put simply, the team reached the highest high and is now at the lowest low.

2021 looks grim for the Eagles as dysfunction and skydiving teams with a new quarterback rarely rebound quickly.

How Does Los Angeles Fit With Their Top Paid Rams Players?

Going into 2021, the Rams are easily the best team on this list. That said, they share a lot of bad company with teams in uncomfortable situations. Admittedly, the Philadelphia Eagles have had an arguably better five-year stretch than the Rams due to the Super Bowl victory but they are not trending in the right direction.

The Patriots are in a bad place because they do not have a solution at quarterback and are teetering on the end of the Patriots’ era of dominance.

The Dolphins are in an awkward position at quarterback and their future is unclear as well.

The Bengals need a franchise savior as they’ve been down for a while and the Burrow injury sets a dark precedent for his career.

Lastly, the Bears will be basically starting from scratch at quarterback.

What do these teams have in common with the Rams? They have all recently started over at quarterback. Of course, the Rams now have Quarterback Matthew Stafford and should feel good about it but until one gets a look at how Stafford really does in the offense; he cannot be set in stone as a solution at quarterback. That said, it looks really good right now but there are no absolutes in the NFL. Every other team on this list once had a promising future with their new quarterback as well.

For those looking for a reason to not be alarmed, it should be made clear that the offseason is still early and plenty of time remains to restructure deals. Also, it should be pointed out that Stafford was acquired less than a month ago and the trade cannot officially happen until March 17th. Lastly, it could simply be the case that the Rams got a great deal on their quarterback who is only expected to make 20 million in 2021.

However, in the end, the Rams are surrounded by bad company on this list. When surrounded by bad company, what are the actual odds that the Rams are the diamond in the rough? On paper, it looks like the Rams are in the position to be that diamond but nothing is obvious in the NFL. Is it bad that the top-paid Rams players are on defense? The 2021 football season will hold the answer.

Rams’ Leonard Floyd Played So Well That He Might Be Playing For Someone Else

The Los Angeles Rams might be on ledge of losing their best edge pass rusher.

Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd is set to become a free agent, although they’ll be nothing cut-rate about his next deal. Floyd, a former first-round pick who came to the Rams after being released by the Chicago Bears in an attempt to resurrect his once promising career, did that and more.

Floyd was given a one-year, $10 million pact for 2020, with him possessing a vision of producing numbers that would result in a rich, multi-year contract.

The Rams were pleasantly surprised with Floyd’s contributions as he had a team-high 10.5 sacks. That was just one fewer than in his three previous campaigns combined.

Floyd was also keen against the run, flourishing again when reunited with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, a former Bears assistant.

Staley has already exited in becoming the L.A. Chargers head coach. Floyd could be next out the door unless the Rams are aggressive in recruiting him.

Floyd, 28, was last season’s version of outside linebacker Dante Fowler, Jr. After Fowler played on a one-year, $12 million pact and blossomed in 2019, he landed a three-year, $45 million contract from the Atlanta Falcons.

What limits the Rams in pursuing Floyd is them bumping up against the $180 million salary cap. Considering the mega hits from defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s and cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s deals — plus $22 million in dead money after quarterback Jared Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions — there’s not a lot of wiggle room.

Floyd, according to spotrac.com, is due $52.5 million spread over four years. It’s expected Floyd will eclipse Fowler’s compensation and maybe both of them should send thank you notes to Donald.

With Donald’s presence, it’s somewhat difficult to evaluate an edge rusher. Floyd and Fowler benefitted playing alongside Donald as the three-time NFL defensive player of the year draws blockers away from others.

Another caveat with Floyd is that he was a scholar in Staley’s system, knowing its ins- and-outs and at times coaching teammates in how to implement the scheme.

But that philosophy that produced the NFL’s No. 1-ranked unit skedaddled with Staley and the Rams hired Raheem Morris as their new defensive coordinator. Floyd could shine under Morris’ tutelage, but only if grasping a fresh approach in containing offenses.

