At the time, he was the oldest player to ever step foot in a Super Bowl. Mike Horan.
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McVay, Brockers, Snead talk Week 1 and construction of 53-man roster

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay, defensive lineman Michael Brockers and general manager Les Snead each held video conferences with local media Monday afternoon to discuss the start of Week 1 of the regular season and construction of the initial 53-man roster, among other important topics. Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from those virtual conversations:

"(Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley) identified (linebacker Justin Hollins) as a guy that could really help us." – McVay

Defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson's placement on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list opened up a spot on the Rams' roster, and they filled it by claiming Hollins off waivers via Denver.

Per McVay, the reason they targeted Hollins was because he has familiarity with what Staley will be doing schematically with the Rams defense and can contribute on both defense and special teams. Hollins' versatility as someone who could play as an on-ball or off-ball linebacker also stood out.

McVay said the plan is for Hollins to be active for Sunday night's season-opener against the Cowboys.

"Definitely was a shock to learn (that). I think a couple days ago, I was like, 'Oh man, we about to play in a week or so.'" – Brockers

Asked about the first game week of the season finally arriving, Brockers indicated he was caught off guard at how quickly it came up amid the pandemic-shaped preseason.

Brockers said he's excited to get back into the regular season routine and see what the regular season holds for the Rams.

"It does feel a little bit younger than most years." – Brockers

Brockers – who, entering his ninth season, is one of the most experienced players on the roster – recognizes how youthful this season's initial group of 53 players looks overall.

At the same time, Brockers said the roster still has great "core leaders" who embody the characteristics the team wants and needs, in addition to younger players who can be mentored and are capable of making plays.

"We liked the superpower (Raymond Calais) brings of explosiveness, speed, and that being able to translate on the football field." – Snead

Snead confirmed a report that the Rams, pending a physical, will sign rookie running back Raymond Calais off the Buccaneers' practice squad.

While "the odds of him getting a jersey on Sunday Night Football is slim," Snead said that at the same time, you never know when the big picture view of a player becomes narrower. The examples Snead gave were impressing the team's evaluators with his explosiveness in practice, or the natural attrition that occurs during an NFL season.

I can't sleep so let's get is started!!

Honestly, some of these guys try to be objective outside of normal homerism. Props to the initial posters.


......

This is the first time this has EVER happened. Teams playing without living screaming fans watching.

Do you worry that players won't put forth quite as much "effort" because it'll seem like a fast moving scrimmage to them, with no "reward" or adulation from their fans?

It's gonna be weird.

Do they have plans to pump in increased cheers when a big play or Touchdown happens?
Imagine how weird silence would be to the player running free towards a touchdown, at his home field, and hearing pretty much crickets.

It's all something to think about.

QB1 - In GOFF We Trust



OF - SKILLs To Pay The Bills



The 2020 Rams offense represents both an evolution of McVay's scheming prowess (outside and inside zone runs) with a throwback element of... the screen game, replacing an over-reliance on play action.

• The offense of the Rams will incorporate a lot of moving pieces but ultimately comes down to feeding Woods, Kupp and Higbee.
• Akers will be utilized extensively in the screen game.
• Jefferson, although talented, will not play a significant role in this offense in his rookie year (barring injury to Kupp/Woods).
• Higbeast will force defenses to man the middle of the field, opening the boundaries. His numbers are conservative, representing statistical upside.
• Everett will play a gadget type role, making contributions in the red zone and TE screens.
• Reynolds, although experienced, will play a "jump-ball" type role in hopes that safeties stay honest. This role is not un-similar to Cooks 2019.
• I see a divergence in how Woods and Kupp will be used due to the departure of Cooks, as reflected in the Yards-Per-Reception (Y/R) and Catch Percentage (Ctch%) differences. Although, McVay will look to balance their Targets (Tgt) overall.
• Goff could potentially throw another 20-40 balls. If so, his numbers will get WORSE, not better.

Notes:




P.S. I will answer constructive criticism or requests for alternate scenarios.

Let's Go Rams!

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I am posting this video as a reference for this particular thread.

Goff is ranked 22 in the NFL.

They didn't mention a thing about it on the Mcafee show but then go on to complain about Garoppolo being ranked 18.

