So now that all the teams that got new uniforms have revealed them, which ones are the best? Rank them.

Rams
Patriots

Browns

Bucs

Squatters

Colts
Falcons

He looks freakin' terrifying.....Like getting between CGI and a hamburger! @CGI_Ram

They made such a big deal about the white (old) turning to new (sol) in the logo release, which has the white to sol horn transition. They did it on the numbers of the home jersey. We had leaks from folks who said the saw the helmets and said they had gradient.

I bet they thought that's one compromise they could make on the original concept in the hopes there would be no riot.

I just got to know...first impression, it's one or the other...

This could be an interesting series to read.

1st of 3 part, released.

No Fans Allowed? What empty stadiums would cost NFL teams and how they're trying to solve the financial strain
The first in CBS Sports' three-part series on what a season without full stadiums would mean for the NFL

The 2020 NFL season is, like the rest of us, balancing delicately between hope and reality.

Four months from opening kickoff, there's the hope that the 17-week regular-season schedule will go as planned, and then there's the reality built into the slate that allows for games to slide by weeks or be lopped off completely. There's the hope that, within the next few months, we will have continued to flatten this COVID-19 curve and created affordable, reliable and widely-available testing, and there's the reality that we are lagging behind other developed countries in our overall handling of this pandemic, and a potential vaccine won't come until at least 2021 according to health experts.

And thus, there's the hope that by Labor Day weekend or thereabouts, we can return to some sort of life as normal. All 256 games will be played in stadiums with some social-distancing measures put in place across the league. Then there's the reality that, absent a vaccine, it wouldn't be safe to pack 70,000 people into a 70,000-seat stadium this fall and that it may not be allowed by certain local governments anyway.

Any way you look at it, the NFL is going to take a financial blow this season. After continued revenue growth year over year, the league should expect that to come to an end this season under even the most optimistic of hopes. Full stadiums cannot happen in the current environment, and four months may not change that.

"To me, right now, nobody's going to have revenue growth," one NFC executive told me. "No one's going to replace lost revenue."

The result will be tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue across the league. The league office has already implemented pay cuts and furloughs in a period of time where the league usually doesn't bring in the bucks anyway. Individual teams have been in planning -- nay, salvage -- mode for weeks.

In this three-part CBS Sports series based on dozens of interviews with team and league sources over the past month, we're going to look at what an NFL season played in front of few or no fans will look like and mean for the 2020 season and beyond. The first piece of this series will examine what teams are doing (and hope they can do in the near future) to save money and how the viewing experience may change for fans watching from home.

Estimating losses

Games without fans would cost $70 million in gate receipts per team — as a conservative estimate. Count the 10 games (two exhibitions) at a stadium and multiply by $7 million, which several sources indicated would be a fair average across the league. And while you'd save on expenses like event staffing, you'd still lose out on millions in concession sales and parking.

The NFL has long had revenue sharing in place, and the bulk of the money pool comes from television contracts. But TV contracts are not the entire pie, and with those numbers already locked in for this season, the expectation is total revenue takes a big hit.

And even though the NFL has enjoyed all-time revenue highs this century, teams still amazingly see small profit margins. At least that's the case for the Green Bay Packers, whose standing as a publicly owned corporation allows for a peak behind the NFL curtain. Here's a look at their public statement of revenue from the past two years (keep in mind all of the dollar values are in thousands):


As the adage goes, you make a lot of money and spend a lot of money. The Packers, who I'm told are at the high-end of local revenue generation among NFL teams, netted an operating profit of about $724,000. Circumstances like Aaron Rodgers's record-breaking contract, deals for a new coaching staff and concussion settlement payments accounted for such a small margin.

Last year's financials show the team may have been getting too fat in the belly. The $724,000 in operating profit from 2019 is a sharp decline from the reported $34 million operating profit the year before. That was down from $65.3 million the year before that, and down even more from $75 million in 2016.

A loss of local revenue in the tens of millions will significantly impact operations for each team in the NFL, and it will especially harm the teams who have been nearing the edge. As teams begin to count the money that won't be coming in this fall, they're focused even more on making sure more doesn't go out the door.

"Way, way, way more energy is being spent on preserving the revenue that we have than replacing what we're going to lose," one team executive says.

That's hard to do when the company that has sponsored your team is also hemorrhaging money. If a major airline sponsors a team, and that airline lost hundreds of millions of dollars last quarter, it surely is going to tighten its belt.

"The airlines would have a tough time right now, or be heavily criticized, for making sponsorship payments," said Bill Sutton, director of the sports and management program at the University of South Florida. "You have to look at what's logical and go that route, whether that's extending payments, making payments smaller or skipping a payment or creating a balloon payment in 2021. Whatever is most appealing to the sponsor."

And even if that sponsor stays with the team, it still has to see value commensurate with its investment. That won't happen if it's purchased a luxury suite or naming rights to a now-closed gate entrance.

Welcome to the concept of a make-good, and it's something you're already seeing across the league. If teams can't deliver value to sponsors in the agreed-upon way, they'll look to do so in some form of credit. Notice that a number of teams slapped more sponsors on their site's draft coverage last month? You'll be seeing more of that, based on conversations I've had.

And season-ticket holders have seen this in several ways already. Many teams held exclusive video calls with team brass around the draft for their most loyal fans. Teams understand the value of the season-ticket holder, and they can't see their dollars leave this season or any season.

In an attempt to marry these two concepts, multiple sources floated this theory: give season-ticket holders regular, inside-the-huddle-like virtual access through your in-house digital operations. The first 15 minutes of a practice normally open to local media could be sold to a corporate sponsor and delivered as premium content to the most loyal customers. Same for pre-game warmups or pre-game locker room access.

All of these options could be on the table, but major changes will have to be made to truly make up this impending delta.

Effect on advertising

The LED ribbon boards and state-of-the-art video boards at NFL stadiums will be working just fine this fall. Typically, they'd blast advertisements for team sponsors for 70,000 pairs of eyeballs. But without fans in the stands, will these advertisements make a sound?

Team sources agree that, in order to deliver value to those sponsors, the league must relax its advertising rules for this unique season. One rule in particular is the so-called "40-foot rule," which mandates teams cannot have local advertising in the space 40 feet above field level. (For context, the goalposts top out at 35 feet.)

It wouldn't be permanent, and no, it probably wouldn't make every existing sponsor happy. But it'd be a way to cover some of the losses. Some opportunities that the NFL hasn't fully tapped include giving sponsors placements:

• On the walls surrounding the field
• Using a tarp across empty seats in the lower bowls
• On the goal-post net, a very visible placement for field goals
• In-stadium virtual advertising that could be rotated throughout a game
• "You're going to be more intentional on sponsor exposure through the cameras and on TV," one longtime former NFL team executive told me.