Add it all up — especially when considering standout safety John Johnson III is a free agent, too — and Floyd is likely headed elsewhere. The Rams have simply dedicated too many resources to other parts of the roster to absorb Floyd’s next contract.

It’s not a lock Floyd will flee. But the Rams could pivot and keep their fingers crossed that their youngsters at the position reveal more growth than they did in 2020.

One of those who scuffled last season is another free agent in Samson Ebukam. Both him and Floyd could go.

That would leave two starting positions open, with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Justin Hollins and Terrell Lewis being asked to emerge. The Rams could also execute the compensatory draft picks they received for linebacker Cory Littleton and Fowler to address the need.

What the Rams sought in Leonard was someone with a nose for the quarterback and the drive to reach the pocket. Leonard exceeded their expectations and now the expectation is he played so well, that he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2021.

Here is my second mock after the Stafford trade. I tried to change things up a bit.
Departing Free Agents
OLB Leonard Floyd
SS John Johnson III
CB Troy Hill
OL Austin Blythe
HB Malcolm Brown
TE Gerald Everett
WR Josh Reynolds
DL Morgan Fox
OLB Samson Ebukam

Cut
ILB Kenny Young

Restructure
DL Aaron Donald
CB Jalen Ramsey

Extension
QB Matt Stafford

Resignings
LS Jake McQuaide
CB Darious Williams (Second Round Tender)
ILB Travin Howard
OL Coleman Shelton
TE Johnny Mundt

Trades
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #25 and Round 3 Pick #37
Jets trade Round 3 Pick #2, Round 3 Pick #22, and Round 5 Pick #10

The Jets trade up for a player they want.

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #2
Cowboys trade Round 3 Pick #11 and Round 4 Pick #34

The Cowboys trade up for a player they want.

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #22 and Round 4 Pick #37
Vikings trade Round 3 Pick #14

We trade up with trade up with the Vikings for a player we want.

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #39
Vikings trade Round 4 Pick #14 and Round 4 Pick #37

Vikings trade up with us and return our pick.

Rams trade Round 6 Pick #24
Dolphins trade Round 7 Pick #4 and Round 7 Pick #30

Dolphins trade up late in the Draft.

Free Agency
DeSean Jackson WR

DeSean signs for about the NFL minimum and will operate as a #4 WR.

Melvin Ingram OLB

Coming off a lost year due to injury at 32 years old, Ingram decides to remain in LA and chase a ring. He signs on a relatively cheap one year deal.

Alex Mack OL

Mack decides to return to where he grew up to chase a ring.

NFL Draft
Round 3 Pick #11 - Quincy Roche OLB Miami
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWEX6L_CCYA

Analysis: At 6'2" 243, Roche only fits well in the 3-4, but he has massive amounts of upside as a 3-4 edge rusher. Possessing good strength for his size along with the explosiveness, speed, agility, and flexibility, Roche is very disruptive. He's more of a splashy run defender than a consistent one at this stage. He needs to play with more consistent leverage if he's going to hold up on running downs, but his physical talent, diverse set of pass rush moves, and advanced pass rush plans make him a very dangerous rusher off the edge.

Round 3 Pick #14 - Pete Werner ILB Ohio State
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKnH6xZe98

Analysis: Werner is my favorite of the Day 2 ILBs. He's a true three-down player who has the athleticism to run sideline to sideline, the size and strength to defeat blocks and fill holes in the running game, and the experience and football IQ to be consistent and reliable player. He's not a splashy guy, but he's a player you can count on to be exactly where he's supposed to be snap after snap. In coverage, he's quite adept in zone and can man up against TEs, but twitchy HBs and slot WRs will give him problems. He should fit well in our scheme.

Round 4 Pick #14 - Tamorrion Terry WR Florida State
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Analysis: In terms of physical ability, Tamorrion Terry is a first round talent. At 6'4", he has suddenness, twitch, acceleration, contact balance, and explosive long speed. He's a kid who can take the top off a defense or catch a slant and house it. Issue is that Terry has a lot of inconsistencies in his game, the worst being poor hand technique leading to dropped passes. He also had injury issues in 2020 and didn't mesh well with the new coaching staff (eventually leaving the team midyear and opting out). But despite the inconsistencies and rawness, this is a kid who has the potential to be an impact player in the NFL.

Round 4 Pick #34 - Ar'Darius Washington DB Texas Christian
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Analysis: A solid number of teams will refuse to draft Washington because of his size (5'8" 180), but if he were 5'11" 195, he'd probably go in the second round. This is a kid who has the quickness and cover skills to be a slot CB along with the range, instincts, and ball skills to be a single-high FS. His versatility will be valuable to us. He has the tackling ability and physicality to be a traditional split safety for us, or he can slide down and potentially start in the slot. His lack of length makes it difficult for him to get off blocks, but it doesn't stop him from being a great tackler, especially in space.

Round 4 Pick #37 - Robert Hainsey OL Notre Dame
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Analysis: Hainsey's value to us will come from his ability to play all five positions on the OL. He started at RT for Notre Dame, but he showed well at the Senior Bowl at Guard and Center. I think Hainsey's greatest upside is at Center (but he'll need some development time there). He has the intelligence, technique, athleticism, mean streak, and upper body strength to be a very good starter at the position. At Guard, he's doesn't have the overwhelming power you'd ideally want, and at tackle, he doesn't have the range to consistently hold up against NFL speed. But he can play both positions well enough to cover for injuries.

Round 5 Pick #10 - Darius Stills DT West Virginia
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm7x_cpD8mw

Analysis: I'd love to see Stills learn from Aaron Donald. At 6'1" 285, Stills has a similar build and a similar game. He's not the talent that Donald is/was (who is), but he has an explosive first step, powerful and violent hands, surprising strength, good agility, and natural leverage. He's a very disruptive pass rusher who often wins early. Where he needs to improve is his ability to counter when an OL wins early in the reps. As a run defender, he needs a lot of development. He picks disruption over discipline, which leads to mistakes. But on the bright side, he has a nonstop motor and makes some very impressive plays in pursuit.

Round 7 Pick #4 - Chris Evans HB Michigan
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Analysis: Evans hasn't done much over the past two years. He missed the 2019 season due to academic issues and barely played in 2020. However, Evans showed a lot of upside earlier in his career. At 5'10" 220, he has quick feet, solid speed, solid contact balance, and natural pass-catching skills. His instincts in the ground game are also decent, and he has flashed the ability to run great routes and pass block. His game needs a lot of development, but he has the tools to be a three-down HB and a real threat in the passing game.

Round 7 Pick #25 - Avery Williams CB/RS Boise State
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Analysis: We pick Williams mainly for special teams purposes. Do/n't get me wrong, Williams has the talent and skills at CB to compete for a backup job. He even has the potential to develop into a starting nickel CB. He tackles well, has quick feet, and natural cover skills, but his size (5'9" 190) and lack of great speed make him unlikely to play outside. Where he really shines is as a return man on special teams. Williams has 6 career PR TDs and 3 career KR TDs in college. He has also blocked multiple punts. As we saw in 2020, we can use all the help we can get on special teams.

Round 7 Pick #30 - Matt Bushman TE Brigham Young
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Analysis: Bushman made a mistake going back to BYU. If he had come out last year, he is probably a fourth or fifth round pick. But he returned to school and tore his Achilles before the season started. Bushman is older (25 years old) because he did a mission, but he's an impressive talent. At 6'5" 250, Bushman has the separation quickness to beat LBs in man coverage, the speed to threaten the seam, and the hands and physicality to make catches with DBs draped on him. As a blocker, he's more of a positional blocker who lacks the mean streak you'd ideally want, but he has the size, frame, and strength to be solid at it with improved technique.

