The blessing is that right now McVay will enjoy the inside track when pursuing outside asst coaches. It’s almost not fair. And these “best and brightest” will come in and thrive in this environment and with this talented roster, all of which helps the Rams in a constant benevolent cycle.

The curse is that other teams will be watching and will be constantly hiring away these great asst coaches, creating a never ending need for McVay to stay on top of the newest crop of up and comer coaches to replenish the ranks. More I think about it, that’s not much of a curse, is it? Other than the constant hiring and training? Constant inflow of bright minds and youthful energy?

As an aside, this Eric Henderson hiring bodes well on several fronts and in no particular order:

Johnson had to go. And, even though a longtime friend of Wade, he was replaced with a sought after bright young coach. Tells me that winning comes first with McVay and he demands results from his coaches. Can’t overstate the importance of that concept. Love it.

Also makes a statement that the DL will be expected to be a big part of our ‘19 D. Now AD will be getting a lot more help this year. I look for incoming players from both FA and the draft for our DL. Welcome news, indeed.

This decision possibly came from McVay (and Wade’s) self scouting after their season review post SB loss. Not sure, but there may be another shoe yet to fall. Stay tuned.

Lastly, other coaches and all players will notice that Johnson was replaced. Sends a powerful message to one and all that results matter. Be the best you can be or another may take your place next year. Long gone are the days of tolerating less than one’s very best. Being a “good ole boy” doesn’t offer much job protection under McVay. My respect for McVay keeps growing and growing.

I’ve never done a mock offseason before mostly because I know little about College Football. However, I’ve decided to give it a shot and open myself up to criticism.

Cut:
Sullivan
Barron

Release:
Suh
Dante Fowler
Lamarcus Joyner
Dominique Easley
Matt Longacre
C.J. Anderson
Bryce Hager

Re-Sign:
Malcom Brown
Rodger Saffold
Sam Shields
Troy Hill
Kevin Peterson
Blake Countess
Garrett Sickels
Ramik Wilson
Cory Littleton
Jojo Natson
KhaDarel Hodge
Morgan Fox

Free Agents:

QB, Tyrod Taylor-2 year deal

I really want the Rams to have an experienced back up who can win some games if Goff gets hurt for 4-6 weeks. Mannion is definitely not that guy, and drafting someone won’t help with that in year one either.

OG/C, Ryan Groy-2 year deal

With Sullivan being released, the Rams are going to need a C. I’m not saying Groy should be the starter, but between Groy, Blythe, and Allen I think someone will emerge as an above average starter.

NT, Danny Shelton-1 year deal

Rams need help with their run defense and I think Shelton could help with that. I don’t see him as the answer, but he buys the Rams another year to find a better option.

OLB, Preston Smith-4 year deal

I think Smith is a great option who will only improve. I think playing with Donald and tutelage from Phillips will help up his game.

S, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix-3 year deal

Anthony Harris would also be an option but I believe he’s a RFA. HHCD is a good cover safety which is always a nice addition to a secondary. Poor tackler but a playmaker nonetheless.


Draft:

Round 1 (31) - ILB, Devin Bush

The Rams need a strong ILB and Bush is a stud imo. I really think the Rams LBers would go from a weakness to a strength. Ebukam, Bush, Littleton, and Smith is a huge improvement over last year.

Round 3 (94) - DT, Khalen Saunders

The Rams might have to trade up a few picks to get Saunders but I think the guy has a chance to be a solid player in the NFL.

Round 3 (99) - CB, Rock Ya-Sin

I honestly don’t know if he will make it this far into the draft. If there isn’t a good corner here, then I would go OL and look for a corner in round 4.

Round 4 (107) - OT, Dalton Risner

I would make a trade up here to get Risner. Rams trade 133 and a 6th to move up here. The Rams definitely need to start adding to the OL. I’m assuming Whitworth will be back for one more year which will be beneficial to Risner’s development.


Due to my lack of college football knowledge I think it’s best I stop here. I would probably draft a receiver, OL, or a S with the remaining picks. I know this off-season is defensively inclined, but I think that’s where the Rams need to improve most.

Preamble: My favorite star to watch on WWE is none other than The Lass Kicker, The Man, Becky Lynch. Yes, she's very attractive. But she's also very talented in the ring, has great promo skills, funny, and is a genuine humble and good person. I freaking love her both as a performer and a person.

And yes I know there's a lot of cynicism to WWE, but c'mon the performers are pretty good people.

Back in September, I was attending a Comic-Con at NRG (near where the Texans play). I had paid for a photo op with Dave Batista (Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy). When I was waiting in line, a guy was telling me that after this photo he's going to try and meet her. I knew about this appearance, but having paid tickets for the con, I was uneasy about letting that money go. But I decided to do it and meet my favorite. After my pic with Batista, I hauled ass from NRG to the mall where she was at (about 30 miles through uptown traffic) and made it to her appearance and got the wristband to be "in". Long story short: within 10 minutes after the time started at 2 pm, we were yelled at to leave. Legit yelled at, because there was too many people. The security guards let us stay, so we thought we still had a shot. About 3 pm, no, we were officially kicked out. I was pissed, and it really got to me.

Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago, I get home from work and just randomly going to websites, and I found out she's coming again! Joy! But wait, is it fake? Nope, official WWE.com confirmed! Yes!!!! I'd have to wake up at 4 am on a Sunday, but whatever. Also, I would have to be in the top 250 people.

Skip to last Saturday night, I'm watching the NBA Dunk Contest. At about 9 pm, by sheer dumb luck I happen to look at twitter; a local radio/media person reported that there were already people lining up. At 9 pm the night before. FUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKK. Now I'm just debating if I should even go, because my 4 am plan was out the door. I said screw it, and at 2:30 am Sunday morning I'm out the door.

