I'm thinking the team brings in a veteran pass rusher to help our young olb depth. I think we need this to be complete .

Vets that that can contribute will be cut or maybe we can trade a late round pick ?

I'm right outside of buffalo so all I hear is criticism of Shaq Lawson . I think he would be perfect for this defense wade runs.

Any thoughts? Or are we ok with our guys ?

Ebukam seems like an lock to start and by the way he is a beast in the madden !

My wife has been trying to breed gargoyle geckos. She finally had an egg hatch. Blue is a rare color. This one is blue and yellow! It’s a sign I tell yah! The horns, the colors. The Rams are winning the Super Bowl this season!

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traded away coleman for a 2020 7th round pick. oh man they burn through 1st rounders at a rate of knots.

snead got a 6th rounder for grob. GROB, the worst tackle maybe ever.

.

https://www.therams.com/news/analysis-rams-release-first-unofficial-depth-chart

ANALYSIS: Rams Release First Unofficial Depth Chart

Los Angeles released its first unofficial depth chart of the preseason on Saturday.

While there aren’t too many surprises, here are a few highlights from the list. Remember, the depth chart is unofficial and is subject to change at any time.

• The offensive unit looks just about the same as it did on the final unofficial depth chart of 2017. The only change is Brandin Cooks now in as Los Angeles’ third wide receiver.

• The starters are listed in ’11’ personnel, which is what the Rams utilized 81 percent of the time in 2017. In this personnel grouping, there’s one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers.

• Despite his two-game suspension to open the year, Jamon Brown is still listed as the starter at right guard. Fellow offensive lineman Austin Blythe — widely thought of as the current leader in the clubhouse to replace Brown at the beginning of the season — is listed as the backup center.

• The rookie draft picks on the offensive line are all listed at third string — Joe Notebom at left tackle, Jamil Demby at left guard, and Brian Allen at center. Still, all three have been cross-training at other positions.

• Back after a season-ending knee injury, tight end Temarrick Hemingway is listed as the third-string tight end behind Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett.

• The defense looks significantly different to start the preseason with six new starters listed: nose tackle Ndamukong Suh, outside linebacker Matt Longacre, outside linebacker Samson Ebukam, inside linebacker Cory Littleton, cornerback Marcus Peters, and cornerback Aqib Talib.

• Though he’s currently on the “did not report” list, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is still listed among the starters. Ethan Westbrooks is listed as the second-string defensive tackle. He’s been taking many of the snaps in Donald’s stead during training camp.

• There are two rookies listed with the second-string defense: defensive end John Franklin-Myers and outside linebacker Justin Lawler. They’re behind Michael Brockers and Samson Ebukam, respectively.

• Mark Barron is also listed with the starters at inside linebacker. According to head coach Sean McVay, Barron has been taking the walk-thru snaps at ILB next to Littleton, the defensive signal-caller. Ramik Wilson, however, has been repping at inside linebacker during practice to keep the wear and tear off Barron.

• With the Rams listing their base defense — three down linemen, four linebackers, four members of the secondary — cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman is listed as a second-string cornerback with Sam Shields. Robey-Coleman, however, will likely start plenty of games to combat three wide-receiver sets.

• Like the offensive unit, there’s not much change to the specialists heading into the 2018 preseason. Kicker Greg Zuerlein is back to being listed as a starter after finishing the 2017 season on injured reserve. Kicker Sam Ficken is listed behind him.

• All-Pro Pharoh Cooper is also listed as the first-string kick and punt returner. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp is listed behind him at punt returner, while wide receiver Mike Thomas is listed behind him as kick returner.

You can view the full unofficial depth chart HERE.

This happened yesterday at the assembly I pastor. Every Sabbath we have assembly prayers where we as a congregation pray for any who are in need of Yahweh's help. Recently we have been praying for a young man who has been afflicted with severe migraine headaches which seemingly came out of nowhere.
His named is Micah Downey (not his real last name). We have been praying for his recovery and healing for several weeks now and yesterday I asked my assembly, "How is Micah Kiser doing? Has Yahweh healed him from his migraines yet?" Well everyone looked at me with a blank stare so I repeated my question, "Well come on now does anyone know how Micah Kiser is doing, you know, the young man with the severe headaches we've been praying for?"
Finally one brave soul spoke up and said, "I don't know anything about a Micah Kiser but Micah Downey's mother did tell me he is doing much better now."
Well at that point I realized what I had said so I blurted out, "Oh that's wonderful.....praise Yahweh!!!" and I quickly moved on to another prayer request.
I am kind of thankful that no one from my assembly came up to me and asked who in the world is Micah Kiser. It would have been a bit awkward to explain what I was thinking of while we were in a prayer session and all.

Of course on second thought I would have gladly of told them that once he gets on the field he is going to be dishing out the headaches and not be receiving them.
So go Rams!!!

~ArkyRamsFan~

Who is he?

guy threading needle and calling own plays and hooking up all over the place with different receivers.

So yeah. The critical people can calm down. Second year in system. Second year with receivers. Age 23. Facing an elite defense in practice.

All you Derek carr nut huggers can calm down. Goff will smoke this guy. May throw 40 TDs.

