First off I have never watched Hard Knocks until now. I can now say that I understand why it's getting historically low ratings.

1. Regarding content, it's okay but after a while becomes BORING!! I mean like two episodes is all it really needs. It's all about the personalities not about the team. Why do I care that Goff golfs in his back yard? Looking at his girlfriend was the best part of that segment. The same can be said of Sean's home life.

2. This year with two teams I can see why they decided to include the Rams. Hard Knock's super-low ratings simply prove how small the of a following the Chargers have in LA. I'm convinced they added the Rams trying to boost the ratings above rock bottom. The super-low ratings should be convincing proof that the Chargers have no chance to succeed in LA. The NFL should put the Chargers out of their misery by forcing the sale of the franchise. They can simply demand that Spanos pay what they owe to the NFL, Kronke, and other creditors (like me), which they won't be able to do. Watching the Chargers at SoFi Stadium only amplifies how embarrassing it's going to be for them to play in that stadium. The team has had zero home field advantage playing before a crowd where no more than 10% were Charger fans in a tiny 27K seat stadium. That is not likely to change other than the percentage of Charger fans is likely to shrink. The Chargers must have a winning season with playoff appearances to have any chance of increasing fan interest in 2021.

3. It was even less attractive since the majority of the focus was on the Chargers with the Rams coverage not even close to parity. I for one won't be watching any more as I found it not particularly interesting. I know it may sound funny coming from a former San Diego Charger fan, but I've seen their circus up close and personally for years and it was nothing new to me. As a former vendor of the franchise in San Diego I had access to their facility and met several of their players personally. I'm one of several San Diego vendors who joined in a common lawsuit to get money owed us when Spanos fled San Diego. I'm just a minor plaintiff being owed $25K. It's why I know the franchise is already technically bankrupt only being propped up by the NFL. Think of the NFL as a sports cartel who have done everything they can to suppress our law-suit.

4. I have no interest in the private lives of NFL players who by enlarge I've found no different than any other group of wealthy people living in a dream world. Hard Knocks is missed named. It should be the Rich and Famous of the NFL because that's all it's about.

I’m bored at work. Fuck Tom Brady. That is all.

This dude ran 5 yards in a non contact practice and thought he was cool. Fuck him.
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I have spoken to younger friends who have no idea what the beer selections were in the late 1970's. Different areas had different beers available. The premise of Smokey and the Bandit movie, was taking illegal Coors east of the Mississippi to a Big Enos party in Georgia, I believe.

In Northern California, the beer for many of the HS parties was Michelob. There was no Michelob lite or ultra or anything like that. There was Budweiser and Miller High Life The imported beers of choice were Heineken, Lowenbrau and Becks, and God they sucked. I believe they had formaldehyde as a preservative in them. Yes, there was Coors and Hamms, but who drank that shit?

When I went to boot camp in Illinois in the early 80's they had Little Kings, Strohs, Mickeys, Red Stripe, and Grolsch.

Sep 01, 2020 at 05:38 PM

Stu Jackson
Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – After each practice of Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union, Rams staff writer Stu Jackson will share 10 observations from the session. Here are his notes from Tuesday, Sept. 1:

1) Return of the Rapp: Second-year safety Taylor Rapp practiced today, participating in some individual drills and getting some reps during 11-on-11 work. Rams head coach Sean McVay previously told reporters that Rapp would be phased back into practice this week.

2) And Hekker's back too: Punter Johnny Hekker was back on the field after missing the scrimmage due to the birth of he and his wife's second child.

3) Wide receiver Cooper Kupp (leg soreness) and running back Darrell Henderson Jr. (hamstring) did not participate in today's practice.

4) Early in 11 on 11 work, quarterback Jared Goff found tight end Gerald Everett for a pair of long completions. Everett displaying his capabilities as a reliable downfield target should come as no surprise – through his first three seasons in Los Angeles, he has averaged 11.3 yards per catch.

5) Speaking of receptions, rookie wide receiver Earnest Edwards IV had an impressive one in his own right. Quarterback John Wolford fired a pass over the middle during 11-on-11 work which ended with a finger-tip grab – Edwards literally using his fingers – to keep the ball from hitting the turf.

6) As exciting as those Everett catches were, the nod for play of the day goes to inside linebacker Clay Johnston and outside linebacker Samson Ebukam. During team drills, Johnston batted a Wolford pass into the air which was then corralled by Ebukam for an interception.

