http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3...f-alvin-kamara-joey-bosa-make-allunder25-team

Jared Goff, Alvin Kamara, Joey Bosa make All-Under-25 Team
Elliot Harrison

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
What more can you say about Goff's ascendant 2017 campaign? Throwing for 28 touchdowns against just seven interceptions was the most impressive statistical component. And yes, in case you were wondering, Carson Wentz is indeed already 25.

Running back: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Despite the controversy, Elliott is elite when he's on the field. Through two seasons, he is averaging 104.6 rush yards per game. His yards per carry went down last year, but he still sports a 4.6 career average -- and he's scored 25 touchdowns in 25 games.

Running back: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
The top two-way threat in football, at least until David Johnson is back in action. (Johnson is 26.) A second-team All-Pro in Year 1, Kamara had the unique distinction of bringing a Darren Sproles-esque dimension with 826 yards in the passing game, while also adding 728 yards (at 6.1 a pop) on the ground.

Wide receiver: Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings
Despite being the WR2 in Minnesota by season's end, Diggs is still top shelf. He posted 849 receiving yards and eight TDs despite missing two games with a groin injury. Oh, and he contributed the biggest playoff reception in years. His catch radius is fantastic.

Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
After being Mr. Versatile for the Chiefs in Year 1, Hill was able to concentrate on being a wideout in his sophomore campaign. Not playing on the return team allowed him to take fewer hits and take the next step as a WR1. The result: 75 catches for 1,183 yards and seven touchdowns.

Tight end: Evan Engram, New York Giants
Amidst a brutal season in New York, Engram developed into a bright spot as a rookie. While more people focused on O.J. Howard in the 2017 NFL Draft (the tight end taken at No. 19 overall), Engram (No. 23) quietly tallied 64 catches for 722 yards and six TDs.

Offensive tackle: Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans
After a brilliant rookie campaign that ended in a first-time All-Pro nod, Conklin took a small step backward in 2017 -- but not by much. Conklin brings prototypical dimensions at 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds, yet retains the agility to seal the edge or protect Marcus Mariota's front side.

Offensive tackle: Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints
The Saints knocked it out of the park in their 2017 NFL Draft. Ramczyk is the second of four New Orleans players from that class on this team. His rapid progression allowed for Asshole Face to re-emphasize the run game after leaning on Drew Brees' arm for years.

Offensive guard: Dan Feeney, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers took it on the chin when their top two picks, wide receiver Mike Williams and guard Forrest Lamp, got hurt in the months following the draft. Little did anyone know that Feeney, a third-rounder (No. 71 overall), would step in and become a solid front-line player. Much upside.

Offensive guard: Ethan Pocic, Seattle Seahawks
Took special notice of Pocic when he made Gil Brandt's 2017 All-Rookie Team. He progressed as the season moved along in a need area for Seattle, despite starting at left guard, right guard and backing up at center(!). He allowed just two sacks all year.

Center: Pat Elflein, Minnesota Vikings
Yet another rookie makes the All-Under-25 Team, and for good reason. Elflein helped the Vikings improve in the one area they had to get better: up front. The unit allowed 11 fewer sacks than in 2016, and went from 32nd to seventh in rushing.

DEFENSE

Defensive end: Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Bosa, the 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year, is already a force after just two seasons in the league. Despite not playing a snap until Week 5 of his rookie campaign, the former Ohio State star has posted 23 sacks through 28 games. He and Melvin Ingram form a prolific pass-rushing duo thanks, in large part, to Bosa's incredible motor.

Defensive end: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Who knows how good Garrett's rookie season could've been if he hadn't gotten hurt. He racked up seven sacks and was able to pressure passers consistently despite missing five games. Sky's the limit on this specimen.

Defensive tackle: DeForest Buckner, San Francisco 49ers
Buckner is part of a young 49ers nucleus that will make waves in the NFC West as early as 2018. Buckner has more than held his own, with 61 tackles last season as an interior lineman. The sack numbers should grow.

Defensive tackle: Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Seemingly every pro football magazine and website thinks Jones will be an impact player. Despite the Chiefs' uninspired defensive showing in 2017 (ranked 28th overall), Jones compiled 6.5 sacks and a pick. He should play more downs in his third NFL campaign.

Linebacker: Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons
What a season this dude had in Year 2. SEE: 138 tackles, three picks -- including one that sealed the win against the Saints in Week 14 -- and 1,142 plays, according to Pro Football Focus. Oh, and he is only 23 years old.

Linebacker: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt was a fine starter from Day 1. While he has much potential to become a standout pass rusher, Watt enjoyed a solid overall rookie campaign with 54 tackles, seven sacks, a pick and seven passes defensed.

Linebacker: Myles Jack, Jacksonville Jaguars
Questions about Jack's longevity abated last year, considering he toiled on a whopping 1,223 plays, per Pro Football Focus. Jack is excellent in pass defense, a must for this era's linebackers. I gave strong consideration to Reuben Foster for this third 'backer slot, but he logged fewer than half the snaps of Jack last season (553, according to PFF). Not to mention, he's had some off-field issues. All that said, when Foster's on the field, he's dynamic. Tough omission.

Cornerback: Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ramsey's another of the Jaguars' premier players on the defensive side of the ball -- and the second on this list. There are those who think Ramsey is the most talented defensive back in the league. He can match up with anybody.

Cornerback: Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
Lattimore received many accolades last year, including the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and gets yet another here. He narrowly edges out Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White. The performances of Lattimore and Kamara allowed Asshole Face to change the way the Saints viewed things philosophically. Instead of partaking in weekly track meets, New Orleans was able to employ the simple formula of running the football and playing much stronger defense.