Just curious if anyone can give an update or opinion on how LB’s Micah Kiser (Personally, My Favorite Draft Pick who I was VERY surprised lasted until the 5th Round!) and Tegray Scales are looking/progressing in camp. Hopefully, Both these players will make the Final Cut and contribute soon to the Rams Defense and/or Special Teams!

Is it gonna be a star veteran that we’ve been hearing rave reviews about, such as:

Goff
Gurley
Cooks
Woods
Peters
Talib
Suh

Not me. Oh, I’ll be interested, but these are proven stars and they’ll only have cameo appearances, anyway.

Nope. It’s gonna be one of the new Ram draftees, FA’s, or even UDFA’s. There are so many, but if I had to pick just one?

I think it would be the John Franklin-Myers kid. I wanna see with my own eyes what everybody has been talking about.

A close second for me would be Joe Noteboom. Another player that has been impressing many observers.

A lot is riding on the success of both of those picks.

Obviously, there are many others, but these two are at the very top of my list.

How about you?

Rams punter Johnny Hekker is not pleased that he looks like Mose Schrute in Madden 19

This week, it's Rams punter Johnny Hekker who isn't happy with his representation.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/jhekker/status/1025197905659871232?s=21


Yeah, I'd say he's got a solid case for argument here. Punters are people too, and they deserve to not look like they spend their days chasing down cars at Schrute Farms.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the Madden review board will take this case and, ultimately, deliver justice for Johnny. Until then, he'll just have to accept his place as the Los Angeles Rams' wildly deranged cousin.

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-day-8-of-training-camp

10 Observations from Day 8 of Training Camp

1) Los Angeles began Saturday’s practice with special teams drills, particularly working on kickoffs and kick returns. While it’s hard to tell exactly how different the play will look watching from the sideline, it is noticeable when the kickoff team doesn’t move until the ball is hit off the tee. And for the return team, having only three players back — usually two to block, one to return — is unfamiliar as well.

2) The Rams’ offense began practice working on misdirection plays. There was play action, jet sweeps, reverses — anything you can probably think of, the offense was likely running it. The plays weren’t done against air, as offensive players were lined up on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

3) During individual drills, Los Angeles’ offensive linemen and tight ends were partnered upworking one-on-one for certain techniques. Run game coordinator/offensive line coach Aaron Kromer would work down the line to indicate each duo should act as if the ball was just snapped to run a certain play/blocking technique. It was an efficient way of making sure each lineman received significant practice reps.

4) Also during individual drills, at one point head coach Sean McVay went up to wide receiver Robert Woods to demonstrate a top on technique for exactly how he wanted a route to be run. That’s not uncommon for McVay, who also spends plenty of time covering routes during individual drills in practice. He also is a former collegiate wide receiver.

5) As you may or may not have heard, quarterback Jared Goff had one of his best practices in a Rams uniform on Saturday. The third-year signal-caller began to shine during one-on-one drills with wide receivers and cornerbacks. He connected with Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Woods on three consecutive passes against Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman, and Aqib Talib, respectively. On the second go-round of reps, Cooks used his considerable speed to get off the line and past Peters — who is not easy to shake at all.

6) At the start of 11-on-11 drills, Los Angeles turned up the music on the field in order to mimic crowd noise. The first-team defense was first up against the scout-team offense. With strong fan support anticipated at the Coliseum in 2018, the Rams’ defense will likely often have to communicate through a lot of noise to be successful. That’s a good problem to have.

7) The music stayed fairly loud for the offense’s first turn in 11-on-11, where Goff continued to spin it quite well. He began the period with two strong passes to Cooks — the first an anticipation throw on a skinny post in a tight window. Goff then connected with Woods with a laser on 3rd-and-long, putting it over the second-level defenders and right into the wideout’s hands. And he finished the drive with a long pass down the left sideline to Kupp for what would’ve been a touchdown. That throw was particularly impressive, going right into the bread basket.

8) As a subsequent 11-on-11 period began, Goff repeatedly pointed to the sky to indicate he wanted the music to be louder before he entered the huddle. It became hard for even reporters to speak to one another on the sidelines. But Goff wanted the challenge and delivered more strong throws, connecting with Woods, Gurley, and Kupp for touchdown passes. The offense was using a silent snap count as well.

9) Goff began a two-minute drill with a pair of passes to Woods, easily moving into opponent territory. The quarterback would connect with Woods on the right sideline two more times, before delivering a strike in stride to Kupp on a crossing route. The accurate ball placement allowed the Eastern Washington product to run into the end zone for six.

10A) Los Angeles practiced two end-of-game scenarios toward the end of practice. On offense, the objective was to gain a first down in order to salt the clock an ostensibly win the game. The unit was able to do so with two Gurley runs, and then a bootleg pass from Goff to tight end Johnny Mundt for a first down.

The defense had to prevent a two-minute drill from ending up in the end zone. Coordinator Wade Phillips’ side of the ball was able to do so when safety Blake Countess intercepted a Sean Mansion pass in the back of the end zone on 4th-and-goal from the 10.

10B) The Rams ended Saturday’s session with a compete period, with the first-team offense and first-team defense going in 11-on-11. Though the offense had a pair of negative plays to start, Goff sidestepped the rush collapsing the pocket to fire off a pass to Cooks as he was going into the end zone for a touchdown. It was a fitting end to a fine passing day for Goff.

