Sports
Nick Mensio,Rotoworld Wed, Jul 10 8:03 AM PDT
2018 Stats (Rank)

Total Offense: 6,738 (2nd)
Offensive Touchdowns: 55 (3rd) Offensive Plays: 1060 (4th) Pass Attempts + Sacks: 601 (14th) Rush Attempts: 459 (8th) Unaccounted for Targets: 11 (32nd) Unaccounted for Carries: 50 (21st)

Coaching Staff

Embarking on his third season as the Rams’ head coach, Sean McVay’s offense jumped from 10th to second in total yards last season and averaged three more points per game (32.9) after leading the league with a 29.9 mark in 2017. Only the Chiefs scored more points a year ago. Due to all of the success, McVay’s staff keeps getting raided by other teams looking for head coaches. Last offseason, the Titans and Raiders poached OC Matt LaFleur and QBs coach Greg Olson to run their respective offenses. And this year, it was QBs coach Zac Taylor who landed the head-coaching job for the Bengals. This is why it’s extremely important to have a head coach who calls his own plays like McVay does in L.A. The churning of the coaching staff doesn’t affect gameday operations as much as it would some other clubs. On the defensive side, DC Wade Phillips’ units have been leaky but have shown a bend-but-don’t-break resolve and played extremely well to end last season against the Saints and Patriots, even if the Rams lost the Super Bowl. Phillips continues to adapt to the new game despite his advanced age.


Passing Game

QB: Jared Goff, Blake Bortles
WR: Brandin Cooks, Josh Reynolds
WR: Robert Woods, KhaDarel Hodge
WR: Cooper Kupp, Mike Thomas
TE: Gerald Everett, Tyler Higbee

Another year removed from Jeff Fisher and a second under McVay, Goff took a big step forward in 2018, finishing fourth in yards (4,688) and sixth (32) in passing touchdowns while also raising his completion percentage to 64.9. Goff’s splits under pressure are troublesome, and the same is true for his home vs. road production, but there’s no question Goff is capable of winning and posting big-time numbers when he has the talent he does around him in L.A. Goff was the overall QB7 last year and 10th in fantasy points per game. The Rams lost a couple key offensive linemen in LG Rodger Saffold and C John Sullivan, replacing them with two inexperienced bodies, but Kupp is coming back from a torn ACL after missing half of last season. Kupp is huge for Goff both on third downs and in the scoring area. And with Kupp, Cooks, and Woods, the Rams have one of the best receiving trios in the sport. Goff has his doubters, but he could theoretically build on his already-awesome 2018. He’s been more than fine as a QB1 for fantasy and someone with which owners can win. He’s also playing for a second contract with just two years left on his current deal. McVay said Goff will be extended.

Acquired from the Patriots last year, Cooks’ first season with the Rams was a monumental success. He was four catches away from a career high with 80 grabs and set a new career best with 1,204 yards while scoring five times. Cooks finished just outside the top 12 as the WR13 in PPR leagues. Kupp’s return could affect Cooks’ target share, but this is an offense that can very easily support three wideouts when it barely uses its tight ends. The Rams would have to take multiple steps back for one reason or another for Cooks to not have another big year. Cooks somehow is still just 25 years old and won’t turn 26 until after Week 1.

Woods elevated his game multiple levels in 2018, bagging his first career 1,000-yard season with an 86-1,219-6 line, setting career bests across the board. He’s one of the most underappreciated wideouts in the league and is someone who is willing to do all the little things and the dirty work to be a great real-life player. Woods is a willing blocker and makes the tough catches in tight areas. His massive season was good enough for the WR10 finish in PPR formats. He just turned 27 in April and is very much in the prime of his career. Like Cooks, Woods shouldn’t be affected much, if at all, by Kupp’s return from ACL surgery. Reynolds simply will be phased back to the Rams’ No. 4 wideout and first in line if there’s any injury. Woods is as solid as they come as a fantasy WR2 with sneaky WR1 upside. Woods is currently being drafted as the WR17, which could again be viewed as a bargain by season’s end.

Kupp is the lone question mark in this passing offense. He started 2018 absolutely red-hot, compiling a 30-438-5 line over the first five weeks only to sprain his MCL and miss a couple contests. Kupp returned but later tore his ACL, seeing his season end with 40-566-6 through eight games. He was obviously on pace to be a third 1,000-yard wideout for L.A. who scored double-digit touchdowns. At the time of his injury, Kupp was pacing the Rams in red-zone targets as someone Goff leaned on heavily anytime the team was in the scoring area. Kupp did some individual drills this spring, suggesting he could gain clearance early this summer. Kupp should firmly be in the back end of the WR2 conversation as long as his rehab goes smoothly.

The tight end position simply hasn’t been a focus since McVay took over. Everett improved on his 2017 rookie season but still failed to top 50 yards in any of his 16 regular-season games and scored all three of his touchdowns in a two-game November stretch. Everett has talent, but he simply gets lost in the shuffle when there are bigger mouths to feed ahead of him. He’ll surely pop for a big game here or there, but those will be wholly unpredictable. Higbee had almost an identical 2018 as he had in 2017, seeing his catches go from 25 to 24, yards 295 to 292, and touchdowns one to two. He’s obviously not a fantasy option and is more of the inline blocker.

Running Game

RB: Todd Gurley, Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown
OL (L-R): Andrew Whitworth, Joseph Noteboom, Brian Allen, Austin Blythe, Rob Havenstein

Gurley is obviously the big question mark for the Rams. The unquestioned best running back in the league the first 10 weeks of last season, something happened injury-wise in the shootout with the Chiefs in Week 11. Despite a combined 105 points between the two teams, Gurley totaled 94 scoreless yards on 15 touches. Gurley rebounded the following week in Detroit for 165 yards and two touchdowns on 26 touches. But it was mostly downhill thereafter with Gurley sitting the final two games of the season. Something is going on with his knee, but the exact details remain mostly unknown. His trainer admitted Gurley is dealing with an arthritic condition in his surgically-repaired knee. The Rams have done their best to prepare for any potential Gurley absence, matching the Lions’ two-year offer sheet to Brown and then taking Henderson with a third-round pick. All reports have suggested the Rams plan to scale back Gurley’s workload in 2019. However, even a more lightly-used Gurley can be an elite fantasy weapon. This doesn’t necessarily spell doom for his outlook. Gurley’s upside is unmatched in McVay’s offense; the floor is the concern. Everything laid out makes Gurley more of a second- or third-round fantasy selection rather than the No. 1 overall pick he’d been sans knee concerns.

The No. 2 running back job will be one to watch very carefully this preseason. Most across the industry are simply assuming Henderson wins the job, and that’s evidenced by his skyrocketing average draft position (ADP) that has worked its way into the sixth round as the RB32. That’s extremely rich for someone who may not even be the sure direct backup to Gurley. And even if Henderson wins that job, it’s no sure thing Gurley will have his touches dialed back. But if Gurley does end up getting hurt and Henderson is the No. 2, then the upside is obviously there. It’s a risk-reward selection, and one that I’m not particularly willing to take right now. I’d much -- MUCH -- rather take the 14th-round stab at Brown. It’s a far more palatable price.

