As I see it:

I have to say, I'm proud and thankful that McVay is HC and Snead is GM.

There aren't many HCs or GMs I'd take over them, and I mean very few.

I think it all gets taken for granted how fast McVay turned this around, and how he continues to do more with in some cases less. And I think we take for granted the balls Snead has to make the bold move.

And with McVay, I like that the more he gets into this and more he matures as a coach he isn't afraid to cut the dead weight even as irrational it may seem. Him and Snead are both ballsy enough to admit mistake and move on.

I guess, I just wanted to start an threading showing appreciation for them, because I think we take it for granted.

Thank you McVay and Snead for all you do.

I heard several all time great DE's joking that sacking a guy 4 times in the old days would have a seen a QB lucky to finish the game. AD confirmed that it wasn't the play before the sack of Oompa Lumpa that injured his ribs but the sack itself. AD changed the way he sacked QB's when they changed the rules to protect the QB (give them a freakin' red jersey on game day, why dontcha!). Having RW's fat ass rolling on a guy, forced to be easy on him, injured AD. If AD had driven him into the ground, no injury would have to happened to our most valuable player in the playoffs.

Let's ask Deacon if that's fair to QB's?

Thanks to all who have tuned and commented on my weekly data dumps. I'll chime in from time to time with a list during the offseason, but this will be my last list for the 2020 campaign.

1. Disappointed.

2. It was surprising to see the defense fail us in the end, but I think it was pretty much a perfect storm: Donald not 100%, No. 1 Packers offense played well, perhaps a bit of road fatigue.

3. I think its important not to overreact to this game, though. The defense brought us to second round of the playoffs. It needs to be maintained, not revamped.

4. Of course, that's not as easy as it may seem. Brandon Staley's departure creates a void. For the sake of continuity, I'd probably look to a guy like Aubrey Pleasant. If we look elsewhere, I think Matt Patricia (who was a bad HC, but an excellent DC) is an option.

5. From a personnel standpoint, there are four key FAs. Darious Williams, who is restricted, is a no-brainer and should be retained. Troy Hill, though he had a good season, is expendable/replaceable. That leaves the two big ones: Leonard Floyd and John Johnson. I've flipped back and forth as to which one I'd prioritize. Right now, I'd give a slight edge to Floyd, though Johnson would probably be cheaper.

6. Shame to see Aaron Donald so limited. He'll be back, though... with a vengeance.

7. Jared Goff's playoff numbers: 46 attempts, 30 completions, 329 yards, 2 TDs, 0 Ints, 100.7 passer rating. Say what you want about his up and down, extremely inconsistent season... but those are good numbers.

8. I think the whole Sean McVay creating doubt in the QB situation ("right." vs. "right now") thing is overblown.

9. That said, I'll state for the record that a trade, though HIGHLY UNLIKELY, is not impossible. If Deshaun Watson, for whatever reason, were to decide (and, with a "not trade" clause, he has the power) that he wants to play for the Rams, I suppose its within the realm of possibility. If the Rams have to bid for him against other teams, though, they will likely not come out the winner. And, yes... I'd consider Watson an upgrade, in case that's not obvious.

10. Another possibility is that the Rams could use one of their 3rd round picks (they will likely have 4) to draft a QB who, unlike the over-hyped John Wolford, could actually compete with Goff should he falter again.

11. The most likely scenario, however, is that Goff will be affirmed as the Rams' starter, and the Rams will get him help. With a more stout OL (particularly on the inside) and further development of Cam Akers as the lead back, he can be successful. I know that isn't going to satisfy some, but that's our reality.

12. Lamar Jackson is 30-7 with a 102.6 rating in the regular season over the last three years, but 1-3 with a 68.3 rating in the playoffs. I wonder if Ravens fans talk about him the way some Rams fans talk about Goff...

13. I really hope that we can get another year out of Andrew Whitworth. With him and Havenstein back, the Rams can focus on the interior of the OL, starting at center. Austin Blythe, who is a UFA, is a guy I want to replace. If Josh Myers (Ohio State) Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma) or Landon Dickerson (Alabama) is available (a trade up could be necessary), I'd love to see a plug-and-play rookie take over that spot.

14. Josh Reynolds is a luxury we won't be able to afford. Van Jefferson looks like he can fill that role.

15. In the end, the analysis of why the season ended when it did goes like this: we were not the best team in the NFL. Can we ascend to that level? I think we can, but it will take some strong personnel decisions and a bit of luck (isn't that true for most, if not all, teams aspiring to reach the top?).

16. If you told me in September that COVID would not cancel or even postpone any of the Rams games, that they'd go 10-6, make the playoffs, and win a playoff game, I would have said "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, I WANT TO WIN IT ALL!!!!!"

17. That said, all things considered, I'd say this was a good season.

18. Here's to a 2021 campaign entered into with hope and promise.

19. Here's to finally seeing SoFi filled to capacity.

20. Here's to us, the long-suffering, often teased by success, uniform/logo debating, multi-city, passionate, loyal and proud fans of the Los Angeles Rams!

Seahawk fans, Saint fans and our rivals could learn a thing from you guys on class. I hope it’s ok if we say we love you Ram fans. I rooted for you guys in 1999, loved that SB!

Huh. I guess he feels life will be better with Herbert under center. That or he felt hemmed in by McVay,

Cam Akers and Van Jefferson finish rookie seasons strong

If Saturday's individual playoff performances are a sign of what's in store for the 2021 season, running back Cam Akers and wide receiver Van Jefferson should have Rams fans excited.