Sorry for the late report ...............

Warm day like usual .... 85 degrees with a slight breeze

Players not dressed: Lamarcus Joyner, Travin Howard (LB), Gerald Everett (no on field that I could see)

Difficult day to follow & evaluate the 11-on-11 scrimmaging. Many players were being moved in and out of each group of 1's & 2's, offense & defense. For example, on the first play of 11-on-11, Johnny Mundt lined up as FB with the second team offense, then lined up as an inline TE on the next play, then he was off the field with 3 or 4 other offensive players.

Practice started on the near field for me with Punt return. There would be 2 up field players (blockers) in line (horizontally).... then when the ball is in the air the larger blocker moves laterially to line himself up with the punt returner in a vertical line upfield along with the smaller blocker doing same falling into the space equal distant between the 2 players. They are all in alignment verically as the returner catches the ball and starts upfield. The blockers then break off from the alignment to make their blocks. The returners were P. Cooper, MIke Thomas, Steven Mitchell, and Jojo Natson. Jojo would remind you of Tavon Austin ; small with quickness.

In other individual drill, the TE's worked on blocking with the O-line, then broke off to take passes versus air. The took turns in sequence that I thought to be their spot on the depth chart ; HIgbee first, Hemingway second, Mundt third, Kreiger-Koble fourth, and Cody McElroy last. Should be noted that After Hemingway, Mundt seems to have run the best routes and have the best hands of all the other TE's. He looks natural as opposed to McElroy, who is more long legged and seems to Lumber around.

In WR vs CB drills, Cooper Kupp beat Robey-Coleman 3 straight times for completions. Coleman looked frustrated after the third one. Reynolds schooled Sam Shields with a stop and pivot move . Shields was riding him with his body to the outside when Reynolds stopped on a dime, came up out of his crouch and cut inside while Shields kept moving to the outside. It was an OH WOW moment. Mike Thomas was looking smooth running his routes and catching the ball. He is looking more consistent then he has in the past.
Woods and Cooks were their usual..... unstoppable against the DB's

After individual drills, the Offense worked on Reverses. The WR would come around the back side of the QB to receive the toss. Then they worked some Dbl reverse with the RB receiving a toss and then tossing it to the WR coming the opposite way. They ran one of these in 11-on-11 with Woods being faked the toss, then play action with Woods then catching a wheel route for a TD from 20 yards out.

During 11-on-11's, for many plays, the second team offense had Noteboom (LOT), Demby (LG) and Brian Allen at Center. They seemed to hold their own when Brockers and Suh were on the field. Mannion made a couple of nice completions. He hit Reynolds on an 18 yard crossing pattern against the first team D.

Interesting note regarding 2nd team Defense ; on many plays, they had T. Young, DT Smart and DT Day with J. Lawler all down with their hands in the dirt and all within the OT's. They had 2 LB's with 5 DB's. It must have an experiment with a 4-2-5 (Nickel)
On some plays, MIcah Kiser and Tegray Scales were playing MLB with the second team.

ON a play in 11-11, MIcah Kiser blitzed and blew up John Kelly trying to protect. The collision knocked Kelly's helmet off. That was the play of the day for me.

After seeing 2 practices, the one thing that jumps out at me is how the first team Receivers are catching passes at a very high percentage rate. In individual and 7-on-7 drills, the CB's can't cover the Rams receivers. I don't know what to think about that at this point.

Can anyone please confirm for me if Marcus Peters is on a 1 or 2 year contract with the Rams! I thought he was on a 1 year contract but I am pretty sure I read somewhere recently that he actually has 2 years left on his contract. Also, Any thoughts on if the Rams will be able to sign him to an extension (I am guessing that will be very difficult due to the Aaron Donald situation as well as some other players coming up for Free Agency in the near future)? I think Marcus Peters is going to be an Awesome addition to the Rams Defense and I would be thrilled to see him be a Ram for a long time BUT I guess there is only so much money to pass around!

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24258167/the-la-rams-jared-goff-gets-hollywood-close-up

Hang Time: Jared Goff goes Hollywood (literally)

This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Aug 20 College Football 2018 Issue. Subscribe today!

IT'S 8 A.M. ON a Saturday in July, and already my weather app is screaming at me to stop what I'm doing right the hell now: "Los Angeles. 95 F." A heat wave is about to suffocate the city, setting all-time highs, and yet I plan to spend the next two hours hiking with a Golden Pyrenees, Quincy, and his owner, Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the first pick of the 2016 NFL draft, who is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign that saw him lead the NFL's highest-scoring team to its first playoff birth since 2004.

Goff, 23, doesn't do stuff like this -- and by "this" I mean interviews, hikes and LA touristy things. Today, though, the low-key but unerringly polite star, who was famously busted on Hard Knocks for not knowing in which direction the sun sets, will attempt all three at the same time. Our destination: the iconic Hollywood sign and the summit of Mount Lee just above it. It's a 3-mile round trip from way down where we are at the southwestern edge of Griffith Park -- plenty of time for a long and sweltering chat.

ESPN: I get to hold Quincy's leash in case we see any pretty ladies who want to talk to Quincy, and by extension, me.
GOFF: Sure, take it. He can be your dog today.