I get to the store at 3 am Sunday morning. I pull in the lot and see about 30 people. YES! But I didn't realize the line WRAPPED around the store, and I was about the 90-100s range. No complaints, still within the top 250. And the meet and greet doesn't start until 10 am. SCORE!!!!

So for almost NINE hours we waited. During that time, what ended up being small talk with strangers ended up being a party and becoming great friends at the end of it. We are all fans and all stoked to see one of our heroes. At about 8:30 am, the store started handing out wristbands. Moment of truth, and our newly formed group start getting worried, because apparently the people in front of us were saving spots for their friends, and the line was growing. But, good news, we all got our wrist bands!!!!!

We're all jacked, adrenaline pumping, no one is sitting down, no one is sleepy, everyone is smiling and having a damn good time. 10 am arrives, and we see Becky Lynch walk in, and we all freak the hell out! She gets mobbed by the fans at the front of the line (don't worry she had a ton of security). And here we fucking go, it's gonna happen!

I'm at the end of the store right before the windows, and the store is letting in only 5 or 6 fans in at a time (it's a small store, there's employees, security, Becky's managers, etc). It takes an hour and 15 minutes to get to the door. Now, during all this, they had a hype-woman to keep the crowd entertained and make announcements as needed. So at 11:20 am, hype-woman goes: "all right ladies and gentlemen, it is now 11:20, please keep in mind Becky Lynch has to leave at 12:00 pm for other WWE obligations."

NO. This simply cannot happen. I didn't come this far to be turned back at the last minute. At 11:25 am, I'm facing the door. At 11:30 am, I'M INSIDE THE STORE!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I'm starting to shake and my anxiety (which I thought would go away) just skyrockets. Fortunately, it calms down since I had a few more minutes to wait.

Then...moment of truth: At 11:36 am I hear, in an Irish accent, "Hi! How are ya?!" And next thing I know, I'm telling The Man, that I'm trying not to cry, and on the receiving end of an extra tight hug!!!! I tell her about my failed September attempt, and she actually said she remembers that, and was sorry! The Man is smiling this whole time and actually conversing with my common ass! She signs my action figure, and I get my picture taken! I have been on cloud 9 since, because I realized she is the first famous person, athlete or not, that I truly admire and a diehard fan of. I have not been able to stop smiling since! Huge bucket list item crossed, and I will truly never forget this day.

I say when because he is going to do it, as he's obsessive and is going to burn all offseason over the performance of his offense in the playoffs and team overall. And when he does here's the things I expect him to focus on:

1. Run Game Potency. He is going to see the offense he wants to have in that Dallas game. That game his offense dictated the run, and if anything this year's playoffs in spite of all the regular season hoopla of "OMG Offense" demonstrated that defense still reigns supreme as something you gotta have to hoist that Lombardi.

What will this do in terms of moves for Les and Kevin and company? I think it drives a focus on the OL first off, where they will quickly extend Whit to lessen the impact of Saffold's departure in FA. Yeah I'm back to thinking he is going to depart and the Rams will reload on the interior with some youth and lean on their staff to get improvement through good coaching and fundamentals of that talent. The players zone type schemes seek aren't always the big brutes with all the measurables, and the Rams will capitalize on this and I think end up with a line that is younger and capable of dictating the run game better than last year.

I also think the signing of CJ Anderson will be a priority, as he brings something in our ZBS run attack that Gurley doesn't give us in that "pillow man" as Parcells used to call it, who suddenly in games vs top defenses becomes a very nice piece to have.

2. Lack of Edge Pressure. It's a damn shame to see this defense with a Hall of Fame 3T struggle to provide edge pressure next to him. And in this particular defense, which performs at its best with that edge pressure and DBs ball hawking, it's honestly inexcusable.

What this will result in for the front office is a push for an answer on the FA market who can reduce the level of need, as well as drafting of more edge talent to provide upside. How that ends up looking who knows, as this FA market is extremely good at this primary need for us. We'll probably end up with a median type signing with a draft pick, but the Rams might chase a top option like Clowney. But we're going to be in play here soon in FA IMO.

3. Single High Safety Play. Wade covets flexibility in his safeties, and the roster he had this past season was packed with LOS and run support types. Johnson has some flexibility, but we badly lacked a deep middle option and were burned a great deal as Joyner demonstrated he lacked the instincts to provide it. This is a very high need to ensure we're not giving up quick scores to opponents and continuing to build a defense that can hold a lead.

Impact on our offseason is that it's probably going to be addressed right out the gate in FA, since the market is deep at the position (looks like both Landon and Amos will be hitting the market too ), and since it's a position that is more affordable than most others. Rams are going to sign a safety quickly IMO.

4. Run Game Susceptibility. Our struggles vs the run go much deeper than any one position, but over the course of the regular season it was something that made some of our games closer than they should have been (Seattle x2 ahem). This is a lower priority than pass defense IMO, but it's something that becomes more critical in the playoffs so it's going to be something they go after.

Impact we will see is the addition of a NT and ILB in some combination of draft and FA. I do think NT will be addressed in the draft. ILB should be relatively affordable in FA, and I don't think the Rams will chase a big money deal either. But they will look for a replacement even as they plan to keep loading young talent in the draft.

5. Return Specialist. We need badly to get a guy in here who can return punts in particular.

Impact is probably going to be in the draft. You can get returners well into midrounds, key is someone who can do it safely but yes it would be nice to have an ability to bust a big one here and there. IMO our special teams provide some of the best lanes in the league for our returners so just get one or two guys in here among picks for DBs or WRs who have experience on returns.

6. TE Development. There is no way Sean is going to look at our TE play over the year and be happy. Maybe he still feels like Everett can be the guy he wants in the passing game, but it's going to be something that irks him in the film review.

Impact isn't likely in terms of offseason moves, given the depth of our needs in more important areas. But it would not surprise me if they bring in a cheaper FA type or draft a TE if one falls to them they like or even make a move of non-essential players for a guy like Reed. Improving the TE position is one way to make this offense more explosive and difficult to shut down, so it's going to be on McVay's mind.

Long pdf but for those interested in doing mocks.

https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/PP-24-19--Round-by-Round for 2019 Draft.pdf

https://herosports.com/nfl-draft/fcs-football-nfl-pro-day-calendar-schedule-2019-ajaj

Link also has the list to combine invites.

So we keep our 3rd round pick and the Jags get 3-35-98

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1099031412425019399

Assuming TG is recovered from this secret mysterious injury by September, do the rams try and do anything different with his usage. Gurley was clearly the engine that made the offense go in ‘18 but his absence in the playoffs made things very different. Would Gurley at 100% have made a difference in the SB? Seems like McVay isn’t willing to even consider that, but what does this mean going forward? Do the try to give some of those carries to someone else so Gurley can be Gurley in the playoffs? TG has had a bunch of touches the last couple years but I guess that’s why he got all that money.
People downplay the importance of the rb but Gurley is the total package who can take over a game.
Who’s responsible for shutting down the running game Belichick and Flores or Gurley and McVay?

Wooooops!! Wow

https://abcnews.go.com/US/england-p...d-solicitation-prostitution/story?id=61239689

New England Patriots owner Robert Krafthas been charged with solicitation of prostitution in connection to a human trafficking investigation, police in Florida said at a news conference Kraft faces two counts of soliciting another to commit prostitution.

The sweeping human trafficking case involves solicitation of sex at a massage parlor, police said

The charges come three weeks after the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams to win the team's sixth Super Bowl title.


This year marks the 25th anniversary of Kraft's then-NFL record $175 million purchase of the Patriots in 1994. At the time he vowed to turn the team into league champion.

Okay... here's where I am going with that; it's definitely an offense driven league. So...

I had to travel this week for work and bumped into quite a few Patriots fans... consistently they were happy/proud of their win, but each said similar things about the win not being as satisfying.

They didn't feel they played well. Felt fortunate to get the win. Etc.

Anyway, I guess when two teams that usually score a lot - don't score much - its an empty feeling.

Just thought I'd drop that observation from some conversations this week. Even the Patriot fans didn't get the high they wanted (somewhat).

For years, Ram fans agonized as free agents preferred other destinations for a chance to win a championship. The team had to either overpay (Jake Long) or settle for cheaper talent (William Hayes) to improve the roster. Meanwhile, teams like the Patriots got below market numbers for veteran free agents on short term deals that fit their system.

All that has changed and truly creates a unique opportunity for the team this offseason. The main factors that make the Rams THE MOST DESIRED FA DESTINATION IN THE NFL are as follows:
1. Having been to the Super Bowl, players wanting a ring will sacrifice dollars for opportunity.
2. Their handling of aging vets like Sully and Whitworth is exactly what players crave as they try to extend their careers. SoCal weather doesn’t hurt either.
3. The Rams have proven willing to show loyalty to players who earn their keep (Donald, Gurley).
4. Starters don’t have to play pre-season games.
5. Ram players honestly vouch for the coaches and organization as a whole. What offensive player wouldn’t want to find success under McVay? What defensive player wouldn’t be eager to play for Wade the legend? And Bones....hello?
6. With so many free agents and so much cap space, the Rams can decide to keep or drop anyone they want. The money is there for the Rams to choose from the top of the pool.

Les Snead has a history of thinking outside the box and fearlessly making moves nobody could anticipate (Goff, Peters, Cooks, Fowler). While many focus on what the Rams currently have on the roster, don’t expect Snead to waste the unprecedented flexibility he now enjoys. This offseason will be even more remarkable than last year.

Bet

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports...es-russell-wilson-really-want-out-of-seattle/

Analysis: Does Russell Wilson really want to leave the Seahawks for the New York Giants?
Bob Condotta
February 20, 2019 at 5:28 pm

Does Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson really want out of Seattle to play instead for the New York Giants?

That was the juicy rumor passed along Wednesday morning by FS1 talk show host Colin Cowherd.

The crawl on the television screen describing what Cowherd said was particularly eye-catching: “Russell Wilson rumored to want out of Seattle, to play for Giants.”

If you listen to all of the five or so minutes of Cowherd’s discussion on this topic, though, that sentence above is a little meatier than what Cowherd actually said.

Cowherd said it’s not Wilson who wants out of Seattle so much as his wife, entertainer/singer Ciara.

Cowherd said the rumors he is hearing are “happening in the entertainment world” and state that Ciara “would prefer to live in New York (due to her entertainment career) and the Giants (who have an aging Eli Manning) need a quarterback and there is nobody in the draft they love.’’

That’s a little different from saying Wilson himself wants out of Seattle and has targeted the Giants.

While no one is going on the record, my understanding is Wilson has not told Seattle anything like that, and in fact, there have been no talks between Wilson and the team about his contract, with his current deal running out after the 2019 season.

As I wrote earlier this month, though, nothing should be read into the fact there have been no talks yet. If the Seahawks and Wilson are to get a new contract done this offseason, it will likely happen in the spring and/or summer, the typical time frame when Seattle has signed players who have at least a year remaining on their current contract to extensions.

It’s worth repeating there has been no contact. The Cowherd report might lead to an assumption Wilson has told the Seahawks what he might want down the road when the reality, from my understanding, is that Wilson (and/or his representatives) and the Seahawks have yet to talk about anything regarding his long-term future.

