Hopefully for enough to get us a 3rd round comp.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1240343731171217410

Obviously, eventually, the Rams will sign or re-sign someone. But since that hasn't happened yet, I was curious what the depth chart would look like:

QB - Goff, Wolford

RB - Gurley, Henderson, Brown, Kelly

WR - Cooks, Woods, Kupp, Reynolds, Webster

TE - Higbee, Everett, Mundt

LT - Noteboom, Evans
LG - Corbett, Brewer
C - Allen, Shelton
RG - Edwards, Demby
RT - Havenstein, Evans

DE - Fox, SJD
NT - Gaines, SJD
DE - Donald, Smart

OLB - Matthews, Ebukam, Obo, Patrick, Polite, Carraway, Lawler, Holland
ILB - Kiser, Young, Reeder, Howard, Patrick

CB - Ramsey, Hill, Long, Williams, Deayon

S - JJ, Rapp, Scott, Gervase

P - Hekker

K - (empty)

LS - McQuaide





I only included players under contract and RFAs or ERFAs, who I assume will be tendered today. Some things that jump out to me:

IF we re-sign Whitworth and Blythe, I think we're done with the OL - I could see drafting an OL only if it's by far the BPA for them. Adding those two gives us 8 guys who have started multiple games - that is something few teams can boast. It also pushes both Allen and Noteboom to back up positions along with Evans.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we didn't touch the OLB position - lots of bodies there, starters and at least two guys with potential as backups.

DE - I really like Fox. I wouldn't necessarily hate it if he ended up starting, but I love him as a backup.

ILB - is there currently a team worse than this at ILB? That plays a 4-3 and only needs ONE starter? I don't think so. HELP!!!

S - who knows how Staley will handle it, but the 3rd safety seems to be playing more and more for a lot of teams - I don't think Scott or Gervase is ready for that yet.



Ideally, we would sign starters for:

LT
C
DE
ILB

Then focus on DE, ILB and S in the draft.

Use 2020 to evaluate Noteboom, Allen, Evans, Edwards and Corbett - and then upgrade the OL if needed next offseason.

Listening to Dan and the Danettes' podcast and Dan was riffing about today's QB news and discussing Dak specifically and laid out a short list of guys he is better than and not-as-good as.

Says Dak > Goff.

Should I be offended?

We're losing some key and long term Rams so figured this would be a nice place to say goodbye to them all. I never root for ex-Rams but IMO 2020 is going to be a particularly painful year for our players moving on what with the ones who are already on their way out not to mention rumors around Gurley and Cooks.

Brock has been a class act and consummate team leader. Gonna miss him even though we knew it was coming. He's done a lot for us and been through some shit as an old timer from the Fish era. 8 years man that's a lot of time in horns gonna miss him.

Littleton coming up as a starter from nothing on an NFL roster is a great story, and happy for him that he's getting his big payday. Will definitely miss his passing game contributions moving forward.

NRC we also knew was coming but in the short time he's been with us he's made some big plays and smothered a lot of underneath routes. Dude is always smiling, another class act I wish the best in his future.

As we say in the Navy: "Fair winds and following seas" to the three of you.

. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Los Angeles Rams have decided not to exercise the option in cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman's contract. He is now an unrestricted free agent.

A former University of Southern California standout, Robey-Coleman returned to L.A. in 2017 after spending his first four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Across three seasons with the Rams, he tallied 122 combined tackles, 20 pass breakups and three interceptions while missing only one regular season game.

Robey-Coleman originally entered the NFL by signing with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He has made 289 tackles, 48 pass breakups and six interceptions in 111 career games.

For more information, or to keep up with the Rams free agency news, visit www.therams.com/freeagency.

I support Snead and McVay, and hope this works out, but after seeing players/coaches leave (or not resigned) and the number of trades that we do, a small part of me thinks they lost some of the locker room by holding players accountable for bad coaching and GM decisions.

Putting Talib on IR when he said he was healthy enough to play, Bones leaving for the Cowboys, not bringing back Wade, the Peters trade (at least we got Ramsey though!), and the whole TG situation. It kind of feels like players (and coaches if you count Bones) are jumping ship...that they may possibly feel like upper management isn't loyal to their players and are pointing fingers, not even to key veterans.

I don't know, but it feels weird...like something else is going on.

Maybe a poll for week of March-15.

Curious.

Per NFL.com.

Basically did we have any picks or players that would allow us to rob the Texans like what the Cardinals did? Hopkins is my dream wide receiver for the Rams.