How did you train him?
I sent him away to get trained by a guy named Wolfgang. He's straight from Germany, and he talks and looks exactly like you'd think a Wolfgang would.

[Laughing hard] A German trainer named Wolfgang? So L.A. of you.
I know. I'm slowly transitioning.

We're both NorCal natives. Let's gauge your LA transition: Cocktails or craft beers?
Beers.

High heels or flip-flops?
Flip-flops. I don't mind heels, though.

Kobe or Curry?
Curry! Come on, that's my favorite team.

You're definitely more NorCal.
Yeah. I grew up a Giants fan, hating the Dodgers. I grew up a Niners fan. There's an in-state rivalry with the Lakers, so I try to keep my support for the Warriors low-key.
(Quincy stops dead in his tracks. I pull on his leash to no avail.)

Come on, bud.
Is he taking a dump?
(Yes, smack-dab in the middle of the trail. It's roughly the size of my head -- true story.)

Whoa, that's a pretty sizable dump.
Yeah, that's a few-dayer.

Look, I may be holding the leash, but you're cleaning that up.
I don't have a bag.

[Shouting to crew members] Anyone have a bag?
You want to pick it up and throw it off the cliff?

Gee, that sounds great, but no.
I actually have to clean that up.

How about we use your shirt? You're in shape; you can go shirtless.
Not happening.

Well, I'm not going shirtless.
The McDonald's bag!
(A crew member has conjured a bag, a souvenir from breakfast. Goff addresses the mess, and we continue our death march.)

If you could take an Uber Pool with any female celebrity, who would you pick?
Jennifer Aniston. She's an all-timer. I'd probably freeze up and just let her talk the whole time.

Who's the coolest celebrity you've met here?
Probably Taylor Swift. I got hooked up backstage at her Rose Bowl concert. I was with my sister, mom and grandma. I'm a big fan.

Your sister sold you out recently: You like cheesy pop music?
She's not wrong. Every once in a while, you gotta put on some Katy Perry or Taylor Swift.
(Something like 30 hours passes.)

Oh, man. Long way to go.
We're not even close. Are you going to make it?

In my defense, I just got back from a Cabo trip, and you know what happens in Cabo. I suspect you're in better shape than I am.
Yeah, hopefully I'm in better shape than a guy coming off a Cabo bender. [Laughs] But I'm thinking twice about this now. Are we even halfway there?
(It's now 100 degrees.)

I need a break. You're killing me, bro.
Almost there.

Actually, hey, I gotta tie my shoes.
(This is a lie. My laces are perfectly tied, so I pivot away from Goff to untie and retie them.)
Almost there. Whenever you're ready.

Yep, just one second.
You all right?
(Seventy months later, we summit the mountain.)

Thank goodness!
We made it! Oh, wow. This is very cool.
(To our north is Burbank's Walt Disney Studios, marked by a giant Sorcerer's Apprentice hat. To the south: glorious LA, with downtown's high-rises to our left and the Pacific to our right. The Hollywood sign is roughly a football field away below us, just beyond a chain-link fence.)

Would you like to own this city, like Kobe did?
The goal is to win games. You win a title, stuff like that will come. I actually met Kobe at the Taylor Swift concert, just briefly. He's one of the best ever when it comes to that killer instinct. I'm not quite Mamba yet, but I'm on my way and I'd love to sit down and talk to him.

This might be LeBron's city for now. You cool with that?
All my friends are like, "Hey, you need to welcome him to the city." And I'm like, "I think he's OK." [Laughs] He's the best player ever, in my opinion.

I got a little surprise for you.
What's that?

Do you trust me?
Sure. Where we going?

You just said you trust me.
Oh, come on.

Do you have trust issues, Goff?
[Laughs] Let's go.
(I lead him to the fence, where a park official unlocks a gate and lets us pass. As we scramble down a short but steep decline, I slip and cut up my hands. But moments later ... the Hollywood sign!)
Oh, this is awesome. Can I touch it?

Of course.
Can we climb the letters?

Um, no.
Come on. It'd be a dope picture.

Let's just sit here for a bit as I bleed from my hands.
Oh, man, you did take a tumble there. And hey, look at my hands -- they look great. OK, I'm done kicking your ass today.
(We plop down on some weeds, the "LL" of the sign to our backs.)

So do you feel like an Angeleno now?
I'm at the Hollywood sign with my dog -- yeah, I'm very, very LA now. [Laughs]Going on my third year, I feel much more at home. As you grow more comfortable with an area, you grow more comfortable on the field.

Now you're a sexy Super Bowl pick. What are your own expectations for this team?
We had a good year, but it's just the beginning. We've got a good core group of guys, and the additions we made this offseason have helped a lot. Personally, having Brandin [Cooks] around has been incredible -- great player, person and teammate, works as hard as anybody and really sets the bar in that receiver room. He, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are absolute dogs -- no other three I'd rather have in the league. And the additions on defense with Marcus [Peters], Aqib [Talib] and Ndamukong [Suh] have been incredible.