Akers posted 18 carries for 90 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's divisional playoff game against the Packers, with Jefferson adding six catches (on seven targets) for 48 yards and one touchdown to cap off their rookie seasons.

Excluding a 1-yard run by Goff, Akers owned the backfield Saturday afternoon – he was the only running back who received carries.

When the Rams needed an answer after their deficit grew to 13 following a 1-yard touchdown run by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, they turned to Akers on four consecutive plays: All rushing attempts that gained a combined 33 yards and moved Los Angeles into Green Bay territory. The drive ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Goff to Jefferson to make it a six-point game.

"I think I said it last week, and I've said it to him all season long: He's special," Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth said postgame. "I look forward to watching him have a tremendous career, because the way he's wired, if he can stay healthy, he's going to be a different one for sure."

There was also the new wrinkle (for the Rams offense – Akers was a high school quarterback so this wasn't out of the ordinary) of direct snaps out of the wildcat formation. Akers had four; on the third, he ran seven yards into the endzone for a touchdown.

"The more that you can have the ball in Cam Akers' hands, we're in a good position," Rams head coach Sean McVay said.

From Week 12 of the regular season through the divisional round game against the Packers, Akers collectively finished the final eight games of his rookie season with 141 carries for 645 yards (good for 4.6 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.

As for Jefferson, a greater role in the wide receiver rotation has usually come via an injury to one of the members of his position group. In this case, it was Cooper Kupp being inactive against Green Bay due to a knee injury, and the afforded playing time snag those six catches, what would've been a season-high.

Of course, those efforts don't ease the sting of Saturday's playoff exit, but they do show signs of a promising future for both players.

"They're true pros," Rams safety John Johnson said postgame. "They're only going to get better. They had a couple of flashes this year. I'm excited to see what happens in the future for them."

Well, Staley's gone to the fucking Chargers, which is unfortunate. Here's what I would do:

Fire: John Bonamego.

(He has to be gone yesterday. He's one of the worst special teams coaches I've seen on the Rams, and his one supposed good thing in finding Matt Gay was mainly done by Hekker and McVay. He's hurt this team far more than he's helped it, and thus, he must be gone.)

Hire: Aubrey Pleasant (DC).

(Pleasant's long overdue for a defensive coordinator job, and I think he'll likely keep Staley's scheme. And if he does get hired next year, he'll garner us compensatory picks. Just makes sense. As for special teams, I'm not sure whom to hire. Justin Lustig out of Syracuse was my first choice, but he just got hired by Vanderbilt, and I'm not sure of many other special teams coordinators to hire who would innovate the unit like Staley did for our defense.)

Cut:

Kenny Young
Justin Lawler
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Nick Scott

(Both Lawler and Okoronkwo have injury issues, and neither of them has made much of an impact. I like what Young and Scott have done, but they save valuable cap, Scott is replaceable, and I have a plan for inside linebacker that doesn't involve Kenny Young - who also saves cap.)

Re-sign:

Derek Rivers - (one year, 1.5 million.)
Darious Williams - RFA (first round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender)
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA

(Darious Williams deserves the first round tender, and we'll see if a team wants to pay it. Rivers provides depth at outside linebacker. Other than that, there are mainly RFAs and ERFAs.)

Release:

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

(I hate to let JJ3 and Floyd leave, but both of them could return a third round compensatory pick each - picks that can be used as ammunition to trade up. 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, Rivers, and two draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe, Everett, and Reynolds can all fuck off. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)

Restructure:

Aaron Donald

(Not sure whom else to restructure. I'm not a cap expert, after all.)

Trades:

A'Shawn Robinson 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. Robinson 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 Robinson, we have Joseph-Day and Gaines in the middle, Donald and Brockers as other starters, and Michael Hoecht and Jonah Williams ready for large roles - hell, even Marquise Copeland and Eric Banks could find potential roles on the D-line. We can afford to lose Robinson and Fox.)

Rob Havenstein and 2022 seventh round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick and 2021 sixth round pick.

(Cincinnati's offensive line is horrible. Jonah Williams is a good player at left tackle, but their right tackle signing has been an enormous bust. We give Zac Taylor a lineman he knows for a pick. In addition, the Bengals likely lost their chance at Sewell, so this trade is necessary for them.)

Joseph Noteboom to the San Diego Chargers for 2021 fifth round pick.

(@jrry32 mentioned this trade. I think it makes sense as well. Noteboom can help a struggling Chargers offensive line, and we get a valuable pick.)

Draft:

2nd - Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson. (6'6", 345 lbs.)

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(Carman is a dancing bear at left tackle. He's so big, carries his weight well, and is surprisingly-athletic for his size. If you're asking for a current replacement for Havenstein and an eventual replacement for Whitworth, you can't do much better.)

3rd - Nick Bolton, ILB, Missouri. (5'11", 232 lbs.)

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(Bolton is a physical, punishing inside linebacker who should be able to give us quality snaps on all three downs. He's likely shorter than his listed 6'0" height, he's maxed out weight-wise, his coverage doesn't look smooth, and he's had targeting penalties in the past. But he simply gets the job done, and he's an Energizer bunny for the defense.)

3rd (Dante Fowler compensatory pick) - Hamilcar Rashed Jr., OLB, Oregon State. (6'4", 238 lbs.)

