Get your credit cards ready, it’s go time.

By Sosa Kremenjas@QBsMVP Aug 5, 2019, 2:19pm CDT
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

In somewhat of a random-yet-fantastic fashion, the Los Angeles Rams have announced they’ll offer a package of season tickets for only $250:

Yes, you read that correctly. Only $250. Here’s the breakdown:

• You’ll receive tickets to all eight home preseason and regular season games
• It’s only $250, or $31 per game
• You cannot pick your seats. The Rams will auto-assign you seats each game and locations can change each game. The reason for this is the unsold tickets will vary throughout the stadium
• Maximum of four tickets per account
• They cannot guarantee that all seats will be together if more than two are purchased, though they could be in groups of two
• Tickets are non-transferable, so no re-selling is allowed

All in all, it seems like a fantastic deal and opportunity for Rams fans looking to see more of the team in person, yet not wanting to break the bank. The reasons for that is because certain games — looking at you, New Orleans Saints — will cover nearly half the price of the entire package due to the high resale value of tickets.


https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...ams-offering-season-tickets-for-as-low-as-250

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2019-08-04/taylor-rapp-rams-training-camp-nfl

Taylor Rapp building a reputation as a ‘flat-out baller’ in Rams camp

The transition from college football to the NFL is going smoothly for Taylor Rapp.

The Rams’ rookie safety meshed well and impressed during offseason workouts, and he continued to gain confidence during the first week of training camp, which included two practices with the Chargers.

This week, the Rams will practice twice with the Oakland Raiders in Napa.

On Sunday, after the Rams completed a short walkthrough in their final workout at UC Irvine, Rapp said lessons learned against the Chargers would enable him to grow against the Raiders.

“It was kind of eye-opening, getting me ready for the tempo and stuff like that,” Rapp said. “It’s definitely going to help out a lot heading into these next two practices with the Raiders.”

The 6-foot, 208-pound Rapp was selected in the second round of the draft after an outstanding career at the University of Washington.

He is part of a Rams safety corps that includes 12-year veteran Eric Weddle, ascending third-year pro John Johnson and versatile Marqui Christian.

Rapp also is versatile, coach Sean McVay said.

“He took some steps in the right direction,” against the Chargers, McVay said. “He showed up on the field.

“He’s so conscientious -- he’s going to keep getting better every day.”

Rapp, 21, acknowledged that he has dealt with NFL “learning curves and growing pains and stuff like that.” But he said he was becoming more and more comfortable in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ system.

“Now, it’s all about going out there and letting it loose and trying to make plays,” he said.

Rapp has benefited from daily exposure to Weddle. The six-time Pro Bowl selection signed with the Rams in March after the Rams let Lamarcus Joyner leave as a free agent.

“I’m just trying to soak up as much information as possible from that guy because he’s got 12 years of ball under his belt,” Rapp said of Weddle.

Rapp already has demonstrated his maturity, Johnson said. With his play, he also has answered questions about his speed.

“He’s going to be a real good player for a long time,” Johnson said. “He can move, he can run.

“He’s a flat-out baller.”

Rapp is one of several rookies who made an impression during eight training camp practices. Running back Darrell Henderson, offensive lineman David Edwards, defensive tackle Greg Gaines and cornerback David Long are others.

“You expect them to just really learn from the veteran players, make sure that you’re not making the same mistake twice — as we expect from all of our players — and capitalize on the opportunities you do have,” McVay said of the rookies.

McVay demonstrated again Sunday that he expects maximum effort and focus from all players on every snap, regardless of whether it occurs in a scrimmage, full-speed drill or a walkthrough.

A day after the offense appeared sluggish in the practice with the Chargers, the Rams went through the one-hour walkthrough without pads.

But McVay remained exacting. On one play, the offense broke the huddle en route to lining up. McVay, visibly unsatisfied with the pace, called the players back and instructed them to do it again.

“That’s just all of us working together,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re operating at a high level. The things that you can control in these walkthrough settings are important and we want to make sure we’re emphasizing those things.”

He then joked, “You know, sometimes I can get a little bit short on patience.”

The Rams are finished with practices at Irvine, but McVay said he relayed a post-practice message to players.

“Even though we’re leaving Irvine we’re not breaking camp,” he said. “We are still in camp mode for the next, really, week and a half or so.”

By: Cameron DaSilva | 9 hours ago

Depth charts create a lot of conversation among fans and analysts during training camp and the preseason, so any time one is released, people take notice. The Los Angeles Rams shared their first unofficial depth chart of 2019 on Monday, complete with a few surprises.

It’s important to remember that this is an unofficial depth chart and while it’s put out by the team, it’s not necessarily filled in by the coaches. More likely, it’s done by team media members who are observing practice.

Nonetheless, here’s how the offense looks on the first depth chart.



It’s one of the most talented units in the NFL, rich with playmakers at every position. The wide receiver group is especially deep, all the way from Brandin Cooks to Mike Thomas.

Surprisingly, Darrell Henderson Jr. is listed fifth at running back despite receiving first-team reps like the other tailbacks. That should be taken with a large grain of salt, given his playmaking ability.


On defense, there are quite a few new starters from last season. Eric Weddle, Clay Matthews, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Micah Kiser are in line to replace players such as Ndamukong Suh and Mark Barron, filling in nicely thus far.



The special teams unit is just about unchanged from last season, with punter Johnny Hekker, kicker Greg Zuerlein and long snapper Jake McQuaide all back in the mix. JoJo Natson is listed as the punt and kick returner with no one else on the depth chart at those spots.

Again, this is an unofficial depth chart, but there are a handful of notable position battles that are gaining some clarity.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/08/05/nfl-rams-depth-chart-2019-preseason/

Unless we meet y'all in the playoffs, of course.

I don't expect it, though. No NFC East team has won the division 2x in a row since the '04,'05 Eagles. I doubt we pull through, but maybe!!!

Also, all the NFC east teams that face the Patriots in the SB actually win. (Troll face).

In all honestly, once/if we are eliminated from the playoffs, I will root for the rams.

Love you, Kevin. Muah!!

Cam Newton - 0-2 - I think most of us aren't huge fans of Cam - I remember both games - hope we can get the W this year

Matt Ryan - 0-5 - didn't realize it was this bad - three out of five by double digits

Jimmy Garrapolo (x2) - 0-1 - we will be excited to get him a game where we're not resting

Andy Dalton - 0-2 - and we haven't beaten the Bengals since 2003...yikes

Ben Roethlisberger - 0-3 - also haven't beaten them since 2003

Mitch Trubisky - 0-1 - just last season obviously


QBs we've never played:

Baker Mayfield
Lamar Jackson
Kyler Murray


A total of 11 games against teams whose QBs haven't lost or haven't played against the Rams - maybe this is normal, but I think it's a little strange, so wanted to make this thread. QBs we've beaten that are on the schedule are only: Brees, Wilson, Winston and Dak.

The ones that really get me are Newton, Ryan, Dalton and Roethlisberger - and of course somehow none of those games will be played as a true home game in LA.

As this group continues this early part of camp with lots of good press, figured it'd be nice to take a look overall at what we have so far...

2. S Rapp. Already has a rep as a "flat baller." Showed well in coverage vs the Chargers at game speed, and coverage btw was one of the reasons he was available into round 2 (was in that top SS type category which usually means round 2+ range).
Prognosis: ceiling is a high end all-around safety, floor is a good box safety. Off to great start.

3. RB Henderson. Has flashed the speed and playmaking ability they drafted him for thus far in camp. Has also demonstrated exceptional hands to include over the shoulder catch.
Prognosis: ceiling is high end RB who can flip the field, floor is third down back. Off to a great start.

3. CB Long. In a star-studded secondary he's already fighting for that CB4 role and has been specifically called out by McVay in doing a good job.
Prognosis: ceiling is plus starting CB, floor is slot CB. Off to a good start.

3. OT Evans. Has been doing time of late vs the Chargers as RT2, which is sort of a surprise since of the two OT picks he's the guy with the better feet for the left side. Kromer doesn't seem concerned or anything and slotting as a backup on a championship-level roster is not a bad thing for a rook.
Prognosis: ceiling is LT starter, floor is depth/swing tackle. Off to solid start.

4. NT Gaines. In a battle with our second year NT who has held onto the starting job. Hasn't won that job but the staff seems happy with him and he was mentioned post-Chargers scrimmage for playing well. And overall for a rookie 4th rounder to be in the mix for a starting job or even splitting snaps is a big deal.
Prognosis: ceiling is plus starting NT, floor is depth/rotation run stuffer. Off to a good start.

5. OT Edwards. Just lined up in a scrimmage vs a top defensive roster as LT2 which no matter how you slice it is a big deal. Guy who looks like he was overlooked and that the Rams might have gotten a steal.
Prognosis: ceiling is LT starter or plus OG starter, floor is depth/swing tackle. Off to great start.

7. S Scott. Has been receiving great reviews for what he was drafted for: teams. Seems like Bones' pick is going to be a good one.
Prognosis: ceiling is core special teams stud, floor is special teams.

7. LB Allen. Has been hurt not much to track on the dude as of yet. Still a lot of games ahead for him to make a move, we'll see.
Prognosis: ceiling is core special teams, floor is cut.

So while you guys might not like my prognosis on these players (or might want to quibble with ceilings/floors) this draft haul looks more promising than most. We have the two earliest picks flashing routinely in practice and scrimmage. We have a few others showing early return that insinuates they might be future starting types. Yeah it's too early and this is a crazy thing to look at, but it's fun to see a draft group offer us some impact and some overall starter numbers that would be a very impressive draft class if it continues. Hope it still looks this good after we see a few preseason games because this class is gonna get a lot of looks.

The Rams have plenty of star power, but roster depth will be provided outside of the spotlight by players who are ready to contribute if called upon. Who might be ready for the call?

By Skye Sverdlin@Skyeattolah Aug 5, 2019, 8:00am CDT

When discussing under the radar players, it’s probably important to consider your audience.

If this list were for casual NFL fans parsing the 2019 Los Angeles Rams’ roster, we would put names like S John Johnson III and RT Rob Havenstein near the top. For this list though, we’re assuming that the average Turf Show Times reader is pretty familiar with the roster so we can dig a bit deeper. Included on this list are players that may or may not have shined in training campand may be more productive than expected in whatever role they appear in.

S Taylor Rapp
Where as rookie cornerback David Long, Jr. appeared a bit small at times during camp, Rapp already has NFL size and seemed to be really comfortable during the Rams’ scrimmages against the Los Angeles Chargers. He’ll likely be used sparingly at first with S Eric Weddle and Johnson already penciled in as the starting safeties. However, it will be interesting to see whether Rapp is able to absorb some of Marqui Christian’s hybrid safety/linebacker duties; last season Christian seemed quite capable so that would be a feat as a rookie.
Wherever Rapp finds snaps though, he appears to be NFL ready. It seems reasonable to expect a solid contribution from him, even in his rookie season.

EDGE Trevon Young
Like Rapp, there are players currently ahead of Young who is entering his second year after being taken in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Young saw very limited action, but he has been very active in camp and has exploited second-team left tackles throughout. He has excelled as a pass rusher, against the run, and in coverage, which makes him hard to ignore. He certainly will be playing behind EDGE Dante Fowler, Jr., and LB Clay Matthews and even Samson Ebukam. I will say though, he looks to be nearing Ebukam’s level in practices despite Ebukam certainly having more experience on the defensive side.
There’s no telling if Young will crack the rotation, but I think if he does that he’ll be a pleasant surprise.

WR Josh Reynolds
So far in camp, Reynolds has been able to blend right in with starters in WR Robert Woods, WR Cooper Kupp and WR Brandin Cooks. After gaining valuable experience following Kupp’s ACL injury last season, Reynolds has become a legitimate target for QB Jared Goff. His size offers a dimension to the offense that could has come in handy on third downs and in the red zone.

C Brian Allen
Gauging from Rams Twitter, Allen seemed like the least celebrated of the Rams’ new crop of sophomore starters entering this season. After watching him work though, I’ve gotta say, he seems like a potential upgrade from last season’s iteration of John Sullivan. Allen is a truly fierce competitor, he’s calling out defenses, and he seems like a guy that wants to be the captain up front.
The guy is straight up feisty.
Allen was the only player I noticed pointing at Chargers defensive lineman and yelling to the officials about infractions. He’s just gonna be super unpleasant to play against and really great if he’s on your side. If the Rams end up filtering 2019 NFL Draft picks in OL Bobby Evans and OT David Edwards onto the line next season, the group will need an anchor.
Allen has the personality to be that guy.

NT Sebastian Joseph-Day
I think most of us assumed 2019 fourth-round selection Greg Gaines would get the nod as the team’s starting nose tackle, but so far Joseph-Day seems way more polished and has clearly been working on his craft. He’s taller than Gaines, but he’s a bit bottom-heavy. At 310 pounds, he won’t be easy to push out of the box. Just watching practice, Defensive Line Coach Eric Hendersonseemed really enthused by Joseph-Day’s technique during drills whereas the rookie Gaines still appeared to need to work on his sequences beyond his initial push. We’ll see who emerges down the line, but right now Joseph-Day is looking like a potential sixth-round steal.

EDGE Morgan Fox
You know what? I’m including Morgan Fox on this list.

Last season, he was expected to compete for a starting position before suffering an ACL tear during OTAs. That was because the guy can actually generate some heat off the edge.
He stayed the course providing a good pass rush against the Chargers during scrimmages. It will be interesting to see what he does during the preseason. I don’t know where he’ll ultimately end up on the depth chart, but I do think that he will fly under the radar and provide a pretty similar pass rush to some to of the guys that we might assume will be ahead of him on the depth chart.


https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...ster-underrated-unsung-potential-breakthrough

Man! Read a LOT of Don Banks over the years. RIP

———

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/08/04/veteran-nfl-writer-don-banks-dies-at-56/

Veteran NFL writer Don Banks dies at 57

Don Banks, a journalist who covered the NFL for many years, died early this morning in Canton, Ohio, after covering the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. He was 57.

Banks had just begun working for the Las Vegas Review-Journaland published his first piece in today’s paper. The story, an inside look at how last season’s Hard Knocks affected the Browns, was a well-reported, well-written article, as Banks’ work so often was.

“Words can’t express the depth of sadness the Review-Journalstaff feels for Don’s family and friends,” Review-JournalExecutive Editor Glenn Cook said Sunday. “Beyond a sportswriting institution, Don was a dedicated husband and father and a class act. No NFL journalist commanded more respect. The sport has lost one of its finest storytellers.”

Banks covered the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday and the induction of new Hall of Famers on Saturday night and appeared healthy and excited about beginning his new job at the Review-Journal, according to colleagues. This morning he was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Canton. Paramedics arrived and found that he had died in his sleep.

A well-liked and respected reporter, Banks worked at several outlets in his long career but is best known for his 17 years at Sports Illustrated.