The Rams were lucky Whitworth decided to delay retirement and come back for another season because they watched longtime LG Rodger Saffold leave for a big-money deal with the Titans. Saffold was one of the best guards in the league last season, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 left guard, checking in at No. 3 as a run blocker. Noteboom was a third-round pick in 2018 and played 78 snaps as a rookie. He’s a college left tackle being asked to step in at guard. Meanwhile, Allen was selected in the fourth round a year ago and played 36 snaps in year one. This is a very inexperienced duo. It’s a line that looks worse on paper, but the coaching staff has worked wonders with former UDFA Blythe and turned Havenstein into a top-end right tackle. OL coach Aaron Kromer is one of the best in the sport. It could work out seamlessly.

Win Total

The Rams’ win total sits at 10.5 in most spots with a decently-sized fee on the over (-140), which makes sense considering the Rams have won 11 and 13 games in McVay’s two seasons. L.A. obviously lost Saffold on offense, but that unit remains largely the exact same outside of Gurley’s questionable health. On defense, the team let Ndamukong Suh and Lamarcus Joyner walk as free agents and cut ILB Mark Barron. They added Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle. The division has gotten better with Arizona’s infusion of offensive talent and San Francisco’s return to health. At best, the Rams’ strength of schedule is neutral. They open at Carolina, vs. New Orleans, and at Cleveland. That’s a tough three-game set to start with, but the Rams have to be considered NFC favorites heading into training camp. Over 10.5 is the better bet.


https://www.yahoo.com/sports/rams-fantasy-preview-150302945.html

https://www.therams.com/news/countdown-to-camp-rams-returning-group-of-tight-ends

Countdown to Camp: Rams returning group of tight ends

After a look at Los Angeles’ inside linebackers, this Thursday, July 11 edition of Countdown to Camp will break down the team’s tight ends.

TIGHT ENDS

Newcomers: Keenan Brown, Romeo Brooker, Kendall Blanton

The Rams’ group of tight ends isn’t necessarily well-known, but it certainly contains candidates to have a breakout season.

In the first two years of head coach Sean McVay’s tenure with L.A., tight ends have averaged 53.5 receptions for 613.5 yards with four touchdowns per season. That’s not just one player — that’s all tight ends. So if there’s room for improvement for a team that’s finished No. 1 and No. 2 in scoring in the last two years, this is one position where it could come from.

Tyler Higbee is entering his fourth season, and presumably his third as a full-time starter. His number over the last two years have been remarkably similar — 25 receptions for 295 yards with one touchdown in 2017, followed by 24 receptions for 292 yards with two touchdowns in 2018. Higbee also had a notable touchdown reception late in the NFC Championship game in New Orleans. He’s strong as an in-line blocker, but can also make the tough catch on the sideline. He played 71.6 percent of the Rams’ offensive snaps last year, in on most of the first- and second-down situations.

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles’ first pick in the 2017 draft, split time with Higbee last year — mainly entering the game in known-passing situations. He caught 33 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns. He also took a couple carries for 16 yards, displaying his versatility. Everett had a strong offseason program, making a number of impressive catches day after day during OTAs. If tight end production is going to improve this season, it appears as if Everett will be a significant reason why.

Los Angeles’ hasn’t used much 12 personnel since McVay’s arrival — featuring one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers — but that could change if Everett continues to emerge.

Elsewhere at the tight end position, Johnny Mundtreturns for what will be his third season with the Rams. After spending 2017 on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent, Mundt was on the active roster for the entirety of the 2018 season. He mainly played special teams, though, taking just 40 offensive snaps throughout the course of the year.

For depth heading into camp, Los Angeles also added three undrafted free agents to the roster this offseason in Keenan Brown, Romeo Brooker, and Kendall Blanton.

Seriously. I have been underwhelmed by him for years.

He's with a different team this year (Vikings), and there is no guarantee that he will be the back up QB there and CBS Sports doesn't believe he will keep a roster spot this year. Was it that he was just so cheap? I wonder if we can keep Bortles longer than this year, because some QB's will tank and the dude is a borderline starter. It just seems that as good as Les Snead normally is at picking talent, he and McVay kept a back up QB that probably wasn't worth the roster spot for two years...

https://www.scout.com/football/nfl/...ent-snaps-and-is-not-a-viable-fantasy-option/

Let me start off saying I really like the Ram's depth at WR. As a unit I think this could be the best and deepest unit in the NFL. McVay loves his 11 personnel so having good depth at WR is essential. They really missed Kupp last year and it exposed a weakness in that depth. But I think they may have a guy among the UDFA that might solve that problem. Heres how I break down the WR's that I think will be on the final roster in September. Last year they carried 6 WR's on the active roster in September I believe.

These are the three base starters:

X - Woods, good speed, excellent hands and body control, excellent route runner with good burst coming out of his breaks. Can beat press coverage and reads zone very well.

Z - Cooks has elite speed, with good hands and excellent route running. He can play the X position but is much better in Z and Y where he can use his superior quickness to get a clean release.

Y - Kupp has only average speed, but is a superior route runner. He gets his separation by using crisp route running with a good burst to separate coming out of his breaks. Good length and excellent hands.

Behind them they carried 3 backups. I don't see Mike Thomas making this roster this year. He's a long strider with problems getting separation because of it. This year I think if they carry 6 the other three will be:

XYZ - KhaDarel Hodge has the ability to play all 3 WR positions but of the 3 backups most likely to make the team, he is the best scheme fit for the X position. He's got very good speed and agility. Paired with good hands and overall athleticism he's got a high ceiling. That said he's still a work in progress, because to play on this team he needs a lot of work on his route running. Until he masters that he will remain behind Josh Reynolds.

Z &Y - Reynolds showed last year he can play at this level and that he's shown improvement in his play. He's got good length and speed for a man of his size. Josh is a good athlete with good agility, but like Hodge his route running must improve. He also is a work in progress but has shown he's able to provide needed depth. He struggles a bit with press coverage so IMO he's best playing Z & Y WR positions.

XYZ - Bachman is the guy IMO that can provide what went missing last year with the loss of Kupp. He's faster and in some ways quicker than Kupp though he isn't as long as Cooper. His overall athleticism would seem to make him a good fit in this scheme. IMO he might be able to run those short and medium possession routes better than Hodge or Reynolds. That is what the passing offense lost when Kupp went out. Neither Hodge or Reynolds is that kind of player. After looking a Bachman's film I think he potentially can be that guy.

I think there is only one real slot among the WR's that is open (JoJo's). When you only carry 6 WR's and one is only realistically a return specialist it really impacts the team if one of the starters goes down. That is what happened to the Rams last year. It is why McVay was forced to turn to his TE's to pick up the short to medium range routes more than he has in the past. This is why I anticipate McVay filling Jojo's spot with a legitimate NFL level WR be it Bachman or someone else.

That is why the emergence of Everett was so significant. With Higbee and Everett the Rams have two underrated TE's. Everett has the athleticism and body traits that gives him an extremely high ceiling. It remains to be seen if he can become an elite TE.

TE - Higbee is probably one of the more underrated TE's in the league. McVay's offense is strangely not TE friendly. They seem to be more of an after thought or safety valve than a offensive focus. I wonder if that will change this year, as I think it will. The play of Higbee and Everett last year when Kupp went down was a learning point for a still developing young HC. Higbee has all the physical traints you want in a TE. Deceptively quick and smooth with very good hands. He's the better route runner which is why he is ahead of Everett on the depth chart.