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(Rashed is a demon as a player who makes splash plays behind the line. As his weight suggests, he's not built for the rigors of starting yet; he'll be best off in designated-pass-rush situations, and his technique obviously needs plenty of work. But Rashed led the NCAA in tackles-for-a-loss in 2019 and was just as good in 2020. Only reason he falls is because of his weight.)

3rd (Brad Holmes compensatory pick) - Jordan Smith, OLB, UAB. (6'6", 250 lbs.)

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(Smith was suspended for a credit card scheme at Florida and transferred to UAB. He was absolutely dominant at UAB, has excellent athleticism and length, and is able to drop into coverage and stack-and-shed against the run. He'll need to work on his technique as a pass-rusher, but he's unbelievably skilled, a potential first round pick without the suspension.)

4th (Bengals) - Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina. (6'3", 205 lbs.)

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(Mukuamu is a tall and lengthy cornerback with great ball skills. He's had questions about his athleticism after being torched by Florida. I think he can stick at cornerback, and he thrives on man-to-man coverage.)

4th (Cory Littleton compensatory pick) - Drake Jackson, OC, Kentucky. (6'2", 310 lbs.)

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Jackson is a center-only prospect, but don't mistake him for Brian Allen; he can move people in the running game, and his pass-protection is solid. As his height suggests, he doesn't have length, and he'll occasionally get stacked up. But he's a powerful center who should be a starter.)

5th (Chargers) - Jaelon Darden, WR/Return specialist, North Texas. (5'9", 170 lbs.)

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(I'll be honest: Darden is probably one of the two players I want 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.)

6th (Bengals) - Divine Deablo, SS, Virginia Tech. (6'3", 212

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(Deablo is someone who caught my eye (since Talanoa Hufanga is likely going to be picked higher than I expected; why the fuck do I always have players picked higher than expected? First Horn, Ossai and Myers, now Hufanga? What gives?), but he's far from a consolation prize. Deablo has good ball skills, is instinctive, and is physical. He may not have the athleticism to stick at safety; he could end up being a nickel linebacker. But he'll be solid for special teams, and he should be a solid addition.)

6th - Tre' McKitty, TE, Georiga. (6'5", 241 lbs.)

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(McKitty is a solid prospect. He was severely underused at Florida State, and he had a knee injury after he transferred to Georgia. He has good athleticism and has shown a willingness to block. Obviously, the knee injury is a concern, along with production, but he might turn out to be a Cam Akers type of player in that he has a better pro career than college.)

7th - Michael Strachan, WR, Charleston. (6'5", 225 lbs.)

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(Strachan is the player I want in this draft above anyone. He's huge, physical, a former track star, has solid hands and a my-ball mentality, and reminds me so much of Kenny Golladay when he came out. Yes, he has issues with routes and is raw, but he's got oodles of potential, and I want that potential on the Rams.)

UDFAs:

Josh Ball, OT, Marshall. (6'8", 350 lbs.)

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(Ball is a massive man who can actually get bigger without losing athleticism. Main issue is that he got kicked out of Florida State, and despite being the left tackle for Marshall, will be limited to right tackle only. But he understands how to use his power and length to bury opponents, and he'll be a steal in the undrafted ranks.)

Larry Rountree III, RB, Missouri. (5'10", 210 lbs.)

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(Rountree is a do-it-all back who does everything well. He's not explosive, powerful or shifty, but he manages to get positive yardage, is a legit three-down back, and plays physical.)

Thomas Fletcher, LS, Alabama.

(Won the Patrick Mannelly award for best long snapper. I don't think I need to say anything else.)

Roster:

(Bold = starters, italics = rookies)

QB - Jared Goff, John Wolford.
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Larry Rountree III, Xavier Jones.
WR - Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Jaelon Darden, Mike Strachan.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Tre' McKitty, Kendall Blanton.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, Bobby Evans, Austin Corbett, David Edwards, Jackson Carman, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Drake Jackson, Josh Ball.
DL - Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Jonah Williams, Michael Hoecht.
LB - Justin Hollins, Troy Reeder, Nick Bolton, Terrell Lewis, Derek Rivers, Hamilcar Rashed, Jordan Smith, Micah Kiser, Travin Howard, Christian Rozeboom.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Willaims, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, David Long, Israel Mukuamu, J.R. Reed, Divine Deablo.
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Thomas Fletcher.

Thoughts and critiques are welcome.

I'm not one of the biggest Goff supporters, and have been rebuked by many who think I am too tough on him. I have posted many times how thankful I am that we have coach McVay leading the way for what I hope to be the next 10 years+.

With all that in mind, I don't understand for the life of me why McVay has been so protective of Goff when he clearly wasn't producing earlier, only to downplay what a gutsy performance he had this weekend. McVay just says his play was "nice" and that he's our QB "right now".

WTF?

I hope it's just he's such a young coach and still learning, and that this is just a result of his bubbling over with complaints he's kept inside coupled with the reality of the season ending, that brought it to the surface. But the timing of it really got to me.

Goff's last two games were really bright spots for him this season, and made me think there is hope for a huge rebound when he's fully healed up. Against GB, the only play I saw all game that I thought he should have done something differently with the ball was an incomplete pass to a well-covered Everett when Akers was wide open out of the backfield with nobody but a blocker in front. He didn't even look at him. But that was it. I thought he played GREAT otherwise.

Get the dude some OL and a Diggs type WR1 and let's see what this brings us, instead of giving up more draft capital, rolling the dice and dealing with more dead money.