He is survived by his wife and two adult sons.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ension-making-him-nfls-sixth-highest-paid-qb/

Tom Brady, Patriots reportedly agree to two-year contract extension, making him NFL's sixth-highest-paid QB

Tom Brady and the Patriots have agreed to a two-year extension that will pay the six-time Super Bowl champion $23 million this season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The two-year deal will have Brady in Foxborough through the 2021 season. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora confirmed the extension and added that it allows either Brady or the Patriots to back out before the two years are up.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/jasonlacanfora/status/1158068994957598720?s=21


Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/jasonlacanfora/status/1158069637663395840?s=21


This extension and pay raise now makes Brady the sixth-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, and Schefter adds that the deal will be adjusted each year he continues to play. Field Yates of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media were the first to report that Brady and New England were close to a new deal.

The 42-year-old was entering the final year of contract with the Patriots, a storyline that was gaining more headlines with each passing day the quarterback was without a revamped deal. Had this reported extension not come, it would have been the first time in Brady's career that he'd enter a given season with free agency on the other side.

As it does with all contract negotiations, New England remained mostly mum on the subject. Brady himself had publicly remained positive throughout the offseason in regards to his contract. He joked with reporters last Wednesday asking "should we take a poll?" when asked if he feels he deserved a contract extension.

"That's up for talk show debate," he said with a smile. "What do you guys think? Should we take a poll? Talk to Mr. Kraft, come on. No, like I said, we've got a great relationship so we'll see how it goes."

Of course, the shorter-term deal was expected given that Brady has remained firm that he plans to play until he is 45. The quarterback just turned 42 over the weekend.

When asked if going year-to-year was a possibility for him, Brady told reporters last week, "We're all day-to-day if you think about it. None of us are really promised anything. I'm trying to do the best I can do today and just let those things sort themselves out."

Brady -- who completed 65.8% of his passes in 2018 for 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions -- and the Patriots are coming off their sixth Super Bowl title together, since the quarterback came to town in 2000. This most recent trip to the big game was the third straight for New England and their fourth in five years.

"I've had such a great experience over a lot of years," Brady said. "I appreciate this team and the opportunity it gave me in 2000. I play for a great coach in Coach [Bill] Belichick, and Josh [McDaniels] and I have a great working relationship. I love Mr. [Robert] Kraft and his family. We've had just incredible success. Hopefully we can keep it going."

https://www.therams.com/news/top-10-observations-from-rams-2019-training-camp

Top 10 Observations from Rams 2019 training camp

Training camp has come to an end at UC Irvine. Check out senior writer/team insider Myles Simmons' top 10 observations from each day of camp.

July 27

1) While head coach Sean McVay downplayed the notion of running back Darrell Henderson getting first-team snaps — the Rams are rotating in a lot of players, McVay said — Henderson looks the part. During one-on-one drills, Henderson caught a slant going from left to right and it’s easy to see why the Rams like him. McVay credited Henderson’s work ethic and running backs coach Skip Peete for getting the rookie RB up to speed.

July 28

2) Running back Darrell Henderson continues to impress over the first couple days. Again during on-on-ones, he tracked a deep ball down the right side from quarterback Brandon Allen, reeling it in over his shoulder. There are wide receivers who don’t have that kind of ability. It’s early and the Rams aren’t in pads, but he looks like a weapon.

July 29

3) At the end of the half-field drills, quarterback Jared Goff connected with wide receiver Josh Reynolds on a deep route down the middle of the field for what would’ve been a touchdown. Reynolds put a double move on the defensive backs and Goff put the ball just within reach of the wideout, who stretched out to make the grab. Later in the session, Reynolds used his 6-foot-3 frame again in 11-on-11 drills, making a catch from Goff off play action. On an intermediate route over the middle, Reynolds stretched up to make the catch, reeling in what initially looked like it could be an incompletion. That’s an element Reynolds can bring that’s unique in the WRs room.

4) Outside linebacker Dante Fowler had a couple of impressive periods on Monday afternoon. During the first 11-on-11, he got into the backfield to stop Natson for what would’ve been a loss on an end around to the defense’s right, showing his speed and strength. Then he burst in off the edge on the defense’s left to get a pop on Henderson. His speed really makes a difference.

July 30

5) Aaron Donald is good at defensive line drills. That’s it, that’s the observation.

6) During 11-on-11 drills, Donald and outside linebacker Dante Fowler got off the ball so fast on one play that they nearly took a handoff from backup quarterback Blake Bortles in the backfield. The pair of defenders absolutely ruined the play for the offense, and embraced one another in celebration near the sideline. Everyone knows what to expect from Donald, but Fowler has put tighter a nice camp so far.

Aug. 1 - Joint practice with the Chargers

7) The Rams’ tight ends made some big plays throughout the day, one coming in the red zone 7-on-7 period from Tyler Higbee. Los Angeles was using a two tight end set, Higbee ran a slant on the right side, made the catch, got popped by a defender, but still held on for a touchdown. Goff went back to Higbee during the first 11-on-11 period, hitting the fourth-year tight end down the left sideline off play action for a play that would’ve gone for a touchdown. Goff’s ball placement was strong on the play, dropping it in the bucket for Higbee to run down the field for YAC.

8) In red zone 11-on-11 drills, tight end Gerald Everett caught a pass and tiptoed the end line for a touchdown. Whitworth neutralized Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa in the backfield, giving Goff time to complete the pass as the play developed. Later on in that practice, Goff once again connected with Everett in the red zone for a touchdown. The tight end got his feet in quickly for a second time, but in this instance he was at the front right pylon.

Aug. 3 — Joint practice with the Chargers

9) For an 11-on-11 move the ball drill, the Chargers were able to move the chains on the first try but on the net set of downs, cornerback Aqib Talib batted a ball down, Rivers had to throw away a second-down pass, and then a check-down swing pass went nowhere on third down. Talib continued his big day by nearly making a diving interception on an intermediate route in the middle of the field. And in a later period, he had strong coverage on Keenan Allen on a deep pass to the the end zone, forcing another incompletion.

10) To end practice on the defense’s field, Dominique Hatfield picked off an intermediate Taylor pass in the middle of the field before taking it to the house down the defense’s right sideline. It was a fitting close to a strong defensive day from the Rams.

1. Jadaveon Clowney - Hou
2. Greg Robinson -St.Lou
3. Blake Bortles - Jack
4. Sammy Watkins
5. Khalil Mack
6. Jake Matthews - Atl
11. Taylor Lewan - Tenn
12. Odell Beckham - NYG
13. Aaron Donald - St.Lou

Man, what a draft, and we had two picks in the Top 13. I believe we all can say that Aaron Donald is STILL the pick for us at #13 and should have been #1 overall pick in 2014 with the benefit of hindsight. Looking at the #2 pick which Fisher/Snead wiffed, but what if they had picked one of the othe studs in 2014? Which, if any, would have saved Fisher from a firing, if any? Forget about Sean McVay's effect on the team now because this is a sadistic twist where Fisher survives and we most likely don't have Jared Goff.

Since we were desperate at the time for a starting LT, I imagine with hindsight that we pick either Jake Matthews or Taylor Lewan. Some, like Jake Ellenbogan, are hot for Odell Beckham because of the recieving talent he has. Others might say if we had drafted into a strength by selecting Khalil Mack along with Aaron Donald, coupled with Robert Quinn....No offensive line could have stood against our defense. If we drafted a premier LT, would Case Keenum or Nick Foles been good enough to save Jeff's job? Fisher was fired several games into 2016, so which pick would have saved Fisher's job and kept us in the pit of misery? lol

Give reasoning for your pick!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...on-tom-brady-drew-brees-still-top-qb-rankings

2019 NFL season: Tom Brady, Drew Brees still top QB rankings

By Kurt Warner
NFL Network Analyst
Published: July 31, 2019 at 09:41 a.m.
Updated: July 31, 2019 at 11:05 p.m.