When I was in the Navy, and I am sure that they do the same in today's Navy, they awarded every person of the first crew to man the ship. They became the only plank-owners of that ship, unless it was a special ship which was mothballed and then recommissioned like the Iowa Battleships were in the 1980's, in which case the recommissioned ships crew also became plank-owners. I remember when Jeff Fisher moved the team to LA and the LA Coliseum, I thought about whether any of these guys would play/coach in the new Inglewood stadium? If Littleton is let go, along with Michael Brockers, who is left? With Bones gone, none of the coaching staff has survived to coach at SoFi. Off the top of my head, only Gurley(?), Donald, Hekker, Zeurlein (?), and Jake McQuaide are left.

I was just joking in the FA thread about trading AD for five #1's....My normal take is HELL NO. But what would you trade AD for to help the team?

Rams bracing for the possible departures of Dante Fowler and Cory Littleton

The undrafted free agent played his first three NFL seasons for the Rams at minimum salaries, developing into a standout special-teams player, starting linebacker and Pro Bowl selection.

In 2019, he outperformed the one-year, $3-million contract the team paid him as a restricted free agent.

Now, with free agency set to begin this week, Cory Littleton is poised to cash in. Edge rusher Dante Fowler is similarly positioned.

Both helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl two years ago and would be welcome pieces to retain for new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

Despite the halt of other sports because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL’s so-called “legal tampering” period is still scheduled to start Monday, with full-fledged free agency opening Wednesday. The Rams are bracing for the possible departures of Littleton and Fowler while attempting to also work out deals with some of their other pending unrestricted free agents.

Rams coach Sean McVay and team officials have said the Rams would like to retain all of their pending free agents, a group that also includes defensive lineman Michael Brockers, offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe, kicker Greg Zuerlein, backup quarterback Blake Bortles, linebacker Bryce Hager and safety Marqui Christian.

“With some of those guys, we’d ideally like to try to get ahead and not have them hit free agency,” McVay said at the NFL scouting combine in February.

But with only about $15 million in salary-cap space, according to overthecap.com, the Rams almost certainly will not retain all of those players when the annual free-agent frenzy begins.

General manager Les Snead said at the combine that the addition of Staley, new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell and new special-teams coordinator John Bonamego would result in “tweaks to scheme” that would cause the Rams to “work through which positions and which players playing those positions are the most important to help us moving forward.”

Before making any major commitments, the Rams and many NFL teams were waiting for the results of voting on a new collective bargaining agreement. Player voting ends Saturday just before midnight EDT.

The Rams also have until Monday to determine whether to use the franchise tag on one player. Littleton and Fowler are possible candidates, though the cost for tagging either is steep. As a linebacker, Littleton’s one-year guaranteed salary would be $16.3 million, according to overthecap.com. The Rams could tag Fowler as a linebacker, but his representatives almost certainly would file a grievance to classify him as an end for $19.3 million, leaving an arbitrator to decide.

Regardless, the Rams have explored restructuring the contracts of some players and cutting others to create room to possibly sign free agents. For example, they must decide whether to pick up a $4-million option on slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.

Later this week, contract guarantees and roster bonuses are due for several Rams players, Joel Corry, a former agent who writes about NFL contracts and the salary cap for CBSSports.com, reported last month.

The players include quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Brandin Cooks, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, running back Todd Gurley, tight end Tyler Higbee, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein, linebacker Clay Matthews and receiver Robert Woods.

Of the pending free agents, Whitworth and Blythe are regarded as the two most likely to re-sign with the Rams.

Whitworth, 38, has played 14 NFL seasons. He appears very comfortable playing for McVay, who relies on the veteran’s leadership and affords Whitworth a limited practice schedule. Blythe found a home with the Rams and made the most of his opportunities after he was waived by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.

If Littleton or Fowler were to sign elsewhere, the Rams would probably wait to see how the initial flurry of free-agent signings plays out before deciding whether to venture into the market for replacements.

Top-tier free agents such as Shaquil Barrett and others are expected to command salaries that do not fit the Rams.

Linebacker Micah Kiser is scheduled to return after sitting out the 2019 season because of a chest injury suffered during the preseason. Kiser had been on track to start before he was injured. Travin Howard gained experience as a backup.

Samson Ebukam has starting experience as an edge rusher and Obo Okoronkwo showed flashes last season.

Brandin Cooks looks ripped and determined to bounce back in 2020

Cameron DaSilva

5 hours ago
Brandin Cooks had an extremely disappointing season in 2019 after racking up at least 1,000 yards in each of the previous four years. Two concussions and missed time on the field certainly played a role in his struggles, seemingly never getting on the same page as Jared Goff.

He’s been hard at work this offseason and looks determined to bounce back in 2020. Cooks has been training with Travelle Gaines in Los Angeles, who’s also Todd Gurley’s trainer, and looks to be in excellent shape.

With everyone being cautious due to the spread of the coronavirus, Cooks has been working out at home and shared a few videos of his workouts recently and there doesn’t appear to be an ounce of fat on his body.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1238910267305521153


Obviously, much more goes into having success on the field than just working out and staying in shape, but Cooks knows his performance in 2019 wasn’t good enough. He’s putting in the necessary work to rebound with a campaign that more closely resembles the others he’s put together in the NFL.

“Personally, I just want to be the best I can possibly be to help my team get out of some of those situations,” Cooks told Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire last month. “I feel like I truly am more hungry — like that hunger I had before I made it into the league. That fight and that want and that desire from my childhood has risen back to the surface after what went on last year.”

The season is still six months away, but Cooks is already on the right track in 2020.

So we have the official number now.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/1239207409278693378?s=21


Then you look at what the Rams have. These two sites are posting slightly different numbers.


Lets say $19 million heading into the 2020 league year.

Asshole Face thinks free agency will be pushed back as CBA vote deadline draws near

The NFL has been steadfast in its plans to begin 2020 free agency this week, reportedly sticking with the notion that the global coronavirus pandemic will not postpone the start of the new league year, which officially goes into effect March 18.

Others, however, are not so sure. New Orleans Saints head coach Asshole Face is among them.

Speaking with NBC Sports' Britney Eurton from Oaklawn Park Race Track in Arkansas on Saturday, Payton indicated the entire offseason is likely to be delayed.

"Most immediately, the start of our league year, which is due to be this Wednesday, (when) free agency begins, that's going to be, I think, pushed back," Payton said. "Because there's a lot that goes into that, there's a lot of visits players take."

Payton's suggestion echoes sentiments from multiple unnamed NFL teamofficials, who told ESPN's Adam Schefter earlier this week they remain skeptical the league will be able to open free agency this week, not only because of all that goes into the signing period but because of the more pressing issues facing the country. The Washington Post's Mark Maske reported Saturday night, in fact, that the NFL and NFL Players Association are expected to be in contact Sunday to determine next steps for the offseason, including a potential delay in free agency and offseason programs.

Asshole Face didn't stop there, either.

"The next item would be the draft," he said. "I don't know if that's going to change date-wise, (but) certainly the format's going to change relative to what they're used to. We're all making the necessary changes and, really, prioritizing what's most important."

The NFL has said it still intends to hold the 2020 draft in Las Vegas from April 23-25, although there's already been speculation about a change in venue, if not a total re-distribution of the event as a live-streamed video conference.

It's also worth noting the NFL remains in an unofficial holding pattern as team owners await the results of a vote by NFLPA members over a proposed new collective bargaining agreement. Free agency can begin on Wednesday without a new CBA, but enactment of a new agreement would change rules regarding this year's signing period. Player voting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday night.

A review of the 3 Rams drafts under Sean McVay

The St. Louis Rams picked in the top-15 of the draft in every year from 2006 to 2016. In that time, they picked in the top-10 seven times and in the top-two five times, acquiring Chris Long, Jason Smith, Sam Bradford, Greg Robinson, and Jared Goff. The Rams’ power in draft capital during that decade was only outmatched by their inability to climb out of the top-15. Then the trade for Goff happened and less than a year later, Sean McVay became the head coach.

Those two moves have shifted LA’s draft strategy immensely, probably more than any other franchise in the last three years. After an 11-year period of living in the top half of the first round, the Rams have not drafted in the top-40 since their selection of Goff and as you already know, aren’t scheduled to pick this year until 52.

And in lieu of drafting early, general manager Les Snead has turned to making trades. A lot of them. At a rapid pace compared to what he was doing in tandem with Jeff Fisher.

In the three years prior to McVay’s hire, Snead made six trades:

• 0 in 2014
• 4 in 2015
• 2 in 2016

These trades include:

• A seventh for Case Keenum
• Zac Stacy for a seventh
• The Nick Foles-for-Sam Bradford deal that included four picks
• Trading down from 41 to 57 and adding two picks
• Moving down four spots in the fourth round
• Sending two firsts, two seconds, and two thirds for the right to draft Goff, plus a fourth and a sixth

That’s it over the previous three years with Fisher, a total of six trades. In 2017, the first year of McVay, the Rams made seven trades. In 2018, they made 12 trades. In 2019, they made 10 trades. That’s now a total of 29 trades with McVay-Snead as compared to 16 trades total with Fisher-Snead. And much of what McVay-Snead do is in relation to the draft.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/espnnfl/status/943966303131455488?s=21


They aren’t always necessarily trading down or trading up or trading picks for players or players for picks. They’re willing to do it all as the moment calls for it and despite not picking in the top-40 for as long as they have, the Rams have still added 27 players through the draft over the last three years.

What is the expectation for 27 draft picks in three years?

How does that expectation change on a curve accounting for their lack of high draft picks?

How many above-average selections has Los Angeles made in that time?

Of course, we can’t fairly judge that last question for the 2019 draft class other than saying that seventh rounder Dakota Allen is no longer on the team, plus notes on feeling positively or negatively about a rookie season; but that does little to indicate what the following two to 10 seasons will look like really.

We can however look at the 2019 class as far as assessing needs.

And while the 2018 class has had just two seasons under the belt, we can start to eliminate some of those 11 picks from having a future impact with the team. The 2017 class, much more ready for judgment at this point.

Let’s review.

Of the 27, these five players are no longer with the LA Rams:

Sam Rogers, Ejaun Price, Trevon Young, John Franklin-Myers, Dakota Allen

It’s not a long list, which seems good, though Justin Lawler was saved on injured reserve and it would be surprising if he was in the plans for the future. The same goes for Micah Kiser, who has been in a similar situation. The only players from the 2018 draft class to play in more than 16 games are Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen, both of whom have played in 22.

Let’s review the 22 players who remain on the roster from the last three drafts:

2017

There looks to be a great chance that this is the superior class of the last three years as Cooper Kupp(69th overall) stands out as the only legitimate star we know of yet. You can make ovations that others will become stars but Kupp is in his own class at the moment.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/858487216019873792?s=21


That being said John Johnson (91st), Gerald Everett (44th), and Samson Ebukam (125th) all appear to be good players and could become much more. Josh Reynolds (117th) too has had his moments and provides value that many fourth rounders do not. You may be able to successfully argue that there are five players in the 2017 class who are better than any player in the 2018 class.

That’s good news for 2017, not so good news for 2018.

The other players selected were Rogers, Price, and Tanzel Smart, who missed most of 2018 and seemed to play below expectations during 171 snaps in 2019. He too may be released before next season.

2018

Out of 11 players drafted, none have been a starter for both seasons, and only two have been starters for the majority of one season: Brian Allen (111th) and Sebastian Joseph (195th). At a time when LA must replace some key players on the offensive line, the Rams might not be able to rely on any of their three o-line picks from 2018.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/3k_/status/1096181109543587842?s=21


Noteboom (89th) played very poorly during his 393 snaps at left guard last season. Allen wasn’t much better over his 583 snaps at center. Jamil Demby (192nd) needs to fight just to make the final roster again.

Then seven of their eight remaining picks that year went to players for the front-seven: Four defensive ends, two linebackers, one defensive tackle.

Franklin-Myers (135th) played 301 snaps as a rookie and sacked Tom Brady in the Super Bowl to force a fumble but spent 2019 on injured reserve for the New York Jets. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (160th) missed all of his rookie season and then showed potential in 115 total snaps last season. Trevon Young (205th) was cut midseason in 2018, returned, then again released in 2019, last picked up by the Cleveland Browns. And Lawler (244th) was their final pick.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/pff/status/996801478416355330?s=21


Kiser (147th) was selected in round five and he was placed on IR during final cuts last year. The other linebacker was Travin Howard (231st) and after not making the roster as a rookie, he returned to play in 102 snaps on defense and an impressive 329 snaps on special teams in 2019. Howard stands out as a more valuable seventh rounder than average, but that’s only saying so much and special teams value has its limitations as well.

The most valuable pickup of the class has been sixth round defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day(195th), who emerged as a starter alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers after spending all of 2018 as a member of the 53-man roster but making zero game appearances. Joseph-Day was buried on the depth chart as a rookie but had enough potential for McVay to keep him around and then he got an invite to Von Miller’s pass rushing summit last offseason. Joseph-Day played 481 snaps on defense, recording 44 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for a loss, and five QB hits.

Consider that in 888 snaps during the previous season, Suh had 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for a loss, and 14 QB hits.

The last player I’ve yet mentioned is running back John Kelly(176th) and in two years he’s bounced back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster, but has yet to look like an NFL caliber player. Even at the end of the 2018 season, when C.J. Anderson looked All-Pro like in the absence of Todd Gurley, Kelly failed to produce when given the opportunities. I don’t think this is a big deal, Kelly was a sixth round pick, and in fact most of these selections failing to contribute is not a concern in a vacuum.

The big picture is that out of 11 selections in 2018, only one has produced a positive season through the first two years since the draft: Joseph-Day. He has the most starts of the group (15), followed by Allen (9), Noteboom (6), and Demby (1). Seven of the 11 have yet to start an NFL game and there’s certainly a chance that Allen, Noteboom, and Demby don’t ever start a game again. So the macro outlook of the 2018 Rams draft class may be disappointing, but on a micro level, can’t we give Snead and McVay a break?

LA had zero picks until they got to 89.

They traded picks 23 and 198 for Brandin Cooks, which basically makes him their first rounder. That worked out very well in 2018.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/981288231605080064?s=21


They traded pick 56 for Sammy Watkins and pick 195, and not only was Watkins useful in 2017 as McVay was getting his feet wet, but pick 195 turned into Joseph-Day. Additionally, after Watkins signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Rams received a third round compensatory pick. While the outcome of each third round choice is muddled, we do know that Snead traded a third to receive Dante Fowler from the Jacksonville Jaguars and also used two thirds to trade up for running back Darrell Henderson. That freedom of additional thirds could be used to explain the Fowler acquisition, which worked out very well and could at least be another third round compensatory pick in 2021.

So while LA didn’t select in the first and second round, they acquired Cooks, Joseph-Day, and potentially Fowler because of the moves Snead made with those picks.

And before making the Noteboom pick, Snead traded down only two spots to add a sixth rounder from the Oakland Raiders, and then he packaged another sixth rounder to move up for Okoronkwo, who is potentially the second-best acquisition here after Joseph-Day.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/latimesklein/status/1171221428332453888?s=21


Grading on the curve that the Rams were only a hair away from having zero picks on days one and two of the draft, I think the 2018 class is acceptable even though we may only see three or four of the 11 selections make it to year three on the roster. There would be nothing unusual about seeing a late third round guard or a fourth round center failing to have an impact on the professional level. Nothing to really criticize when a sixth round running back or a seventh round defensive end turn up on waivers. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are two organizations that often go for quantity over perceived quality in the NFL draft and this has helped them build exceptional rosters in the past, but it has also burned each with talent droughts.

That comes with the territory of success.

2019

That leaves only one more class under the McVay-Snead regime to discuss so far and that’s the eight-person draft of 2019. Coming off of a Super Bowl loss, the Rams were in position to make their highest pick since 2016, but first opted to trade down from 31 all the way to 45, swapping a sixth for a third with the Atlanta Falcons. They then went from 45 to 56, adding a third from those Patriots. And then next went from 56 to 61, scooping a fifth rounder from the Kansas City Chiefs.

The final tally: Drop from 31 to 61, lose a sixth rounder, add two thirds and a fifth.

Snead is not stupid. He knows that when you drop from 31 to 61 there will be a handful of names that will always make fans wonder, “What if?” It is impossible that there wouldn’t be some exceptional players in that range and while I could list rookie standouts (A.J. Brown chief among them), it is still too early to tell if maybe some of the offensive linemen they passed on (Kaleb McGary, Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford, Dalton Risner, Erik McCoy) may be the biggest regrets ... but perhaps there will be no regrets at all given what they came away with.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/theramswire/status/1127196798660030467?s=21


The first selection was Taylor Rapp (61st) and I don’t think anybody hates that. Rapp recorded 100 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defensed at safety last season and he pairs as a future there with Johnson.

Instead of picking 63rd, as they would have been scheduled to, Los Angeles dealt that to the Kansas City Chiefs for Marcus Peters a year earlier and he helped them reach the Super Bowl. They still get something else out of Peters: linebacker Kenny Young and an upcoming fifth round pick.

Next they select Henderson (70th) and he was held back for most of his rookie campaign. We can’t judge him one way or the other yet. Cornerback David Long (79th) came soon after and he ended up playing in 85 coverage snaps, most coming in Week 17. We can expect him to get a look at the slot next season.

Bobby Evans (97th) got more work than expected, 479 snaps at right tackle, and there were ups and downs. Looking at these three draft classes en total, Evans, Noteboom, Allen all figure to mix into competitions after the eventual outcomes of Andrew Whitworth, Austin Blythe, and potentially Rob Havenstein are decided. Maybe Demby too. The player who may have had the best showing so far is David Edwards (169th) who had 554 snaps at right guard and 138 snaps at left guard as a rookie in 2019.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/1121976811259215872?s=21


But as we saw with players like Blythe and Havenstein, inconsistency is to be expected and planned for ahead of time. McVay and Snead can’t feel confident that they’ll have a line as good as they had in 2017-2018, but they’ve added 4-5 new options into the mix and can hope that 1-3 of them are quality low-cost contributors in 2020.

Snead made three other picks last year: Defensive tackle Greg Gaines (134th), safety Nick Scott (243rd) and linebacker Dakota Allen (251st).

Gaines may be a stout run defender, though the sample size is just 106 run defense snaps. He figures to be in the rotational mix for 2020 but perhaps will be limited in snaps behind Donald and Joseph-Day. Scott earned 16 game checks because of his play on special teams, where he got 378 snaps, most on the team; Scott, Marqui Christian, and Howard were the three snaps leaders on that side of the ball. Consider that this is where Cory Littleton thrived under McVay in 2017 before becoming a regular on defense in 2018. It may mean nothing, plenty of special teamers are phased out soon after, but it’s never bad to stick on the roster.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/noplanb_/status/1128449166382915591?s=21


And as mentioned earlier, Allen is no longer on the roster.