Well, I don't start working on these until after we lose in the playoffs. With all the uncertainty over the cap, it's hard for me to really know what's possible until we get a number. I haven't evaluated many draft prospects yet, so expect plenty of change there over the next few months. I think it's going to be very hard for us to keep Leonard Floyd and JJIII. Also, I hope McVay fires Bonamego.
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

Resignings
LS Jake McQuaide
CB Darious Williams
ILB Travin Howard
OL Coleman Shelton
TE Johnny Mundt

Trades
Rams trade LT Joseph Noteboom
Chargers trade Round 5 Pick #14

We're in a bit of a pickle. Noteboom is a FA after 2021, and Whit is returning. Noteboom has shown he has the pass blocking ability to be a serviceable LT, but it's hard to commit to him without a year of film. Ultimately, the Chargers have a need at LT with Sam Tevi (an underwhelming player) hitting FA. They get a year to evaluate Noteboom to determine whether or not to stick with him.

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #24 and Round 3 Pick #38
Lions trade Round 3 Pick #8 and Round 5 Pick #9

We trade up for a player we're targeting using our third and our comp pick for Fowler.

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #40
Vikings trade Round 4 Pick #14 and Round 4 Pick #38

We trade down from our Holmes comp pick. Vikings have a handful of fourths, so they use two to move up into the third round.

Rams trade Round 4 Pick #37
Jaguars trade QB Gardner Minshew

We need a guy behind Goff who is capable of coming in and starting if Goff has another rough stretch of games next year. Minshew will put some pressure on Jared, and I think he's a guy capable of starting in this system. He's also a much more mobile QB than Goff and more capable of improvisation, so he offers a nice change of pace if Goff does get benched or injured. The nice thing is that he's also cheap and a high-quality backup. He reminds me a lot of Fitzmagic.
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Free Agency

Larry Warford OL

After Warford sat out the year, I am hoping we can get him on a reasonable one year deal. I think we all recognized this season that the OL is missing something. Warford went to three straight Pro Bowls before sitting out 2020. Having him step in at RG (kicking Corbett inside to C) should improve the OL as a whole. Plus, he won't cost us in the comp pick formula.


Benardrick McKinney ILB

Coming off a season-ending shoulder injury as a guy with scheme limitations, I am hopeful we can also land McKinney on a reasonable one year deal. The Texans look like they'll be cutting some guys to open up cap this off-season, and McKinney is one guy who could find himself on the chopping block. I think he's a great fit in Staley's scheme as a massive man (6'4" 255 pounds) who specializes in stopping the run and is solid in zone coverage (but has limitations in man to man).


Tyus Bowser OLB

I think Bowser could be one of the steals of the off-season. He's a very athletic edge defender who has been stuck behind talented players in the Ravens' rotation. When he has played, he has shown flashes. He's very adept dropping into coverage and has the speed and agility to be a major threat off the edge and on the stunts we use up front. I really like his fit in Staley's scheme and think he'll prove to be a heck of bargain if we sign him.

NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #25 - Liam Eichenberg OT Notre Dame
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Analysis: It's hard to say which OT could fall to us. Eichenberg is projected on Day 2 right now, but he could rise during the process. He's a well-rounded player who is good at just about everything but lacks elite traits. He's well coached, smart, and experienced. However, he lacks the top-shelf athleticism you usually see in a first round OT. Just a very solid player. I would compare him to Riley Reiff.

Round 3 Pick #8 - Chris Rumph II OLB/ILB Duke
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Analysis: Rumph's father is currently the Texans' OLB Coach and previously was DL Coach at programs like Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Unsurprisingly, Rumph is a technically proficient player who possesses great football IQ and instincts. Duke has used him as both an off-the-ball LB and an edge rusher. At 6'3" 235, he seems small to play on the edge in the NFL, but I think he can do it. If he was bigger, he'd be a first round pick. Great burst off the ball, can flatten around the corner, quick-twitch athleticism, and a diverse set of pass rush moves. Kid has the athleticism, instincts, and zone cover skills to play ILB and the pass rush ability to play OLB. I think Staley would love having a chess piece like Rumph. Long term, I think he can be an impactful 3-4 OLB. Boston College has an OL with multiple future NFL players on it, and he gave them the business.

Round 4 Pick #14 - Cornell Powell WR Clemson
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Analysis: I found myself looking into the guys seen as the top deep threats in this class who will be available in the 3rd and 4th rounds, and I liked some. Tamorrion Terry, for example, is a freak athlete. But I ended up pulling the trigger on Powell over them. Why? None of the deep threats had consistent hands. Powell isn't a burner, but he can get vertical. Most significantly, he offers the all around skill-set, reliable hands, YAC skills, and blocking ability that McVay values in WRs.

Round 4 Pick #38 - Tommy Tremble TE/FB Notre Dame
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Analysis: Anybody else tired of watching Everett get blown off the ball or whiff on blocks on running plays? I know I am. Tommy Tremble has some upside as a receiving TE, but that's not where he's going to make his money. This kid is a punishing blocker. He can lead block as a FB. He can also align on the LOS as a TE and blow defenders off the ball. He's the sort of kid whose value will never be measured by the box score. Cam Akers will love him. He's a freaking dog!

Round 5 Pick #9 - Grant Stuard ILB Houston
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Analysis: First and foremost, Stuard is going to absolutely bring it back on special teams. He's a hard hitting LB who can absolutely fly. I love the idea of him on our coverage unit. But in addition to that, we need some more speed at ILB. I don't know that Stuard will make an impact on defense as a rookie, but he has the speed, quick-twitch athleticism, instincts, nonstop motor, and physicality to be a good weakside LB in the future.