NFL stadiums such as Mile High offer plenty of potential advertising real estate. USATSI
At the risk of upsetting a current sponsor, teams would have to be mindful to avoid a Coke-vs.-Pepsi-like conflict. But this could open the door for a newcomer in the sponsorship world.

Perhaps there's a brand relatively unaffected financially by COVID-19 that views this as an opportunity to finally get in with an NFL team. Peloton, maybe? In the absence of college football season, maybe an insurance company joins. Or a brand that had earmarked ad dollars for some ambush marketing in the 2020 Olympics now looks at the prospect of the NFL.

Executives I spoke with disagree on whether those one-offs would ultimately be successful. A Johnny-come-lately could upset long-term sponsors but may be necessary for teams to operate in the black.

"It depends on what they already have in that category," Sutton says. "It could be a replacement or a complementary piece. If exclusivity isn't a big deal, it could be a bridge for both of them."

Socially-distant fans in stadiums?

Last Monday, Dolphins president/CEO Tom Garfinkel announced a plan for an NFL game to take place with socially-distant fans in the Hard Rock Stadium stands. Certain fans would enter at designated times through designated gates, sit spaced out in the stands and exit "much like a church environment." The Dolphins would be able to get about 15,000 fans in their 65,000-seat stadium.

But one NFL team executive indicated to me that other teams weren't pleased that the Dolphins' so proudly unveiled their working plan. The question coming from fans of other teams was, Where's your plan?

The truth is, a plan involving social distance options for all NFL stadiums is 1) not easy to concoct and 2) not really feasible for some stadiums. Even the plan Garfinkel announced begs for more clarity on key issues.

First, though, the advantages for home teams are obvious. You have a semblance of a home crowd and you get a portion of the gate receipts, concessions and parking you'd otherwise lose. You can get stadium workers back to work and make money in the process.

But whoa, Nelly, are there challenges.

Do teams want to take on that liability? Mobile ticketing would be almost necessary, and some teams don't have that in place and certainly can't get that infrastructure ready in time. Venues that are cashless would operate better than those still stuck in the last decade, but good luck having a decent line of people standing 6 feet apart in the Superdome concourses. Even better luck ensuring restrooms are sanitary over the course of three-plus hours. And you'd better hope the fixtures are touchless and motion-activated.

Where would you seat people? That can be figured out with a rather elementary algorithm. There's no real problem asking a computer to figure out how to safely place people 6-or-more feet away from each other in your home stadium. But who sits where is another issue entirely.

Sources agree that season-ticket holders will likely get first dibs on tickets. "No one is more valuable than the PSL (permanent seat license) owners," one executive told me. "[They represent] long-term commitment, buy the bigger ticket and least often default."

If a team has, say, 45,000 season-ticket holders but only 15,000 get to go to one game, you'd likely have to hold a lottery. Your most valued customer would get to go to at least two home regular-season games and possibly more in this scenario. There'd be no single-game tickets to non-season ticket holders -- an understandable function of this -- and it's possible there'd be no allotment for visiting team fans.

But as one source pointed out, the long-time season-ticket holder who makes a mid-six figure salary who has seats on the eighth row may not appreciate sitting in Section 517, Row M, Seat 12.

Ultimately, is it worth it? Sources differ on that answer. But all recognize that in this fight to claw back as many dollars as possible this NFL season, there won't be a one-size-fits-all policy across the league. That may be unfair, but there's money to be made.

Or, rather, money to not be lost.

2020 Offseason Opponent Breakdown: Philadelphia Eagles

Now that the Rams' 2020 schedule is officially out, it's time to resume our offseason opponent breakdowns on theRams.com. Up next is Los Angeles' Week 2 road game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

2019

The Eagles were a 5-4 team going into their Week 10 bye, but three consecutive losses after the break put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Still, they rallied to win their final four games of the season – including a Week 16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys which paved the way for an NFC East-clinching win over the New York Giants in Week 17 to earn the fourth playoff seed in the conference.

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, starting quarterback Carson Wentz sustained a head injury on the first play of its second offensive series in its Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks. Despite veteran backup Josh McCown's best efforts, the Eagles fell to the Seahawks 17-9.

That bad injury luck followed a challenging regular season in which 32 different Eagles players dealt with injury at various points, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. Wide receiver was the position hit hardest, with starters Alshon Jeffery (six games), DeSean Jackson (13 games) and Nelson Agholor (five games) all missing time. Defensively, starting defensive tackle Malik Jackson suffered a season-ending foot injury in the opener against the Washington Redskins.

Changes

The most notable transactions occurred on defense, highlighted by the Eagles trading a third-round pick and fifth-round pick in this year's NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions for three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay. Slay received a three-year contract extension from the Eagles as well. They also signed former Rams slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to a one-year deal.

On offense, Philadelphia said goodbye to Agholor, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an unrestricted free agent, and hello to former TCU star Jalen Reagor, who it selected with its first-round pick in this year's draft. To further bolster their wide receiver depth, the Eagles also acquired WR Marquise Goodwin and pick No. 210 in the 2020 NFL Draft from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for pick No. 190.

Head coach

Doug Pederson enters his fifth season as head coach of the Eagles, compiling a 38-26 regular season record through his first four years with the franchise. Philadelphia went 13-3 and won Super Bowl LII in 2017, Pederson's second season.

What to watch for

The quarterback battle

This game will pit the 2016 No. 1 overall pick (Rams quarterback Jared Goff) against the 2016 No. 2 overall pick (Wentz).

Through their first four seasons in the league, Goff has completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 14,219 yards and 87 touchdowns with 42 interceptions, while Wentz has completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 14,191 yards and 97 touchdowns with 35 interceptions.

The two previous matchups between Wentz and Goff have been high-scoring affairs, producing a combined 78 points in 2017 (a 43-35 Eagles win) and 53 points in 2018 (a 30-23 Eagles win). Both took place in Los Angeles.

Five things to know about new Rams LB Clay Johnston

The Rams used their seventh draft pick this year on linebacker Clay Johnston, selecting him 234th overall in the seventh round. Here are five things you should know about the former Baylor standout.

1) Wore the number 4 as a symbolic gesture

Johnston's uniform number during his senior season at Baylor had two different kinds of symbolic meaning.

According to a story shared by Rams Senior Personnel Advisor Taylor Morton, former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is a big influence in Johnston's life. Johnston grew up around the game due to his father, Kent, being a longtime strength coach in the league, and Kent worked with Favre at one point during Favre's tenure with the Green Bay Packers.

Baylor has a senior year tradition where they select a handful of players as the hardest workers on the team, and their reward is the opportunity to pick a single-digit number to wear. Johnston's choice was 4 in honor of Favre.

2) Another late-round value pick

Midway through that same senior season, Johnson suffered a season-ending torn ACL. While the setback was unfortunate, it likely played a role in the Rams getting great value out of the first of three seventh-round selections.