TE - Everett like Higbee has all the physical traits you look for in the position. But there is no question Everett's athleticism sets him apart from Tyler. He has enough speed to play the entire Y route tree. He's a work in progress, but his ceiling is very high. In another offensive scheme he could be a Kelce like impactful TE. If he ever masters route running and really learns to use his basketball skills, i.e. body control and blocking the defender out, Gerald could be scary. Antonio Gates, never played football in college. But he learned to translate those basketball skills into his football play. Gerald needs to do likewise.

TE - Blanton can be that blocking TE that is missing from this roster. Kendall is a very big man. He has experience at blocking due to his being used on occasion in college as a H-back. He isn't fast but he is quick. He's the kind of TE that can provide run blocking and act as an outlet receiver. He's got basic receiving skills with 6'6" height, very long arms and huge hands. He's the kind of TE that can give McVay an extra blocker on the LOS or a tall target in the end zone for Goff.

These players make McVay's passing offense one of the most dangerous in the NFL. Most people may not see it but the seemingly small changes in this team this year have transformed this team. It is a much better team than last years. This year's team can be scary good. As long as they don't beat themselves with stupid mistakes, this team can matchup with anyone.

He wants a Gurley-like contract and he's attempting squeeze carrot juice from the Spanos turnip! According to some, he's willing to sit out the season.
From a Rams' perspective, another great Rams season and a sucky Chargers season means low ticket sales and maybe ushers in the Mexico City Chargers? Well, a guy can dream...
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...vin-gordon-will-demand-trade-without-new-deal

I won't say who teased us with a an important announcement in 24 hours, about 22 hours ago about Jared Goff...Anyone know what it is? Contract maybe?

Along with his lady



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https://www.therams.com/news/countdown-to-camp-rams-one-new-starter-at-ilb

Countdown to Camp: Rams will have at least one new starter at ILB in 2019

So far in Countdown to Camp, we’ve taken a look at the special teams unit and the offensive line. For Wednesday, July 10, our series continues with a breakdown of Los Angeles’ inside linebackers.

Newcomers: Dakota Allen, Ketner Kupp, Natrez Patrick, Troy Reeder

The Rams’ linebacking corps will look a little different when it takes the field in 2019. Mark Barron had been a mainstay at the position since taking over at the weakside linebacker spot early on during the 2015 season, moving down from his original position of safety.

Both he and Ramik Wilson — who started four games for the 2018 Rams — departed in free agency.

But Los Angeles will have its signal-caller back from 2018 in Cory Littleton, who returns for his fourth season in horns. The former undrafted rookie out of Washington excelled in his first season as the Rams’ Mike linebacker, recording 4.0 sacks, three interceptions, nine tackles for loss, and 13 passes defensed. And he still contributed heavily on special teams, blocking a few punts over the course of the year.

At this point, second-year linebacker Micah Kiser appears penciled in for Los Angeles’ second starting ILB spot. While Kiser didn’t play at all on defense in his rookie season, he was productive on special teams — on the field for 62.7 percent of the unit’s snaps. When in college, Kiser thrice led the ACC in tackles — becoming only the second player in history to do so.

Bryce Hager, however, could have something to say about Kiser claiming that second starting ILB spot. He re-signed with the team on a one-year deal in May. A former seventh-round pick, this will be Hager’s fifth year with the club. He’s also a heavy special teams contributor, leading the team with 79.8 percent of the unit’s snaps last year.

While Clay Matthews is more likely to play as an outside linebacker in most situations, he’s also worth mentioning as a possible option at ILB. The Rams will likely look to exploit his defensive versatility depending on the situation, since he has the flexibility to line up on the inside. Look for that more in known-passing situations.

Also returning is 2018 seventh-round pick Travin Howard, who spent his rookie year on Los Angeles’ practice squad. The TCU product will likely have to contribute on special teams if he is to make the initial 53-man roster.

The same goes for the Rams’ newcomers at ILB — all of whom are rookies. Dakota Allen is most well known for his appearance on the second season of Netflix’s Last Chance U, but played well in his second stint at Texas Tech. Ketner Kupp, Rams wideout Cooper Kupp’s younger brother, also played his college ball at Eastern Washington. Natrez Patrick played at Georgia, and Troy Reeder at Delaware.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ml...four”-author-jim-bouton-dies-at-80/ar-AAE8RMU

Ex-Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton was a 20-game winner, won two World Series games, spent 10 years in the big leagues — and made a bigger impact with a pen in his hand than a baseball.

The author of the groundbreaking hardball tell-all “Ball Four” died Wednesday following a battle with a brain disease linked to dementia. The Newark, N.J., native died in the home he shared with his wife Paula Kurman after weeks of hospice care. He was 80.


Bouton, wearing No. 56 for the Bombers in the 1960s, threw so hard in his early years that his cap routinely flew off his head as he released the ball. By the time he reached the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969, the sore-armed Bouton reinvented himself as a knuckleballer.

That same year, Bouton spent a season collecting quotes, notes and anecdotes about life in the big leagues for his acclaimed book “Ball Four." Released amid a storm of controversy, the account of Bouton’s tumultuous year was the only sports book cited when the New York Public Library drew up its list of the best books of the 20th century.

In “Ball Four,” Bouton exposed in great detail the carousing of Yankees legend Mickey Mantle, the widespread use of stimulants (known as “greenies”) in major league locket rooms, and the spectacularly foul mouth of Seattle Pilots manager Joe Schultz.

“Amphetamines improved my performance about five percent,” Bouton once observed. “Unfortunately, in my case that wasn’t enough.”

Bouton, across his 10-year pro career, posted a medicore lifetime record of 62-63, with an ERA of 3.57.

But for two seasons, on the last of the great 1960s Yankees teams of Mantle, Maris and Berra, Bouton emerged as a top-flight pitcher.

In 1963, he went 21-7 with six shutouts and lost a 1-0 World Series decision to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Don Drysdale. A year later, Bouton’s record was 18-13 with a 3.02 ERA and won a pair of World Series starts against the St. Louis Cardinals.

And then he developed a sore arm in 1965 that derailed a promising career that started just three years earlier. Bouton’s career ended after the 1970 season with the Houston Astros, although he returned for a five-game cameo with the Atlanta Braves in 1978.

Post-baseball, Bouton became a local sportscaster with WABC-TV and then WCBS-TV on the evening news, enjoying ratings success at both stops.

Bouton also suffered a pair of strokes in 2012.

________________________________

Great book. He also briefly starred in a sitcom based on the book, also called Ball Four

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RIP Jim Bouton

I saw this on twitter and thought it was fun racking my brain for current players who shared my first initial. Do yours!

Mine is L

QB- L. Jackson (Bal)
RB- L. Bell (Buf)
RB- L. McCoy (NYJ)
WR- L. Fitzgerald (Ari)
WR- L. Treadwell (Min)
TE- L. Wilson (Oak)
FLEX- L. Lenoir (Dal)
Honorable mention - L. Fournette (Car)

It’s on NFL network.
dumb & dumber

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/07/09/nfl-supplemental-draft-jalen-thompson-rams-interest/

Report: Rams showing interest in supplemental draft prospect Jalen Thompson

With Lamarcus Joyner on his way out in free agency, the Los Angeles Rams sunk major assets into the safety position this offseason. They signed Eric Weddle after he was cut by the Ravens and then drafted both Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott.