Talib, Peters and Suh are perceived as having proverbial baggage. Any concerns?
You read those stories and you have a preconceived notion. Everyone thinks Marcus is some sort of bad guy and bad teammate, but any time I talk to him, I'm like, "This dude's awesome." I think Aqib's been so much more of a veteran and mature leader than people may think. I know they have their pasts, but all three have been nothing but great so far.

The Rams gave up picks to get stars. Do you feel that win-now mentality?
I read that all the time: "They're going all-in now." Do you ever go into a season like, "Yeah, we're not really trying to win it this year"? We're trying to win it this year.

Speaking of stars, there was a report that Odell Beckham Jr. wants to be a Ram.
Was there? I must have missed that. [Smiles] Yeah, it was exciting for a minute. Odell obviously would have been incredible, but I think he's happy as a Giant, and we're happy to have Brandin.

Is it on you to text Odell and be like, "This is Jared. Hi. How are you? Come play with us"?
Uh, hopefully it has more coolness to it. [Laughs] Honestly, after the season we had last year, everyone I meet around the league wants to play here. You can't beat this weather and the stuff we got going on. And having a guy like Sean McVay leading the charge is very attractive to people.

And to think, just a couple of seasons ago they were calling you a bust. What's clicked for you two?
I'm very comfortable with Sean and everything we do offensively now, and I'm starting to take ownership of that. I can go into his office anytime and have a good back-and-forth. I was only in my second year last year, and he was more than willing to listen to my ideas. What makes him so special is his ability to adapt to his players, and we've got some good players.

Who deserves credit for the audibles you've been barking at the line, like "Tupac"?
"Tupac," "Ric Flair," "Elvis," "Obama" -- a lot of them come from Sean. He's a young guy with a very creative mind, and he comes up with names that make sense to us. You hear "Ric Flair," and the way he explains the meaning, you'll never forget it. Being in LA you like to have some fun with it.

If you have a say, what will this year's audibles be?
Ooh. Well, "LeBron" is going to be an audible. I'll try to mix in a "Curry" or "Draymond," "Taylor Swift," "Adam Sandler" or "Happy Gilmore" -- that's a good one. We'll get "Sam" in there. That means let the clock run out.

What does the future look like for Jared Goff in this city?
I love it here. I want to win championships, leave a legacy and, ultimately, be a great teammate, quarterback, player and friend. A long-term goal is being in the Hall of Fame, but winning a Super Bowl is No. 1, and I don't want to wait to win it. That's really the only thing I think about.

A location-appropriate question: any acting in your future?
I've done a few cameos that you may see soon. I'll be in "Ballers." Everything is shot down here, so it was like, "Hey, come down for an hour and shoot it." Being in this city long enough, you may see me on screen a few times.

Could you see yourself raising a family in LA someday?
I need a girlfriend first.

It's tough to meet girls out here.
It's not tough to meet them.

Sure, says the quarterback.
No, I mean, you can meet a bunch of girls out here. It's tough to keep them.

If you figure it out, let me know. What do you think Quincy is thinking right now?
It's 110 degrees up here. He's over it.

Ditto. You're a large man. You're cool with carrying me down, right?
I got you.

Seriously.
No.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...boast-nfls-best-secondaries-heading-into-2018

Jaguars, Vikings boast NFL's best secondaries heading into 2018
After an offseason full of trades, free-agent relocations and retirement announcements, key pieces left Seattle's "Legion of Boom" and Denver's "No Fly Zone." The Legion of Boom's Richard Sherman now resides in San Francisco, Kam Chancellor believes he's played his final game and Earl Thomas is holding out. Meanwhile, the Broncos' No Fly Zone is now without Aqib Talib, who reunited with Wade Phillips in Los Angeles.

Long story short, the honor of the league's top secondary is up for grabs heading into 2018. So, which team boasts the best defensive backfield?

* * * * *

Reggie Bush: Jaguars' secondary will flourish again behind Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye

I have to go with the team that has the best cornerback tandem in the league. Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye allowed the lowest passer rating when targeted in 2017 of any duo in the league, and it feels like both guys will only get better. This secondary also reaps the benefits of playing behind a monster defensive line that features Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue and Malik Jackson. The pressure applied up front allows the DBs to jump routes and stay aggressive.

* * * * *

David Carr: Ravens' secondary deserves more burn, but Vikings' group rules the roost

It's real close between the Ravens and Vikings. Baltimore's Eric Weddle is one of the top safeties in the game, while veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith was in the midst of a career year before getting hurt in the second half of last season. If Smith can return to that level in Year 8, the Ravens should keep most passing attacks in check.

But ... I have to go with Minnesota. Xavier Rhodes can shut down an entire side of the field by himself, and Harrison Smith is so versatile that, as a quarterback, you can't anticipate what Mike Zimmer's defense is going to do because Smith can do it all.

* * * * *

Brian Baldinger: Jacksonville's group is just so well-rounded -- and deep

The Jaguars have great depth on the third level of the defense, with Ramsey and Bouye at cornerback and Tashaun Gipson and Barry Church at safety. Gipson is a smart, durable, pure free safety, while Church is a physical presence inside. I really like rookie safety Ronnie Harrison out of Alabama, as well. He's a big hitter and has a real chance to see time on the field. Doug Marrone could also find a solid nickel corner in free-agent acquisition D.J. Hayden.

