Kyle Brandt, Nate Burleson and Jeff Saturday are sitting around the table asking each other hypothetical questions, kind of like we do here, and the question came up: Which team has the best chance to go 16-0 this season? I was surprised to hear Burleson immediately say the LA Rams. He talked about the young talent we have on offense and the veteran players we added on defense and shook his head "wow!". Saturday followed up with "me too, the LA Rams" and added comments about how the NFC West is in transition with new QBs in AZ and SF, and the Seahawks are not the same team they used to be.

Meaningless chat weeks before we play any games that matter, but gratifying to hear anyway.

Countdown to Camp: Rams Have a Deep Group at Wide Receiver

Myles Simmons
RAMS INSIDER

We’re now just one week away from the Rams’ veteran players reporting to 2018 training camp at UC Irvine. With Brandin Cooks signing a five-year extension on Tuesday, let’s continue our position-by-position breakdown with Los Angeles’ wide receivers in this edition of Countdown to Camp.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Newcomers: Brandin Cooks, Steven Mitchell, Ricky Jeune, LaQuvionte Gonzalez

Ten of Los Angeles’ 11 regular offensive starters from 2017 are returning for the upcoming season. The aforementioned Cooks is the only exception, but the former Saints and Patriots standout has already made a strong enough impression to earn a five-year contract extension from the Rams.

“Brandin Cooks has shown himself to be a class act on and off the field since the first day he joined our team,” head coach Sean McVay said in a statement on Tuesday. “He’s a proven professional in this league and signing him to a long-term contract was always our goal. We’re excited to keep Brandin in a Rams uniform through 2023.”

With Cooks in tow, Los Angeles’ current top three receivers — Cooks, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp — are now all under contract through 2020. The club signed Woods to a five-year deal in 2017, and he responded by having the best season of his young career. Woods caught 56 passes for 781 yards with five touchdowns in 12 games.

Selected in the third round back in 2017, Kupp led the club as a rookie with 869 yards receiving. He also caught 62 passes and five touchdowns, working mostly as a slot receiver in McVay’s offense.

Another second-year receiver, Josh Reynolds appears poised to take a significant step forward in 2018. He played sparingly on offense as a rookie, but did make 11 receptions for 104 yards with a touchdown.

While Pharoh Cooper’s main contributions in 2017 came as a returner on special teams, he did make 11 receptions for 84 yards and took a carry six yards. He’ll continue as the club’s punt and kick returner, but said during the offseason program he still sees himself as a potential strong contributor on offense.

Mike Thomas is a fellow member of Los Angeles’ 2016 draft class and has been a special teams mainstay since his rookie year. He caught five passes for 93 yards in 2017.

Rounding out the group, L.A. retained Fred Brown after the wideout spent most of last season on the club’s practice squad. The Rams also signed Steven Mitchell, Ricky Jeune, and LaQuivionte Gonzalez as undrafted free agents in May.

[www.therams.com]

TG30 is truly showtime , I can see him becoming the face of the NFL very soon.

He has the big smile, hes very humble , he is great off the field.

He is always interacting with other players on social media, he threw an after party for the espys last night , he is on gatorade bottles !

He is truly showtime and he fits LA perfect. So happy hes a Ram !, his story will only continue to grow .

Tyoka Jackson joins Jake Ellenbogen for Throwback Thursday;

:https://www.spreaker.com/user/downtownrams/dtrep104tbt

Nick Foles wins an Espy for Best Championship Performance.

Case Keenum accepts award for Best Sports Moment with Stefon Diggs for the "Minneapolis Miracle" pass in last year's playoffs.

Bravo to the former Rams.

Maybe it’s not any single player at all. And there is no shortage of very fine players, to be sure.

No, I think it’s something a bit more subtle.

Maybe it’s the overall youth?

Both players and in many coaches, certainly including McVay.

That makes a long run at top shelf playoffs possible, don’t you think? This crew is built for an extended run.

Still among the youngest teams in the league, I think.

Hot Damn!

Emphasis on immediate.

The Cooks extension removed the biggest concern, and it’s pushed back until the conclusion of the ‘23 season, at that.

Now we hear that AD thinks he will be extended by camp? And even if he isn’t, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He’s gonna be a Ram for at least 3 more seasons.

Saffold, Brown, Peters, and Hav must be addressed by next offseason, but those are not an immediate problem.

Our remaining immediate problems are but two, IMO.

1) Will our new LB starters be able to contribute this year for Wade? I’m betting that they will.

2) How will our backup OL shake out? At this point we have to get the camp report and PS games feedback. They will all surely get many snaps. Until we see a problem with our own eyes. I think we can trust in Kromer.