Projected Starters
QB: Matt Stafford
HB: Cam Akers
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Van Jefferson
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: David Edwards
C: Alex Mack
RG: Austin Corbett
RT: Rob Havenstein

DE: Michael Brockers
NT: Sebastian Joseph-Day
DE: Aaron Donald
OLB: Terrell Lewis
ILB: Pete Werner
ILB: Micah Kiser
OLB: Melvin Ingram
CB: Jalen Ramsey
CB: Darious Williams
CB: David Long Jr.
FS: Jordan Fuller
SS: Terrell Burgess

K: Matt Gay
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
KR: Avery Williams
PR: Avery Williams

I HATE OFF-SEASONS!!! But, While we are waiting, I am just curious on which current Free Agent Rams do you think will get re-signed and be back with the Rams next season!

With the Rams current salary cap situation (I do realize with some key moves by Les Snead the Rams situation could change quickly!) they are going to be pretty challenged to keep some of their key players (Floyd, Johnson, Williams, Everett, Blythe, Fox, Ebukam, Hill, etc)!

Is the Rams offense equipped to handle return of big plays?

The LA Rams offense wants to emphasize ‘explosiveness’, and in the offensive coach-speak, that means a return to big-plays. The emphasis on doing so is no surprise. After all, one obvious reason to trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford is to incorporate his deep pass into the Rams arsenal. Now the obvious next question.

How ‘explosive ready’ is the LA Rams offense right now? Do they need to overhaul the offense skill-players? Or will the Rams simply need to tweek here and there? Furthermore, does this play into the current starters, the depth players, or does it send the LA Rams shopping?

So far, the LA Rams have been slowly developing their offseason strategy. We know that the Rams are aware that they likely could use a new weapon on offense. But do they need one? We know that the Rams could use a newly drafted quarterback on the roster. But do they need one? We know that the Rams could use a host of depth or compete-for-start players on the offense. But do they need them?

Most likely not. The Rams roster has plenty of depth incorporated from last season. While the Rams are shallow at the offensive center, and vulnerable at offensive tackle, there is enough on the roster today to line up and go into the 2021 NFL season. But what exactly are the LA Rams looking for?

Off to see the LA Rams wizard of O

Well in his latest interview, LA Rams head coach Sean McVay elaborated on that. In that video of his interview, at the 3:10 mark of the video, McVay talked about creating plays down the field. He doesn’t like the 10-15 play offensive drives to score. He believes that too many plays create a risk of mistake. So he wants to construct a quick-strike offense.

But the Rams may already be ‘there’. The LA Rams have deep strike ability with TE Tyler Higbee, WR Robert Woods, and WR Cooper Kupp. Kupp has caught a pass for 70 yards. Woods has caught a pass for 94 yards. Higbee has caught a pass for 44 yards. But if the Rams offense needs shiny new weapons, the team needs to look no further than TE Brycen Hopkins, WR Van Jefferson, WR Trishton Jackson, and WR J.J. Koski. All have big-play abilities, and all are already on the roster.

We’ll look at the offensive weapons on the team as they might factor into this new explosive offense. The LA Rams once more face limited cap flexibility and a finite number of draft picks. So the team is unlikely to be throwing wholesale roster changes up this offseason. After all, many of the key weapons from 2017’s top-scoring offense remain on the team today.

There are still some changes in store for this Rams roster, for sure. But the big blockbuster is already history. Now, the Rams will likely dress up the offense a bit for the new quarterback. Nothing more, and nothing less.



Rams ‘adding explosiveness’ will add more pressure to defense

The LA Rams offense was once one of the top-scoring offenses in the NFL. Now that is no longer the case. If I had to use one word to describe the transformation of the Rams offense, the Rams scoring ability is wilting. The LA Rams simply haven’t shown that killer instinct on offense. Scoring touchdowns, for many reasons, has become the exception rather than the rule.

In fact, since the 2017 LA Rams offense led the league with 29.9 points per game, the offense has been on a downward slope in terms of NFL rankings. In 2018, the LA Rams offense actually scored more, rising to 32.9 points per game but falling to second-ranked. In 2019, a besieged offense fell to scoring just 24.6 points per game and the 11th-ranking in the league.

That all came to a head in 2020. Even with more accuracy at quarterback, the Rams offense plummeted even further, all the way to scoring just 23.3 points per game and finishing the season as the 23rd-ranked scoring offense. But let’s not overlook the fact that the slower-paced Rams offense was a key contributor to the Rams defensive success.