* * * * *

Shaun O'Hara: Behind stout defensive line, Vikings' DBs will be game-wreckers

Mike Zimmer has the NFL's best defense right now. Harrison Smith is the top safety in the league, in my opinion. Xavier Rhodes shuts down top wideouts by making physical plays. Trae Waynes needs to display more consistency, but the 2015 first-rounder has steadily improved. Mackensie Alexander is embracing his role as the team's nickel corner, while first-round draft pick Mike Hughes and veteran Terence Newman add serious depth to this unit. The Vikings' defensive line is athletic and applies a ton of pressure. Plus, that SKOL crowd is a huge benefit.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-training-camp-20180803-story.html

In last year of first contract, Rams' backup quarterback Sean Mannion again figures to get limited playing time

During an NFL career that is moving into its fourth season, Rams quarterback Sean Mannion has received limited opportunities to produce on-the-field highlights.

He backed up Nick Foles and Case Keenum as a rookie in St. Louis in 2015. He sat behind Keenum and No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff when the Rams returned to Los Angeles a year later.

Last season, he was No. 2 behind Goff, a role he is on track to reprise in the final year of his contract.

Mannion, though, recently celebrated a personal highlight. After being excused from training camp for a few days, he was with his wife as she delivered a baby girl.

“There’s nothing like it,” he said of becoming a parent. “Getting to hold your daughter for the first time is just the most amazing thing.”

Mannion, 26, is preparing for what is expected to be another busy preseason.

Goff, coming off a stellar second season, is on track to start Thursday’s preseason opener at Baltimore, but his snaps will be meticulously monitored and limited. They might increase in games against Oakland and Houston, but he and other starters almost certainly will sit out the final preseason game at New Orleans.

That means Mannion once again will have the chance to show coach Sean McVay — and 31 other NFL teams — that he is a viable option.

Mannion, a third-round draft pick in 2015, has a salary-cap number of just over $1 million, according to overthecap.com.

Uncertainty about his future does not create added pressure, he said. Just as rookies use the preseason to impress coaches and build a resume with their play, so do veterans chasing a second contract.

“First year or last year,” he said, “you have to play well to stay around.”

Mannion, 6 feet, 6 inches and 223 pounds, has played in seven regular-season games. He has completed 31 of 50 passes for 235 yards, with one interception.

During preseason games last season, he completed 49 of 76 passes for 490 yards and two touchdowns.

As Goff and other starters sat out the regular-season finale to avoid injury before the playoffs, Mannion started against the San Francisco 49ers. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 169 yards in a 34-13 defeat at the Coliseum.

Goff has noted during training camp that there is comfort in playing in McVay's offense for a second year. Mannion agreed, emphasizing that there are no “mental gymnastics” to navigate, and that he can play and react to situations as they arise.

“You just feel like you’re hitting the ground running,” he said. “Knowing that you know every aspect of [the offense], it just lets you play with so much confidence.”

Third-year pro Brandon Allen and rookie free agent Luis Perez are other quarterbacks in camp.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...unleash-even-more-of-mcvays-offensive-system/

2018 NFL Training Camps: Rams ready to unleash even more of McVay's offensive system
In his second season as head coach, Sean McVay will be adding to the offensive playbook

IRVINE, Calif. –- The Los Angeles Rams led the NFL in scoring in Sean McVay's first year as coach in 2017.

And they barely scratched the surface of what the offense will look like going forward. In 2017, the Rams were learning about each other, coaches trying to figure what could work.

Now they know more about each other, so McVay, the offensive wunderkind, is ready to unleash even more of his offensive system.

That might not be good news for NFL defenses. How much more is being put in?

"A lot more," Rams quarterback Jared Goff said. "We've just evolved. We know teams have some tape on us an have an idea what we like to do. There is stuff we've done to evolve, creatively, that Sean's put in to get better."

McVay, who is already one of the league's best play callers, said the changes and bigger playbook are the result of the comfort he now has with the players.

"I can't put a percentage on it (how much more)," McVay said "I will just say it's evolved a little bit. Going back to last year at this time, we were figuring out what we wanted and how we wanted to operate. We had to find out what personnel groupings were going to be our mains ones. Now we have a little familiarity with our players. We have a better direction on how we want to operate."

In his second season, Goff threw for 3,804 yards, 28 touchdown passes and seven picks as the Rams won the NFC West. After a rookie season that had many questioning him as a franchise passer, it was a nice turnaround.

Expect even bigger numbers from Goff this time around as McVay unleashes more of his playbook.

Still no Donald
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who was the 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, remains a holdout from training camp as he seeks a new contract.

Donald is looking to get quarterback-type money, which the Rams have no plans to do. The Rams will make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league, but for now there is no movement.

A year ago, Donald missed camp and reported back for Week One of the season, although he didn't play until Week Two. The Rams expect a similar type situation if he doesn't agree to a new deal.

Donald is in the final year of his contract and scheduled to make $6.9 million this season. That's way under his market value, but a contract offer of $20 million should get him into camp – and that's a number the Rams could be willing to pay.

If Donald isn't signed by August 7, he loses a year in his quest to become an unrestricted free agent, but that is kind of moot since the Rams can use the franchise tag anyway.