Round 5 Pick #14 - Kylin Hill HB Mississippi State
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Analysis: Hill is a well-rounded physical runner who has sneaky speed. He had a great career in the SEC at Mississippi State and proved that he could contribute as a rusher, receiver, and blocker. He isn't overly dynamic, but he has the speed to break runs when he's given a seam, can churn out yardage after contact due to his powerful lower half, leg drive, and contact balance, and has the quickness to get open as a route runner. Seems like a good kid to develop behind Akers and Hendo.

Round 6 Pick #25 - Avery Williams CB/RS Boise State
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Analysis: I'm very serious about fixing the special teams. Speaking strictly as a CB prospect, Williams is a kid who has the goods to fight for a roster spot and should provide depth there. He's undersized at 5'9" 195, but he's physical, competes hard, and can be quite sticky in coverage. But his greatest value comes as a special teams terror. He returned 6 punts for TDs and 3 kickoffs for TDs in his career at Boise State. He also blocked multiple punts during his time there. This kid is a dynamic returner.

Round 7 Pick #25 - Brady Breeze S Oregon
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Analysis: This is another move that will bolster our special teams. But Breeze also fits the Staley defense well. He's a smart, disciplined player who lacks the athleticism to handle much man to man coverage. He tackles well in space, hits hard, is always where he's supposed to be, and should be quite good in our split safety looks. As a special teamer, he will be another hard hitter who tackles reliably and plays like his hair is on fire whenever he's on the field.

Projected Depth Chart
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Cam Akers
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Van Jefferson
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: David Edwards
C: Austin Corbett
RG: Larry Warford
RT: Rob Havenstein

DE: Michael Brockers
NT: Sebastian Joseph-Day
DE: Aaron Donald
OLB: Tyus Bowser
ILB: Benardrick McKinney
ILB: Troy Reeder
OLB: Terrell Lewis
CB: Jalen Ramsey
CB: Darious Williams
CB: David Long Jr. vs. Terrell Burgess
FS: Jordan Fuller
SS: Terrell Burgess vs. Taylor Rapp

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

And right as I finished this up, the news that Staley was hired elsewhere leaked. Well, fuck it. I'm posting it anyways. I put a lot of work into this lol. We'll see if the new DC is going to have a drastically different scheme.

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That was fast

First, Rams are a good team. Good enough to beat playoff teams the likes of the Seahawks, etc. But not ready to beat top level teams like the Packers, Saints, Chiefs, and Bills. The sooner we all accept that, the sooner we can take steps to make the necessary corrections. Warning. Some of my suggestions are gonna be hard for some posters to wrap their minds around. Lol.

Goff is now officially a question mark and seems to be headed in the wrong direction. Sorry. McVay must either figure out how to work around Goff’s limitations OR he must find another QB that can maximize McVay’s strategies. I’m thinking that it will be the latter but I don’t know how soon that will be. BTW, I’m not just talking about Goff’s last 2 games when injured. I’m talking about his last 40 games when he was he was 100% healthy.

McVay must look in the mirror and conduct an objective self evaluation. He is not blameless for our O woes. I addressed that in another thread today.

Our OL must be upgraded if we want to be a legit SB team. We’ve gotta be able to do to others what the Packers did to us. It may require only a stud C or it could require more. But status quo won’t get us beyond ‘pretty good’ and that means on the outside looking in every year when deep playoffs roll around. If simply making the playoffs satisfies you, then we’re there. But if you want to win a SB then this OL upgrade is a must, IMO.

Some feel that a ‘speed’ WR is needed. I’m not so sure. I mean, what good is a speed WR if one’s QB can’t see him OR won’t throw to him? That’s where we are with Goff right now, right? I’m fine with drafting such a WR, but I think upgrading the OL and/or ‘fixing’ our QB situation should come first and second. Chicken or egg kinda thing?

Might want to once again include Higbee in the O gameplan. C’mon, Coach! Hopefully, Hopkins can step up next year, too. A better blocking 3rd TE could be helpful, too.

That’s about it on O, I think. I love our RB room, now, btw.

On D...

Here again, Packers exposed us once AD was neutralized via injury. Not sure what they can do about that, frankly. I still think our DL beyond AD is pretty darned good although the Packers certainly abused them without a healthy AD, didn’t they?

Edge is a weak link, especially if we lose Floyd as we all fear. We’ve been rationalizing about the opposite edge all year but if we’re being honest they only rose to ‘pretty good’ on their best days. Fix it, Coach! That and maybe a stud ILB are keeping the Rams from having a SB caliber D. The good news is that it’s a short list on D but the bad news is that they are critically important AND quality Edge players don’t grow on trees.

I love our secondary even after losing JJ.

ST. Are you kidding me? McVay needs to hire a Coordinator there that’s at least competent. Not a high bar and I’m sure this is gonna happen. Duh...

So that’s my priority list. Not terribly long and probably only needed if Rams really want to advance to the SB. Don’t know about you, but I want to see Rams abuse their opponents like Packers abused us. Haven’t seen that since ‘99 and ‘01. I want to take that last step. How about y’all?

