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We all agree fixing the OL solves a multitude of issues. Better OL equals more Offense, less time Defense is on the field, and most likely not playing from behind as much.

To achieve this here are my suggestions offer Cincy a late pick to secure Corey Glenn rights he had concussion issues but never missed hardly any games and a super solid LT that will NOT break the bank he got 8 5m from Cincy last year. Vs Whit who will cost as much and is alot older vs a group of younger guys on the team currently that are not proven. We need a proven LT.

One other option is to pry Williams out of Wash but what he may want combined with injuries maybe a tough pill to swallow.

Trade a 3 or a 4th rounder for Trai Turner he has gone to 5 straight probowls and will cost a lot but is worth it. Use our #2 or #3 draft pick on the best C.

These three key moves solves everything. With the he combo of other guys our OL is top 10 and much better for Goff and McVays offense

Report: Cardinals offered contract to Drew Brees before 2018 season

A recent report on various quarterback news from this weekend’s NFL Combine included a tidbit related to some Arizona Cardinals history.

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, who wrote on quarterbacks around the league and the combine, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is expected to re-sign with his longtime team before the start of NFL free agency. He did the same thing in 2018, but at that time, Brees reportedly got an offer from the Cardinals:

A source said the current plan is for Brees to sign before free agency, similar to two years ago, when he had a lucrative offer from Arizona (two years, $60 million) but never entertained it. Brees’ stance on that was that he’s trying to win Super Bowls, not earn a few extra million dollars. He still feels that way, so he probably won’t enter free agency unless something goes awry.

This report is consistent with buzz from around that time, like a March of 2018 report from ESPN’s Mike Triplett that said “at least one other team was willing to give Brees $60 million guaranteed over two years.” Denver sports radio host Les Shapiro said then that team was the Cardinals.

That was the same offseason that the Cardinals instead signed veteran Sam Bradford to a one-year, $20 million contract before waiving him midseason in November. Josh Rosen, who had just been drafted, took over for the Cardinals, and you know the rest: The Cardinals drafted a new quarterback the very next year in Kyler Murray.

Brees has since led the league in completion percentage in each of the last two seasons, amassing 6,971 yards and 59 touchdowns to just nine interceptions in that span of 26 games. He has a 21-5 record in that time frame.

Mike Florio
ProFootball Talk on NBC SportsMarch 1, 2020, 3:37 PM PST


The NFL and the Scouting Combine traditionally have had a hard time keeping confidential information under wraps. Perhaps one of the biggest (and funniest) leaks ever has happened during the recent annual incoming rookie convention in Indianapolis.
In a video that, per a league source, reflects a Q&A conducted by Combine staff and not by any specific team, Washington tackle Trey Adams is asked, “If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?”
He pauses, considers the question, twists his mouth for a moment, and sheepishly says, “Bigger d-ck.” Then he decides to say it more clearly, confidently: “Bigger d-ck.”
As the source explained it, teams usually don’t get the interviews conducted by Combine staff until next week. Teams assign Combine workers (usually, younger scouts), and someone working with the Combine let it out.
Long-time NFL exec and NFL Media analyst Gil Brandt sounded off about the breach of confidentiality on Twitter: “I hope the person who leaked the Trey Adams video is found out and punished to the fullest extent. These are supposed to be confidential meetings. Not fair to Adams or the process. Both players and teams rely on this confidentiality to have honest discussions.”
That’s fine, but the NFL has no qualms about using its media arm to publicize leaks of confidential information about player discipline (in direct violation of league policy), and no one ever says boo about it. If the league decides to go scorched earth over a hilarious comment that isn’t embarrassing in any way to Trey Adams (but for the fact that he discloses a private wish that has fueled an entire industry of medication and supplements), that would be unfortunate.
Combine video leaks with Trey Adams giving very candid answer originally appeared on Pro Football Talk

Lost in all the Gurley health debate is; what exactly do we have in Darrell Henderson behind him?

His rookie year, didn’t answer that question. So, backup RB is also a bit of an unknown going into 2020.

I wish we saw more rushing attempts last year.


Los Angeles Rams RB Darrell Henderson is destined for stardom

Just one offseason ago, everything was all good for the Los Angeles Rams.

They just competed in the Super Bowl, the team was spearheaded by superstar Head Coach Sean McVay, the roster was loaded with talent at all positions, and the franchise was poised to make another deep playoff run in the 2020 NFL Season.

Obviously, things didn’t work out as planned for the Rams as they managed a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs altogether.

In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Rams pinpointed Memphis Tigers RB Darrell Henderson as a guy they were clearly high on, and somebody they had major interest in adding to an already explosive and potent offense. That’s when the Rams packaged two third-round draft picks to move up to the 70th-overall pick in the third round, which they then used to select Henderson.

Henderson’s rookie season didn’t go as planned with the runner touching the ball only 43 times throughout the season, though his per-touch efficiency suggested Henderson deserved much more usage throughout.

Let’s review Henderson’s rookie season in-depth (stats from Pro Football Reference):

Rushing yards:
147 yards

1st downs:
10

Yards before contact/attempt:
2.2 yards

Yards after contact/attempt:
1.6 yards

Rush attempts per broken tackles:
5.6 attempts

The stats aren’t mind-blowing or eye-popping, though one of these stats above prove just how productive Henderson was, and how much talent oozes out of college football’s most explosive runner: the 5.6 rush attempts per broken tackle statistic. Out of all RB’s with 20+ carries this past season, Henderson broke tackles at the highest rate in the league.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Henderson needed 5.6 rushing attempts for every broken tackle of his, and that figure was good enough to place him at first place in the league. Ironically enough, teammate Malcolm Brown came in at second in the NFL, which proves just how tough the duo is and how much they can create post-contact.