For 2020, it appears the Rams may have come away with a starting safety, potentially a starting nickel corner, a running back who may play a vital role depending on the future of Todd Gurley, maybe a starting guard or key versatile backup on the o-line, a rotational defensive tackle, and a special teamer or two. For a draft that again didn’t feature a pick in the top-60, that would be a great haul — which still doesn’t account for whatever value they received from Peters.

2017-2019

All told, we see 27 draft picks, 22 still with the team, and zero drafted in the first round. Only two were taken in the second round — Everett and Rapp — six were taken in the third.

Everett, Rapp, Kupp, Johnson, and Joseph-Day should be highlighted among the 22 and fittingly, Everett, Rapp, and Kupp were the three highest-drafted. Johnson was not that far behind. Ebukam, Evans, Long, Smart, Henderson, Allen, Gaines, Okoronkwo, Edwards, Howard, Scott may all play key roles in 2020 and we can’t say for sure that some names I haven’t listed won’t either.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/pff_rams/status/1215677660434558977?s=21


This may not feel like a three-year haul that is adequate to building a Super Bowl roster because thus far we’ve only really seen Kupp breakout on that level — and receiving value itself is somewhat limited — but we must consider the curve. Yes, during the Fisher administration, the team drafted Donald, Gurley, Goff, Trumaine Johnson, Alec Ogletree, Janoris Jenkins, Havenstein, Greg Zuerlein, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyler Higbee, Tavon Austin, and others, but consider three things:

• That’s out of 43 picks, not 27
• They’ve had more time
• Goff, Austin, Gurley, Donald, and Brockers were top-14 picks, and Ogletree, Jenkins, and Joynerall went higher than any player picked by the Rams in the last three years. That’s eight of those 43 picks, not to leave out Greg Robinson and Brian Quick, two disappointing selections in that range.

There’s also the matter of opportunity.

When the team is bad, more of their draft picks can put in time. Now that the team is good, it is harder to earn snaps for young players over veterans like Donald, Brockers, Fowler, Clay Matthews, Littleton, Eric Weddle, Jalen Ramsey, and so on. With many of those names exiting the locker room next season, that’s where some of these 22 names will be called upon to step up.

And then another round of judgment begins.

Overall I’d say that given the cards they were dealt, both in being successful and thereby lowering their draft capital, and in making somewhat risky trades that bolstered the veteran talent on the team, Snead and McVay can be pleased with the results through three years so far. I think the spike in trades has been a positive for the organization and even if they don’t have another first round pick on the slate again until 2022, they should at least remain competitive until then.

10 things with Jake McQuaide

Each week, we interview a different Rams player to find out about their lives on the field as well as off of it. Team Reporter, Sarina Morales, asks the questions fans want to know, in a fun and conversational interview. This week, long snapper, Jake McQuaide, spoke to Sarina about jalapeno chips, Curb Your Enthusiasm and what he wants his legacy to be.

1: Love long snapping

Sarina: What do you love about long snapping?

Jake: The number one thing that I've loved about it is that it's allowed me to continue to be a teammate. When I think about, what do I want my legacy to be? What do I want people to say about me when I'm done playing?

He was a great teammate. That to me is the highest praise you can get. If not for long snapping, I would've been done playing football after high school. More likely than not. I could have maybe played at a very small school. I was a pretty good player. I was never a great player. So, what it's given me the ability to do is continue to play football, which I love and I'm a football fan first. To be able to interact with these guys and be a part of a team.

2: 9 years and counting…

Sarina: You're the longest tenured Ram. You beat out [Michael] Brockers and our boy Johnny [Hekker].
Jake: Just by one year. I'm a Steve Spagnuolo holdover.

Sarina:Given the fact that change is the only constant, what can you appreciate about being here?

Jake: I moved one time just because the team moved from St. Louis to LA. But it's rare for your family to not move around and that has been very, very nice for us. For the family side of it, not having to move around, which is, like you said, change is constant in this league. That's the normal experience of the guys, that you play a couple of years here, a couple of years there and I haven't had to go through that. Then the other side of it is getting to be here so long you, can develop the relationships with trust.

3: Lot of love for Littleton

Sarina: I know you are close with Greg [Zuerlein] and Johnny [Hekker]. But who is a non-special teamer that you love? Or even appreciate from afar?

Jake: I'd probably say Cory Littleton. He's a very unique guy and I can appreciate people who are 100% themselves. They're not worried about what people think about them. He is who he is and he's totally confident being exactly who he is and he's a hell of a football player on top of it. He's gifted beyond belief.