Goff may have shown some struggles last year but no one was succeeding behind that offensive line - at least until Mcvay decided to start using 12 personnel more.

Goff also missed out on what I think is 6 touchdowns (don't quote me on that ) because the receiver was tackled at the 1 yard line.

Hello All,

I am in a pickle in that we don't have cable nor do we have local air channels.......we do have internet and use the Roku for most, plus I work from home off and on and my wife is always working from home....so no interent issues.

The problem is finding someone like Fubo or Youtube TV that has NFL Network and Redzone, but doesn't charge $75 a month.

Is there any other reliable access to games this season? (damn Sling TV lost their rights to both....Booooo!)

Finally did it. Decided not to renew with xfinity tv after 4 years. I don't have any horror stories or anything, if that's what you were looking for. Just couldn't get a deal I wanted. Kept their internet tho. I'll be damned if I switch to ATT.

Football streaming options? I'm not doing reddit streaming or anything like that. I'm a Redzone Channel fan. Until now, only FuboTV had it. Sling dropped it, and now Youtube TV has it. Fubo and Youtube are the same price, but Youtube has TBS/TNT for NBA games. Fubo has the 4k offering but it doesn't look like those will be coming anytime soon.

Hulu would be my second choice, but they don't have any NFLN or RZ. I realize by getting those two channels I won't be saving any real money, but I would be saving in that I wouldn't be paying as much had I renewed with xfinity.

Curious what everyone is doing these days.

Projecting Rams' depth chart for Week 1

The Rams have officially shifted from training camp to regular-season mode after purging their roster over the weekend. Now, they’re turning their attention to the Dallas Cowboys, their Week 1 opponent.

This upcoming week of practice will be important as the team prepares for their first game of the season, especially after having no preseason games or competitive practices against other teams in camp. The depth chart is still being sorted out and will continue to be shuffled during the season, but many of the starters are essentially set.

Here’s our projection of how the depth chart will look in Week 1 against Dallas.

Offense


There hasn’t been much change on offense from when camp opened until now. The running back room remains a committee, headed by Akers and Brown – especially with Henderson (hamstring) still on the mend.

The offensive line is all but set with Whitworth and Havenstein at tackle, Noteboom and Corbett at guard and Blythe in the middle at center. There wasn’t much shuffling with the first-team line in camp.
Jefferson could overtake Reynolds as the No. 3 receiver as early as this week, and it’ll be worth watching the snap distribution between the wideouts in the season opener. He had an outstanding camp and proved ready for the NFL.

At tight end, Higbee remains the top dog, followed by Everett as the No. 2 guy at that position. Hopkins won’t contribute much at all, but Mundt is a great blocker and can play some fullback if needed.

Defense


The defense looks vastly different than last year’s unit. Compared to Week 1 in 2019, the Rams have eight new projected starters on that side of the ball. The secondary has undergone a major overhaul, with former starters Eric Weddle, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman all gone.

The linebacker unit is highly unproven, with Kiser and either Young or Reeder being the starters. Hollins was claimed off waivers, but he shouldn’t be expected to contribute right away.

The defensive line is missing A’Shawn Robinson, who’s on the reserve/non-football injury list. Joseph-Day will take his place at nose tackle for the time being, with Gaines rotating in, too.

Outside linebacker is pretty much set with Ebukam and Floyd, but Brandon Staley should have a deep rotation of edge rushers coming in and out of the game.

Special teams


Kicker, punter and long snapper are all set in stone, with Sloman being the only newcomer. He beat out Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu in the Rams’ camp battle, and unless he struggles mightily, he’s going to remain the kicker.

Webster is likely to handle punt return duties, though Cooper Kupp could also mix into the equation in certain situations. Calais was known for his return abilities coming out of the draft this year, and he could handle those duties right away in L.A.

This is a controversial one. But I had no other choices. Josh Brown.
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Going to miss this guy. But I will continue to wear the nickname proudly. Thanks for memories, Greg.
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Cardinals legend Lou Brock dies Sunday afternoon at 81

Hall of Famer Lou Brock, who died at age 81 at a local hospital Sunday afternoon after being in ill health, will be remembered for many accomplishments. He was the National League’s all-time leader in stolen bases with 938. He had 3,023 hits. He was a first-ballot electee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He was the “Base Burglar,” who came to the Cardinals in 1964 via a trade in which the Cardinals ripped off the Chicago Cubs.