As two remaining question marks go, those don’t appear to be all that intimidating, if you ask me.

My overall point?

We is in pretty danged good shape overall as we approach McVay’s second Ram camp.

I haven’t felt this confident about a Ram season since the GSOT days.

Damn I’m excited! I can not wait to see camp updates from whoever the hell is going this year. CoachO drove me nuts but damn was he detailed in his reports. I’m gonna need one of you LA guys to bring your A-game.

I don’t think I’ve been this excited for a season in a decade. Knowing what we could be putting out on that field this year is awesome.

I wanna know if any of our LBs look like nfl starting LBs. I wanna know if our TEs look like they are going to be more involved. Our WRs....wooooo!

Sorry, just getting pumped knowing the time is coming! Go Rams!

Countdown to Camp: Rams Will have New Starters at OLB

Myles Simmons
RAMS INSIDER

We’re just under a week from Los Angeles’ rookies reporting to UC Irvine for 2018 training camp. And today, we’re continuing our countdown to camp with a breakdown of the Rams’ outside linebackers.

Newcomers: Obo Okoronkwo, Trevon Young, Justin Lawler

Outside linebacker is one of a couple defensive positions Los Angeles overhauled over the course of the offseason. Gone are both starters from 2017, Robert Quinn and Connor Barwin. The Rams traded Quinn to the Dolphins after seven seasons with the franchise. And Barwin remains an unrestricted free agent at this point.


And so the Rams will begin training camp with two new starters at OLB in 2018.

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said during the offseason program that Samson Ebukam will “certainly” be one of them. Heading into his second season out of Eastern Washington, Ebukam played behind Barwin last year as the backup strongside linebacker. But now he’s been slotted as the weakside linebacker, replacing Quinn. This means he’ll get to rush the passer more, which has been his strength. Ebukam recorded 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits, and 38 total tackles in 2017.

Matt Longacre did not fully participate in Los Angeles’ offseason program, as he was still recovering from a back injury that prematurely ended his 2017. But he appears to be in line to start opposite Ebukam — especially after Morgan Fox went down with a season-ending knee injury during OTAs. Heading into his fourth year, Longacre finished third on the team last season with 5.5 sacks.

The Rams brought in three outside linebackers through the draft as well, selecting Obo Okoronkwo out of Oklahoma in the fifth round, Trevon Young out of Louisville in the sixth round, and Justin Lawler out of SMU in the seventh round. Okoronkwo suffered a foot injury requiring surgery during the offseason program, but is expected back for training camp. With Los Angeles’ multiple injuries at the spot this spring, Lawler received some first-team snaps at OTAs and minicamp.

Rounding out the group are Ejuan Price and Garrett Sickles. Both spent time on Los Angeles’ practice squad and active roster in 2017 and will compete for roles during training camp.

[www.therams.com]

Countdown to Camp: Rams Looking for More out of Tight Ends

Myles Simmons
RAMS INSIDER

We’re now just a week away from Rams rookies reporting to training camp, with veterans reporting two days later on July 25. Our 2018 countdown to camp continues today with a look at Los Angeles’ tight ends.

Newcomers: Codey McElroy

If there’s one area in particular where Los Angeles is looking for offensive growth in 2018, it’s at the tight end position. Though the Rams led the league in scoring last season, the club’s tight ends as a whole accounted for just 49 receptions and 610 yards receiving — just 15 percent of the team’s total in both categories.

Tyler Higbee led the group with 25 receptions for 295 yards, and caught one touchdown. He’s heading into his third season with L.A. after being selected in the fourth round back in the 2016 NFL draft.

Second-year tight end Gerald Everett may see some more playing time in 2018 after entering the league last year as a second-round pick. Everett displayed versatility as a rookie, playing in-line and split out wide as a receding threat. But he also took a tight end jet sweep for 13 yards against the Jaguars. Head coach Sean McVay said he would like to vary personnel groups more in 2018, which would likely give Everett more opportunities if the team elects to use two tight-end sets.

Temarrick Hemingway is also heading into his third year, but training camp will represent his first chance to put on pads in nearly a year. Hemingway suffered a season-ending leg injury during the 2017 preseason matchup with the Chargers, but should be ready to go for training camp. Listed at 6-foot-5, Hemingway’s considerable height makes him a solid potential target for quarterback Jared Goff.

Rounding out the group, Johnny Mundt spent the majority of last season on the practice squad and could challenge for a roster spot. Henry Krieger-Coble also spent time on Los Angeles’ practice squad in 2017. And L.A. signed former Atlanta Braves minor leaguer Codey McElroy as an undrafted free agent in mid-May.