7) While the offense and defense competed in 11-on-11 work on one field, kickers Austin MacGinnis, Sam Sloman and Lirim Hajrullahu were working with Hekker and long snapper Jake McQuaide on the other. In some previous practices, they've put in end-of-drive and other pressure situations during team drills.

8) Another Jalen Ramsey pick, this time against Wolford. Unlike his last interception, Ramsey hauled this one in with both hands and took it to the house too, reaching the endzone himself rather than lateraling the ball to a teammate near the goal line.

9) Among other takeaways created by the defense: A fumbled snap between Wolford and center Brian Allen at the offense's own 1-yard line which was then scooped up by linebacker Troy Reeder.

10) Competitive situations continue: Throughout camp, we've seen the Rams mix things up by putting the first team offense against the third team defense, the second team offense against the first team defense, and so on. That continued today, with lots of rotating on defense especially – to be expected as Los Angeles makes its remaining evaluations on the back-end of the roster prior to Saturday's 53-man roster deadline.

Bruh....
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Thursday Night
09/10 8:20 PM
Houston
Kansas City - 9.5 / Over/Under 54.5

Sunday
09/13 1:00 PM
Miami
New England - 6.5 / Over/Under 43.5

09/13 1:00 PM
Cleveland
Baltimore - 8.5 / Over/Under 48.5

09/13 1:00 PM
N.Y. Jets
Buffalo - 6 / Over/Under 40.0

09/13 1:00 PM
Las Vegas - 2.5 / Over/Under 47.0
Carolina

09/13 1:00 PM
Seattle - 1.0 /Over/Under 49.0
Atlanta

09/13 1:00 PM
Philadelphia - 6.0 / Over/Under 43.0
Washington

09/13 1:00 PM
Chicago
Detroit - 2.5 / Over/Under 43.5

09/13 1:00 PM
Indianapolis - 7.0 / Over/Under 45.0
Jacksonville

09/13 1:00 PM
Green Bay
Minnesota - 3.0 / Over/Under 46.5

09/13 4:05 PM
L.A. Chargers - 3.5 / Over/Under 44.0
Cincinnati

09/13 4:25 PM
Arizona
San Francisco - 7.5 / Under/Over 47.0

09/13 4:25 PM
Tampa Bay
New Orleans - 3.5 / Over/Under 49.5

Sunday Night
09/13 8:20 PM
Dallas - 2.5 / Over/Under 51.5
L.A. Rams

Monday Night
09/14 7:15 PM
Pittsburgh - 4.0 / Over/Under 48.0
N.Y. Giants

Monday Night
09/14 10:10 PM
Tennessee
Denver - 2.5 / Over/Under 42.0


Odds To Win Super Bowl 55 (2/7/2021)

Kansas City Chiefs 6/1
Baltimore Ravens 13/2
San Francisco 49ers 9/1
New Orleans Saints 11/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14/1
Dallas Cowboys 15/1

New England Patriots 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
Seattle Seahawks 20/1
Indianapolis Colts 22/1
Buffalo Bills 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 25/1
Green Bay Packers 28/1
Tennessee Titans 28/1

Los Angeles Rams 40/1
Chicago Bears 40/1
Cleveland Browns 40/1
Los Angeles Chargers 45/1
Atlanta Falcons 50/1
Arizona Cardinals 50/1
Denver Broncos 50/1
Houston Texans 50/1

Detroit Lions 66/1
Las Vegas Raiders 66/1
Miami Dolphins 80/1
New York Giants 80/1
New York Jets 80/1

Carolina Panthers 125/1
Cincinnati Bengals 150/1
Washington Team 150/1
Jacksonville Jaguar 175/1


[/quote]

Rocketeer?

I don’t know can this be real? I am puzzled, but sounds pretty badass. If true was he from this planet?

prove me wrong

where are most difficult decision was , which tasted better , Coke or Pepsi

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Damn!!

This has an eye toward fantasy, however it's still a really good listen. Big fan of Waldman, he's one of the better ones out there doing analysis IMO.

A scouting report on Rams running back situation

Eric D. Williams
a day ago

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Look, I get it. You’re drafting for fantasy football and want to know the distribution of carries between Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers.
Who’s going to be on the field on third down? What player will get more touches in the red zone? Will one of them be the workhorse back? Well, I’m not the play caller for the Los Angeles Rams -- that’s Sean McVay, and he hasn’t handed over the call sheet. That said, the best I can do here is provide some info gleaned from talking with running backs coach Thomas Brown, with some numbers sprinkled in.