Time of possession (TOP) still matters

The LA Rams enjoyed a great defense in 2020. But let’s pause a moment. An official NFL game is 60 minutes. The balance between offense and defense is impacted by how much of that clock is managed by the offense and how much of that clock is managed by the defense. If you look at it from that perspective, that last year of Wade Phillips’ defense was the first step of a rapidly improving defense.

What do I mean? Well, the defense will typically benefit greatly when the offense spends more time on the field.

The 2017 offense, per Lineup.com, the LA Rams offense time of possession, ranked 17th in the league at 29.6 minutes. That time of possession remained unchanged for the Rams, once more coming in as the 17th-ranked in the NFL at 29.6 minutes.

In 2018, the Rams offense plunged to 27.7 minutes and came in as the 25th-ranked offense in time of possession. The Rams offense skyrocketed in time of possession in 2020, adding nearly 4 minutes in one season to hold the ball 31.4 minutes and climb to the fourth-best offense in the NFL.

Brace for a defensive decline when TOP shrinks

The LA Rams seek to infuse ‘more explosiveness’ into the offense. That comes with positive and negative impacts. What do I mean? Well, the verbiage used to add context from the Rams organization tends to aim at eliminating the long 12-16 play offensive drives that chew up the clock (I love those by the way). Instead, the team appears more interested in the quick-strike offense, say no more than 10 plays per scoring drive.

There are two ways to improve defensive performance without adding talent. Either reduce the number of plays that the opposing offense gets, or cut down on the amount of time they have to make plays. Of course, the first is to be more effective on defense. The second? That’s up to the offense.

In a game, if the Rams defend for a long drive that chews up the game clock, they will be tired. As a result, they will be more prone to make mistakes and suffer injuries. Now, if the LA Rams come out and sputter with a three-and-out performance, or run two plays and score a deep touchdown on the third, the only difference is the scoreboard. In either case, both scenarios result in the defense enjoying no more than a two-minute rest,

NFL teams with quick-scoring ‘explosive’ offenses struggle to dominate on defense for that reason. And with a new defensive coordinator arriving, it’s important to realize just what a huge difference that time of possession can truly make on a game’s outcome. The LA Rams may indeed restore ‘explosiveness’ to their offense. But don’t be surprised if the defense suffers as a result.

Samson Ebukam is an experienced pass rusher | Free Agent Spotlight

There's an often-used saying when evaluating a player's performance, no matter the sport or league: The best ability is availability.

For Rams outside linebacker Samson Ebukam, it is one of his best traits.

Originally arriving in Los Angeles as a fourth-round draft pick in 2017, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher played in every regular season game in his first four seasons in the horns. Starting in 14 of 16 games last season, Ebukam matched his career-high with 4.5 sacks – set the year before – and also produced 28 total tackles and one forced fumble.

However, with his rookie contract expiring after the 2020 season, he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 17.

So, where do the Rams and Ebukam go from here?

One option is for the Rams to re-sign Ebukam. By bringing him back, Los Angeles would retain a player who finished the 2020 season with the most starting experience (35 of 64 games) behind Leonard Floyd. The majority of those starts came in 2018 and 2020 (14 games each). Ebukam has also played in two different systems between Wade Phillips' and more recently Brandon Staley's – experience that could be valuable to new Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as he installs his vision.

If the Rams and Ebukam go in different directions, the Rams could look internally for his replacements by elevating fourth-year pro Ogbonnia Okoronkwo or second-year pro Terrell Lewis into a bigger role. After missing his rookie 2018 season due to injury, Okoronkwo tallied 18 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and two pass breakups in 20 games over the last two seasons. Lewis was limited to eight games last year, but when healthy record five tackles and two sacks.

As is the case with other pending free agents, Los Angeles could also look to free agency or the draft to potentialy find a replacement for Ebukam.

I searched and didn’t see this topic.

Any home brewers here?

I am starting 2 gallons of mead this weekend. One I will finish and back sweeten with apples and other spices. The other I haven’t decided how to finish and flavor.