[www.therams.com]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...nd-poor-judgment-ruined-the-special-seahawks/

Richard Sherman says 'mistakes and poor judgment' ruined the special Seahawks
Sherman is now with their division rival 49ers

Back in 2012, the Seattle Seahawks came out of pretty much nowhere to win 11 games and emerge as one of the best teams in football. Led by a third-round draft pick at quarterback (Russell Wilson), a Buffalo Bills castoff at running back (Marshawn Lynch), and a group of defensive backs that would become known as the Legion of Boom, the Seahawks bruised and bullied the rest of the NFL.

Things continued on that way for the next few seasons as the Wilson-led offense improved and the LOB-led defense added even more talent. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor were joined by Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, and more, and the Seahawks made the playoffs every year from 2012 through 2016, winning one Super Bowl and narrowly losing another along the way. During that five-season span, only the Patriots and Broncos won more games than Seattle, and only New England had a better point differential.

Last season, things finally slowed down for the Seahawks amid injuries and inconsistency. Sherman ruptured his Achilles tendon. Avril and Chancellor each suffered potentially career-ending injuries. And the offense couldn't quite pick up all the slack.

A few months later, much has changed. Sherman's a 49er. Avril was released. Chancellor's retiring. Even defensive coordinator Kris Richard, who was with the team from the beginning of the LOB era, has moved on to take a position with the Cowboys.

Sherman, never one to mince words, did not hold back when asked by The MMQB's Robert Klemko about the breakup of the Seahawks. Here's what he said:

"It's just unfortunate. It's really unfortunate. I think it'll all come out when they do the 30 for 30. Mistakes and poor judgment on things ruined what could have been a really special deal. You don't have much left right now. And to say you're not going to pay Earl Thomas is just ... There's no decline in play there. He's played the game the right way. Who do you have to pay? You have the two best linebackers in the game. You have the quarterback. You have a great wide receiver in Doug [Baldwin]. And you're paying Duane Brown.

"They've lost their way. It's as simple as that. They've just lost their way. When you make too many mistakes over a long period of time, you kind of dig yourself a hole. And then when you backtrack, you gotta make a bunch of rash decisions to try and fill the hole and hope that it holds up.

"When we were rolling it was an environment for pure competitors. When it becomes something else, then it's more difficult to thrive in, and I think that's what was tough on Earl, that's what was tough on a lot of guys. But I think as it kind of progressed, you start seeing the writing on the wall. You're like, 'Not only are they probably moving in a different direction,' but it's like, 'Ah, well, I kind of want to move in a different direction, too.' So it happens like that. All great things must come to an end, I guess.

"I'm not even going to worry about it now. I've got bigger fish to fry."

Some of those mistakes have been talked about ad nauseam (the goal-line interception that cost the Seahawks a second Super Bowl) while others will probably take a few years to come out into the open. Either way, Sherman is surely correct that all great things must come to an end. The Seahawks were always going to break up eventually, for one reason or another. It just happened to come this year, and for reasons both within and beyond their control.

I'm ready for some football! Will be in attendance at Levi stadium when the Rams introduce Mr. Donald and Mr. Suh to Jimmy Gee. I'm from Hawaii so I'll be flying out a few days before the game to enjoy some clam chowder and sourdough. I'm counting on a huge Rams win and to serve some humble pie to the whiner's fan base. Hope some of you all will be there too!

:yess:

Looks like Kevin was reading the forum

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...billions-despite-national-anthem-controversy/

Packers financials show that NFL made billions despite national anthem controversy
It seems that nothing can slow down the NFL

If you're looking for a job that pays well, you might want to consider being an NFL owner, because the league's 32 teams pulled in some serious money in 2017.

According to financial information released by the Packers on Monday, the NFLdistributed more than $8 billion in national revenue that was split among the league's 32 teams. The $8.1 billion in revenue meant that each team received roughly $255 million from the league. According to Bloomberg, the $8.1 billion was a revenue-record for the NFL and a total that was slightly up from the league's revenue total of $7.8 billion in 2016.

The league was able to hit a record number this year due in large part to the fact that the price for the Thursday Night Football package increased substantially. The bulk of the NFL's national revenue comes from the league's TV deals, but other forms of revenue are also included in the calculations.

Although the national anthem issue seemed to be a never-ending controversy for the NFL in 2017, Packers president Mark Murphy said the issue didn't do anything to hurt the financial health of the league this year, according to ESPN.com.