There’s a chance they’re not done addressing the position, either.

According to Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, the Rams were among the teams “lining up” to meet with supplemental draft prospect Jalen Thompson at his pro day on Monday. A total of 26 teams attended the defensive back’s workout.

Thompson entered the supplemental draft after losing his final year of eligibility at Washington State for violating NCAA rules. Had he declared for the 2019 draft, he could have been a Day 2 or 3 pick.

Thompson weighed in at 5-foot-10, 186 pounds at his pro day with 31 1/4-inch arms. He’s not the biggest safety around, but he has the requisite size and speed to play the position in the NFL. He also clocked 4.47 and 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which is plenty fast.

At Washington State, he was a three-year starter. He racked up 190 total tackles, six interceptions and 17 passes defensed, showing off good ball skills in 2017 with four interceptions – good for third in the Pac-12.

His fit with the Rams wouldn’t be immediately clear, but at the very least he could contribute on special teams. With Weddle and John Johnson in line to start, and Rapp backing them up, Los Angeles is plenty deep at safety.

The supplemental draft begins on Wednesday and is conducted over email. Teams submit bids on players using 2020 draft picks, so if someone bids a fourth-round pick on Thompson, that team will lose its fourth-rounder in 2020.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/07/09/nfl-rams-training-camp-roster-bubble-defense/4/

4 Rams defenders on roster bubble heading into training camp

The Los Angeles Rams didn’t dominate on defense the way many expected them to last season. With a star-studded unit that featured names such as Aaron Donald, Marcus Peters and Ndamukong Suh, the defense fell short of expectations.

It’s still a good unit on paper and there’s hope entering 2019, but changes on that side of the ball could force a handful of players off the roster. Here are four defenders on the roster bubble heading into training camp later this month.

NT Tanzel Smart
Smart’s chances of making the team took a significant hit when the Rams selected Greg Gaines in Round 4 – trading up to take him, at that. They’re clearly high on the rookie nose tackle, saying immediately after the draft that he could be a key piece in their base packages. With Sebastian Joseph-Day impressing coaches in spring workouts, too, it seems Smart is No. 3 on the depth chart.

He was tried as a starter in 2017, making four starts and playing all 16 games. He wasn’t utilized nearly as much last season, playing just two games. Being a starter again will be nearly impossible in 2019, but a good showing in camp could at least land him on the 53-man roster.

DB Marqui Christian
Taylor Rapp sure looks like someone who could easily replace Christian as that safety-linebacker hybrid defender. The Rams love Rapp’s game and had a first-round grade on him, and although he’s blocked by Eric Weddle and John Johnson on the depth chart, he’ll get on the field in dime packages.

Christian got a good amount of playing time last season as a tight end-covering specialist, but the Rams may not feel it’s necessary to keep him with Rapp likely taking over that role. Although Christian will be a difficult player to cut, the numbers game might cause the Rams to waive him.

OLB Trevon Young
The Rams may not be rich with top-tier talent at outside linebacker, but they do have a lot of depth at that position. That’s not necessarily a good thing for Young unless he can rise above Josh Carraway, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Justin Lawler. He did very little last season as a reserve, playing only two games in his rookie year.

Young has the measurables and athleticism to make it in the NFL, running a 4.78 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 258 pounds. But he needs to turn that raw potential into production on the field. It remains to be seen if he can do that, but this is a big offseason for the 2018 sixth-round pick.

OLB Justin Lawler
Lawler is in a similar situation as Young. He has more special teams value after playing 223 snaps in that department last season, but he doesn’t have the length or athleticism that Young does. His ceiling is lower as a pass rusher, but if he can bulk up and improve his play strength, perhaps the Rams can give him a shot at defensive end.

Regardless of where the Rams play him, he’s squarely on the roster bubble despite being in just his second season.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/st...g-biggest-questions-rookies-2022-fantasy-more

NFL experts debate: Which rookie is a lock to be a superstar?

Our panel of ESPN NFL experts is looking ahead over the next two weeks, identifying teams and players poised to dominate in the future, as we lead up to the unveiling of our new Future Power Rankings, which launches on July 16. Our panel will answer a question every day.

Which rookie would you plant your flag on being a star for five-plus years?

Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Quinnen Williams, DT, Jets. Game-wrecking talent on the interior of the defensive line -- that's what I see on Williams' college film. The traits are there for the Alabama product to quickly develop as a disruptive force -- with pass-rush upside -- at defensive tackle.

Mike Clay, fantasy writer: Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals. It's hard to imagine Murray failing. On one hand, he was an elite passer at Oklahoma, as indicated by his FBS-record 11.6 yards per attempt in 2018. On the other hand, he's an elite rusher, running for a ridiculous 1,001 yards while averaging 7.2 yards per carry last season. Yes, Murray is undersized, but his absurd combination of efficiency and production as both a passer and rusher makes him a perfect fit for the modern NFL.

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals. Why not? No one has the star potential Murray has, with his multidimensional talents entering the league at a time when it's all set up for quarterbacks to be superstars.

Mina Kimes, NFL writer: Quinnen Williams, DT, Jets. New York was fortunate to snag Williams at No. 3. In many other drafts, he would've gone first overall. The Alabama lineman's ability to generate a pass rush from the inside is tremendously valuable in today's NFL, and he should contribute immediately as a rookie.

Jason Reid, The Undefeated senior writer:Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals. Obviously, the tools are all there. And he has been playing on the biggest stages at every level of the game. The moment won't be too big for him. In five-plus years, we'll look back and praise the Cardinals for getting it right.

Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer:Nick Bosa, DE, 49ers. Pre-draft discussion about his political leanings masked what is largely a perfect football résumé. His ability to change a game via the pass rush or run defense will make him a star in a big market.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ct-with-texans-before-franchise-tag-deadline/

Jadeveon Clowney reportedly not expected to sign long-term contract with Texans before franchise tag deadline
The Texans, who don't have a general manager, are expected to let Clowney play out the season under the tag

On Monday, the deadline for teams to reach long-term contract agreements with their franchise-tagged players will arrive and by the sound of it, it will come and go without Texans edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney signing a new contract to keep him in Houston for the long run.

According to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle, the two sides aren't expected to reach an agreement before Monday's deadline, meaning Clowney is likely to spend the season playing under the tag, which is worth roughly $15.9 million. Clowney is also expected to sit out "a major portion" of training camp, but he is not expected to miss any games, according to the Chronicle's report.

It's worth noting the Texans don't even have a permanent general manager at the moment, which could be making long-term contract negotiations tricky. They fired Brian Gaine in early June and tried to replace him with Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, but they halted their pursuit of Caserio after the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Texans. As ESPN's Adam Schefter reported at the time, there's a chance the Texans will remain without a general manager throughout the upcoming season, with coach Bill O'Brien, executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby, and the scouting department splitting up GM duties.

That could be impacting their ability to sign Clowney to a new contract. Clowney's injury history also could be playing a role. Although he's stayed most healthy over the past three seasons, appearing in 45 of 48 possible games, Clowney has dealt with knee injuries throughout his career, which caused him to miss a significant portion of his rookie season back in 2014. Furthermore, while Clowney has been an impactful player, he doesn't quite have the kind of sack numbers that most elite pass rushers generate. He's never eclipsed the 10-sack mark in a single season.