If you are not familiar with mead, it’s a trendy home brew thing that uses honey instead of grapes for alcohol creation. Typically meads are sweetened and flavoured during and after secondary fermentation.

In short, you mix honey and water... pitch your yeast and that’s primary fermentation. After that stage, you take it where you want it to go.

I have a resume of wines and some beer making, but this will be my first crack at meads. And... I’m excited to make 1 gallon batches as a means to experiment with flavour. But I very much feel like a rookie.

Anyone else into brewing? And if so what do you make?

LA Rams must stop the dead cap death toll on their roster

The LA Rams have not been very prudent in their salary cap management. In fact, the team’s decision-making process when focused upon an individual player seems to run the gamut of ‘must have at any cost’ to ‘must get rid of at any cost’. That oscillation between extremes is very concerning. Why? Well, look at many of the LA Rams’ major contract extensions so far.

Of course, Aaron Donald’s extension is already a huge bargain. But other contracts? Those of WR Brandin Cooks, RB Todd Gurley, and even QB Jared Goff, proudly signed as recently as just 18 months prior, were all convincingly overpayments less than two years after the fact. Not only has that placed the Rams at a financial disadvantage, but it also calls into serious question their valuation of the team’s talent.

He’s the history of the team from their Super Bowl season forward, thanks to Spotrac.com.

2018 dead cap space – $16.8 million ( 9.4 percent)
2019 dead cap space – $13.6 million ( 5.9 percent)
2020 dead cap space – $38.5 million (19.4 percent
2021 dead cap space – $30.8 million (17.1 percent)
Cumulative total? = $99.7 million

Over four seasons, the LA Rams have overpaid by nearly $100 million. That’s a huge amount. In more concrete terms? It’s the equivalent of paying for a second player of Aaron Donald’s elite production and getting nothing to show for it.

LA Rams News update: Rams face another huge dead cap total

No, this is not a ‘sky is falling’ article. Have the Rams gotten by so far? Yes. Have the Rams been very successful? An even more emphatic YES. But these contracts force the Rams front office to shop for incredible bargains in the dents and dinged section of the grocery store, while other teams walk into the same store with fistfuls of cash. Over time, who eats better?

The Rams can still pay for their players at the same level, but reword contracts to contain far more incentive clauses, and far fewer guaranteed salaries. Right now the LA Rams are among 11 NFL teams with a salary cap figure that exceeds this year’s estimated ceiling. With a league average dead cap figure of $7 million, the Rams are carrying $24 million in excess. If the Rams were at the league average, they would need to find just $4 million in cap savings.

How can the Rams fix this? Invest in hiring some contract specialists, persons who know their way around the ins and outs of saving the team millions in dead cap each year.

Rams have not enjoyed ultimate success

Yes, I know that the Rams have been very successful. But the ultimate success is winning a Super Bowl. To do so, the LA Rams must overcome a burdensome $31 million dead cap mountain in 2021, a year with limited cap dollars.

Worthwhile contract specialists avoid those types of situations by conditions that help the organization avoid being on the hook if the player fails to live up to expectations. Simply by paying several experts to join Tony Pastoors staff, with the goal of avoiding the dead cap purgatory the team finds itself in every year, the Rams will come out far ahead in the long run.

It’s time to draw the line on situations where it’s cheaper for the Rams to pay a player to play for the team rather than for the team to waive him. That needs to stop going forward.

Of course, the real cause of this nightmare is how quickly the Rams fall in love with a player so deeply that they are willing to meet any contract demands. Then, in record time, fall out of love with that same player just as quickly and seemingly permanently. Nothing is certain in this world but death and taxes. It’s time for the Rams to factor in that uncertainty when adding players to the roster going forward.

Interesting read where McVay admits a lot IMO most of the offensive woes were of his own making. He also mentions in passing his micromanagement of each offensive play and being in Goff's ear way too long. It's one thing to make the play call and maybe pass on some advice, etc. It's totally different when he's making the QB calls as well. This is exactly what I've mentioned in my posts about McVay being a contributor to Goff's lack of development.