The Packers annual financial statement is generally the one time each year where outsiders are able to get a closer look at how an NFL team is run from a financial standpoint. Since the Packers are a publicly owned a team, they have to reveal their financial disclosure each year.

Besides getting a $255 million check from the NFL, the Packers also generated $199 million in local income, which is money they don't have to split with other teams. Overall, the Packers had a record $454.9 million in revenue last year. Despite that large number, the team's operating profit was only $34.1 million, according to Bloomberg.

The team won't have any problem putting together a contract for Aaron Rodgersthough, and that's because that Packers have a healthy reserve fund that's worth roughly $380 million, team treasurer Mark McMullen told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

As for the league itself, Bloomberg estimates that the NFL pulled in an estimated $14 billion in revenue last year. However, it's impossible to know the exact number because the league no longer has to release any financial documents after dropping its tax exempt status in 2015.

They just did a special about baseball players serving in the military and completely left off Jackie Robinson. Yeah of all the people to forget you forget 42.

Saw the Rams - Denver thread and had to have the same moment of excitement for the Rams - Lions game, where the family and I will again be in attendance, hopefully with a much better result than last time!

Anyone else planning on coming yet?

Report: Rams unlikely to ink tagged Joyner ahead of deadline

The Los Angeles Rams and safety Lamarcus Joyner are not expected to come to terms on a long-term extension ahead of Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to signed franchise-tagged players, though the two sides remain in negotiations, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Report: Rams unlikely to ink tagged Joyner ahead of deadline
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1571900

I was just watching the Jacksonville and Pittsburg playoff game and I have to say that I am super impressed by that Jacksonville defense. They were absolutely dominant in that game. I admittedly didn't watch any of Jacks outside of the Rams game. My question is: how likely is it that our D Unit will be that good this year. Opinions?

Oh man! Just bought tickets to go see the Rams in Denver with my wife, brother in law, and nephew!

I'm so excited!

Will be my third live Rams game. First live game for each of my wife, brother in law, and nephew.

Man... when you look at our Special Teams, and particularly the kickers...

Is there a better Tandum? Who would give them a run for their money?

I think there is little doubt Hekker is the best punter... but I'd be hard pressed to find a better PK than Zuerlein. He's definitely top 5, I think .

Who gives these guys a run for their money?

I'm 95% sure I'm gonna go on Friday the 27th. (to miss the much more crowded attendance on Saturday)

Any of you going? I'll bring a football and play catch with ya, ha!

I'm a credentialed historian (look at my student loan debt for verification), because I have a compulsion to know historical context. I have mentioned elsewhere, that as a genealogist, I discovered more than 2000 extended relatives after knowing only a handful when I started 19-20 years ago. Aside from religious ideas, which I do not discount, some have said that a person lives only in the memory of those that remembered him/her.

I do have an adopted daughter and her family, who I love as much as any biological daughter. But, my biological line, ends with me. After the beginning of time for humans, my line ends when I die.

Do I matter?

The sheer numbers of humanity in history, says that I matter as much as any other expired human. No one in my family knew our great grandfather, because he died before his son was born. No one remembered him, and it felt that I resurrected him from oblivion when I connected with other long lost relatives via Ancestry.com. So in some small way, his memory lives again.

I will try to write about my family, if fate allows me to do so. Sometimes I am weary and wonder if the meaning of my life, isn't much? Still, I read history and try for that MA. It would be easy to get caught up in daily life, and die unexpectedly, and slip into the void.

I love the Rams and have always been a fan, but it's not enough. Forgive this indulgent post, please....Just thinking out loud...

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-todd-gurley-20180712-story.html

By Gary Klein
The voice, coming from high in the stadium bleachers at Santa Monica College, boomed across the football field and, presumably, throughout the nearby neighborhood.

“Thank you, Todd Gurley!” a woman yelled.

Nearly 250 kids seated on the turf, and adults on the perimeter, burst out laughing and into applause.

Gurley, the Rams’ star running back, grinned broadly as he gripped a microphone.


He had just completed the first session of a youth football camp last Saturday with some words of wisdom.

“Definitely listen to your parents,” he told his rapt audience, a comment that triggered the exclamation from the stands.

This is how Gurley has spent much of the last few months.

After producing one of the most prolific performances in Rams history in 2017, and earning the NFL’s offensive player of the year award, he did not take an elaborate vacation to a faraway destination.

Instead, he has crisscrossed the country, overseeing his own camps and dropping in to help other NFL players such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston with theirs. Before training camp begins at the end of this month, Gurley said he planned to help Denver Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby, Seattle Seahawks running back Mike Davis and possibly Carolina Panthers receiver Devin Funchess as well.