That said, Clowney is a special player who plays one of the most important positions in football. He graded out as Pro Football Focus' ninth-best edge defender last year. He's also only 26 years old. If he plays out the upcoming season under the tag and posts similar numbers (18.5 sacks over the past two seasons), he should get a long-term contract from somebody. Of course, the Texans could always tag him again, but by that point, they should have a new general manager who might want to make a decision regarding Clowney's long-term future.

Either way, the 2019 season should be the most important season of Clowney's career as he chases a lucrative long-term contract.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...es-nfl-2019-los-angeles-rams-andrew-whitworth

Pro Football Focus ranks Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line 13th for 2019

With two new changes inside but solid options on the outside, the Rams’ O-line is still in the top half of the NFL.



Los Angeles Rams WR Brandin Cooks and LT Andrew Whitworth walk off the field against the Arizona Cardinals, Dec. 23, 2018.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Pro Football Focus has ranked every offensive line heading toward 2019 and has the Los Angeles Rams’ big guys 13th:

13. LOS ANGELES RAMS

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:

Left Tackle: Andrew Whitworth
Left Guard: Bobby Evans
Center: Brian Allen
Right Guard: Austin Blythe
Right Tackle: Rob Havenstein

Either rookie Bobby Evans or 2018 third-rounder Joseph Noteboom will step in for Rodger Saffold at guard, and 2018 fourth-rounder Brian Allen is expected to replace longtime veteran John Sullivan at center. None of the three youngsters have played significant snaps in the NFL, but all of them earned high marks at the collegiate level. Noteboom earned a 77.0 overall grade and a 91.6 pass-blocking grade in his last year with TCU, and Allen earned 81.0-plus overall grades in each of his last three seasons at Michigan State. Evans, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, earned a 72.3 overall grade at left tackle in 2018 and an 86.2 overall grade at right tackle in 2017.

There’s much less to worry about with the Rams’ returning starters. Tackles Rob Havenstein and Andrew Whitworth are two of the best in the game right now, and guard Austin Blythe earned a career-high 71.0 overall grade this past season that he should build off in 2019.

Interesting inclusion of Evans over Noteboom, but I wouldn’t dismiss the analysis because of it.

Should they finish 13th, that would be a stark dropoff from 2018 as one of the best lines in the league if not the best outright. Football Outsiders ranked the Rams’ line first in Adjusted Line Yards (their primary run-blocking metric) and sixth in Adjusted Sack Rate (their primary pass-blocking metric). So to come in at 13th would spell quite a bit more trouble for QB Jared Goff who, as we discussed yesterday, has struggled mightily under pressure.

The X-factor here? Health.

The Rams have been extremely fortunate in terms of injuries on the line since relocating to LA. Teams ranked ahead of the Rams like the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys all had injuries decimate their O-line play last year. The positive outlook for the Rams here is that thanks to investments in the last two drafts, the Rams have plenty of depth that can support the line should injuries take starters out for any stretch.

Overall though, to have the Rams’ O-line in the top half of the league despite two departures (which included G Rodger Saffold III whose addition to the Tennessee Titans boosted them to 5th in these rankings) is an indication of the strength of the line. Should the Rams’ coaching staff get adequate play out of the left guard and center positions whoever ends up filling them over the course of the season, they could certainly finish higher than 13th at season’s end.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...-rams-roster-preview-depth-chart-tanzel-smart

2019 Los Angeles Rams roster preview: DT Tanzel Smart attempts to crack rotation
Third times a charm, right? Tanzel Smart is hoping that’s the case as the third-year defensive lineman looks to earn consistent playing time.

By Sosa Kremenjas@QBsMVP Jul 9, 2019, 9:30am CDT
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into his third season as a Los Angeles Rams player, DL Tanzel Smart is looking to earn a steady role in the rotation of defensive lineman. Up until now, the former sixth-round draft pick has bounced around between the inactives list and the bench, hardly garnering any playing time outside of a short spurt in 2017.

Roster Battle
The defensive line battle is one of the tougher positions on the roster to evaluate. Veteran DT Michael Brockers and superstar DT Aaron Donald are surefire starters, though the potential for playing time behind them is available. Rookie fifth-round pick NT Greg Gaines has a good shot to start at nose tackle on base downs, with Sebastian Joseph-Day as a sneaky candidate to earn reps behind him. Other guys who’ll factor in on the defensive line are John Franklin-Myers who may play more 5-tech/defensive end, and Morgan Fox who’s making the switch back to having his hand in the dirt after a short stint at outside linebacker in 2018.

Expectations
The expectations for Smart should be to simply crack the 53-man roster. If he’s able to impress in training camp and during the preseason, that goal should be attainable. Regardless, Smart isn’t likely to be a major factor on the defensive line in 2019.

Chances of making the final roster (4.5/10)
For a player on the back-end of the roster, Smart actually has a decent shot to make the roster. The battle will likely come down to Smart versus Morgan Fox. The leg up for Smart is Fox is still recovering from a torn ACL in 2018 that ended his season before it started.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...ks-under-pressure-los-angeles-rams-jared-goff


Football Outsiders’ DVOA rankings for quarterbacks under pressure reiterate how important it is for Los Angeles Rams to protect QB Jared Goff

Goff is essentially two different quarterbacks. The one with a clean pocket? One of the best in the NFL. The one under pressure? One of the worst.

By 3k@3k_ Jul 8, 2019,


..The bigger issue is with Goff struggling against pressure. In 2018, Goff has posted an 83.8 Total QBR when he’s unpressured, the fifth-best mark in the league. When he is pressured, though, Goff’s QBR falls all the way down to 11.3, which is just between Marcus Mariota and Josh Rosen for 25th in the league. That 72.5-point slide is the biggest drop-off for any quarterback in the NFL.

That was ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in mid-December talking about Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff and the two starkly differing levels of play he offered to that point.

When he was protected and allowed to operate in a clean pocket, Goff had proven himself able to produce as well as nearly any QB in the NFL. When pressured though in spite of the brilliance of Head Coach Sean McVay and the personnel around him, he was among the worst.

Over at Football Outsiders today, Scott Spratt has posted updated DVOA rankings for 34 quarterbacks and how they performed both when under pressure and not. It tells the same story for Goff.

When he was protected (and Goff had the fifth-best protection rate per their evaluation), Goff was the fifth-best QB in the NFL. But under pressure? Goff finished 24th in DVOA leaving him with the fifth-biggest difference between his performance when protected and when under pressure.

That volatility is perhaps the center of the attention for the offense heading into the season with the only personnel changes on the starting offense coming on the offensive line.

The Rams’ offensive line in 2018 was fantastic. The loss of LG Rodger Saffold III and C John Sullivan should not be underestimated. That’s not to say that presumptive starters OL Joseph Noteboom and C Brian Allen should be expected to perform below adequacy. It simply means the bar set by the 2018 line was set extremely high. I mentioned that they left Goff with the fifth-best protection rate per Football Outsiders, but FO also ranked them the best run-blocking line in the entire NFL.

And while the run game offers some unpredictability itself thanks to the saga surrounding RB Todd Gurley’s knee and the addition of RB Darrell Henderson via the 2019 NFL Draft, the downside isn’t as stark as it is with Goff.