Although I’m disappointed that we are out of the playoffs, they showed a graphic last night during the night game that showed the ages of the QB’s left in the playoffs. All the AFC quarterbacks were 25 or younger I believe. All the NFC quarterbacks were over 35 except for Goff.

if you go through the NFC’s quarterbacks in the entire conference there’s not a single one that terrifies you. The only ones that scare you are coming up towards the end of their careers most likely.

i’m not the biggest Goff fan after the last couple seasons but he is better than a majority of the NFC quarterbacks. The NFC seems to be a very quarterback poor conference meanwhile the AFC is quarterback rich, and in the upcoming draft the top two picks which will likely be quarterbacks both belong to AFC teams. Making the conference even richer.

my point is, if we keep building this team around the pieces that we already have the NFC will be ours for the taking every single season. The only other impressive young quarterbacks in our conference are in our own division, both of whom we generally own.

this team, and Coach both have a bright future. I just hope they continue to build in the draft beef up our offensive line, and improve in the areas where we need it most.

At the time of this writing it seems due to the lack of dominant quarterbacks in the NFC it will be wide-open for years to come for us to win it.

Go rams

has some warts, immaturity a big one, but if no warts a first round pick. Been compared to a young Randy Moss. currently projected to go in 2nd round.
1 NFL Draft: Florida State WR Tamorrion Terry scouting report
by Dillon Appleman3 months ago Follow @dillappleman

Strengths
Take one look at Tamorrion Terry and you see a guy that is built for the next level. He stands at 6-foot-4, weighs a solid 2010 pounds and he pairs that size with legit NFL speed that can sometimes be lacking with long striders like Terry.


He is the prototype for what you want in a jump ball receiver and does well to use his blend of size, strength, and speed to win when the ball is in the air.

While we haven’t seen a ton of nuance in his route tree, he has shown that he can sink his hips and dig into quick-twitch routes when asked, but his bread-and-butter is as a downfield threat.

In 2019, Terry caught 9 touchdowns for an average of a staggering 58 yards per reception. He is incredibly slippery for a longer player and can accelerate in a hurry once the ball is in his hands, which is made clear when you go back and watch those scoring plays.

I love so much of what Tamorrion Terry provides as a prospect but there is still one major area he needs to show improvement in if he is going to start turning heads ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Weaknesses
For as many great catches as Tamorrion Terry has pulled down in his career, he has had some incredibly frustrating drops as well. For the most part, they seem to be more of a concentration issue than anything, but he has left some big plays out on the field because of it, including what would have been a walk-in touchdown against Georgia Tech a week ago.

I was really very disappointed in the Rams Defense yesterday BUT the more I think about it, while I don’t think the Rams Defense played as well as they could have and as well as they had played all season I do think that a lot of credit (Or, BLAME!) on the Rams loss has to go to Aaron Rodgers (And, Maybe, Some to the Weather Conditions)! Rodgers is a pretty good (Huge Understatement!) QB and he had a really good game!!

Hopefully, Next season the Rams will be able to stay Healthy and earn Home Field Advantage throughout the playoffs!!!

Three years ago there was an expose by Brett Kohmann about the Packer's "hug technique" and how they get away with holding all the time. Will someone post snapshots of how the Pack did this yesterday for us? I swear I saw holding repeatedly and yet one of the times it was called wasn't one of them.

Furthermore, if holding is allowed, why don't we just do it more often ourselves? I'm sure McVay wants clarity on this as well.

NFC Divisional Playoff Prediction and Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints

The old saying goes that it's hard to beat a team three times in one season. After sweeping the season series — winning by a combined 72-26 — the New Orleans Saints will try to do just that when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday with a ticket to the NFC Championship Game on the line.

However, football history shows that that cliche is more fiction than fact. Of the 21 previous times that a team beat a division rival twice in the regular season and faced them again in the playoffs, they won the third game 14 times. Including the most recent instance, when the very same Saints knocked off the Panthers in 2018.

Both teams took care of business as heavy favorites in the Wild Card round, although the Buccaneers had a narrow lead over Washington for most of their road contest. They wound up exceeding expectations by covering the spread but only had a two-score lead for a little over 14 minutes of the game. Still, they outgained the team without a nickname by more than 125 yards and, in the process, secured their first postseason victory since winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.

The Saints, meanwhile, struggled with the Bears during the first half, with three punts, a missed field goal, and a Taysom Hill fumble. But after the intermission, New Orleans was able to monopolize the ball. Their first two possessions of the second half each lasted more than seven minutes and resulted in touchdowns. The third one, over five minutes long, fell less than a yard short of the endzone.

This matchup marks the first time that the Buccaneers and Saints will meet in the postseason. The Saints lead the overall series, 37-21, including a 20-11 advantage at home. New Orleans has won the five most recent meetings, including both during the regular season.

NFC Divisional Round: Tampa Bay at New Orleans

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 17 at 6:40 p.m.
TV: FOX
Spread: Saints -3

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Brady overcome his difficulties against the Saints' defense?

Brady has enjoyed tremendous success in his first NFL season outside of New England. He finished the regular season tied for second in the NFL for passing touchdowns (40). He compiled the third-highest total of passing yards with 4,633. His 401 completions were the second-highest total in the league. Most crucially, he guided his new team to the playoffs. Meanwhile, his former team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and suffered a losing season for the first time since 2000.

However, Brady struggled in both of his matchups with New Orleans. His passer rating fell below 80 in only three contests during this season, with two of those coming against the Saints. He has thrown just 12 interceptions this season, yet New Orleans accounted for five of those. Opponents sacked him 21 times, but the Saints did so three times in each of the two previous meetings in 2020.