Henderson didn’t receive a ton of work, leaving us with only a small sample size to evaluate, though the talent was visible every time #27 touched the field. The rookie surely had some rookie mistakes (like the fumbled pitch against the San Francisco 49ers), but still proved to be an effective RB with a ton of burst, acceleration, and contact balance.

Using Warren Sharp’s Sharp Football Stats, we can further break down Henderson’s performance with charts displaying his success rate by direction (top-left chart), comparing it to the league average success rate by direction (bottom-left chart), and Henderson’s success rate over the average (chart on the right).

As you can see below, Henderson was most productive behind RG, LT, and the far boundaries to the right and left, in that order. Comparing that to the league average, Hendo was far more productive running behind RG and LT, slightly more productive on boundary runs to the left, and far less productive behind RT and to the right boundary.



Some of these stats are more indicative than others, though it’s hard to come to any conclusion based off the small sample size. For example, I used the same directional charts for teammate RB Todd Gurley, and ironically enough, Gurley also struggled mightily running behind RT and to the right boundary, yet had plenty of success behind RG. These charts display a lot of where the Rams were productive — and lack thereof — along the offensive line.

Looking at this chart below, you can compare the rushing success rate by down between the trio of Rams running backs:



As you can see, Henderson was by far the most productive on first downs, yet the least productive on second and third downs (tied with Brown). In total (far right), Henderson actually had the greatest success rate of all the runners coming in at 47%, just nearly edging out Gurley.

You’re probably asking what the hell all of this means and why it’s relevant... well, let me explain.

Henderson’s lack of usage makes it incredibly hard to pinpoint any one conclusion, but we can attempt to extrapolate his usage and make a far more educated guess on his potential impact moving forward because of these in-depth stats and his per-touch efficiency. Henderson didn’t touch the ball much, but when he did, he proved to be a weapon capable of making guys miss (and often).

It’s hard to come to any further conclusions than that, but Henderson was the most explosive CFB running back in his final year in college (and even his sophomore season) when he averaged 8.9-yards-per-rushing attempt and totaled 22 rushing touchdowns.

The Rams have had trouble — particularly with Gurley — breaking off long runs and scoring long rushing touchdowns on the ground, though Henderson has shown plenty of ability in that regard, which is likely why the Rams elected to pursue his talents even after handing Gurley a massive contract extension and re-signing Brown after the Detroit Lions attempted to vulture him.

The best idea moving forward is to continue to scale back Gurley’s workload (or potentially offload him if possible), and to increase Henderson’s workload tenfold, both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.

Sean McVay is smart enough to make it work in a creative manner, and new Offensive Coordinator Kevin O’Connell will be tasked with bringing new and innovative ideas to keep the stable of running backs happy and involved in a timeshare. A timeshare is inevitable due to the amount of resources the Rams invested in both Gurley and Henderson, and is likely the smartest idea moving forward in a league that rarely deploys the “workhorse” running back any longer.

Les mentioned in his press conference at the combine that he didn't want to go into this draft with glaring needs in his roster. Now, I realize that's a standard approach, or at the very least a philosophy that is very common with GMs due to the desire to enable a BPA perspective when selecting players. But of course teams do indeed go into the draft with needs every year and this year's Rams might at the very least have some subpar positions by the time they're up.

When I look at this roster the primary issues revolve around the potential departure of FAs. That said there are position groups on this roster that are far weaker than others, so I wanted to attempt to draw some parallels with those groups vs quality of said groups in FA and the draft in order to reasonably project what's ahead. Yeah. I know. It's almost impossible to do that (Rams could go in so many ways and there are way too many variables) but I figure what the hell.

Going to do this based on what I perceive the roster quality to be, from worst on.

1. ILB. This is the lowest roster quality position on the team. We also have a new DC that has coached a lot of high quality ILBs in his time in the NFL, and he's from a coaching tree (Fangio) that tends to value those guys more than the previous tree did (Wade tended to coach up ILBs who have the elements he looks for). And of course it gets worse with Littleton preparing to hit FA and the way teams value passing game contributions means he's going to be overpaid.

Options to settle this position prior to the draft are re-signing Littleton, tagging him, or bringing in another FA. Problem is bringing Littleton back still leaves the Rams' ILB position looking quite weak in NFC West matchups where strong run threats abound. When I look at the film I feel like Littleton has too many weaknesses vs the run because he is contact shy and routinely sits back vice filling his run fits downhill. This is glaring vs a run game like that of SF, and IMO his position in this defense moving forward (if he's brought back) is WILB where he's still going to hurt us vs the run but will remain a plus element vs the pass.

Rams seemed to separate his importance in recent conversations at the combine, which I personally did not like. But aside from all that 3-4 ILBs have an advantage over 4-3 MLBs in that you have two of them splitting the field and thus can go bigger and more physical, and you honestly should in order to help offset one less lineman up front. At the least you should have a very strong run filler next to Corey, if the Rams bring him back. Is that on the roster? Meh.

Logic tells me the Rams are going to restack ILB to better serve our new DC. At the very least we are going to see a run stopping upgrade. I'm going to ignore my fear on this one and rest assured the Rams are smart enough to let Littleton walk. How will they restack the position if Littleton leaves in FA? I project they will add a run stuffer who is cheaper than Corey in FA and draft or UDFA one or two nickelbacker types to compete with Howard. Projected FA quality at the position supports this, as does the draft where they can go after big box safeties or WILL type backers for that dev WILB role.

2. OL. We've nuked the hell out of this position, I realize. And for good reason. There are some good pieces going forward in this roster group. Also at this point it seems like Whit is going to be brought back, so I am going to go with this assumption. Which, if things happen that way, means Center is the biggest single need that must be filled heading into the draft as Allen might not be ready for camp and competition is required.