But he also was known as one of the toughest baseball players that his former teammates had ever seen and that was before he encountered diabetes which caused him to have his left leg amputated. Before he suffered multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer), before he suffered a stroke, before he suffered a heart ailment.

None of those medical foes were able to vanquish Brock. Death was the first and only opponent to defeat him. “Isn’t that the truth?” said former Cardinals catcher Tim McCarver.

“Toughest SOB I’ve ever seen,” said former Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst, who died two years ago at age 95.

“Never saw him in the training room,” said McCarver, a Cardinals Hall of Famer and a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame broadcast wing. This included Brock playing with a broken shoulder after being hit by a pitch from Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax when the Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander had taken exception to Brock bunting on him.

“If Bob Gibson weren’t in the National League all those years, Lou would have been the toughest guy I ever saw, met on a baseball field. He and Bob were 1-2, as far as I was concerned,” McCarver said.

Brock’s former teammates, both from the 1960s and 1970s — he played 16 seasons here before retiring in 1979 — took news of his death hard. The 85-year-old Gibson, battling his own demon in pancreatic cancer, declined comment. McCarver had to stop a couple of times during a conversation to compose himself and former first baseman Keith Hernandez broke down.

“Quote it with a heavy heart,” said McCarver.

Hernandez said, “No one was more crucial to me on the big-league level than Lou.

“I don’t think I would have made it without Lou,” said Hernandez, the 1979 co-Most Valuable Player in the National League.

“For him to be a superstar and I, as a young kid, who was struggling, to take me under his wing and offer all his advice is a testament to who he was. He was an extraordinary man.

“He never babied me. If I was pouting, he’d get on me. It was tough love.”

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement, “Lou Brock was one of the most revered members of the St. Louis Cardinals organization and one of the very best to ever wear the Birds on the Bat.

“He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.”

On June 15, 1964, the Cardinals acquired Brock, a raw, 24-year-outfielder from the Chicago Cubs in a trade that cost them popular righthander Ernie Broglio, who had been a 18-game winner for them the prior season although he was 3-5 in 1964 and perhaps injured.

Immediately, the trade was not well received by the Cardinals’ players. “We thought it was the worst trade ever,” said Gibson at the time.

After all, Southern University product Brock had batted only .263, .258 and .251 in his 2½ years with the Cubs, albeit hitting some prodigious home runs.

But Brock, not counted on for power but as a table setter for the Cardinals, would hit .348 the rest of the 1964 season and steal 33 bases as the Cardinals rallied to win the National League pennant on the last day of the regular season and went on to beat the New York Yankees in a seven-game World Series to bring St. Louis its first World Series title since 1946.

Brock hit .300 in that World Series and then, showing he was at his best when the lights were brightest, batted .414 with seven stolen bases in the 1967 World Series, which the Cardinals won in seven games from Boston. He also hit .464 with seven more steals and a record 13 hits in the 1968 World Series loss against Detroit.

Bill White, the first baseman on the 1964 team, took Brock under his wing, to a degree, by allowing him to live with White at the latter’s home in Des Peres after Brock had come here from Chicago. “We couldn’t have won in ’64 without him,” said White. “No way.

“He was a good teammate, one of the best anybody could have. One hundred percent all the time. Two hundred percent.”

McCarver, who was on all of those clubs, beginning with 1964, said, “We were so close to Broglio. Our friendship blinded us to what kind of effect Lou would have on the team — until we saw him run.”

Brock, who would establish himself as one of the greatest leadoff hitters ever, recalled his teammates asking him after he got hot in the second half of the 1964 season, “Are you sure you were a Cub?’

“I had gone to another dimension as a ball player,” he said. “When you go to another dimension, you may be the same guy, look the same, act the same, but you play a lot different.”

McCarver said he had encountered only three players who “infinitely changed” their teams by their play. “One was Koufax,” said McCarver. “Gibson … and Brock.”

From 1965, Brock began a stretch of 12 seasons where he averaged 65 steals and 99 runs scored a year, featuring his record-setting season in 1974 when he set the then major-league stolen-base record of 118 while finishing second in the voting for National League MVP.