The Saints' defense has maintained a high level of toughness against passing attacks throughout this season. No opponent has exceeded 300 yards through the air since Week 14 of the 2019 season. During this season, opponents have averaged just 215.5 passing yards against New Orleans. They finished eighth in the regular season with 45 sacks, although they only added one more against the Bears.

2. Will the Buccaneers find some balance on offense?

Brady's troubles against New Orleans can be attributed in part to Tampa Bay's meager running game. In the season-opener in New Orleans, running backs Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette together had 22 carries for 71 yards and no touchdowns. During the rematch in Tampa, that duo combined for just four rushing attempts for nine yards and no scores.

The inability to establish a semblance of a threat to run the ball has plagued Tampa Bay. The Bucs finished the regular season ranked 28th in the NFL at 94.9 rushing yards per game. Their 369 rushing attempts were the league's fourth-lowest total. Their 82 first downs gained by rushing were the third-fewest. They failed to gain at 90 yards on the ground in eight regular-season games, losing half of those. They must show some willingness to run the ball to slow down the Saints' relentless pressure on Brady.

3. Can the Saints' passing attack reach its combined potential?

The Saints' victory in the Wild Card Round served as a reunion of the stars among New Orleans' offense. That game marked the first time that Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas all played together for an entire game since Week 9. Coincidentally, that contest ended in the Saints' 38-3 demolition of the Buccaneers in Tampa.

Brees enjoyed his most successful game of this season in that matchup at Tampa Bay. His quarterback rating reached 135.2, his highest score since Week 15 of the 2019 season. That score included completing 26 of 32 passes for 222 yards. He threw four touchdown passes, the most that he has thrown in any game of this season. That outing was more impressive than what he accomplished in the first matchup with the Bucs: 18 completions on 30 attempts for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Kamara triumphantly returned to the lineup after missing the regular-season finale. Against the Bears, he compiled his second-highest rushing yardage total (99) on his highest workload in a game (23 carries) this season. In the season opener against the Buccaneers, he struggled for 16 yards on 12 carries, yet he ran for a touchdown in addition to five receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown. At Tampa Bay, he caught five passes for only nine yards but accounted for 40 yards and a touchdown on nine rushing attempts.

In the Wild Card Round, Thomas saw his first on-field action since Week 14. He also reached the end zone for the first time this season. Although he only caught five passes, he averaged 14.6 yards per reception. That was the best mark since he posted 16.5 yards per grab (on 11 total catches) against the Buccaneers in the fifth game of the 2019 season. Earlier this campaign, Thomas hauled in three passes for 17 yards in the Superdome. At Tampa Bay in November, he contributed five receptions for 51 yards.

Final Analysis

Brees and Brady will face each other for a third time this season. The squads of these two future Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks have met seven times in the pros before, and Brees has emerged victorious in four of those. Contests against each other began back in 1999, as both led members of the Big Ten. Brady won the sole meeting as collegiate players. Who will win this meeting to take the lead in their personal series and guide his team to the NFC Championship Game?

Prediction: Saints 35, Buccaneers 27

AFC Divisional Playoff Prediction and Preview: Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Cleveland Browns look for a second straight playoff upset on the road when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round on Sunday. The Browns made the most of their first postseason appearance in 18 years last Sunday, but knocking off the defending Super Bowl champs is an entirely different challenge.

Everything went right for Cleveland last week in Pittsburgh, as the Browns recovered a fumbled snap in the end zone on the first play of the game and jumped out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead. The ground game did its part while Baker Mayfield threw three touchdown passes and the defense forced five turnovers in the 48-37 victory over the Steelers. The final numbers are a little deceiving, as Pittsburgh did most of its damage after the game was well in hand.

Kansas City had last weekend off after finishing the regular season with the best record in the NFL (14-2). That includes a Week 17, 38-21 home loss to the Chargers in a game that Chad Henne started in place of Patrick Mahomes, along with many other backups. The Chiefs' other loss this season also came at home, falling 40-32 to Las Vegas back in Week 5. That was followed by a 10-game winning streak that may have reached 11 if Kansas City hadn't already secured the top seed and first-round bye.

The last time these teams met was during the 2018 regular season. The Chiefs beat the Browns 37-21 on the road behind a big game from Mahomes (375 passing yards, 3 TDs) and then-starting running back Kareem Hunt, who accounted for three total scores. Hunt is now in Cleveland sharing the backfield with Nick Chubb. This also will be the first time that these teams will have met in the playoffs.

AFC Divisional Round: Cleveland at Kansas City

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 17 at 3:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Chiefs -10

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

Quite simply, Andy Reid is hard to beat off a bye week. Between his time in Philadelphia and Kansas City, he's gone 24-5 after a week off if you include the playoffs. This year, the Chiefs went to Las Vegas after their Week 10 bye and won 35-31 in prime time, getting some payback for the Week 5 home loss to the Raiders. When you give the coach extra time to study your team, he usually comes up with a successful game plan. It could be a bit of a concern that Kansas City has been off for two weeks, essentially, considering all the starters that didn't play in Week 17, so it may take a little bit of time for the offense to find its rhythm. On the other side, the Chiefs are hopeful that the extra rest will benefit them, especially if some injured players are able to return. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) and Sammy Watkins (calf) are still limited or unable to practice this week, so their status for Sunday is uncertain, at best.