‘Tis the season for rumors in the NFL, though, especially with the combine coming up next week, which then leads into free agency and then the draft (and Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, is expected to be at the NFL combine — as all agents are — so maybe he’ll run into Pete Carroll and John Schneider and there will be “talks.’’)

Wilson’s current contract is set to pay him a base salary of $17 million this season with a salary cap hit of $25.2 million. NFL teams typically try to secure the futures of superstar quarterbacks before they enter the last season of their contracts — which as noted, Seattle did last time — leading to the thought they will try to get something done this summer.

In fact, Carroll said at the end-of-the-season news conference the Seahawks hoped to secure Wilson’s long-term future before the beginning of the 2019 season.

“We’re talking about all of that, yeah,’’ Carroll said Jan. 7. “Russ and I met yesterday and we’re talking about the future and we’re talking about where we’re going and what we want to get done. That’s very much in our plans.”

Under Carroll and Schneider, Seattle has shown an ability to get contracts done with the players they really want to keep, but on their timeline — and in this case, that means not quite yet.

But it’s not going to be easy with Wilson.

You can forget about him taking a team-friendly, below-market deal. Fans of every team throw out the Tom Brady example of taking a little less to help the team’s cap structure, and hope their quarterback will do the same (though it might surprise some that Brady has a higher cap hit in 2019 than Wilson does at $27 million).

But taking a below-market, team-friendly, incentive-laden deal is not going to happen with Wilson, at least not now.

He has every right to get what he thinks the market will pay him and the expectation of everyone involved is that that’s what he’s going to do here.

So that means a contract at or above the top of the quarterback market at the time Wilson signs — the highest-paid quarterback at the moment is Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers at $33.5 million a season.

But a handful of other quarterbacks who could reset the market, such as Dallas’ Dak Prescott, can also get new contracts soon. And looming over all is the contract Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes could get next offseason, which some have said could make him the first player in NFL history to sign a deal worth $200 million.

Wilson is going to want a deal that’s in line with those, which will make the timing further tricky — sign too early and you could end up with a contract that is pretty quickly below market.

The Seahawks could also just place a franchise tag on Wilson for the 2020 season, which would pay him at least $30.3 million.

But that doesn’t solve Wilson’s long-term future and is likely not really the course either side wants to take here because of the continued uncertainty it brings.

Also a complicating factor is that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) runs out after the 2020 season. It’s unclear if a new CBA will change the franchise tag structure any. But the uncertainty that it could might play into how each side approaches Wilson and a possible tag in 2020.

In fact, the lingering uncertainty of the entire CBA could be a factor here. Are players such as Wilson going to want to sign long-term contracts taking them into the first years of a new CBA without knowing what might be included?

A couple of other issues that could be factors in Wilson contract talks:

• Carroll’s future. Carroll signed an extension in December taking him through the 2021 season. Is Wilson going to want to sign a long-term deal with Seattle that would take him into years when he’s uncertain who the coach will be?

• How the NFL’s embrace of legalized gambling on sports could impact the salary cap. The NFL is no longer keeping any distance from gambling as more states make betting on sports legal, and one estimate last fall stated that the league could increase its yearly revenue by 13 percent or more. That will mean a rise in the cap and player salaries, and agents of marquee players are sure to take that into consideration as they negotiate long-term contracts — what’s top of market could quickly become middle of the pack.

So maybe some of that sounds like reason to trade Wilson, if getting a long-term deal done won’t be easy.

One thing there — any team trading for Wilson would suddenly have all the same issues in keeping him for the long-term.

No team is probably going to want to give up what Seattle would want without assurances it can keep Wilson long-term. Could they get those before a trade could be made?

Would Wilson want to go to a team that also might give up, say, two first-round picks, and who knows what else, to get him?

And why would Carroll take Seattle back into a rebuilding mode after having undertaken a successful “reset’’ of the team this season and now entering what might well be the last few years of his coaching career (he turns 67 in September, as noted has a contract that goes through 2021)?

Sure, the Seahawks could use a high choice to draft a quarterback, but we all know the crapshoot that is, and no one better than Carroll (the Carroll-era Seahawks at one time thought both Charlie Whitehurst and Matt Flynn might be their quarterbacks of the future before landing Wilson).

To circle back to Cowherd’s rumor, he said it was something he heard Tuesday and that while he couldn’t say for certain it would happen “just remember this, a lot of things add up.’’

We promise — we’ll remember, and watch and see if what are an awful lot of complicated things really ever do add up to Wilson ending up with the New York Giants.

Yeah, even on this SB runner up roster.

Contracts running out
Possible retirements
Outright “holes” in the roster needing upgrade
Veterans abilities fading

And the cap quickly becomes a limiting factor

How many offseason moves? Good question. But I think that it’s a substantial number, no doubt.

Off the top of my head...

C
Backup QB
Backup RB
LOG (possibly)
LOT (possibly)
RG (possibly)
DL (Suh probably gone)
Edge (unless Fowler extended)
Edge (gotta upgrade from Ebu. C’mon)
ILB (Assuming Barron is gone)
SS (assuming Joyner is gone)

That’s a pretty daunting list, huh? A minimum of 11 players and 9 of them are starters! There are numerous depth players that will be coming and going, as well. And I didn’t even bother to include TE or our CB tandem, each with only a year left on their CB contracts.

My point? I guess that it’s a good thing that S&M are adept at identifying talent and bringing it in here.

And that our various coaches excel at rapid development of rookies, too.

‘Cause this offseason is gonna demand the very most from Demoff’s contract/ cap management skills, Snead’s eye for talent that “fits”, and McVay’s skills at bringing all newbies onboard and developing them rapidly while putting them in best possible situations for each one. All 3 FO guys have done well for the past 2 years, so there is reason for hope.