There's a special place in my heart for those guys who start on teams, start covering kicks, and then they get their opportunity and they take that opportunity because that's why everyone's here. Guys don't come into the league to cover kicks. They come in and they want to play on offense and defense. So when they get their opportunities, and they do, most of them, it's really fun to watch for me as a fan. I'm a football fan most of all.

4: THE Ohio State

Sarina: I know you rep Ohio State obviously. For someone who's never gone to an Ohio State game, describe game day.

Jake: Well, you got a 110,000 in the Horseshoe. That's a cathedral of football. If you were a bucket list person and you're a football person, Ohio Stadium, the Horseshoe is on the list. Even if you're a person in Michigan, you would have to go to the Shoe and see it. And I'm biased, but there's just something about that time of year in that part of the country. The smell of it, the grills, the temperature, you don't need a koozie for your beer because mother nature is just that brisk. There's just the crispness of it.

5: No pause button

Sarina: What have you learned about yourself being a parent?

Jake: You think you have certain priorities or whatever set up. For me it was like I want to make some money, I want to have this certain type of house or whatever. I want to make sure everything's in line. Then you have a child and all of that is just shattered. You're just like, okay, I was stupid. None of that is important at all. Now it's how do I control my time and how do I make sure I'm always there for everything, because you can't be. But your whole perspective on everything changes and you have to be ready. Once that starts, there is no pause button.

6: Jalapeno chips

Sarina: March 14 is National Potato Chip day. What is your favorite salty snack?

Jake: If I had to go with a potato chip, I like the Kettle style jalapeno, the green bag. It's very good. I think Miss Vickie's is the brand that makes them.

7. Johnny to the rescue

Sarina: When your kids come to the games. What is the strategy?

Jake: Well most of the time the plan is leaving them at home with the babysitter. Most of the time. But they did come to a game this year and the strategy was Johnny has a suite and he allowed my family to be there.

8. Pack that suitcase

Sarina: When you go on holiday, when do you pack your suitcase? The day before, two hours before?

Jake: I just did this because I just went to the NFLPA meetings. I was a 'day of' guy or maybe 'night before' guy. When we're doing a trip with the family that's not a realistic situation. We've got multiple bags, there is a whole system because that's the only way you're going to get everything you need. With the kids, you got to do that or else you're going to end up forgetting the baby formula or something and really be screwed.

9. The Old Place

Sarina: Favorite spot to hang out in LA.

Jake: The Old Place is our spot. It's in the [Malibu] mountains. It's just kind of on Mulholland Highway and it looks like an old Roadhouse. They make ridiculous steaks. We had an event there for Garth Brooks' foundation once. The people there are so nice. You probably fit 50 people maybe in the entire place. But if Abby and I have the time where we can go out, if we could pick, that's the spot. The Old Place.

10: Breaking Bad FTW

Sarina: Netflix and chill. What are we watching?

Jake: Right now, we've been really heavy into, not Netflix, but HBO, Curb Your Enthusiasm. The new season is hilarious. Larry David is hilarious. Total genius. If I had to pick a show, a more consistent one, we'll watch an episode of King of Queens before bed, usually. Because King of Queens, to me, is top notch. If Abby and I both had to say our favorite show that we've watched together, that would probably be Breaking Bad.

Might as well make a thread full of... pure randomness....

While we enjoy more “home” time... projects will get done and time will be wasted.

Throw it all here!

Cost to post: 3 squares of toilet paper.

McVay expects Higbee to carry 2019 impact over to 2020

Rams tight end Tyler Higbee's monster month of December led to multiple career-highs and franchise records. Head coach Sean McVay is confident that production is sustainable and will carry over into 2020.

"He made a huge impact for us," McVay said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month. "He's always been a very important part of it and I think it was great for Tyler to be able to get the opportunities and then be able to maximize that."

Across the final month of the season, Higbee tallied 43 of his 69 catches, 522 of his 734 receiving yards and 2 of his 3 touchdowns. His 69 receptions and 734 yards set new single-season franchise records for a tight end. His three touchdowns set a new single-season career-high.

Higbee's performances in Weeks 13-16 also earned him the distinction of becoming just the fourth tight end in NFL history to record four consecutive 100-yard receiving games. It also benefitted Rams quarterback Jared Goff over the final month of the season, according to McVay.

"You could see, as his production continued to just show up week in and week out, especially towards – it's not by coincidence that a lot of Jared's really good play coincided with when Tyler ended up playing really well, starting with the first Arizona game and then leading into those last five games, so we've got big plans for him," McVay said.

Goff in December said what was most beneficial for Higbee is that he is capable of contributing and making plays on all three downs.

"A lot of instances, you can see a lot of certain guys production occur – the known passing situations, first and second down off the play action or different things like that," Goff said. "He's made plays in the drop-back game, he's made plays in the screen game, he's made plays in the play-action. He's done a lot of different things."

Additionally, scouting service Pro Football Focus awarded Higbee the highest offense grade of any Ram at 85.9. It's the third-highest by a Ram in the last three seasons, behind left tackle Andrew Whitworth's 86.1 and wide receiver Robert Woods' 86.4 in 2018.

"It was good, getting involved in the offense, just building off it," Higbee told the Rams.com in late December, when asked how he carries over the last month of the 2019 season in 2020. "Getting more in tune with the defense, just working and building off of the performance."

McVay is optimistic about what lies ahead for Higbee.

"I thought that was something that was great for him to be able to maximize those opportunities and we think he's got a very bright future," McVay said.

Cameron DaSilva

12 hours ago
Hints can always be taken based on which prospects teams are meeting with leading up to the NFL draft. For the Los Angeles Rams, two positions have stood out as somewhat surprising.

Not only did they meet with a handful of running backs at the combine last month, but they’re also showing a clear interest in tight ends. In recent months, they’ve met with several players at the position, both draft prospects and free agents.

The Rams reportedly discussed signing Jordan Reed, who was released by the Redskins this offseason after clearing the league’s concussion protocol. They met with Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins at the Senior Bowl before he put together an impressive performance at the combine. And just this week, they met with two more tight ends in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon’s Jacob Breeland and Oregon State’s Noah Togiai.

It’s obvious the Rams are interested in adding reinforcements to the tight end room, even if not for a high cost in free agency or early in the draft. So what does this all mean for their current group of tight ends? That’s a good question.

Tyler Higbee finished the 2019 season with a stunningly productive stretch of five games, topping 100 yards in four of them. In total, Higbee caught 69 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Gerald Everett ended the year in a very different way. After injuring his knee in Week 11 against the Ravens, Everett didn’t catch a pass the rest of the season. He missed three games and played just four offensive snaps in the final two weeks as the Rams kept him on the sidelines. His final tally? In 13 games, he caught 37 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns.

Higbee and Everett entered the 2020 offseason in polar opposite ways. Higbee finished on a high note, while Everett’s 2019 season couldn’t have ended much worse. Higbee just signed a four-year extension in September, while Everett has just one year left on his rookie deal.

On the surface, the Rams’ interest in tight ends would seem to put Everett’s future with the team in jeopardy. He’s younger, has a more intriguing skill set and is entering the final year of his contract. And given the way the Rams handled the position at the end of the 2019 season, it’s clear they feel good about Higbee.
“We’ve got big plans for him,” Sean McVay said at the combine. “That’s something that I thought it was great for him to be able to maximize those opportunities and we think he’s got a very bright future.”

But if the Rams are determined to free up cap space, there’s no mistaking which players offers more potential savings by being cut or traded.
If the Rams trade Higbee, they’ll save $6.2 million in cap space this year. If they deal Everett, the savings will only be $1.3 million. The Rams would save the same amount by cutting Everett, but releasing Higbee would only save them $200,000; that’s not really an option.

Could it be possible that the Rams featured Higbee so heavily late in the year to drive up his trade value? Two years ago, the were reportedly trying to get a sixth-rounder for him. Surely, the price has gone up after his breakout season. The Rams could probably get a fifth-rounder for Higbee now, if not a fourth.
As for Everett’s trade value, it’s difficult to gauge. He’s younger and a former second-round pick, but a team will only be getting one season out of him if he doesn’t sign an extension.

The Rams’ interest in tight ends doesn’t mean either player will be traded or cut. It could just be them doing their due diligence ahead of the draft in the event that one of their targets slides on Day 3.

But it’d be silly to ignore their interest in the position, given the number of players they’ve looked at.


Geez DeSilva continues to show me he knows nothing about the NFL and the Rams in particular. Hello, DahhhSilva perhaps it has to do with Everett is a UFA at the end of this coming season? He will find an eager market for his services and the Rams could easily be outbid for him. Why doesn't it occur to Cameron that it is the reason the Rams locked up Higbee with an extension while they could? They would be remiss if they didn't look at possible Everett replacements. Everett has emerged as a legitimate downfield threat from the TE position. Higbee has proved himself a good short to midrange possession receiver, i.e. the typical position role for a TE.

So it could be that the Rams will potentially offer Everett up as trade bait to get something for a player they are likely to lose in 2021. Or they simply will go with their compensatory pick route for losing Everett. Either way, it makes perfect sense to look long and hard at possible replacements. If they were to trade him it would be for nothing less than a mid to high second round pick or low first round pick or a good edge rusher if it's a player for a player type of trade.