For all of his skills and despite a phenomenal performance late in the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints where he was brilliant dealing with pressure, Goff simply has not been good under pressure on the whole.

Here’s Spratt’s thoughts on Goff:

It is an incredible story that Goff turned [his performance while not under pressure] around. But Sean McVay makes Goff’s pressure splits the most fascinating part of this analysis. With McVay, Goff went from worst to nearly first in DVOA without pressure, but he has made only modest improvements to his DVOA with pressure. It’s hard not to read those splits as evidence of McVay’s brilliance rather than Goff’s. McVay famously communicates his pre-snap reads to help simplify Goff’s responsibilities, and when the Patriots switched defenses after communications cut off with fewer than 15 seconds on every play clock in the Super Bowl, Goff struggled. After throwing to the same receiver running the same route on the previous play, Goff put the final nail in the Rams’ coffin when he panicked in reaction to the Patriots’ fourth-quarter blitz and threw an easy pass for Stephon Gilmore to intercept. That decision punctuated a season full of similar mistakes.

Clearly, Goff’s poor play under pressure is not a dealbreaker or the Rams would not have been in the Super Bowl in the first place. McVay has done an excellent job in limiting the amount of pressure Goff sees, cutting the team’s pressure rate from a league-leading 40.4 percent the year prior to his arrival to 30.7 and 25.5 percent the last two seasons, both bottom-10 in football. And the offseason should provide McVay the time to create strategies like a hurry-up offense to counter the blueprint that Bill Belichick’s play-switching provided for other teams.

Meanwhile, Goff has a more realistic role model for his potential improvement than Rosen does in Goff. Kirk Cousins was a bottom-third performer under pressure in each of his first two seasons as a starter and has climbed all the way to the top 10 as of 2018. One could argue that Goff is even ahead of that pace given that Cousins spent the first two years of his career on the bench.

So for Goff himself, there’s reason for optimism. He’s continued to improve individually every offseason, and there’s cause to believe he’ll continue to do so especially with as much room as he has to improve under pressure.

But perhaps more important is the performance of the offensive line. As good as they were in 2018, they didn’t make Goff’s struggles under pressure a frequent feature. The 2019 line will be tasked with the same.

Given how poorly Goff was under pressure last year, that’s a tall task.

Well, here is goes:

QB - Jared Goff (starter), Blake Bortles.

(No surprises here. Goff is obviously the starter, although Bortles is a huge upgrade over Mannion. Brandon Allen and John Wolford miss the cut.)

RB - Todd Gurley (starter), Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson(KR/PR starter), John Kelly.

(If Gurley's health issues - whatever they may be - manifest, I think we'll see Brown, Henderson, and Kelly split carries. If not? Well, a healthy Gurley is an upgrade over every running back in the league. Henderson likely wins the kick return and punt return job. Brown is a solid, dependable back. Justin Davis loses the camp battle of fourth running back/special teams to Kelly, who has less durability concerns and more talent than Davis. Matthew Colburn is a camp body.)

WR - Brandin Cooks (starter), Robert Woods (starter), Cooper Kupp (starter), Josh Reynolds, KhaDarel Hodge, Emanuel Hall.

(First surprise: we pick up Hall from the Bears, who cut him. Will it happen? I'm not sure, but I'm on the record saying that he will be cut by them and will join us. Cooks, Woods, and Kupp are obvious starters, although I can see Reynolds and Hodge getting snaps, as well as playing special teams.

JoJo Natson gets replaced by Henderson at kick and punt returner, while Mike Thomas is another odd man out. Alex Bachman and Nsimba Webster are interesting because of their athleticism and production (they're both probably on my practice squad), but probably won't make the team. Austin Proehl, as much as I love his dad as a player, isn't the same caliber of a player. Jalen Greene and Johnathan Lloyd are likely camp bodies.)

TE - Gerald Everett (starter), Kendall Blanton, Keenan Brown, Romello Brooker.

(The next surprise. I think that Higbee gets traded to a team who needs a tight end - for the purposes of my prediction, I'll say the Los Angeles Chargers for a third round pick, since they have absolutely nothing behind Hunter Henry, who is coming off of a season ending injury. This lets Everett gain the starting job, while Blanton focuses on being the blocking tight end.

I can't say enough about Blanton and why he'll make this team, but suffice it to say that I believe he's a better fit as a blocking tight end and underrated receiver than both Keenan Brown and Romello Brooker, and I am not saying this because I'm a Mizzou fan. Mundt gets the axe in favor of the Killer B's, though; it makes sense to carry four tight ends just in case Higbee is missed..)

OL - Andrew Whitworth (LT), Joseph Noteboom (LG), Brian Allen (C), Austin Blythe (RG), Rob Havenstein (RT), Jamil Demby, Bobby Evans, David Edwards.

(Whitworth, Noteboom, Allen, Havenstein, and Blythe need no explanation, and yes, I think Blythe retains his starting job before we lose him to free agency next year. Demby is probably going to make the cut as a bigger, better version of Barrett Jones. Evans could see time this year if an offensive lineman that isn't a center goes down with an injury. Edwards needs to add strength before he's ready to get a starting slot, but he's certainly earned time as a backup.

Vitas Hrynkiewicz has potential, but won't make the final roster (even though he's a candidate for my practice squad). Aaron Neary, I'm automatically striking from the roster with his DUI and recent suspension for substance abuse (NFL's words, not mine). Jeremiah Kolone has been signed/waived by the Rams a lot, so I doubt he makes the roster. Chandler Brewer, Brandon Hitner, and Matt Kaskey look like camp bodies to me.)

DL - Aaron Donald (DE starter), Michael Brockers (DE starter), Greg Gaines (NT starter), John Franklin-Myers (DE), Sebastian Joseph-Day (NT), Morgan Fox (DE).

(The starters aren't in doubt. Donald is amazing, Brockers still has something in the tank, and I was impressed by Gaines. The backups are intriguing, though. JFM looks like he'll likely take Brockers' slot after this season. SJD has come into camp with a purpose. Fox, if he's recovered from his injury fully, should be a hell of a backup.

Marquise Copeland is extremely interesting as a player, but I don't think he makes the roster (would've made it if I had seven defensive linemen, and still goes on my practice squad). Tanzel Smart has had his chances and hasn't capitalized. Bryant Jones is also interesting, but he's not making this team. Boogie Roberts is a camp body.)

LB - Cory Littleton (ILB, starter), Clay Matthews (ILB/OLB starter), Dante Fowler (OLB starter) Samson Ebukam (OLB), Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (OLB), Justin Lawler (OLB), Trevon Young (OLB), Micah Kiser (ILB), Dakota Allen (ILB), Travin Howard (ILB).

(Littleton and Fowler needs no explanation. Matthews will likely start at OLB, but will move to ILB in certain situations. Ebukam, Okoronkwo, and Kiser have tons of potential to be contributors in our defense. Lawler, Young, Howard, and Allen are likely special teams contributors, but that's nothing to be ashamed of in the NFL.

Bryce Hager might've re-signed with us, but I think that younger cheaper talent wins out. Josh Carraway has bounced from team to team, so I doubt he makes it with us. Ketner Kupp is not the player that Cooper is. Natrez Patrick, Troy Reeder, and Landis Durham are camp bodies.)

