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Roster cuts/trades around the NFL
- By Akrasian
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 254 Replies
Didn't see any threads for this. Teams are beginning to make trades to clear roster space, and will be making cuts soon. Figured it would be good to have one thread for all of those.
First one I noticed:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ade-center-brett-jones-to-vikings-for-19-pick
Giants trade center Brett Jones to Vikings for '19 pick
The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings were trade partners Sunday afternoon.
The Giants sent center Brett Jones to the Vikings in exchange for a 2019 draft pick, both teams announced. While the Giantsand Vikings did not disclose the specific draft selection, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports it is a seventh-round pick.
Jones, who appeared in 16 games with 13 starts for the Giantsin 2017, provides immediate help to the Vikings' offensive line when considering center Pat Elflein continues to recover from offseason surgeries.
With Jones no longer on New York's roster, the Giants are likely to turn to Jon Halapio as the starting center with the versatile John Greco in reserve.
First one I noticed:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ade-center-brett-jones-to-vikings-for-19-pick
Giants trade center Brett Jones to Vikings for '19 pick
- By Herbie Teope
- Around The NFL Writer
- Published: Aug. 26, 2018 at 04:48 p.m.
The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings were trade partners Sunday afternoon.
The Giants sent center Brett Jones to the Vikings in exchange for a 2019 draft pick, both teams announced. While the Giantsand Vikings did not disclose the specific draft selection, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports it is a seventh-round pick.
Jones, who appeared in 16 games with 13 starts for the Giantsin 2017, provides immediate help to the Vikings' offensive line when considering center Pat Elflein continues to recover from offseason surgeries.
With Jones no longer on New York's roster, the Giants are likely to turn to Jon Halapio as the starting center with the versatile John Greco in reserve.
Hey, wanna buy some weed????
Stocks!
The Canadian cannabis industry is exploding. Is anyone paying attention to the stock market and/or the story line?
I have a hot tip based on my own personal research....ticker symbol SPWRF
There are other bigger stocks, like Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) who just struck a $4B deal with Constellation Brands (makers of Corona and Modelo) and went up 40%. There's Aurora (ACBFF)...running around striking deals with everyone they can, but diluting thier shares while doing so. There's Aphria (APHQF) who was up 23% on Friday alone and a tasty candidate for the next big deal around the corner.
Aphria Inc
PINX: APHQF · August 24, 4:01 PM EDT 10.7 ▲ 2.03 (23.30%)
After Hours 10.62▼ 0.14 (1.28%)
I've tied some loose ends together and discovered that SPRWF is kinda like the little brother to Canopy Growth, and at $1.31 (vs $49 for Canopy) a share I am buying 1000 shares Monday. Of course in my mind, it will be 10 bucks a share come October 17th when Canada opens the doors across the country to recreational pot. lol
Anyone else intered in this stuff? Its quite fascinating and I am quite the dreamer!
The Canadian cannabis industry is exploding. Is anyone paying attention to the stock market and/or the story line?
I have a hot tip based on my own personal research....ticker symbol SPWRF
There are other bigger stocks, like Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) who just struck a $4B deal with Constellation Brands (makers of Corona and Modelo) and went up 40%. There's Aurora (ACBFF)...running around striking deals with everyone they can, but diluting thier shares while doing so. There's Aphria (APHQF) who was up 23% on Friday alone and a tasty candidate for the next big deal around the corner.
Aphria Inc
PINX: APHQF · August 24, 4:01 PM EDT 10.7 ▲ 2.03 (23.30%)
After Hours 10.62▼ 0.14 (1.28%)
I've tied some loose ends together and discovered that SPRWF is kinda like the little brother to Canopy Growth, and at $1.31 (vs $49 for Canopy) a share I am buying 1000 shares Monday. Of course in my mind, it will be 10 bucks a share come October 17th when Canada opens the doors across the country to recreational pot. lol
Anyone else intered in this stuff? Its quite fascinating and I am quite the dreamer!
Rams Pre-Week Three Preseason 53-Man Roster Projection
- By JKBOGEN
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 10 Replies
Rams Pre-Week Three Preseason 53-Man Roster Projection
August 25, 2018 | By:Jake Ellenbogen
We have reeled in some observations and overall takeaways from Rams camp and preseason. Here is how I see the roster looking for the Rams at this point in time.
Quarterback (2): Jared Goff, Sean Mannion
There is still no doubt in my mind the Rams need a legitimate backup QB behind Jared Goff but Sean Mannion isn't going away until his contract is up after this season. The Rams are in a tight one here seeing as there is not much preseason left to get players acclimated to the current system and offense. Robert Griffin III and Teddy Bridgewater seem to be the most rumored options although Griffin III is really starting to develop a trade market that surprisingly is right up there with Bridgewater. The Rams will likely have to tough it out regardless of acquiring RG3 or Bridgewater before they can move on from the veteran Mannion.
Brandon Allen needs to really explode this week or next as far as I'm concerned. Allen put on solid at best tape against the Ravens third-string team but he really set himself back this past preseason game with the Raiders which included, throwing an interception and overthrowing WR Steven Mitchell, who was open in the back corner of the end zone.
As for Luis Perez, I would operate under the term of the Rams hiding him from teams and not letting him play to keep his overall buzz down enough to stash on the practice squad. Perez should be expected to compete in game four for sure but if he does
Starter: Jared Goff
Backup: Sean Mannion
CUT (2): Brandon Allen, Luis Perez
Running back (4): Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, John Kelly, Justin Davis
This is a fun RB room in the grand scheme of things. The Rams are looking at the best back in the league in Todd Gurley and a consistently solid backup in power back Malcolm Brown who they found as a UDFA in that same year the team acquired Gurley. After that they added another UDFA last year that ended up making the team in Justin Davis, another UDFA this year in Nick Holley who's twin is also on the roster and a sixth-round pick in John Kelly who already looks ready for the NFL.
Unfortunately, the Rams cannot keep them all so you the obvious one's are Gurley, Brown and newly-drafted Kelly. The questionable one is Davis. Davis was on last year's roster but does he survive another year on a more talented team that has some positions where they need extra depth? I do see Davis being too talented to store on their practice squad so I think albeit not being a true need, the Rams do indeed keep Davis again and roll with four backs on the roster. Holley could be a practice squad guy but he will need to see a lot more action to even come to the conclusion that he will be on the practice squad.
Starter: Todd Gurley
Backup: Malcolm Brown
3rd String: John Kelly
4th String: Justin Davis
CUT (1): Nick Holley
Wide receiver (6): Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Mike Thomas, Josh Reynolds, Pharoh Cooper
This wide receiver core looks impressive all around but is it staying as is? Originally, I felt like the rest of the guys that were undrafted were trying out for a spot on the practice squad but here's the thing. Josh Reynolds may not be as big of a lock to make the team for opening day if he continues to struggle and battle through injuries. He might as well be placed on the PUP list. However, the same can be said for Mike Thomas who has really impressed the coaching staff in practice but has done next to nothing in preseason. Cooks, Woods, Kupp and Cooper are the locks in this room but shockingly I believe that Thomas and Reynolds are closer to the edge than people think.
This year will be Reynolds' second year, so he could and should very well have a pass but Thomas is in year three and while he's an impressive gunner on special teams, the Rams need to see more from him as a receiver for the offense. Of course, I will stick with both of them making the roster but I may change my mind because KhaDarel Hodge is really stepping up in preseason and pretty much as limited of snaps as you can have. Hodge put himself in the public eye after his incredible diving grab near the sidelines against the Oakland Raiders. Steven Mitchell, the UDFA out of USC has looked crisp with his route-running but he hasn't been receiving the looks and it's hurt him. The other guys are likely not in the conversation besides 5-foot-7 return man JoJo Natson, who has looked very impressive in the return game and could be a practice squad stash after cut downs. Today's preseason game is going to tell us a lot about what the Rams think when it comes to the WR's. Right now it's Mike Thomas --- Josh Reynolds --- KhaDarel Hodge --- Steven Mitchell, that's the pecking order. Hodge is just chomping at the bit to break out this game and put himself in the driver's seat to acquiring a roster spot on a Super Bowl caliber team.
Starter: Brandin Cooks
Starter: Robert Woods
Slot Starter: Cooper Kupp
Backup: Mike Thomas
Backup: Josh Reynolds
Slot Backup: Pharoh Cooper
CUT (5): KhaDarel Hodge, Steven Mitchell, JoJo Natson, Fred Brown, Kendal Thompson
Tight End (3): Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Temarrick Hemingway
Lots of potential in this group but not a lot of proven talent. We have seen Tyler Higbee make some incredible plays and drop some big-time opportunities in the end zone. We have watched Gerald Everett have four consecutive games with a 40-plus yard catch and then we have seen Everett fall out of favor with the coaching staff and struggle to get on the field. We have seen Temarrick Hemingway fight poor coaching and a season-ending injury but we haven't really seen what he can do showcased in a game. We have seen Johnny Mundt look sharp as can be in the limited amount of snaps but Mundt's issue has always been injuries.