Brown had this to say when asked about a couple important things he values in a player. “I tell my guys every day there’s two things you can control, that’s your effort and your attitude,” Brown said. “You can’t control my attitude. You can’t control other players or coaches’ attitude. You can control what you bring to the table every single day.

“We all have different things that we deal with outside of football, but being able to be locked in and be present every single day and kind of maximize the opportunities that you have is one thing I preach to my guys.”

Look, coaches value running backs that can pass protect in critical situations so the quarterback does not get killed, have a nose for the end zone and take care of the football.

Expect Brown to be on the field on third down and in red zone. Brown had a career-high five touchdowns last season on 15 red zone touches. Brown has one lost fumble on 197 carries.

Akers could be a guy who is on the field when the Rams play up-tempo and things are simplified from a play-calling perspective, or the Rams want to exploit an individual matchup. You might also see Akers in the game on early downs when the McVay wants to pound the football.

Running backs coach Thomas Brown was gracious enough to provide a scouting report on all five of the runners in his position group.

Malcolm Brown: “I call him Mr. Reliable. He’s a very reliable guy, and he does a very good job of every single day kind of setting a tone for our group. He’s obviously a veteran player that understands the ins and outs of our league. And he kind of sets the tone from a work ethic standpoint and how to be successful at this level. Malcolm is a one-cut, downhill guy. He’s not a huge in-space, wiggle guy. But he does a great job playing behind his pads. He can be very effective in the pass game. He has a great understanding and knowledge when it comes to third-down ball, and when it comes to pass protection and understanding what we do. It kind of gets complicated for us on third down when it comes to our 2-Jet and 3-Jet protection package.”

Cam Akers: “He’s a young rookie who is super-talented and very explosive. He’s got a ways to go from a knowledge standpoint, but I’ll tell you what, this guy comes to work every day and learns from his mistakes. Our defense has been tough to go against, and it’s going to be great working with him preparation-wise for the upcoming season. I’m really excited about his development, watching him learn and grow. And having a guy like Malcolm has been great for him to be around.”

Darrell Henderson Jr.: “He’s a super explosive guy through the hole, but also being a load. We kind of call him a bowling ball at times, once he gets rolling, being a hard guy to bring down.”

John Kelly: “He’s kind of similar to Malcolm as far as a physicality standpoint. I think they are both kind of one-cut, downhill guy and he’s had a really productive camp so far.

Xavier Jones: “He’s made some strides the last week or so. Xavier had limited reps at the start of camp, but had some opportunities here recently and has made the most of them, kind of showcasing his abilities in this last scrimmage that we had. He has the ability to be a change-of-direction guy, play with the ball in his hands, and like Cam he’s still a rookie that’s developing and growing.”

So I'll be the first to admit that his signing didn't exactly wow me. I felt like he was a nice run support addition for the strong side edge because he's a tall/rangy and physical player, but at the price point it felt a bit steep. Fast forward to camp in a season in which we know even less than we usually do (i.e. we don't have even the shitty preseason games to nuke in order to have a look at this roster) and it seems like Floyd may be ready to make some of us eat a hot plate of crow by living up to his elite (top 10) draft status.

Now we all know coach McVay has talked up guys before of course. He's a fucking coachspeak ninja and I've gotten to the point where I don't really listen too hard to what he says for that reason. But he may be telling this one true and if so, well, there's a chance this defense gets some good edge play in 2020 which will be a bit of a surprise to yours truly.

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My son just got awarded a medal of commendation from the Air Force. He's had two medals of achievement but this is a step above. Pretty proud of my young man.

Don’t know much about his story but there wasn’t many options for today. Jeff Kemp.
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As Cooper Kupp rests, Rams will increase repetitions for rookie Van Jefferson

The Sept. 13 opener against the Dallas Cowboys is less than two weeks away, so Rams coach Sean McVay is playing it safe with multiple players nursing injuries, including wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

McVay said Monday that Kupp was removed from Saturday’s mock game at SoFI Stadium because of lower leg soreness, a condition that had been present throughout the previous week.

“There was a specific play in which he communicated that he was feeling it, so we wanted to be cautious with him,” McVay said, adding that X-rays were negative. “We are going to monitor him, but he is feeling good. ... The goal is to make sure that he’s as healthy as possible for the 13th.”

With Kupp expected to be sidelined for workouts, rookie Van Jefferson will step into Kupp’s spot this week.

Jefferson, a second-round draft pick from Florida, has impressed throughout training camp.

