All right, here it goes:

Cut:

John Sullivan
Mark Barron

(Sullivan has been a solid center, but I honestly think that Blythe could do a better job with less money. Barron is obvious.)

Re-sign:

Cory Littleton (four years)
Ethan Westbrooks (one year)
Sam Shields (one year)
Ramik Wilson (one year)
Troy Hill - RFA
Malcolm Brown - RFA
Kevin Peterson - ERFA
Blake Countess - RFA
Morgan Fox - RFA
JoJo Natson - ERFA
Dominique Hatfield - ERFA
KhaDarel Hodge - ERFA

(I'd gladly give Littleton an extension, as I think he's going to blow up next year. Westbrooks, Shields, and Wilson are cheap depth, whom I mistakenly neglected to include in my last mock. Brown is another addition who should help with depth behind running back. Fox deserves a chance to compete for an outside linebacker slot. Peterson deserves a chance to compete for a spot as well. I'm not a fan of Countess as a starter, but he's cheap depth, so he stays. Hill is depth, so he stays. Hatfield should never see the starting field, but he's a good special teams player, so he stays. Natson and Hodge are key special teams players. They stay.

Release:

Ndamukong Suh
Dante Fowler
Lamarcus Joyner
Rodger Saffold
C.J. Anderson
Dominique Easley
Matt Longacre
Bryce Hager
Sean Mannion
Garrett Sickels

(As much as I hate to lose Saffold, the fact of the matter is that he's an injury-prone lineman over thirty years old. It's not smart to give him a long-term contract. Suh and Joyner ask for too much for what they're being paid. I'd love to keep Anderson, but it's not feasible with Gurley and Brown in the backfield. Fowler asks for too much and we look elsewhere. Easley is injury prone, Longacre is ineffective, Hager is redundant with Wilson, Mannion isn't the answer for backup quarterback, and Sickels is practice squad material at best.)

Free Agents:

Justin Houston (three years)

(My biggest splurge of the offseason. Houston is a legitimate pass-rushing demon off the edge who also excels in run-stopping. Would I love to bring him in to not only mentor Ebukam, Okoronkwo, and Fox, but to also bring fear to a defense? You bet!)

Kwon Alexander (four years)

(I think that Alexander might cost less than one would think, as he has an ACL injury and suspension history. When on the field, though, he's one of the most talented inside linebackers there is. And I think that he'd be a huge fit in Wade's system next to Littleton behind Poe. And did I mention that Alexander is only twenty-five years old?)

Dontari Poe (one year)

(If Poe is released, we should be on this in a heartbeat. Imagine him next to Donald and Franklin-Myers. Imagine him filling gaps for Littleton and Alexander to fly through like heat-seeking missiles. Imagine him with his old teammate, Houston. Oh, my.)

Darian Stewart (two years)

(Stewart makes a dramatic return to the Rams. He'll move JJ3 to free safety, while being a physical leader in the secondary.)

Luis Perez (three years)

(Yeah, I went there. Perez deserves a shot at backup quarterback after the way he's played.)

Trades:

Marcus Peters and 2020 fourth round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for their second round pick (Jets second).

(Indianapolis desperately needs a cornerback to complete their secondary. We happen to have Marcus Peters available. Trade makes sense.)

2019 first round pick and 2019 seventh round pick (compensatory for Cody Davis) to the Cincinnati Bengals for their 2019 second and 2019 fourth.

(Cincy will likely want a young quarterback behind an offensive line pick (Daniel Jones, I guess, who probably won't get past the Giants' second round pick?) after a potential trade of Dalton. And we know Zac Taylor. I think that this is a fair price.)

Josh Reynolds to the Buffalo Bills for their 2019 third.

(Call me crazy? Perhaps. But you'll see why Reynolds was traded in a moment. As for why the Bills do this, they have nothing at receiver. They also have nothing at offensive line, and they'll probably use draft picks on both. But Reynolds will be attractive to Buffalo because he's a veteran receiver for Josh Allen to trust.)

Draft:

2nd round (Jets) - Jeffery Simmons, NT, Mississippi State.

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(Simmons needs no explanation. I think he could still be here because of his injury.)

2nd round (Bengals) -
3rd round (Buffalo) - Yodny Cajuste, OG, West Virginia.
3rd round - Michael Deiter, OG/C, Wisconsin.

(Deiter can play everywhere on the line, but I like him most at right guard or center. He's technically sound, as is the norm for Wisconsin players, and unlike his counterpart in Benzschawel, Deiter fits in a zone-blocking skin because he's so light on his feet.)


4th round (Bengals) - Joe Jackson, OLB, Miami.

4th round - Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma.

5th round - Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College.

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(Cheevers is a ball-hawking slot cornerback who should fit on special teams for now before potentially replacing NRC next year.)

6th round - Youhanna Ghaifan, DT, Wyoming.

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(Ghaifan falls because he's sushi-raw and has a harassment conviction (pleaded no contest to avoid a false imprisonment charge), but he's insanely talented.)

All thoughts are welcome!

From the base of Mt Everest, it looks like a huge, imposing mountain. From the moon, it appears as a blip on a bowling ball. I’ve needed a few weeks to process the Rams season and Super Bowl loss so as to not overreact. I see these last few weeks have brought undue criticism of Goff, Gurley, the OLine, Cooks, and McVay. As free agency and the draft loom nigh, fans and “analysts” seem to focus on a retooling of the defense since there are so many free agents. So I ask us to step back and look at this with perspective.

The Patriots played man to man defense all year and suddenly switched to zone and the Ram Offense looked as helpless as they did against the Bears. Anyone else think that’s what will predominantly happen next year? Even with the return of Kupp, McVay and his staff must retool the offense with as many zone busting plays as it does press man. Still, the Rams have a top notch offense with excellent talent. Stay the course, develop OLine depth, and that side of the ball is good for a very long time.

I’m shocked how infrequently I read how devastatingly well the Ram Defense played in the Super Bowl. Had there been even a breath of life from the offense, this could’ve been heralded as a top 5 performance. Brady was marginalized and the running game was ineffective. If not for a BS call for hitting a defenseless receiver in the first half, the Patriot offense was well on its way to feeling demoralized. While the regular season caused us all to have doubts about the structure of this defense, the postseason should’ve received an overwhelming stamp of approval from anyone paying attention.

And once again, Ram Special Teams are as good as it gets on a consistent basis.

Perspective, if two years ago, someone told me we’d win the division two years in a row and go to the Big Dance, I’d have been elated. Why should we feel any differently now? It’s fun to be a Ram fan again. Remember, fans of 30 teams envy us. Now that’s perspective.

Here is some fun analysis by Voch Lombardi from Day 2 of the North Practice, OL vs DL/Edge

In this session, you will find Collier taking 3 total reps ;

first @ the 6:25 mark - Collier vs Dalton Risner (OT) Kansas St

second @ the 15:40 mark - Collier vs OG Nate Davis (Charlotte)
note: in few reps before, Davis held his ground well against a Bull rush from Khalen Saunders (DT)

last @ the 20:00 mark - Collier vs OG Chris Lindstrom (Boston College)

Very entertaining!