In Episode 10 of NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2019," four quarterbacks -- Aaron Rodgers (No. 8), Tom Brady (6), Patrick Mahomes (4) and Drew Brees (2) -- were revealed between Nos. 1 and 10. With that in mind, NFL Network analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner provides his own ranking of the top 10 quarterbacks heading into the 2019 regular season.

Training camps are well underway, and providing a quarterback ranking is the perfect gasoline to keep the fire burning until we get to actual football. Right now, it's my turn to stoke the flames.

During the regular season, I discuss my top five quarterbacks weekly during the #KurtsTop5 segment of "NFL Total Access," in which I break down QB play from the previous week. (Side note: This segment lists and highlights WEEKLY plays; it is not a career achievement list, as the social media world seems to insist it is every week. Come on, guys.)

Today, I give you my #KurtsTop10 list ahead of the 2019 season. Again, this is simply a ranking of the quarterbacks who I feel are the best in the game RIGHT NOW. To eliminate some foreseeable disagreements (knowing we can't eliminate them all), I have supplied three factors I took into account when making my evaluations.

1) How does the QB play in the biggest moments? This includes third-down and red-zone situations, how he plays in the final two minutes of a half or a game when plays must be made and, finally, how he performs on the biggest stages in the postseason.

2) Decision-making. Many break this down into a touchdown-to-interception ratio, but for me, it goes much deeper. I weigh whether the passer made the right decision on each and every play, which can mean varying statistical results. It includes questions like: Did he make the right read? Did he force a throw into coverage? Did he execute the timing, velocity and trajectory of a throw? Did he throw the ball away when needed? Did he take a sack when he didn't need to? Or was taking a sack the best thing to do in the given situation? I realize this is a big category, but that's what goes into playing the toughest position in sports.

3) Winning. We are in the business of winning games and competing for championships (and our jobs). So which players give their teams the best chance to win each and every time they step on the field? Yes, it's a team game, and no quarterback can win a game by himself, but no position has a greater impact on the success of the team than this one. Thus, it has to factor in.

So, here we go. Get your Twitter fingers ready and hit me up at @kurt13warner.



1

Tom Brady

QB
Patriots

I know he is another year older (he'll be 42 on Saturday), and we are waiting for the glass slipper to fall off. That said, my job is not to project when that's going to happen; rather, it is to weigh what I see on Sundays. After reading the criteria above, I'm not sure anyone can argue with Brady being at the top of my list. Who has been better in big moments -- both last season and throughout his career -- than this guy? He is consistently one of the best decision-makers in all of football, especially when you look at his touchdown-to-interception ratio (217:56 over the last seven seasons). Oh, yeah ... and winning. No quarterback in the history of the game has been better at winning than No. 12, who won the Super Bowl in his first season as a starter in 2001 (trust me, I remember that one) and his most recent season as a starter, at the age of 41. Incredible.




2

Drew Brees

QB
Saints

I'm not going to deny that there may be some form of bias at work in Brees' placement at this spot, but I also feel he is more than deserving of it. You see, I am not sure there is anyone who plays (or played) the position so similarly to how I did when I was in the league. Brees' ability to see the field, make quick decisions and throw with uncanny accuracy are second to none in today's NFL. He smashed the league's single-season completion-percentage record (74.4) last season, breaking his own mark set the season before. We could all argue it's due to the nature of the modern NFL and how many more passes are thrown at, or close to, the line of scrimmage. But simply pop on the tape and watch each and every throw he makes -- watch the when, the where andthe how of each pass (or come watch with me, and I'll show you), and you'll witness greatness. Yes, his numbers weren't as gaudy last season as they have been in the past (Brees failed to clear the 4,000-yard mark for the first time since 2005), but his control of the game and the football were as good as ever. I mean, over the past two seasons, he was two fluke plays away from advancing in the playoffs and adding another Super Bowl appearance to his resume.




3

Patrick Mahomes

QB
Chiefs

It is always difficult to rank an individual who has such a limited body of work, but when that limited work is so special, you have to weigh it differently. The hard part is, while last season was his first as an NFL starting quarterback, he was also the best quarterback in football in 2018, so wouldn't that make him No. 1? I could make that argument, but I don't want to put that kind of pressure on a 23-year-old kid who is still developing as a quarterback (which is scary, given that he just threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns while winning the MVP award). Very few can bottle up a spectacular season and repeat it, but I do believe -- based off what I saw last season -- this young man will be great again in 2019.

He was as good in the pocket with his decision-making as he was outside of it, which says a lot, because all people want to talk about are his no-look passes and 40-yard across-the-body bombs. Mahomes has shown he has the ability to beat defenders conventionally or by playing backyard, sandlot football. No matter how he plays the game, though, the young passer knows how to win.



4

Aaron Rodgers

QB
Packers

There are many people who are so enamored with Rodgers' arm talent that they would rank him fourth or higher based on that trait alone. Good thing I have never really been in awe of the physical gifts (maybe because I didn't have them). Rather, I'm evaluating quarterbacks on how they play the position. Rodgers is very similar to Mahomes in that they are almost equally effective inside and outside the pocket. The veteran has a quick release, can make every throw and is deadly if the defense doesn't keep him in the pocket. Rodgers excels in all of the above-named criteria, but there is one thing keeping him outside of my top three: his decision-making and timing inside the pocket. Rodgers is too quick to bail on his conventional reads, and he's too eager to make something special happen outside the pocket. If Rodgers is able to get back to playing conventional football inside the pocket, coupled with his physical ability and uniqueness outside of it, I won't be surprised if the Packers signal-caller tops this list by season's end.




5

Ben Roethlisberger

QB
Steelers

We're all interested to see how Big Ben fares after losing the other two components of the Killer Bs (receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell) over the offseason. I think it'll be business as usual for the veteran passer. Roethlisberger might not lead the NFL in passing yards like he did in 2018, but I have no doubt he'll keep the Steelers in every game, as the 16th-year pro has done throughout his tenure in the league. What has impressed me most about Big Ben is his ability to win games in so many different ways. Early in his career, he made plays off-schedule. Then he transitioned to making big throws downfield with his strong arm. Now, he makes quick decisions and gets the ball out of his hands on time. It's the completeness with which he plays the position that gives him a slight edge over Russell Wilson. Speaking of ...




6

Russell Wilson

QB
Seahawks

There is so much to like about Wilson, who ranks high in all three criteria. Few NFL quarterbacks are better at making big plays in critical moments, and with Wilson under center, the Seahawks are never out of any game. I would have no problem placing him higher on this list, and it's easily justifiable, with him being the highest-paid quarterback in the league. But here are two reasons why he lands at No. 6. First, he plays in a run-first offense and, thus, isn't asked to make as many plays through the air as others in this list -- Wilson ranked 20th in the NFL with 427 attempts last season. (Though I realize that is no fault of his own, and he's a huge threat in the ground game, which is part of why Seattle has ranked in the top four in rushing yards in five of his seven NFL seasons.) Second, Wilson must continue to improve on making quicker reads and throws on time within the structure of the Seahawks' offense. Once he does this, he will climb the ranks, as he meets other criteria with flying colors.




7

Philip Rivers

QB
Chargers

Rivers isn't flashy, but his competitiveness and leadership set him apart from a lot of players at the position. The eight-time Pro Bowler is excellent at reading defenses, getting the ball out on time and throwing accurately -- the reasons he has been able to play as well in his late 30s as he did early in his career. Rivers ranks seventh because, although he has made numerous big plays in his career (Rivers ranks second in the NFL with 720 passes of 20-plus yards since becoming the Chargers' starter in 2006,per Pro Football Reference), he just hasn't shown the ability to play his absolute best football in the biggest moments consistently (5-6 playoff record, with a career postseason passer rating of 84.2). The Chargers great will always be referred to as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history, but I'm not sure he'll get the recognition he deserves until he leads his team to more postseason success.