Rams have a couple FA options to solve Center in the FA period. Blythe is one option, as he did play better for us in that final stretch after the move over. But personally I prefer they go away from Blythe, who tends to show his JAGness once he wins a job. The other option is outside Centers however most of them are similar to Blythe in that they're backups. Only Center I like is McGovern, who is a guy Denver has allowed to develop through some painful looks but is very much a starter now. Will he hit FA? Much as it pains me to admit, we might see Blythe come back like a bad case of herpes with the plan to draft a Center to compete with him in camp. It's goddamn ugly, however as I have always said you can disguise a subpar Center if the OGs are strong enough on either side of him.

3. 5T. This might be the starting position the Rams are most concerned with, but to my eye the depth chart puts it third because of Fox. He's not a good starter or anything, but he's a spot starter level player IMO.

FA does have good depth of options, to include a guy who has played in this exact scheme in Wolfe. I feel like the Rams will bring in a FA, not a big money option but someone who will fill the roster hole so they're not looking to move up/down specifically for 5T. The draft has some very nice options but will they go in with a hole from Brockers departure? Doubtful. Also last but not least this position is shared a bit with the 3T depth question, meaning for rotational purposes our 3T depth sucks and makes this a position that a FA addition affects more than just 5T.

4. Kicker. Man have I been going back and forth on this one. Kicker is not some easy position to fill, it's quite tough as these guys are prone to all manner of bizarre results when you draft them. Taking one you like high doesn't seem to increase odds. Taking one late is a roll of the dice. And you don't usually have great options in FA if you try to address it on the market. I've been of the mind that GZ returns. But after listening to McVay's press conference again I'm not so sure that is the case. Call it a gut feeling I suppose but I suspect the Rams are going to replace him.

One potential complication here too btw is the departure of Bones and Dallas needing a kicker. Not to mention the FA group is meh and GZ is probably the safest bet among them. But anyway if the Rams do elect to allow GZ to depart in FA the replacement will be through the draft even if it means entering the draft with a hole at the position on the roster.

5. Edge. At this point I have edge relatively low which I am sure some of you take exception to. And rightly so perhaps. But I think this group is solid in terms of its depth and possibilities, and I am not certain that Matthews will be cut because he'll still cost a couple million plus he looked pretty damn good prior to his injury last season. Fowler is definitely gone of course and I wish him the best with his big payday he's earned it.

FA is probably the best group I can recall in terms of rough number of edge rushers that are likely to hit the market as well as quality at the top. But the Rams simply cannot afford any of them. Couple that with an edge class that is quite good and which might produce a very nice rusher for our defense at 52 overall, and I suspect the Rams will stand pat in FA even after losing Fowler and pick up another edge rusher in the draft to mix into their rotation.

6. Safety. My take on this group is not popular, however I feel we need a rangy deep middle type who can ballhawk and make QBs pay in single high looks. Also this position mixes a bit with the Rams' thinking wrt the nickelbacker and maybe even the WILB role, where we have Christian departing in FA thus a hole for substitutions. Now I realize the Rams also seem to disagree with me on the deep middle need, in fact they seem to prioritize tackling and range in their safety selection with the eye to coaching them up on the other stuff. But the complication there is that Johnson is entering his final season and I don't know whether the Rams plan to retain him.

From the FS perspective this FA group is similar to the edge group in that they're one of the best I can recall. It is very likely we see multiple plus options on the market and it's also a position that the Rams might be able to afford depending on how they stack their roster, because it's the cheapest of the positions in FA. An additional level of complication is added when you consider maybe they elect to trade Johnson now while his stock is quite high and while he has a full year ahead before he hits FA, where the resultant pick can be used elsewhere while they snap up a more affordable replacement in this strong FA market. The draft looks like crap in terms of deep rangy types, meanwhile, so I don't see an answer at FS there.

From the SS perspective Christian's subtraction will require an addition. And as opposed to the FS group the SS group in FA isn't really going to help us out. So the Christian replacement will come from the draft most likely, which is to be expected since those guys are represented in big numbers in any draft to include this one.

Summary:
So to total it all up here's what I'm thinking in terms of relative likelihood based on the above considerations...

ILB - 70% addition of run stuffing ILB in FA (i.e. 30% chance the Rams like Kiser/Reeder enough and run stuffers are affordable).
- 50/50 Littleton is allowed to leave (can't ignore recent rumors ). If he leaves 100% WILB is addressed in the draft and UDFA.

OL - 95% Whit signed before FA. 70% Rams add a Center in FA (might be a JAG like Blythe or upgrade like McGovern), if not will draft.

5T - 80% replacement for Brock in FA. 100% Rams look for DL in the draft even if 5T is filled in FA due to rotation quality and 3T.

Kicker - 100% the Rams enter the draft needing kicker if they let GZ leave in FA. I'd say 50/50 they let GZ go.

Edge - 100% the Rams enter the draft needing an edge if/when Fowler leaves (which is also very high percentage at least 95%).

FS - 10% the Rams agree with me that FS is a need (chances are they stand pat). If they do I think FA is 100% how they approach it and JJ is traded.

SS - 100% the Rams look to the draft to replace Christian.

So I expect action in FA at the ILB, 5T, and OL positions. By action I mean the Rams pursue not necessarily sign the FA.

And I expect draft priorities (i.e. ideally not huge needs but positions they are focused on) to be Edge, DL, and OL, and in particular a focus on physicality in said positions.

Here’s an idea for improving the XFL extra-point procedure

The XFL’s overtime protocol, which will be awesome if/when it’s ever used, was based on a PFT idea. So here’s a new PFT idea for making the XFL’s creative approach to the extra point even more compelling.

Currently, the team that scored a touchdown must choose whether to pursue one, two, or three points. For one, the ball is placed at the two. For two, the ball is placed at the five. For three, the ball is placed at the 10.