“You just want to go support other guys,” Gurley said. “Go to their hometown, see how it was with them growing up, see their background and meet their family.”
Some of Gurley’s camps require a fee to attend. For others, such as last Saturday’s sponsored by Hyundai, the campers attend at no cost and Gurley receives an appearance fee.

But several, including one in April in Gurley’s hometown Tarboro, N.C., and another last month in Calabasas for the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs, were free.

“It’s for the kids,” Gurley said as he got ready to go onto the field at the Calabasas camp. “That’s just how it’s supposed to be.”

Gurley, 23, is one of the key players for a Rams team that won the NFC West last season under first-year coach Sean McVay and is generating Super Bowl buzz.

The Rams added defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib and receiver Brandin Cooks to a team that led the league in scoring and made its first playoff appearance since 2004.

Gurley, the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year in 2015, bounced back from a disappointing 2016 season to score a league-leading 19 touchdowns and amass 2,093 yards from scrimmage.

Can he repeat that performance?

“You don’t want to be able to do it one year, take a year or two off, and do it again,” he said. “You want to be consistent. That’s how players become great in this league, is doing it on a consistent basis.”

If Gurley needed another role model in consistency, albeit in a different sport, he said he got it when LeBron James announced he would sign with the Lakers. James joins a Southland sports landscape that features Gurley, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Angels outfielder Mike Trout among others.

“You know greatness is coming … and you want to be part of that,” Gurley said. “It’s like motivation. It kind of makes you want to work harder and get to that point too where he is.”

Gurley, the 10th pick in the 2015 NFL draft, is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. He carries a salary-cap number of $4.4 million this season. The Rams have exercised their fifth-year option at about $9.6 million for 2019 — if Gurley does not receive a lucrative extension before then.

Gurley caused a bit of a stir this month when TMZ asked him if all NFL players deserved guaranteed contracts, and what it would take for the league to do that. Gurley responded by saying it would take a lockout.
A few days later, Gurley chuckled when asked about the exchange.

“Us NFL players, we’re just mad about NBA contracts right now, that’s all,” he said. “I just want like $80 million. Those guys are getting like $150 [million]. It’s crazy. It’s insane.”
Gurley will begin to make his case for an extension when the Rams open the season on Sept. 10 in a “Monday Night Football” appearance against the Oakland Raiders.

The Rams, and perhaps Gurley, already have suffered a potential setback. Right guard Jamon Brown is suspended for the first two games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Brown tweeted that he owned the “mistake” and he apologized to the Rams and their fans. Gurley said he would miss Brown but the Rams would be fine until he returned.

“Always want a starter out there, but hopefully that will be some motivation,” he said. “A lot of guys put themselves in a bad position, but it kind of makes a player come back even hungrier to be able to prove to his team and his coaches, so he’ll be fine.”

Gurley has maintained the offseason workout regimen that prepped him for his Pro Bowl season in 2017, but has broken it up with camps. He and childhood friend Jameon Willis started their “Make a Difference Everyday (M.A.D.E.)” camps as a way of giving back.

The two met in sixth grade, after Gurley moved to North Carolina from Baltimore. On the first day of school, Gurley wore his favorite Carmelo Anthony Syracuse basketball jersey, fashionable capri-style pants and pair of Air Jordan Dub Zero sneakers.

The boys bonded over the fashion and over sports. Now they are combining on the camps.

“We don’t care if we have 70 kids or 300,” said Willis, a senior at Liberty University. “As long as you can reach one kid, I feel like that pretty much makes sense.”

During the camps, Gurley seemingly engages every participant after they break into groups with coaches. He performs more reps in drills with the kids than he does during a typical Rams practice. If he’s not taking handoffs, he’s faking them and delivering passes.

“Oops, that was on me,” he says after misfiring on one. “Bad quarterback.”

A few weeks before, during Gurley’s camp in Calabasas, a small boy wandered on the field, apparently smitten by the sight of former Rams defensive back Trumaine Johnson performing a drill with another group. Gurley gently corralled the boy and later dueled with Johnson in a footwork agility drill, delighting the campers.

And the players.

“I used to be one of those kids at these camps,” Johnson said, “so it’s a good feeling for sure.”

Ultimately, Gurley said, that is the goal.

“Hopefully,” he said, “you make memories that last forever.”

I envy people who are free from this compunction to violate rules of writing, one biggie is the need to capitalize. I can't help it. It would be so much easier If I didn't have to hit the shift key + letter to begin every sentence of to do so for proper names.
Some people also ignore punctuation, and this is really barbaric :rimshot: