http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24455532/no-pressure-jared-goff-rams-ready-super-bowl-run

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  Dan GrazianoESPN Staff Writer

IRVINE, Calif. -- Jared Goff bites his nails, which is weird because that's a habit you normally associate with nervous people, and Goff doesn't otherwise strike you as a nervous person.

"I need to stop. It's gross," the Los Angeles Rams' 23-year-old quarterback said, inspecting the gnawed-down nubs of his fingertips between training camp practices here in late July. "It's terrible. I've never been able to stop. Because most times, I'm unconsciously doing it. I don't even know I'm doing it until I look down. And I know it's terrible. It hurts."
Not to minimize the issue of nail-biting, but if this is what qualifies as a major problem in Goff's world, he's come a long way in 12 months. This time last year, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL draft was coming off a frustrating rookie season, confronting an external perception that he might be a bust, and working with a new coaching staff that didn't initially know what to make of him.

"I would say that we had a lot of confidence in terms of what he could become, but we were really just getting familiar with each other," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "What you did really like about him was, when you look at his history, this is somebody that's overcome some adversity. And I never sensed that he was fazed by the way the rookie year went."

He was not, and the result of the Goff/McVay partnership was a stunning 2017 turnaround for both quarterback and franchise. The Rams went 11-5 last year, their first winning season since 2003, and won the NFC West. That may not have been possible if not for Goff's ability to shrug off negatives.

"He has a great ability," Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth said of his young quarterback, "to not let the past be his label."

Which was great last year, but this year is a different story. Now, for Goff, McVay and the Rams, the pressure is on. They're not sneaking up on anyone this time. They're the favorites to repeat as division champs and they're being hailed as a Super Bowl contender in what looks like a loaded NFC. The story of this year's Rams is no longer "When will they get it together?" It's now, "What can they do for an encore?"

"We can't rest on our laurels," Rams GM Les Snead said. "Even after successful seasons, there are going to be those moments where you're watching the film and throwing your remote. And you can't let the wins diminish those moments. You have to take a hard look at where we can improve."

Snead and the front office got after that in a big way, bringing in marquee defensive players such as Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh, trading for speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks and locking up star running back Todd Gurley on a lucrative four-year deal. At this writing, they still hadn't done the same for defensive superstar Aaron Donald, but they're working on that. Assuming Donald gets signed and in camp in time for the start of the season, the roster looks primed for big things.

McVay could relay as much pre-snap information as possible to him before reaching the 15-second mark on the play clock, which is the point where coach/QB headset communication is cut off. He thinks that got a bit too much attention.

"God forbid a guy in his first year in a new system, second year in the NFL, is getting a little information from the head coach. Not the end of the world," Goff said. "We're just doing things the way everyone else does, but the way [McVay] talks and the way he communicates is just so vivid and detailed, he really does give me a lot of information.

"As time goes on, I'll hopefully become more in control of that, and as more ownership comes. I expect some of that this season and as time goes on."

The Rams wouldn't have traded up to take Goff No. 1 in the draft -- ahead of Philadelphia wunderkind Carson Wentz -- if they didn't expect him to shoulder a great deal of responsibility. When they looked at him coming out of college, they saw a guy who'd performed well under pressure, in spite of some offensive line issues Cal was having while he was the Golden Bears' quarterback.

"The nuance of that was the little subtleties -- to be able to step here or there in the pocket, make a pass from unscheduled positions ... there was a deceptive mobility there," Snead recalled. "And also the ability to throw touchdown passes in the red zone. There's a lot of people in college football that may throw the touchdown pass outside the 20-yard line, deep balls and things like that. Those are low-percentage shots in the NFL. But to be able to go inside the 20, inside the 10, where things squinch up and the windows get tighter -- doing some analytics over the years, guys who were able to throw touchdowns in those tight windows in college translate."

Goff had 23 touchdowns and no picks in the red zone last season, compared to four TDs and one interception in the red zone in seven starts during his rookie year.

He is now poised to take on more responsibility. Yes, the Rams have done everything they could do to surround Goff with people who help get the best out of him. Veteran offensive linemen like Whitworth and center John Sullivan. Receivers like Cooks and 2017 breakout star Robert Woods. A true franchise running back in Gurley, who was drafted a year before. An extremely quarterback-friendly head coach in McVay.

But the development of the Rams' offense going forward will track the development of Goff himself. All of those other pieces are established in their roles. (Sure, McVay has only one year as a head coach, but his chops as a nimble offensive mind are well established.) If Goff plays exactly the same as he did last year, the Rams know what they can do with that. The goal is for him to continue to improve, develop and take on more responsibility, so that they can find out how high they can push the ceiling of what they can do.

"I think it's just going to be about that continued ownership," McVay said. "We always talk about the quarterback being an extension of our coaching staff, understanding the intent of every single play, being disciplined, being able to read with his feet. You look at the guys around the league that have consistently produced. They don't take sacks. They're finding completions, getting the ball out of their hands. Those are the things we expect him to continue to grow with."

Goff's in a place right now where he can breathe, and maybe not concern himself with 2017 perceptions that he was the wrong pick at No. 1 or whether he got enough development as a rookie. Now, he can get really specific on ways in which he's trying to get the ball out more quickly so that he can be an even bigger part of his own protection. He's drilling down on the specifics of his receivers' routes and the various concepts McVay's trying to articulate -- not just in the final pre-snap seconds, but all week in meetings.

"Just the little details of it that I maybe couldn't understand last year just because I wasn't as in-depth with it purely because of time -- not having enough time to learn it all," Goff said. "I think last year, I felt like I knew a lot. But looking back, you didn't know that much. And I think next year, I'll feel that way about this year, and on and on like that as you go."

Of course, if Goff's first couple of years in the league have taught him anything, it's to not look back. As the 2018 season dawns, Goff and the Rams are looking forward, and hoping things can continue to get brighter for all of them.

So I was with my family at this indoor fun center/jungle gym thing when my youngest goes into the Jurassic Park Arcade game. It's one of those big ones with a cover over the top, seats inside, and fake looking guns mounted on the console pointed at the screen.

My youngest is too young to play and too young to notice that he isn't really playing, so he's just smashing buttons and turning guns while the intro plays. About the third time it goes around I notice the text on the screen explain the situation:

Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom SPOILERS AHEAD

"An active volcano had threatened the dinosaurs! Save them before it's too late!"