"We really projected that he was going to be a higher pick than what we got," Morton said. "I think he's going to be a steal of a deal in the seventh round, because we'll rehab him and get him healthy. I think he's got a really good chance of making our team."

3) Weddle connection

Like draft classmate Terrell Burgess, Johnston also knows former Rams safety Eric Weddle.

"Well, he was with the Chargers when my dad was there and so, when I would go there, we'd wake up in the morning and we'd do some defensive back drills together," Johnston said on an April 25 video conference. "He'd always say, 'You're going to be the young little prodigy of Eric Weddle.' So, he'd just joke around about that. It was such a blessing being able to train with him. Such a great guy, freaking love him, he works his tail off."

4) Energetic

Perhaps this comes as no surprise from a player who played both running back and linebacker in high school, but Johnston will bring a lively presence to Rams.

"When I got a call and they said, 'Do you want to be a Ram?' I said, 'By God, I want to be a Ram, let's freaking go.' I screamed and everyone was screaming, going nuts in here. Instantly put some pads on, ran through our front door, broke the windshield, it was awesome."

5) Might follow in his father's footsteps

According to his Baylor bio, Johnston majored in health, kinesiology and leisure studies while in school.

Ran this through the search engine first and didn't find this article listed, so here it is. It's an insanely long read but a fascinating look at the thinking of this former Rams player. He's definitely one of a kind.

WHAT SAMMY WATKINS BELIEVES

Good, evil, demons, aliens, psychic superpowers and a war "on your mental." B/R Mag takes a wild ride inside the mind of a Super Bowl hero.

I’m just wondering why no one is talking about Darious Williams. To me he did a fantastic job when Troy Hill was injured. To me I think he might be first in line for the slot CB.

Link - https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2020/5/11/21254613/rams-aaron-donald-pff-grade-stats-sacks

Aaron Donald’s dominance once again on display
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There may not be an NFL player who has done a better job of owning his position over the last decade than Donald
By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS May 11, 2020, 10:50am CDT
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Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Since he entered the NFL in 2014, LA Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is second in sacks behind only Chandler Jones, a dominant player in expected position for sack production on the edge. Donald ranks first in QB hits by 16 more than any other player and 27 more tackles for a loss than second place Cam Jordan.
The closest player in sacks at a similar position to Donald would be J.J. Watt, who has 59.5 sacks since 2014 compared to 72 for Donald. Watt was perhaps even more dominant 2012-2015 than any four years of Donald, but he was playing in arguably the NFL’s weakest division compared to Donald in the NFL’s strongest. And Watt has unfortunately missed at least half of a season in three of the last four years. Donald has managed to stay healthy and has made five straight first team All-Pro rosters.
Donald has not only dominated every other defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end during his six NFL seasons in general, but especially so as a pass rusher. As ProFootballFocus pointed out on Monday morning, according to their opinions that become grades, no defensive tackle since 2006 had a better season as a pass rusher than Donald in 2018 when he had career-highs 20.5 sacks and 41 QB hits.
Second place was Donald, when he had 11 sacks and 27 QB hits in 2017.
Third place was Donald, when he had eight sacks and 31 QB hits in 2016.
Fourth place was Donald, when he had 11 sacks and 37 QB hits in 2015.
But to change things up, just kidding, fifth place was Aaron Donald. LA Rams defensive tackle. When he had 12.5 sacks and 24 QB hits in 2019.

PFF

✔@PFF
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1259861088386060294

Highest single-season pass-rush grades for DTs since 2006

1. Aaron Donald, 2018
2. Aaron Donald, 2017
3. Aaron Donald, 2016
4. Aaron Donald, 2015
5. Aaron Donald, 2019


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Donald has 3.5 fewer career sacks than Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins, even though Atkins entered the NFL four years earlier. He has 13.5 more career sacks than Gerald McCoy, who also came into the NFL four years earlier. It wouldn’t be hard to see that two or three seasons from now, only the name John Randle sits ahead of Donald on the career sacks chart (137.5 for Randle, 96.5 for Warren Sapp) for defensive tackles.
But for even a single season, can any other DT in the league compete with Donald right now?
No. It doesn’t seem so.

Was he a product of Martz's system, or did Martz just get lucky in having him as a back up for Kurt? In any case, he was captain on the sinking GSOT ship. Thoughts?
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PFT Monday mailbag question No. 1: The future of the quarterback market

Lately, I’ve asked for questions and answered 10 of them on Sundays. This past Sunday, I could say I took a break in deference to Mother’s Day. The truth, however, is that I forgot.

So let’s do it today. At first I thought it made sense because things would be starting to slow down. But the truth is they still aren’t, that a lot is still happening, and that when it comes to the NFL plenty still will, with the pandemic actually creating a net gain in news items.

But I’ve asked for the questions, so I’m now committed to providing the answers. That’s not some warped sense of honor talking, just the slight case of OCD.

Of course, I’m not committed to answering them all at once. After hunt-and-pecking more than 500 words in response to the first question, I decided to turn it into a stand-alone item.

From @PFTPMPosse: “With the influx of young franchise QBs rapidly rising in the NFL, where it feels there’ll be MORE franchise QBs than teams very soon, do you see contracts for franchise QBs starting to level off, or even going down? How will this play out?”

Contracts actually had leveled off for three years, from 2013 through 2016, to the point where the market wasn’t keeping pace with the ongoing increases in the salary cap. Starting with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, that changed in 2016.

Luck, entering the fifth year of his rookie deal, pushed the bar to $24.6 million per year on a new-money averaged. One year later, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr nudged the reverse-limbo stick a little higher, to $25 million.

Carr held the title of enviable highest-paid player in league history for roughly two months. That’s when Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford jumped Carr, landing at $27 million per year. After the 2017 season, the 49ers gave quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo $27.5 million per year to avoid the franchise-tag dance with the player they’d acquired during the 2017 season for a second-round draft pick.

Then, Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins hit the open market after a two-year tag two-step, getting $28 million per year on a three-year deal from the Vikings. Only a few weeks later, Cousins (and everyone else) saw Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan become the league’s first $30 million man.

Ryan was able to wear the belt from early May . . . through late August. That’s when Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers blew the curve to the tune of $33.5 million. Rodgers surrendered the title the following April, to Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, at $35 million per year.

Dak Prescott seems destined to get more than Wilson, unless Dak and the Cowboys fail to work out a long-term deal before July 15. With $31.4 million due this year under the franchise tag in 2020 and $37.68 million in 2021, failure to sign him to a long-term deal now will make it even more expensive next year.

Either way, the next guy to set a new bar (before or after Dak) will be Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who should always be the highest-paid quarterback for as long as he’s in the league, frankly.