Do the Rams keep all four of the top Tight ends? I would absolutely have to say they want to, Higbee is the best TE on the roster right now, Everett has the most untapped potential, Hemingway has the best set of raw skills and Mundt is the youngest with a ton of room to grow. However, Mundt seems like the perfect player to sneak on the practice squad, he's eligible and would be on speed dial if an injury were to occur. The problem is the Rams basically have to choose between Mundt and Justin Davis. It makes more sense to keep Mundt for the simple fact the TE room is a lot less figured out than the RB room but Davis is likely the better player and because of that the Rams will likely keep Mundt in the building, just not on the 53-man roster.
After the big four it comes down to Henry Krieger-Coble and Codey McElroy. I think the Rams are going to keep McElroy in the building as a practice squad player but I don't see him or Krieger-Coble forcing the Rams hand to keep five TE's.
Starter: Tyler Higbee
Backup: Gerald Everett
3rd String: Temarrick Hemingway
CUT (3): Johnny Mundt, Henry Krieger-Coble, Codey McElroy
Offensive line (8): Andrew Whitworth, Rodger Saffold, John Sullivan, Joseph Noteboom, Rob Havenstein, Jamil Demby, Austin Blythe, Brian Allen
The Rams went out of their way in a draft where they lacked capital after trading away their first two round picks for receivers, to select the future of their offensive line. It's to be expected the Rams are thanking themselves that they did. It's not even the regular season yet and the Rams have already seen huge flashes of brilliance out of all three offensive linemen they drafted. Joseph Noteboom, the headliner of the draft has looked as immovable as one would want in protecting the QB, Jamil Demby has shown his ability to dominate at the point of attack in the run game not even including his versatility to practically played every position on the line and Brian Allen has also flashed his ability to really finish defenders off in the run game.
The other side of the coin is the fact the Rams do not have much after their starts and rookies although both Jake Eldrenkamp and Aaron Neary have flashed a bit as well. Darrell Williams and Cornelius Lucas were supposed to be the depth at offensive tackle the Rams needed but at this point, the team would be better off moving on from both of them and either claiming someone after cut downs or just waiting and drafting another tackle next year. Eldrenkamp and Neary could be kept but neither play tackle and so the Rams do not really need their depth on the interior line due to Sullivan, Blythe, Allen and Demby holding that down as well as Jamon Brown who will be back from suspension after week two.
Starting LT: Andrew Whitworth
Starting LG: Rodger Saffold
Starting C: John Sullivan
Interim Starting RG: Joseph Noteboom
Starting RT: Rob Havenstein
Backup G/T: Jamil Demby
Backup G/C: Austin Blythe
Backup C: Brian Allen
CUT (5): Darrell Williams, Jake Eldrenkamp, Jeremiah Kolone, Aaron Neary, Cornelius Lucas
Suspended List: Jamon Brown (2 games)
Defensive line (6): Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers, Ethan Westbrooks, Sebastian Joseph-Day, John Franklin-Myers
This group appears to be the most talented and the most set in stone. The starters are set in stone and then you have fourth-round diamond in the rough John Franklin-Myers and the Rams sixth-round selection Sebastian Joseph-Day who at this point look like locks to make the roster. That leaves one more spot which is going to go to Ethan Westbrooks who has been the most dominant defensive player outside of maybe Samson Ebukam on the Rams this preseason.
Omarius Bryant is really right on the bubble and if the Rams do decide to go with seven on the defensive line he would likely be the next-man up. It's worth noting the rest including Bryant have practice squad eligibility so the Rams shouldn't feel hand-cuffed in any situation with the back end of the defensive line roster depth. With Dominique Easley now switching over to the outside linebacker position the Rams can likely keep less in this group and still fall back on Easley's ability in the trenches as a crutch.
Starting DE: Aaron Donald
Starting NT: Ndamukong Suh
Starting DE: Michael Brockers
Backup DE: Ethan Westbrooks
Backup NT: Sebastian Joseph-Day
Backup DL: John Franklin-Myers
CUT (5): Omarius Bryant, Tanzel Smart, Chunky Clements, McKay Murphy, Lord Hyeamang
Outside linebacker (5): Samson Ebukam, Matt Longacre, Dominique Easley, Justin Lawler, Trevon Young
Changes had to be made to this positional depth chart after seeing the way Trevon Young has played in preseason and the fact the Rams moved Dominique Easley to the edge. Originally it seemed like a foregone conclusion that former Redskins veteran OLB Junior Galette was Los Angeles bound. The Rams gave him their attention but in the end, the Rams decided to pass on the opportunity of signing Galette due to undisclosed reasons. It also is worth noting that the Rams are leaning towards having another roster spot with the lack of progress fifth-round pick Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is making in recovering from foot surgery. Okoronkwo is likely to spend the start of the season on the PUP list.
That would leave last year's seventh-round pick Ejuan Price, veteran Ryan Davis, UDFA's Brian Womac and Marcus Martin left to fight for a roster spot that may not exist at the moment. Aside from Davis, the rest of the mentioned names would be eligible for a practice squad spot on the Rams. Price has made some strides in year two but will it be enough with all of the new rookies coming in? That's the real question.
Starter: Samson Ebukam
Starter: Matt Longacre
Backup: Dominique Easley
Backup: Justin Lawler
3rd String: Trevon Young
Physically Unable To Perform List: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
CUT (4): Ryan Davis, Ejuan Price, Brian Womac, Marcus Martin
Injured Reserve: Morgan Fox (Torn ACL), Carlos Thompson (Knee), Garrett Sickels (Undisclosed)
Inside linebacker (6): Cory Littleton, Mark Barron, Ramik Wilson, Bryce Hager, Micah Kiser, Tegray Scales
Perhaps what everyone calls the weakest position group of the Rams roster. I don't agree, the Rams have a stud linebacker in Mark Barron, Cory Littleton who is an emerging talent in this league, Ramik Wilson, Bryce Hager who are solid veterans and two rookies that might be the future in fifth-round LB Micah Kiser and high priority UDFA Tegray Scales. The Rams drafted Travin Howard out of TCU but the former Horned Frog has been battling injuries this preseason and has failed to see the field because of it. With Wilson only on a one-year deal, he is a potential cut but Wilson has played far too much with the first-team while Barron was out to think he won't make the roster.
The long-term option for the Rams remains clear in the balance. They can extend Littleton if they do so desire, keep Barron throughout the entirety of his contract (which doesn't seem likely), groom any of the three rookies in Kiser, Scales and Howard to start or try their luck with Hager and Wilson who are still just entering their prime. The most likely option has to be the less expensive and more affordable option and that is grooming the three rookies. One would hope if Littleton turns out to be as much of a gem as we are all starting to think, the Rams would extend him long-term when the time came.
Starter: Cory Littleton
Starter: Mark Barron
Backup: Ramik Wilson
Backup: Bryce Hager
3rd String: Micah Kiser
3rd String: Tegray Scales
CUT (1): Travin Howard
Cornerback (5): Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Sam Shields, Troy Hill
There is so much talent on this roster to the point where players like Kevin Peterson (who is out for the year) might not have had the roster even if he stayed healthy. Dominique Hatfield is really breaking out in preseason year two but he's not a lock to make the roster by any stretch. Troy Hill finished last season in the playoffs as the best CB on the Rams but he has struggled in preseason. It's all going to be tough for the coaching staff to cut it down. Unfortunately, the Peterson injury made their decision a lot easier.
There are four locks on this roster, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Sam Shields. After that, it's between Troy Hill and Dominique Hatfield. Hatfield still has practice squad eligibility so you could fall back on the hope that he clears waivers and makes it back into your building but with Hill, if you cut him he's likely gone and you will not be able to see what he could have been after what was an extraordinary playoff performance. In the end, the Rams cut the guy they have the ability to bring back on the practice squad and that is Hatfield.
Starter: Aqib Talib
Starter: Marcus Peters
Nickel Starter: Nickell Robey-Coleman
Backup: Sam Shields
Backup: Troy Hill
CUT (3): Dominique Hatfield, Taurean Nixon, Curtis Mikell
Injured Reserve: Kevin Peterson (knee)
Safety (5): LaMarcus Joyner, John Johnson III, Marqui Christian, Blake Countess, Afolabi Laguda
The back end of the secondary is deep to the point where the Rams can't really afford to keep six safeties like they probably want to. Players like Steven Parker, Nate Holley and Ramon Richards offer too much upside and make the cutdown process difficult. Two of those three are likely to get brought back on the practice squad as all three UDFA's are eligible. Afolabi Laguda is the newbie on this list as he has had a huge preseason thus far. The big four of Joyner, Johnson III, Christian and Countess are locks but if there is a fifth spot that battle is going to be tough. Right now, it's between Holley and Laguda for my money. Laguda offers more as a complete safety but Holley has shown superb ability in coverage.
It's going to be tough and this could very well be the position that has a random cut no one sees coming like a Blake Countess since it seems to happen every year. If that's the case, the Rams are likely keeping Holley and Laguda. Both Holley's seem like prime candidates to join the practice squad and remain in the building. Steven Parker seems to be the one to keep an eye on as he's had the fewest amount of playing time and has quietly put on some good film. Parker could really help himself in week four of the preseason.
Starter: LaMarcus Joyner
Starter: John Johnson III
Backup: Marqui Christian
Backup: Blake Countess
3rd string: Afolabi Laguda
CUT (4): Nate Holley, Steven Parker, Ramon Richards, Isaiah Johnson
Special Teams (3): Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide
There is nothing else to say besides the fact this is a Pro Bowl trio of a unit that I don't foresee being separated for a long time. Sam Ficken will go off and do wonderful things, it just won't be with the Rams as long as Greg Zuerlein stays healthy.
Kicker: Greg Zuerlein
Punter: Johnny Hekker
Long Snapper: Jake McQuaide
CUT (1): Sam Ficken
FINAL 53-MAN ROSTER
QB: Jared Goff, Sean Mannion
RB: Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, John Kelly, Justin Davis
WR: Brandin Cooks, Mike Thomas
WR: Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds
SLOT: Cooper Kupp, Pharoh Cooper
TE: Tyler Higbee, Temarrick Hemingway
TE: Gerald Everett
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Rodger Saffold, Jamil Demby
C: John Sullivan, Brian Allen
RG: Joseph Noteboom, Austin Blythe
RT: Rob Havenstein
DE: Aaron Donald, Ethan Westbrooks
NT: Ndamukong Suh, Sebastian Joseph-Day
DE: Michael Brockers, John Franklin-Myers
OLB: Matt Longacre, Dominique Easley
ILB: Cory Littleton, Bryce Hager, Tegray Scales
ILB: Mark Barron, Ramik Wilson, Micah Kiser
OLB: Samson Ebukam, Justin Lawler, Trevon Young
CB: Marcus Peters, Sam Shields
CB: Aqib Talib, Troy Hill
NICKEL: Nickell Robey-Coleman
FS: LaMarcus Joyner, Marqui Christian
SS: John Johnson III, Blake Countess, Afolabi Laguda
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
PROJECTED PRACTICE SQUAD
QB Luis Perez
RB Nick Holley
WR KhaDarel Hodge
TE Johnny Mundt
OL Jake Eldrenkamp
DL Omarius Bryant
LB/S Travin Howard
OLB Ejuan Price
CB Dominique Hatfield
S Nate Holley
August 25, 2018 | By:Jake Ellenbogen
We have reeled in some observations and overall takeaways from Rams camp and preseason. Here is how I see the roster looking for the Rams at this point in time.
Quarterback (2): Jared Goff, Sean Mannion
There is still no doubt in my mind the Rams need a legitimate backup QB behind Jared Goff but Sean Mannion isn't going away until his contract is up after this season. The Rams are in a tight one here seeing as there is not much preseason left to get players acclimated to the current system and offense. Robert Griffin III and Teddy Bridgewater seem to be the most rumored options although Griffin III is really starting to develop a trade market that surprisingly is right up there with Bridgewater. The Rams will likely have to tough it out regardless of acquiring RG3 or Bridgewater before they can move on from the veteran Mannion.
Brandon Allen needs to really explode this week or next as far as I'm concerned. Allen put on solid at best tape against the Ravens third-string team but he really set himself back this past preseason game with the Raiders which included, throwing an interception and overthrowing WR Steven Mitchell, who was open in the back corner of the end zone.
As for Luis Perez, I would operate under the term of the Rams hiding him from teams and not letting him play to keep his overall buzz down enough to stash on the practice squad. Perez should be expected to compete in game four for sure but if he does
Starter: Jared Goff
Backup: Sean Mannion
CUT (2): Brandon Allen, Luis Perez
Running back (4): Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, John Kelly, Justin Davis
This is a fun RB room in the grand scheme of things. The Rams are looking at the best back in the league in Todd Gurley and a consistently solid backup in power back Malcolm Brown who they found as a UDFA in that same year the team acquired Gurley. After that they added another UDFA last year that ended up making the team in Justin Davis, another UDFA this year in Nick Holley who's twin is also on the roster and a sixth-round pick in John Kelly who already looks ready for the NFL.
Unfortunately, the Rams cannot keep them all so you the obvious one's are Gurley, Brown and newly-drafted Kelly. The questionable one is Davis. Davis was on last year's roster but does he survive another year on a more talented team that has some positions where they need extra depth? I do see Davis being too talented to store on their practice squad so I think albeit not being a true need, the Rams do indeed keep Davis again and roll with four backs on the roster. Holley could be a practice squad guy but he will need to see a lot more action to even come to the conclusion that he will be on the practice squad.
Starter: Todd Gurley
Backup: Malcolm Brown
3rd String: John Kelly
4th String: Justin Davis
CUT (1): Nick Holley
Wide receiver (6): Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Mike Thomas, Josh Reynolds, Pharoh Cooper
This wide receiver core looks impressive all around but is it staying as is? Originally, I felt like the rest of the guys that were undrafted were trying out for a spot on the practice squad but here's the thing. Josh Reynolds may not be as big of a lock to make the team for opening day if he continues to struggle and battle through injuries. He might as well be placed on the PUP list. However, the same can be said for Mike Thomas who has really impressed the coaching staff in practice but has done next to nothing in preseason. Cooks, Woods, Kupp and Cooper are the locks in this room but shockingly I believe that Thomas and Reynolds are closer to the edge than people think.
This year will be Reynolds' second year, so he could and should very well have a pass but Thomas is in year three and while he's an impressive gunner on special teams, the Rams need to see more from him as a receiver for the offense. Of course, I will stick with both of them making the roster but I may change my mind because KhaDarel Hodge is really stepping up in preseason and pretty much as limited of snaps as you can have. Hodge put himself in the public eye after his incredible diving grab near the sidelines against the Oakland Raiders. Steven Mitchell, the UDFA out of USC has looked crisp with his route-running but he hasn't been receiving the looks and it's hurt him. The other guys are likely not in the conversation besides 5-foot-7 return man JoJo Natson, who has looked very impressive in the return game and could be a practice squad stash after cut downs. Today's preseason game is going to tell us a lot about what the Rams think when it comes to the WR's. Right now it's Mike Thomas --- Josh Reynolds --- KhaDarel Hodge --- Steven Mitchell, that's the pecking order. Hodge is just chomping at the bit to break out this game and put himself in the driver's seat to acquiring a roster spot on a Super Bowl caliber team.
Starter: Brandin Cooks
Starter: Robert Woods
Slot Starter: Cooper Kupp
Backup: Mike Thomas
Backup: Josh Reynolds
Slot Backup: Pharoh Cooper
CUT (5): KhaDarel Hodge, Steven Mitchell, JoJo Natson, Fred Brown, Kendal Thompson
Tight End (3): Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Temarrick Hemingway
Lots of potential in this group but not a lot of proven talent. We have seen Tyler Higbee make some incredible plays and drop some big-time opportunities in the end zone. We have watched Gerald Everett have four consecutive games with a 40-plus yard catch and then we have seen Everett fall out of favor with the coaching staff and struggle to get on the field. We have seen Temarrick Hemingway fight poor coaching and a season-ending injury but we haven't really seen what he can do showcased in a game. We have seen Johnny Mundt look sharp as can be in the limited amount of snaps but Mundt's issue has always been injuries.
Do the Rams keep all four of the top Tight ends? I would absolutely have to say they want to, Higbee is the best TE on the roster right now, Everett has the most untapped potential, Hemingway has the best set of raw skills and Mundt is the youngest with a ton of room to grow. However, Mundt seems like the perfect player to sneak on the practice squad, he's eligible and would be on speed dial if an injury were to occur. The problem is the Rams basically have to choose between Mundt and Justin Davis. It makes more sense to keep Mundt for the simple fact the TE room is a lot less figured out than the RB room but Davis is likely the better player and because of that the Rams will likely keep Mundt in the building, just not on the 53-man roster.
After the big four it comes down to Henry Krieger-Coble and Codey McElroy. I think the Rams are going to keep McElroy in the building as a practice squad player but I don't see him or Krieger-Coble forcing the Rams hand to keep five TE's.
Starter: Tyler Higbee
Backup: Gerald Everett
3rd String: Temarrick Hemingway
CUT (3): Johnny Mundt, Henry Krieger-Coble, Codey McElroy
Offensive line (8): Andrew Whitworth, Rodger Saffold, John Sullivan, Joseph Noteboom, Rob Havenstein, Jamil Demby, Austin Blythe, Brian Allen
The Rams went out of their way in a draft where they lacked capital after trading away their first two round picks for receivers, to select the future of their offensive line. It's to be expected the Rams are thanking themselves that they did. It's not even the regular season yet and the Rams have already seen huge flashes of brilliance out of all three offensive linemen they drafted. Joseph Noteboom, the headliner of the draft has looked as immovable as one would want in protecting the QB, Jamil Demby has shown his ability to dominate at the point of attack in the run game not even including his versatility to practically played every position on the line and Brian Allen has also flashed his ability to really finish defenders off in the run game.
The other side of the coin is the fact the Rams do not have much after their starts and rookies although both Jake Eldrenkamp and Aaron Neary have flashed a bit as well. Darrell Williams and Cornelius Lucas were supposed to be the depth at offensive tackle the Rams needed but at this point, the team would be better off moving on from both of them and either claiming someone after cut downs or just waiting and drafting another tackle next year. Eldrenkamp and Neary could be kept but neither play tackle and so the Rams do not really need their depth on the interior line due to Sullivan, Blythe, Allen and Demby holding that down as well as Jamon Brown who will be back from suspension after week two.
Starting LT: Andrew Whitworth
Starting LG: Rodger Saffold
Starting C: John Sullivan
Interim Starting RG: Joseph Noteboom
Starting RT: Rob Havenstein
Backup G/T: Jamil Demby
Backup G/C: Austin Blythe
Backup C: Brian Allen
CUT (5): Darrell Williams, Jake Eldrenkamp, Jeremiah Kolone, Aaron Neary, Cornelius Lucas
Suspended List: Jamon Brown (2 games)
Defensive line (6): Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers, Ethan Westbrooks, Sebastian Joseph-Day, John Franklin-Myers
This group appears to be the most talented and the most set in stone. The starters are set in stone and then you have fourth-round diamond in the rough John Franklin-Myers and the Rams sixth-round selection Sebastian Joseph-Day who at this point look like locks to make the roster. That leaves one more spot which is going to go to Ethan Westbrooks who has been the most dominant defensive player outside of maybe Samson Ebukam on the Rams this preseason.
Omarius Bryant is really right on the bubble and if the Rams do decide to go with seven on the defensive line he would likely be the next-man up. It's worth noting the rest including Bryant have practice squad eligibility so the Rams shouldn't feel hand-cuffed in any situation with the back end of the defensive line roster depth. With Dominique Easley now switching over to the outside linebacker position the Rams can likely keep less in this group and still fall back on Easley's ability in the trenches as a crutch.
Starting DE: Aaron Donald
Starting NT: Ndamukong Suh
Starting DE: Michael Brockers
Backup DE: Ethan Westbrooks
Backup NT: Sebastian Joseph-Day
Backup DL: John Franklin-Myers
CUT (5): Omarius Bryant, Tanzel Smart, Chunky Clements, McKay Murphy, Lord Hyeamang
Outside linebacker (5): Samson Ebukam, Matt Longacre, Dominique Easley, Justin Lawler, Trevon Young
Changes had to be made to this positional depth chart after seeing the way Trevon Young has played in preseason and the fact the Rams moved Dominique Easley to the edge. Originally it seemed like a foregone conclusion that former Redskins veteran OLB Junior Galette was Los Angeles bound. The Rams gave him their attention but in the end, the Rams decided to pass on the opportunity of signing Galette due to undisclosed reasons. It also is worth noting that the Rams are leaning towards having another roster spot with the lack of progress fifth-round pick Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is making in recovering from foot surgery. Okoronkwo is likely to spend the start of the season on the PUP list.
That would leave last year's seventh-round pick Ejuan Price, veteran Ryan Davis, UDFA's Brian Womac and Marcus Martin left to fight for a roster spot that may not exist at the moment. Aside from Davis, the rest of the mentioned names would be eligible for a practice squad spot on the Rams. Price has made some strides in year two but will it be enough with all of the new rookies coming in? That's the real question.
Starter: Samson Ebukam
Starter: Matt Longacre
Backup: Dominique Easley
Backup: Justin Lawler
3rd String: Trevon Young
Physically Unable To Perform List: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
CUT (4): Ryan Davis, Ejuan Price, Brian Womac, Marcus Martin
Injured Reserve: Morgan Fox (Torn ACL), Carlos Thompson (Knee), Garrett Sickels (Undisclosed)
Inside linebacker (6): Cory Littleton, Mark Barron, Ramik Wilson, Bryce Hager, Micah Kiser, Tegray Scales
Perhaps what everyone calls the weakest position group of the Rams roster. I don't agree, the Rams have a stud linebacker in Mark Barron, Cory Littleton who is an emerging talent in this league, Ramik Wilson, Bryce Hager who are solid veterans and two rookies that might be the future in fifth-round LB Micah Kiser and high priority UDFA Tegray Scales. The Rams drafted Travin Howard out of TCU but the former Horned Frog has been battling injuries this preseason and has failed to see the field because of it. With Wilson only on a one-year deal, he is a potential cut but Wilson has played far too much with the first-team while Barron was out to think he won't make the roster.
The long-term option for the Rams remains clear in the balance. They can extend Littleton if they do so desire, keep Barron throughout the entirety of his contract (which doesn't seem likely), groom any of the three rookies in Kiser, Scales and Howard to start or try their luck with Hager and Wilson who are still just entering their prime. The most likely option has to be the less expensive and more affordable option and that is grooming the three rookies. One would hope if Littleton turns out to be as much of a gem as we are all starting to think, the Rams would extend him long-term when the time came.
Starter: Cory Littleton
Starter: Mark Barron
Backup: Ramik Wilson
Backup: Bryce Hager
3rd String: Micah Kiser
3rd String: Tegray Scales
CUT (1): Travin Howard
Cornerback (5): Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Sam Shields, Troy Hill
There is so much talent on this roster to the point where players like Kevin Peterson (who is out for the year) might not have had the roster even if he stayed healthy. Dominique Hatfield is really breaking out in preseason year two but he's not a lock to make the roster by any stretch. Troy Hill finished last season in the playoffs as the best CB on the Rams but he has struggled in preseason. It's all going to be tough for the coaching staff to cut it down. Unfortunately, the Peterson injury made their decision a lot easier.
There are four locks on this roster, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Sam Shields. After that, it's between Troy Hill and Dominique Hatfield. Hatfield still has practice squad eligibility so you could fall back on the hope that he clears waivers and makes it back into your building but with Hill, if you cut him he's likely gone and you will not be able to see what he could have been after what was an extraordinary playoff performance. In the end, the Rams cut the guy they have the ability to bring back on the practice squad and that is Hatfield.
Starter: Aqib Talib
Starter: Marcus Peters
Nickel Starter: Nickell Robey-Coleman
Backup: Sam Shields
Backup: Troy Hill
CUT (3): Dominique Hatfield, Taurean Nixon, Curtis Mikell
Injured Reserve: Kevin Peterson (knee)
Safety (5): LaMarcus Joyner, John Johnson III, Marqui Christian, Blake Countess, Afolabi Laguda
The back end of the secondary is deep to the point where the Rams can't really afford to keep six safeties like they probably want to. Players like Steven Parker, Nate Holley and Ramon Richards offer too much upside and make the cutdown process difficult. Two of those three are likely to get brought back on the practice squad as all three UDFA's are eligible. Afolabi Laguda is the newbie on this list as he has had a huge preseason thus far. The big four of Joyner, Johnson III, Christian and Countess are locks but if there is a fifth spot that battle is going to be tough. Right now, it's between Holley and Laguda for my money. Laguda offers more as a complete safety but Holley has shown superb ability in coverage.
It's going to be tough and this could very well be the position that has a random cut no one sees coming like a Blake Countess since it seems to happen every year. If that's the case, the Rams are likely keeping Holley and Laguda. Both Holley's seem like prime candidates to join the practice squad and remain in the building. Steven Parker seems to be the one to keep an eye on as he's had the fewest amount of playing time and has quietly put on some good film. Parker could really help himself in week four of the preseason.
Starter: LaMarcus Joyner
Starter: John Johnson III
Backup: Marqui Christian
Backup: Blake Countess
3rd string: Afolabi Laguda
CUT (4): Nate Holley, Steven Parker, Ramon Richards, Isaiah Johnson
Special Teams (3): Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide
There is nothing else to say besides the fact this is a Pro Bowl trio of a unit that I don't foresee being separated for a long time. Sam Ficken will go off and do wonderful things, it just won't be with the Rams as long as Greg Zuerlein stays healthy.
Kicker: Greg Zuerlein
Punter: Johnny Hekker
Long Snapper: Jake McQuaide
CUT (1): Sam Ficken
FINAL 53-MAN ROSTER
QB: Jared Goff, Sean Mannion
RB: Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, John Kelly, Justin Davis
WR: Brandin Cooks, Mike Thomas
WR: Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds
SLOT: Cooper Kupp, Pharoh Cooper
TE: Tyler Higbee, Temarrick Hemingway
TE: Gerald Everett
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Rodger Saffold, Jamil Demby
C: John Sullivan, Brian Allen
RG: Joseph Noteboom, Austin Blythe
RT: Rob Havenstein
DE: Aaron Donald, Ethan Westbrooks
NT: Ndamukong Suh, Sebastian Joseph-Day
DE: Michael Brockers, John Franklin-Myers
OLB: Matt Longacre, Dominique Easley
ILB: Cory Littleton, Bryce Hager, Tegray Scales
ILB: Mark Barron, Ramik Wilson, Micah Kiser
OLB: Samson Ebukam, Justin Lawler, Trevon Young
CB: Marcus Peters, Sam Shields
CB: Aqib Talib, Troy Hill
NICKEL: Nickell Robey-Coleman
FS: LaMarcus Joyner, Marqui Christian
SS: John Johnson III, Blake Countess, Afolabi Laguda
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
PROJECTED PRACTICE SQUAD
QB Luis Perez
RB Nick Holley
WR KhaDarel Hodge
TE Johnny Mundt
OL Jake Eldrenkamp
DL Omarius Bryant
LB/S Travin Howard
OLB Ejuan Price
CB Dominique Hatfield
S Nate Holley
Preseason Week 3 DTR LIVE Broadcast: Texans vs. Rams @ 1PM PT/4PM ET
- By JKBOGEN
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 8 Replies
Preseason Week 3 DTR LIVE Broadcast: Texans vs. Rams @ 1PM PT/4PM ET
August 25, 2018 | By:Jake Ellenbogen
Tune in for a complete live game podcast with Jake Ellenbogen. There will be a pregame, halftime and postgame show. Be sure to tune in @ 4PM EST/1PM PCT. Note: The live feed will play automatically at it's start. Visit downtownrams.com or https://www.downtownrams.com/single...TR-LIVE-Broadcast-Texans-vs-Rams-1PM-PT4PM-ET for the live feed.
August 25, 2018 | By:Jake Ellenbogen
Tune in for a complete live game podcast with Jake Ellenbogen. There will be a pregame, halftime and postgame show. Be sure to tune in @ 4PM EST/1PM PCT. Note: The live feed will play automatically at it's start. Visit downtownrams.com or https://www.downtownrams.com/single...TR-LIVE-Broadcast-Texans-vs-Rams-1PM-PT4PM-ET for the live feed.
Advice for Avoiding Injuries as an NFL QB
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 7 Replies
https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/08/24/n...uck-matthew-stafford-eli-manning-bruce-arians
‘Scrap the Superman Cape’: Advice for Avoiding Injuries as an NFL QB
By ANDY BENOIT
Illustration by Jeremy Enecio
In Week 6 last year, facing an early second-and-nine in Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers took a quick three-step drop and spied no open receiver, so, as he had many—so, so many—times before, he fled the pocket. Scrambling right, the Packers’ QB rescanned the field, threw to Martellus Bennett and was immediately driven into the ground by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. On impact, Rodgers’s right collarbone fractured, shattering with it Green Bay’s Super Bowl chances.
That injury—plus the shoulder problems that sidelined Andrew Luck for all of 2017 . . . plus the freak ACL tears that shelved young stars Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson . . . plus a long history of promising campaigns quashed by injuries to adventurous passers—provokes a complicated question: What goes into keeping an aggressive QB safe? The answer is, well, complicated.
Prime Time(ROD MOD): The answer is not complicated. It's simple. Don't play the Rams.
Sean McVay, head coach, Los Angeles Rams: If you know the play and its intent—if you understand and own the play’s mechanics—then you can solve the potential problems that can arise based on what a defense presents. You have a good chance of keeping yourself out of harm’s way.
T.J. Lang, guard, Detroit Lions: Linemen, we tend to be grumpy. When there’s a clean pocket and a QB breaks out just to try to get a couple extra seconds, we’re like, “Just stay in the pocket, man!” But you really only get upset when the play results in a sack.
Ken Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers: Outside the pocket, in space, with the speed of defenders out there—taking a hit is obviously something that puts you at risk of being injured.
Randy Fichtner, offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers: With a sack, we can figure out a way to overcome that. We can’t overcome a turnover. And we can’t overcome our quarterback getting hurt.
Hue Jackson, head coach, Cleveland Browns: Your starter, he’s like gold. You don’t want that guy touched. It changes the dynamic of everything for your team.
McVay: It’s having a good feel for how to manipulate the way a rush lane plays out. To extend plays, everybody automatically thinks of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. But Tom Brady’s as good as anyone because he knows how to slide within the pocket and buy time within the framework of the pass rush.
JC Tretter, center, Cleveland Browns: In Green Bay [where Tretter played from 2013 to ’16], as linemen we had an Aaron Rodgers Rule: hold your blocks forever. There will be times where it’s like, “Hey, this is a three-step drop-back [and the play is still going on]?” I just blocked for as long as I could. I never thought, “Well, the ball should be gone.”
There were times Aaron would come in the huddle and say, “Hey, right-side O-line: Make sure you get beat inside on this play—I’m rolling out right.” That was a unique way to start my career, the way he would backyard football it. You’re like, That’s not a great look for me. . . . Then he rolls out and hits a crosser in the middle of the field, wide open. It’s fun to play with him that way.
Bruce Arians, retired coach: A quarterback faces that moment of truth: Can I really make a play out of this? Uhhh, no—get rid of it! Either get out of bounds or throw it away. But don’t take a hit.
Fichtner: Get rid of the ball. I can’t remember the last time Ben Roethlisberger [left the pocket and] lost a single yard taking a sack. He’s gonna throw the ball away. That’s being aware.
Arians: Early on [when Arians was Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator] he was “Big Ben.” He had the Superman cape on, and he wasn’t ever going to throw it away. He’ll get rid of it quicker now because of his experience. It took a couple of ankle injuries for him to stop holding on to it so long. . . .
But there’s a fine line. You don’t ever want him to totally give up that Superman cape. That’s what makes him special. He was so different from Peyton Manning. Peyton had a clock in his head: 1, 2, 3—this ball’s going somewhere. He couldn’t run, so he knew he was going to throw. But Ben could knock guys down. He’d pump-fake them and make plays. Andrew Luck’s the same.
Andrew Luck, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts: I’d like to think I can continue to extend plays [coming off an 18‑month shoulder injury], but I think it’d be foolish of me to not adjust certain things about running.
Frank Reich, head coach, Indianapolis Colts: Luck can absolutely still extend plays. . . . He has elite athletic ability for the position, and his ability to extend within the pocket, that’s a big part of it.
Arians: Andrew threw an interception [in 2012, when Arians coached the Colts], and then he went down and laid out the guy who intercepted it. And I told him, “We never tackle with our [throwing] shoulder.” He said, “I throw the interception, I make the tackle.” And I said, “No, you don’t. Just get down. If you’re the last line of defense, grab him by the face mask. I don’t care.”
Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Detroit Lions: There’s a time and a place for extending plays. When there’s a guy [opening up] down the field and you have a chance to make a big play? Hold on to the ball a little bit longer. It’s all in the context of the game. I’m not perfect at it. I’ve had my fair share of dings.
Arians: Sometimes you use your bravado as a young player to win over your locker room, show them you’re tough. I think of Carson Wentz right away. Luck. You do some things in your first few years you probably wouldn’t do in your fourth and fifth, when you have the respect of your locker room and don’t have to prove to your teammates that you’re tough anymore.
Reich: I certainly saw that with Carson [in Philly, where Reich coached the offense the last two seasons]. Especially his rookie year. A lot of these quarterbacks came from college offenses where they were runners as well—all of that spread-option stuff. They’re fearless. You just can’t do that in this league.
Bill Lazor, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals: As much as people talk about ideas from college slipping into the pros, I think these hits on the quarterback create a ceiling in the NFL for some of the college schemes. There are a handful of quarterbacks who you don’t mind taking the hits. True runners. But for the majority of them, it’s not worth it.
Reich: You show your young QB the film; you show him guys doing it the right way. And then you show him what happens when you don’t do it the right way. You don’t want them to be scared, but players in this league are faster and stronger. Extend plays enough times, you’re going to get hurt.
They just have to buy into that. Carson, he didn’t buy into it right away. I am who I am. . . . I can’t promise you. That kind of stuff. But as time goes on, he realized he has a responsibility to the team. I think [Luck] understands that now.
Luck: It’s situational. It’s about understanding—and I do feel I’ve gotten better at this—that there’s a difference between middle of the first quarter, second-and-eight, and fourth quarter, third-and-five.
Lazor: When these situations come up early in the game you have to think to yourself: There are going to be 65, maybe 70 more plays in this game.
Stafford: It’s tough because at a certain point I want to prove myself to everybody in that locker room. I’ll sacrifice for anybody in there. I still do that crap all the time. The first game of last year, Arizona, third down, long run—I got friggin’ blasted. Coaches don’t want to see it that much, but the guys appreciate it. There’s a time and a place where you’ve got to do it.
Eli Manning, quarterback, New York Giants: There are a few times where it kind of pops in your head: Hey, maybe I can make this guy miss. In big games, you’ve got to make a guy miss, you’ve got to get first downs. But the hits aren’t worth it. So a lot of it is sliding as a runner.
Whisenhunt: It’s amazing, some of the guys who don’t know how to slide. You’d think I could just tell you, “Hey, slide,” and you’d be able to do it. But there have been guys we have had to work with on that.
Andy Dalton, quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals: My first slide ever was pretty bad—I got caught between diving and sliding. Now, for the most part, I just slide. It’s all about understanding when to slide. You don’t want to slide late. Look at my first slide ever, in a preseason game, and where I’m at now. It’s night and day.
Perhaps no active player has been at the center of these discussions more than Robert Griffin III, who stormed onto the scene as a dual-threat rookie for Washington in 2012 but who has played in only five games since ’15 due in part to injuries and his dependence on running.
The last time Griffin entered a season as a starter, for Jackson’s ’16 Browns, he fractured his shoulder on a hit against the Eagles in Week 1. On that play Griffin scrambled immediately upon hitting the top of his drop-back, before his receivers’ routes could unfold.
Jackson: You want a guy to understand: We’re really trying to get you to throw, as opposed to run. He’s a passer first. In that play [where Griffin was injured] we were losing; we were trying to make some plays downfield to come back. So you drop back and get a chance to escape—but you still must do everything you can to protect yourself.
Robert Griffin III, quarterback, Baltimore Ravens: If you’re surrounded by four or five guys, get down and protect yourself. But when you have a one-on-one, if you feel like you can make the guy miss, go ahead and try to make him miss. I’ve done it where I’ve tried to just run through everybody, and that didn’t work out. I’ve tried to just get down all the time, and that didn’t work out. . . . The play I got hurt on, in Philly, I was running out of bounds. So I don’t know what else I was supposed to do.
Fichtner: This is the thing that separates Ben [Roethlisberger]. I know guys who can extend plays. But Ben extends to throw the football. A lot of guys extend to potentially throw, but they aren’t capable of being accurate when that time comes.
Arians: The safest thing for a quarterback is knowing what the hell you’re doing.
A perfect illustration of this: Giants tight end Evan Engram’s 35-yard catch in Week 14 last season against Dallas. The Cowboys had called a disguised fire zone blitz on first-and-10 near midfield, an extremely uncommon tactic in that situation. Manning audibled Engram to a corner route.
Manning: We were supposed to get the running back to protect, but he didn’t go over there. We’d checked the play knowing they were going to come with that blitz. Earlier in my career I wouldn’t have seen the blitz, and I definitely wouldn’t have had the nerve to suggest to our coaches beforehand, “We should put this play in, I think it will work against this blitz.” I had a feeling Evan was going to be open. So I dropped back and threw it, and I kind of ducked a tackle [from the slot blitzer] so I didn’t take a hit in the face.
That sense for throwing and then contorting his body to better absorb a hit is a big reason the Giants’ quarterback has never missed a game due to injury.
Manning: You just throw it and kind of continue to turn, so the defender gets a hit on your backside rather than right in the face or the chest. You’re also falling away a little, so it’s not as big of a hit—you’re kind of going with the hit. That’s instinct. It’s not something I work on or practice.
Dalton: When someone is grabbing on to you, don’t just stand there, try to get down. If you feel like you can get out of it, try. My first preseason game, Ndamukong Suh knocked my helmet off, slammed me down to the ground, got a 15-yard penalty and got fined a lot of money—all that stuff. That was kind of like, O.K., I’ve got to find a way to not let this happen.
Whisenhunt: The No. 1 thing for a QB’s safety is protecting himself in the pocket.
Fichtner: One of the things you can do as a quarterback is manipulate guys downfield [with your body language and mechanics]. Move the pocket. Feel, step, slide, reset, get to the right spot in time and get the ball out.
Stafford: You try to find the safe spots. There should be a little dent in the pocket where you can hang out. The rest of it is very instinctual. You’ve got people at your feet. I feel like my feet come off the ground just as [I get hit]. I don’t practice that ever. It’s just instinct.
Whisenhunt: Two things you work on are stepping up in the pocket and making sure you have consistent depth in the pocket, so your O-line knows where you are. For instance, if [the line is] setting the pocket at 9 1/2 yards and the quarterback takes a seven-step drop and he’s at 11 yards, he’s going to get hit by the guy coming around the edge.
Stafford: Pocket movement is not learned off a piece of paper. It’s learned by doing drills and by playing in games. And everybody does it differently. Philip Rivers does it differently than Carson Wentz. Aaron Rodgers does it differently than Tom Brady.
Tretter: Aaron’s going to step up, step out and step back up in a way that makes the defensive end rush back inside. He allows you to pin the defensive end inside.
Jackson: It’s really all about the protection. You must make sure their best rusher doesn’t get to your guy. That’s the goal at the end of the day, that you’re able to stop the Von Millers or the Terrell Suggses of the world.
Lazor: The hardest thing to do in the NFL is to build a passing game. The thing that comes along the slowest is the pass protection. The flip side: That’s arguably the most important thing you do because it keeps your quarterback healthy.
Reich: This all starts with A-gaps [between the center and guard]. That’s the shortest route to the quarterback. You start there and work your way out. You don’t want anyone in the quarterback’s face.
Whisenhunt: The quarterback and center—those are the most important for the protection. That and everybody being on the same page. When you’re not on the same page and a defender comes free, that’s where the greatest risk of injury is.
Tretter: [In Green Bay] Aaron and I would meet at some point every week—maybe you grab the guy during breakfast or something—and make sure we’re on the same page on how we’re going to pick up every blitz. If we’re in, say, a five-man protection and the defense is bringing six, Aaron knows which defender we’re going to turn loose.
Whisenhunt: The second tier of quarterback safety is the receivers. Some teams try to protect everything, but others try to put it on the receiver and the quarterback to throw a hot route or sight adjust. A sight adjustment is essentially a hot route, but for outside receivers.
Stafford: The guys on the outside have to win their routes at the right depth and at the right timing—that’s what goes into a productive passing game: We’re getting the ball out, quarterback’s getting hit as little as possible, and we’re still able to push the ball down the field.
Reich: Especially early in the game, it’s very important to get the ball out quick. Let the defense know that it’s going to be a long day. Let them think: We can’t get to him; they’ve got all this quick rhythm-type stuff. They start to panic a little, get discouraged. They lose a bit of their edge.
The theories for how to keep quarterbacks safe are boundless. They also come with an uncomfortable understanding that these things are not entirely in the user’s hands. And it’s not so much about avoiding injuries all together as it is about avoiding certain types of injuries.
Manning: It’s survival, trying to understand that over 16 weeks, you’re going to take hits.
Whisenhunt: Hits to the knees and hits to the heads—you don’t have control over how that’s going to go.
Stafford: There’s a little luck in it all. I can play with a sprained ankle. But I can’t play with a separated shoulder.
‘Scrap the Superman Cape’: Advice for Avoiding Injuries as an NFL QB
By ANDY BENOIT
Illustration by Jeremy Enecio
In Week 6 last year, facing an early second-and-nine in Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers took a quick three-step drop and spied no open receiver, so, as he had many—so, so many—times before, he fled the pocket. Scrambling right, the Packers’ QB rescanned the field, threw to Martellus Bennett and was immediately driven into the ground by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. On impact, Rodgers’s right collarbone fractured, shattering with it Green Bay’s Super Bowl chances.
That injury—plus the shoulder problems that sidelined Andrew Luck for all of 2017 . . . plus the freak ACL tears that shelved young stars Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson . . . plus a long history of promising campaigns quashed by injuries to adventurous passers—provokes a complicated question: What goes into keeping an aggressive QB safe? The answer is, well, complicated.
Prime Time(ROD MOD): The answer is not complicated. It's simple. Don't play the Rams.
Sean McVay, head coach, Los Angeles Rams: If you know the play and its intent—if you understand and own the play’s mechanics—then you can solve the potential problems that can arise based on what a defense presents. You have a good chance of keeping yourself out of harm’s way.
T.J. Lang, guard, Detroit Lions: Linemen, we tend to be grumpy. When there’s a clean pocket and a QB breaks out just to try to get a couple extra seconds, we’re like, “Just stay in the pocket, man!” But you really only get upset when the play results in a sack.
Ken Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers: Outside the pocket, in space, with the speed of defenders out there—taking a hit is obviously something that puts you at risk of being injured.
Randy Fichtner, offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers: With a sack, we can figure out a way to overcome that. We can’t overcome a turnover. And we can’t overcome our quarterback getting hurt.
Hue Jackson, head coach, Cleveland Browns: Your starter, he’s like gold. You don’t want that guy touched. It changes the dynamic of everything for your team.
McVay: It’s having a good feel for how to manipulate the way a rush lane plays out. To extend plays, everybody automatically thinks of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. But Tom Brady’s as good as anyone because he knows how to slide within the pocket and buy time within the framework of the pass rush.
JC Tretter, center, Cleveland Browns: In Green Bay [where Tretter played from 2013 to ’16], as linemen we had an Aaron Rodgers Rule: hold your blocks forever. There will be times where it’s like, “Hey, this is a three-step drop-back [and the play is still going on]?” I just blocked for as long as I could. I never thought, “Well, the ball should be gone.”
There were times Aaron would come in the huddle and say, “Hey, right-side O-line: Make sure you get beat inside on this play—I’m rolling out right.” That was a unique way to start my career, the way he would backyard football it. You’re like, That’s not a great look for me. . . . Then he rolls out and hits a crosser in the middle of the field, wide open. It’s fun to play with him that way.
Bruce Arians, retired coach: A quarterback faces that moment of truth: Can I really make a play out of this? Uhhh, no—get rid of it! Either get out of bounds or throw it away. But don’t take a hit.
Fichtner: Get rid of the ball. I can’t remember the last time Ben Roethlisberger [left the pocket and] lost a single yard taking a sack. He’s gonna throw the ball away. That’s being aware.
Arians: Early on [when Arians was Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator] he was “Big Ben.” He had the Superman cape on, and he wasn’t ever going to throw it away. He’ll get rid of it quicker now because of his experience. It took a couple of ankle injuries for him to stop holding on to it so long. . . .
But there’s a fine line. You don’t ever want him to totally give up that Superman cape. That’s what makes him special. He was so different from Peyton Manning. Peyton had a clock in his head: 1, 2, 3—this ball’s going somewhere. He couldn’t run, so he knew he was going to throw. But Ben could knock guys down. He’d pump-fake them and make plays. Andrew Luck’s the same.
Andrew Luck, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts: I’d like to think I can continue to extend plays [coming off an 18‑month shoulder injury], but I think it’d be foolish of me to not adjust certain things about running.
Frank Reich, head coach, Indianapolis Colts: Luck can absolutely still extend plays. . . . He has elite athletic ability for the position, and his ability to extend within the pocket, that’s a big part of it.
Arians: Andrew threw an interception [in 2012, when Arians coached the Colts], and then he went down and laid out the guy who intercepted it. And I told him, “We never tackle with our [throwing] shoulder.” He said, “I throw the interception, I make the tackle.” And I said, “No, you don’t. Just get down. If you’re the last line of defense, grab him by the face mask. I don’t care.”
Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Detroit Lions: There’s a time and a place for extending plays. When there’s a guy [opening up] down the field and you have a chance to make a big play? Hold on to the ball a little bit longer. It’s all in the context of the game. I’m not perfect at it. I’ve had my fair share of dings.
Arians: Sometimes you use your bravado as a young player to win over your locker room, show them you’re tough. I think of Carson Wentz right away. Luck. You do some things in your first few years you probably wouldn’t do in your fourth and fifth, when you have the respect of your locker room and don’t have to prove to your teammates that you’re tough anymore.
Reich: I certainly saw that with Carson [in Philly, where Reich coached the offense the last two seasons]. Especially his rookie year. A lot of these quarterbacks came from college offenses where they were runners as well—all of that spread-option stuff. They’re fearless. You just can’t do that in this league.
Bill Lazor, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals: As much as people talk about ideas from college slipping into the pros, I think these hits on the quarterback create a ceiling in the NFL for some of the college schemes. There are a handful of quarterbacks who you don’t mind taking the hits. True runners. But for the majority of them, it’s not worth it.
Reich: You show your young QB the film; you show him guys doing it the right way. And then you show him what happens when you don’t do it the right way. You don’t want them to be scared, but players in this league are faster and stronger. Extend plays enough times, you’re going to get hurt.
They just have to buy into that. Carson, he didn’t buy into it right away. I am who I am. . . . I can’t promise you. That kind of stuff. But as time goes on, he realized he has a responsibility to the team. I think [Luck] understands that now.
Luck: It’s situational. It’s about understanding—and I do feel I’ve gotten better at this—that there’s a difference between middle of the first quarter, second-and-eight, and fourth quarter, third-and-five.
Lazor: When these situations come up early in the game you have to think to yourself: There are going to be 65, maybe 70 more plays in this game.
Stafford: It’s tough because at a certain point I want to prove myself to everybody in that locker room. I’ll sacrifice for anybody in there. I still do that crap all the time. The first game of last year, Arizona, third down, long run—I got friggin’ blasted. Coaches don’t want to see it that much, but the guys appreciate it. There’s a time and a place where you’ve got to do it.
Eli Manning, quarterback, New York Giants: There are a few times where it kind of pops in your head: Hey, maybe I can make this guy miss. In big games, you’ve got to make a guy miss, you’ve got to get first downs. But the hits aren’t worth it. So a lot of it is sliding as a runner.
Whisenhunt: It’s amazing, some of the guys who don’t know how to slide. You’d think I could just tell you, “Hey, slide,” and you’d be able to do it. But there have been guys we have had to work with on that.
Andy Dalton, quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals: My first slide ever was pretty bad—I got caught between diving and sliding. Now, for the most part, I just slide. It’s all about understanding when to slide. You don’t want to slide late. Look at my first slide ever, in a preseason game, and where I’m at now. It’s night and day.
Perhaps no active player has been at the center of these discussions more than Robert Griffin III, who stormed onto the scene as a dual-threat rookie for Washington in 2012 but who has played in only five games since ’15 due in part to injuries and his dependence on running.
The last time Griffin entered a season as a starter, for Jackson’s ’16 Browns, he fractured his shoulder on a hit against the Eagles in Week 1. On that play Griffin scrambled immediately upon hitting the top of his drop-back, before his receivers’ routes could unfold.
Jackson: You want a guy to understand: We’re really trying to get you to throw, as opposed to run. He’s a passer first. In that play [where Griffin was injured] we were losing; we were trying to make some plays downfield to come back. So you drop back and get a chance to escape—but you still must do everything you can to protect yourself.
Robert Griffin III, quarterback, Baltimore Ravens: If you’re surrounded by four or five guys, get down and protect yourself. But when you have a one-on-one, if you feel like you can make the guy miss, go ahead and try to make him miss. I’ve done it where I’ve tried to just run through everybody, and that didn’t work out. I’ve tried to just get down all the time, and that didn’t work out. . . . The play I got hurt on, in Philly, I was running out of bounds. So I don’t know what else I was supposed to do.
Fichtner: This is the thing that separates Ben [Roethlisberger]. I know guys who can extend plays. But Ben extends to throw the football. A lot of guys extend to potentially throw, but they aren’t capable of being accurate when that time comes.
Arians: The safest thing for a quarterback is knowing what the hell you’re doing.
A perfect illustration of this: Giants tight end Evan Engram’s 35-yard catch in Week 14 last season against Dallas. The Cowboys had called a disguised fire zone blitz on first-and-10 near midfield, an extremely uncommon tactic in that situation. Manning audibled Engram to a corner route.
Manning: We were supposed to get the running back to protect, but he didn’t go over there. We’d checked the play knowing they were going to come with that blitz. Earlier in my career I wouldn’t have seen the blitz, and I definitely wouldn’t have had the nerve to suggest to our coaches beforehand, “We should put this play in, I think it will work against this blitz.” I had a feeling Evan was going to be open. So I dropped back and threw it, and I kind of ducked a tackle [from the slot blitzer] so I didn’t take a hit in the face.
That sense for throwing and then contorting his body to better absorb a hit is a big reason the Giants’ quarterback has never missed a game due to injury.
Manning: You just throw it and kind of continue to turn, so the defender gets a hit on your backside rather than right in the face or the chest. You’re also falling away a little, so it’s not as big of a hit—you’re kind of going with the hit. That’s instinct. It’s not something I work on or practice.