All the talk about Donald sitting out until he gets a new deal sounds like hot air from his agents. He would miss out on $431,125 per game. That won't happen, no matter what the rhetoric is now.

I would expect his agents to wise up and take a deal that would make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league.

Observations

• The Rams wanted Brandin Cooks last year, but they didn't have the first round pick to give the New Orleans Saints that the Patriots had to get him. So they waited a year, traded a first and a sixth-round pick to get him this year, and then gave him a long-term contract extension worth $88 million over the next six years. Why? He can fly. "He represents that guy who can take the top shelf off the coverage," McVay said. "More than anything, he brings a great demeanor, a great discipline to our team. He can do a lot of things." He isn't going to just be a vertical threat. During the practice I watched, Cooks caught a crossing route and turned it into a long gain with his speed. Along with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, the Rams have a nice group of receivers.
• When watching the team practice, it's clear who the alpha dogs are in the secondary. New corners Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, who were acquired in trades, play the game and they can talk the game. Their battles with the Rams receivers were fun the other night during practice and they did some yapping. Goff likes the chance to face them every day in practice. "For me, personally, having a little bit of a chess match with Aqib and Marcus has been a lot of fun," Goff said. "They really, really force you to be at your best at all times. That's helping me continue to try and put to the ball in the right place or they will make you pay." Those two can cover and they are joined in the secondary by safeties Lamarcus Joyner and John Johnson. It is a good group that should upgrade the defense.
• One concern about the Rams defense is the outside rush. Who provides it? With Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers as down players, and the talent in the secondary, the edge rushers are the weak spot on the defense. They have Matt Longacre and Samson Ebukam and they recently signed Ryan Davis off the street. One of those players has to emerge as a rush threat. They like Ebukan as the best breakout possibility after he had five sacks last season. Davis will likely play on early run downs somewhere since he is good against the run. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has seemingly always had top-level edge rushers, such as DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller and plenty of others.

"I always mark the calendar when I have Sam Bradford on there, no matter what," Suh told the Around The NFL Podcast on Thursday. "Whether it was when we were rookies, when he was in St. Louis or when he was any other place. I've always looked forward to going against him."


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...alendar-for-sam-bradford?campaign=Twitter_atn

"Dinged" his shoulder yesterday and is getting evaluated more this afternoon after leaving practice. Potentially a torn labrum.

https://www.therams.com/video/sean-mcvay-training-camp-press-conference-8-2

**2:10

Put the coach's name on a jersey and sell that MFer. I don't know of any teams that do that, i.e. market their head coach, but if any organization were ever positioned to do so it's the Rams.

Something like...

00 McVay
100 Phillips

Or maybe just use the doublenuts (00) with both coaching staff members. But both those dudes are rock stars now in LA and the Rams, IMO, are missing an opportunity.

Oh and while I'm being all "critiquey" with jerseys, the Rams need to do a better job with the throwbacks, and also take a look at how small the numbers are on their blue and yellow jerseys. That needs to be fixed. I don't like wearing my Goff 16 that I bought last year due to the small numbers looking wrong.

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-day-7-of-training-camp

10 Observations from Day 7 of Training Camp

1) Before practice began, defensive lineman Michael Brockers was out on the field with a few of Los Angeles’ younger players at his position like Tanzel Smart, Chunky Clements, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and Omarius Bryant. Brockers led the group in some technique work, helping each of the young linemen improve on their moves at the line of scrimmage.

2) During special teams drills, coordinator John Fassel had the players go through an annual tradition. There is a tackling dummy at the goal line, and players line up one-on-one 15 yards away. One player is trying to reach the dummy, the other is trying to stop his opponent. It’s a drill that tests the ability to be effective both as a blocker and as a tackler in potential punt and kickoff situations.

Safety Nate Holley was one player who stood out, blocking running back Justin Davis into the ground on one play. He also got around a block pretty well on another rep, flashing throughout the drill.

3) They did it at separate times, but both linebackers and defensive backs worked with the single-man sled during individual drills. Each group used the sled to practice extending their arms to keep a blocking player away from the body, then had to shed the sled to either the right or left — depending on where their coach lined up to represent a ball carrier.

4) During Los Angeles’ 7-on-7 drills…

• Wide receiver Cooper Kupp made a nice snag on the right side, doing well to make a move to get open against the first-team defense.
• Middle linebacker Cory Littleton broke up a pass to tight end Tyler Higbee over the middle.
• Quarterback Brandon Allen made a really nice throw down the right sideline to wideout Pharoh Cooper.

5) In the first 11-on-11 session, quarterback Jared Goff connected with running back Todd Gurleyon a nice swing pass to the right that would have gone for a touchdown. Through the scheme, Gurley was wide open out of the backfield, once again showing that he’ll likely be heavily involved in the passing game in 2018.

6) Head coach Sean McVay seemed to put a heavy emphasis on competition during Thursday’s practice. He staged a drill where the offense faced 2nd-and-10, then 3rd-and-whatever was left. If the offense recorded a first down, that unit won. If the defense forced fourth down, it won.

• The defense ended up winning the competition 4-3, with the units playing ones vs ones and twos vs. twos.
• Though the defense took a 2-1 lead early on, Goff completed consecutive first-down passes to Kupp and Woods over the middle to put the offense on top, 3-2.
• After the twos on defense tied the competition at three, cornerback Troy Hill — playing with the ones — nearly picked off a pass to give the defense an outright victory.