8

Matt Ryan

QB
Falcons

You could argue that the Ryan played better last season than he did in his MVP campaign of 2016. The 12th-year pro continues to show the ability to carry more of the load on his right arm, which is essential for the QBs on my list. Although Ryan has demonstrated consistent improvement in many areas, the most impressive aspect of his game is his ability to make chunk plays. According to Next Gen Stats, Ryan has been one of the best deep-passing quarterbacks since 2016. In that span, on throws of 20-plus air yards, Ryan ranks fourth in completion percentage (39.4) and passing yards (2,613), is tied for fifth in touchdowns (23) and ranks first in passer rating (117.7) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 75 such attempts. Being consistently accurate at those distances is extremely difficult, and Atlanta's QB1 does it as well as anyone.



9

Andrew Luck

QB
Colts

Luck bounced back in a big way -- earning the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year award -- after one year and eight months away from game action. I expected Luck to be rusty, but it appeared as if he was even better than the last time he took a snap. He has always shown command when reading defenses and making throws, which he does with a great combination of touch and velocity, making his passes some of the most catchable in the NFL. Luck's total of 39 touchdown passes last season was one shy of his career high, evident of how good he is when kept upright. The Colts' offensive line improved greatly; in 2016, Luck was sacked 41 times, but last season, Indianapolis gave up a league-low 18 sacks, allowing Luck time to make his reads and good decisions with the football. With an up-and-coming young defense (ranked 11th overall) and better protection, Luck became a smarter quarterback in 2018.




10

Cam Newton

QB
Panthers

Newton is one of the most difficult quarterbacks to rank because he plays the position so differently compared to almost any quarterback we have ever seen. The 2015 league MVP continues to have some deficiencies as a passer, but he showed improvement last season in several areas, including a career-high 67.9 percent completion rate (more than 6% higher than in any other season). Newton more than makes up for the areas in which he lags behind (his inconsistency in the pocket) by generating big plays in big moments. The reason his "big plays" may not show up on the stat sheet is because most of them are 1-yard runs on third-and-short or at the goal line rather than big-yardage gainers. Newton plays the position differently by almost every metric, but what makes him the same as every other quarterback on this list is the impact he has on each play.

By: Cameron DaSilva | 1 hour ago


It was a relatively quiet offseason for the Los Angeles Rams, but one of the notable signings they did make was bringing aboard Blake Bortles. They opted not to bring back Sean Mannion, signing Bortles to replace him as Jared Goff’s backup.

It’s still only training camp, and the Rams hope they don’t need Bortles at all this season, but it seems this experiment has worked out in Los Angeles’ favor. He’s received positive reviews from Rams coaches and looked good in practice, making quite a few impressive throws.

Pass game coordinator Shane Waldron made sure to mention Bortles when asked who has stood out on offense.

“[It] can’t go understated how well I think Blake has picked up this system,” Waldron said after practice with the Chargers. “He’s been in a few different systems and he’s come in and done nothing but be that perfect backup quarterback in the situation that he’s in right now. Great for Jared, but not just great for Jared, but on the field executing at a high level and he’s one of those new guys where you say, man, you walk in the door and there’s a system that’s been in place for a couple years and he’s been able to pick it up right away and execute it.”

Bortles made a terrific throw to Tyler Higbee on Saturday against the Chargers, finding him in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

He has excellent mobility and displayed the ability to throw on the run in the past, which is valuable in the Rams’ offense with all the bootlegs and rollouts Sean McVay calls.

The Rams got a bargain with Bortles, too, signing him to a one-year, $1 million contract. His best chance to stand out will come in the preseason, considering Goff isn’t expected to play at all.

All things considered, this will be Bortles’ most important offseason yet.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/08/04/nfl-rams-blake-bortles-backup-quarterback-perfect/

Associated Press 1 hour 6 minutes ago

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 1983, file photo Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch, right, catches a pass from quarterback Jim Plunkett for a 64-yard gain during the first quarter of a playoff game with the Cleveland Browns in Los Angeles. Branch, one of the Raiders’ career-leading receivers who won three Super Bowls, has died. He was 71. (AP Photo, File)

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Cliff Branch, one of the Raiders' career-leading wide receivers who won three Super Bowls in 14 seasons with the franchise, has died. He was 71.

Branch was found dead Saturday in a hotel room in Bullhead City, Arizona, the city's police department said. It said an initial investigation revealed no foul play and that Branch died of natural causes.

"Cliff Branch touched the lives of generations of Raiders fans," the Raiders said in a statement on their website. "His loss leaves an eternal void for the Raiders Family, but his kindness and loving nature will be fondly remembered forever."

One of the game's top deep threats from 1972 to 1985 in Oakland and Los Angeles, Branch was an All-Pro three straight seasons (1974-76) and made four Pro Bowls. He scored 67 touchdowns through the air, leading the NFL in TD receptions in 1974 with 13 and in 1076 with 12. Branch also had a league-high 1,092 yards receiving in 1974.

He was a force in the postseason, with 1,289 yards receiving. The Raiders won Super Bowls after the 1976, 1980 and 1983 seasons — the last one in Los Angeles, where the franchise moved in 1982 after protracted court fights before returning to the Bay Area in 1995.

In 1983, Branch tied the NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown catch in a regular-season game. He stands third among Raiders pass catchers in yards receiving with 8,685, trailing Tim Brown and Fred Biletnikoff — both Hall of Famers.

Branch was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and 2010.

"All my peers that I played against and that are in the Hall of Fame, they tell me that I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame," Branch told the Raiders' website in a recent interview. "It's the crowning glory, just like getting a Super Bowl ring."

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/former-raiders-wide-receiver-cliff-141752144.html

"McVay Madness" explained by Mr. Goff.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...ractices-to-preseason/AAAkjcl?ocid=spartandhp

sorry I can't get it to work even though I copied it correctly. (five times) Tried to delete it but that doesn't work either.

looks like Japan has approved this to start happening. The general thesis is to use them for human Organ donation. UNTIL someone says they have rights. Then in 2045 the best player in the NFL is a Human/Bear hybrid. This may be the beginning of the story of mans end! Lol

https://www.google.com/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/5718027/japan-human-animal-hybrid-experiment/amp/