It's one thing for a coach to be an innovator and another thing for him to be a developer of young raw talent. It's clear from the Goff experience, McVay falls into the first category and comes up short as a developer of talent. I would be willing to bet the Rams don't use anymore high draft picks on a QB, and IMO they will headhunt for veterans like Stafford in the future unless they hire a true QB guru to coach the young guy up as long as McVay is their HC.

the Texans called and asked the Rams to throw in one more 1st rounder along with what was offered to the Lions to get DeShaun Watson?

I know it's very unlikely to back out of a deal for Stafford but I just was wondering out loud since him and the Texans are at a stand still.

Rumors of Rams interest on 1 year deal. If healthy, if, still a deep threat and possible impact on our sorry return game. I would do it.

Listening to McVay talk about new coaches, taking questions from talking heads.

More after he's done.

I vote for Raiders please...

Bold moves have become trademark of Los Angeles Rams' front office

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams' window to win a Lombardi Trophy opened in 2018 and they capitalized with a trip to Super Bowl LIII.

Considering they went all-in to build a star-studded roster for that effort, some may have thought their Super Bowl window would be short. However, coming off a 10-6 season and looking ahead to 2021, the Rams continue to be in prime position for a division title and playoff, if not Super Bowl, run.

Preparing for their sixth season in L.A., and what they hope will be their first in front of fans at SoFi Stadium, the Rams front office and general manager Les Snead are proving the flashy, daring moves they made over the last five years are hallmarks of their decision making.

"We have a model that's rationally successful, but it would be bad business if we didn't look at the model every year and try to apply lessons to tweak it to ... advance to a game like this past Sunday in future years," Snead said a week after the season ended with a divisional playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.

"And not just in 2021, but to be one of those teams that where, you know, what if we're in the final four and we're playing for a conference championship it's expected, not just a surprise or kind of a Cinderella-type deal."

For better or worse, conventional thinking -- including building through the draft -- isn't the Rams' style. Being aggressive to get players they want is. And they've employed several methods to that end.

Historic moves up the draft board? Check.

The Rams traded six picks, including two first-round selections, to the Tennessee Titans to move up from No. 15 to No. 1 to select quarterback Jared Goff in 2016.

Signing multiple players to record-breaking paydays, only to jettison a few not long after? Check.

Todd Gurley II reset the market for running backs when he signed a four year, $60 million extension with $45 million guaranteed extension in 2018. Aaron Donald then reset the defensive tackle market when he signed a six year, $135 million extension, with $87 million guaranteed. Goff signed a four year, $134 million extension, with $110 million guaranteed, in 2019. And last September, cornerback Jalen Ramsey received a five year extension that guaranteed $71.2 million at signing worth $105 million, the richest deal ever for a cornerback.

The Rams parted with Gurley and Goff before both players reached the extension portion of their contracts, though both secured significant paychecks via bonuses and guarantees.

Trading away seven years of first-round draft picks to acquire established talent? Check.

In 2017, the Rams sent their 23rd overall pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. In 2019, they packaged their 2020 and 2021 first-round picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire Ramsey and last month, they traded their 2022 and 2023 first-round picks -- along with Goff -- to the Detroit Lions in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Goff-Stafford trade will become official at the start of the new league year March 17.

None of the risks the Rams have taken, in terms of big cash payouts or mortgaging future draft talent, have resulted in a Super Bowl win, though they came within reach in a 13-3 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

When it comes to the Rams' unconventional roster building and earlier-than-necessary paydays, some moves have turned out regrettable -- they ended up taking on $33.55 million in dead money when they cut Gurley last year and traded Cooks -- who was in the midst of a five-year, $81 million extension -- to the Houston Texans (though they did get a second- and fourth-round pick in return for Cooks).

But since the Rams hired coach Sean McVay in 2017, another bold move given he was the youngest head coach in modern NFL history at age 30, they have gone 43-21, putting together four straight winning seasons with two division titles, three playoff appearances and an NFC championship.