In 1977, Brock passed Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base mark of 892 and he led the league in steals every year but one from 1966-74. He once said the only sure way to stop him was to “don’t let me reach first base.”

Brock considered basestealing a philosophic, as much as a physical action.

“First base is useless,” he said in 1974. “And most of the time it is useless to stay there.

“On the other hand, second base is really the safest place on the field. When I steal second, I practically eliminate the double play. And I can score on any ball hit past the infield.”

To Brock, “the most important thing about base stealing is not the steal of the base, but distracting the pitcher’s concentration. If I can do that, then the hitter will have a better pitch to swing at and I will get a better chance to steal.”

Mike Shannon, the Cardinals’ radio voice who played with Brock on three World Series clubs, said that Brock’s mathematics training in college paid off in how he approached base stealing. “But he kept all those secrets to himself. He never divulged a lot of those things, that I was aware of,” Shannon said.

“He might have to guys who were capable of comprehending what he was talking about. The great thing about Lou Brock was that three or four days we came into town, the starting pitcher for the other team was already worried about him.”

And Brock never took a night off, said McCarver. “He ran every ball out, even balls right back at the pitcher. It was exemplary. It was phenomenal.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player like that on any team, in my experience, treat a routine ball like Lou Brock did in running balls out. Lou would be on second before most guys would get to first today.”

For 16 seasons here, Brock galvanized fans here. When he would steal a base or leg out a triple, or really do almost anything positive, the Busch Stadium crowds would chant, “Lou! Lou! Lou!”

His enormous popularity even spread to other sports. In 1980, the year after Brock retired, young pro bowler Alvin Lou was trying for his first tour victory at Dick Weber Lanes in Florissant when those in attendance broke into shouts of “Lou! Lou! Lou!” At first, taken aback by the attention, Alvin Lou, once it was explained to him that people had been yelling that for years, went on to win the championship.

In 1978, Brock hit a .career 221 low for the Cardinals and often was benched in the second half of the season by manager Ken Boyer, his former teammate. Brock took that personally and also articles that had speculated that he was finished. Brock proudly announced the next spring that he was “orchestrating his own exodus.” This meant that 1979 would be his last season but that he would go out with a bang.

Brock was spot on. He hit .304 at age 40 and stole 21 bases. One of his 123 hits that year was No. 3,000 for his career, a single off the hand of Cubs righthander Dennis Lamp, at Busch Stadium II. He stole his final base with a week to go in the season.

“The violence he had running the bases was nonpareil,” McCarver said. “I’d never seen anybody like that. Ever. (Willie) Mays was close. Lou had a straight-in slide and, if your hand or glove was anywhere near there … too bad. You were lucky that no finger was missing.

“But for anybody as violent a base runner as he was, he was as gentlemanly a man and one of the nicest people ever.”

Brock’s No. 20 was retired by the Cardinals in 1979. He later became a businessman, a broadcaster, a special base running instructor, a minister and, finally a survivor.

“He’ll be missed by anyone who knew him,” said catcher Ted Simmons, a Hall of Fame electee in 2020 who played with Brock for more than a decade. “Everyone who knew him loved Lou.”

Simmons said the importance of Brock to a team was “that he had this presence. When Lou was around he had such a happy and vibrant face. You couldn’t miss him. And, on the field he had the capacity to ignite and actually carry a team offensively, which he did time and time again. He impacted everybody. He was a remarkable man and a remarkable player.

“I never knew him to be hurt the whole time I was around him when he played.”

Dick Zitzmann, Brock’s representative for more than 25 years, said, “Lou was the happiest Hall of Famer ever. He never took for granted what God had given him.”

Former Cardinals great Albert Pujols, now with the Anaheim Angels, tweeted, “Lou Brock was one of the finest men I have ever known.

“He was always willing to help and to share his unlimited knowledge of hitting and the game of baseball with me as a young player. Most importantly, he showed us all how to live our lives on and off the field with character and integrity.

“He was a dear friend to me. I loved him very much. My prayers are with Jackie and the Brock family tonight.

“Lou now enters into the glory of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Well done, thy good and faithful servant.

“You will be missed, my brother. Until we meet again.”