Which is pretty much the first plot of Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom. They managed to throw on some other stuff because that one thing won't sustain an entire action movie, but still.

So this 15 year old video game is literally the same plot as a major movie, but no one noticed. WTF America?

Published: Aug. 23, 2018

With all 32 teams in the thick of the preseason, NFL.com's network of reporters collects the hottest news and notes from across the league, including:

But first, Steve Wyche spotlights the overlooked set-up man on one of the league's most star-studded teams ...

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers hasn't watched the tape. Not even any cut-ups. Last season's 26-13 Wild Card Round loss to visiting Atlanta is still bitter to Brockers.

The result, of course, is the worst part. But for him, that's not the hard part.

Brockers tore his MCL in the second quarter of what was then a tight game. The Falcons racked up 23 of their 39 total rushes after the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder went down, many times running toward the spot where Brockers previously had been handling his business.

Of Atlanta's 124 total rush yards, 71 came in the second half, when Brockers occupied the sideline, wounded.

"That's just one example of how valuable that guy is to us," defensive line coach Bill Johnson said of Brockers this week, ahead of Saturday's preseason game against Houston. "Just one of many."

In an offseason defined by star-studded defensive additions, resulting hype and the holdout of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Brockers has gone relatively unnoticed, which is kind of hard to understand -- but not every star in the sky shines equally bright.

Brockers, entering his seventh season, is one of three former first-round picks on the defensive line (along with Donald and Ndamukong Suh), and is coming off one of the most productive seasons in his NFL career.

Heading into 2018, Brockers, according to Johnson, is a vital cog in a rebuilt defense the Rams seriously upgraded this offseason, with hopes the unit can help lift L.A. to heights beyond last season's rare playoff berth.

"I've been under the radar my whole career," said Brockers, who is coming off a season that saw him post a career-high 55 tackles, including 4.5 sacks.

"I'm comfortable with how things are. I don't have any stresses, really. I don't have to live up to expectations. Nobody's booing you because you had 12 sacks the season before and just had 11.5 and that's a down year. I can fly around and have fun."

Added Johnson: "He doesn't have to prove anything to me or anyone here. He doesn't have to play backup to anybody. He's not flashy, but he is good."

In his second season as a defensive end in Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme, Brockers is pretty much the set-up man who allows others to thrive. He is mainly used as a 4-technique (head up on the offensive tackle) and sometimes a 5-technique (outside shade/shoulder of the offensive tackle).

He could move inside closer to the center in some packages, but -- for the most part -- Brockers occupies blockers so Suh, Donald (once he shows up) and others can make plays.

Designs are for Suh and Donald to be used in different roles along the line, while Brockers has more of a set position -- and Brockers loves that.

His ambition isn't to be in a system where he could get more sacks or direct the spotlight his way. His ambition, in his own way, is simply to rumble.

"I'm a smash-mouth guy," he said. "I grew up playing in the SEC, so I am used to dealing with double-teams and coming downhill.

I played nose tackle before, and that gave me a lot of opportunities to learn a lot of things that are helping now. Yeah, I set things up, but I've learned this system well enough to set up different things."

Brockers, according to Johnson, has worked this offseason and through training camp at being a better finisher when there are sack opportunities. He'd often put himself in position to make plays, but now he has emphasized closing on the quarterback and sealing the deal, Johnson said.

He's putting in the work to be better. This week, Brockers, well after nearly every other player had left the practice field, worked with two other defensive linemen on leverage and hand-placement drills. No coaches. No orders. Just want-to.

"Focus," Brockers said. "That's all it is. Focusing on the play call, the down and distance, analyzing everything quickly and staying focused. It's all just so fresh."

Fresh. It's a description Brockers used multiple times. Not just about his approach, but how fresh things feel with the Rams. That's a good thing.

When an organization is so used to losing -- Brockers didn't enjoy a winning season in his first five years -- and then suddenly blazes to a season of success, trying to recapture that mode is often the fly paper that disables progress.

Each year, some team -- like the 2017 Raiders -- believes the previous season's positivity is a tide you can continue to ride. Doesn't always work that way now, does it?

"We have bought into the system so much," Brockers said. "We focus on each week, not the next week. Not on [what players] we got. We focus, as a team and individually, on that week. ... Yes, we have tremendous talent.

We picked up a lot of great talent, and being in L.A., people are going to eat that up.

We can't. We have to do what we have to do and get the job done. We have a ton of talent, but if we don't execute, we can get beat."

As for that new defensive talent -- Suh and cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib -- Brockers addressed the biggest concern some NFL coaches, players and personnel people outside of the organization seem to have: that there are too many combustible personalities joining forces all at once.

"They've just been grinding," Brockers said of the new, high-profile additions.

"I haven't seen the character issues the media portrayed of these guys.

At the end of the day, from what I've seen, they have the same mindset as the rest of us. They want to win a championship and want to win it this year."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-is-rams-secret-star-rookie-quarterback-intel

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20..._medium=recirc&utm_campaign=rail-most-popular

4 Rams on roster bubble heading into preseason Week 3
By: Andrew Ortenberg

The preseason is beginning to wind to a close, and soon the Los Angeles Rams will have a series of tough calls to make. The roster will need to be trimmed nearly in half in order to get to 53 by cut-down day.

Here are four notable Rams who are in danger of not making the team if they don’t step it up over the next couple of weeks.

1. RB Justin Davis

Davis flashed in the first preseason game, but a hamstring injury has set him back. Rookie John Kelly’s strong preseason has likely pushed him into lock status, and Davis’ fate will likely be determined by how many running backs the Rams opt to keep. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Malcolm Brown seems to still be well ahead of Davis on the depth chart.

The extent of Davis’ injury is unknown, but getting back on the field soon will be vital to his roster chances. If he can get back in time to make an impression in at least one of the final two games, he should have a very good shot at making the team.

2. DT Dominique Easley

Just activated from the PUP list, Easley doesn’t have much time to make up lost ground. Easley missed all of 2017 with a torn ACL, and as such, he’s never played for Sean McVay. While Easley has been recovering, the defensive line has gotten significantly more talented around him. A former first-round pick, Easley has the talent to make an impact, but his roster spot isn’t guaranteed.

Easley is going to resume practicing this week, but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play in the remaining preseason games. At this point, it seems unlikely he suits up, and he’ll be one of the biggest names to look out for on roster cut-down day.