DB - Aqib Talib (CB starter), Marcus Peters (CB starter), Nickell Robey-Coleman (slot CB starter), John Johnson (SS starter), Eric Weddle (FS starter), David Long (CB), Kevin Peterson (CB), Taylor Rapp (SS), Nick Scott (FS), Ramon Richards (FS/CB).

(More surprises: Hill and Hatfield don't make the roster, likely being traded to a team that could use a starting cornerback - in Hill's case, Oakland's fifth round pick - while Hatfield is likely traded for a conditional seventh - let's say, Washington. The starters aren't a surprise, and the draft picks - Rapp, Long, and Scott - aren't a surprise either. Peterson isn't a surprise either, since he might be the eventual NRC replacement.

It's Richards that might shock. But he was a cornerback and safety at Oklahoma State, getting ten interceptions during his college career, and the Rams liked him enough to keep him on their practice squad. I think his versatility helps us.

That leaves a whole host of other cornerbacks and safeties left out in the cold. Dont'e Deayon and Darious Williams are smaller corners who have no place with NRC, Peterson, Long, and Richards. Marqui Christian is cut because of financial reasons and because his role is basically being replaced by Rapp. Both Jake Gervase and Steven Parker are interesting (possible practice squad safeties), but they are both beat out by Richards because of the latter's versatility.)

ST - Greg Zuerlein (K), Johnny Hekker (P), Jake McQuaide (LS).

(No surprises here.)

https://www.therams.com/news/countdown-to-camp-elite-special-teams-unit-returns

Countdown to Camp: Elite special teams unit returns for 2019

It’s that time of year again.

The Rams are getting set to begin training camp at UC Irvine, officially starting mandatory preparations for the 2019 NFL season. As summer winds down, we’ll be taking a position-by-position look at Los Angeles’ roster with our annual Countdown to Camp series.

For Monday, July 8, let’s begin with coordinator John Fassel’s elite group.

After ending the 2017 season on injured reserve and enduring a groin injury early in 2018, kicker Greg Zuerlein returned to be the top-flight kicker he’s become over the last couple seasons. Zuerlein famously sent the Rams to Super Bowl LIII with his 57-yard field goal in overtime to beat the Saints in New Orleans — the longest converted overtime playoff field goal in NFL history. Over the last two years, Zuerlein’s made 91.5 percent of his field goals (65-of-71) and scored 274 points.

Johnny Hekker punted a career low 43 times last season, which means perhaps he should be tabbed as a holder who happens to punt. Nevertheless, Hekker finished second in net punting average at 43.0 yards per punt — just .2 yards behind the league’s leader, Thomas Morstead of New Orleans. Hekker also had just two punts land in the end zone for touchbacks, and 21 of them were downed inside the 20. For those keeping track at home, that’s 49 percent of his punts, which is a terrific number.

At long snapper, Jake McQuaide returns for his ninth season with the Rams — making him the longest-tenured player on the club’s roster. He’s currently signed through the 2020 season after inking a three-year deal last March.

While those three positions are set, there could be some intrigue at both kick and punt returner during training camp. JoJo Natson took over the punt returns duties early in the 2018 season when Pharoh Cooper was place on injured reserve, and then became the kick returner late in the season as well. But rookie running back Darrell Henderson has some some kick returning experience from his time at Memphis, including one kick returned for a touchdown during his freshman year in 2016.

Starters almost certainly won’t be playing in most of the preseason, but returner will definitely be an intriguing spot to watch during the games.

Tomorrow, Countdown to Camp will continue with a look at the Rams’ offensive line.

By Danny Heifetz: The Ringer

A Second-Year Head Coach Is Guaranteed to Make the Super Bowl This Season

At least that’s what recent history tells us. Let’s run down the options.


Two is the magic number for NFL head coaches. It’s ludicrously difficult for an NFL head coach to reach the Super Bowl in their first season with a team, but many of football’s greatest coaches have made their imprint by Year 2.

Vince Lombardi inherited a 1-10-1 Packers team in 1959 and reached the NFL championship game in 1960.

All-time wins leader Don Shula did it twice, reaching the NFL championship in his second year in Baltimore and then reaching the Super Bowl in his second year in Miami (the following season, Miami went undefeated).

In their second seasons with their respective teams, Barry Switzer won the Super Bowl with Dallas, Tom Flores won the first of two Super Bowls with the Raiders, Joe Gibbs won the first of his three Super Bowls with Washington, and Bill Belichick won the first of his six Super Bowls with New England.

Speaking of Belichick, he has coached in the last three Super Bowls, and each of his opponents has been led by a second-year coach: L.A.’s Sean McVay in 2018, Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson in 2017, and Atlanta’s Dan Quinn in 2016.

Three in a row is a pattern, which means there is a 100 percent guarantee* that one of the teams in the Super Bowl this season will be led by a coach in his second season with his team.

With this factual knowledge, let’s look at the second-year coaches and count down to which one will be in the Super Bowl in February.


Pat Shurmur, New York Giants

2018 Record: 5-11
Odds to win NFC championship (Per Vegas Insider): 50-1

This would be fun. After the New York Giants stood by Eli Manning, traded Odell Beckham Jr., and drafted Daniel Jones, Shurmur needs the coaching job of the century to drag New York north of .500.

Imagine for a moment though if the Giants actually did it. Whether it’s Eli Manning cementing his Hall of Fame status with a third Super Bowl appearance, or Daniel Jones silencing the draft-media-industrial-complex permanently, the Giants making the Super Bowl is the funniest possible outcome.

The odds Shurmur is fired before this year’s Super Bowl are about 10 times higher.


Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions

2018 Record: 6-10
Odds to win NFC championship: 50-1

Lions GM and former New England front-office executive Bob Quinn hired Patricia to help build the Midwestern Patriots. It hasn’t gone well. The only thing about the Lions defense most fans remember is pick-sixing Sam Darnold on his first career pass and then still getting rocked by the Jets on Monday Night Football.

To Patricia’s credit, the Lions defense improved to league average last season, but the offense was the worst it’s been since Matt Stafford was a rookie in 2009, and Detroit finished in last place in the NFC North for the first time since 2012.

Two years ago, the Lions were seventh in points scored, tied for ninth in yards per play, and 13th in total yards. In 2018, they fell to 25th, 27th, and 24th respectively in those categories. If Detroit wants to contend in the most stacked division in football, the team will have to play nothing like the 2009 Lions.

Patricia replaced offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who he held onto from Jim Caldwell’s staff, with former Seahawks coordinator Darrell Bevell. The transition will be fascinating.

“We’ll always be about running the football,” Bevell told the Detroit Free Press in May. “We want to be a tough, hard-nosed, physical football team. We want to be able to exert our will on our opponents.”

It’s a bold strategy considering in the past four years combined Detroit is dead last in the NFL in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing yards per attempt. Patricia’s best chance at reaching another Super Bowl is Belichick rehiring him.


Jon Gruden, Oakland Raiders

2018 Record: 4-12
Odds to win AFC championship: 30-1

Now we’re talking. Gruden has coached more games than every other person on this list combined but also had the worst record last year—and that 4-12 mark masks how bad the Raiders were. Their wins included:

• An overtime victory over Cleveland, who was high off of the fumes from their first win in 624 days.
• A close one over the hapless Cardinals, who were one of the worst teams of the last 20 years.
• A meaningless game against the Broncos on Christmas Eve in Week 16.