As I mentioned earlier in the day, and as BubbaRam noted, it was a packed house. I ended up on the same side of the field also as Bubba, WE were locked in on the Rams offense. Getting to the other field to see the Defense was a high risk proposal ; chance you may not find a place to view the field.
My thoughts heading into the scrimmage was to pay attention to Higbee and Everett. The use of the TE's in this offense is still a grey area with me and wanted to note when and where Everett is being used in relation to Higbee. I will say for now, that Everett plays 85% of time on the outside, split out. Sometimes he is closer to the Tackle, like when they use certain "Bunch" formations. I will describe some plays and then come back to this.
After warmups, the scrimmage started with 7-on-7 ; First 2 plays were underneath throws to Gurley and HIgbee.Then, there was an incomplete pass to Woods up the right side. COverage was tight in this session. Most of Goff's completions were underneath. Even with the QB taking 3 to 4 snaps at a time, all the receivers and Backs rotated on almost every snap... I gets confusing. Jojo caught a short pass underneath and went to the ground after incidental contact by the LB.a play or two later, Kupp had a pass knocked away by a LB and he was knocked to the ground by the Safety.... again, it appeared to be incidental. Receivers were not open in the intermediate and long areas of the field in this session. Next, 11-on-11 ...
a short run through of the plays...... I missed some due to note taking....
Pitch left to Gurley for a short gain. Short pass to Gurley... I noticed both Higbee & Everett in the play ; Brown, handoff over RG for a short gain, again with both Higbee and Everett in on the play. Woods dropped a 15 yard in breaking route.... he was wide open ; Henderson up the middle for 3 ; short pass to Jojo broken up in the flat ; Incomplete pass to who I can't remember, but noticed again both 89 & 81 in on the same play ; NIce run by Brown up the middle for 6 after Woods decoyed motion of a Jet sweep ; Completion to Kupp on a deep cross ; Henderson caught a swing pass on right side for 6 ; Proehl caught a short pass in the flat and then juked a defender to grab another 6 yds or so. At this time, the crowd roared on the opposite of the field side as I believe Talib had a pick-6. The defense also finished up that next session with a pick on the last play. Break for special teams, then it was back to 11-on-11 ;
This was Redzone starting at the 10 yd line ; short pass left side to Everett who caught at the 5 and beat the defender to the pylon for a TD ; Next, Gurley up the middle , no gain ; Jet sweep to Woods for 5 yds to the 5 ; incomplete on an attempt to Kupp in the endzone ; next play with Bortles at QB, he threw a nice corner endzone TD to Higbee crossing in the back of the Endzone ; Back at the 10 yd line.... Henderson run over left side, no gain ; I'm noticing at this point that Everett is split out on almost every play to this point ; another short pass to Everett who takes it in for a TD ; Kelly finished off the REDzone drills with a 10 yd TD run up the middle, with all 2nd team players.
Keeping the 11-on-11, they started from approx the Rams 45 ; Gurley short run for 3 yds ; then Woods caught a short pass on the right, fell to the ground, then got up and raced the defender for a pick-up of 6 yeards then juked another defender coming at him for another pick up of 8 more yards....one of the more exciting plays of the day ; next play Bortles comes in and connects with Woods on a 50 yd TD pass with broken coverage ...he was open by 10 yards, though Isaw defender going at Bortle as he was releasing the ball ...hard to tell if it would've been a sack..... Borltes was pressured alot today. I counted a minimum of 3 sacks ; next, Goff threaded a a pass to Reynolds on an intermediate length throw in the middle of the field in between defenders ; Henderson had a short run to the left side.... up to this point, The Rams had a difficult time running the ball on the Chargers first team defense and some of their 2's also. The interior of both the 1' and 2's gave up penetration in the middle for the plays to be blown up. With that said the pass protection was much better than the run blocking, except for when Bortles was in (tongue in cheek)..
OK, the last session had to be the 2-minute drill..... although it didn't appear to be because there was no sense of urgency and it seemed they huddled more than not .... They started from the Ram 25 ... Gurley 6 yds up the middle ; incomplete pass to to left....don't know the intended target ; Deep pass down right sideline to Cooks, got his hands on it but juggled it...incomplete ; next, lengthy developing play with Kupp croosing from right to left and going up the sideline...... about a 35 yd pass, incomplete....he got bumped but no flag ; KUpp a short reception for 6 yds in the flat ; Goff sacked! ; Mundt seems to be the inline TE with the second unit ; Jojo a short reception over the middle...and he didn't end up on the ground (giggles) ; Kelly handoff up the middle for 10 .... Chargers seemed to have their nickle coverage in and the delayed handoff caught them offguard ; Henderson stuffed in the backfield ; Everett, positioned INLINE for the first time today, caught a pass in the flat for a short gain ; Rams now at Chargers 10.... Everett INLINE again, with a pass to Woods at the 5 ; Brown then took a handoff the disatance for a TD.. Reset.....back to the 25 with Bortles in ..... Had 2 receptions back to back to Higbee of 8 and 12 yds respectively ; short pass over middle to Reynolds who got pummeled on the play ; next play Reynolds down the right sideline, deep......incomplete ; Bortles pressure again... had to dump off ; Thomas nice 15 yard post over the middle ; notice that Higbee is in on every play in this session ... nest, deep fade to Thomas at the goal line .... incomplete but drew a flag ... he did nice job of getting his hands on the ball around the defender which helped draw the flag ; Kelly run play stuffed at the LOS ; then, Kelly again 5 yds for a TD. And, that's how the it ended .....
Thoughts:
1) Goff was a bit off today compared to the practices I saw last Sat and Mon, though I'm not concerned. What I am happy with was ability to step up and get rid of the ball when he was being rushed by Bosa and Ingram, He made better decisions and was able to manuever better than Bortles.
2) Seems Everett's position is something of a hybrid ; he doesn't do the same things as Higbee, and yet does not run the same routes as the other receivers. Up until the 2-min drill, he was split out on every play that he was in on. And he was split wide on at least 33% of the plays. When people say Higbee versus Everett, I have to say no such thing.....they each have an exclusive role of each other in the offense.
3) Henderson - I couldn't see any pattern of how he is used or if there were any new formations in place for him. The pace and the player rotation of practice makes it difficult to note when he is in.
4) Running the Ball - Rams lost that game today. I would say the Chargers D held 75% of the Rams run plays to 2 yards or less. The interior of both first and second unit are going to have to improve this week or else the Rams play-action will not be as affective.
5) Receivers - a few of the lower rung guys got a couple of snaps today like Proehl and Jojo. Hodge got a lot of reps today. Jojo looks suceptable to injury when he gets the ball on offense. It seems he goes down with just a defender blowing on him.He is difficult to bring down in the open field I will admit, but from scrimmage, he is going to be in more traffic. He went to the ground about 3 times today after incidental contact from defenders. If I Had to rank the receivers in order of depth, I would say Woods, Cooks, Kupp, Reynolds, Thomas, Hodge, Webster.....only the top 6 or 7 matter

I hope I didn't bore anybody with the details.

Back to your regularly scheduled reading

Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff walks off the field after throwing an interception against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LIII, Feb. 3, 2019.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Facts (or the lack thereof) mean very little to people caught up in storylines. The best way to teach true understanding is not by teaching students facts (although that is still a valuable lesson); it is to teach them to analyze, as one does with elements of narrative.

That was Ashley Lamb-Sinclair in a powerful piece in the Atlantic that looked at the decreasing value of facts in the market when compared to narrative.

In that article, she talks about the value of facts, of information pushed up against narrative. Stories. And the power of story as a conduit for us to learn. Heading into the 2019 season, there’s a narrative I’ve seen often. And it’s butting up against fact.

It suggests that Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff played horribly in Super Bowl LIII. That he was the pilot of the plane with a course charted by Head Coach Sean McVay that was derailed by the brilliant defensive structure overseen and remade throughout the game by New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. That the Rams, young and new and upward, were stalled out by the long-worn Patriots who were somehow ready for the new despite decades of experience.

That Goff was simply overwhelmed.

This is from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio last month previewing the Rams’ 2019 season:

"It’s one thing for McVay to come up with new concepts and plays; it’s another for Goff to execute them. Goff’s failure to spot and then to deliver an accurate throw to a wide-ass open Brandin Cooks in Super Bowl LIII should haunt Goff and McVay, and it should raise questions as to whether, when confronted with a championship opportunity, Goff will be suited to seize it."

Think about what Florio is suggesting, because it represents a large portion of the populace looking at the 2019 season. A single throw from Jared Goff, one pass from a season of 561 passes throughout the regular season and 106 passes in the postseason deserves to be distilled to a single through in the Super Bowl.

Think about that.


It’s not entirely unwarranted. The idea that you can take a whole season, an entire work of 19 games and 667 throws and reduce it down to a single play is possible. It’s crazy, but it is!

The problem is that doing that for Goff in that single play is inaccurate. But of course it is.