Commissoner Rob Manfred said, in part, “Lou was an outstanding representative of our National Pastime and he will be deeply missed.”

The Hall of Fame also passed along its condolences, reprising something Brock had once said. “Baseball and have a mutual respect for each other,” said Brock. “I have given a lot. It has given me a lot.”

Brock, who lived in St. Charles, is survived by his wife, Jackie, daughter Wanda, sons Lou Jr. and Emory, and stepchildren Marvin Hay and Jacqueline Means, in addition to five grandchildren. Services are pending.

In 2015, Brock had his left leg amputated below the knee due to a diabetes-related infection. His life in some jeopardy at one point, Brock rebounded less than six months later to stand, unaided, as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day 2016.

Not surprisingly, a full house at Busch Stadium III — he had played in the other two — screamed, “Lou! Lou! Lou!”

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No news on who's being waived to allow this to happen yet

Sean McVay made it very clear on Saturday that the Rams were going to be on the hunt for help in waivers after leaving their roster at only 52 players. And to almost no surprise, the Rams did add a defender.

According to the official transaction wire, the Rams claimed outside linebacker Justin Hollins off waivers from the Broncos. Hollins was a fifth-round pick in 2019 by the Broncos out of Oregon and finished his rookie year with 21 tackles, one sack and two passes defensed. He played 15 games.

Hollins reunites with Brandon Staley, who was his outside linebackers coach in Denver last season. Staley is running the Rams’ defense this year, and he’s familiar with Hollins from their one season together.


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Hollins was transitioning to inside linebacker for the Broncos this season, but his best position is outside on the edge. In his final two years at Oregon, he had 11 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss.

America's team travels to Inglewood a week from now favored in Vegas by 2.5 points. The media touts a strong offensive line, heralded triplets in Dak, Zeke, and Amari, a beat down of the Rams in the stretch run of 2019, inside info from Bones Fassel, and what they believe will be a dominant front seven. Under the guidance of a new SB winning HC, McCarthy, the team is hyped to challenge for a Super Bowl this year. My own wife is a life long Pokes fan so I know the team and speak kindly to her about them as she didn't rub it in my face last year when I couldn't drink myself into a stupor fast enough to make that horror show of a game not leave a permanent impression.

But there are a myriad of downplayed problems in Dallas. The retired Travis Frederick is replaced by Joe Looney at center and La'el Collins will begin the season on IR. Even Tyrone Smith hasn't enjoyed a particularly healthy training camp. Zach Martin is the only player on that line who can (I didn't say will) man up AD. Amari Cooper's ankle is expected to be healthy enough for the opener and Cee Dee Lamb will bust his cherry in the slot. Does anyone else but me wonder how an entire offense in the COVID era can be completely revamped with excellent timing without live pre season reps?

Their defense was expected to be reloaded by returning players and FA signings, but the fan base is being led to ignore the obvious in Trump-like fashion. Clinton-Dix was supposed to be their new starting safety...until he was released. Randy Gregory was reinstated but will have to spend the first few games on the pine. Sean Lee is unsurprisingly injured again. Donatari Poe has been moved to second string. Slot corner Jourdan Lewis hasn't practiced since he injured his left ankle, They will start rookie Trevon Diggs at one corner and the frequently toasted Awuzie (he of the recently tweaked right leg) at the other. The 32 year old Everson Griffin will be rotated with Aldon Smith (5 years ago he was a problem in more ways than two) to replace Robert Quinn so that may be a wash. In short, D Lawrence, Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, and Griffen better hold the fort because the other seven are no better than average NFL starters in my book. Oh, and they are all learning a new defense.

Understand please that I'm not predicting a Ram win here. I've detailed in other posts my concerns with the OLine and LB's so we too have question marks. I just wanted my fellow Ram fans to see the details left out by the media's fake news hype.

Never heard of him and didn’t even know he was on the Rams training camp roster until yesterday! But, after watching some of his game and interview tapes I really hope he has a successful career with the Rams! I really enjoyed his interviews as he just seemed so humble, laid back and down to earth! Really nice to see players like Banks make it to the NFL and I will definitely be rooting for him this season (And, Hopefully, Much Longer!)!

Signing starts today, 1pm EST.



———


“Sept. 6 Teams can begin signing practice squad players at 1 p.m. ET”


NFL practice squad rules: Everything to know for 2020

The NFL made several changes this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected every aspect of the offseason. Among the most notable adjustments made by the NFL is the expansion of each team’s practice squad.

Rather than keeping the usual 10-player limit for each team, the league has expanded them to allow clubs to carry 16 practice squad players. Within each practice squad, teams will also be able to carry vested veterans – or players with four or more years of accrued seasons.

In order to help you better understand these changes, we’ve laid out everything you need to know about the practice squad this year.

Practice squad size

Teams will be able to carry up to 16 players on the practice squad for the 2020 season. That’s up from the previous limit of 10 players, which had been in effect from 2014 through 2019. Previously, it was limited to only eight players from 2004-2013.

That means including the 53 players on the active roster, teams will have a total of 69 players available to practice each week.

Eligibility

Up to six players will be eligible for the practice squad regardless of how many seasons they’ve accrued in the NFL. That’s not to say teams must carry six players with more than four seasons of accrued experience, but six is the limit.

Up to four players with no more than two accrued seasons will also be eligible for the practice squad. Again, that’s not a requirement, but a limit.

Most of the practice squad positions will be filled by players with no accrued experience, or players who have been active for fewer than nine NFL games.

Weekly promotion

Each week, teams will be able to promote up to two players to the active roster. Those players can be sent back down to the practice squad without having to clear waivers no more than twice.

So with that new rule, game-day rosters can technically be up to 55 players, allowing for more flexibility each week for teams across the NFL.

Protecting players

Teams can still sign players from other practice squads and put them on their 53-man roster, but each week, teams can protect up to four players from being signed by other teams. So if a team has a proven veteran on its practice squad, it can protect him from being signed by a team that would like to sign him.

Salaries

Regular practice squad players will make $8,400 per week, while veteran practice squad players will make $12,000. That’s up from $8,000 per week in 2019 and $7,600 in 2018.

Rebuilding? Reloading? Rams at a crossroads entering the 2020 season

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Sean McVay stared into the camera as he spoke during yet another offseason Zoom meeting, this session with a small group of reporters.

McVay's eyes grew wide as his voice deepened into a stringent tone.

Winning this season is the Los Angeles Rams' priority.

They are not in a rebuilding phase, despite being down 12 starters from their Super Bowl run two seasons ago. And despite a decision to incur more than $30 million in dead money -- about 15% of their salary cap -- to move on from running back Todd Gurley II and receiver Brandin Cooks, the Rams aren't punting to 2021, when they'll get some salary-cap relief.

Rebuilding isn't even a word that McVay wants to utter.

"I would never refer to it as that," said McVay, who, at 34 years old, remains the youngest head coach in the NFL as he enters his fourth season. "I think that's making excuses and running away from the expectations we have, which we'll never do.

"We expect to win. We expect to prepare to win."

In a staunch NFC West that includes the defending conference champion San Francisco 49ers, the Rams must rebound from a 9-7 season in which they finished third in the division and failed to make the playoffs. They must win without the star-packed roster -- which once included Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib -- that they've grown accustomed to over the past three seasons and quickly adapt to a coaching staff that includes three new coordinators.

McVay didn't retain veteran coordinator Wade Phillips despite a defense that ranked ninth in defense-adjusted value over average last season, instead hiring first-time coordinator Brandon Staley. Special teams coordinator John Fassel departed for the Dallas Cowboys and kicker Greg Zuerlein followed. John Bonamego replaced Fassel. McVay hired Kevin O'Connell as offensive coordinator, filling a role that sat vacant the past two seasons.

After two years of blockbuster trades -- though often at the expense of future draft picks -- and star free-agent acquisitions, the roster underwent more of a make-under this offseason.

"You always want to go into every year and try to be slightly better than you were the last year," Rams general manager Les Snead said when asked if the roster improved from 2019. "It's going to be different. There's going to be times when some positions have less experience, some don't and you're always having to navigate all of that."

The Rams still boast two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was acquired last October when the Rams sent two first-round picks to Jacksonville. Quarterback Jared Goff enters his fifth season and 1,000-yard receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp return at his disposal.