3. WR Mike Thomas

Thomas entered the offseason firmly on the roster bubble, but has been making a strong case so far. Despite poor quarterback play, he’s managed to look good in the preseason and the coaching staff is reportedly very high on him. As such, he’s probably put some distance between himself and the slew of other young receivers vying for the final roster spot and slots on the practice squad.

That’s assuming the Rams keep six receivers, as the five ahead of him seem to all be locks. Still, despite appearing to have the advantage, it wouldn’t be a total shock if Thomas is ultimately left on the outside looking in. The competition is so crowded between Thomas, Fred Brown, Steven Mitchell, KhaDarel Hodge, and JoJo Natson, and all of them have flashed at some point. Who gets the final spot will be one of the most interesting things to watch on September 1st.

4. Sean Mannion

It might be beating a dead horse at this point, but it’s worth pointing out that the Rams’ backup quarterback situation is far from settled. Once thought to be a lock to backup Jared Goff in 2018, Mannion is no longer certain to make the roster due to uninspiring preseason play.

Current third-stringer Brandon Allen put some heat to Mannion’s feet with a strong first game but regressed heavily last week. Mannion is probably still the favorite, but it won’t be at all surprising if Allen leapfrogs him, and the next two weeks will crucial in determining how it all works out.

Found it funny they mentioned McVay multiple times but didnt mention any of the other QB’s offensive coordinators. Even when giving Goff praise they find ways to slight him.



Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams | Red-Zone Grade: 76.4

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, stumbled out of the gates, earning an underwhelming 42.9 offense grade across 392 snaps as a rookie. He also earned the 29th-ranked red-zone offense grade (52.4) in his debut season. Goff’s stumble in both areas, of course, was corrected (with the help of NFL Coach of the Year Sean McVay) in Year 2 of his career.

Goff improved his offense grade by 32.7 points in 2018, going from his 42.9 offense grade in 2017 to 75.6 the following season, which ranked 15th among qualifying signal-callers. His dramatic improvement carried over to his red-zone performance, as well. He completed 53-of-92 attempts (57.6 percent) for 24 touchdowns and zero interceptions, meaning 85.7 percent of his touchdown passes were thrown in the red zone – the third-highest percentage among quarterbacks with at least 40 red-zone attempts last season.

With such a high percentage of Goff’s scores coming in the red zone, his success in 2018 will be much more dependent on his red-zone efficiency than other quarterbacks. With McVay pulling the strings, Goff’s floor production inside the 20-yard line is high, but it will take Goff nearing his ceiling in the area for the Rams to push past the first round of the playoffs.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...ocial&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=nfl

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/...super-bowl-contender-draft-trades-eagles-rams

The Three New Rules for Building a Super Bowl Contender
The story of the NFL is a story of winning teams that react to changes and losing teams that ignore them. Want to win it all? Find a rookie quarterback, pay up for free agents, and don’t be afraid to make trades.
By Kevin Clark

What’s valuable in the NFL? A great quarterback? Always—unless you’re the Eagles and can win with a backup. A great running back? Not usually—unless you’re the Rams and have Todd Gurley. A treasure chest of future second-round picks? Now you’re speaking Bill Belichick’s language. Welcome to Value Week, when we’ll be looking at what moves the needle for NFL teams—and what doesn’t.

1. Bargains Are Everywhere

In the years since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, the biggest change has been how many paths there now are to building a perfect team. The deal itself limited rookie salaries and led to, along with NFL revenue increases, a huge spike in the salary cap, which has risen at least $10 million in five consecutive offseasons.

In 2016, the Green Bay Packers made a playoff run with just two players drafted by other teams on their 53-man roster; it was an almost ridiculous extension of the “build through the draft” philosophy employed by many teams throughout the past two decades. The draft is still hugely important; in fact, hitting on your draft pick is now more important than ever because the player is cost-controlled more than ever before.

Carson Wentz will make about $5 million less in cap dollars than Matt Ryan did in his third season (2010), despite the fact the salary cap has risen nearly 50 percent since the beginning of the decade. But for the first time in the modern era, even the most conservative team builders are now so flush with cap space that they agree that free agency is a good way to spend some money.

“The draft has to be front and center of how you build a football team. [Rookies] are younger, they are less expensive than veteran players. That’s the way the CBA is set up. I didn’t set it up. That’s just the way it’s set up,” said Titans general manager Jon Robinson. “You try to maximize those players. Then you supplement with free agency.” Robinson added former Patriots Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis this offseason.

Two things are happening: The first is that there are mega-bargains in the draft, and the second is that the rising cap has made it so almost all middle-class free agents are bargains as well.

Look at the Eagles last year: Alshon Jeffery was an inspired one-year deal at less than $10 million. This season, Houston’s Tyrann Mathieu and Minnesota’s Sheldon Richardson, with cap hits of $7 million and $8 million, respectively, will probably both look like steals by Halloween.

You start contending by hitting on your draft picks; you win the Super Bowl by hitting on the free agents to help those picks out. Hell, the 49ers gave a fullback the biggest deal at that position in history, and that doesn’t even seem completely ridiculous! It’s a brave new world.

But what do you do when those rookies then need a new deal? You sign them to an extension as soon as possible and then watch the market rise. The Bengals have an elite player like Geno Atkins making less than $10 million against the cap this year.

The reason is simple, said Carolina general manager Marty Hurney: “It used to be you came in, [signed] a guy a year early, and saved money. There are no bargains when you come in a year early. What you get is the ability to negotiate that contract in the current market, not the market that’s going to be a year from now which will just increase.” Build accordingly.

You know what else can be a bargain? Seemingly huge quarterback salaries. Since the cap is rising, those deals, which typically feature a lot of sticker shock, end up bargains as soon as they are signed. “Look at Cam’s contract three years ago and where it stands now,” Hurney said.

Salaries rise so quickly that even mega-contracts will look cheap. In 2016, Cam Newton ($19.5 million) made within $5 million of the top-paid quarterback, Eli Manning. In 2018 he’s $16 million behind Jimmy Garoppolo. Drew Brees will make $10 million more than him in 2019. Brees will also make $12 million more than Aaron Rodgers in 2019.

“It’s just going to keep going up and up,” Hurney said.

Here’s the rule of thumb: The most recently paid quarterback is the richest, and the one who signed farthest in the past is the biggest bargain.