Gruden dealt Khalil Mack to Chicago before last season, and Oakland had the fourth-fewest sacks in a season since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. Any optimism for the Raiders in 2019 is suffocated with a glance at their schedule.

They start the year against the Broncos, Chiefs, Vikings, Colts, and Bears, giving them a serious chance to enter their bye 1-4. Gruden won’t make the playoffs, but at least we’ll have plenty of clips of Gruden tutoring Nathan Peterman on Hard Knocks to keep us entertained.


Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans

2018 Record: 9-7
Odds to win AFC championship: 50-1

After two years of head coach Mike Mularkey going 9-7, the Titans fired him, hired Mike Vrabel, and promptly went … 9-7. Not only were they mediocre, but they were ugly.

Tennessee beat the Jaguars 9-6 with 83 passing yards in Week 3, lost 21-0 to the Ravens with 51 passing yards in Week 6, and beat the Giants 17-0 with 86 passing yards in Week 15.

If the Titans somehow make the Super Bowl, it might not even be worth watching. Luckily, we probably don’t have to worry too much about that.

The Titans have their fourth offensive coordinator in five years, and quarterback Marcus Mariota has looked lost the last few seasons and is recovering from a nerve injury in his throwing arm.

But there was one aspect of the Titans’ 2018 season that separates Vrabel from the above coaches: the Titans beat good teams. Tennessee felled the Patriots, Eagles, and Cowboys last year, giving Vrabel more credibility than he would have earned otherwise.


Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears

2018 Record: 12-4
Odds to win NFC championship: 7-1

Nagy would appear to be the most obvious candidate from this list to reach the Super Bowl after the Bears’ spectacular regular season in 2018. Chicago was the no. 1 defense by Football Outsiders’ DVOA, which measures efficiency per play and factors in game context, and their run defense was the 13th-best by DVOA since at least 1986, which is as far back as the stat goes.

If not for kicker Cody Parkey’s double doink against the Eagles in the wild-card round, the Bears would have advanced to the divisional round to play the Rams, who Chicago defeated in Week 14. Bears fans needn’t be reminded about how close they came, but screw it, let’s do it anyway.

Unfortunately, Chicago is a prime candidate to fall out of the playoffs in 2019. Elite defensive performance is harder to maintain year to year than offensive performance, and Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio left in January to be head coach of the Broncos.

Chicago replaced Fangio with former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, but last year’s results may not be replicable. That’s before getting to their competition in the NFC North from Minnesota and Green Bay. Even more importantly, the Bears have not fixed their double-doink problem.

In fact, despite bringing in eight kickers this offseason and hiring a kicking consultant, their problem may be worse. Their best hope is 49ers kicker Robbie Gould holding out of training camp and forcing a trade to Chicago. Read that again.


Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts

2018 Record: 10-6
Odds to win AFC championship: 6-1

Colts GM Chris Ballard has been lauded for his staff’s scouting and salary-cap management, but Reich is the key to a Super Bowl run this season.

The second-year head coach was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia who elevated Carson Wentz to an MVP candidate and kept the offense chugging with Nick Foles all the way to a Super Bowl win over Bill Belichick.

Kansas City’s 31-13 demolition of the Colts in the divisional round has wiped away the memory of just how good Indy was at the end of last year.

After the Colts started 1-5, they finished the regular season 9-1. By Football Outsiders’ weighted DVOA, which puts more emphasis on games later in the season, the Colts finished fourth behind only the Chiefs, Saints, and Chargers.

Indy’s success is rooted in Reich’s scheme maximizing the team’s talented offensive line. Andrew Luck had the second-most pass attempts in 2018 but was sacked just 18 times, the least of any qualifying quarterback.

Indy has more versatility than they did last year in their skill positions with free agent Devin Funchess and rookie receiver Parris Campbell, and they added former Kansas City outside linebacker Justin Houston to help their pass rush, plus second-round cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.

Out of all the coaches that could join the elite tier of Super Bowl contenders in 2019, Reich is the most likely.
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/...r-head-coach-super-bowl-matt-nagy-frank-reich

How will history remember / categorize Frank Gore?

I mean, he’s on the heels of the great Barry Sanders in yards, and Curtis Martin for carries.

He was more consistent year over year, than exceptional in any.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GoreFr00.htm

Is he a HOF’er?



https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-in-carries-and-yards-by-the-end-of-the-year/

Frank Gore may be third all-time in carries and yards by the end of the year

Bills running back Frank Gore is in a position to find himself in very elite company by the end of this season.

Gore is within one solid year of being third in NFL history in both career carries and career rushing yards, trailing only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton in both categories.

Gore has 3,382 carries for 14,748 yards in his career. He’s 136 carries behind Curtis Martin for the third-most rushing attempts in NFL history and 521 yards behind Barry Sanders for the third-most rushing yards in NFL history.

Although the 36-year-old Gore has virtually no shot of catching Payton for second place in either category, moving into the top three would be a remarkable achievement. Gore’s longevity is particularly impressive given that a knee injury he suffered in 2002 while playing college football at Miami was considered a red flag before he was drafted.

The 36-year-old Gore can’t keep playing forever, and given how crowded the Bills’ backfield is (with LeSean McCoy the starter and T.J. Yeldon and rookie Devin Singletary both competing with Gore for playing time as a backup), it’s easy to see Gore having more limited carries this year than at any other point in his career. But it is also easy to see Gore having at least 136 carries for 521 yards, which would put him behind only Smith and Payton in NFL history.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...h-better-will-the-jaguars-be-with-nick-foles/

How much better will the Jaguars be with Nick Foles?

After the Jaguars made an unexpected appearance in the 2017 AFC Championship, they had a decision to make regarding quarterback Blake Bortles, who was entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. They made the wrong decision.

The Jaguars converted the balance of the contract to a three-year arrangement that paid out $26.5 million guaranteed, and then the Jaguars finally decided after one more year that Bortles isn’t the answer. Fueling the decision was the availbility of Nick Foles, the Super Bowl LII MVP who came relatively cheap ($22 million per year), thanks to lingering doubts about his abilities — doubts that surely will serve only to fuel Foles for 2019, and beyond.

Yes, Foles struggled with the Rams. His time with the Chiefs, while underrated, wasn’t spectacular. But forget about the distant past. More recently, he has proven that, in the right system and with the right support and the right coaching, he can be the right man for the job. By reuniting him with former Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, Foles should be in good hands, and the Jaguars should be in a great spot.

Foles carries with him a vastly underrated set of intangibles. He can lead. He can inspire. He can connect. He can hold teammates accountable because he makes himself accountable.

Bortles, frankly, never really clicked, but the Jaguars (until Foles was available) never really had a better option (other than passing on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson for Leonard Fournette, that is). Too many teammates resented the double standard that the team appied to Bortles, demanding excellence from them but looking the other way regarding the obvious deficiencies at the most important position on either side of the ball.

With Foles, the most important position on either side of the ball is taken care of. With plenty of other talented players, the Jaguars could threaten to recapture the division, and they could shake up the upper crust of the conference.

However it plays out, they’ll be better off than they were with Bortles.

Anybody watching? Looks like our boy McVay is front row in a dark blue sports coat!

Ps Go Holly and Luke! Jon going to win like usual