“It’s little things every day,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “Making plays, making catches, running great routes, strong hands.”

During a scrimmage Aug. 22 at SoFi Stadium, Jefferson made several impressive catches, including one for a touchdown on a pass from backup quarterback John Wolford in the back of the end zone. In Saturday’s mock game at the stadium, he made an over-the-shoulder catch along the sideline on a pass from Goff.

Running back Darrell Henderson probably will remain sidelined this week as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury suffered in the first scrimmage, McVay said.

Henderson had been on track to be part of a running back rotation with Malcolm Brown and rookie Cam Akers. McVay would not rule him out for the opener.

“We’ve still got some time,” McVay said. “With the maturation I’ve seen from him — maybe if it was his rookie year, you’d say you wouldn’t feel as great about it. But I think his grasp of the offense and his ownership and the growth he’s demonstrated when he has been able to practice, I feel better about that.

“So I certainly would not rule him out, and we’re expecting him to be a big part of our running back rotation this year.”

Two defensive players who were in line to start also are dealing with injuries.

Inside linebacker Travin Howard did not play in the mock game because of a knee injury. McVay was vague about Howard’s status.

“We’ll have some further updates,” he said. “In an instance if we’re not able to have him, it does look like you’d feel really good about” other inside linebackers such as Micah Kiser, Kenny Young and Troy Reeder.

McVay said safety Taylor Rapp is expected to practice after sitting out the last few weeks because of a knee injury.

“It’s a shame because just right when you felt like he was doing such a great job and really getting a good grasp of some of the newer things we were doing, he had that setback,” McVay said.

Rookies Terrell Burgess and Jordan Fuller have been practicing in Rapp’s spot.

Etc.

The Rams did not practice Monday, but they will Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Rosters must be trimmed from 80 to 53 players by Saturday afternoon. Practice squads have been expanded to 16 players. ... McVay said the kicking competition with Lirim Hajrullahu, Austin MacGinnis and Sam Sloman would continue until the final practice.

Man I use to watch college B ball and this man, what he did for kids that played for him.etc etc.

All I can say He is the real deal, A Legendary Human Being. Not just a Coach.

Sorry about the 1st name misquote, George was My Father.

Van Jefferson named a breakout player for 2020 by Peter Schrager

The Rams made the bold decision to trade Brandin Cooks this offseason, ridding themselves of the bloated contract they signed him to just two years ago. They already had a replacement on the roster with Josh Reynolds, but they added another talented wideout to the mix when they drafted Van Jefferson in the second round.

There may not be a player on the Rams’ roster who has had a better training camp than Jefferson, as the rookie has shined in everything from walk-throughs to the team’s two scrimmages at SoFi Stadium.

Jefferson still has three quality veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, but his camp performance is setting up for a promising rookie year. Peter Schrager of NFL Network has higher expectations for Jefferson than just “promising,” though. He expects the rookie to have a breakout year, putting Jefferson sixth on his list of 10 breakout stars for 2020.

He’s nailed Mahomes, Marlon Humphrey, & Danielle Hunter in recent years.

This is @PSchrags' Top 10 Breakout Players of 2020.

Let's start with 6-10

10. Cardinals TE Dan Arnold
9. Jaguars DE Josh Allen
8. Ravens S Chuck Clark
7. Bills RB Zack Moss
6. Rams WR Van Jefferson pic.twitter.com/BcEcMscCbu
— GMFB (@gmfb) August 31, 2020

Click to expand...

“You’re saying, ‘What about Kupp? And what about Woods? And what about Reynolds?’ Let’s just say this: The comparison I have been hearing for Van Jefferson is not Odell Beckham, it’s not Julio Jones. It is a technician. It is Keenan Allen. That is the comparison I am hearing out of Rams world on Van Jefferson,” Schrager said on Good Morning Football.

Schrager said Jefferson has “been putting on a show all summer long” for the Rams, continuing to prop up the rookie out of Florida. A breakout season might be hard to see happening because of the depth the Rams already have at wide receiver, but Jefferson has the makings of a quality (and versatile) wide receiver in the NFL.

His ceiling will be even higher in 2021 if the Rams can’t re-sign Cooper Kupp and Reynolds, who are both set to be free agents in March.

Jordan Fuller making a great first impression

The early returns on the Rams 2020 Draft Class are very encouraging.

Given the team needs at running back, receiver, outside linebacker, and in the secondary, it was essential that players like Cam Akers, Van Jefferson, Terrell Lewis, and Terrell Burgess delivered right away. Thankfully, they have. Each will make the initial 53-man roster and figure to be active contributors in Week One.