2. If You Can Go All in, You Should

This week, Over the Cap published a great study about how teams are currently built. Only three of the teams that are spending more than $50 million on their top three players made the playoffs last season. The six that didn’t were the Lions, Giants, Redskins, Broncos, Cardinals, and Chargers—none of which are considered Super Bowl contenders heading into this season. The ones that did make the playoffs—Minnesota, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh—all expect to be back this year.

However, the sweet spot seems to be paying a premium to your top 10 or 15 players. As the author of the Over the Cap piece, Jason Fitzgerald, points out, this can be partially explained by the fact good teams tend to hand out more extensions because … they’re good teams filled with good players who are worth extending.

But there’s also clearly some benefit to spreading the wealth, he wrote: “Of the 9 teams that value their top 10 at a minimum of $110 million, 7 made the playoffs last season. Those teams were (in order of salary), Vikings, Jaguars, Falcons, Steelers, Panthers, Eagles, and Rams. The only two to not make the playoffs were the Packers, who were impacted by the loss of Aaron Rodgers, and the Broncos.”

Stacking good contracts—mostly between about $9 million and, say, $15 million—is easy to do if a team wants to go all in. They can either: (1) simply spread the wealth around and make sure that no one outside the quarterback gets too much money, or (2) have a good quarterback on a rookie contract.

The latter, of course, is the ideal. The Eagles are not the Eagles if Wentz is making $25 million, as they likely wouldn’t have had the depth needed to win a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback. The Rams could not have assembled a defense that looks like it could start a Pro Bowl by itself if Jared Goff was making more than $8 million against the cap this year. However, a cheap-but-incompetent signal-caller doesn’t do much good.

Had Goff stayed at his 2016 level, which was among the worst rookie performances in history, it wouldn’t matter who the Rams added to the defense. Instead, Goff showed improvement and the entire organization knew to shift into win-now mode. Meanwhile, there are other teams who could, and probably should, be doing the same, but are definitely not.

Look at Dallas. Former Charger Nick Hardwick tweeted earlier this year: “As far as teams in the NFL with a strong QB on a rookie deal go, Cowboys have done the least to build a winner around him and are blowing a window of opportunity.” The windows close quickly. Some teams get this; others will regret they didn’t get it as soon as they sign their quarterback to a huge deal.

3. Trades Are Good

Now you have cost-controlled players everywhere. You have the ability to fit them all under the cap. And you have a draft setup where a few hits on cheap, elite players can change your entire outlook. What does that lead to? Picks-for-players trades!

This is the team-building trick that has picked up the most steam in the past two years, and this offseason was its official moment: Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Robert Quinn, and Michael Bennett all moved. Brandin Cooks can’t stop getting traded. Jimmy freaking Garoppolo was dealt for a second-round pick before last season’s trade deadline, and the 49ers easily gave him the biggest contract of all time.

We are two years removed from The Sporting News calling the Saints’ salary-cap management “irresponsible,” and it seems impossible a team could ever get in perennial cap trouble again like that. In fact, New Orleans was one of the best teams in the league last year! It’s hard to find something that can’t be fit within the salary cap in 2018—even for the Saints.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/08/21/n...eam-records-playoffs-super-bowl-liii-champion

2018 NFL Predictions: Team-by-Team Records, Playoffs and Super Bowl LIII Champion
By ANDY BENOIT

Getty Images

COMPLETE PROJECTED 2018 STANDINGS AND POSTSEASON

AFC EAST

Patriots: 12–4
Jets: 9–7
Dolphins: 7–9
Bills: 4–12

AFC NORTH

Steelers: 11–5
Ravens: 7–9
Browns: 4–12
Bengals: 4–12

AFC SOUTH

Jaguars: 10–6
Texans: 9–7
Titans: 8–8
Colts: 5–11

AFC WEST

Chargers: 10–6
Broncos: 8–8
Chiefs: 7–9
Raiders: 5–11

Wild Card

3. Chargers over 6. Jets
4. Jaguars over 5. Texans

Divisional Round

1. Patriots over 4. Jaguars
2. Steelers over 3. Chargers

Championship Game

2. Steelers over 1. Patriots

NFC EAST

Eagles: 11–5
Giants: 8–8
Cowboys: 8–8
Redskins: 5–11

NFC NORTH

Packers: 11–5
Vikings: 11–5
Lions:10–6
Bears: 7–9

NFC SOUTH

Falcons: 12–4
Saints: 11–5
Panthers: 7–9
Buccaneers: 5–11

NFC WEST

Rams: 10–6
49ers: 9–7
Seahawks: 7–9
Cardinals: 4–12

Wild Card

6. Saints over 3. Eagles
5. Vikings over 4. Rams

Divisional Round

1. Falcons over 6. Saints
5. Vikings over 2. Packers

Championship Game

1. Falcons over 5. Vikings

SUPER BOWL LIII
Feb. 3, 2019, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta

1. Falcons over 2. Steelers, 27–24
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• The NFC will be stronger at the top and deeper than the AFC. Take the Lions, my NFC No. 7 seed. In the AFC I’d have them as a No. 3 or a 4.

• All five first-round rookie QBs—Baker Mayfield (Browns), Sam Darnold (Jets), Josh Allen (Bills), Josh Rosen (Cardinals) and Lamar Jackson (Ravens)—will take over before the season ends.

Especially with the CBA limiting practice time, there just aren’t enough reps for young passers to develop from the bench. Through 2017, 24 of the last 27 first-round QBs became their team’s starter as a rookie. The trend will continue.

• One glaring weakness can keep an otherwise playoff-caliber team home in January. For the Cowboys, that will be receiver and tight end. For the Giants, depth on offense. For the Panthers, run blocking. The Niners? Their secondary.

• The L.A. teams are trendy Super Bowl picks, but they aren’t without flaws. The Rams’ lack of edge rushers and linebackers will hurt. The Chargers’ run defense is overly reliant on rookies.

• The hype around Deshaun Watson is justified, but expect some sophomore growing pains. Watson spent the offseason rehabbing his torn ACL and he doesn’t yet have a sense for what risks are worth taking. Texans fans should be much more excited about the future than the present.

• Run-pass options (RPOs) were the most-studied tactic by coaches this offseason, and they’ll surge in 2018. But the revolution is bigger than just RPOs. More and more, offenses are designing plays to manipulate unblocked defenders: jet sweeps, fake reverse action, misdirection screens and multi-option zone reads all accomplish this. The five teams that do that best: Eagles, Patriots, Chiefs, Saints and Rams. All except the Chiefs are Super Bowl contenders.