Jared Goff passed for 4,688 yards last season. That’s the 40th-highest passing yard total in a single season of all time.

If somehow you’ve missed it, this is the 100th season in NFL history. Even if there were just one team every year, finishing 40th would be commendable. I sadly might shock you to note that there have been more than one team in the NFL in the 100 years of its existence! In fact, there have been several!

Jared Goff put in the 40th-best season in the history of the NFL in terms of passing yards, passing for 4,688 yards. That has nothing to do with the 1994 season from Dallas Cowboys QB Troy Aikman in which he 2,676 yards, a season in which the Cowboys went 12-4 and disappointingly lost the NFC Conference Championship in a four-year stretch in which they won the other three Super Bowls.

Jared Goff put in the 40th-best season in the history of the NFL in terms of passing yards, passing for 4,688 yards. That has nothing to do with the 2018 season from Patriots QB Tom Brady in which he threw for 4,355 yards, a season in which the Patriots went 11-5 and won Super Bowl LIII.

Seasons are long.

Games are short.

Moments are shorter.

The Rams lost Super Bowl LIII to the Patriots. That wasn’t entirely, though it was partially (and perhaps largely) due to the performance of Jared Goff.

The Patriots won Super Bowl LIII over the Rams. That wasn’t entirely, though it was largely (and perhaps entirely) due to the performance of Brady.

Jared Goff finished the Super Bowl 19/38 for 229 yards with 0 TDs and 1 interception.

Tom Brady finished the Super Bowl 21/35 for 262 yards with 0 TDs and 1 interception.

What are we doing here?

What value are we providing to a narrative that’s hailing a quarterback as the greatest of all time for two more receptions in three less passes for 33 more yards?

We know there’s more context. Much, much, much, much, much, much, much (I could keep going), much, much, much, much, much (I should keep going), much, much, much, much, much (I’ll stop) more context.

Go back and watch Brady’s missed throws in Super Bowl LIII.

I did.

2:24 remaining in the 1st behind Chris Hogan. 1:30 in the 2nd away from James White. 11:02 in the 3rd to Hogan.

All of those were missed throws from Brady. Which is being categorized as a “failure to spot and then to deliver an accurate throw to a wide-ass open” Patriot? Which of those should haunt [Brady] and [Belichick] and should “raise questions as to whether, when confronted with a championship opportunity, [Brady] will be suited to seize it?”

Football is a sport of small sample sizes. As such, it invites the availability for narrative misanalysis based on distilling the larger sample size down to a single game.

A single drive.

A single throw.

For many, Jared Goff is being derided for being a system quarterback, a function of the talent around him and the coach he has overseeing the environment he operates in. For some, he’s being castigated because of a single play in Super Bowl LIII.

But for me, he’s on a trajectory to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Someone who can deal with the public and media-laden pressures while ensuring he leads his team through the ridiculous roller coaster of the NFL season and come out on the other side looking better individually while also looking capable of taking his team to the ultimate symbol of success.

Tom Brady missed several throws six months ago. He remains Tom Brady.

Jared Goff missed several throws six months ago. He remains Jared Goff.

The only thing that remains unfair is that Goff’s narrative revolves around the throw/s he missed in the Super Bowl while Brady’s is able to sweep those under the rug.

Brady’s earned as much through his fantastic career.

But Goff shouldn’t be disabused of as much through his early career.

That might escape Florio.

It shouldn’t escape the rest of us.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...uper-bowl-liii-new-england-patriots-tom-brady


My synopsis :

Mike Florio is a stupid dick.

Pete Carroll classifies L.J. Collier's ankle sprain as 'rare,' says Seahawks will 'take some time to figure it out'
Seattle hasn't seen a sprained ankled like L.J. Collier's before

• https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...eahawks-will-take-some-time-to-figure-it-out/ by Tyler Sullivan

L.J. Collier's high ankle sprain has Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll befuddled. The first-round defensive end is dealing with what Carroll describes as a "rare sprain" that will keep him sidelined for weeks.

"He's got a badly sprained ankle, and it's going to be a little bit," Carroll told reporters Thursday, his first comments since the injury. "It's unfortunate. It was really an awkward position that he got tangled up in. We'll have to take some time to figure it out, it's going to be some weeks though."

Collier suffered the injury during Tuesday's training camp session while going through 11-on-11 drills. He was in noticeable pain as he went down, was helped over to the sideline and was later carted off the field with trainers tending to that right ankle. The high ankle sprain diagnosis was not far behind Collier coming off the field, but Carroll did note that it's unlike one he's seen before.

"It's a little bit unusual, kind of the upper part of his foot," he said. "It's an unusual one for us, we really haven't had a guy who sprained his ankle just like this. We're going to be really slow to make sure we know what we're doing with this. It's a rare sprain."


When asked about whether or not the preseason is in play for Collier, Carroll said, "We're going to take it one week at a time."

"Unusual" and "rare" aren't exactly the words you want your head coach using when describing an injury to the franchise's first-round pick, so it appears like it'll be quite a while before Collier hits the field again. Because of the oddity of his injury along with how high in regard Collier's held, Seattle will likely take a cautious approach with their top pick.

The Seahawks were counting on Collier, who totaled 42 tackles and six sacks during his final collegiate season at TCU, to produce out of the gate in 2019 after they traded Frank Clark this offseason coupled with Jarran Reed being suspended for the first six games of the season. This injury certainly now puts him behind the 8 ball.

Well this is it folks, the last real practice, (tomorrow a walk through in shorts and tee shirts), here in SoCal before the Rams move on to NorCal and then Hawaii. I'm wondering what kind of coverage, if any, we will get this coming week. Is D'Marco, De Silva, Vinny or Myles going north to cover practices with them? Or are we going to be in the dark for the next week?

Anyone else think it strange the Rams will practice all week with the Raiders, then play a game with them on Saturday? Think they will know what each other is doing? Should make for an interesting football game.

Rams starting units on both sides of the ball are pretty much set, and I don't think we'll see any of them in pre season games. Pre season will be about sorting out bench depth.

Anyway, I'll be at Irvine for today's scrimmage, which should be a whole lot easier than watching the scrimmage at Chargers fan unfriendly confines.

I'll post some notes when I get home.:cheers:

Versatility of Rams defensive line will be huge asset in 2019

By:Cameron DaSilva

There’s less star power on the Los Angeles Rams defensive line this season than a year ago after the departure of Ndamukong Suh, but that doesn’t mean the unit is in worse shape. Suh was a disappointment for most of the regular season, struggling to consistently win from his new position at nose tackle.

Lesser-known players such as Sebastian Joseph-Day and Greg Gaines are in line to replace Suh, sliding in between Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. They’re both more of a true nose tackle than Suh, but they also bring some versatility, as does the rest of the Rams defensive line.

Full Article--
[theramswire.usatoday.com]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...tonio-browns-continued-absence-from-practice/

Raiders' Jon Gruden: 'I think we're all disappointed' in Antonio Brown's continued absence from practice

Antonio Brown missed a considerable part of Pittsburgh's 2018 training camp with a mysterious, undisclosed injury. The same story is now playing out in Oakland.

Brown, arguably the NFL's best receiver who was traded from Pittsburgh to Oakland this offseason, missed his second consecutive practice on Friday. The Raiders have not provided a timetable for Brown's expected return after the receiver has missed several practices since Oakland opened training camp last week.

Not only was Brown a non-participant in practice, he was nowhere to be found, leaving head coach Jon Gruden to utter some disparaging commentsafter practice.

"I think we're all disappointed," Gruden said, per Lindsay Jones of The Athletic. "We want to get the party started."