In time, Mahomes (absent a clause ensuring he’ll always be the highest-paid quarterback or that he’ll receive a set percentage of the cap) will yield to someone. Whether that’s Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson or Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray or the next Russell Wilson contract or Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow or Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert or Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains to be seen. Or maybe Mahomes will move the bar so high that the next five or six quarterbacks who aren’t Mahomes will fall in under him (like Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Rams quarterback Jared Goff have behind Wilson) on the overall quarterback scale.

Ultimately, it has nothing to do with the proliferation of franchise quarterbacks. Every team that has one will want to keep him, and keeping him will mean paying him — even if it means entering into an ultra-expensive franchise-tag formula, like the Cowboys have done with Prescott. (As explained this morning, the sooner a team signs a young franchise quarterback, the cheaper it will be.)

Would Prescott get more than $35 million on the open market? The Cowboys didn’t want to find out the answer to that question the hard way.

Eventually, someone will be willing to say “no thanks” to their current quarterback and find a new one, or at a minimum to let him see what else is, or isn’t, out there with the transition tag or truly unfettered free agency. Teams will continue to cling to the best ones, however. To do so, they’ll have to pay them.

Where the Rams' defense and special teams stand after draft and FA

Over the course of three days, the Rams drafted nine players to address eight different positions and signed 22 undrafted free agents as part of their continued roster construction for the upcoming season.

The following is a position-by-position breakdown of where the team's defense and special teams currently stand after those transactions.

DEFENSIVE LINE
2019 starters: Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day
2019 contributors: Greg Gaines, Tanzel Smart
2019 reserves: Marquise Copeland
2020 newcomers: A'Shawn Robinson, Eric Banks, Michael Hoecht, Sam Renner, Jonah Williams

After signing A'Shawn Robinson and re-signing Brockers in free agency, the Rams left their defensive line untouched over the course of this year's draft. Already with one of the top run defenders up front in Brockers, the addition of the 6-foot-4, 330-pound Robinson should help in that category too.

Gaines and Smart each appeared in 10 games last season.

Copeland mainly spent time on the practice squad last year.

Banks (Texas-San Antonio), Hoecht (Brown), Renner (Minnesota) and Williams (Weber State) were signed as undrafted free agents.

LINEBACKER
2019 starters: Troy Reeder, Samson Ebukam
2019 contributors: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Travin Howard, Natrez Patrick
2019 reserves: Justin Lawler, Kenny Young, Jachai Polite, Micah Kiser
2020 newcomers: Leonard Floyd, Terrell Lewis, Clay Johnston, Daniel Bituli, Bryan London II, Greg Reaves, Christian Rozeboom

Given the departures of inside linebacker Cory Littleton and outside linebackers Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews, it made sense that the Rams chose to address this position through both free agency and the draft. In free agency, they signed Floyd as an unrestricted free agent and added Lewis and Johnston through the draft.

Ebukam, Okoronkwo, Patrick and Howard all saw playing time last season while Reeder started alongside Littleton. Kiser suffered a season-ending chest injury in the preseason, while Lawler's preseason foot surgery ended his season prematurely. Polite mainly spent time on the practice squad, while Young – who was acquired in the Marcus Peters trade with the Ravens – saw action in nine games.

Floyd officially signed with the Rams as an unrestricted free agent on April 24.

Bituli (Tennessee), London (Texas State), Reaves (South Florida) and Rozeboom (South Dakota State) were signed as undrafted free agents.

CORNERBACK
2019 starters: Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill
2019 contributors: David Long Jr., Darious Williams
2019 reserves: Dont'e Deayon, Adonis Alexander
2020 newcomers: Dayan Lake, Tyrique McGhee, Levonta Taylor

The Rams also left the cornerback position untouched during this draft, though fourth-round pick Terrell Burgess (listed as a safety below) is also capable of playing the nickel back or slot cornerback position in the secondary.

Hill had a strong 2019 season starting opposite Ramsey, but the key for this group leading into the 2020 season will be who replaces Robey-Coleman as the primary slot corner.

Alexander was on the practice squad starting November 14, 2019. Deayon mainly spent time on the practice squad as well, but did get called up to appear in three games.

Lake (Brigham Young), McGhee (Georgia) and Taylor (Florida State) were signed as undrafted free agents.

SAFETY
2019 starters: John Johnson III, Taylor Rapp
2019 reserves: Nick Scott, Jake Gervase
2020 newcomers: Terrell Burgess, Jordan Fuller, Juju Hughes

Johnson started alongside Eric Weddle last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, with Rapp filling his role the rest of the season. Scott and Gervase can help provide depth after gaining experience on special teams last season.

Burgess (fourth round) and Fuller (sixth round) were added through the draft, while Hughes (Fresno State) was signed as an undrafted free agent.

SPECIALISTS
2019 starters: Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide
2020 newcomers: Austin MacGinnis, Lirim Hajrullahu, Samuel Sloman

Working together since 2012, Hekker and McQuaide will welcome a new starter into the mix as seventh-round pick Sloman battles free agent signings MacGinnis and Hajrullahu for kicker Greg Zuerlein's old job.

ESPN analyst Matt Bowen on how the Rams' newest rookies fit into their offense and defense

Last month, the Los Angeles Rams added new pieces to their offense and defense by drafting running back Cam Akers, wide receiver Van Jefferson, tight end Brycen Hopkins, offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum, outside linebacker Terrell Lewis, safety Terrell Burgess, safety Jordan Fuller and linebacker Clay Johnston.

For more on how their skillsets fit what Los Angeles like to do on both sides of the ball, theRams.com spoke with ESPN's Matt Bowen, who writes about the NFL for ESPN.com and is an analyst on the network's NFL Matchup show. Bowen is also a former NFL defensive back who played seven seasons in the league with the Rams (2000-01), Green Bay Packers (2001-02), Washington Redskins (2003-05) and Buffalo Bills (2006).

Cam Akers

Bowen said he has already written about Akers a couple of times for ESPN.com, recently including him on his list of 10 rookies who landed with perfect teams in terms of scheme fit (ESPN+ subscription required to read).

"I was very impressed with Cam Akers," Bowen said in a phone interview with theRams.com last week. "I love the fit here. I called him a professional runner because that's what I believe he is. When you watch his film at FSU, he has the traits of a pro running back. It's the contact balance, the size, the power, he's got enough wiggle and shake to make defenders miss at the second level."

According to Bowen, Akers also showed he could be an asset as a receiver out of the backfield – for example, on screen passes – due to his vision in the open field. Akers also has a "natural feel" for finding the endzone from inside an opponent's five-yard line.

From a scheme standpoint, Akers will see some similarities between Florida State and the Rams. According to Bowen, Florida State used both power and zone running schemes. While Rams head coach Sean McVay's offense is more zone-based, Bowen said Akers will still be a fit for that.

"Running an outside zone scheme where he can press the ball on the edge, look for a cutback lane or head straight up inside," Bowen said. "So it's a really good pick and with Todd Gurley moving on, allows them to have great competition there with (Malcolm) Brown and Darrell Henderson from last year's draft."