No path can be overlooked in their efforts. Trades, FA, and the draft must be utilized to the max. ‘Cause I truly believe that every single position I listed above must be addressed in one way or another if we want a return to the SB and with a happier ending.

Here’s to an offseason with zero margin for error. Piece of cake, right? Lol.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26031749/getting-nfl-five-biggest-spenders-salary-cap-hell

Getting the NFL's five biggest spenders out of salary-cap hell

The New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles have the least amount of cap space to work with as free agency and the draft approach.

The Jaguars and Eagles are both over the cap.

Here's how each of these teams can save some money and still make a moderate splash in free agency.

New Orleans Saints
Salary cap rank: 28th

Cap space: $7,656,953 million

Key free agents: QB Teddy Bridgewater, RB Mark Ingram II, DE Alex Okafor, K Wil Lutz (restricted), TE Benjamin Watson (retiring), DT Tyeler Davison

Possible solutions
Cut Kurt Coleman: The safety's debut season in New Orleans didn't pan out as hoped after he signed a three-year, $16.35 million contract. His role diminished as the year went on, and he played three snaps in the playoffs. The Saints can save at least $4 million in cap space by cutting him -- and $5.5 million if they designate it as a post-June 1 move.

Restructure QB Drew Brees' deal: Brees is scheduled to count $33.5 million against the cap in the final year of his contract (plus another $10.5 million in dead money in 2020 since the Saints have spent years pushing his cap costs into the future). They could obviously do it again this year and worry about paying off the credit card later. "We'll see what happens," general manager Mickey Loomis said in January. "We know [the big cap hit] is coming at some point. We've kicked the can down the road a number of times, haven't we?" The Saints also could restructure deals with LT Terron Armstead ($16 million cap charge) and DE Cameron Jordan ($14 million cap charge).

Let Bridgewater and Ingram go: If the Saints had limitless funds, they'd love to keep both of their top free agents. But they might be luxuries for a team on a tight budget. Bridgewater probably would cost $10 million-plus as a backup-in-waiting behind Brees, and Ingram might cost $5 million-plus as a No. 2 running back.

Cut WR Cameron Meredith: This is a tougher decision, because the Saints are optimistic the 26-year-old receiver can return to form after a major knee injury wiped out his 2017 season with the Bears and lingered into 2018, limiting him to six games. The Saints could save $3.7 million in cap space by releasing Meredith. Ideally they would wait to see how he looks throughout summer camps before deciding. But they may consider cutting him earlier if they spend on a veteran slot receiver in free agency.

Shop LG Andrus Peat: Peat made his first Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2018. But the former first-round draft pick is due $9.625 million in the final year of his contract. If the Saints don't plan on spending to keep him next year, they might want to consider trading him for cap savings and to add a draft pick in a year when they don't have a first-rounder, third-rounder or fourth-rounder.

Saints' cap number after moves: The Saints can easily carve out an additional $10 million in cap space by choosing just a couple of moves from the above list. Their top priority in free agency should be another pass-catcher (either at tight end or slot receiver). And they need to either re-sign Okafor or add another veteran edge rusher. They also might need to consider extending receiver Michael Thomas' contract before he becomes an extremely expensive free agent in 2020. -- Mike Triplett

Chicago Bears
Salary cap rank: 29th

Cap space: $7,271,312

Key free agents: CB Bryce Callahan, OLB Aaron Lynch, S Adrian Amos, T Bobby Massie, WR Kevin White

Possible solutions
Turn LB Khalil Mack's base salary into a signing bonus: Mack's base salary in the second year of his blockbuster contract jumps to $11.3 million, all of which must be counted on the cap for 2019 -- when his cap number is $22.3 million. If the Bears turned, say, $10 million of that into a signing bonus, it could then be prorated over five years. Then, the Bears would have to count only $1.3 million in base salary and $2 million of the prorated new signing bonus on this year's cap. That would save them $8 million in cap space for this season. However, it would increase their cap charge by $2 million for each of the next four years.

Go cheaper at backup QB: By having a veteran backup quarterback like Chase Daniel, the Bears are paying for it. Daniel's salary-cap charge for 2019 is $6 million. They could save half of that if they released him, though they already owe him $3 million for this season because $1 million of his $4 million base salary is guaranteed, and so is his $2 million roster bonus. They would be able to wipe off only the remaining $3 million of his base salary from their books.

Release TE Dion Sims: The veteran blocking tight end finished last season on injured reserve (concussion) and would count $6,333,334 against the salary cap this season. Almost all of that -- $6 million -- could be wiped off the books. That's his scheduled base salary, none of which is guaranteed. The only thing the Bears would have to count is $333,334 -- the remaining proration from the $1 million signing bonus he received as part of the three-year deal.

Bears' cap number after moves: The Bears would save $17 million off their 2019 cap with these three moves, giving them more than $24 million in cap space. That's still in the lower half of the league, but it would give them some freedom to make a move or two in free agency while also re-signing a couple of their own key free agents. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings
Salary cap rank: 30th

Cap space: $7,175,517

Key free agents: LB Anthony Barr, DT Sheldon Richardson, RB Latavius Murray, LG Nick Easton, K Dan Bailey

Possible solutions
Clearing out/restructuring along the offensive line: Left tackle Riley Reiff has the highest cap figure ($11.7 million). Minnesota doesn't have a ton of leverage to make Reiff restructure his deal, especially if they try to move him inside to play guard. Minnesota also could move on from tackle-turned-guard Mike Remmers, who carries a $6.35 million cap hit. With no guaranteed money left on his deal, releasing Remmers before June 1 would come with a $4.55 million cap savings (with $1.8 million in dead money). The Vikings also could opt to release the likes of Danny Isidora ($594,413 savings) and Aviante Collins ($645,000 savings) if they're looking to totally revamp the offensive line -- from their starters to the reserves. That won't create a ton more space but could certainly help the financials.