• ...And yet I’m picking the Falcons to be the first team to play (and win) a Super Bowl at home. Atlanta has a diverse, electrifying offense quarterbacked by 2016 MVP Matt Ryan. They also have a fast, unified defense built around guys in their prime.

In the AFC, the Patriots feel a touch weaker this year, so I’m giving that conference to the Steelers, who can win with a smashmouth ground game or a high-flying spread passing game. They, too, have a defense in its prime. But the Falcons are a more complete team. Atlanta finally gets its Lombardi Trophy.

"Inadvertent or incidental contact with the helmet and/or facemask is not a foul."

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Dan Hanzus: 11-5
Cynthia Frelund: 9-7
Daniel Jeremiah: 12-4
Maurice Jones-Drew: 13-3
Elliot Harrison: 12-4

http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/...e-rodgers-cromartie/t7h9dvchyq5x1wfki9kg8f7ph

Raiders sign 2-time Pro Bowl corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Thomas Lott



The Raiders have reportedly signed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

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Rodgers-Cromartie was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2008.

He has since played with the Broncos, Giants and Eagles.

At 32 years old, Rodgers-Cromartie is on the back end of his career, but he has also shown remarkable durability playing in at least 13 games in all 10 years of his career.

The Raiders have had to deal with some injury issues in their defensive backfield over the last couple of years as 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley played in just two games as a rookie.

Several other players dealt with injury issues in the secondary, as well.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...uillain-barre-syndrome-an-auto-immune-disease

Travis Frederick announces that he has Guillain Barre Syndrome, an auto-immune disease
By RJ Ochoa


Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

There’s been a lot going on with Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick and the status of his health.

The All-Pro was dealing with was thought of as a stinger during the team’s final days out in Oxnard, so much so that he went and sought an opinion from someone in Los Angeles. When the Cowboys returned home to Frisco he went and saw a specialist in the area, and while Jerry Jones has seemed confident that Frederick will play in Week 1, doubt has lingered.

Travis Frederick tweeted an update on his health status on Wednesday meeting. Read below.



Frederick tells us that he has been diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome, an auto-immune disease. He notes that while his doctors have said that it is “not possible to determine a time table for a return to the field right now” he is maintaining hope that he can be able to play “as soon as possible.”

Here is a description of the rare disorder:

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of its peripheral nervous system—the network of nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord. GBS can range from a very mild case with brief weakness to nearly devastating paralysis, leaving the person unable to breathe independently. Fortunately, most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases of GBS. After recovery, some people will continue to have some degree of weakness.

Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect anyone. It can strike at any age (although it is more frequent in adults and older people) and both sexes are equally prone to the disorder. GBS is estimated to affect about one person in 100,000 each year.

It looks like they're getting close to putting some of the roof on. They have Big Red in place, and the section pictured looks like it's going to be mobilized as well (notice the flat beds with the large wood beams sitting under the roof section). They have the counter-weight set up for the crane as well.

I know this probably doesn't excite others as much as it does me, but I think it's awesome to have the site cams like they have them.

And they have painted some of the columns.

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...under-rams-draft-picks-are-a-work-in-progress

A breakdown of the Los Angeles Rams 2018 draft class and its progress after three weeks of training camp:

Joseph Noteboom OL, third round: Noteboom was drafted to develop at left tackle. He’s doing that and is also a contender to fill in at guard this season. Sean McVay said he has performed well in run and pass protection. The Rams are high on his versatility.

Brian Allen, OL, fourth round: Allen was drafted to develop at center. He took some reps with starters during a veteran’s day off at training camp. Jared Goff said he did well, but was experiencing some rookie growing pains.

Rodgers on Packers: This is a partnership
• Don't count out Peterman in Bills' QB race
• Redskins WR threw no-hitter at LLWS
• Why Cowboys' pass-rush drill ignites camp
• Barber is Bucs' clear No. 1 RB for now

John Franklin-Myers, DE, fourth round: Franklin-Myers did not play in Week 1 of the preseason because of a sore shoulder, but McVay said he’s “shown up” throughout camp and has impressed coaches with his pass-rush ability.

Micah Kiser, LB, fifth round: Kiser led the Rams in tackles in Week 1 of the preseason. He’s shown good instincts, but it will be difficult for him to crack the rotation at linebacker.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, OLB, fifth round: Okoronkwo was expected to compete for a spot in the rotation, but underwent foot surgery in May and was placed on the PUP list at the outset of training camp.

John Kelly, RB, sixth round: Kelly was a standout player in Week 1 of the preseason, rushing for 77 yards in 13 carries -- including a 40 yarder. He was also a workhorse in Week 2. Kelly’s performances should earn him a roster spot.

Jamil Demby, OL, sixth round: Demby played in 66 percent of the snaps in the second preseason game against the Raiders. He has played tackle and guard throughout camp. McVay called him a raw player.

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Sebastian Joseph-Day, DL, sixth round: Joseph-Day’s most memorable performance was when he worked at nose tackle and stood up center John Sullivan, creating a short-lived standoff at training camp.

Trevon Young, OLB, sixth round: Young played in 40 percent of the snaps against the Raiders, but did not record a tackle. Young has not distinguished himself among during camp.

Travin Howard, LB, seventh round: Howard suffered an ankle injury at the beginning of training camp that has taken longer than anticipated to recover from, McVay said.

Justin Lawler, OLB, seventh round: Lawler was slowed at the start of training camp because of a leg issue but has been productive since his return and is in the rotation with starters. He forced a fumble against the Raiders.

Thanks to Den-the-coach, Merlin, and Ramhusker for submitting observations on the Raiders game.

We talk about the game obviously, look ahead with a brief preview to the Texans, and give you betters some lines to look at. Check it out.

Don't forget to hit us up on iTunes as well fellas/gals!

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As a non US Native, can the good folk on ROD tell me whether the Rams opening game against Oakland will be televised in the Santa Barbara area or will it be blacked out?

We find ourselves in Santa Barbara at the beginning of our US trip and want to make sure we can see the game. Being Monday night football, will it be on ESPN?

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/08/21/nfl-rams-texans-preseason-starters-sean-mcvay-week-3/

Looks like we're finally going to see the real Rams play. How much though?
From "ramswire"

Mod note: Link fixed

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-year-325-million-extension-rt-rob-havenstein

The Los Angeles Rams set out this offseason to improve their defense by find players better suited for Wade Phillips' scheme.