So the decision is made before the snap, just like it is in the NFL when it comes to going for one or going for two.

How about an approach that defers the decision until after the snap? Put the ball at the 15. If the offense gets to the 10, the team gets a point. If the offense gets to the five, the team gets two points. If the offense puts the ball in the end zone, three points.

It would be the first time at any level of football that the point(s) after a touchdown become flexible, the subject of a pre-snap guessing game and a post-snap guessing game. The score of the game would add to the intrigue, and it possibly would prompt an offense to feign that it’s focusing on earning, for example, one point in the hopes of catching the defense napping and scoring three.

Above all else, the change would infuse a new layer of uncertainty — and thus excitement — into a fairly routine process. And it could make people more inclined to tune in, and to stay tuned in.

3 reasons why the Rams should kick tires of Nate Sudfeld, backup QB role

There is a lot of quarterback talk in the NFL nowadays, so much so that even the LA Rams find themselves sucked into the conversation. Big-name veterans who make a living lining up under center are on the move this year at a level only seen about once every ten years. Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers are all looking for new teams. Even the LA Rams backup quarterback Blake Bortles will be signing on with a new team Meanwhile, the 2020 NFL Draft class is loaded with NFL starting-caliber talent as well. A year of quarterback riches, if you have the money to spend, or the early draft pick to use.

The LA Rams have neither.

So the team must be clever, resourceful, and patient. Clever enough not to enter into a bidding war over a free agent, resourceful enough to do the work required to find the right player at the right price. And then the patience to allow enough time to pass to make it all come together.

With so many options at the quarterback position, the LA Rams must quickly sort through the numbers of potential candidates to focus upon the quality few quarterbacks who truly could step up and carry the Rams to victory should starter QB Jared Goff fall to injury.

The not-so-obvious obvious candidate for the Rams vacant backup QB spot is former Eagles backup QB Nate Sudfeld, and here are three reasons why:

Reason I – High ceiling talent

Let’s not look demean ourselves by debating the talent of a career backup. Quarterbacks who backed up Tom Brady, such as Jimmy Garoppolo, can lead a team to the Super Bowl when given the opportunity. And Nate Sudfeld has backed up Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, and Foles won Super Bowl LII. So his presence on the depth chart means nothing.

Well, let’s back up a moment. With Foles and Sudfeld, the Eagles actually carried three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster rather than demote Sudfeld to the team’s practice squad where other teams could poach him away without compensating the Rams.

Sudfeld is a huge quarterback, even by today’s standards. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 227 pounds, Big guy, but can he throw the ball? Well, in a 2017 season finale game against the Dallas Cowboys, he completed 19 out of 23 for 134 yards with backup receivers.

He gets lots of repetitions throughout training camp and in preseason games. Each year, he appears more ready, more polished. Some football experts believe that were he healthy, the Eagles would have defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the 2019 playoff game. But that’s part of the challenge with Sudfeld. Without much NFL Game video, much of the assessment work is faith-based. But there is more to draw upon in making him a free agency target. He has one of the most experienced resumes among NFL backup quarterbacks out there

Reason II -Incredibly experienced

From the moment he arrived at the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Nate Sudfeld has prepared himself as though he would be starting that week. With so many injuries to the Eagle offense, that is a very wise approach.

The surprise to all came when the Washington Redskins cut him from their team in 2017 (we’ll get back to that later). The Eagles quickly swooped in to sign Sudfeld, and have kept him on the 53-man roster ever since. That translates into all the playoff games, the Super Bowl game, the lights, the cameras, and the action of some of the biggest stages and moments in the NFL.

He’s already “been there, done that”. So having a backup with experiences that rival that of the starting quarterback, a new dynamic is born. Less of the fraternity hazing experiencing carrying shoulder pads off the field, and more of a healthy exchange of ideas. Goff, while a valuable and talented young quarterback, is still a young quarterback. Adding another voice to the choir to add perspective and logic to his game.

He’s been with the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons and attended their offensive sessions. He has been briefed on NFC East opponents twice a year and knows the Eagles intimately. Since the 2020 NFL schedule pits the LA Rams against NFC East teams, he would be an invaluable asset to help the game plan.

Reason III – That Redskins connection

Head coach Sean McVay shopped for a new offensive coordinator by tapping his former team the Washington Redskins. By doing so, the Rams doubled the connection to Redskins’ offensive players. As pointed out previously, Nate Sudfeld was cut by the team in 2017 – long enough to have interacted with new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.

The LA Rams coaching staff does not hesitate to use that Redskins connection when necessary. The team is rumored to be in conversations with tight end Jordan Reed, likely due to the familiarity of working together in the past at Washington. That same connection would likely come in very handy should the Rams fail to sign LT Andrew Whitworth to a new deal.

Now the Rams coaches have a chance to tap that familiarity and insider route to the “real scoop” to learn everything about the former Redskins quarterback Nate Sudfeld.

Many fans do not see the quarterback as a position of need for the Rams this off-season. Well, not until the season begins, and John Wolford is all that stands between the Rams and oblivion. Team needs do not fall in a nice and orderly fashion. Some needs that many fans feel are urgent, may not even be fully addressed until the final 53-man cuts release players which the Rams feel are upgrades.

“ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported Saturday that negotiations “are set to intensify very soon” between Dallas and the Pro Bowl pass-catcher, who’s been projected to land as much as $20 million annually on his next deal.“

Gulp. This is another over-pay contract if true, IMO. He’s good. He deserves top WR talk among 32 teams...but is he really much more than a top 20 WR? If that?

Seriously... pour all WR’s in a pot. Start a draft. Where does he get picked? Probably not in the slot paying $20m/yr.