Trade CB Xavier Rhodes: The Vikings have depth behind Rhodes, who's their best option for a trade and would free up $13.4 million in cap space. Despite a rocky season filled with injuries, Rhodes is still one of the league's top corners and trading him could bring the Vikings multiple draft picks to address other needs (i.e., the offensive line). With Trae Waynes, Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and Mackensie Alexander, Minnesota could even opt to draft a corner.

Release DE Everson Griffen: Upon his return midway through the 2018 season after dealing with mental health issues, Griffen had his lowest sack total (5.5) since 2013, when he was a rotational edge rusher. While he's largely considered a top-10 pass-rusher and would create a hole on the defensive line, cutting Griffen before June 1 would come with a cap savings of $10.7 million. The Vikings have depth at defensive end between Stephen Weatherly and Tashawn Bower, but might have to use a high draft pick on a DE to make cutting Griffen worth it.

Release S Andrew Sendejo: After the veteran safety injured his groin and was limited to five games last season, the Vikings can opt to move on from Sendejo. A pre-June 1 release would add an additional $5.5 million in cap space.

Restructure TE Kyle Rudolph's deal: The Vikings would not part ways with their tenured tight end, but Rudolph is entering the final year of his contract, has no guaranteed money left on his deal and carries a $7.625 million cap number. If Minnesota offers Rudolph a short-term extension along with a signing bonus to bring down his cap hit, that could free up somewhere in the range of $2 million to $3 million.

Vikings' cap number after moves: The Vikings would gain more than $38 million in cap space by making the moves above and be in position to retain the services of Richardson and Barr (the franchise tag might be the easiest route to go) and pursue a starting offensive lineman in free agency. -- Courtney Cronin

Jacksonville Jaguars
Salary cap rank: 31st

Cap space: Over the cap by $7,817,558

Key free agents: RB T.J. Yeldon, WR Donte Moncrief, RB Corey Grant, G A.J. Cann

Possible solutions
Release DT Malik Jackson: This is a move the Jaguars are expected to make after Jackson was pulled from the starting lineup and used mainly in pass-rush packages midway through the 2018 season. The team will have $4 million in dead money but will save $11 million with the move.

Release RT Jermey Parnell: He has battled knee issues the past two seasons and missed six games the past two seasons. He turns 33 in July and it's time for the Jaguars to get younger at that position with either 2018 draft pick Will Richardson or a rookie in 2019. The move will save the Jaguars $6 million.

Release S Tashaun Gipson: He played at a high level in 2017 and showed last season he's still capable of handling some of the NFL's top tight ends in one-on-one coverage. But the Jaguars have a younger (and cheaper) option in Jarrod Wilson, whom they recently signed to a thre

Release QB Blake Bortles: The Jaguars are expected to move on from Bortles after five seasons, but the hitch is the three-year contract extension Tom Coughlin, executive VP of football ops, signed off on last year. It includes $16.5 million in dead money in 2019, but the Jaguars can mitigate that somewhat by designating him a post-June 1 cut. They'd still be stuck with $11.5 million in dead money but they'd save $10 million against the cap, though that wouldn't be available until after June 1.

Restructure CB A.J. Bouye: Bouye is due $40.5 million over the next three years, but none of it is guaranteed. One potential scenario: The Jaguars offer Bouye a restructured deal that includes a signing bonus of $12.2 million (which is essentially the non-guaranteed $13 million base salary he's scheduled to earn in 2019). Because of CBA rules regarding mandated salary as well as his current roster bonuses and original signing bonus proration, Bouye's 2019 cap charge could drop from $15.5 million to $7.37 million -- a savings of $8.13 million.

Jaguars' cap number after moves: The Jaguars declined to pick up the option on tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins so that saves an additional $4.4 million, which brings the total cap savings to $46.22 million. That would leave them with $38.402 million in cap space. Remember, $10 million of that won't be available until after June 1 (the Bortles release) but that money could be helpful in signing DE Yannick Ngakoue (who is entering the final year of his rookie deal) to an extension closer to training camp. Or CB Jalen Ramsey, though the Jaguars can wait to start negotiating because they are expected to pick up the fifth-year option in May. -- Mike DiRocco

Philadelphia Eagles
Salary cap rank: 32nd

Cap space: Over the cap by $22,923,806

Key free agents: DE Brandon Graham, LB Jordan Hicks, WR Golden Tate, RB Jay Ajayi, RB Darren Sproles, CB Ronald Darby

Possible solutions
Recoup QB Nick Foles' money: The Super Bowl MVP is on the books for $20 million in 2019. Foles, though, voided the option year recently by paying the Eagles $2 million. Not only will Philly get cap relief when the $20 million officially comes off the books, but the $2 million he paid back will be applied to the 2019 cap as salary credited/refunded.

New deal for WR Nelson Agholor: He is set to make about $9.4 million this season after the Eagles exercised his fifth-year option. By working out an extension, they could lower his 2019 cap number while ensuring he stays in Philly beyond this season.

Release/restructure DT Tim Jernigan: A good player, but his projected cap number of $13 million is simply too high, especially for someone coming off a serious back/neck injury. The Eagles have until March 13 to exercise his 2019 option. The prudent play is to try to negotiate a new deal between now and then, and let him walk if those efforts fail.

Release/restructure LT Jason Peters: This one is tricky. Peters is 37 years old and has been hampered by injuries of late, but he's still better than most tackles in the game. His 2019 cap number of around $13 million is reasonable for his position. He has been reluctant to restructure in the past. If Philly feels it really needs the cap room, it can save more than $10 million by releasing him.