7) A day after nailing a 63-yard field goal — which would have been a career high if it counted in a game — kicker Greg Zuerlein hit four of his attempted field goals on Thursday afternoon.

8) In a later 11-on-11 period, Goff completed a nearly 60-yard deep pass to wide receiver Mike Thomas on a post route for a touchdown. The ball was perfectly thrown, hitting Thomas in stride. The third-year wideout out of Southern Miss extended the ball out in front of him as he ran into the end zone in celebration.

9) McVay ended practice with another competition — a two-point play with the first offense going against the first defense. Goff’s pass went to Gurley in the middle of the field right at the goal line. Safety John Johnson hit Gurley just as the ball came in, but the running back still secured the football. The officials signaled “touchdown,” but the defensive coaches weren’t quite happy with that. Nevertheless, Gurley spiked the football in celebration as the offense celebrated its victory.

10) With a day off on Friday, many players got in some extra work at the end of practice. Gurley was one of them, going through some wind sprints across the field for some cardio.

In addition to Brandin Cooks, Aquib Talib and Marcus Peters can anyone give any information on how any of the other offseason additions (Draft, FA’s, Trades, etc) to the Rams are looking so far? Any real pleasant surprises?

Thanks in Advance!

Screw sorting the notes. I'm tired and want to get this out, so it willbe kind of a jumble, but I'll get it all out.

Upper 80's and humid team came out late, McVay didn't come out until 3:15. and team stretched, warmed up. OL on field one N end, DL So end. We are on field 2 where Fassell is working ST. They use a jugs machine to punt to Cooper,# 11 Hodge, 15 Kendal Thompson, 13 Fred Brown . This drill was all about D gunners. Fassel sent TE's Safties, LB's, DE's after the returner. This was an intense drill and a lot of contact. Fun to watch!

Tip and strip drills by DB's and LB's. Lots of work on Int set up and return by DB's. Peters, Hill, Shelds and Christian looked decent in the drill.

Had QB's Allen and Perez with TE's in front of us, short passes vs air.

This far into the practice the pace was slow. I attribute that to yesterdays intense and lengthy 11 on 11 workout. But the pace picks up with the start of 11 on 11.

1st team O vs 2nd D. Reynolds drops 2 at the start but for the rest of the day I don't think he dropped another one, and more than made up for a slow start by snagging some passes against some tight covering DB;s
Goff To Woods for TD in tight coverage. Mannion with several good passes to Hemmingway.

1st team OL still whit, Saf, Sully, Brown, Hav. 2nd OL kept being switched around, Kromer getting everyone snaps . Blythe, Noteboom, Lucas, and DWilliams got a lot of snaps. Allen and Eldrencamp and even Neary got snaps at C. Williams and Lucas got snaps at LT and RT. For 2min drill, Lucas got snaps with 1st team at RT (Havenstien winded?) Demby snaps at LG and RG. Really hard to see who's in at times with the OL and especially the LB's because they have their shirts rolled up so you can't see their #'
Lots of good play in 11 on 11, Gurley is great of course. Brown Davis and Kelly all got in some good plays.

Player that stood out the most 11 on 11--Jared Goff. Goff was on fire today, throwing lazers in tight windows against very tight coverage. He made a few bad passes and had a couple dropped, but he had b far his best day of TC today.

Hemmingway had a pretty good day today, lots of targets and caught most of them.

Ryan Davis, the newest Ram signed a couple days ago, was playing inside LB next to Littleton with the 1st D, Myers @LDE and Eubekam@RDE. Wilson and Hager 2nd team ILB. Davis is a stud run stuffer at 265 and he's quick. He stopped Gurley and Brown in their tracks for no gain. Keep your eye on this guy, he came in under the radar but might be that big boddied LB the Rams have been needing.
I know I haven't given much on the d, only because I can't tell who's who with their shirts rolled up. I can say that 11 on 11's are a toss up between the O and the D. With both making good plays.

FG drill. Greg the Leg hit some long ones but missed a couple also.Not as good a day as yesterday.

Justin Davis TD run in Red Zone drill. Goof to Cooks in RZ drill.

Good practice, lots of positives. Still a lot to be sorted out so far as backups.
starting to see some guys getting more snaps than others. Pre-season games will be deciding factorfor most of the bottom tier guys.

Sorry for the jumbled report, I got most of what I took notes on out there. VetRamFan will chime in and it will job my memory on some I missed.

NO INJURIES!

I'm taking my 6 year old grandson to his first game next Thursday. He loves Cooper Kupp , so I'm hoping he sees him . We are 1st row behind the Rams bench . Of course his other grandparents are Steelers fans , so I'm hoping to sway him to be a Rams fan .

Just...the domestic violence allegations against his longtime assistant (that he had to know because his wife told him about it), the claims of mistreatment by former players, and his lenient attitude towards players who committed crimes (Aaron Hernandez, obviously, Jamar Hornsby, who stole a credit card from a dead woman - just after she and a former player died, no less - and used it until he was caught, etc.) are abhorrent and disgusting.

Fuck that guy. He deserves to be blackballed from the football ranks.