At 199th overall, however, it's rare to find a player capable of making a training camp impact like that of Jordan Fuller. But the least surprised member of the organization is a Midwest area scout who felt strongly that the former Ohio State safety belonged.

"If you get to know Brian Hill, he's no nonsense," said general manager Les Snead of the person most responsible for Los Angeles' sixth round selection.

"He has no problem dissenting, even if you try to talk him into liking a player who doesn't meet his standards," Snead continued. "(Manager, Data and Analytics) Jake Temme noticed the particular grade Brian gave Jordan Fuller. This code that we kind of stamp on the grade, which means, 'Hey. Really want this human being in the Rams locker room.'

"There are only about five players, maybe seven, Brian Hill's ever given this grade to and all of them are very successful in the NFL."

I relayed that anecdote to Fuller on a recent Rams Revealed podcast.

"Wow. I haven't heard that story," he replied. "That really means a lot. I didn't know that prior to you just telling me that just right now. I guess it's just a testament to how people talk about me and how people view me but I guess it doesn't mean nothing unless I go do it now. But yeah, that's high praise and I don't take that lightly."

Asked what he thought may have led the Rams – and the Buckeyes, who twice voted him team captain – to feel that way about his intangibles, Fuller pointed to his total investment.

"I just care a lot. I care a lot about my teammates. I care a lot about what I do, and I take this stuff seriously. I would say, when things get hard… I'm someone you can lean on from a teammate standpoint and from a coach-to-player. You know I'm going to be in the right spot at the right time."

When Taylor Rapp missed training camp with a minor knee injury, Fuller stepped right into the void at safety, consistently taking starters reps and creating multiple takeaways. As Rapp returns to pair with John Johnson as starters in the back end, Fuller and fellow rookie Burgess give the Rams one of the deepest and most versatile secondaries in the league. And while the Academic All-American is known for his leadership ability, he's also comfortable taking his cue from the veterans ahead of him as he prepares for his opportunity.

"I'm not a huge rah-rah guy, but I will say something when it needs to be said. Most of all, just a supportive teammate and do what needs to get done."

When are NFL roster cuts in 2020? Deadline date, rules, practice squad salary & more to know

One aspect of NFL roster cuts in 2020 technically will be easier for coaching staffs. Training camp rosters during the COVID-19 pandemic consist of 80 players rather than the typical maximum of 90, so that's 10 fewer players each team needs to cut in order to trim their rosters down to 53 before the Sept. 5 deadline.

Everything else about NFL roster cuts ahead of the 2020 season is an unprecedented challenge.

Per the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, NFL teams in 2020 also will be able to expand their rosters to 55 players (48 active) on game day by temporarily promoting players from their practice squads.

All of this will be taken into account when NFL teams make their final cuts as Week 1 nears. Below are more details about the deadline for NFL roster cuts and the rules for practice squad construction.

When are NFL roster cuts in 2020?

• Roster cuts deadline: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Deadline time: 4 p.m. ET

NFL teams are free to cut players whenever they want, but when the deadline of 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 arrives, all 32 rosters must consist of no more than 53 players on the active/inactive list. (Teams already had to trim their training camp rosters to a maximum of 80 players by Aug. 16.)

Prior to 2017, teams worked through multiple roster cut deadlines throughout the preseason to trim their personnel. Then the league's owners voted to create the format still used today — one deadline to trim rosters to 53 players upon the conclusion of the preseason.

In 2020, of course, there is no preseason, but the lone roster cuts deadline remains the same as originally scheduled. It lands a week before the start of the regular season.

NFL roster cuts rules

In part because there are no preseason games, many teams will have already made the majority of their pre-deadline roster moves and won't have to cut 27 players at once.

Below is the NFL's official language on the Sept. 5 roster cuts deadline:

"Prior to 4 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List. ... Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/NonFootball Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List."

There will be a claiming period for the players who are placed on waivers during roster cut-downs, but that period will expire at noon ET on Sunday, Sept. 6.

An hour after that claiming period ends, teams will be able to begin constructing their 16-player practice squads. Below is the full schedule for NFL roster cuts/construction.

Date Event
Aug. 16 Deadline to cut training camp rosters to 80 players
Sept. 5 4 p.m. ET deadline to cut rosters to 53 players
Sept. 6 Waiver claim period after cuts ends at noon ET
Sept. 6 Teams can begin signing practice squad players at 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 10 Top 51 rule expires

NFL practice squad rules

The CBA that the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed upon in the spring increased the size of practice squad rosters from 10 players to 12 players for 2020. (It will increase again to 14 in 2022). That was before the COVID-19 outbreak reached the United States and started impacting sports operations.