Eagles' cap number after moves: The Eagles can free up nearly $50 million through these moves alone, which would get them cap compliant and allow them to be modest players in free agency. -- Tim McManus

A "love nut," a product of the Coco De Mer tree, which only grows on the Seychelles Islands. CBS NEWS
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-seychelles-islands-love-nuts-coco-de-mer-tree/

Trade:

Brockers to the Giants for 4th and 5th round picks (both comp picks) - Giants have a ton of picks and despite likely getting a rookie QB, with Barkley and OBJ in place and other vets on D, they want to try to win sooner rather than later.

Cut:

Barron
Sullivan

The above moves give us a total of about $50 million in cap space - figure $10 million for the rookie class and a few moves during the season, and about $5 million for the RFAs, which leaves us about $35 million to spend:

Re-sign:

Suh - 2 years $22 million - make most of this guaranteed and Suh would take it IMO
Saffold - 3 years $30 million
Shields - 1 year $1.5 million
Barron - 1 year $3 million - after being cut and gauging the market for him, he has no choice but to take whatever the Rams are willing to pay him


Free agents:

Ryan Groy C/G - 2 years $3million - this one makes so much sense it would be shocking if it didn't happen
Darian Stewart S - 1 year $5 million - another one that makes a ton of sense

Before going into the draft:

Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
XWR: Brandin Cooks
ZWR: Robert Woods
SLWR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee or Gerald Everett
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Rodger Saffold
C: Austin Blythe vs. Brian Allen vs. Groy
RG: Joseph Noteboom vs. Austin Blythe
RT: Rob Havenstein

5T: Ndomukong Suh
NT: Sebastion Joseph-Day
3T: Aaron Donald
WOLB: Obo Okoronkwo
Mo LB: Cory Littleton
Mike LB: Mark Barron or Micah Kiser or Bryce Hager
SOLB: Samson Ebukam
RCB: Aqib Talib
LCB: Marcus Peters
SLCB: Nickell Robey-Coleman
FS: John Johnson
SS: Darian Stewart

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide


Up until now I would LOVE this offseason because it comes with starters that I would be confident in at every position except our NT and OLB - I also love the upgrade of Noteboom at guard and Blythe to center - these moves give us a ton of flexibility in the draft, and the trade of Brockers adds an additional two picks.

Draft picks:

1st (pick 31)
3rd (pick 93)
3rd (comp)
4th
4th (comp from Brockers trade)
5th
5th (comp from Brockers trade)
6th
7th (comp)


Nine draft picks while likely adding more comp picks next year for Fowler and Joyner leaving, plus having our starters possibly set - this seems exactly what Snead and McVay will go for this year. the defense was amazing in the playoffs save for Joyner and I want to run that back for the most part.

Round 1 - Dexter Lawrence, DT Clemson - trying to guess who will or will not be on the board right now at 31 is an exhausting exercise - but Lawrence might be and if he is, I would love to plan him next to Donald and Suh on the DL. This will also lessen the blow when Suh leaves the following year or year after.

Round 3 - Lil'Jordan Humphrey, WR Texas - I've felt consistent in this thought: Kupp going down just can't kill the entire offense like it did at times, and unlike Reynolds, Humphrey played from the slot quite a bit and should be comfortable there. Also provides us with KR and PR ability.

Round 3 (comp) - Christian Miller, EDGE Alabama - a guy with the tools but hasn't consistently put it together.

Round 4 - Beau Benzschawel, G Wisconsin - powerful guy but needs a lot of work - good developmental guard to have who can fill in as needed and potentially take over for Saffold or Noteboom when he moves to LT.

Round 4 (comp) - Jarrett Stidham, QB Auburn - between us needing a backup QB and Snead's Auburn connection, I imagine if Stidham is still on the board here we're probably running to the podium.

Round 5 - Iman Marshall, CB USC - will need some work obviously, but his size/athleticism will be enticing here.

Round 5 (comp from Brockers trade) - Wyatt Ray, EDGE BC - seems like a guy that will test well but his production was just okay - looks like his film isn't great either, which is why he could fall this far.

Round 6 - Isaiah Johnson, CB Houston - not a lot to like about him except for his size - at 6'4", worth the flyer with what is essentially a 6th round pick to see if he can learn from our talented CB room. Any pick at this point is going to struggle to make the team.

Round 7 - Trace McSorley, QB PSU - this pick, whoever it is, will be the longest of long shots - Rams will likely take a priority UDFA here, but I say bring McSorley in - his athleticism is intriguing at the very least.

Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff finishes behind Russell Wilson in NFC West grades from PFF
by Dan Parzych
https://ramblinfan.com/2019/02/20/l...nd-behind-russell-wilson-pff-nfc-west-grades/
Jared Goff finished behind Russell Wilson in PFF grades for quarterbacks in the NFC West, showing the Los Angeles Rams quarterback has some work to do.

Despite Jared Goff playing a key role in helping the Los Angeles Rams win back-to-back NFC West titles, the former California star knows Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks aren’t going away any time soon.

Prior to the hiring of Sean McVay in 2017, the Seahawks were always considered the favorites in the NFC West, although the Arizona Cardinals used to make things interesting from time to time.But after reaching Super Bowl 53 before falling to the New England Patriots, the Rams have made a strong case to be viewed as the favorites to finish on top of the NFC West for a third year in a row over the Seahawks, although nothing is guaranteed.

Los Angeles of all teams should know that when it comes to sleeping on teams in the NFC, Seattle is the last team anyone should take lightly since they have a history of getting hot at the right time to put them in better position once the playoffs begin.

No matter how hard they try to avoid the situation, Goff and Wilson are always going to be compared for their level of impact, as these two quarterbacks literally play two of the biggest roles in the success of their beloved teams.

Based off the team results from the last two seasons, some would argue that Goff has a slight advantage over Wilson at the moment in comparison, but with the folks at Pro Football Focus recently releasing their quarterback grades within the NFC West, this is far from the case.