They succeeded in upgrading their secondary with trades for Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters and bolstered the defensive line by signing Ndamukong Suh to play alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers.

But after trading veteran Robert Quinn to the Miami Dolphins and letting Connor Barwin depart in free agency, the Rams are still searching for solutions at outside linebacker.

The position battle has become the most intriguing, and perhaps the most confusing, since training camp opened three weeks ago.

“It’s very interesting,” said Samson Ebukam, one of the many trying to hold down a spot. “You just got to be ready for whatever.”

The competition has featured a dizzying number of candidates -- Ebukam, Matt Longacre, Ryan Davis, Ejuan Price, Justin Lawler and John Franklin-Myers -- moving interchangeably between the strongside and weakside positions, with some also playing the inside linebacker spots.

And on Monday, a new name, but familiar face for some members of the coaching staff, was added to the mix: Junior Galette. The Rams brought in Galette for a workout and coach Sean McVay said pending a passed physical that there was a "good possibility" that they would sign him.

“You can’t find enough guys that can rush the passer, create that pressure and make the ball come out a little bit earlier than offenses would like to do with the time, the rhythm and the pass game,” McVay said. “There are some guys that are doing a good job, but I think it’s really important for us to kind of tailor in, find out who we think those guys are.”

After Quinn and Barwin’s departures, Longacre and Ebukam were penciled in as starters.

Ebukam, a second-year pro who stood out last season on special teams, has seemingly solidified a spot despite being the only projected starter to play on defense through the first two weeks of the preseason.

“I have something to prove to the coaches,” said Ebukam, who recorded two sacks in two starts in place of an injured Barwin in 2017.

“He’s such a young player that didn’t play really one of those roles last year that we felt like it was important for us to continue to evaluate specific to our outside linebacker position,” McVay said. “Then we wanted to continue to get him some experience where we felt like that experience for him is at a premium.”
Longacre said he’s maintained the mentality of an “undrafted guy,” which he was in 2015 out of Northwest Missouri State. But he proved himself as a playmaker last season with 5 ½ sacks during spot opportunities.

“I’m more focused on making the team,” Longacre said. “I know I keep saying that, but I’m never going to lose that edge.”

It’s best he doesn’t. Although McVay said the decision to bring in Gallete was “independent” of Longacre’s situation, it seems probable that it played a role.

Longacre underwent season-ending back surgery after a Week 15 victory in Seattle last season. His integration through training camp has been slow because of a strict rep-count, and when he was inserted into team drills, he suffered a biceps injury that slowed him for a few workouts.

On Saturday against the Texans, Longacre could see his first game-action since Dec. 17, 2017. “I’m looking forward to building off of what I started building last year,” Longacre said. “And kind of continue to grow.”

After Ebukam and Longacre, the situation becomes even murkier.

The Rams signed Davis, a seventh-year pro, two days before the start of training camp. Price spent last season on the practice squad. Franklin-Myers and Lawler are rookies.

At any given practice, one has been opposite of Ebukam, or tucked on the inside of the line. Each has made a case for a role.

Davis played four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before spending a season each with the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. He has 14 career sacks and four forced fumbles. Davis was bound for a workout with Detroit, he said, when he received a call from the Rams. Almost instantly he changed course, deciding he wanted to play for Phillips despite a requirement that it would include a switch from defensive end to outside linebacker.

“I played [defensive] end my whole career in the league and I didn’t have to drop and cover so much,” Davis said. “The transition has been good so far.”

Coaches have been impressed. “He’s really shown up,” McVay said.

Price, a seventh-round pick from Pittsburgh in 2017, has elevated his profile over the past week. He started opposite of Ebukam against the Raiders.

Franklin-Myers, a fourth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin, has been used as both an interior lineman and on the edge.
Lawler, a seventh-round pick from Southern Methodist University, flashed during the offseason program, and despite dealing with a sore hamstring during camp has seen plenty of time with the starters. In a preseason game against the Raiders, he recorded a sack-fumble.

“There’s a couple of guys that have some versatility,” McVay said.

Galette, 30, played five seasons in New Orleans before he was released and acquired by the Washington Redskins. He was sidelined in 2015 and 2016 after suffering back-to-back season-ending Achilles' injuries and played in a backup role last season. He has 34.5 career sacks.

There’s also Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. A standout at Oklahoma, the Rams placed the fifth-round pick on the physically-unable-to-perform list when camp started after he underwent foot surgery in May.

McVay said Okoronkwo’s recovery has taken longer than anticipated, but did not rule out the possibility that he could return in time to join the fold.

Oh yeah, I'm ready.

Contrary to my recent posts, I haven't jumped ship. I just have offered a plank to connect the two boats.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...erral&utm_campaign=programming-league#slide32

NFL Power Rankings: Rams Overtake Top Spot in B/R's Latest Expert Consensus
NFL STAFF/AUGUST 21, 2018


Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

1. Los Angeles Rams

1. 
   High: 1
   
   Low: 4
   
   Last Week: 2
   ------------------------------------------------
   We've now hit maximum hype.
   
   The Rams are the most talked about team in the league after following up last year's shocking run to the NFC West title with a spree of impact veteran acquisitions.
   
   Brandin Cooks. Marcus Peters. Aqib Talib. Ndamukong Suh. All were brought in to help the Rams take the next step and go to the Super Bowl for a fourth time and second in L.A.
   
   In an offseason filled with good news, the most recent may be the best of all.
   
   Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters (via the team's website) there's been progress over the last week toward getting something a contract done with Aaron Donald, therefore ending his holdout.
   
   "There's been—let's put it this way, there's increased dialogue," he said. "There's more—we feel positive about the direction that these things are going."
   
   Donald is the team's best player and an incredibly disruptive player. And while he missed the first week of the season in 2017 holding out, he went on to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
   
   If the situation plays out that way again, the Rams are going to be reallyhard to beat.
   
   

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/8/21/17762720/nfl-premium-position-slot-cornerback

Meet the NFL’s Next Premium Position: The Slot Cornerback
As offenses with more and more receivers roll out, the nickelback will continue to rise in value for defenses
By Danny Kelly

During most of the last decade, the NFL’s highest-paid players have typically belonged to one of five so-called premium position groups: quarterback, edge rusher, outside receiver, left tackle, and shutdown cornerback. Conspicuously, those five spots directly relate to the two foundational tenets of the modern pro game: passing the football and defending the pass.