Because positive coronavirus test results among NFL players are all but inevitable, it's reasonable to anticipate more players missing games than usual in 2020. So the league agreed to expand practice squad rosters to 16 players, including six veterans (unlimited number of accrued seasons) rather than two.

Below are the players who are eligible to be added to practice squad rosters:

Players who do not have an accrued season of NFL experience (rookies)

Players who were on the active list for fewer than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s)

Up to four players per team who have earned no more than two accrued seasons (no game limitations)

Up to two (six in 2020) players per team with no limitations as to their number of earned accrued seasons

A player on a practice squad is free to sign with another team at any point, but a team that signs a player from another's practice squad must add the player to its 53-man roster. There are no practice squad-to-practice squad transactions.

While that's still the rule in 2020, during the pandemic, teams are allowed to protect up to four practice squad players each week from other teams.

Another new, pre-pandemic rule for 2020 as laid out by the CBA: Teams are allowed to promote one or two players from their practice squads to increase their rosters from 53 players to 55 players on game days. Any practice squad player promoted in such a way would revert to the practice squad roster after the game.

NFL practice squad salaries

As laid out in the new CBA, there are two salary scales for practice squad players, one for players with two or fewer accrued seasons (the majority of practice squad players) and one for everybody else.

The first group of practice squad players — rookies, players with fewer than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s) and players who have earned no more than two accrued seasons — are paid on a fixed weekly salary that increases in each year of the current CBA.

Below are the fixed weekly salaries for most NFL practice squad players.

Year Weekly salary
2020 $8,400
2021 $9,200
2022 $11,500
2023 $12,000
2024 $12,500
2025 $13,000
2026 $13,750
2027 $14,500
2028 $15,250
2029 $16,000
2030 $16,750

The second group basically consists of veterans; the NFL defines them as players with no limitations as to their number of earned accrued seasons. Teams in 2020 are allowed to keep up to six of these players on their 16-man practice squads.

These practice squad players receive a fixed weekly salary within the following minimum and maximum amounts over the duration of the current CBA.

Year Minimum weekly salary Maximum weekly salary
2020 $12,000 $12,000
2021 $14,000 $14,000
2022 $15,400 $19,900
2023 $16,100 $20,600
2024 $16,800 $21,300
2025 $17,500 $22,000
2026 $18,350 $22,850
2027 $19,200 $23,700
2028 $20,050 $24,550
2029 $20,900 $25,400
2030 $21,750 $26,250

Practice squad player contracts do not provide for salary guarantees, bonuses, incentives or any compensation beyond the amounts above.

If a practice squad player is promoted to the active roster for a game, his weekly salary will be adjusted to 1/17 of the minimum annual salary for players with his number of accrued seasons.

The most battered, underrated QB of the 2000s, Marc Bulger.
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Nice piece on the kickers.

A kicker’s perspective on Rams 3-man kicking competition

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Saturday’s scrimmage will go a long way in determining who Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay keeps around as his kicker for the 2020 season.

With Greg Zuerlein moving on to the Dallas Cowboys, McVay has a three-man competition for the job between former CFL standout Lirim Harjrullahu, XFL and AAF product Austin MacGinnis and seventh-round selection Samuel Sloman.

None of the three kickers has made a kick in an NFL regular-season game.

McVay said the Rams may keep a second kicker on the practice squad due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, but likely will have one kicker on the active roster handling both place-kicking and kickoff duties.

“All three guys bring certain things to the table,” McVay said. “It’s how many different pressure situations can you try to create in these practice settings to truly evaluate guys that are younger players. You’ve got a rookie and some other guys that don’t have a whole lot of experience at this level, but I think they’ve done a nice job.”

All three kickers benefit from having an experienced specialty group on the roster in punter and holder Johnny Hekker and long snapper Jake McQuiade -- so the operation should not be an issue.

“You’re judged strictly on whether it went in or went out, not how pretty it looked, or how high or how far it would have been good from,” McQuiade said about the kicking competition. “It matters if it went through. You definitely feel that every single day there is that pressure, it’s a mental game as much as it’s a physical game. They all have the physical abilities to kick it as far as you need it and the mental side of it. They all have done very well so far.”