Though a flurry of first-round draft picks and standout players -- including cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh -- have come and gone via trades and free agency, the Rams remain in contention.

They return three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Donald and All-Pro cornerback Ramsey on a defense that ranked No. 1 in the league last season. And the offense returns receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, tight end Tyler Higbee and a promising young running back in Cam Akers.

The Rams already made the biggest possible offseason move in sending Goff to Detroit for Stafford, who had three playoff appearances in 12 seasons with the Lions but is expected to capitalize on a partnership with McVay and the Rams' existing playmakers.

The Rams will incur a $22.2 million dead-money charge for trading Goff, but that will amount to a $12.75 million cap savings from what his salary cap charge ($34.95 million) would have been had he stayed. Stafford will cost $20 million in salary-cap charges.

However, it can't be overlooked that Goff ultimately also cost the Rams four first-round draft picks -- two to move up to draft him and two to send him to Detroit.

"They have zero margin for error, it's reckless and irresponsible to go eight years without a first-round pick," ESPN front office insider Mike Tannenbaum said in the immediate aftermath of the Goff-Stafford trade. "I think this is a really risky move."

Unless the Rams trade up in future years, they will not make a first-round pick until 2024 and haven't made one since Goff in 2016.

With the salary cap dropping from $198.2 million in 2020 to an estimated $180 million due to financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, it's uncertain what further big splashes the Rams can make this offseason and whether they will be able to retain any of their unrestricted free agents, including outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill.

"It's going to be an interesting offseason that will take maneuvering, adjustments," Snead said, adding later that, "Anything can be done in a cap-based system."

The Rams have proven that over the last four seasons. Time will tell if it will be possible again in 2021.

Rams Linebacker Position Needs An Overhaul

Despite having the top-ranked defense in the league, the Rams had a glaring weakness and that was the linebacker position. Yes, Leonard Floyd was an absolute dynamo recording 10.5 sacks and was the embodiment of a low-risk high reward investment, but beyond him, the linebacker group was patchwork at best. Samson Ebukam, Kenny Young, Micah Kiser, Troy Reeder, Terrell Lewis, and others came and went without their ever really being a solid unit. Floyd masked a lot of sins and unfortunately for the Rams, he will easily find a team that can move him TO A BIGGER HOUSE.

The Rams are also likely going to cut Kenny Young and maybe someone else in order to free up cap space. The good news is, they have enough draft capital and there will be a number of vets that unexpectedly find themselves looking for a new team. There are numerous options for the Rams and aside from the offensive line, linebacker is their biggest off-season priority.

The Rams aren’t all that cap liquid right now (take a drink) and thus are priced out of the cream of the crop at linebacker. That means unless they get someone DESPERATE for a ring they’re missing out on the likes of Bud Dupree, Von Miller, Melvin Ingram, etc. Their shopping list also needs to consider whether or not Terrell Lewis is going to be healthy or at least be trusted to be healthy. If he can, then they probably upgrade more at inside linebacker with say, Christian Kirksey or Avery Williamson. If they don’t, perhaps they focus more on the outside and target De’Vondre Campbell or Olivier Vernon.

Perhaps they split the difference and bet low on multiple guys with “prove it” deals. For instance, Takkarist McKinley who has a history with Raheem Morris in Atlanta, or someone like Eric Wilson could boost the pass rush.

Maybe they use their draft capital on the outside and buy low inside with Reuben Foster or Tahir Whitehead. There aren’t any sure-fire home runs in this group but Leonard Floyd wasn’t instantly looked at as one either. Having Aaron Donald is always a boost and any linebacker they sign will have every chance to succeed.

The Rams really need to take the linebacker position seriously this time. They say what happens when Donald has to compensate for a lack of production. They likely won’t have another Leonard Floyd next year but if they can build a cohesive unit they won’t have to. There are a lot of options out there that won’t break the bank and if Les Snead can hit on a guy or two in the draft that will make life a lot easier. It isn’t clear if they go linebacker with their first pick at 57 or if they go interior line first but they can’t afford to wait until day three to address that need.