He just isn’t that kind of take-over type for that kind of deal. Too inconsistent with effort and drops, for my taste.

Dallas will be looking to dump that contract before it’s done.



Amari Cooper to Land Long-Term Cowboys Contract ‘Very Soon’?

The Dallas Cowboys and Amari Cooper’s representatives shared an “upbeat” conversation at the Super Bowl in Miami regarding a new contract for the free-agent wide receiver.

The sides met again during this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where significant headway was made toward a (mostly) mutual goal.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported Saturday that negotiations “are set to intensify very soon” between Dallas and the Pro Bowl pass-catcher, who’s been projected to land as much as $20 million annually on his next deal.

The Cowboys are working against the clock and the soon-to-be ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is expected to eliminate use of both the franchise and transition tags. They would have the franchise tag at their disposal, though that’s likely to be applied to free-agent quarterback Dak Prescott, barring a long-term agreement by March 12, the tag deadline.

“It’s what it is. We’ll just have to figure out a way to (get it done). … There’s no question it’s going to put on a bigger angst,” owner Jerry Jones said at the Combine on Thursday, per the Dallas Morning News, admitting to the difficulty of retaining Prescott and Cooper in 2020.

The Cowboys will take roughly $77 million of salary-cap space into free agency, more than enough to lock down the star duo while likely waving bye-bye to cornerback Byron Jones. But removing the transition tag increases the odds that Cooper is lost to the highest bidder on the open market.

The NFL’s signing period officially opens March 18. It’s preceded by a two-day legal tampering window, beginning March 16, when a majority of high-profile agreements will be consummated around the league.

On a multi-year pact, Cooper, 25, could meet or surpass the $96.25 million contract inked by New Orleans’ Michael Thomas last summer. It’s possible he also eclipses, in terms of annual salary, the three-year, $66 million deal that Atlanta’s Julio Jones received in September.

New Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy recently unveiled the team’s “goal” of re-signing Cooper and fellow unrestricted free agent WR Randall Cobb.

“Having a chance to get through all the tape, [Cooper] did a lot of great things and it really looks like he’s in sync with Dak,” McCarthy noted.

Dallas’ leading receiver this past season, Cooper battled through numerous lower-body injuries to deliver 79 catches for a career-high 1,189 yards (eighth-most in the NFL) and eight touchdowns, also a new personal best. He’s on record as expressing a “wholehearted” desire to stay put for the foreseeable future, committing to the clubwhich surrendered a first-round pick to pry him away from the Raiders in 2018.

“I do [want to stay in Dallas],” Cooper said at last month’s Pro Bowl, via Pro Football Talk. “I mean that wholeheartedly. I love Dallas. . . .I feel like it’s home. I want to live there for a long time.”

What am I seeing here?

“70% of incremental revenues to the players for the new stadium that's being built for the Rams and Chargers in Los Angeles, with ownership taking no additional stadium credits off the top. It's not clear what's meant by "incremental" revenues, but this would be the first time the players would have a defined share of revenue following the construction of a new stadium.”

That snip-it came from this piece:


I assume it stems from our stadium overruns.... But... how does all this work?

XFL - Game Day Thread - Week 4

SATURDAY
Game: Los Angeles Wildcats at New York Guardians
Date: Saturday, Feb. 29
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
TV: ABC

Game: Seattle Dragons at St. Louis BattleHawks
Date: Saturday, Feb. 29
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: The Dome at America's Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
TV: Fox
Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

SUNDAY
Game: Houston Roughnecks at Dallas Renegades
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Globe Life Park in Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

Game: DC Defenders at Tampa Bay Vipers
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
TV: ESPN


East Division

West Division

A 9-7 season sucks. I know.....did I just say that? But it's where we are now with Sean McVay at the helm. We expect better. And all the pundits, experts and most fans believe it was our offense that let us down, particularly the offensive line. While that is true and a commonly accepted conclusion, there are reasons for that. For one, inexperience. Second, injuries. I won't belabor the details as we are all well aware of them. Even on a veteran offensive line, continuity is the key, so it's plausible to point to the injuries as the most devastating factor. At the same time, most fans who follow the team closely will admit the defense was absolutely horrific at times and certainly deserve their share of the blame.

But how bad was the offense? I can split the season into 3 parts. Some will call it cherry picking but lets look at the facts. We had a healthy, albeit, inexperienced offensive line for the first 5 games. We went 3-2 with our two losses coming on the first horrific defensive performance and a missed FG as time expired. It's a fact the run game rarely produced good numbers averaging 3.6 yards per carry in those 5 games. But overall, the offense averaged 413 yards per game and 28 points per game.

The number 1 offense in the league averaged 431 yds/game and the number 2 offense 408. So that 413 would have been good enough for #2. The Ravens, who led the league with 58 offensive touchdowns, averaged 30 PPG. San Francisco scored 51 offensive touchdowns (#2) and their offense averaged 27.9 PPG. Clearly, those 28 PPG was adequate offensive production. Disregarding the record, some might say "excellent production". And the fact the Rams did that averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on the ground is a testament to their passing game. They had 55 possessions over that span and scored on 27 of them. They had 12 three and outs, with 4 of those a result of an interception or fumble. They gave up just 5 sacks on third down. And they were 1 missed field goal away from 4-1. The one abhorrent defensive showing against Tampa Bay could have been almost laughed off had we won the first Seattle game (as we clearly should have).

The middle six games of the year the offensive line was influx. Noteboom dropped on the 2nd possession against SF and Allen went down on the first possession of the second half vs. Pittsburgh and by game's end, Havenstein was on the sideline, never to play in another game. They mixed and matched, trying to produce a productive offensive line and develop continuity and the numbers show they were unsuccessful. They used 3 different OL combinations over those 6 games and averaged just 293 yards and 14.5 points per game.

Over those 6 games, the defense played well. They allowed just 12 TDs and 6 field goals (17 PPG), while scoring 9 points themselves (a net of 15.5 PPG). Opponents missed 4 other field goal attempts. But we could only manage 3 wins and that could be blamed squarely on the offense because if you take away the Baltimore game, the defense allowed 11 PPG in the other 5 games. A McVay offense will go 5-0 ninety-nine times out of a hundred under those circumstances.

The last 5 games, the offense scored 27 PPG and rolled up 422 yards per game. The offensive line was the same for the last 7 games so I'd think, after 2 games together they started to gel a bit. Still the rushing numbers were low and many will point to that, as well as the competition, but you can't deny the yardage and points per game. Again, the defense had one of those inexcusable stinkers against Dallas. But it's the NFL and every team gets paid to play.

Clearly, the rushing numbers rarely raised eyebrows throughout the season but the offensive production.....yards per game and points per game.....were there in the first 5 and last 5 games, with rare exception (Dallas). So did they improve? Were they really that bad early on? I think the sting of a 9-7 non-playoff season might dull the sensibility of our evaluations on those two subjects. The offense was inconsistent all year, unproductive at times but most of that can be blamed on OL continuity and experience. And that has to get fixed, as we'd all agree. But just how far away they are, with who they have is debatable. We shall soon see what they think about it, knowing their players and reviewing the films.

Am I trying to say "this (OL injuries) was the reason we went 9-7"? No. There were many factors including OL, defense, special teams, playcalling and sometimes flat out brain cramps. But that's what happens in an off year. Sometimes it's a bad offensive performance. Sometimes it's a bad defensive performance. Sometimes the special teams let you down. Still other times it's as stupid as running Gerald Everett on a 3rd and 5 jet sweep. Things just don't go right. But, injuries and lack of contiunity make it impossible to recover from inconsistency. I think this was just a speed bump that slowed the Rams down a bit and they will make the necessary corrections (some of which may have already happened) and resume their assault on the other NFL teams. 2019 was a TOTAL team effort, that resulted in much less success than anybody anticipated going into the season. And still we were 9-7. 9-7. Not 7-9 or 6-10 or 4-12. 9-7. But missing the playoffs sucks (and aren't we well aware of that fact?). I'll submit, teams don't suffer a Superbowl hangover. Fans do.

XFL - Game Day Thread - Week 4

SATURDAY
Game: Los Angeles Wildcats at New York Guardians
Date: Saturday, Feb. 29
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
TV: ABC

Game: Seattle Dragons at St. Louis BattleHawks
Date: Saturday, Feb. 29
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: The Dome at America's Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
TV: Fox
Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

SUNDAY
Game: Houston Roughnecks at Dallas Renegades
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Globe Life Park in Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

Game: DC Defenders at Tampa Bay Vipers
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
TV: ESPN

I hadn’t seen this before, or probably just forgotten... they probably posted a similar tweet last year as he was on a roll then.

Aaron Donald is simply AMAZING at his position. Enjoy it. We are seeing a HOF trajectory about as early as you can with a player in this league.

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Per PFF's premium stats, Donald finished the 2019 season with a 93.7 defense grade to lead all interior defensive lineman. The Steelers' Cameron Heyward finished second with a 91.5. Donald also led his position with a 92.8 pass rush grade.

Having a full-time offensive coordinator again will benefit the Rams in 2020, based on LaFleur's experience

INDIANAPOLIS – Packers head coach Matt LaFleur knows what it's like to be a full-time offensive coordinator under Rams head coach Sean McVay, having done so in McVay's first season in Los Angeles.

The Rams will have someone in that very role for the first time in three years after hiring former Redskins offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell this winter. Returning to that arrangement stands to benefit Los Angeles this upcoming season.

"Number one, it freed him up so he didn't have to do everything in terms of all our install or all the film review within, whether it's just with our players. It freed him up to do head coaching duties as well," LaFleur told theRams.com at the NFL Scouting Combine, when asked about the impact of that partnership. "So I think it was more or less just always being on the same page and and somebody that could relay that message, not only to the other coaches, but to the players."

McVay and LaFleur worked together under then-Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan for four seasons from 2010-2013. When they reunited in 2017, LaFleur helped guide Los Angeles to top-10 regular season finishes in total yards (361.5 per game, 10th), passing yards (239.4, 10th) and rushing yards (122.1, eighth). L.A won their first NFC West divisional title since 2003 and reached the postseason for the first time since 2004, then LaFleur was hired by the Titans to be their offensive coordinator for the 2018 season.

"Sean and I had a rapport going back to Washington where we worked together, and so we were kind of trained the same way and grew up at the same time in this profession," LaFleur said. "So we were always on the same page, and he could always bounce stuff off me and I knew where it was coming from. And I think that just to help get everybody on the same page."

While O'Connell and McVay's time in Washington did not overlap, both worked under former Redskins head coach Jay Gruden – O'Connell during Gruden's last three seasons and McVay during his first three. O'Connell joined Gruden's staff in Washington in 2017 – the year McVay left to join Los Angeles – starting out as quarterbacks coach in 2017 before eventually moving up to offensive coordinator in 2019.

Consequently, there's a good chance O'Connell will be able to sync with McVay similar to the way LaFleur did having worked under the same head coach.

"At the end of the day, it's just being an extension of him. It takes a lot to do that," O'Connell said when he was officially introduced earlier this month. "The experience and the success that this offense has had, you really want the players to look at you as an extension of the head coach."

McVay hopes to replicate the regular season success of 2017 – with one exception.

"He's not leaving after a year hopefully, all right," McVay said at that introductory press conference, laughing.

Sorry I know I haven't posted on here in a bit guys. Life has been a little rough went through divorce and surgerys and such. But was still good.

Then I got hurt in July thought it was my shoulder. After sever Al work comp appointments the doc recommended shoulder surgery. To which my place of employments work comp lawyers demanded an independent medical review with a doc of their choice.

This doc stated he finds the shoulder to be caused by somthing in my neck and recommended a cervical mri done.

Fast forward a bit and I get a call from work stating that since the initial complaint was my shoulder the neck isn't their issue and I am not allowed to return to work without a full medical release jo restrictions.

I am working with a work comp lawyer but it's super slow going. All the while I have no income and trying to find a job that can work with my restrictions. Needles to say now my landlord is wanting his money and I'm at a loss.

Franchise and transition tag window will open tomorrow [Today, Thursday]

The NFL is proceeding with business while they wait for the players union to vote on the CBA proposal.

And that could make life complicated for a few teams and players.

According to Judy Battista of NFL Network, the franchise tag window will open tomorrow, and the rules from the existing collective bargaining agreement will apply.

There was a two-day delay on opening the tag window, but with the NFLPA not in a rush to vote, the league is moving forward.

Under existing rules for the final year of the existing CBA, teams can use both the franchise and transition tags.

The Cowboys (Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper), Buccaneers (Shaquil Barrett and Jameis Winston), and Titans (Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill) in particular would be interested in such a scenario, but it creates a potential mess if the new deal is approved before the start of the league year.

Per Battista, the league is taking the stance of “it will be addressed at the appropriate time,” which means they’re sort of winging it here. It would create a major headache if teams started operating under two sets of rules (one actual, one presumed), so perhaps the league is looking to exert a little pressure to move the process along.

As a cheaper option? Or do we go all in on Littleton?

While i've never been a conspiracy theorist about prepping for the 'big one', I have always maintained a rather large pantry with what is probably pretty close to a 1 year supply of food under emergency conditions.
I'm curious if folks are taking a closer look at what may or may not be over the horizon ? Being retired I don't really have to be concerned about mingling with the public if I don't wish to, so in a worst case scenario I don't have to answer my door. Public events such as football games may see far fewer fans showing up if the speculation on this virus blowing-up comes to fruition.
Funding to the CDC has been cut somewhat and what we witnessed during Katrina several years back doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in FEMA.
My question is how do you keep the lights on and feed families while bunkering down ? News reports have shown major streets and boulevards throughout China empty of traffic as people stay home, that and store-shelves with dwindling supplies. Not saying it will get that bad here, but the gap between what we know and what we see in foreign lands along with reports of its coming arrival to the States, what are you going to do about it ? If anything ?

Last year Snead and McVay chose to re-sign Fowler over Saffold. I'm not going to pretend that I would have done anything differently - in fact, I pretty much advocated for just that.

But, I'm just a fan.

So let's get down to it. Was it a mistake? What would the Rams record have been if we signed Saffold and let Fowler walk? Obviously this would be a prediction, but curious about what people think.

I personally chalk this up as the first big (and by big I mean GARGANTUAN) failure on the part of Snead and McVay. I believe with Saffold we would have won 11 games and made the playoffs.

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Sean McVay says keeping Cory Littleton is a priority for the Rams
Cameron DaSilva

7 hours ago
Cory Littleton has become an integral part of the Rams defense. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, he’s not under contract for the 2020 season and will become a free agent in March if the Rams can’t sign him to a long-term deal.

He’s among five starters set to hit the market next month, but given the progress he’s made and the team’s lack of depth behind him at linebacker, it’s easy to see why Littleton would be a high priority for the Rams.

Steve Wyche of NFL Network talked to Sean McVay on Tuesday at the combine and says McVay told him Littleton is someone they want to bring back. Based on the way Wyche made it sound, Littleton is at or near the top of the list for the Rams.

“Dante Fowler, their stud pass rusher, he’s a free agent. They said they want to re-sign him. Michael Brockers, a defensive lineman, a veteran – going to be tough to re-sign him because there will be a market for Brockers,” Wyche said. “But Cory Littleton, the free-agent middle linebacker, McVay said that is a priority for him. With some of the tweaks they’re going to make in their new defensive scheme, they want to keep him.”

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Littleton was arguably the Rams’ second-most important defender behind Aaron Donald in 2019. He made 134 tackles (6 for a loss), 3.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries, nine passes defensed and two interceptions. In the last two years alone, he has 125 tackles, five interceptions, 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Those numbers show that he’s always around the ball, whether it’s making solo stops, recovering fumbles when the ball is on the turf or breaking up passes over the middle. It’s hard to replace that sort of production, and Littleton is only getting better with each passing year.

Deciding between him and Fowler will be extremely tough for the Rams, but they can most likely only keep one with their limited cap space and number of free agents needed to re-sign.

Free agency opens on March 18 with the legal tampering period beginning two days prior. The Rams have until then to work out a deal with Littleton before the 31 other teams can start negotiating with him, too.

McVay, Snead confident in Gurley heading into 2020

INDIANAPOLIS – Similar to the 2019 season, the Rams will follow a course of action to keep running back Todd Gurley fresh.

Speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, Rams general manager Les Snead indicated he was encouraged by last year's approach to managing Gurley's workload and that Los Angeles will "still have some sort intentional plan" for him this upcoming season.

"The goal is very similar to what we'd do with our wide receivers: the more snaps they play early, the less fresh they are later," Snead said. "So that's running backs, that's usually a lot of people that spend a lot of time running a lot of yards on the football field. So all that science is coming to, you want to utilize it, but you still want to win the game at hand and be intuitive of how you use things."

In his fifth NFL season, the 25-year old Gurley reached double-digit rushing touchdowns for the third straight season with 12, moving him into a tie with Marshall Faulk for first on the franchise's career rushing touchdowns list (58). After rushing more than 15 times in a single game just once through the first seven weeks of the season, he surpassed that mark in five of his final eight games, including a season-high 25 carries for 97 yards and one touchdown against the Bears in Week 11. He missed only one game due to a quad injury.

"I would say the good thing about that plan is that Todd was available," Snead said. "I mean, he was playing last game, what you didn't notice, he was fresh in the red zone, didn't score as many TDs here as he had in the past but was still probably (a) top-five touchdown maker. There was definitely some positive effects of trying to come up with a good way to keep him (fresh) – and again, it goes with our wide receivers, it goes with our tight ends, probably less our offensive linemen, but the players who are spending a lot of time running a lot of yards, how do we keep them fresh, beginning of the game, end of the game, September, October, into January.

That science is all new, and we're all trying to utilize it to the best of our abilities."

When Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke to reporters last offseason, he said the team had a plan that was "really specific" for Gurley. Whether that remains the same this offseason and in training camp remains to be seen.

"We're working through that right now," McVay said. "With a guy like that, it's no different than an Andrew
Whitworth (who) has a different plan of approach. You want to be consistent, but I think certain guys, just understanding the workload that their specific position entails or what is the best way to really have a long-term solution for getting through the entire season, so we've been consistent with that with Todd, really from when I first got here, I think it was just something that was talked about a little bit more because he missed a couple games towards the latter half of the '18 season, but those are things that you want to be able to be specific with each player, while still being consistent in the big picture and those are things that as we get closer to those dates, we'll discuss a little bit more."

McVay said Gurley's production last year wasn't representative of what he is still capable of, pointing to inconsistencies the offense as a whole experienced.

"We just weren't consistent enough as an offense, being able to make people honor that threat of running the football," McVay said. "Then when we did commit to it, I thought we had some good results but then also it wasn't consistent enough. I think, in a lot of instances – like sacks are unfairly pegged on the O-line, the run game is not exclusively a result of what a running back can do. I think the running game is truly a representation of all 11 and their contribution."

McVay is also confident Gurley can still be a running back who can give the Rams 18-20 carries in a game.

"I know that I can do — and I'm very confident that we will do — a much better job of activating things that you think you have better answers for our players," McVay said. "Those are things that, we've already really started diving into that process and being diligent about that."

Snead talks Rams franchise tag candidates, free agents at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS –A pair of important deadlines loom for the Rams and their key free agents.

General manager Les Snead is aiming to get those situations resolved sooner rather than later, but the organization will take its time with those decisions.

Speaking to a group of reporters at the NFL Combine Tuesday afternoon, Snead provided updates on where things stand with inside linebacker Cory Littleton, outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr and left tackle Andrew Whitworth, as well as players who are entering the final year of their contract in 2020.

Littleton and Fowler

The most immediate decision the Rams face is whether they want to use the franchise tag, and if so, who they want to use it on. L.A. last used the franchise tag in 2018 on former safety Lamarcus Joyner, but it has two candidates in Littleton and Fowler.

Both linebackers are pending free agents – Littleton for the first time and and Fowler for the second time in as many years – and in position to command lucrative deals this offseason based on their play in 2019. Littleton expressed a desire to return to the Rams toward the end of the season.

Snead's preference is to find a long-term solution rather than the short-term fix afforded by a franchise tag.

"We would always love to get things done before, try not to use the tag because that can become more of a short-term type decision, but it doesn't mean that you do," Snead said. "Technically, I think you try to work to the deadline to get something done with the players you want to get done, and then from there, as it gets closer, decide is it best to utilize that or not. I don't think it would be, 'alright, day one, we're putting the tag on someone.' This free agency, the puzzle is a little more complicated but definitely manageable. And then adding the fact that new coordinators are in, some tweaks to scheme, really taking our time to work through which positions and which players playing those positions are the most important to help us moving forward."

Whether the Rams can keep one or both may depend on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported last week that the NFL and NFLPA agreed to push back the franchise tag window from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27, with the deadline to apply the tag now set for March 12. However, if players approve the current proposed CBA – which has already been approved by owners – Pelissero reported in a follow-up tweet that teams would go back to being able to use only one tag, instead of both the franchise and transition tag this year. The league and NFLPA reps are meeting in Indianapolis this evening to discuss it after the NFLPA executive committee voted, 6-5, not to recommend the current CBA proposal, according to Pelissero.

"We have a franchise and a transition available right now, right," Snead said during his podium session. "There hasn't been a collective bargaining agreement so I think at that point we're still going through a lot of things, trying to determine the best strategy to get as many of our good football players who've helped us win a lot of games over the last three years back. That's always impossible but having those tools in the tool box definitely allows you to try to accomplish that."

Andrew Whitworth

Free agency officially opens March 18th at 1 p.m. pacific time, but Snead is aiming to have a contract done beforehand.

"He would go in the same boat, in that the goal would be to do something before the bell rings for free agency, with Whit and all the players that we want back," Snead said.

Timeline for Kupp, Johnson and Ramsey extensions?

Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, safety John Johnson III and cornerback Jalen Ramsey's contract are all set to expire after the coming season, but that doesn't mean new deals and extensions aren't on Snead's mind for them.

Snead said the organization has long preferred getting ahead of these details, but its focus will first be on the pending free agents whose contracts expired after the 2020 season, then shifting that urgency to players in situations like Kupp, Johnson and Ramsey.

"You have to take it in process, but strategically we've always enjoyed checking that box for not only us, but for the player so that we all know, OK, we're here together and we're working toward the same goals for a long time," Snead said.

As for Ramsey, Snead hopes he'll be in a Rams uniform for a long time.

"There's really no timeline on that, like when the deal gets done, at this point," Snead said. "But we'd definitely like to have Jalen helping the Rams for more than just the 2020 season."