Along with McVay and general manager Les Snead, helping to make the decision will be new special teams coach John Bonamego, who replaced John Fassel now serving in the same role with the Cowboys.

Hekker also will lend his voice to that process.

“I'm really just focusing on giving my best as far as holding for them,” Hekker said. “I’m going to have some input as far as, ‘Okay, what do you see?’ But, at the end of the day that is coach and management’s decision. I’m going to give my input when asked, but nothing unsolicited.”

To help better understand what kickers are going through, former NFL kicker Nick Novak was gracious enough to provide some time. Novak kicked for 11 seasons in the NFL with five different teams, making 82 percent of his career field goals.

Novak also kicked in the XFL, AAF and NFL Europe. He’s been on the good side and bad side of stressful kicking competitions, and now trains kickers and punters looking to reach the league in his hometown of San Diego.

“You have to be ready for anything,” Novak said. “The guys who can perform best under any circumstance and situation I believe will win out, and I speak from personal experiences.

“Head down and work. Be a pro, learn from the vets in the building and leave every day at work with no regrets.”

Lirim Harjrullahu

The 30-year-old Ontario native spent six seasons in the Canadian Football League. In the CFL, Harjrullahu handled place-kicking, kickoff and punting duties, so that could be an advantage if the Rams wanted to keep someone around with versatility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harjrullahu also had to perform in tough weather conditions in Canada. He finished with a career 83.3 percent field goal percentage in six seasons in the CFL, with a long of 56 yards.

During last week’s scrimmage, Harjrullahu was the only kicker to make all five kicks – two from 38 yards, one from 43, one from 48 yards and one from 50 yards.

Novak said he doesn’t know Harjrullahu well, but he’s seen him kick at former NFL kicker John Carney’s kicking camp.

“He’s very consistent,” Novak said. “I know he’s had a lot of success in the CFL. He’s a veteran. I know he’s a rookie in the NFL, but he’s got some good experience under his belt, and I think that will serve him well.

“You might see team’s holding two kickers or putting a guy on the practice squad that can backup all three positions. So if he doesn’t win the job, maybe another team will pick him up right away, but he’d be a good practice squad candidate because he can do all three, and that’s a very valuable thing for guys this year.”

Austin MacGinnis

MacGinnis, 25, was an All-SEC selection at Kentucky, where he finished with the school record for field goals (51) and and 80 percent field goal percentage.

MacGinnis attended the Chicago Bears rookie minicamp in 2018 and tried out again 2019, but did not win the job.

He latched on with the Memphis Express of the AAF in 2019, finishing nine of 11 on field goals, with a long of 51 yards. MacGinner later played for XFL’s Dallas Renegades, going a perfect 10 of 10 on field goals before that league folded.

MacGinnis missed just one of five field goals in last week’s scrimmage.

“I’ve always been really impressed with his ability,” Novak said. “I saw him play in the AAF, and so that was very impressive, just to see him in warm-ups and practicing here in San Diego.

“I’ve always thought he was on the verge of making it, so I think he’s going to put up a really good fight for that job. … He’s got a very repeatable swing. He’s got a good demeanor, very focused, professional mindset

“I was impressed by how much of a student of the game he was, but more impressive was how that ball kind of sounded coming off his foot, and how high it goes and the rotation. There isn’t a whole lot of play on his ball flight, it’s just a nice, straight ball. It reminds me a lot of Greg Zuerlein’s power and how he contacts the ball. I think he has that similar pop that Greg has.”

Samuel Sloman

Selected in the seventh round of this year’s draft by the Rams out of Miami of Ohio, Sloman made 80 percent of his field goals during his career for the RedHawks.

McVay played receiver at Miami of Ohio.

Sloman, 22, finished his time with the RedHawks ranked second in field goals made (49) and fourth in school history in total points (259). He also made four of five field goals from beyond 50 yards for his career at Miami, including a 53-yard game winner.

However, during the scrimmage last week Sloman missed 38 and 50 yards.

“I have not seen him in person, so I can’t give you a good analysis on him,” Novak said. “But my rookie year I was in a similar situation like this, competing with four other guys in Chicago. And you can’t be looking to your side or at how another guy is doing.

“You have to put the blinders on and be very intent on your day. Try to be the first guy in the building, be a great teammate and do everything you are asked, and more. And when it’s time to perform and kick in team drills, two-minute drills or scrimmages, make sure you’re always putting your best on film. It doesn’t matter if the other guy goes 100 percent. If he does, you need to go 100 percent.”