Let me just say this 1st... It was an amazing experience being able to go the a Super Bowl weekend with our Rams representing the NFC. It's really a whole weekend experience and we have memories that we will never forget despite the final score of the game.

I didn't do a good job of taking pics because I was so wrapped up in the excitement of it all. Thankfully, my wife took some pics and vids... otherwise there wouldn't be much to share. It was such a high being there that I didn't sleep much at all Saturday night,,, @Ramrasta (my oldest son) was having a hard time breathing as we were driving to the game Sunday morning,,, and my wife was actually crying as we left for the game,,, real tears,,, LOL.

Here's some Pics and Vids that we took. Hopefully some of the FREAKS that were there with us can post some of their's too... and if they don't have any... I sure hope that they chime in with some of their thoughts on their time there. It's always fantastic when I get a chance to meet up with some of my Ram Fan Brethren in person... some for the 1st time, and some going way back.




This pic was taken by @Ramrasta. Yes, that's the cheater's owner little bobby. He was 2 feet away from me as I was saying "Known,,, Known,,, Known" kinda loud. Everyone around me was literally laughing out loud. And little bobby was clearly shaken by this.

That dude is super tiny.

I found out later that everyone (including Kraft) thought that I was calling him a "gnome". I was just saying "Known" and leaving off the Cheater part. That was what the Pitts News guy had listed under Brady's name on the news up there a day or two before. I'm still getting unexpected laughs out of this memory to this day. Yeah,,, it's not nice,,, but Kraft was visibly pissed about what he THOUGHT I was calling him. Hahahahahahhahaaaaaa




Pic of the giant trophy they had inside of the Ram Fan rally on Saturday.




@Ramhusker getting interviewed at the Ram Fan rally. Yes... there was a camera person filming this believe it or not.




Here's 2 of our ROD Brudda's wives at the Ram Fan Rally on Saturday. @LARams_1963 's on the left, and @SWAdude 's on the right. Some serious Ram Girl's right here!




Check out @LARams_1963 's OLD School Ram jersey here. So Sick. Hopefully he shares his story about this here in this thread.


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This was taken at the Ram Fan get together at The Big Kahuna on Saturday night. Some of you LA locals will recognize the news guy talking to @SWAdude 's wife... you can see SWA in this too... he's got the Goff jersey on. @LARams_1963 is in this too.


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Ram's House Chant from outside of the Big Kahuna when some cheater fan walked up. We were outside... inside was an absolute madhouse with the chant. @Dog is seen in this one... he's got the beard and the Gurley jersey. @LARams_1963 is screaming "Whose House".




Shot from Downtown ATL Saturday night.




This is from inside the pregame party on Sunday. We got into this because of where we purchased our tickets. Free food, cocktails, live music, and lots of football celebs. Most of the peeps shown here are family and friends of the team.

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Me, @Ramhusker , and @Ramrasta right after we walked into this fucking crazy party. This was the best tailgate party I ever had.



@Ramrasta sporting his Dick V sweatsuit from the 99 SB win and his Youngblood throwback he was wearing for good juju. @Ramhusker with his Kupp jersey. Me with my ED2105 throwback. We all have our @DaveFan'51 stickers on btw.




Whose kids do you think these belonged to?

This is the pose they struck when I said "Hey little BIG Rog's".



Danny T tried to pick up my wife. LOL.

That sticker on her sleeve is the @DaveFan'51 's tribute sticker that @Ramhusker had made for us. We all wore those for the game.







As you walked into the stadium they had all of the Super Bowl rings lining the walkway. Had to stop and get a shot by this beauty.




Our view inside.



Closed roof.



Open roof for fly-by.

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Halftime vid with the drones. We thought they were balloons until they started moving in unison.




Got these to hold our tickets. People were actually outside of the stadium after the game trying to buy our used tickets. These holders have the SB coin included.

Rams 2019 free agency preview: Tag, re-sign or let Dante Fowler Jr. walk?
By: Cameron DaSilva

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/02/14/nfl-rams-free-agency-dante-fowler-franchise-tag/
The Los Angeles Rams went into the 2018 season knowing they needed help at outside linebacker. They began the year with Samson Ebukam and Matt Longacre starting, but that tandem simply didn’t get the job done. So they went out and acquired Dante Fowler Jr. at the trade deadline, sending Jacksonville a third-rounder in 2019 and a fifth-round pick in 2020.

It was a risky move for a relatively unproven player in a contract year, and now here they are with a big decision to make. Will they let Fowler walk after putting up 3.5 sacks in 11 games with the Rams? Or do they sign him to an extension, making this trade more than just a rental?

The franchise tag is also on the table, though that’s the costliest short-term option. We lay out all the options in this preview, continuing our daily free agency series.

• 2018 stats: (LA and JAX) 15 games, 30 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 5 TFL, 6 QB hits, 2 FF, 2 FR
• Pro Football Focus grade: 67.3 (No. 53 edge defender)

Analysis
Fowler was only a part-time player in Jacksonville, but with the Rams, he was playing just about every snap by the end of the year. He started six games and was far more impactful with Los Angeles than he was with the Jaguars. Does that mean his 2018 season was a success? Not necessarily.

He only had four sacks in 15 regular-season games, and 5.5 if you count the three additional playoff contests. So in 11 games with the Rams, he had 3.5 sacks. For a player on a defense with Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh, that’s obviously not a high number, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

He made impactful plays in big moments, like a tone-setting hit on Ezekiel Elliott and getting to Drew Brees in the NFC championship to force an interception. He had four tackles for loss in those three postseason games, which is one more than Donald had.

Dante Fowler Jr.’s favorite move has always been the spin pic.twitter.com/ZdZFWR3pFH

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 20, 2019

It just remains to be seen if he can sustain success in the NFL for 16 games. He only has 16 career sacks in three seasons – excluding his missed 2015 campaign due to injury – and has just one year with more than four sacks. Paying a player like that north of $12 million for an extended period of time is a risky proposition.

Positional need: High
Arguably the biggest need for L.A. this offseason is at outside linebacker, and with the pass rush as a whole. If Fowler leaves, they’re looking at Samson Ebukam starting again and possibly Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, depending on what they do in the draft and free agency. For a team that got only eight sacks from its edge rushers, that’s not great news.

There will be options in free agency, but expecting to land a Day 1 starter at outside linebacker at No. 31 in the draft is somewhat unreasonable. That’s not to say it can’t happen, but there’s a reason the best pass rushers go high in the draft with not many rookies putting up double-digit sacks.

The Rams need help at this spot, and badly.

Prediction: Signs three-year, $27 million deal with Rams
There are three ways the Rams can go with Fowler. They can place the franchise tag on him and pay him around $15 million for 2019 alone. They did that with Lamarcus Joyner last year, overpaying him for one season to determine whether he’s worth a big-money extension. That turned out to be a great move because Joyner regressed, and had the Rams extended him, they’d probably be having buyer’s remorse.

Another option is signing Fowler to a multi-year deal. This is the ideal scenario, but it’s also the most difficult to make happen. Teams overpay free agent pass rushers and that could very well be the case with Fowler if he hits the open market. A team could easily offer him $11 million per year, putting him on par with Cameron Jordan – which is crazy to think about.