As the NFL has become even more of a pass-happy league, though, a few previously subordinate position groups (or subgroups) have closed the gap on those “premium” spots. Top-tier right tackles, tasked with stopping a growing contingent of elite left-side pass rushers like Von Miller, are catching up with blind-side protectors in average annual earnings.

Offensive guards aren’t far behind—a corollary of the explosion of top-tier interior pass rushers. Pass-rushing defensive tackles like Ndamukong Suh have, in a few cases, even leap-frogged some of the highest-paid edge rushers in average yearly salary. And, as NFL offenses increasingly utilize college-style three- and four-receiver personnel groups and spread formations, slot receivers like Jarvis Landry (who recently signed a five-year, $75 million extension with the Browns) can demand contracts that approach those of the guys who play primarily on the outside.

In fact, the slot receiver designation is becoming less important, as many of the league’s top pass catchers now regularly line up on the inside, too. Keenan Allen ran routes from the slot on 49 percent of his snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus; Larry Fitzgerald, on 62 percent of his snaps; and Adam Thielen, on about 49 percent.

Tyreek Hill played in the slot on 35 percent of his snaps; Michael Thomas, 24 percent; and Julio Jones, 22 percent. But while the threat that pass catchers pose from an inside alignment has never been greater for NFL defenses, the slot cornerbacks assigned to match up with inside-aligned pass catchers have yet to see their contracts catch up to their brethren on the outside. That could be about to change.

There’s no officially recognized positional title—“middle-of-the-field second-level coverage defender” is probably a little too wordy—but with NFL passing games increasingly targeting defensive weaknesses in that area, defensive backs who play in the slot are poised to make up the NFL’s next premium position.

Up until the past few seasons, the term “nickelback” was most often used to describe a specialist or “sub-package” player—a backup third cornerback or safety who only came into the game on, say, third-and-long or other obvious passing situations—to match up with faster pass catchers downfield. Now, slot cornerbacks are no longer just a given team’s fifth-best defensive back—they’re a distinct and crucial position of their own. And the traits required to play that role are not the same as that of an outside corner.

“Your footwork, your hips, your change-of-direction speed: all that stuff needs to mesh to play inside because you have so much more area to cover,” said Matt Bowen, a former NFL safety who now writes for ESPN and coaches defensive backs at the high school level. “If you get beat on a crossing route in the NFL, you’re not going to catch up. You’re not. It’s not going to happen.”

Just ask new Texans slot corner Aaron Colvin, who got beat by Niners slot receiver Trent Taylor for a touchdown in last week’s preseason matchup. Often all it takes is one false step.



Whereas outside cornerbacks can utilize the sideline as leverage and squeeze opposing receivers into the boundary, slot corners and nickelbacks covering the middle of the field must rely on play recognition and elite quickness to stick with receivers. “Inside, they play two-way go,” said Bowen. “You have to play both an inside and outside release.”

Done right, it’s a thing of beauty. Here’s new Chiefs nickel corner Kendall Fuller breaking up a pass on Falcons rookie Calvin Ridley in preseason action last week; Fuller initially turns outside but when Ridley breaks to the inside on a slant, he’s flexible enough to flip his hips and explosive enough to close the gap and break up the pass.



In 2017, teams ran their offense out of three-plus-receiver sets on 63 percent of their snaps, per the Football Outsiders Almanac. That was up from 51 percent in 2010. Add in the invasion of hybrid-type tight ends and running backs capable of lining up anywhere in the formation as de-facto receivers, and defenses must account for more viable pass catchers downfield than ever before.

“We hear about ‘pro style,’” said Bowen. “Well, what is pro style anymore? Not the pro style I played against [before retiring after the 2006 season]. When I played, the backup tight end was the long-snapper. Now, the backup tight end is basically a big slot receiver.”

That shift on offense created a boom in the league-wide use of nickel and dime personnel. In 2017, teams ran with five-plus defensive backs on 65 percent of their snaps, up from 48 percent in 2010. On some teams, slot corners played even more than the top pass rushers.

Veteran nickel corner Patrick Robinson, for instance, logged 710 snaps last year for the Super Bowl champion Eagles, outpacing key rushers like Brandon Graham (663), Fletcher Cox (607), Vinny Curry (576), and Chris Long (496). Nickelbacks log fewer snaps than corners on the outside, but like many of the league’s top pass rushers, a rotational role doesn’t negate their on-field impact. Because in the modern game, slot corners increasingly face the brunt of NFL passing schemes.

“Look at Philadelphia’s offense last year, with both Carson Wentz or with Nick Foles; Andy Reid’s offense; Sean McVay’s offense; or Kyle Shanahan’s offense,” said Bowen. “There’s quick passing, there’s play-action, there’s run-pass options, and inside vertical throws. … [Defenders] who play inside the numbers, that’s where the ball’s going more. Those are the guys that are going to be around the football more.”

The numbers seem to back that up. With a surplus of slot receivers and hybrid pass catchers at their disposal, quarterbacks are targeting the middle of the field more—and with elevated efficiency. All but six quarterbacks threw a greater number of passes to the slot than out wide in 2017, noted Football Outsiders’ Scott Kacsmar. And “for the second year in a row, [FO] observed that the shorter, higher-percentage throws associated with the slot produced better DVOA than throwing to receivers lined up out wide.”

“DVOA on passes to slot receivers improved from 2.1 percent in 2016 to 4.6 percent in 2017,” writes Kacsmar, while “DVOA on passes to wide targets declined from negative-1.0 percent to negative-2.9 percent.”

The efficiency of slot routes helps illustrate the growing importance of inside coverage defenders. According to Football Outsiders, middle-of-field-breaking routes like digs, slants, posts, and seam routes all produced positive DVOA last year, while outside-dominant or out-breaking routes like fades, comebacks, outs, and curls all produced negative DVOA. The go route was the only predominantly outside route to produce a positive DVOA.

The explanation for these splits is pretty simple: The timing and precision, arm strength, and accuracy required to complete many of those outside-the-numbers throws is greater than most of the inside throws quarterbacks typically make.

“If you’re a quarterbacks coach,” asked Bowen, “would you want your quarterback to be on the far hash and to throw an out route? Or would you want him to throw a crossing route or a seam route right in front of him? You throw an out route that’s not on time, and it might be on the back shoulder against Jalen Ramsey, that’s going back for six. You gotta be careful with that stuff.”