But Donald and Goff are operating on record-breaking extensions that have absorbed more than a quarter of the Rams' salary cap, and, as he enters the final season of his rookie deal, Ramsey is expected to sign his own record-breaking contract.

With a little more than $4 million now remaining in cap space, it grew increasingly apparent this offseason that the Rams couldn't keep all of their talent, and that replacements must come mostly in the form of mid-round draft picks.

"If you look at our team, we drafted a lot of young players who ultimately, in a salary-cap era when you have stars who have been paid, are going to have to step up," said Kevin Demoff, the Rams' chief operating officer.

Disassembling the nucleus of a team is common after a quarterback transitions from his rookie contract to a long-term extension, according to ESPN NFL front office insider Mike Tannenbaum. But it creates a challenge in sustaining success.

In the Rams' case, long-term success could prove even more difficult given they haven't selected a player in the first round of the NFL draft since 2016.

"There's precious few ways to get good, young talent, so that's another challenge," Tannenbaum said. "They just have to identify what the core players are and then others are going to have to move on ... that's part of team building."

Less than two years after signing him to the richest running back contract in NFL history, the Rams cut Gurley, the 2018 NFL Offensive Player of the Year whose production declined last season. Then they traded Cooks, who was in the midst of a five-year, $81 million extension, to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2020 second-round and 2022 fourth-round pick.

For some, the decision to move on from Gurley and Cooks shortly after they signed mega-extensions signaled that the Rams were throwing in the towel on the 2020 season, looking only to 2021. But Jason Fitzgerald, the founder of salary-cap analysis website OverTheCap.com, saw it differently.

"For the long-term health of the team, I think what they did was pretty necessary," Fitzgerald said. "They looked at two mistakes that they made and said, 'All right, should we keep chasing money or do whatever we can to create as much as possible in the future?'"

The offense must evolve without Gurley and Cooks behind an offensive line that declined last season and struggled at times during training camp.

McVay will likely utilize more two-tight-end sets involving Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, something he dabbled with in the final five games last season.

Malcolm Brown, a sixth-year pro and undrafted free agent, will lead the effort to replace Gurley, followed by second-year pro Darrell Henderson Jr. and rookie Cam Akers, a second-round pick from Florida State. Fourth-year receiver Josh Reynolds and rookie Van Jefferson, a second-round pick from Florida, will replace Cooks.

Defensively, several questions remain. Outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. and Cory Littleton signed elsewhere in free agency, and the Rams released outside linebacker Clay Matthews and nickelback Nickell Robey-Coleman in an effort to clear cap space.

The Rams do not have a linebacker on their roster who started last season.

The Rams signed outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, a former first-round pick who was released by the Bears, to a one-year, $10 million deal to play opposite 2019 backup Samson Ebukam. They also drafted Terrell Lewis in the third round, but he remains sidelined indefinitely because of a knee issue.

The Rams will depend on Micah Kiser at inside linebacker alongside Kenny Young, whom they acquired last season in the Peters trade with Baltimore. Expected starter Travin Howard will miss the season with a torn meniscus.

It's not exactly the Super Bowl-ready squad McVay entered the 2018 season with, but he remains confident this group can get the job done.

"I couldn't be more excited," McVay said. "I don't really care what the narrative is, I care about the belief I have in our players, our coaches and how excited I am to attack this opportunity and write our own story."

Well, The Rams Defense (Especially, The DL & LB’s!) will certainly get tested in their Season Opener against the Dallas Cowboys who have a pretty Big/Solid Offensive Line! I sure would be feeling a lot better if A’Shawn Robinson (Still don’t really understand what his status is for this season!) would be playing in this game!!! If the Rams DL can’t somewhat control the Cowboys OL then this could end up being a LONG GAME for the Rams! But, Even without Robinson, The Rams DL is still pretty good with Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Sebastian Joseph-Day! Don’t really know what to expect from the Rams LB crew but I guess there will be a lot of questions answered next Sunday!!!

Which players were “surprises” on Rams final 53-man roster?

It’s possible some of these players won’t stick for the next week but for now they are Rams

By Kenneth Arthur
Rams On Demand meet the 6-5 275lbs Mr Eric Banks!


