Top 10 punters heading into the 2020 regular season

10. Kevin Huber, Bengals

Although Huber won't blow you away with any of his numbers, he's lasted 11 years in the NFL, because he's consistently ranked in the top half of the league in most punting statistics. In 2019, Huber's net punting average was 42.1 yards, which ranked 10th overall in the NFL. The Bengals punter was even better at pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line. Huber did that a total of 30 times last season, making him one of just eight punters in the league who were able to pin their opponent inside the 20 at least 30 times. One thing Huber does better than almost any one is draw a fair catch, which is important, because it cuts down on return yards, and makes life easier for your punt coverage team. In 2019, Huber led the NFL by drawing 30 fair catches in a year where no one else even had 27. Thanks in large part to his booming kicks, opponents only averaged 5.7 yards per return against the Bengals, which was the fifth-lowest return rate against any full-time punter.

9. Michael Dickson, Seahawks

After booming his way to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2018, Dickson fell back to earth last season with a year that wasn't quite as impressive as first one in the NFL. After ranking second in the NFL in yards per punt in 2018 at 48.2 yards per kick, Dickson fell all the way to 20th in 2019 with a 45.1 average. Although Dickson lost some distance, he made up for that with his pinpoint accuracy. The Australian punter placed 34 of his kicks inside the 20-yard line, which ranked tied for third in the NFL. Dickson's ability to aim the ball also kept returns to a minimum with opponents only averaging 6.3 yards per return against the Seahawks. Only 10 full-time punters in the NFL surrendered 6.3 yards or less per return in 2019 and Dickson was one of them.

Dickson will be a fascinating player to watch in 2020, if only to see if he gets closer to his 2018 numbers or if the 2019 season was more indicative of the punter he's going to be going forward.

8. Cameron Johnston, Eagles

Last year, Michael Dickson was the top ranked Australian punter on our top 10 list, but this year, that honor belongs to Johnston, who's going into his third season with the Eagles. During the 2019 season, Johnston ranked in the top 10 in both yards per punt (46.4) and net yards per punt (42.3), and if you look at the past two years combined, Johnston looks even better. Since the start of the 2018 season, the 28-year-old is third in the NFL in yard per punt (47.2) and fifth in the NFL in net yards per punt (42.5).

Johnston is also good at drop-kicking the ball, which didn't really help his rank on this list, but it is fun to watch him do it.

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Although Johnston will be playing the 2020 season on a one-year deal, he'll like be in Philly for at least two more seasons since he'll be a restricted free agent in March 2021, and it won't be surprising at all if the Eagles end up giving him a long-term deal.

7. Logan Cooke, Jaguars

Logan Cooke wasn't voted the Jaguars' team MVP in 2019, but he probably should have been, and that's because he spent his entire season digging Jacksonville out of trouble. Whenever the Jaguars offense sputtered, which was often, Cooke would come out and flip the field, which caused opposing offenses to usually start their drives with bad field position. Although Cooke ranked just sixth in the league in yards per punt (46.5), he was tied for first in the all-important net yards per punt with an average of 44.5. One reason Cooke's net average so high was because he forced a lot of fair catches. Opposing returners called for 26 fair catches on Cooke's punts last season, which was tied for the second-highest total in the NFL. Opposing returners also only averaged 5.3 yards per return against the Jaguars, which was tied for the fourth-best coverage in the NFL, which means Jacksonville was actually good at something last season, even though it kind of seemed like they were bad at everything.

6. Bryan Anger, Texans

If you feel like you've heard Anger's name before, that's probably because you know him better as "the punter who got drafted ahead of Russell Wilson in 2012." Although Anger's career hasn't been quite as successful as Wilson's, he has played well enough to crack our top 10 list here, and at this point, that's all you can ask for. Anger was so good last season that the Texans literally made a highlight reel of all his punts, which is something that doesn't usually happen for punters.

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If you're wondering why Anger got a highlight reel, it's because he one of the NFL's best punters in 2019. For one, he had a net average of 44.5 yards per punt, which was tied with Logan Cooke for the best in the NFL. Also, thanks to Anger, the Texans only gave up 53 PUNT RETURN YARDS ALL YEAR, which led the NFL (that's an average of 3.1 yards per game, if you're scoring at home). A big reason that number was so low is because only 17 of his 45 punts were returnable. Of the other 28, 16 ended on a fair catch, two went for a touchback while the other 10 were either downed or went out of bounds.

After signing Anger to a one-year deal in 2019, the Texans were so impressed with him last season that they ended up giving him a three-year, $7.5 million extension in December.

5. Brett Kern, Titans

A big reason the Titans defense was so good last year is because Brett Kern was always putting them in a position to succeed. During the 2019 season, Kern placed 37 punts inside the 20-yard line of his opponent, which led the NFL, and is more impressive when you consider that only two punters even hit the 35 mark (Kern and Jake Bailey). Being able to pin your opponent deep means a punter has a lot of control over his ball, but make no mistake, Kern could also boom that call whenever the Titans needed it. Not only did he rank fourth in the NFL in yards per punt (47.1), but he also ranked fourth in net yards per punt with an average of 43.1.

If Kern and the Titans have one weakness, it's that the Tennessee punt coverage team surrendered 9.0 yards per return. The Titans were one of just nine teams in the NFL that gave up nine or more yards per return in 2019.

On a completely unrelated note, if you are a fan of quality punting -- and who's not? -- you should probably watch as much AFC South football as possible next season. Out of our top 7 punters on this list, three of them came from the AFC South (Kern, Cooke, Anger).

4. Andy Lee, Cardinals

Lee has been in the NFL since 2004, and somehow, he doesn't seem to be slowing down with age. In 2018, Lee led the NFL with 48.6 yards per punt, and although that's a tough performance to follow up, he was nearly as good in 2019. Last season, the 37-year-old averaged 47.8 yards per punt, which ranked second in the NFL. Lee is the only active punter who has booted multiple punts of 80 or more yards over the course of his career. One issue for Lee, and this seems to be an issue for a few punters on this list, is that he often outkicks his coverage, which leads to big returns from opposing players. In 2019, the Cardinals surrendered an average of 9.0 yards per return. Like the Titans, the Cardinals were one of just nine teams in the NFL that gave up nine or more yards per return in 2019.