Inside routes didn’t become more efficient overnight, though. Widen the scope to the past decade, and the splits between slot and outside throws look similar. As Pro Football Focus’s Eric Eager and George Chahrouri note, going back to 2007, throws to slot receivers have produced a higher EPA, or expected points added, than throws to outside receivers. In other words, they wrote, “Throwing to inside receivers is not only a better play, it’s a safer play for offenses.”

Of the 20 highest-paid cornerbacks in the league by average annual value, all but one—the Titans’ Logan Ryan—are predominantly outside corners (though the Chargers’ Casey Hayward signed his deal after playing in the slot in Green Bay, he has played all but 74 snaps on the outside for the Chargers the past two years in place of the injured Jason Verrett). Add in this year’s free-agency numbers, and it might seem like the NFL is completely unaware of the success quarterbacks are having passing the ball to receivers lined up in the slot.

Teams handed out big-money deals to outside corners: Trumaine Johnson got a five-year, $72.5 million deal from the Jets that averages $14.5 million a year. The Titans signed Malcolm Butler to a five-year, $61.3 million deal that averages $12.2 million a season. Kyle Fuller’s four-year, $56 million deal with the Bears averages $14 million a year, while Prince Amukamara’s three-year, $27 million deal with the team averages $9 million per year. Richard Sherman, 30 years old and coming off an Achilles rupture, got a deal worth up to $9 million per year.

Meanwhile, slot corners Aaron Colvin (four years, $34 million; $8.5 million per year), Nickell Robey-Coleman (three years, $15.6 million; $5.2 million per year), and Patrick Robinson (four-years, $20 million) each failed to garner the same kind of cash.

Part of the reason for the slot corner’s depressed value may be because there are very few superstars—or even truly complete players—playing the position. It’s just rare to find a player who checks all the requisite boxes. A nickel corner who can cover but is a liability as a tackler can be attacked by opposing offenses. “Inside the numbers, you’re going to have to make more open-field tackles,” said Bowen. “Not just contain a guy or force a guy to the edge … but to tackle in space, and [often], that’s against big-time running backs. There is an element of physicality there.”

And that’s not just against the run. “For [some] teams that play zone,” said Bowen, “if they throw the ball outside on a swing route to the running back, or they toss a bubble screen outside, that’s you; you’ve got to make the tackle in space.” If that slot corner is too easily blocked or unreliable as a tackler, offenses will target him.

Conversely, a nickelback who can play the run but can’t be trusted to cover everyone on the opposing offense is essentially just playing a linebacker role. NFL teams, in other words, need playmakers who can do it all. Guys like Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu, who was, at one time, the league’s most complete slot cornerback, capable of covering on the inside, blitzing, and defending the run.

Still, we could be on the cusp of a changing tide in favor of nickelback defenders. For one, Butler’s deal in Tennessee could give Ryan the chance to move back into the slot more frequently, where he’s at his best—and on a three-year deal that averages $10 million per year, a move inside would make him the highest-priced slot corner in the league. Past that, the criminally underpaid and underrated Chris Harris, whose contract is up at the end of the 2019 season, will be due for an extension as early as next fall.

Even more evident, the first round of this year’s draft could signal a change in the prestige of that position, as Minkah Fitzpatrick (11th overall), Derwin James (17th), Jaire Alexander (18th), and Mike Hughes (30th) all bring the potential to factor as nickelback defenders early in their careers.

Fitzpatrick in particular, has a chance to emerge as the new poster boy for the slot corner position in the league, a role left vacant since Mathieu went down with his second ACL tear in Week 15 of the 2015 season. The former Alabama defensive back (he played the STAR role in Nick Saban’s scheme, a combination of inside corner, safety, and linebacker) is the prototype of a modern defender: One who can line up on the inside, cover, tackle, and run step-for-step with any opposing pass catcher, whether that’s a slot receiver, tight end, or running back out of the backfield. Oh, and he can hit:



“His role now, if I were the coach in Miami, would be to just unleash chaos,” said Bowen. “Let’s move him all over the place. You got a tight end? I’ll take him out of the game. You got a running back who they can remove from the formation and run routes, like Christian McCaffrey? Well guess what? I’ve got a matchup for you now with Minkah Fitzpatrick.”

Fitzpatrick’s versatility should allow him to stay on the field in any situation. “The other thing is he tackles,” said Bowen. “You can drop him down into the box [on anything] from third-and-2 to third-and-6, and we’re comfortable with him there. You wanna run a toss scheme, or a stretch scheme with your running back, he can defeat a block and make a tackle so you can get off the field.”

Fitzpatrick still has much to prove, and there’s no doubt he’s going to get beat from time to time matched up with All-Pro players in the NFL. But the Dolphins’ rookie Swiss army knife has the skill set that every defensive coordinator is going to be looking for from here on out. As the lines continue to blur between the running back, receiver, and tight end positions, defensive coordinators are going to need players who can match up with any and all of them.

“The interesting thing to me, go back about seven or eight years, and the term ‘hybrid’ was a negative,” said Bowen. “You didn’t really have a position; Where are you going to draft him? Where are you going to play him?

“Now, you gotta have those guys.”

With all the Rams transactions taking place I am just wondering if anyone can tell me what kind (How long) of contract Sean McVay has. Whatever it is I hope the Rams can extend it assuring he will be the Rams Head Coach for a Very Long Time!

And it’s a pretty darned simple one, at that.

Pssssst... Come a little closer...

They identify the core players that they really like. Then they sign them to fair market prices (sometimes at market setting prices), preferably sooner than necessary. This applies to pending UFA’s and incoming FA’s alike.

The rest that fall outside their identified core players? They sign if affordable, but let walk if they feel the player is asking too much.

They now feel that they can afford to follow this strategy because of their newfound ability to evaluate talent since Snead and McVay have teamed up.

Demoff’s proven ability to shrewdly manage the cap makes this strategy doable, to be sure.

So simple to put in writing, and yet, so few teams can do it. Other teams seem to let the wrong players get away, sign the wrong players, pay too much for certain other players, let position groups become weak without being reinforced, and on and on...

Pretty simple to state, but it only becomes possible to execute with the likes of Demoff, Snead, and McVay.

I think that we are in for a nice long run of success with those 3 young cats doing their respective things. Lol.

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