Eric Banks didn’t have his name brought up often in the last month. Perhaps the best of those days for Banks was Saturday, when he hasn’t heard his name mentioned as one of the LA Rams final cuts headed into the 2020 season. For all intents and purposes, it seems as though Banks is a member of the Rams, something that seemed unlikely to people outside of the organization as recently as the second before final cuts were announced.
Read: Rams final 53-man roster
Here’s what I wrote about Banks’ football history back in May, when he was working at a Pet and Lawn Supply Store for a summer job:

Banks was an unranked two-star recruit out of Memphis East High School in Memphis, Tennessee in 2016. He was listed as an “athlete” but the reality is much more unusual: Banks was a quarterback for most of his high school career, then transitioned to defensive end by Marcus Wimberly, the head coach. Banks had just transferred from Memphis Academy of Health Sciences and Wimberly saw him as an exceptional athlete who would have a much better shot playing in college if he switched to the d-line.
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There are no other offers listed for Banks and he ended up going to UTSA. He was 215 pounds as a high school senior and 275 pounds by the time he finished his college career. Those weren’t the only changes he went through at UTSA, but his production was rather consistent even as Wilson moved him from the edge to the inside during his senior season.
“We put him inside and allowed him to bust nose, and get his nose busted a couple of times, as well,” Wilson said. “Just roughed him up some, and it’s helped his evolution that when he goes back to the end position, he’s that much more physical.”
His defensive line coach as a freshman in 2016 was Eric Henderson, who was hired to work in the same role for the Rams in 2019. Banks 49 career games is a program record. He spent two seasons on the line with former first round pick Marcus Davenport.
Banks was not invited to the combine and didn’t have a pro day. We don’t know his speed and related elements then, but his size comps (around 6’4-6’6, 265-275 pound defensive linemen) are guys like Yetur Gross-Matos and A.J. Epenesa as second round picks this year, plus Khalid Kareem, James Smith-Williams, and Jason Strowbridge, all of whom were drafted.

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With veteran A’Shawn Robinson starting the season on NFI, keeping him out for at least six weeks, Banks may have been able to secure a spot on the final roster over two other undrafted free agent rookies and Marquise Copeland. The Rams obviously didn’t want to try and sneak Banks onto the practice squad, or maybe they thought they couldn’t.
It looks as though Banks will be on the team in Week 1 when few expected it. He’s not the only surprise to make it through Saturday.

Trishton Jackson, WR
It was tough to know which young receivers were standing out, but Jackson got some work on returns and coaches did note him to the media at least a couple of times. Here’s some of what I wrote about the UDFA rookie from Syracuse:

At the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Jackson measured in at 6’1, 191 pounds, 32.4” arms, and 9.75” hands. He ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, had a 36” vertical, and a 117” broad jump. Consider these three receiver measurements at the combine:
Brandon Aiyuk, 6’, 205 pounds, 4.5 40-yard dash, 40” vertical, 128” broad, 25th overall
CeeDee Lamb, 6’2, 198 pounds, 4.5 40-yard dash, 34.5” vertical, 124” broad, 17th overall
Trishton Jackson, 6’1, 190 pounds, 4.5 40-yard dash, 36” vertical, 117” broad, undrafted

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Jackson would start off as the number six receiver, you’d think, but we don’t necessarily know what kind of impact Nsimba Webster or Van Jefferson will have on offense to open the year. In any case, this seems to be a special teams move and to see what can develop from him as a receiver given his athletic attributes.
Jachai Polite, LB
Polite was the 68th overall pick in 2019 but didn’t make the New York Jets final roster. He was on the Seattle Seahawks shortly and then went to the Rams practice squad. For now it appears he’s made a final roster for the first time.
Xavier Jones, RB
Less surprising given Darrell Henderson’s current injury situation. Henderson made the final roster with no injury designations though and Jones may or may head to the practice squad eventually. Him staying became more likely as the days went on without Henderson practicing.

It may also be surprising to some that Coleman Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum and Brian Allen made it on as offensive line depth but at the moment the team has no other options. They may change their minds once they get a full look at whose available but it is unlikely that you’ll see any quality linemen let go by their teams these days given how hard it can be to find one.

Just a week from opening day! Rosters are getting close to being set. News starting to come in about what to expect.

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The legendary Dieter Brock. Just learned he was 34 years old and only played one season. Damn.
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