3. Tress Way, Redskins

When you're the punter for the team that has the worst offense in the NFC, you're going to get a lot work, and the good news for the Redskins is that Tress Way definitely took advantage of that last season while playing for a Washington team that averaged and NFC-worst 274.3 yards per game. During the 2019 season, Way averaged a booming 49.6 yards per punt, which not only led the NFL, but it was the ninth-highest single-season total in NFL history. Way also averaged 44.1 net yards per punt, which ranked third in the NFL.

Since entering the NFL in 2014, Way has slowly turned into one of the best punters in the league, especially over the past two years. In 2018, not only did the lead the league in punts inside the 20, but he was also the only full-time punter in the NFL who didn't kick a touchback.

If Way does have one weakness, it's that returners seem to always seem to find the open field with his punts. Last season, opponents averaged 9.1 yards per return, which marked the second straight year that the return number was over nine yards. Of course, a lot of that blame could be pinned on the Redskins' punt coverage team. On the other hand, Way does have a tendency to outkick his coverage every so often, like that time he hit a 79-yard punt 2019, which was longest punt by any player last year.

2. Johnny Hekker, Rams

Whenever there's a conversation about the best punters in the NFL, Johnny Hekker's name almost always comes up, which makes sense, because he's one of the best punters in the NFL. Since his rookie year in 2012, Hekker has been an absolute weapon for the Rams, and during the early part of his career with the team, he was arguably the only weapon. Hekker has been so good for so long that it's easy to forget how good he really is, so I'll do my best to remind you.

Over the course of his career, he's averaged 47.0 yards per punt, which is the second-highest number in NFL history. That total includes an average of 47.4 yards last season, which ranked third in the league. Hekker also had a net punting average of 42.4 yards in 2019, which ranked seventh in the league.

The one thing about Hekker is that he's not just a punter, he's a secret weapon. The man is a human Swiss Army knife for the Rams who does everything. Besides punting the ball, Hekker has also mastered the art of the throwing the the football. The Rams have ran so many fake punts with Hekker that he's actually completed more passes in his career than Taysom Hill.

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Maybe Asshole Face should forget about Hill and think about letting Hekker be the next quarterback for the Saints.

1. Thomas Morstead, Saints

For the second straight year, Thomas Morstead is at the top of our best punters list, and that's because no one is better at punting the football right now than the guy in New Orleans. Sure, it might seem like the Saints don't ever punt, but the fact of the matter is that they actually do once in awhile, and when that happens, Morstead almost always comes through with a clutch punt.

In 2019, Morstead punted the ball 60 times and nearly half of those (29) landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Morstead also made things easy for the Saints punt coverage team with his sky-high kicks that led to 21 fair catches. Morstead averaged 46.2 yards per punt last season, and although that only ranked 11th in the NFL, his net average of 43.1 ranked fifth overall. Morstead has ranked in the top-10 for net punting average in each of the past nine seasons and has ranked in the top-5 in seven of those seasons.

Oh, and let's not forget that he's also averaged 46.9 yards per punt over the course of his career, which ranks third in NFL history. Morstead has been in New Orleans since 2009, and if he keeps punting that way he's punting, the Saints probably aren't ever going to let him go.

JUST MISSED: Sam Koch, Riley Dixon

Early 2020 position outlook: Cornerback

After examining the Rams' offense, defense and special teams following the 2020 NFL Draft, theRams.com will take a deeper look at each position group as we get closer to the upcoming season. The cornerbacks are up next.

Who's back

Adonis Alexander: The former 2018 supplemental draft sixth-round pick was signed to the Rams' practice squad Nov. 12, then was one of nine players to ink a reserve/future contract with the club in early January.

Dont'e Deayon: Spent the first nine games on the practice squad, then saw action against the Bears and in both Cardinals games.

Troy Hill: Emerged as a starter in 2019 after Aqib Talib's Week 5 rib injury and set new career-highs in total tackles (38) and pass breakups (8) while matching his career-best for interceptions in a single season (2). Scouting service Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked him the No. 20 cornerback in the league at the end of the regular season for his performance.

David Long Jr.: Inactive for the first six games of the season, injuries at the cornerback position afforded Long more playing time down the stretch. He appeared in six of the Rams' final eight games, finishing the 2019 campaign with 10 tackles and two pass breakups.

Jalen Ramsey: Acquired in a midseason trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ramsey produced 32 total tackles, four pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in nine games in a Rams uniform.

Darious Williams: Like Long, injuries afforded Williams more playing time in 2019. Most of his action came late in the season after Hill sustained a fractured thumb against the Cowboys in Week 15. Williams tallied 15 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions over 12 games last year.

Who's gone

Nickell Robey-Coleman: The Rams declined the option in his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent once the new league year began. Robey-Coleman eventually agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on March 25.

Who's new

Dayan Lake: Undrafted free agent signee who tallied 207 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss, along with 15 pass breakups, seven interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, two sacks and one touchdown in four seasons at BYU.

Tyrique McGhee: Another undrafted free agent signee, McGhee posted 59 total tackles, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and two forced fumbles across 50 career games in four seasons at Georgia.

Levonta Taylor: Undrafted free agent signee who logged 37 tackles, including 2.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, one interception, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries in 2019, starting in five of the 11 games he appeared in. He departed Florida State tied for fourth on the school's all-time career list with two interception return touchdowns.

Key question(s)

Who replaces Robey-Coleman as the slot cornerback? According to a January PFF article ranking the top 25 cornerbacks at the end of the regular season, Robey-Coleman "allowed just an 80.1 passer rating and 0.63 yards per slot coverage snap through Week 17, ranking 13th and sixth, respectively, among qualifying slot cornerbacks in 2019." That resume and production will be tough to replace, but the Rams have Long and Williams as two potential candidates. The positional versatility of rookies Terrell Burgess and Jordan Fuller also makes them intriguing options.

Continuing the string of LTs we have Orlando Pace. The cornerstone of the GSOT.
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For a team that loves 11 personnel sets, the Rams sure showed some flair out of 12 personnel in the second half of the 2019 season.

And hey, if it works? Run it the next year, too.

This group of Rams tight ends is full of on-the-rise talent. That means their star might be forming at the correct time, because we could see head coach Sean McVay continue to run an increased number of plays out of two-tight end sets this season. And because the team drafted under-the-radar talent Brycen Hopkins into a group that already included Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, the Rams may even be hinting at their continued commitment to more 12 personnel — and perhaps to keep four tight ends on the roster.

But what might that mean for their receivers room? And how could this tight end rotation really shake out, “safety valves” and all?

Projected Rams tight end depth chart
PLAYER HT WT EXP COLLEGE
Tyler Higbee
6-6
255
5
W. Kentucky
Gerald Everett
6-3
240
4
S. Alabama
Johnny Mundt
6-4
233
3
Oregon
Brycen Hopkins
6-4
245
R
Purdue
Kendall Blanton
6-6
262
1
Missouri
Ethan Wolf
6-6
252
1
Tennessee
Jourdan Rodrigue: Well, I saw your joke a while back that we might have to change the name of our podcast to “12 Personnel” because of the increased usage of that package — and the drafting of Hopkins — and I’ll tell you what, I’m going to keep reusing that joke until the wheels fall off because it just doesn’t get old. Also what won’t get old for the Rams: Continuing this revival of 12 personnel through the fall. Why did it work so well for them, from what you saw last season?

Rich Hammond: It’s such a great podcast name, though! Why, Sean? Well, it seemed to work on a number of fronts. Incorporating Higbee, in particular, into the offense made things less predictable for opposing defenses. Higbee was an outstanding safety valve for Jared Goff, and he made the most of his opportunity with steady hands and some underrated catch-and-run ability. Todd Gurley used to be one of those safety valves in the pass game, but after his production diminished, the Rams needed something else.

Up front, adding a second tight end — usually Mundt — helped the line and the run game. Bobby Evans played well as a rookie at right tackle after Rob Havenstein’s injury, and I don’t want to downplay that but he also got a lot of help in those bigger packages. Mundt and Higbee both are great blockers. What this all means for Everett, I’m still not sure, but the Rams found something in the second half of the season that almost instantly revitalized their offense.

Rodrigue: The “safety valve” idea is an interesting one, particularly with the expected emergence of Cam Akers in the running game — adding his ability as a pass-catcher, too. Would that mean less reliance on 12 personnel or would that just mean, “Yay, we have all of our layers and options back”?

I do think that drafting Hopkins meant a couple of things for the Rams. One, they aren’t ready to move away from 12 personnel and hope he can develop into a role player in the passing game, and two, in case they can’t work out a couple of upcoming contracts (Everett in particular), Hopkins becomes the roster safety valve in 2021. Everett is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but unlike receiver Cooper Kupp, I don’t see the Rams extending him prior to 2021 — or maybe at all, despite his increased production season over season — if they have a rookie waiting in the wings who won’t cost them anything for the next few years.

Hammond: Given the Rams’ salary-cap concerns — we could just cut and paste this part in each of our discussions — I don’t see them re-signing Everett. And I like Everett’s game. In the best of times, he’s a matchup nightmare, but the consistency just hasn’t been there. And it seems reasonable to think Hopkins will be a controllable replacement with a similar skill set.

My question is: Are the Rams really going to carry four tight ends this season? Higbee is locked in for four more seasons. Mundt doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he’s valuable. They just drafted Hopkins. Readers and listeners have asked about trading Everett. I suppose that’s a possibility, but for what? Everett is a former second-round pick who has 86 catches in three years. Is a team really going to give up an asset to get him in a contract year? Why wouldn’t they just do what the Rams did, and draft a tight end?

Or is this the year McVay — a former tight ends coach who had Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis in Washington — goes all-in with his tight end usage? We’ve been waiting to see that for a while.


Gerald Everett has seven touchdown catches in 45 games with the Rams. (Dale Zanine / USA Today)
Rodrigue: In regard to an Everett trade, I don’t think so. This isn’t anything against him because I think he’s a good player, but if you’re going to trade a second-rounder, especially before he’s due a contract, you want at least the equivalent of a second-rounder in return. Very few tight ends would command such a market. To cut this off, too, the tight end tag this year was about $10.7 million, and I wouldn’t think Everett would be in that category either (unless he had an absolute George Kittle-esque breakout year).

Because of the extra roster allowances this season, I think the Rams see a bit of a loophole here, in that they can get away with carrying four tight ends — especially if one or two are designated in blocking support. You can carry 55 players on game days now, and teams probably will need more based on health protocols likely coming the league’s way soon. So in a year when you might see roster and practice-squad expansion, they can develop Hopkins and see what he’s got and continue to see whether Everett is a long-term option without immediately extending him. If he would command too much money (and I’m all for players going out and getting their money, by the way), they would have someone waiting in the wings to take on the role.

Hammond: I definitely think that’s fair and a smart way to approach it. Beyond all that, my question is: What’s the reasonable expectation for Higbee? It’s funny — other reporters and I watched this guy in training camp in 2016 and 2017 and thought, “Wow, there’s something there,” but he never was able to put it all together in games. Then, all of a sudden, his pumpkin turned into a carriage. I mean, this guy had 522 yards in five games last December. He had 502 yards total in his previous 16 games!

Is that stretch going to be remembered as a fluke or as the start of something big? I’m still not sure, but I do know Goff has a lot of trust in Higbee and that he figures to be on the field a lot in 2020.

Rodrigue: And the important thing to remember with Higbee is that there is a potential out in his contract after 2020. So I think he and Goff building that rapport and him continuing that positive momentum is the expectation here. It’s something the Rams hope they are correct in betting on, by way of that contract extension, yet still smart enough to give themselves an out if it doesn’t work out. And, again, back to the idea of a safety valve, they have a potential backup plan with Hopkins.

Hammond: So, given all that, how do you see all of this shaking out? We know the Rams’ offense is going to evolve further. We know new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell will have some input. I’m going to ask for your prediction. The Rams used 11 personnel on 73 percent of their plays in 2019. How far will that dip in 2020?

Rodrigue: Oh, good question. I actually think that we’ll see an increase in 21 and 22 personnel (two running backs), which in my opinion will be the main contributing factor to a decrease in 11 personnel. Ha! Threw a curveball at you! So I believe 11 personnel will dip to 65 to 70 percent because, let’s face it, they won’t get too far away from airing it out, especially with a really talented receivers room. It’s just that those running backs — Akers and Darrell Henderson, especially — can offer so much in the passing game as well as on the ground. Sorry if you thought you’d get a simple answer, Rich.

Hammond: It was a ruse on my part. I’m just trying to figure out what we should rename the podcast.

Strange topic, but hell, its been a strange year.

Somebody turned all the NFL QB’s into women via an app. Soooo Smash or Pass?

I would definitely smash Patricia Mahomes. I gotta thing for curly haired millionaires.

Hard pass on Samantha Darnold.

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Email I just got from the team. Looks like me and the rest of my row 4 brethern, after suffering through 3 seasons of the last crappy stadium, get to wait yet another year to enjoy the real deal:

We hope this email finds you and your family safe and healthy.

Like you, we have dreamed for the past few years about the home opener at SoFi Stadium and we have looked forward to seeing all your smiling faces upon entering the stadium for the first time. As the stadium nears completion, we are faced with the reality that the fight against COVID-19 continues. We are committed to following guidance from state and local authorities, as well as the NFL, to ensure a safe environment for our players, staff and fans.

Today, the NFL League Office announced they will enforce various health and safety measures that will impact gamedays. One of those protocols is that for the 2020 season, up to the first eight rows of the lower level cannot be used to ensure player safety. For those of you in these seats, we will follow-up in the coming weeks to discuss potential alternatives just for this season. We anticipate additional protocols will be put in place, not only by the NFL, but also by government agencies so we will be sure to keep you all updated as we learn new information.

While we continue to plan to play Rams games at SoFi Stadium this season, the likelihood of being allowed to play in front of a sold-out crowd of cheering fans seems low at this point in time. We are contingency planning around a number of different capacity scenarios in the event that all Season Ticket Members will not be able to attend all home games in their seats. We are trying to understand what those different seating configurations could look like and will reach out with an update in the coming weeks.

In addition, there is the possibility that the NFL will reduce the number of preseason games played this year and our preseason home schedule will change. As soon as we have more information on the impact to our Season Ticket Members, we will share details with you.

Your support has helped make SoFi Stadium a reality and we will continue to update you as we get information as it relates to fan attendance at our games. If you prefer to skip the 2020 season you can easily do so by (Edit a click here that linked to my account number) or the button below. You would retain your same seat location(s) and price for the 2021 season as well as various Season Ticket Member benefits. Any amounts paid to date will be automatically applied to the 2021 season unless you prefer to receive a refund. Your SSL commitment will remain. Benefits you will continue to receive during the 2020 season include invitations to Season Ticket Member virtual experiences, a discount on RamsFanShop.com, free mobile RedZone and Game Pass as well as access to your Member Services Representative.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a Member Services Representative by emailing info@rams.nfl.com or call 818-338-0011 and select option 2. We apologize in advance if we are delayed in responding.

While 2020 has not been what any of us expected and uncertainty remains, we look forward to a brighter 2021 with all of us together at SoFi Stadium. We wish you all the best and we will be in touch soon with further information.

-Los Angeles Rams

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I'll wait it out to see what their "plans" are for those of us affected, but my guess is, getting a refund on the year. And here I was just hoping they were going to cancel the preseason because I literally can't give those seats away.

A top 5 OT in Rams history already, Andrew Whitworth helped transform our putrid 2016 middle school offense into a high flying juggernaut. Old mans still got it.
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1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

6. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

9. Matt Stafford, Detroit Lions

10. Cam Newton, Free Agent

11. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

12. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

13. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

14. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

17. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

18. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

19. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

20. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

21. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

23. Sam Darnold, New York Jets

24. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

25. Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

26. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

27. Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys

28. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins

29. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers

30. Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars

31. Nick Foles, Chicago Bears

32. Case Keenum, Cleveland Browns

33. Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints

34. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

35. Jarrett Stidham, New England Patriots

36. Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

37. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

38. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

39. Dwayne Haskins, Washington Redskins

40. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

I'll start. GREG GAINES:

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Oops.





(For those who don't understand, they said to like the photo for Goff and retweet for Jimmy G to a bunch of mostly 9er fans, and they "voted" 895 to 1,500+ Goff over Jimmy)

Apparently the NFL is fully intent upon playing the entire 16 game schedule. Their idea is to push things back if need be a week or more if need be. It's been floated that preseason will probably be no more than 2 games. Contingency structuring in the scheduling apparently has been made. Here's an interesting article for those that might have missed it. I hope they simply move the entire schedule back instead of moving early games to be tacked on to the end of the year. I would rather the Rams play Philly and Buffalo in Sept or even October than in January. It would make more sense to simply delay the start by two weeks and shift the entire season as is back to end in the middle of January. Anyway, it's interesting reading.

There was only one player that I could use for this number. The legendary Jackie Slater. The longest tenured player in Rams history.
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With all you’ve read, thought, heard this offseason who is the one player that goes from zero to hero, re-establishes themselves, dark horse, or is unjustly underestimated?

I have mine, I don’t think anybody will choose him either. I’ll post him after some people post their thoughts or picks.

Can someone with ESPN+ post it please?

Consider the source. I also pasted the entire article so you wouldn't have to venture over to that online rag.


So this one might seem a bit crazy, but that’s what makes it worth covering.

In his recent piece over at Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox listed one player from each of the 32 clubs that they should consider trading. For the Rams, that player is cornerback jalen Ramsey. But to Knox, he sees some life in that scenario.

“Would the Los Angeles Rams be making a questionable decision if they traded a player they only recently acquired? Possibly,” says Knox. “However, they have to at least consider flipping cornerback Jalen Ramsey because of the potential value involved. He would bring multiple first-round picks in return, and the Rams don’t have the cap space needed to sign him to a long-term deal.”

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Right now, the Rams may be forced to make a move when looking at that little number underneath “cap space.” If they aren’t able to give him the money he desires - and remember, he once backed up a Brinks truck to training camp to make a point - then the Rams may have to franchise-tag him or lose him after having the stud defender for less than two seasons.

In the nine games he played in last season, Ramsey picked off a single pass, broke up four more, and forced a fumble.

This team will have to decide between keeping one of the best cornerbacks in the game, or using him to get a bounty of picks to help establish other areas that need some reinforcement.

The National media sheep have colluded to a familiar narrative due to the 2019 downturn of the Ram’s offense, Sean McVay has been figured out and Jared Goff has been exposed as a system quarterback too heavily dependent on his coach’s adjustments in his earpiece. Between Fangio and Belichick in ‘18, the blueprint was laid for the end of McVay’s tenure as boy genius. Sure, they back it up with stats galore. Why not? Easy and simplistic explanations that the average reader can grasp are the norm for all media in sports and even politics.

But as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!”

2020 will be the year McVay takes his insight, phenomenal memory, and creativity to a different level. He’s not only capable of digesting and reciting every play he’s called, he can recount hundreds of plays by other teams in other schemes. He was written off as too young and naive by the media when he took his first head coaching assignment. Now he’s being portrayed as a two hit wonder. But Sean McVay is just getting warmed up.

What so many miss in their lamentations over the losses of Gurley and Cooks is that this organization made their adjustments not only to manage their salary cap, but also to realign their offensive philosophy. The drafting of Akers, Jefferson, and Hopkins are clues to what is in store. Akers is adept at getting yards even if OLinemen miss assignments. Where Cooks loosened the defense vertically, the replacement of Jefferson means they can be more effective horizontally in a quicker hitting scheme like the one Tom Brady dealt successfully for many years. The Hopkins acquisition indicates a heavier usage of 12 personnel. By choosing these players over road grading linemen, Sean tipped his hand to the discerning observer. The offense will be more multiple in design and defensive coordinators will once again have a more difficult assignment in figuring out what they will get from week to week.

Further evidence of this revolution in McVay’s approach comes from the addition of Brandon Staley as the new defensive coordinator. A disciple of Vic Fangio, the man most frequently credited with “figuring out” the wunderkind, Staley has been touted as the little known defensive deep thinker that can match McVay schematically. Where the Ram head coach used to lean on the experience and wisdom of the legendary Wade Phillips, he now has taken the approach that iron sharpens iron with youthful forward thinking.

Those who discount McVay’s mantra that he’s always learning from adversity as mere coachspeak do so at their own peril. This is the very type of challenge that gets this particular coach excited, not deflated. As Ram fans, we shouldn’t expect our coach to fall into the trap of Mike Martz who stubbornly refused to adapt when it became necessary to do so. Sean hasn’t fallen in love with his successes. He leans on the processes and philosophies of tried and true greats while he adjusts with the help of like minded strategists and teachers. It’s truly a collaborative effort that involves surrounding himself with true professionals that deliberately move the needle forward.

Yes, this is the year we witness something special, provided there is actually an NFL season to be played.

Bet

I forgot some of these stories. Good read.

Rob Gronkowski returns: Ranking the 10 best NFL comebacks out of retirement in history

High expectations await Rob Gronkowski as the former All-Pro tight end came out of retirement after one year to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- and reunite with good friend Tom Brady. Gronkowski already has his Hall of Fame resume sealed, but he can add to his legacy as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game with a strong finish in Tampa.

Gronkowski isn't the first high-profile NFL player to be lured out of retirement, and he likely won't be the last. Former NFL greats who returned to the game after officially retiring have typically performed at a high level, even in their mid-to-late 30s. Gronkowski is just 31 years old and still in his prime, so a good season or two may be ahead if he can stay healthy.

These 10 NFL greats didn't need to return to football, but each had reasons to return and played at a high level in their second NFL life. Here are the 10 best NFL returns by players who had retired from the league:

10. Reggie White

White shockingly returned to the NFL after retiring as a First Team All-Pro and finishing with 16 sacks with the Green Bay Packers in 1998 -- at 36 years old. The Carolina Panthers were looking to bolster their pass rush and lured White out of retirement in 2000, signing him to a five-year deal.

White finished with a career-low 5.5 sacks, even though he started all 16 games at 38 years old. Not bad considering he signed in late July, when Panthers training camp was set to begin. He actually finished second on the team in sacks.

White retired for good after the season as the NFL's all-time sacks leader with 198 (which Bruce Smith surpassed in 2003).

9. Ricky Williams

Shocking the NFL by retiring in his prime, Williams had tested positive for marijuana for a second time and was facing a four-game suspension. Using the time to "find himself," Williams studied Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of holistic medicine, for a year before deciding to return.

Williams started just three games in his first season back in 2005 with the Dolphins, rushing for 743 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. He failed a drug test for a fourth time, and was suspended for the entire 2006 season -- playing for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts to stay in football shape.

Williams rushed for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2009 at the age of 32 (despite only starting seven games). After a 2007 season which he had to apply for reinstatement to the league, Williams didn't miss a game in the last four years of his career.

He rushed for 3,655 yards and 25 touchdowns in the six seasons following his retirement. Williams wasn't the same player that took over the league in his first five seasons.

8. James Harrison

Harrison initially retired with the Pittsburgh Steelers at 36 years old in 2014, but wasn't away from the NFL for long. Thanks to injuries piling up on the Steelers defense, Harrison was lured out of retirement weeks later. He started just four games, but finished with 5.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits in 11 games.

Harrison never made a Pro Bowl in the four years after his return, even though he was the emotional leader on the Steelers defense. He recorded 15.5 sacks and 38 quarterback hits with two interceptions in a part-time role with Pittsburgh the first three seasons back, all in his late 30s.

The Steelers played Harrison just 29 snaps in the first 12 games of the 2017 season, leading to his release in December of that year. The 39-year-old Harrison signed a contract with the Steelers arch-rival, the New England Patriots, days later and had two sacks in his first game with the team, a Week 17 win over the New York Jets.

Harrison started Super Bowl LII and played 91% of the snaps, finishing with two quarterback hits against the Philadelphia Eagles. He retired after the 2017 season, recording 17.5 sacks and 42 quarterback hits since returning at 36 years old.

7. Deion Sanders

Hard to believe Sanders played at a high level at 37 years old, missing three seasons after retiring from the NFL in 2000. Sanders still had an itch to play and something to prove. Sanders actually was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Chargers in 2002 when Washington released him from the reserve/retired list, but it was too late for him to be activated so he never played a game for the franchise.

Ray Lewis helped lure Sanders out of retirement in 2004 when he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, playing the slot after a decade as one of the best outside cornerbacks in the game. Sanders played in just nine games his first season back, but finished with three interceptions and had five passes defensed. He also returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown in Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills, tying Ken Houston and Aeneas Williams for second place in interception returns for touchdowns in league history.

Sanders played two years in Baltimore, finishing with five interceptions and 10 passes defensed in 25 games, retiring for good at 38. There aren't many cornerbacks who played well in their late 30s, but Sanders was one of them.

6. Randall Cunningham

Hard to make a top 10 list without mentioning Cunningham's massive return to the NFL. After the Philadelphia Eagles released Cunningham and the St. Louis Rams failed to sign him, Cunningham walked away from the game at 33.

Cunningham, who was a studio analyst for TNT and ran a granite business, signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 1997 as Dennis Green needed a backup quarterback. The former Bert Bell award winner had plenty of game left in him. Cunningham earned the starting job in Week 15 of the 1997 season and led the Vikings to a thrilling 23-22 overtime win over the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card round, conducting two late scoring drives in the win.

The 1998 season was Cunningham's best in the NFL, as he threw for 3,704 yards and 34 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions to lead the Vikings to a 15-1 record. Cunningham threw four touchdown passes in four separate games and led the NFL with a 106.0 passer rating, earning First Team All-Pro honors at the age of 35. He threw for 505 yards and five touchdowns in two playoff games, but the Vikings were shocked in overtime by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, thanks to a missed 38-yard field goal by Gary Anderson -- who hadn't missed a kick all year.

Cunningham never recaptured that 1998 magic and lost his starting job in 1999, but played three more years as a backup quarterback. He signed a one-day contract to retire with the Eagles in 2002. Cunningham threw for 7,102 yards and 57 touchdowns to 29 interceptions following his return.

5. Ed "Too Tall" Jones

Ed "Too Tall" Jones retired from the NFL at 28 after the 1978 season to pursue a boxing career. He actually went unbeaten in his six fights, but wasn't considered a true heavyweight contender. Jones returned to the Dallas Cowboys in 1980 with his best years ahead of him.

Boxing made Jones a better football player, as the Cowboys legend made three Pro Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro selection once in the 10 seasons after his return. Sacks weren't an official stat until 1982, but Jones recorded 57.5 of them in the eight seasons they were official -- all after the age of 31. Jones missed just one game since returning to football and finished with 13 sacks in 1985 and 10 sacks in 1987 (at the age of 36).

Somehow Jones isn't in the Cowboys "Ring of Honor" nor the Hall of Fame. He should be in both.

4. Bronko Nagurski

Nagurski took five seasons off before returning to the game in 1943, at the age of 35. The Bears were short of football players due to World War II, so Nagurski decided to come back as a tackle (he played fullback in his first eight seasons with Chicago).

The Bears were trailing in a must-win game late in the season against the Chicago Cardinals, so they moved Nagurski back to fullback. Nagurski scored a touchdown to put the Bears within one score in the fourth quarter, as Chicago scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter to send the Bears to the NFL Championship Game.

Nagurski scored on a 3-yard run to give Chicago the lead for good in the title game, finishing with 11 carries for 34 yards and a score in a 41-21 victory. Nagurski went out on top after being away from the game for half a decade, one of the best returns in league history.

3. Brett Favre

Favre actually retired twice, in 2008 with the Green Bay Packers and in 2009 with the New York Jets -- two of the weirdest sagas in NFL history.

His decision to retire the first time came after Favre made a Pro Bowl at the age of 38 and he led the Green Bay Packers to the NFC Championship Game in that same season (2007). Shortly after announcing his retirement, Favre decided to return that summer.

The Packers moved on from Favre and traded him to the New York Jets, where he led the league with 22 interceptions, but made the Pro Bowl. Favre completed 65.7% of his passes and threw for 3,472 yards and 22 touchdowns as the Jets collapsed from an 8-3 start to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs. Favre played with a torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder the final month of that season.

Shortly after the Jets' season ended, Favre retired again, only to come back and quarterback the Minnesota Vikings in August of 2009. He had arguably the best season of his career at age 40, completing 68.4% of his passes while throwing for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions (107.2 passer rating).

The Vikings reached the NFC Championship Game as Favre took the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints to overtime. Favre played one more season in Minnesota before retiring for good at age 41. He started 321 straight games at quarterback (regular season and postseason) and did not miss a game until his final season.

Favre played his best football into his 40s with a shortened offseason, adding to his legendary career.

2. John Riggins

Whether Riggins actually retired from the NFL is up for debate, but the Washington Redskins actually did place him on the retired list in 1980. Riggins wanted to renegotiate his $300,000-per-year deal with the Redskins, but the team refused. Riggins left camp that season and the team placed him on the camp-retired list, preventing him from going to another organization.

New Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs wanted Riggins back and gave him a peace offering. Riggins asked for a no-trade clause in his contract, and the Redskins obliged.

Riggins returned at 32 years old, and he was dominant into his mid 30s. Riggins rushed for 4,530 yards and 62 touchdowns in five seasons, having two 1,000-yard seasons and leading the league in touchdowns twice (including a staggering 24 in 1983 at the age of 34). His finest performance came in Super Bowl XVII, rushing 38 times for 166 yards and a touchdown -- a 43-yard run on fourth-and-1 that gave the Redskins the lead for good and became one of the most iconic plays in NFL history.

Those final five years made Riggins a Hall of Famer, capped with a Super Bowl MVP award and a single-season touchdown record that stood for 12 years.

1. Otto Graham

Graham retired from the NFL after the 1954 season, after the Cleveland Browns crushed the Detroit Lions 56-10 in the NFL Championship Game. Head coach Paul Brown begged Graham to return after his replacement quarterbacks struggled in the 1955 preseason.

Graham returned and had one of his finest seasons at 33 years old, leading the league in completion percentage (53.1), yards per attempt (9.3) and passer rating (94.0), throwing for 1,721 yards and 15 touchdowns as the Browns returned to the NFL Championship Game. He also was the UPI MVP and a First Team All-Pro.

Graham threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two touchdowns as the Browns crushed the Los Angeles Rams 38-14 in the title game. He walked off the field with his seventh pro football championship in his 10 seasons (three in NFL, four in All-American Football Conference) -- making a championship game in all 10 seasons he played professional football.

Not only did Graham leave a champion, but he had the best post-retirement comeback of all time.

Early 2020 position outlook: Inside linebacker

After examining the Rams' offense, defense and special teams following the 2020 NFL Draft, theRams.com will take a deeper look at each position group as we get closer to the upcoming season. The inside linebackers are up next.

Who's back

Travin Howard: Played in all 16 games last season, logging 19 total tackles and three pass breakups.

Micah Kiser: Initially ruled out indefinitely in early August due to a preseason pectoral injury against the Cowboys, he eventually landed on injured reserve in early September and missed the entire 2019 season.

Troy Reeder: One of three undrafted free agents to make the Rams' initial 53-man roster for 2019, he made 52 total tackles and had two fumble recoveries while playing in all 16 games (eight starts).

Kenny Young: Acquired in the midseason Marcus Peters trade with the Baltimore Ravens, Young made four tackles in the nine Rams games he appeared in.

Who's gone

Bryce Hager: A shoulder injury sustained in Week 6 limited the 2015 seventh-round pick to just five games last year. He became an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year after his one-year deal signed last offseason expired.

Cory Littleton: Parlayed a career- and team-high 124 total tackles last season – plus 3.5 sacks, nine pass breakups and two interceptions – into a lucrative three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. He became an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year after his one-year tender signed last offseason expired.

Who's new

Daniel Bituli: The former Tennessee star was a second team All-SEC choice in 2019 who helped the Volunteers to their highest finish in total defense (23rd nationally) in a decade. He is also just the second player to lead Tennessee in tackles for three straight seasons. Bituli is listed as a generic linebacker on the Rams' roster, so this shouldn't be taken as an official declaration for the position he will play – he's only included with the inside linebackers because he started at middle linebacker during his senior season at Tennessee.

Bryan London II: A back-to-back first-team All-Sun Belt selection as a junior and senior, London made 459 total tackles in four seasons at Texas State to finish 20th on the FBS career list for that category. He was also a four-year starter for the Bobcats. Similar to Bituli, this shouldn't be taken as an official declaration for his position with the Rams – highlights showed him playing inside at Texas State, but he's listed as a generic linebacker.

Clay Johnston: One of the Rams' trio of seventh-round picks this year, Johnston produced 58 tackles, eight for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception and five pass breakups despite suffering a season-ending knee injury that limited him to six games. It was good enough for second team All-Big 12 honors.

Christian Rozeboom: A consensus All-American as a senior in 2019, the South Dakota State product was also one of 26 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given annually to the FCS' top defensive player. He led his team in tackles and earned first-team Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition in each of his four years, departing as the school's record-holder for career tackles with 475.

Key question(s)

Who replaces Littleton? The University of Washington product evolved from a special teams standout to a core member of the Rams' defense. He was especially valuable in coverage – his 82.2 coverage grade ranked ninth-highest at his position out of 179 linebackers evaluated by PFF last season.

Will we see more of Kenny Young? Primarily a special teams contributor when active, his speed – as seen below while with the Ravens – is one of his strongest attributes.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/stujrams/status/1184238287033995264?s=21


What can Kiser provide at full strength? On the team's first unofficial depth chart for 2019, he was slated to start alongside Littleton at the other inside linebacker spot and replace Mark Barron prior to the season-ending pectoral injury. In that same June 2019 story, then-Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips indicated Kiser was ascending on a similar developmental path as Littleton.

have to get this off my chest. mods can put this in it's proper thread if need be, but i read pure ignorance from some troll on a youtube video (i know, i know.....let me present my case though).

rick beato has a channel (rather good if you really like music), and his topic was will there ever be another guitar hero again?

and then this gem appeared in the comment section

Name left out by me.......
:"I've seen 4 VanHalen concerts, and Eddie NEVER improvises. It's ALWAYS the same canned riffs and solos. BORING !! They are AWESOME. But don't claim Eddie is spontaneous or improvises. And Brian May has always sucked off the coat tails of the rest of the band. May is talented. But not a creative force."

the van halen one was bad enough, however, this troll obviously has never listened to any queen music other than we will rock you (which brian wrote btw) or bohemian rhapsody. or anything else that brian may has done. almost as dumb as saying alex liefson sucked off the coattails of geddy lee and neil peart.

thank you for your time.

Day 79 goes to Rob Havenstein. Don’t have much to say about him lol
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2020 Rams position battles: Nickel cornerback

We don’t know exactly when training camp will begin and really if the NFL season will happen at all, but there’s nothing left for fans and writers to do other than precede as if all is normal. Because why not? That is what the NFL is doing after all. There is no apparent upside to giving up before it becomes readily apparent that the worst is happening. On that note, training camp position battles should still be a thing.

The Los Angeles Rams will have a lot of those. I would count at least six starting jobs on offense as up in the air. Things are thought to be more understood on the defensive side of the ball but there is plenty left to settle.

Among those positions is one that may remain underrated even after a few years now of people calling it underrated: the slot.

Whether it’s on offense or defense, slot receivers and slot corners are often still seen as the “number three” player at the position for those teams. We also know that this is not the case for plenty of teams. Larry Fitzgerald has been a slot receiver for a long time. He was happy to make the move under Bruce Arians because he was assured “100 balls per year” and from 2015-2017 he averaged 108. Defensively, Chris Harris may one day generate Hall of Fame discussion despite the fact that he’s spent virtually all of his career defending the slot.

And yet these players are paid less and drafted lower than their outside counterparts. Does that make you feel more comfortable knowing that players like Fitzgerald, Tyler Lockett, and Deebo Samuel could be coming out of the slot in 2020? Sure, you’ve also got to worry about DeAndre Hopkins, DK Metcalf, and Brandon Aiyuk. All the more reason to feel secure at nickel.

The LA Rams can’t feel secure at nickel right now.

Nickell Robey Coleman-played in all but one game after spending three seasons on the Rams defense under Wade Phillips. But big changes are coming after Phillips was replaced by Brandon Staley and Robey-Coleman was among a number of “starters” departing on defense as he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pro-Football-Reference says Robey-Coleman was targeted 64 times last season, allowing 64% completions, 6.3 yards per target, and one touchdown. He intercepted zero passes. More dominant numbers in the slot belong to Jason McCourty of the New England Patriots, who was targeted 56 times and allowed 48% completions, 4.8 yards per target, and no touchdowns, intercepting one pass. Of course, McCourty played next to Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore and some really excellent teammates, like brother Devin McCourty.

The good news there is that the Rams should have some really solid secondary players too.

Jalen Ramsey is a legitimate “next Stephon Gilmore” candidate, as in a cornerback talented enough to win Defensive Player of the Year. And Troy Hill wasn’t too far behind Jason McCourty’s numbers: 45.6% completions, 5.8 yards per target, two touchdowns allowed, two interceptions. Safety John Johnson could be one of the better players at his position and Taylor Rapp showed plenty of promise as a rookie.

It allows for the nickel corner position to arguably have a more likely path to success for whoever is next. Who - ever - is - next?

The frontrunner is David Long and there doesn’t seem to be much competition. The only other name really worth mentioning is third round rookie safety Terrell Burgess, who may get his opportunity to compete there given the lack of other options and the unlikeliness of him winning a starting job at safety next season.

Long was a third round pick out of Michigan in 2019, going 79th overall. He is 5’11, 196 pounds, ran a 4.45 40-yard dash and he recorded three interceptions and 12 passes defensed over two seasons with the Wolverines. Over eight games as a rookie, Long made nine tackles and played in 109 snaps, which is roughly one-tenth of a season. In that one-tenth, Long was targeted 13 times, allowing nine catches and a touchdown. It’s not great, but expectations have to be low at that point in his career.

Not quite the same in 2020 as Long could be called upon to regularly defend those names above and others like them.

If not, Burgess comes in at 5’11, 192 pounds, and running a 4.46. He was also a third round pick (104th) and though he only spent one season as a starter at Utah, he’s coming into the NFL on a high note. Burgess is praised for versatility and getting an opportunity at nickel in his first season would not be high on the list of surprises.

The Rams have a handful of other cornerbacks, including Darious Williams, Donte Deayon, Adonis Alexander, and undrafted free agent signing Levonta Taylor, but their inclusion near the top of this battle will await an actual training camp. Let’s hope that can safely happen on time.

Rams OC Kevin O'Connell wants to give QB Jared Goff some ownership of offense

When it comes to helping Rams quarterback Jared Goff improve on his 2019 performance, offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell sees a couple layers to the process.

It could be as simple as reviewing the fundamentals of playing the position, such as the first step on a drop-back from under center, the base at the top of a drop, or where Goff's eyes are going off a play-action fake. Another possibility: Allowing Goff to have more control of the unit.

"There's a layer going into his fifth year, his fourth year in the offense, of ownership, where you feel strongly about presenting him with a plan where he could truly have some ownership, while also understanding at the end of the day, it's just about being great with the details of doing his job," O'Connell said during a video conference last month.

This concept isn't a completely new approach. After Goff signed a lucrative four-year contract extension with the club in early September, Rams head coach Sean McVay said the time he and Goff had spent together so far offered Goff that ability.

While McVay and Goff likely didn't envision him proceeding to throw 22 touchdowns against 16 interceptions, Goff doesn't bear the responsibility of those stats alone, given he was playing behind a retooled offensive line that was going to need time to develop stability and chemistry. And when given a clean pocket and the chance to work with a dedicated offensive coordinator, Goff has shown why McVay and O'Connell have the confidence to give him that level of responsibility.

In the month of December alone, Goff threw 11 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while completing 66.2 percent of his pass attempts. This coincided with the Rams' reconfigured offensive line finishing the regular season allowing a league-low 22 sacks.

Across the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Goff threw a combined 60 touchdowns and 19 interceptions while playing behind offensive lines that ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in fewest sacks allowed each of those years.

The 2017 season was the last time the former Cal standout had the chance to work with a full-time offensive coordinator on the Rams' coaching staff, and he threw 28 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions under the tutelage of Matt LaFleur, now the Packers head coach.

Earlier this month, Goff explained the importance of that collaboration between him, a dedicated offensive coordinator and McVay.

"I think that's the biggest thing that will be great this year, myself, Sean and Kevin being able to have that fluid conversation throughout the year," Goff said during a June 10 video conference. "What we see, what we like, what we don't like, and just continue to work on it."

What exactly that ownership looks like won't become clear until games are played. However, greater collaboration and a more experienced offensive line suggests there's reason to trust Goff with it.

"I think he's got a chance to have a great season, and I'm really excited for him," O'Connell said.