Jim “Chris” Everett
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Rams No. 2 QB John Wolford stokes coaches’ confidence

INGLEWOOD — For the second consecutive year, John Wolford is accomplishing about as much as an NFL player can in August.

In 2019, the undrafted free agent quarterback from the short-lived Alliance of American Football used a strong performance with his arm and legs in the Rams’ four preseason games to vault into a job on the practice squad.

This time, with preseason games canceled in the COVID-19 pandemic, Wolford has used near-flawless outings in the Rams’ two intrasquad scrimmages at SoFi Stadium to earn the No. 2 quarterback job and his coach’s confidence.

“I’ve been very pleased with John,” Rams coach Sean McVay said Saturday following the Rams’ last scrimmage at their new Inglewood stadium. “You want Jared (Goff) to stay healthy, but if John had to play, you feel very good about him.”

Wolford has proved to himself that he’s up to the understudy role, even as the wisdom of the Rams not re-signing Blake Bortles and carrying no backups with NFL experience has been questioned.

“I feel ready,” Wolford said. “I’m confident in my abilities, and confident in my ability to run this offense. It’s something I’ve prepped for my entire life. I’ve played a lot of football between college and the AAF. It’s kind of the next step, and I’m ready to go whenever that shot comes.

“From the mental aspect, I think I’ve improved. Physically, I think I’m throwing the ball better than I did last year. I worked hard on that.”

Wolford, 24, who played at Wake Forest, threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions in the 2019 preseason to win the No. 3 quarterback role over Brandon Allen.

He threw for threw touchdowns and zero interceptions again in this month’s two scrimmages. The TDs went to Nsimba Webster (2 yards) and Van Jefferson (7 yards) on Aug. 22, and Earnest Edwards (8 yards) Saturday, as he completed 14 of 16 passes (by an unofficial count). The 6-foot-1 Wolford made two short runs, making use of what McVay has semi-seriously described as Doug Flutie-like skills.

“As he’s accumulated reps, he’s getting more comfortable with the offense, and then you’re seeing the ability to create off-schedule,” McVay said. “He’s got great athleticism. I think he’s decisive.”

Wolford also had to hold on place kicks for the first time since college practice sessions.

Punter Johnny Hekker, the Rams’ holder, was away from the team following the birth of his second child. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the backup holder, left the scrimmage early; McVay said Kupp wasn’t injured. Wolford wound up holding for most of several sets of audition kicks for Lirim Hajrullah, Austin MacGinnis and Sam Sloman, who seek to replace Greg Zuerlein.

Overall, McVay sounded pleased with a “sharp operation” by the offense after the first team had an improved day at finishing drives.

Goff (19 for 26 by unofficial count) threw touchdown passes going to Tyler Higbee twice and Robert Woods.

Running backs Cam Akers and John Kelly had short touchdown runs. They and Xavier Jones had the most carries.

The defense had highlights too. Linebacker Micah Kiser batted and intercepted a Goff pass, and safety John Johnson intercepted one.

McVay said communication was smoother Saturday than the previous scrimmage, when persistently loud fake crowd noise and glitches with coaches’ headsets caused trouble.

McVay said Thursday the Rams are waiting to hear NFL policies on artificial crowd noise in empty stadiums, how loud it will be and if home teams can crank it up and down depending on who has the ball.

“We’ve got to do a great job of being ready for whatever that scenario is,” McVay said.

One reason to pipe in crowd noise is to keep players and coaches from overhearing opponents’ conversations during games.

But Goff said it’s possible that could happen anyway and force the Rams to watch how they communicate.

“There could be (that problem), for sure,” Goff said Thursday. “Especially at places that you’re used to it (a real crowd) being loud, in particular Seattle.”

Watching – and hearing – Wolford on Saturday should have some fears about having a backup quarterback with so little experience.

His performance lent credence to something Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell said earlier this month.

“I don’t worry too much with John about the experience,” O’Connell said Aug. 15. “I’ve seen him work already, and just as you get in the meeting room with him, you know he’s prepared to be a professional quarterback and he operates every single day on that basis.”

Notes

The Rams will wear their bone-white uniforms while the Dallas Cowboys wear their blue jerseys for the teams’ season opener at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 13. …

Some of SoFi Stadium’s roof panels were open Saturday. The Rams said this increased air flow inside on a sunny, 74-degree afternoon. …

There were no fans in the stadium Saturday, of course, but Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and City Council members watched the scrimmage. …

Sunday is a scheduled off day for Rams players.