The last option – aside from a tag-and-trade, which won’t happen – is letting him walk. The Rams did this with Sammy Watkins after acquiring him in 2017, likely netting a third-round compensatory pick in the 2019 draft. If the Rams let Fowler sign elsewhere, they could be looking at another third- or fourth-round compensatory selection in 2020.

Ultimately, I think the Rams will get a deal done with Fowler, possibly before he gets to free agency. A deal around $9 million per year makes sense for both sides, which should fall somewhere between the deals Preston Brown and Shaquil Barrett get this year.

It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Fowler leave after a half-year rental, especially given the pass rushers available in free agency, and possible cap casualties like Justin Houston, Olivier Vernon and Jabaal Sheard.

It is looking likely that Miami will cut Robert Quinn in the next few weeks:
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti...robert_quinn_devante_parker/s1_14819_28124549

Should we consider bringing Quinn back on a one or two year deal if he's willing to settle for $5 million or $6 million per year? Keep in mind that Quinn posted 9.5 sacks for us in 2017 in 16 games (counting the playoffs). He posted 6.5 sacks this year for Miami and generated a good amount of pressure:
https://www.clnsmedia.com/patriots-...hins-pass-rush-duo-cameron-wake-robert-quinn/

With Dante Fowler Jr. a free agent and possibly pricing himself out of our range, I like the idea of Quinn returning. We know he's a positive locker-room influence. We need a speed rusher on the edge. We should have some young EDGE guys who can rotate with him to keep him fresh (Obo plus a draft pick). Best of all, Quinn won't count against us in the comp pick formula because he's a cut.

Always liked Zac Stacy. He was the bowling ball that submarined stacked boxes in the bad ole' days of 2013 (and 2014). Stacy ran for like 973 yards as a rookie, behind an Oline with Jake Long, Chris Williams, Scott Wells, Harvey Dahl, and Joe Barksdale.....Ugh...Rodger Saffold was available for 12 games in 2013, but he must have been injured a lot to not be listed as a starter by ProFootball reference.

I got to watch Stacy do a really nice one cut, making a guy miss, straight ahead run for a TD in the AAF. It made me remember him from 2013, and got me to thinking about our current bowling ball, CJ Anderson. IS Zac just a guy without much luck in being on bad teams without great Olines like CJ? Would Stacy be an adequate replacement for CJ, or does Malcolm Brown make Stacy unnecessary? Stacy would be the veteran minimum...

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...m-alex-smith-to-kirk-cousins-to-draft-trades/

Grading all of last year's big QB moves, from Alex Smith to Kirk Cousins to draft trades
Viewed one year later, most of these 14 moves involving quarterbacks are decidedly feast or famine

A year ago, the NFL's quarterback market moved like never before.

There was a blockbuster trade at the Super Bowl, which led to the biggest fully-guaranteed contract in NFL history, and that was the precursor to more QB trades and signings that was punctuated, finally, by a record-tying five passers being selected in the first round of the draft. And now, already, less than a full 12 months after much of it went down, many of those transactions are already unraveling.

Welcome to the NFL! It's where far too often inefficiency is king, and, well, even if you are general manager who can't identify the most important position in the sport, just keep firing the head coach and staying nice and chummy with the owner! Job preservation, baby!

Shockingly enough, several of the clubs that made a significant quarterback acquisition in 2018 are already doing so again in 2019 – before the league year has even officially begun – and others are being strongly linked to new quarterbacks once the free agency and draft actually begin. Actually, if you have been paying attention to how many of these front offices have been handling this position, it is anything but a surprise that Denver is back in the news for trading for Joe Flacco and the Cardinals are on a social-media rampage trying to stamp out rumors they will select a QB first overall a year after trading up to grab one at 10, and the Jaguars are still contemplating how to recover after Bortl-ing themselves a year ago.

It's been, if anything, a continuation of a theme.

It got me thinking back to those heady times of February, with Blake Bortlesfresh off a contract extension and Alex Smith getting a massive payday from the Skins despite having a bargain-basement year left on his deal and Kirk Cousinsshattering the glass ceiling with $84M fully guaranteed and Sam Bradfordgetting another $20M to lose his job in September and the Bills trading Tyrod Taylor and wave of ancillary transactions about to go down. And while a year isn't nearly long enough of a portal to judge the five quarterbacks selected in the first round, it is enough time to evaluate the returns – or lack thereof – that those maneuvers netted in their first year. And for many teams it is not a pretty picture.

I'll evaluate the trades by grading them from the perspective of both teams involved – Spoiler Alert: Skins, Cardinals, Broncos and Jags fans may want to avert their eyes – and, remember, the grades on the draft picks are for the rookie's progress and development through a one-year body of work and not an evaluation of what his entire career portends to be. (For the sake of common sense and time, I am going to ignore the bevy of insignificant trades of 6th and 7th round picks for the likes of Cody Kessler and Brett Hundley, and the loads of non-impactful lower-level signings of the likes of Brock Osweiler and Chad Henne that didn't really impact much last season or moving forward, either, for the teams that signed them).

Most of these moves, viewed one year later, are decidedly feast or famine, and are a portal into why some teams rose in 2018, and others are still plummeting:

Chiefs trade Alex Smith to Redskins for CB Kendall Fuller, third-round pick
CHIEFS: A. They made room for Patrick Mahomes, moved a heavy contract over a month before the league year, and got back a starting-caliber slot corner on a budget rookie contract for a needy defense and got far above the comp-pick value had Smith simply left as a free agent in 2020. Home run.

SKINS: F. They over-reacted to butchering their negotiations with Kirk Cousins for years, freaked at the contract Cousins was about to sign, and gave Smith a massive extension at a time when they could have rented him for $17M for one year and then franchised him if need be. Furthermore, they removed themselves from an epic QB draft, now will likely pay Smith another $54M never to play football again, and could end up signing a guy like Tyrod Taylor or Teddy Bridgewater – either of whom would have made more sense for the rebuilding-ish team than trading for Smith did a year ago.

Bills trade Tyrod Taylor to Browns for a third-round pick
BILLS: A. They got one of the first picks in the third round for a QB they were clearly moving on from and who lost his job to, gulp, Nathan Peterman at one point. The Ravens couldn't get more than a fourth-rounder for a former Super Bowl MVP and the Chiefs got a third-round pick for Smith in a year in which he played like an MVP candidate for three months. For a team that would be exhausting draft capital to move up and take Josh Allen, this was big.

BROWNS: B-. They are going to get a comp pick in the 2020 draft to offset this a bit, once Taylor likely signs elsewhere in a few weeks. He was a total pro and showed Baker Mayfield how to be a pro with his work ethic and demeanor. Sure, he didn't play well and Mayfield quickly took over and put the team on his shoulders, but Taylor more than served his purpose. Had they got him for a fourth-round pick, they woulda got an A.

Browns trade DeShone Kizer to Packers for Damarious Randall
BROWNS: A. Dorsey and his staff have strong ties to the Packers and they absolutely fleeced them here. Randall had an excellent season as a ground-covering safety for the surging Browns – to the point where he should have a long-term future there – while Kizer was already broken and damaged by Browns coach Hue Jackson and had to go.

PACKERS: F. They had another down season and had issues on the back end, got caught up in their hubris about being able to fix and remake struggling QBs and were damn lucky Aaron Rodgers didn't miss time with a knee problem, because Kizer ain't the guy. Time to spend some money and get some true insurance behind Rodgers.

Jets trade Teddy Bridgewater to Saints for a third-round pick
JETS: A. It was already clear by then that Sam Darnold was starting from Day One and Josh McCown was the perfect veteran mentor for him. Smart to sign Teddy, and to get a third-round pick for him was excellent work. You can never have too many competent QBs, and had Darnold not been ready they were prepared.

SAINTS: B-. Similar to the Taylor trade, this was a great insurance move. Saints were all-in on winning a Super Bowl last season and just may have if not for one of the worst officiating atrocities in NFL history in the NFC title game. With Drew Brees aging they needed real security behind him; the team loved and embraced Bridgewater and will get a comp pick for him in 2020, as he gets a chance to start elsewhere this season. Asshole Face went bold here, which I tend to like.

Bills trade AJ McCarron to Raiders for a fifth-round pick
BILLS: A. McCarron got beat out by Josh Allen and, double-gulp, Nathan Peterman and was also the last QB of note to get a contract after all of those trades and signings were made a year ago. To get anything for him was well done; to get something above a sixth- or seventh-rounder was very well done.

RAIDERS: D. Compared to some of their other moves – dealing a third-round pick for Martavis Bryant??? – I have to grade on a curve here, I suppose. The Bills were not going to keep three QBs and the Raiders did them a nice favor here.

Kirk Cousins to Vikings for $84M fully guaranteed
VIKINGS: D. They have a chance to redeem this in 2019, but last year was brutal. They regressed in general and Cousins had similar numbers to what Case Keenum provided for $2M the year before. It took two offensive coordinators to get through the season and then another overhaul on that side of the ball in the offseason, and if they don't win in January next season the whole place might blow up.

Jaguars extend Blake Bortles
JAGUARS: F--. Yeah, that's an F-minus, minus. We don't play around here. Not only did they punt on an entire draft class of QBs, and bought back into Bortles, they amplified their problems by trading for Cody Kessler and pretending he was an NFL backup (of course, he ended up starting when Bortles was inevitably benched!) and scoffed at the Jets when they offered Bridgewater, straight-up, for Dante Fowler before the season (they ended up dealing Fowler to the Rams for picks). Bridgewater may have saved their season. Now they will likely land Nick Foles and pray he can do for 16 weeks what we know he can do for four. Tom Coughlin has botched the QB position to this point, no other way to say it.

Broncos sign Case Keenum for two-years, $25M guaranteed
BRONCOS: F. It took a lot for John Elway to get here – nearly trading for Colin Kaepernick, over-drafting Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler, drafting Trevor Siemian, nearly breaking the bank to keep Osweiler – and a year later this move looks even wore. After trading for Joe Flacco this week, now the Broncos need to find a way to somehow move Keenum's contract, which is worth $18M this season with $7M fully guaranteed. Good luck getting any value there. Keenum could not replicate his breakthrough 2017 with a lesser cast around him, Elway was in position to land a potential franchise QB a year ago and passed and, if he's smart, will try finding a long-term solution in the draft this year.

Cardinals sign Sam Bradford ($15M guaranteed) and Mike Glennon ($5M)
CARDINALS: F--. There you go, Jags. Find some solace in not being alone. These are organizational grades, and when you factor in that the Cards gave Carson Palmer extensions far longer than they should have and passed on several strong QB draft classes and then threw crazy money at these two, only to have to turn it over to a rookie in October, that is an unmitigated disaster that got a coach fired after one year and somehow re-empowered the GM to the point where he is staffing the coaching staff for Kliff Kingsbury. Thoughts and prayers, Cards fans.

Cardinals move up to 10th overall, select Josh Rosen
CARDINALS: D. Remember, these are organizational grades. So when you have the worst team in football and the GM is in jail for extreme DUI and suspended for your first training camp, and they've hired a coach the very guys who hired him believe is quickly overwhelmed, and you fire the OC less than half way through the season and then the coach at the end of the season, and your best player demands a trade and you end up playing Rosen like a month into the season when the backups you overpaid for can't play, um, that smells like failure to me. Rosen looked overwhelmed and helpless many weeks – no indictment on him but rather the institutional collapse he was thrust into. And now they are trying to swat away rumblings about taking Kyler Murray with the first overall pick because the (potentially-overwhelmed) coach they just hired proclaimed Murray should be the top-overall pick back when Kingsbury never thought he'd ever be in position actually use it in the NFL. Well … thoughts and prayers, Josh Rosen. As far as first years in the league go, I'd call that rough.

Browns take Baker Mayfield No. 1
BROWNS: A+. We forget how much of a shocker this was when it finally went down last spring. Taking the QB with the top pick was anything but a slam dunk, but he exceeded any reasonable expectations, survived a ridiculous arranged marriage with Hue Jackson and looks like a true salvation for an owner who has been a laughingstock since he purchased the team.

Jets move up to No. 3 to take Sam Darnold
JETS: A. They were incredibly proactive in realizing well before the draft that the sixth pick wasn't high enough to ensure they got one of the top two QBs. So they jumped up to the Colts pick – a move that worked out perfectly for Indy as well – and when Darnold was still there it was high-fives all around. He flashed like a future franchise QB as a rookie.

Bills move up to No. 7 to take Josh Allen
BILLS: B. Every move this front office made from the time it was assembled two years back was with this in mind – getting a top-10 QB. Allen showed his accuracy and mechanics still need work, but his athleticism immediately gave the Bills hope. He brought energy to the huddle and his teammates rallied around him.

Ravens move up to No. 32 to take Lamar Jackson
RAVENS: A+. No one knows what the future holds for Jackson, who must hone his fundamentals and motion, but no one could have asked for anything more than what he did. Baltimore had to get a QB in 2018, and did, and with Flacco hurt again and the team stumbling at 4-5 and lacking any real weapons on offense, the rookie came in and saved the season and likely jobs as well. He went 6-1, turning the Ravens from the second-worst rushing team in the league into the best, putting them top-eight in yards from scrimmage since he took over and losing only at Arrowhead, in OT. He led the Ravens to a most-improbable division crown. Only Mayfield had a similar immediate impact. Coupled with a smart, uber-cheap signing of Robert Griffin III and now getting a fourth-rounder for Flacco, who they would have cut otherwise, the Ravens and Browns best worked the QB position this past year.

Preface: My plan for the offseason will probably be unpopular and go against the grain. But, that’s OK. I’m sure there will be at least 1 person who can relate.

The Rams came out of nowhere to make the playoffs in McVay’s first season as coach and the Superbowl in his second. The Rams got there because they score on average 30 points a game, near tops in the league, and without a top performance by the defense. Yes, the defense improved their play in the playoffs to help elevate the team. Even with the team averaging 30 pts/gm, they had a difficult time scoring against high ranked defenses. This is the biggest area of improvement needed and the reasoning behind my decisions.

I am going to invest high draft capital in offense because I know McVay will be in the Captain’s chair for a while. While on the other hand, Wade Phillips is 71 and I don’t know how much longer he will remain the DC . I don’t want to invest capital in young 3-4 Edge rushers that may not be needed if something happened to Wade in the next season or so and having to bring in another DC that may run a 4-3 base. I will go the route of Free Agency, short term deals, to stock the OLB and NT position.

Main focus: the interior of the O-line has to become Stout.

Cuts:

John Sullivan
Mark Barron
Justin Davis
Marqui Christian

Resign:

Roger Saffold
Sam Shields
CJ Anderson
Blake Countess
Bryce Hagar
Corey Littleton 2nd rnd RFA tender

Outside FA’s:

Preston Smith (Edge/OLB) 2-yrs from the Redskins, coming of his rookie deal, he had 50 pressures along with 30 run stops in 2018



Anthony Harris ( Safety) 1 YR Had his best season last year with the Vikings and is now a UFA. He can be a stop gap until the next drafted Safety gets their feet wet.



Rashaan Melvin (CB) 3 yrs I projected him to the Rams last season. He signed with the Raiders for 1 year and his performance dipped, but then so did most of the team. He still has the skills to be a productive man-to-man coverage CB.



Jonathan Hankins ( DT/NT ) 1-yr signed a 1 yr deal with the Raiders last year and outplayed most of his teammates. He can play most of the snaps at NT.



Mitch Morse (Center) 3-yrs from the Chiefs; coming off of his rookie contract where he only gave up 4 pressures on 443 pass snaps in 2018 ; he does not succumb to the Bull rush.



TRADE:

Rams trade CB Marcus Peters to the Chargers for their 3rd round pick.

Chargers are walking away from Jason Varrett and need another play making CB to help slow down the rival Chiefs. They will take on his 9-Mil dollar salary.

After starting the FA period with 32-Mil in Cap space, Rams will end up with 12-Mil after these cuts/signings and the draft

Draft:

Trade: Rams send picks #31 & #98 (approx.) to Colts

Colts send pick #26

Trade: Rams send pick #91 (from Chargers) to the Giants

Giants send picks #108 & #137 ( approx. due to comp picks )


1st Rnd #26 Dalton Risner OT/C Kansas St. 6/5 310

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Risner has top tier functional strength. Power rushers rarely cause pressure through him. He has exceptional hand usage. In the run game, when he gets his hands on a defender it’s game over . He is great in space ; he explodes out of his stance and arrives at his target under control. Plays with great tancity and nastiness. Has uncanny mental processing ; picks up late pressure, passes off stunts and picks up twists all with ease. Very durable ; only missed 1 game in his career. And, in pass sets, only gave up 28 total pressures in 4 years, and I believe only 1 sack in 3 season at RT. Played Center as a freshman and then RT for the balance. He would be my starting RG on opening day.


3rd Rnd #100 Marquise Blair Safety Utah

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Even though the Rams have their safeties play both in coverage near the LOS and back as a single high, there are not many in this Safety class that possess the range needed to play Sgl high. I think @Jrry alluded to this in his Mock. However, Blair has traits that translate to playing Sgl high on occasion. He is a big Safety who can move better than average. Per a scout from the Senior bowl, “Blair showed the most functional versatility of all the Safties at the Senior Bowl”. His movement skills are similar to Deionte Thompson. And, as you can see in his highlite reel he can lay the wood like John Abraham from Miss St. When tasked to play Sgl high, he always played deep and he never let receivers get behind. But, in doing so he lost his opportunity to make plays on the ball. This is something he will need to be coached on. Per another source, “his playing temperament and demeanor are ideal for the poisiton”. I look for him to start as a situational 3rd safety in packages, taking Marqui Christian’s spot.

Rnd 4 #108 (from Giants) Dawson Knox TE Ole Miss 6/4 250

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.

A TE with great upside as a pass catcher and above average fundamentals as a blocker. He is somewhat of an enigma in that he wasn’t targeted much in the passing game. And, that could be because Ole Miss had one of the best WR Corps in the country with Metcalf, Brown and Lodge. He is explosive off of the LOS and is a challenge for Safties to cover in the middle of the field. He often ran wheel routes with LB’s having a difficult time trying to stay with him. I see him as an upgrade to Everett as in in-line TE and has a better ability to separate from defenders than Higbee downfield.

Rnd 4 #133 Antoine Wesley WR Texas Tech 6/5 200

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Long WR with speed and agility. Great leaping ability to be a legitimate RED Zone threat. Doesn’t have great burst but has good long speed to separate. He is fluid in all of the cuts in his route running. He thrives with contested catches ; easily adjusts to the ball, good body control, and excellent concentration on the ball in flight. He has shiftiness you don’t see in WR’s his height. He is also a willing blocker. With his arm length he wins most reps while blocking up field. He provides Goff another weapon in the Red zone along with being to haul in contested balls that others have a difficulty with, i.e Brandin Cooks. He will be great depth to play on the outside if Woods or Cooks goes down.

Rnd 4 #137 (from Giants) Justin Layne CB Michigan St

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Layne has great size and length. He has decent long speed to stay with receivers on long routes but is not explosive enough to make up ground if beaten at the LOS. Has good ball skills ; is a converted receiver. Has great length, strength, technique and balance to disrupt receivers at the LOS. He has limitations playing in zone. Layne will do well as an outside CB in a Press/Man scheme.

Rnd 5 #170 L.J. Collier DE/DT TCU 6/4 276

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Collier played mostly on the Edge for TCU. At the Senior bowl, he practiced on the Outside, but during the game they moved him to the 3-Tech (DT). He not only held his own, he was dominate ; he had 3 tackles, 2 Sacks, 2 tackle for loss, and 1 forced fumble. Collier has good speed when rushing from the Edge, has a powerful Bull rush, various counters to go along violent hand usage. He is also stout in the run game. He can take over in the DL rotation replacing Ethan Westbrooks and can fill in as an OLB if needed.


Rnd 6 #205 Drue Tranquill LB Notre Dame 6/2 233 4.65/40

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Tranquill is an undersized LB who converted from Safety after his Junior year. He has 2 ACL injuries during that time which sapped him of some of his athleticism. He is instinctive and plays fast which helps make up for some of his lost quickness. Not explosive, but has build-up speed to get to the boundary, and takes good angles. Has good coverage skills against TE’s going up the middle of the field ; stays in their hip pocket with minimal contact. he is a bit limited in the flat covering RB’s due to the loss of some his athleticism. He is a smart LB who’s physicality & toughness will never be questioned. He is assignment sound and good at maintaining gaps in run defense. High character player with great heart that I want even if he doesn’t become a starter. Even with his ACL injuries, most likely offers better coverage skills than Hager & Kiser.

Rnd 7 #253 Armon Watts DT Arkansas 6/4 310

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Watts took 3 years to become a starter and made the most of his opportunity as a senior. His stat line as follows ; 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 49 total tackles, 25 solo.

Positives: Great leverage ; difficult to move in the Run game. Has great hand usage to neutralize o-line men attempting to get a hand on him. Has a good Bull rush and eventhough he is slow off of the LOS, his 2nd & 3rd step help him get to the blockers edge.

Negatives: slow footed in space ; does not pursue once the ball is out of the area. He can’t attack gaps at the snap due to lack of first step quickness.

Watts should make a good back-up NT in Wade’s system. He should be an instant upgrade over Tanzell Smart.


Projected starters:

QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
XWR: Brandin Cooks
ZWR: Robert Woods
SLWR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee / Dawson Knox
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Rodger Saffold
C: Mitch Morse
RG: Dalton Risner
RT: Rob Havenstein


5T: Michael Brockers
NT: Jonathan Hankins
3T: Aaron Donald
WOLB: Samson Ebukam
ILB: Cory Littleton
ILB: Ramik Wilson / Micah Kiser
SOLB: Preston Smith
RCB: Aqib Talib
LCB: Rashaan Melvin
SLCB: Nickell Robey-Coleman
FS: John Johnson
SS: Anthony Harris

I wanted to change things up a lot to expose y'all to some different players. This mock is a bit more unorthodox. I took some chances in FA. It might be a little less realistic in that regard, but all of the players fit our scheme and make sense.
Cut
ILB Mark Barron

There's not much to say here. I think we're all agreed on this one. Barron stepped up in the playoffs, but we need somebody who offers more in terms of run fits.

Re-sign
OG Rodger Saffold
CB Sam Shields
ILB Bryce Hager
S Blake Countess
ILB Cory Littleton - Second Round RFA Tender
CB Dominique Hatfield - ERFA Tender
RS Jojo Natson - ERFA Tender
DL Morgan Fox - ERFA Tender
CB Kevin Peterson - ERFA Tender
OLB Garrett Sickels - ERFA Tender
WR KhaDarel Hodge - ERFA Tender

I doubt there are too many surprises here. I would say the only two possible surprises are not re-signing Ndamukong Suh or Dante Fowler Jr. I think Suh wants his final multi-year contract. That will make it not feasible to bring him back. I like Fowler Jr., but I am wary of his price tag as a former top pick. I think we all expect Joyner to go.

Free Agency

Robert Quinn OLB

I'm guessing you didn't expect this one. However, I think bringing Quinn back has a lot of benefits. First, Miami is going to cut him, so it doesn't hurt us in the comp pick formula. Second, Quinn knows the scheme and this team well (he's respected here too). Third, Quinn can still generate 6 to 9 sacks per year and solid pressure, even if he isn't the player he once was. Finally, Quinn will come at a relative bargain and on a short-term deal. Plus, with Obo, Miller, Samson, and others, Quinn will rotate more and staying fresher will hopefully allow him to be more effective when he does play.


Dontari Poe NT

Poe is another guy who will likely be released and won't count against the comp pick formula. He's coming off a couple of average seasons, so I think we'll able to get him on a short-term deal at a reasonable price. He's a great fit for what Wade wants in his NT, and it's possible Wade's scheme could vault him to a big season and a big contract with somebody else (which is a selling point for us). Dontari is a massive man at 6'3" 350, but he's an exceptional athlete who should do well in a scheme that lets him attack the backfield.


Brian Poole SS

This is probably the riskiest move of my mock off-season, but I think it's one that could pay off in a major way. Wade is very particular about what he wants in a safety. He likes safeties who can play in the box, blitz off the edge, man up in coverage, and play the deep zones. That's a lot to ask, so there aren't a ton of guys who fit that criteria. Poole is interesting because he has spent three years as a slot CB in Atlanta. He was great as a rookie, but he has been so-so (at best) since then. Where he has consistently shined, though, is in his physicality as a run defender and his blitzing off the edge. I think, like LaMarcus Joyner, Poole is a better safety than CB. He doesn't possess the short-area quickness or loose hips to match up well in the slot. That all said, Poole has terrific instincts and is quite adept at reading route combinations. I think he offers exactly the sort of well-rounded skill-set that Wade values in a safety. And after not being tendered by Atlanta and so-so years as a slot CB, I think we can land him at a discounted price despite the fact that he's only 26 years old.


Blake Bortles QB

I imagine that some people will groan about this, but I think it's a brilliant move. Bortles' stock is at the lowest it has ever been. He stunk up the field in 2018 and was one reason why the Jaguars drastically under-performed. Once he is cut, I don't see him getting a big-money deal. I think we can swoop in and offer him a fairly cheap deal. Why I love this idea is because Bortles has actually played solid football when things around him are good. When he's protected, has good play-calling, and good WRs, he's capable of being a competent starting QB. We're only looking for a backup QB. If we have a guy who is capable of being a competent starter in the right situation, we're ahead of most other teams. Think of guys like Nick Foles, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Case Keenum. When they were in bad situations, they looked bad. But they looked like competent QBs when things were going well around them. That made them valuable. With guys like Tyrod Taylor, Case Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, and Teddy Bridgewater on the market, we should be able to get Bortles cheap.


Ryan Groy C/OG

We tried to sign Groy after the 2016 season when McVay and Kromer had just been hired. The Bills matched our offer and kept him. Groy hasn't played as well away from Kromer's system, so I think we can sign him now cheaper than what we offered a couple years ago. He'll provide quality depth at Center and Guard.

NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #31 - Jeffery Simmons NT Mississippi State
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Analysis: Prior to Simmons tearing his ACL during training, I had written him off. He wasn't falling out of the first 15 picks. Hell, he might not fall out of the top 10. Well, Simmons' misfortune is our luck. He might have miss his rookie year. If things go well, he goes on the PUP list and is available for the final stretch. Regardless, Simmons is a monster. In a lot of classes, he'd be the top DT. He played NT in the 3-4 for MSU, including for Todd Grantham, who runs the Phillips 3-4 (he coached under Wade in Dallas). Simmons is Wade's prototype at NT. He's been compared to a young Suh. When left 1 on 1, Simmons' guy almost always goes backwards. When doubled, Simmons has flashed the ability to stand up and even split double teams. He's a freakishly gifted athlete at 6'4" 305 pounds. He demonstrates the power to overwhelm interior OLs, the speed to pursue and blow up zone-stretch plays, and the anchor to do the dirty work inside. Simmons has active hands as a pass rusher and run stopper who is quite adept at controlling the hands of the OL and flashes the ability to win quickly with an arm-over swim move. One of his biggest selling points to me is his relentless effort. He will pursue plays sideline to sideline from the NT position. The kid has a nonstop motor. His weaknesses are inconsistent leverage, a need to better understand what blocking schemes are trying to accomplish, and a need to develop more pass rush moves. All of those things are coachable and should improve with experience. Imagine Aaron Donald taking this kid under his wing. I'm so excited about the possibilities.

Round 3 Pick #31 - Justin Layne CB Michigan State
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Analysis: Layne is a tad raw as a CB, but he's very gifted. Layne is a converted WR, who even played some WR in 2018 when needed. Unsurprisingly, he has outstanding ball-skills and soft hands. As it stands now, Layne is a very gifted press-man CB. He has patient footwork at the LOS, lands his punches with expert precision, has disruptive physicality, and is smooth out of his transition. Further, he's a great run defender at CB. While he needs to increase his play strength and bulk at 6'2" 185 to keep from being glued to blocks, he's a willing and fearless run defender who tackles well on the edge. The weak points of his game are his rawness in zone and off-man coverage. He's a generally sound zone defender who will execute his assignment, but he doesn't yet have the instincts or comfort to be a game-changer there. The problem for him in off-man coverage is that his short-area quickness is very average, so WRs can separate against him with sharp, quick cuts when he can't use his physicality and length to disrupt routes. Layne is leggy, rangy athlete, so he best fits in either a press-man heavy scheme or a zone-heavy scheme (as he develops more in zone coverage). As we all know, Wade prefers to run a press-man heavy scheme, but has run a zone-heavy scheme of late to accommodate Peters. Thus, Layne fits well with what we're looking to do now and in the future.

Round 3 Pick #37 - Christian Miller OLB Alabama
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Analysis: Miller is player who is flying under the radar despite playing for Alabama. The reason for that is injuries. Miller didn't play much before this year due to injuries. If he had, I think we'd be talking about him in the late-first round. Miller is a versatile edge defender who looks comfortable dropping into coverage, rushing the passer, and setting the edge. He's technically sound in the run game and does an outstanding job of setting the edge and turning plays back inside. As a pass rusher, he's very dangerous. He has the flexibility to bend the corner and flatten, he uses a variety of pass rush moves (the long arm/stab move being his most effective) and flashes advanced pass rush plans, and he has a powerful punch that he lands with consistency. At 6'3" 245, Miller will need to add some bulk and get stronger for the NFL game. His injury history is concerning. And Miller is a tick slow off the snap too often for my taste. Still, Miller has all the tools as a pass rusher and can contribute both in run defense and coverage. You don't find too many guys in the late-third round you can say that about.

Round 4 Pick #31 - Lil'Jordan Humphrey WR Texas
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Analysis: I initially had Isaac Nauta here, but I decided to go a different direction. Humphrey provides for an interesting dynamic. He's a 6'4" 230 pound slot WR. Basically, he's an undersized slot TE. Humphrey is a natural hands catcher with the ability to climb the ladder and win jump balls. He's one of the best YAC WRs in the draft, consistently breaking tackles after the catch. As a blocker, he flashes the ability to do damage, but he needs to be more consistent attacking defenders. At times, he chooses to be passive and catch defenders, which results in him going backwards. His route running isn't raw or polished. He needs to be mindful of his route tempo, as it can tip the depth of the route he's running. He also doesn't possess overly loose hips or quick feet. Still, he runs solid routes and generates separation with subtlety by setting defenders up and selling his breaks well. I'd like to see him use his size and strength better as a route runner. It'll allow him to create more separation against smaller CBs. Still, he's intriguing in the slot because he dwarfs your typical slot CB and is too athletic for the vast majority of LBs and safeties to handle in coverage.

Round 5 Pick #31 - Travis Homer HB Miami
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Analysis: I think Travis Homer is this draft's Philip Lindsay. Homer doesn't have Lindsay's top-end speed, but he breaks tackles better than Lindsay. What I love about Homer's game is his ability on passing downs. He's a physical and technically sound pass protector who will not hesitate to throw his body around. While he's still perfecting his blitz recognition skills, he stonewalls blitzers when he reads it correctly. As a pass-catcher, Homer showed much softer hands this year and is difficult to cover due to his crisp routes and impressive agility. As a runner, I actually thought Homer was 6'2" 240 pounds when I was watching him this year. It's not until I looked into him recently that I realized he's only 5'11" 205. I actually checked Miami's roster to make sure I had the right guy. Homer runs like a back 30 pounds heavier. He is an extremely physical runner who bowls people over when he gets behind his pads. He has the agility and elusiveness to also make players miss in the open-field. His burst and cutting ability make him an effective zone runner. Moreover, Homer displays good vision and patience. His running style will prevent him from being a bell-cow runner, because he won't hold up at his size if he has to carry the ball 250 times a year. Nevertheless, Homer can be an effective member of a committee and a dangerous passing-down HB.

Round 6 Pick #31 - Khalil Hodge ILB Buffalo
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Analysis: I originally had Khalil Hodge slotted in as our fourth round pick, but I realized that he won't be a guy valued highly by a lot of teams. Hodge didn't even receive an invite to the Combine (which is just nuts). Over the past two years, Hodge has averaged 148 tackles per year. He is a three-time captain and a true defensive leader. His football character is off the charts. However, Hodge is also a limited athlete who fits more into that thumper role that a lot of teams no longer value. Hodge diagnoses plays quicker than any LB I've watched this year. He almost never gets it wrong. He also displays good speed downhill, he has the size (6'1" 250) and strength to take on blockers, he plays with consistent gap integrity, and he rarely misses tackles. Hodge also shows comfort backpedaling in zone coverage and reads the QB well. That all said, Hodge lacks the speed to run sideline to sideline, and he lacks the short-area quickness and fluid hips to handle man coverage responsibilities well in the NFL. He's a very smart and instinctual defender, but he has his athletic limitations. I'd also like to see him use his hands better to keep blockers from getting to his chest.

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: John Sullivan
RG: Austin Blythe
RT: Rob Havenstein

5T: Michael Brockers
NT: Dontari Poe
3T: Aaron Donald
WOLB: Robert Quinn
Mo LB: Cory Littleton
Mike LB: Khalil Hodge or Micah Kiser or Bryce Hager
SOLB: Samson Ebukam
RCB: Aqib Talib
LCB: Marcus Peters
SLCB: Nickell Robey-Coleman
FS: John Johnson
SS: Brian Poole

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

Who is your top target? The guy you are burnin up the phone lines with to ensure he's a first and only stop at Rams park type of dude?

My target: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

Rationale: he's been consistently strong in coverage and offers the deep safety play that bit us in the @$$ all season during 2018. He is also still young and has a clean bill of health.

Interesting thing here is that the safety class' best option is a guy who might or might not be available, Adrian Amos Jr. Who is also young and a very talented and balanced player who fits what we do. The short list also includes the Honey Badger, but after watching some film of his from last year I think he struggled a bit in his coverage and I am not sure to what extent it was scheme or him not knowing what he was doing. But either way this position offers options, it's a big need, and it's something that I would look to solve day one of FA in order to focus on our front seven and OL depth concerns the rest of the way.

Am I the only one who thinks "Who's House- Rams House" needs to be upgraded.

The Patriots Kyle Van Noy says the rams didn’t run anything new in the SB. Not one wrinkle according to Van Noy, they had seen everything and weren’t surprised by anything the rams did.
I really wish the Pats would stop telling everyone how smart they are, it takes my hatred of them to a whole new level.

https://apple.news/AJQnogK1rRLmamGDjEaJIQg

Protesters Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid settle collusion grievances against NFL

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has settled his collusion grievance against the league and teams.

Terms of the settlement were not announced. The NFL and Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, announced the settlement Friday without providing further details.

A separate grievance by Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid also was resolved.

“For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL,” the league and the lawyers for Kaepernick and Reid said in a joint written statement. “As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances. The resolution of this matter is subject to a confidentiality agreement so there will be no further comment by any party.”

The NFL Players Association also confirmed the settlement.

"Today, we were informed by the NFL of the settlement of the Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid collusion cases,” the NFLPA said in a written statement. “We are not privy to the details of the settlement, but support the decision by the players and their counsel. We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them. We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract, and we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well.”