Dalton: When someone is grabbing on to you, don’t just stand there, try to get down. If you feel like you can get out of it, try. My first preseason game, Ndamukong Suh knocked my helmet off, slammed me down to the ground, got a 15-yard penalty and got fined a lot of money—all that stuff. That was kind of like, O.K., I’ve got to find a way to not let this happen.
Whisenhunt: The No. 1 thing for a QB’s safety is protecting himself in the pocket.
Fichtner: One of the things you can do as a quarterback is manipulate guys downfield [with your body language and mechanics]. Move the pocket. Feel, step, slide, reset, get to the right spot in time and get the ball out.
Stafford: You try to find the safe spots. There should be a little dent in the pocket where you can hang out. The rest of it is very instinctual. You’ve got people at your feet. I feel like my feet come off the ground just as [I get hit]. I don’t practice that ever. It’s just instinct.
Whisenhunt: Two things you work on are stepping up in the pocket and making sure you have consistent depth in the pocket, so your O-line knows where you are. For instance, if [the line is] setting the pocket at 9 1/2 yards and the quarterback takes a seven-step drop and he’s at 11 yards, he’s going to get hit by the guy coming around the edge.
Stafford: Pocket movement is not learned off a piece of paper. It’s learned by doing drills and by playing in games. And everybody does it differently. Philip Rivers does it differently than Carson Wentz. Aaron Rodgers does it differently than Tom Brady.
Tretter: Aaron’s going to step up, step out and step back up in a way that makes the defensive end rush back inside. He allows you to pin the defensive end inside.
Jackson: It’s really all about the protection. You must make sure their best rusher doesn’t get to your guy. That’s the goal at the end of the day, that you’re able to stop the Von Millers or the Terrell Suggses of the world.
Lazor: The hardest thing to do in the NFL is to build a passing game. The thing that comes along the slowest is the pass protection. The flip side: That’s arguably the most important thing you do because it keeps your quarterback healthy.
Reich: This all starts with A-gaps [between the center and guard]. That’s the shortest route to the quarterback. You start there and work your way out. You don’t want anyone in the quarterback’s face.
Whisenhunt: The quarterback and center—those are the most important for the protection. That and everybody being on the same page. When you’re not on the same page and a defender comes free, that’s where the greatest risk of injury is.
Tretter: [In Green Bay] Aaron and I would meet at some point every week—maybe you grab the guy during breakfast or something—and make sure we’re on the same page on how we’re going to pick up every blitz. If we’re in, say, a five-man protection and the defense is bringing six, Aaron knows which defender we’re going to turn loose.
Whisenhunt: The second tier of quarterback safety is the receivers. Some teams try to protect everything, but others try to put it on the receiver and the quarterback to throw a hot route or sight adjust. A sight adjustment is essentially a hot route, but for outside receivers.
Stafford: The guys on the outside have to win their routes at the right depth and at the right timing—that’s what goes into a productive passing game: We’re getting the ball out, quarterback’s getting hit as little as possible, and we’re still able to push the ball down the field.
Reich: Especially early in the game, it’s very important to get the ball out quick. Let the defense know that it’s going to be a long day. Let them think: We can’t get to him; they’ve got all this quick rhythm-type stuff. They start to panic a little, get discouraged. They lose a bit of their edge.
The theories for how to keep quarterbacks safe are boundless. They also come with an uncomfortable understanding that these things are not entirely in the user’s hands. And it’s not so much about avoiding injuries all together as it is about avoiding certain types of injuries.
Manning: It’s survival, trying to understand that over 16 weeks, you’re going to take hits.
Whisenhunt: Hits to the knees and hits to the heads—you don’t have control over how that’s going to go.
Stafford: There’s a little luck in it all. I can play with a sprained ankle. But I can’t play with a separated shoulder.
Andrew Whitworth, the NFL's oldest lineman, and his workout extremes
- By Faceplant
- RAMS / NFL TALK
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- http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...-nfls-oldest-lineman-and-his-workout-extremes
Lindsey ThiryESPN
But there was Andrew Whitworth, the Rams’ behemoth left tackle -- not to mention the oldest offensive lineman in the league -- barreling toward the finish line to beat out his teammates in sprints.
“That’s kind of par for the course for him,” coach Sean McVay said after the practice. “That’s why he’s Old Faithful.”
Whitworth, who is 6-foot-7, 330 pounds and 36 years old, is entering his 13th NFL season and continues to set the bar as his teammates often look at him and wonder: How is he still doing it?
“I still love the game,” said Whitworth.
But there’s more to Whitworth’s longevity than a fondness for football. He’s a self-admitted glutton for punishment, enabling him to engage in a grueling offseason workout regimen that he credits, in part, for his ability to continue playing while other linemen his age have been forced out of the game.
“I’m a little messed up. I like to punish myself, that’s the bottom line,” Whitworth said. “Finding new ways to kind of put yourself through adversity and adapt to that and see how much farther you can go.”
This offseason, Whitworth’s workouts included “a smorgasbord of training,” he said. CrossFit, mixed martial arts, power lifting, interval training and running became routine.
“What intrigued me about [CrossFit] is that in doing MMA training and learning the kind of fitness level those guys are in, where it’s just kind of a fight-gone-bad kind of mentality, it’s just going to be horrifying and you’re just going to have to get through the workout,” Whitworth said. “That’s a lot of what CrossFit is. So it kind of intrigued me because I got into both of them, kind of feeling like how deep can you go in your mind to find what you can put into something.”
Kind of like last season, his first in Los Angeles.
After playing 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Whitworth opted to sign a three-year, $36 million contract with the Rams, a team coming off a four-win season that had just hired the youngest head coach in NFL history.
Whitworth, who is four years older than McVay, instantly became a cornerstone of the locker room, helping to reshape the team culture, and proving instrumental on the field as the Rams won their first division title since 2003 and made the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons. Whitworth anchored the only offensive line unit in the NFL to start the same five players for the first 15 games. They helped spring Todd Gurley to 1,305 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and allowed Jared Goff to pass for 3,308 yards and 28 touchdowns, while being sacked 25 times.
With Super Bowl expectations this season, much will again ride on Whitworth’s leadership, his ability to stay healthy and, perhaps most importantly, his ability to keep Goff upright.
It’s the opportunity for which Whitworth has been training.
About six years ago, Whitworth began studying the careers of older linemen. He found that as most aged, they became overweight and their bodies failed to move like they once did. Whitworth knew he would have to break the mold.
“[The workouts] really became about trying to lean myself out and not be a 350-pound lineman,” Whitworth said. “But figure out a way to play at 320, 310, and be as lean and have as much muscle as possible at the same time.”
Diet is part of it, Whitworth said, but he mostly credits the training.
“Every offseason I go into it and find something that reinvigorates me,” Whitworth said. “Like, it’d be fun to go hit bags this offseason, or it’d be fun to get into CrossFit, or [power] clean, or see where I can compete with some of those people in the CrossFit gym. Just finding ways to make it feel like year-round I’m in a sport.”
This summer, Whitworth enjoyed a family vacation in Colorado. It also provided him an opportunity for altitude training at about 8,000 feet. “I’m carrying stuff, pushing stuff up hills,” Whitworth said. “It’s quite intense.”
Lindsey Thiry
For all the pain he endures, he also mixes in some yoga, but not necessarily as a workout. “I call that more my therapy,” he said.
Defensive end Michael Brockers, 27, is one of Whitworth’s many admirers. He is trying to find the discipline to replicate Whitworth’s routine, knowing he too will soon be fighting the effects of age.
“I look at him and I’m like, ‘Bro, I don’t know how you get out here this early and just walk,’” Brockers said. “Like after a game, he’s out here walking, jogging the field and I’m like, ‘OK, how does he do that? And how do I find the legs to get that done?’ So I just look up to him.”
Other young linemen are watching, too.
Whitworth’s contract expires after the 2019 season, and it seems improbable he’ll continue, at least with the Rams, beyond age 38.
In April, the Rams drafted TCU tackle Joseph Noteboom in the third round. The expectation is that Noteboom, 23, will learn from Whitworth before taking over the position.
“When he talks I zone in and listen to everything he says,” Noteboom said. “I wouldn’t want to have it any other way than to have someone so successful at my exact position to watch and learn from, not only on the field but off the field.”
By no means does Whitworth feel like he did when he was younger. But he feels good enough to keep going.
As for winning the sprints at the start of training camp, Whitworth didn’t credit his training regimen or fitness. That, he said, was just effort.
“It’s something you don’t want to have to do,” Whitworth said. “You have to run because the defense beat us in a drill, but you know what? Use it as an opportunity to find a way to hit a new switch and push it as hard as you can if it’s in there.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano contributed to this report.