On the other side, you've got a Browns team that has been on the road for six of their last eight weeks and has been dealing with COVID-19 issues. Cleveland will be ready, but will there be any sort of emotional letdown following last week's long-awaited playoff victory against their hated rival? Head coach Kevin Stefanski will certainly be fired up after missing last week's game because of protocols, and cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson plus wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge have all been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list as well. As of Friday, the only player remaining on the list was Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio.

2. Time of possession

The Browns probably won't win a fast-break game against the Chiefs so they'll need to try and control the clock and dictate the tempo. During the regular season, both of these teams fell in the middle of the league in time of possession — Cleveland 14th at 30:41, with Kansas City just two spots and 32 seconds behind. The Browns are more apt to try and ground it out with Chubb and Hunt, and their effectiveness sets up the play-action passing game.

The Chiefs aren't afraid to take shots down the field, and their running game is a bit of a question mark entering this game because of Edwards-Helaire's ankle injury. Kansas City also has to be careful to not let Cleveland dominate time of possession with its ground game. The Chiefs were 21st this season against the run (122.1 ypg) and gave up more than 150 rushing yards on five different occasions.

3. Will the real Chiefs show up?

Cleveland is going to be pretty close to full strength on defense with Ward off of the reserve/COVID-19 list. But the Browns can be thrown on, as they gave up 31 touchdowns passes with 11 interceptions in the regular season. Kansas City has the league's best record, but its past seven wins have all been by six or fewer points. This is after posting a scoring margin of 15.5 points per game in the first seven victories. The Chiefs' running game has been inconsistent with just two 100-yard efforts from a running back this season, both by Edwards-Helaire within the first six games. Since the last such performance (Week 6), Kansas City as a team is averaging 96 rushing yards per game.

Mahomes' ability and Reid's play-calling can certainly overcome a sputtering run game, but the former hasn't been at his sharpest over the last month either and he's coming off of a two-week layoff of sorts. Collectively, the Chiefs just haven't been clicking on all cylinders lately, and one has to wonder if there will be any sort of residual effect in this game. Or is now the time Kansas City rediscovers its championship form?

Final Analysis

Last week I was dead wrong about the Browns and have no problem admitting it. Even the most ardent fan didn't expect that kind of effort from Cleveland. Things get kicked up a notch this week as the upstart Browns get a shot at the defending Super Bowl champions, who will be rested and ready. Andy Reid is hard to beat off a bye week, but Cleveland has the talent to at least make things interesting. The Chiefs move on to the AFC title game in a wild affair.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Browns 21

You guys gave us a huge fight. I was nervous when you guys had the ball when we were up 25-18. You guys are a great football team and have nothing to be ashamed of. I remember loving it when you won the SB in 1999. Nothing but love Ram fans. I hope you guys win the West next year.

My dog did her best praying to the football gods for a little help but......

... but ya really couldn’t ask for a better game from him, even with the almost INT. He has a good first month, and a below average rest of the season, but you wanted to see him execute, and he did that. The interior of the OLine, and Mr. Edwards in pass pro... yikes. Sure wouldn’t mind a legit guard in round 2.

At any rate, I know I ruffle feathers and am a challenger, don’t expect that to change. But I love this team, I love this FO, and especially Ram brothers/sisters. Bless all of you folks.

Great season.

In that order.

Without a first pick in the draft, gonna be challenging to fill those holes.

Cap situation should be better.

I expect for us to be busy in free agency.

WoOoOoOo

Feels shitty to get eliminated but you know I feel like I can't complain right now as a fan. It's been a pretty good season in a lot of ways. We made some noise in the playoffs in a reload year. By far exceeded expectations and lost to a better team in the Packers who incidentally were the top seed so I'm feeling appreciative of some shit even though I'm disappointed too, but there's gonna be a vent thread so here's a place to discuss the things that went right...

1. Gurley to Akers. I feel like it's a big deal for this offense to finally sort this RB position. It wasn't easy man it took them almost the entire season to get him going but they did. And to have a guy step up and play well on a really big stage on more than one occasion all I can say is Akers is going to be a cornerstone player for this offense over the next several years barring injury and that's a hell of a thing to go our way.

2. Zuerlein to Gay. Talk about pulling a position fill out of your ass. Rams lucked into their kicker of the future. I hope at least. Another thing that is a big deal for a team and something they don't have to burn picks to fix.

3. Whit. How he played this year has sort of blown my mind. To improve from 2019 like he did at his age just all kinds of impressive. We probably won't draft our LT of the future until 2022 when we get our first round pick, but it's looking like we're going to need him next season again and I'm done counting that dude out.

4. Draft. Pretty hot class tbh. Maybe not the highest ceiling class, but it looks full of productive starters. Good signs to see this early and I suspect it will be Snead's best to date.

5. Staley. Thanks for the memories and hope you say something dumb in each of your interviews. Sorry bro.

6. Floyd. I think he just gave us one of the best all-around edge seasons I've seen from the Rams since Winstrom in '99. Some will say Gumby of course but Floyd's game reminds me of Wistrom at his very short peak, that rangy quickness and ability to play an all around game. He just does it all well.

7. OL. There were some pleasant surprises up front. Corbett in particular as a young starter who should get better. Boom as a valuable swing OT. Evans subbing for Edwards looked like he belonged out there too. We need a Center. And I'd be swooping hard on any stud interior OL or LT with feet that I think are being overlooked at any point in the draft.

I'm sure there's a lot more but typing that stuff out made me feel better. Pretty fucking nice ride given all the shit we endured in 2020 eh?

Didn't see a thread, so started it.

Who stays and who goes?