Kaepernick has been out of the league the past two seasons. While a member of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2016 season, he began the movement by players of protesting during the national anthem. Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem before games to bring attention to racial inequality and police treatment of African Americans.

He was not signed as a free agent after opting out of his contract with the 49ers following the 2016 season. Kaepernick filed a grievance accusing teams and the league of improperly conspiring, in violation of the collective bargaining agreement, to keep him out of the NFL. His case was to be heard by arbitrator Stephen Burbank, who last year denied a request by the league to dismiss the complaint.

Reid played this past season for the Panthers. He protested alongside Kaepernick during the 2016 season, while with the 49ers, and has continued those protests since then.

NFL.com ranks Los Angeles Rams’ 2018 NFL Draft class dead last in league

The Rams’ 2018 rookies just didn’t get a chance to see the field much this year. Does that deserve a failing grade on the draft report card?
Feb 14, 2019
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...r-rankings-joseph-noteboom-ogbonnia-okoronkwo

The Los Angeles Rams were in an unusual position heading into the 2018 NFL Draft.

Having made headlines repeatedly in free agency bringing in top-level talents through trades before adding DL Ndamukong Suh on a one-year flier, the Rams were in the unique position of both being without a single pick in the top 88 of the draft while also not needing one.

With so much talent amassed on both sides of the ball, there were not going to be very many openings for the rookie class. Perhaps at linebacker there might have been an opportunity with an early pick, but it wasn’t likely given that the Rams didn’t have a pick until #89 and that was the Rams’ sole pick in the first 110 selections of the draft.

But despite the limitations of availability placed on the class, NFL Media’s Jeremy Bergman ranked the Rams’ 2018 rookie class the worst in the NFL last year as the only rookie class to receive less than a “C” grade.

32.) Los Angeles Rams

Round 3: (No. 89 overall) Joseph Noteboom, T, 16 games/0 starts.

Round 4: (111) Brian Allen, C, 12 games/0 starts; (135) John Franklin-Myers, DE, 16 games/0 starts.

Round 5: (147) Micah Kiser, LB, 16 games/0 starts; (160) Obo Okoronkwo, DE, 0 games/0 starts.

Round 6: (176) John Kelly, RB, 4 games/0 starts; (192) Jamil Demby, T, 0 games/0 starts (waived in September, spent most of season on Lions’ practice squad, then was re-signed by Rams in December); (195) Sebastian Joseph-Day, DT, 0 games/0 starts; (205) Trevon Young, DE, 2 games/0 starts.

Round 7: (231) Travin Howard, LB, 0 games/0 starts; (244) Justin Lawler, DE, 16 games/0 starts.

Notable rookie FA signings: KhaDarel Hodge, WR, 14 games/0 starts.

The NFC champions did their team-building through trades and free agency last offseason, opting to part with their first-round selection for Brandin Cooks and mid-round picks for the likes of Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. Considering all that, Los Angeles’ utilization of its draft capital should grade high; Cooks led the team in receiving, and Peters and Talib shored up the secondary (when healthy and/or hungry for gumbo). But when looking at what the Rams reaped from their 11 picks, it’s easy to label this draft a total bust. Los Angeles got zero starts from their draft picks. None. Zilch. Nada. Noteboom and Allen were smart plays in case there were significant injuries on the depth-less O-line (there weren’t), and Franklin-Myers can grow into a greater role next year. But this haul is easily one of the most forgettable from any team with at least 10 selections in recent memory.

I guess the part I’d push back against is the lack of context of why there were zero starts from the rookies. I don’t put much of that on the quality of the rookies. I put most of it instead on the quality of the roster the rookies were joining.

I’d also quibble a bit with the idea that Noteboom and Allen were added just for significant injuries on the O-line. As our own Joey the Jerk pointed out this week, the offensive line is nearing a point of transition with LT Andrew Whitworth, LG Rodger Saffold III and C John Sullivan all potentially exiting as early as this offseason. Noteboom and Allen weren’t drafted solely for the 2018 season. They were drafted on contracts through the 2021 season.

Myopia aside, I get it. The Rams just got very, very little out of their rookie class. Aside from JFM’s rotational duties and the special teams snaps, it just wasn’t an impact class. Yet.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if next year and beyond as some of these guys get more opportunities in offensive and defensive setups we see this grade start to improve and reflect the quality of the picks themselves and not just the roster bind they were in.

However...

There are still upgrades at a number of positions needed to ensure a SB return, don’t you think?

I’m just talking starters here, mind you. And if a player isn’t under contract for ‘19 then I’m counting that as a hole.

In no particular order here are my Snead offseason requests:

C. Sully has been great but an upgrade is now needed.
LG. Extending Saffold is highly desirable if not an outright “must have”. Only question is his salary demands.
DL. Suh is a goner and won’t be extended, so this is a huge hole.
Edge rusher. TWO needed. Ebu is NOT the answer on one side. These two positions are critical to ‘19 success. Can’t be overstated, IMO.
MLB. Barron can’t be counted on for 16 games, anymore. Overpriced and only moderately effective when he does play. Big need here.
FS. Joyner is an obvious goner.

That’s it among starters, I think. I thought it would be a longer list when I started, tbh.

Now for the rest of the holes that are critical, although among non-starters.

Backup QB. I’m open to all suggestions here. FA, draft, or trade? Gotta do SOMETHING.
Backup RB. A genuine need since Kelly doesn’t seem to have McVay’s confidence. But either MB or JC should be just fine. Still, it’s a current “need”.
OL depth. Pending OL changes could really move this one up the priority ladder.

Somehow, some way the Ram brain trust must fill and hopefully upgrade those top 7 positions that I listed. Demoff must find the money, Snead must acquire the players, and McVay must coach ‘em up.

Last offseason was a good start. Can they finish the job thus offseason? If they do, then I see a return to the SB in our future. Both our O and our D would be virtually unstoppable.

One last thing, fwiw. If Snead can come up with two “very good” edge rushers then we are halfway home. They needn’t be elite, but they do need to be very good. That’s my single biggest item on my offseason wish list. Sigh...

Rams expected to move Shane Waldron to QB coach
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/02/13/rams-expected-to-move-shane-waldron-to-qb-coach/
by Josh Alper on February 13, 2019


The Rams are bringing Wes Phillips onto the coaching staff as their tight ends coach and that will mean a change in responsibilities for Shane Waldron.

Waldron worked with the team’s tight ends in addition to taking on the role as passing game coordinator in 2018, but will switch to a different position group in 2019. Albert Breer of SI.com reports that Waldron is set to take over as the quarterbacks coach while continuing to hold the coordinator title.

Zac Taylor was the quarterbacks coach in 2018, but he left the Rams to become the Bengals head coach after Super Bowl LIII.

Given Waldron’s continued role as the passing game coordinator, the move to working directly with the team’s quarterbacks makes sense. The team is also expected to hire an assistant quarterbacks coach and Breer adds that senior offensive assistant Jedd Fisch’s title will change to assistant coordinator/offense for the 2019 season.

Signed Dickerson HOF Jersey. Happy Christmas to me!