Shortly after Brown arrived to training camp on a hot air balloon, the Raiders confirmed that the receiver was part of the team's non-football injury list and would miss the start of training camp. The Raiders had reportedly known "for a couple of weeks" that Brown not being physically ready for the start of camp was a possibility.

Brown, whose injury remains unknown, did participate in practice earlier this week after passing a physical. Brown hasn't been able to stay on the field, however, missing Oakland's two most recent practices heading into the weekend.

The uncertainty surrounding Brown's current situation is eerily similar to what transpired during his final training camp with the Steelers. Brown, after looking like his usual dominant self during the team's first several practices, left Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and headed back to Pittsburgh during the second week of camp. At the time, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that Brown had been cleared to leave camp in order to get his undisclosed injury further evaluated.

Brown's absence set the stage for JuJu Smith-Schuster to get more reps while filling in for Brown in practice as Pittsburgh's No. 1 receiver. JuJu parlayed his extra camp reps into a breakout 2018 season that saw him lead the Steelers with 111 receptions for 1,426 yards. And while Brown ended up stringing together another strong statistical season (he led the NFL with 15 touchdown receptions), it was Smith-Schuster that was named the Steelers MVP, a situation that further reinforced Brown's desire to leave Pittsburgh.

While Brown has missed a significant among of time at this year's Raiders camp, new Oakland GM Mike Mayock recently explained what he has brought to the table when he's been able to take part in practice.

"I can just tell you that at practice, when he catches a quick slant and gets vertical and goes, it's rare to see grown men in the NFL start looking at each other and start giggling and laughing. And it happens almost every day in practice," Mayock said, per the Indiana Gazette. "I think what it also does is the young guys get to see what an All-Pro potential Hall of Famer actually practices on a daily basis. If you're a young guy and you look at that, you'd better understand what it takes."

Brown, 31, is coming off his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl season. He is also coming off his sixth consecutive season that saw him catch at least 100 passes, an NFL record. But this will be his first season in Oakland with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, a serious league MVP contender in 2016 who has since suffered through two disappointing seasons for himself and the Raiders. Carr is trying to prove to Gruden that he is still Oakland's long-term solution at the quarterback position. Brown is trying to prove that he is still an elite receiver without having Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback.

https://www.therams.com/news/quotes...-t-say-enough-superlatives-about-aaron-donald

Quotes & Notes 8/2: Wade Phillips can’t say enough superlatives about Aaron Donald

After each media session, Quotes and Notes will bring you what was said, who said it, and what it means for your Los Angeles Rams.

“I think the neatest thing is his peers rating him the best player in the league. I think that shows you. I think the coaches all vote the same way. Certainly, I would.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was recently revealed as the No. 1 player in the 2019 NFL Top 100 list.
• Phillips said he “can’t say enough superlatives” about the sixth-year defensive tackle.
• But as many good things as Donald has done, Phillips noted there are things the back-to-back AP Defensive Player of the Year can work on, too.
• And that’s something Donald embraces.

“It’s a good feeling any time your peers think of you that highly. That’s the No. 1 football player in the whole national football league, it’s surreal.”
— DT Aaron Donald

• Donald appeared to be very appreciative of his peers voting him No. 1 in this year’s Top 100 list.
• Donald recorded 20.5 sacks in 2018, setting a new league record for sacks by an interior lineman in a single season, and a single-season record for the Rams franchise.
• But as he always does, Donald said he has room for improvement and he’s only trying to get himself better.
• Better than 20.5 sacks from the interior — it doesn’t seem possible.
• But then again, Donald’s first sack didn’t come until Week 4 last year…

“He made some plays where he’s standing — they’re handing off the ball in the backfield and he’s standing right in front of the guy and there’s two guys supposed to block him.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Phillips was still talking about Donald — describing plays from Thursday’s practice with the Chargers.
• Donald is known as a practice wrecker, and it’s much better if that comes against another team.
• Phillips added that it’s been great to have Donald both in the offseason program and at training camp because he has a great attitude at all times.
• “Besides being a great player,” Phillips added, “he’s a great person.”

“I thought it was really beneficial to see a really good team, and we’re looking forward to competing against them tomorrow, too.”
— HC Sean McVay

• Upon reviewing the film from Thursday’s practice with the Chargers, head coach Sean McVay said he noticed a lot of good competition in all three phases.
• McVay noted that there were both good things and elements to work on from the session, but overall the team got what it wanted — solid work from practicing with another strong team that won’t be seen during the regular season.

“You want to try to make sure that we’re being critical of ourselves and realistic because there were some things yesterday that maybe you feel like it’s a good play, and you go back and you say, ‘If that’s a real game, maybe that isn’t as good of a play as we thought.’”
— HC Sean McVay

• The Rams and Chargers weren’t tackling on Thursday and they likely won’t on Saturday either. That’s part of why McVay said L.A. has to be critical of itself when evaluating film of the practice.
• There are times when a quarterback may make a throw after he would’v been sacked in a live-game scenario.
• Or a player may make a catch over the middle that a safety would break up in a real-life scenario.
• But given the approach Los Angeles takes to joint practices, the club likely gained plenty from the experience.

“Brandin’s feeling good. … We expect him to be good to go tomorrow.”
— HC Sean McVay

• Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was held out of the later portions of Thursday’s practice with hamstring tightness. But McVay said the wideout should be fine to participate in Saturday’s joint practice.
• McVay added that wide receiver Cooper Kupp — who also did not participate in the joint portions of Thursday’s session — should be on the field for Saturday, too.

“I think all our guys are working hard but I think he’s seeing the opportunity and has seized it.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day has been working with the starting group at nose tackle, and Phillips has liked what the 2018 sixth-round pick has brought to the position.
• When L.A. selected DL Greg Gaines in the 2019 NFL Draft, the prevailing thought was Gaines could step in and compete right away for the starting spot at nose.
• But so far, Joseph-Day has held him off with some strong play.
• The nose tackle position will be important in improving Los Angeles’ No. 32 ranking in the regular season against the run from last year.

“They ran a lot of plays teams had run against us last year that had been successful, and they weren’t.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Speaking of the run defense, Phillips noted that the Rams improved against run plays teams had success with in 2018 during Thursday’s practice with the Chargers.
• That’s good news considering the Rams allowed a whopping 5.1 yards per carry against the run last season.
• Run defense falls on the linebackers as well as the defensive line, and so far Phillips has been pleased with the results in camp.

By: Cameron DaSilva | 15 hours ago

Brockers said this week that each of the Rams’ D-linemen can play every spot up front.

“In our philosophy, we believe that we can play every position on the field,” Brockers said, via the Los Angeles Daily News.

“There’s going to be instances where I’m playing nose and playing end and three (technique), so it really doesn’t matter. When you’re playing this 3-4, we can all play each one of the positions.”

The benefit of that position flexibility is that Donald can be freed up more easily. The Rams can move him to defensive end in an attempt to get one-on-one matchups, or he can remain at 3-technique with Brockers next to him at nose.

“You get to move around so if you’re getting double-teamed one place you can move around, maybe get some one-on-ones at another,” he added.

Those four players will get most of the attention up front for the Rams, but they’re not the only ones who will receive meaningful snaps. John Franklin-Myers can play defensive end, 3-technique or outside linebacker, giving Wade Phillips another chess piece on the front seven. Morgan Fox is back to his defensive end position this year after trying outside linebacker a season ago, while Justin Lawler and Trevon Young have similar versatility.

Los Angeles has the depth to field a solid rotation along the defensive line this season, which Phillips should be excited about.

Brockers said this week that each of the Rams’ D-linemen can play every spot up front.

“In our philosophy, we believe that we can play every position on the field,” Brockers said, via the Los Angeles Daily News.