2018’s highest-graded quarterbacks in the NFC West pic.twitter.com/x8eTOqNYu1

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) February 21, 2019

Obviously, there’s no reason to make too big of a deal over this since Goff certainly kept it close with Wilson, but also this makes a case how the Rams still don’t have the best quarterback in the division at the moment.

Goff certainly deserves credit for elevating his game to new levels over the last two seasons since playing under McVay has certainly paid off. And while there’s always the chance of him moving ahead of Wilson in good time, it’s clear Goff isn’t there quite yet.

Maybe if Goff were to actually lead the Rams to a Super Bowl title instead of failing to throw a single touchdown pass when needed the most, Wilson would be the one sitting at No. 2 behind the Los Angeles quarterback on PFF’s list.

At least with Goff keeping it close with Wilson, here’s to hoping this provides a little extra motivation for the Rams star heading into next season to help put his team in the best position possible to earn a trip to Super Bowl 54 in Miami.

Andrew Whitworth not retiring
Mark Barron cut
Lamarcus Joyner gone
Corey Littleton re-signed
Dante Fowler signed

Obviously, life is a count down from the day we are born. None of us know when the final tic will be. But for some, a timeline is laid in front of them. My question is this...and I don’t think there is actually a wrong answer here.

If you knew you were dying. You knew you only had a few years to go....what would you do? Would you quit your job? Continue working? Would you maybe cut back....could you do any of the above...would you spend that time with family or friends? Would you seek something you’ve been missing? See something you’ve always wanted?

Would life turn into being comfortable and enjoying peace...or turn into doing things that make you uncomfortable for the experience?

To millions of people...millions of things would be ideal...

For me—I want to cut back and eventually, I would like to completely stop working—assuming I can continue my life insurance policy as is. Lol I want to spend as much time as I can enjoying my children. I want to watch them grow as much as possible. Soaking in every second. Burning memories of myself into them. I want to enjoy my land—I want to get on my riding mower, put in my iTunes and listen to the likes of John Moreland and Benjamin Tod and Whiskey Meyers sing to me as I take my sweet ass time making that yard look great. Fuck, the weed eating—I don’t have time for that.

I want to light the grill every chance I can and enjoy good meals with good family and friends. I want to enjoy smiles and laughter. I simply want to be remembered by these people. And when I go, I know it’s going to hurt...but I know if I fill them with great memories it will be that much easier.

I’m sure a ton of people would love to travel and see the world—my world is right here. It’s all I need.


What about you?

I did not know this existed and it's awesome.

Fantastic!!!

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1 Mistake Each NFL Team Must Avoid Making in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Brent Sobleski
February 20, 2019
https://bleacherreport.com/articles...ust-avoid-making-in-the-2019-nfl-draft#slide5
NFL draft classes are defined as much by mistakes as success stories.

In 2014, the Rams used the 13th overall pick on Aaron Donald, who would go on to become a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Nine picks later, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam didn't listen to advisers and forced the front office to select a spectacular flameout in quarterback Johnny Manziel. A franchise's future can hinge on making the right choices during the draft.

A team may target the wrong position. It might jump on a particular prospect too early in the process. Another may not be aggressive enough to address its most dire need. Previous mistakes can cloud judgments. Weighing whether to accept a trade offer can be tricky as well.

Los Angeles Rams: Settling for Need Instead of Maximizing Their Lone Top Pick

The Rams don't have much draft capital after trading away this year's second- and third-round picks. As a result, they must maximize their lone premium selection by concentrating on value, not need.

The 31st overall pick should present interesting scenarios. If a top talent falls further than expected, the Rams could pounce even if that prospect doesn't address an immediate need area (outside linebacker, secondary or offensive line). Adding another potential difference-maker on an already talented roster is more important than filling a hole. Conversely, the Rams could flip their first-rounder to a team that wants to get back into Round 1.

NOTE: The above article did not mention the real possibility that the NFL stands to award the Rams two late 3rd round selections.

CWD or Chronic Wasting Disease is a similar disease to Mad Cow in how it functions.

it is decimating deer (white tail and mule) as well as Moose, Elk and Caribou (reindeer).

There is tremendous concern that because it is transmitted with saliva, blood and/or urine that it will make the leap to humans if it hasn't already.

Moreover, with it being found both in captive and wild populations in 25 states and 2 provinces in Canada, there are serious questions about how it could be contained.

Norway did a "stamp out" in which they killed every reindeer in a herd (some 2400) and then closed off the area to any reindeer for 5 years. This because the prions (a protein called Pree-ahn) that cause the disease, unlike the normal ones we all make that last 4-6 hours, these can last for decades with incubation periods once ingested up to 40 years.

The scary part, and I've now read this from two independent sources, is that like Mad Cow and Scrapies, there is a period where the animal is technically positive and likely putting out these "tainted" prions while not putting out enough to test positive. They look and behave normally, but they don't test positive, yet.

So, even field testing on the lymph nodes prior to field stripping isn't a guarantee.

So, hunters, what's your take on this?

Will you be eating deer, elk, moose or caribou if CWD is present in your state?

Do you or will you keep testing supplies on you for field testing prior to field stripping?

Will you chance eating the meat knowing that infection is fatal and really, it's one of the more crappy ways to go out?

I dunno if there are good answers, but I was wondering from the hunters how you all see it.

I’m curious what your thoughts would be if we went after Von Miller? How much would you be willing to give or would you be willing to assume his current deal with a minor kick back if the Broncos go into reboot mode.

I love the idea because it would clear up our draft strategy IMO. This would also make releasing Barron feel so much better. I know they don’t play the same position, but I feel Barron’s production is very replaceable.

Cheers!