Van Jefferson

Widely regarded as one of the best route-runners in his draft class, Jefferson's ability to create separation from defensive backs and get open is one of the traits which immediately made him stand out to Bowen.

"We talk about all these traits – athleticism and movement skills, that stuff all matters," Bowen said. "But the number one thing in the National Football League is, can you get open? Can you beat man coverage? Do have a feel for zone coverage? Do you have strong hands at the point of attack to catch balls outside of your frame? That's what Van Jefferson gives you. So much detail to his game."

Jefferson's game isn't that of a receiver who will stretch the field vertically with his speed, according to Bowen, but rather one who excels at getting open on short to intermediate routes.

"Now let's put that in Coach McVay's offense," Bowen said. "What do we see? A lot of play-action, middle-of-the-field throws, running those skinny posts, those deep square-in routes, running the isolation routes versus off-man coverage. I think he's an excellent fit."

Brycen Hopkins

Although the Rams already had Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett and Johnny Mundt in their 2020 tight end room, Hopkins was so highly-rated that they couldn't afford to pass on him at pick No. 136 in the fourth round. Bowen said Hopkins' skillset is most similar to Everett as a move tight end who can stretch the middle of the field vertically.

"Really, you're drafting him to improve your passing game, create matchups in the passing game," Bowen said. "You can get him open on boot(legs), you can get him open on crossers. Especially in the Rams offense, you can get him open stretching the seams on those high-percentage throws from (quarterback) Jared Goff where he can catch it and run with the football afterwards."

Bowen said Hopkins will need to work on his drops – Hopkins also previously said this himself during the Rams' Day 3 post-draft show – and while he won't be a tight end blocking at the point of attack in the run game like Higbee, the hope is that he can see the backside of a zone run.

Most importantly, though, Hopkins will at least provide depth to a key position.

"You need depth to positions to get through a 16-game season," Bowen said. "You need multiple tight ends on your roster."

Tremayne Anchrum

The No. 250 pick and seventh-round selection primarily played offensive tackle at Clemson but spent time learning both guard spots during the Tigers' bowl practices.

"You're looking at a guy who played at a championship program, that's the first thing you see," Bowen said.

Bowen said Anchrum projects as a guard – an evaluation also shared by Rams Director of College Scouting Brad Holmes, who sees him fitting at center as well – who will fit into the offensive line as a run-blocker and provide depth to the offensive line.

"I think he needs to develop a little bit more, in terms of his hand placement and his ability to mirror pass-rushers," Bowen said. "But the foundation is there for someone that can work with pro coaching and start developing and see a career, and wait for that opportunity, to where he becomes a guy that's active on gameday and can provide depth to the offensive line."

Terrell Lewis

What first stands out to Bowen about Lewis is that he came from a championship program at Alabama coached by Nick Saban and played in a pro-style defensive scheme. Despite his injury history in college, his traits as a pass rusher make him an intriguing player.

"Did have some injuries in college, but in terms of the athletic traits, he's got everything you want," Bowen told theRams.com in a phone interview last week. "He's 6-5, 262, he's got the length, he's got speed off the edge. I think he's got great flexibility and bend off the edge."

Even with the addition of outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, Bowen said he could still see Lewis finding his way onto the field during his rookie season as a situational pass rusher in sub packages. Bowen also said he sees traits in Lewis that are similar to former Rams outside linebacker Dante Fowler, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an unrestricted free agent last month.

"(Fowler) had a great first step, he had the twitch, the flexibility to bend off the edge," Bowen said. "I think Lewis checks those boxes and he's a good scheme fit as well. I think he's a very solid draft pick, especially with the draft value where they got him in the third round."

Terrell Burgess

Dubbed by his college head coach as a "football swiss-army knife," the No. 104 pick provides Staley with a versatile defensive back to use in his defense. That skillset also mirrors what safeties are being asked to do in the NFL right now, based on how Bowen evaluates them.

"I always look at three things with a safety in today's game: Can you play the post? Can you cover down in the slot? Can you play in the run front?" Bowen said. "He checks all three of those boxes."

Having a player like Burgess who can play multiple positions in the secondary is valuable for defensive playcallers like Staley because it allows Staley to do different things, according to Bowen.

As an example, Bowen said a playcaller could employ a bigger nickel package – a sub package which swaps the weakside linebacker for a fifth defensive back – by using a third safety as the fifth defensive back instead of a smaller slot corner. Now, the playcaller has a run-defending safety like Burgess who can also cover the slot, something that gives said playcaller an advantage.

"Again, another very good value pick based on draft position, where they drafted him, and how he fits their scheme as that multi-dimensional defensive back," Bowen said.

Jordan Fuller

The sixth-round pick and 199th overall selection from Ohio State plays faster than his combine results may have shown.

"I don't have his testing numbers in front of me, but I know when I watched him on film, he gets to the ball fast," Bowen said. "And if you're a defensive backs coach, that's what matters, right?"

Fuller's 6-2, 203-pound frame also stood out to Bowen, as well as his football intelligence because of how he plays on the field. Bowen said Fuller is at his best when playing downhill with speed, and is physical enough to play in the run front because of his tackling ability.

That skillset should allow him to carve out a role on special teams.

"If he makes the team, he should be one of your top cover guys on special teams," Bowen said. "If I'm the head special teams coach of the Rams, on the first day of camp, when we go into kickoff coverage and punt coverage, I want to see him getting down the field and making plays."

Clay Johnston

Similar to Fuller, Johnston was another Day 3 selection by the Rams, going off the board at pick No. 234. A late-round draft pick himself, Bowen as a former sixth-round selection said Johnston projects as an inside linebacker who will have to make the team through special teams.

That said, it's a good developmental path to allow him to build on the traits he already possess, according to Bowen.

"I think he's very instinctive, I think he sees the field very well, I think he's a good tackler, and I think he has upside at the position in terms of coverage traits the more experience he gets as a pro athlete," Bowen said.

For the masses who know you as Frank Costanza, thank you for all the laughs! Truly one of the greats!

Welp, I thought of this poll when considering the last twenty years. Aaron Donald is hand's down the best player we have drafted since 2000, and so the poll would be pretty boring. Let's consider the players drafted who aided us in winning our only Super Bowl. THAT would be more fair. The way I am looking at it, it's just not if the player considered is a HOFer, or HOFer candidate, but were they transcendent? Did they play their position better than anyone else in history? Orlando Pace and Torry Holt were great and one is already a HOFer and the other eventually will be one. Yet, was Pace that much better than Jonathon Ogden? Was Torry Holt better than Isaac Bruce, or to a degree that's extreme? Now, you may say that the measure is more about winning Championships, and Bruce, Holt and Pace brought one to the Rams organization. Anyway, LET'S VOTE!

Rams begin to virtually acclimate 2020 rookies

Today marks the start of each NFL team's rookie football development program, a seven-week event which assists league newcomers with their transition into professional football.

In a normal offseason, the Rams' version would likely feature in-person classroom instruction at their facility and the chance to familiarize their rookies with the Los Angeles area. However, with meetings going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this offseason is anything but that.

In figuring out how to best welcome and instruct this year's group of rookies amid the current circumstances, Rams Director of Player Engagement Jacques McClendon will lean on the format and structure of the last two weeks of the offseason program and incorporate a couple of his own ideas.

"When it goes to making a plan for this, whether it's direct communication from the league on what we need to hit, how we need to hit it, I think I'm able to just plug and play, because obviously we've had to ramp it up with the technology piece during this time," McClendon said in a phone interview with theRams.com last week. "But I feel like since we've already been using it, it hasn't really been a hard transition for us. We've just had to build upon the foundation, which we already started."

For the most part, rookie assimilation won't look too much different aside from the absence of on-field minicamp instruction.

According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, the rookie transition program will incorporate up to an hour of instruction per day, up to five days a week, in addition to the maximum two hours each of classroom and virtual workout time per day for the virtual offseason program. Rams head coach Sean McVay currently has the team's virtual offseason program structured with 90-minute meetings four days a week, with players getting credit for virtual workouts by participating in virtual meetings with coaches.

Similar to the virtual conversations that have taken place since April 27 – when the team's offseason program began – rookies were scheduled to be first introduced to the team with McVay speaking to them through video conferencing technology Saturday morning, on what was supposed to be the second day of Los Angeles' rookie minicamp.

Information from the league and the collective bargaining required for clubs to present to rookies as part of the program's curriculum can still be done digitally and without in-person instruction.

Being able to seamlessly adapt to a virtual rookie transition program is a credit to Rams leadership, according to McClendon.

"Sean, (General Manager) Les (Snead), (Vice President, Football and Business Administration) Tony (Pastoors), (Senior Director, Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie Scott, these guys have built these elite communication plans and we've all been in constant contact with each other," McClendon said.

The biggest challenge for rookies in a virtual program, though, is being able to build a rapport within themselves due to the absence of the traditional in-person connections made. A couple of the pre-existing solutions that McClendon will use include, but likely won't be limited to, Bible studies and group text chats.

"We're going to have to supplement it as best as we can and just keep it rolling," McClendon said.

Circumstances being what they currently are, it won't be a deterrent for McClendon or the organization as they work to get the rookies as prepared as they possibly can be for the upcoming season.

"We're definitely going to abide by the outlines from all these medical professionals to make sure we're safe and operate as optimally as we can," McClendon said. "I think that's one of the biggest advantages we are going to get out of this: not being in the same place is definitely not an excuse."

Who are the Rams options at kicker?

The Rams have been working with kicker Greg Zuerlein almost exclusively since they drafted him in the sixth round in 2012. Zuerlein signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent this offseason, then signed two non-NFL free agents and made another pick, drafting a kicker in the seventh round last month. The LA Rams are one of only two teams in the league right now who have three kickers on the roster, the other being the Buffalo Bills, so how exactly could this competition shake out?

On the Roster

Sam Sloman

The Rams took Sloman with the 248th pick of the draft out of Miami of Ohio. NFL.com did a good job of summing up his high school and college career:

High school kickers are not often given credit for helping their team win a state title. However, Sloman deserves that recognition after making 20-of-23 field goal attempts (long of 53 yards) and converting all 51 extra point tries as a senior at Pace Academy in Georgia. He made only one of three field goals (long of 31 yards) as a true freshman at Miami (Ohio) but was the team’s kickoff specialist (12 touchbacks on 54 kickoffs). Sloman became the starter as a sophomore and was the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year (12-16 FGs, long 45; 35-36 XPs; 21 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs). Redhawk coaches did not give him many field goal opportunities as a junior (10-13-76.9, 41-42 XPs) but he did create 42 touchbacks on 63 kickoffs. Sloman finished his career on a crescendo, garnering second-team All-MAC notice in 2019 by converting 26-of-30 field goals (86.7 percent, 4-5 from 50 yards or more) and all 34 extra point tries (52 touchbacks on 75 kickoffs).

Sloman has a strong leg but went 0-of-5 on kicks of 50+ as a sophomore and junior, compared to 4-of-5 on those kicks as a senior. Is he going to have the long range accuracy he had as a senior or will those previous misses come back and bite him?

You can watch his kicking workout here.

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Lirim Hajrullahu

The Rams signed Hajrullahu out of the CFL, where he was an All-Star in two of the last four seasons.

Hajrullahu went 47-of-55 on field goal tries in 2019 with a long of 56. For his career, he’s made 83.3% of his 287 attempts over six seasons. He drew interest from the league in 2019 but ended up returning to Hamilton, but the team released him this year so that he’d be able to freely negotiate and sign with an NFL team in 2020

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Austin MacGinnis

MacGinnis was signed shortly after Hajrullahu. From Alabama, MacGinnis kicked at Kentucky and he holds several major kicking records there. He went undrafted in 2018 and spent a little time in camp with the Chicago Bears during the spring. He was 9-of-11 in the AAF and 10-of-10 in the XFL.

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Depth Around the NFL

Teams often find their kickers in September and October when other organizations give up on players early. It is not uncommon for some of the game’s best kickers to have been seen as practically worthless and expendable early in their careers. Or late in their careers. It’s a very funky position. Below are some examples of teams that will have to part with a kicker of note. I am not including every team that has two kickers on the roster and it does not mean there aren’t other depth options.

Bills - Stephen Hauschka, Kaare Vedvik, Tyler Bass

The Ravens drafted defensive lineman Broderick Washington in the fifth round this year because the Vikings wanted Kaare Vedvik last year. They waited Vedvik before the season even started. He kicked one game for the Jets and was awful. But there’s been hope that the Norwegian is special enough to figure it out. But that’s not all, as Buffalo drafted Bass in the sixth round, 188th overall, an exceptional college kicker from Georgia Southern.

Vedvik is almost certain to finish third here, I think, but the loser between Hauschka and Bass could be the most attractive kicking option for teams in need come September. Hauschka has had some struggles in the last two years but has at times been an elite kicker. Bass went 114-of-116 on XP and 54-of-68 on FG during his career.

Jets - Sam Ficken, Brett Maher

Maher beat out Dan Bailey for the job with the Cowboys in 2018 and that’s essentially the start of why Zuerlein is in Dallas now. (Bailey went on to beat out Vedvik in Minnesota in 2019, making the Vikings trade for him pointless.) The Cowboys released Maher last season and he was picked up by the Jets on a futures deal. He’ll compete with Ficken, who you remember as filling in for Zuerlein a few times, and Ficken went 19-of-28 in New York last season, 23-of-26 on XP.

Ravens - Justin Tucker, Nick Vogel

Tucker isn’t going anywhere but when John Harbaugh gets a kicker or punter, I pay attention. Even if that kicker is Vedvik. Vogel went 128-of-131 on XP and 47-of-64 on FG during three years at UAB, including 19-of-23 last season.

Cowboys - Greg Zuerlein, Kai Forbath

We can assume that Zuerlein isn’t coming back (we assumed the same about Michael Brockers and that seemed even less likely) but what about Forbath hitting free agency again? He’s kicked for six different teams, including replacing Maher with the Cowboys last year. He went 10-of-10 on field goals (seven of those coming 40-49) and 10-of-10 on extra points. Forbath’s last full season was going 32-of-38 and 34-of-39 on XP with the Vikings in 2017. The next year, they picked up Bailey.

See how there’s like three teams involved in all of these rotating kicker moves? That’s where the LA Rams don’t want to be in six months, one year, two years.

Panthers - Graham Gano, Joey Slye

Graham Gano started his career in Baltimore, working with John Harbaugh, where he lost out to Steven Hauschka. Just wanted to include that first ...

He has spent the last eight years in Carolina but missed all of 2019 with a left knee injury. The Panthers signed Slye on August 1, one week after he was waived by the Giants, and he was not expected to make the final roster. He crushed it in the preseason though and won the job. Slye had ups and downs, but finished 25-of-32 (including 8-of-11 beyond 50) on field goals and 31-of-35 on extra points. He went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2018.

Gano went to the Pro Bowl in 2017 and kicked the NFL’s longest field goal (63 yards) in 2018.

Predicted Best Options: I’ll say that Graham Gano, Kai Forbath, and Tyler Bass become free agents. Of those, Bass obviously has the best long-term upside and that’s probably why he’d be difficult to acquire if he has a nice preseason. The Ravens have been known to keep multiple kickers before also. Gano carries injury and rust concerns but could be a Pro Bowl kicker, we know he has that talent. Forbath is fine, but not ideal, and most likely I’d assume the Rams will be happier with the winner out of their three options.

But if nobody stood out for LA, there are going to be a couple of attractive alternatives eventually.

Free Agents

Nick Folk
Most recent: 14-of-17, 12-of-12 with the Patriots in 2019

Adam Vinatieri
Most recent: 17-of-25, 22-of-28 with the Colts in 2019

Ryan Succop
Most recent: 1-of-6, 24-of-25 on XP for the Titans in 2019 (six games)

Stephen Gostkowski
Most recent: 7-of-8, 11-of-15 for the Patriots in 2019 (four games)

Did team do enough to reinforce linebacker ranks?

The LA Rams had two many places to spend too few NFL Draft picks this year, not enough quality picks, and simply too few picks overall to make a difference at some positions of need. In the end, the LA Rams ran out of picks before addressing their interior linebacker needs. So where does that leave the team?

Right now, the Rams 90 man roster lists eight different player options for the two inside linebacker positions. They are UDFA LB Daniel Bituli, LB Travin Howard, rookie LB Clay Johnston, LB Micah Kiser, UDFA LB Bryan London II, LB Troy Reeder, UDFA LB Christian Rozeboom, and LB Kenny Young.

The group is not very experienced. In fact, no single linebacker has more than three years of experience in the NFL. Both Micah Kiser and Kenny Young are the senior linebackers, both at three years of experience. Young had starting experience while a member of the Baltimore Ravens, while Kiser was slated to be a starter for the LA Rams in 2019, but an injury derailed him for the entire season. If I had to bet on who would be the starters, Kiser and Young would be the early favorites. Unfortunately, neither has taken a single starting snap for the Rams at ILB.

The Rams’ next group of linebackers are Troy Reeder and Travin Howard, both of whom are entering their second year of NFL experience. Surprisingly, Reeder has the most defensive snaps for the Rams, seeing 298 defensive plays in eight starts for the team in 2019. He put up 58 tackles while showing a flash or two of pass coverage ability as well. Howard has the second-most defensive snaps for the Rams, seeing action on 102 snaps in spot action over 16 games.

Finally, the remaining four Rams linebackers are incoming rookies. They are linebackers Daniel Bituli, Clay Johnston, Bryan London II, and Christian Rozeboom. With the Rams carrying just four ILBs on the roster last season, these rookies certainly have a battle on their hands. But should any of them play exceptionally well on special teams, they could slide into a roster spot.

Gone from the linebacker room this year of course are Cory Littleton and Bryce Hager. The Rams have temporarily filled their spots with the return from the injured reserve status of Micah Kiser, and the mid-season trade with the Baltimore Ravens for Kenny Young.

Of all the positions on the Rams defense, I believe that the interior linebacker position is completely an eight-player race at this point. The players are young, raw and talented, but will need to step up significantly for the Rams this season. Of course, they will be mentored by a good linebacker’s coach in Joe Barry, It was Barry who oversaw the Rams promotion of then third-year player Cory Littleton from just four starts in 2017, to the starting inside linebacking role in 2018. Littleton responded by jumping from 36 tackles to 125 tackles in 2018.

Now the Rams are banking on a similar story from the ranks of inexperienced linebackers. Will the Rams find a Littleton from among the ranks? Have they already found him in Troy Reeder? Or is he among the newcomers to the roster this season? This is perhaps the most up-in-the-air roster battles on the team right now.

Five things to know about new Rams safety Jordan Fuller

The Rams used their sixth draft pick this year on safety Jordan Fuller, selecting him 199th overall in the sixth round. Here are five things you should know about the former Ohio State standout.

1) A family of full of talent

Fuller's immediate and extended family have been successful in both sports and the entertainment industry.

The actor and comedian Sinbad is his uncle, married to his paternal aunt. Fuller's mother, Cindy Mizelle, is a highly regarded professional singer who has performed with Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys and Steely Dan, among others.

Fuller's brother, Devin, played wide receiver at UCLA.

2) Active away from the field

While at Ohio State, Fuller created a student-athlete-led seminar to educate Buckeye student-athletes on sexual assault, sexual violence and healthy relationships. That work earned him a nomination for the 2019 AFCA Good Works Team, which has recognized extra efforts by players and student support staff off the field since 1992.

He was also a first team Academic All-American in 2017.

3) Sixth-round steal

Rams midwest area scout Brian Hill believes the team got a steal in Fuller at pick No. 199.

"He had a previous hip injury the year before, and this year he was finally healthy," Hill said on a Rams post-draft show with general manager Les Snead and other team scouts. "They didn't hold him back at all in practice, he was ready to go on Saturdays. I think a slow 40 (-yard dash) time at Indy got him, but he plays faster than that. I mean, he's got range."

4) Nose for the football

Perhaps one of the most telling statistics about the 2019 first-team All-Big Ten selection was his total tackles.

In 2018, he led the Buckeyes in that category with 81 total. In 2017, he was second with 70. Last season, he was third with 62.

5) A leader with experience

Taking over for future first-round draft pick and former Ohio State teammate Malik Hooker as a sophomore, Fuller became a three-year starter and two-time team captain (2018 and 2019).

Overall, Fulller played in 52 games across his four seasons as a Buckeye.

LA Rams 2020 NFL Draft rookie floor/ceiling: Van Jefferson

With the 57th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the LA Rams selected a very competent wide receiver, Van Jefferson, out of the University of Florida. Lewis is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver with almost elite level route running ability. Many expected the Rams to select a player from a different position at 57. And even with a pick at wide receiver, the Rams had plenty of talented players to choose from at 57. So why wide receiver there, and why Van Jefferson?

For starters, Jefferson is a legacy player following in the footsteps of his father, Shawn Jefferson, who himself was drafted as a wide receiver by the Houston Oilers in 1991. During his career, Shawn Jefferson made two Super Bowl appearances, losing both. Jefferson would eventually hang up his cleats and transition as a wide receivers’ coach. He was instrumental in developing his son’s route running ability as he knew what it took to succeed in the NFL.

By watching Jefferson’s play we can see those players who played in the NFL who most resemble him and his style of play. Next, we can use that information to project to see what he can become. First, let’s look at his basic attributes. Then looking at we know we can use it to project a comp for both their floor and ceiling.

Basic Attributes

-Great route runner
-Lack of burst speed, likely due to foot injury
-Undeveloped run blocker
-Legacy player

Ceiling-Cooper Kupp

Size-wise everything on Jefferson is an inch or less different compared to Cooper Kupp. Jefferson didn’t have the same collegiate production as Kupp did but his play shows a remarkable number of similarities. While neither receiver is a burner they create separation with their elite route running. This is great for sneaking behind a defense or finding open spaces in zones.

It also means that Rams quarterback Jared Goff can trust the receiver to be where he is throwing the ball. With a pretty filled out route-running tree, head coach Sean McVay isn’t limited in the passing game at all with these receivers at his disposal.

While fans and draft profiles sought “production” in college to assess a receiver, the Rams scouting department had a completely different measuring device for their selection. It’s clear that the Rams wanted to bring a rookie onboard who was most like their two most successful receivers. In the team’s own assessment of Jefferson, he is very much like the combination of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.

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Since both Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are 2019 1000 yard receivers, that’s a pretty good company for a rookie. And with the Rams facing expiring contracts on both Kupp and Josh Reynolds in 2021, the Rams have plenty of incentive to fast-track Jefferson’s development this season.

Floor-Adam Humphries

A decent slot receiver with modest production,5-foot-11 196-pound Tampa Bay WR Adam Humphries was on the smaller side of NFL receivers but had been very serviceable throughout his 5-season NFL career. While Humphries had a slow rookie season, which Jefferson could have due to a full receiving room, he still averaged 540 yards and two touchdowns per season for his career.

With Jefferson’s production in college, it might be no surprise that he might also have lower receiving numbers for his career. Of course, quarterbacks play a significant role in a receiver’s career. At the University of Florida, Jefferson was on the receiving end of passes thrown by either Felipe Franks or Kyle Trask, neither of whom are atop NFL scouting reports as college quarterbacks to prioritize in the NFL Draft.

The Florida Gators offense rotates receivers and distributes the ball. That makes it very difficult for a receiver to gain 1000 yards receiving. In fact, the last Florida receiver to do so was Taylor Jacobs, who caught over 1000 yards in 2002. That background information no doubt played a large role in the Rams selection process.

Final Projection

Van Jefferson will more than likely be serviceable to a very productive receiver. The Rams current receivers are well rounded, good in the pass AND run. The Rams receivers take great pride in their ability to block, so Jefferson will need to step up his blocking to be successful in McVay’s scheme. Also, his lack of production at the SEC college level is a little worrisome for the jump to the pros.

Still, Van Jefferson truly stood out at the 2020 Senior Bowl, much like Washington Redskin’s rookie receiver Terry McLaurin did the season before. Initially, I ranked Jefferson as a tweener, a 5-8 year NFL career receiver whose average runs between 700-800 yards a season. Then, after comparing his senior bowl assessment, and his play in big games, that projection improved a bit. He has the potential to deliver on all fronts, particularly in a receiver-centered offense like that of the LA Rams.

Keep in mind that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was the offensive coordinator who masterminded the sensational rookie debut of McLaurin. Now, O’Connell is once more in a position to convert the Senior Bowl’s most impressive receiver into an NFL rookie star. While the Rams have a deep receiver room, Jefferson has the potential to shine for the Rams in some games. But regardless of his rookie receiving yards, he NEEDS to improve his blocking.

This NFL team is now the fastest in the league and every defense should be terrified

In the NFL, speed kills. Just ask the Super Bowl LIV-winning Kansas City Chiefs.

One team that will try to emulate turning NFL games into track meets is the Baltimore Ravens. In a season in which they finished 14-2 and won the AFC North, head coach John Harbaugh and his offense will look to build on their 2019 success.

With the offensive skill position players, this team can go up against anyone in a dead heat relay, even the track team in Kansas City led by Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman. When you combine 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson’s speed along with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Justice Hill, and new draft picks JK Dobbins, Miles Boykin and Devin Duvernay, NFL defensive coordinators are going to be kept up all night thinking of their preparations before playing against Baltimore.

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There's speed all over the place. How can anyone defend this successfully for 60 minutes?

Even tight end Mark Andrews can outrun most linebackers trying to cover him. This offense is going to have a field day for 16 weeks running circles around the NFL.

With this kind of speed in Baltimore, good luck tackling any of these guys in the open field. When the Chiefs and Ravens face off in Week 3, that will determine which skill position group is the true Legion of Zoom.

If you are a Jaguars fan, that is probably must-have.

Gardner Minshew Dubbed The 'Jaguar King' With Newest Bobblehead, Costs $45

Gardner Minshew proved during the 2019 season he is a very marketable player.

A company named FOCO knows this, which is why they released its third Minshew bobblehead figurine, but this time with a particular twist.

The collectible bobblehead seen below features Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew kneeling next to a pair of jaguars in an obvious reference to the popular Netflix documentary “Tiger King.”

The Minshew bobblehead is wearing a jaguar print shirt and a headband.

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“Gardner Minshew has always had a unique ability to connect with fans,” said Matthew Katz, senior licensing manager at FOCO. “In both college and the pros, Minshew’s fun personality and appearance as well as his electric play have endeared him to his teams’ supporters, which is why we are confident Minshew’s fans will be eager to add this unique bobblehead to their collections.”

On their website, the bobblehead is going for $45. The only problem is that the site is only taking preorders and is scheduled to ship no later than Aug. 10.