Safety: Landon Collins, New York Giants
Collins is already one of the top safeties in the game at 24 years old. His 2016 campaign was worthy of strong DPOY consideration. Besides ranking with Harrison Smith and Earl Thomas, he has averaged a remarkable 114 tackles per year.

Safety: Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans destroyed the competition in the 2017 NFL Draft. Williams is the fourth Saints player to make this list, after producing four interceptions and an outstanding season in coverage. Good tackler, too.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs
Butker was outstanding in 2017 -- frankly, one of the top kickers in the NFL. He made 38 of his 42 field-goal attempts, and every extra point (28). All this after getting released by the team that drafted him (Carolina) and pressed into service for the Chiefs in Week 4 on "Monday Night Football."

Punter: Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis Colts
Stepping in for a living legend in Indy like Pat McAfee couldn't have been easy for Sanchez, but the first-year punter out of Hawaii was in the top 10 of net average in the NFL. Not bad for an undrafted rookie.

Returner: Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears
Cohen contributed in every which way for the Bears in 2017, bringing an explosive element to Chicago's run game, pass game and return game. He finished in the top 10 in punt-return and kick-return average.

Questions about player personnel, both large and small, are being answered in the positive to varying degrees.

Let’s see...

Sounds like Goff is taking the next step forward in his 2nd season under McVay.

Cooks appears to have established solid chemistry with Goff already and reportedly is pretty comfortable with the playbook.

We’ve heard lot’s of positives about Everett. That’s huge.

Wade has flat stated that Ebu is one of his starters. I think that speaks volumes.

McVay has said that Longacre is expected back 100% by camp. Wade has predicted him as his other starting OLB.

Littleton seems to have the inside track as other starting ILB opposite Barron. IOW, the 3 LB “holes” that we were worried about were never really holes in Wade’s mind.

Lawler has flashed, so who knows?

The Talib/Peters duo were never really much in question, but it’s sure been nice to hear the positives about meeting rooms, study, and practices anyway.

GZ should be 100% by camp, too.


So, those were the things that I think most of us were wondering about. My own biggest concern was regarding our need for 3 new LB starters. Jury is still out pending camp and PS games regarding our LB situation, but it does appear that Wade felt that his starters were already on the roster.

Anyway, I’d have to say that there’s been a ton of good news on virtually every item that we had questions about. So I guess I’ll just keep my fingers crossed for no catastrophic injuries. Lol.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...pical-defensive-linemen-for-each-dl-technique

The NFL's prototypical defensive linemen for each DL technique
BY SAM MONSON

In 2011, I first wrote about the league’s prototypes for each defensive line technique. In addition to watching and grading every player on every snap of the NFL season, PFF also records far more detailed information that our team customers get access to and use as part of their internal processes. One data point they get is the exact alignment of every defensive linemen – by technique – as opposed to simply a rough description of where a player lined up by position.

The league has changed since then and positions along defensive fronts have become ever more blurred as defenses look to be more multiple and better suited to defend the changing offensive formations they are faced with each week.

The defensive line technique numbering system has been around for years, and while there are a couple of variants of this system, particularly on the outer edges of it, the system we will be using is below as a reference.

The numbering begins from being head-up over the center and works its way outward in either direction. Each shade along the way will receive its own number, or contain an ‘i’ modifier (inside). Moving across the front you will see that even numbers are head-up alignments, odd numbers represent outside shades and those containing an ‘i’ represent those inside-shaded alignments.

For these prototypes, I have not necessarily presented the best player that could represent each position, but rather the one that has the best blend of ability and prototypical physical traits, as well as the actual deployment on the field to justify it.

Von Miller is likely the best pure edge rusher in football, but and could easily feature on this list, but has been bumped for another who represents a slightly purer prototype for the position, and the same is true of other players that could easily occupy some of these spots. The league has more than one prototype currently excelling at some spots.

With all that said, here are your prototypes for each of the main defensive line techniques in 2018:



0-TECHNIQUE (3-4 NT) – DAMON HARRISON
The 0-technique is a dying position, to the point that it’s not easy finding a true prototype that actually plays that alignment very often. The 0-technique, also called the nose tackle, plays directly over the center (or on the nose). In a traditional 3-4 defense, they are responsible for defending both gaps either side of the center (A-gaps) by themselves, freeing up linebackers behind them to be able to attack and clogging the middle of the line against the run.

That two-gap job involved controlling the center while also often drawing a double team from one of the guards and still being able to make a play in either A-gap. That is why these players were typically the heaviest players in the NFL, using their sheer size and strength to become immovable objects in the middle of the line.

In recent years though, the league has trended away from two-gap concepts on defense, and even players that line up in the 0-technique often only defend one of the A-gaps, shooting one side of the center after the snap and leaving a linebacker to fill the other behind them.

Harrison actually played with a 0-technique alignment on just 8.0 percent of his snaps in 2017, but we have seen from him before when he was with the New York Jets just how dominant he can be in that spot. The NFL as a whole rarely employs a player in this technique at all any more.

On almost 40,000 plays in the regular season in 2017, defenses had somebody occupying the 0-tech alignment on just 11.1 percent of them, and Harrison represents a far better player than somebody like Steelers NT Javon Hargrave, who lined up there on 37.7 percent of his snaps but could only translate that into an overall PFF grade of 78.8 last season.

Harrison is the best run-stuffing force in football and has led all interior linemen in run-stop percentage for five straight years. The league may be trending away from this alignment, but it can still serve as a useful pivot point for disguising defensive fronts before the nose tackle attacks one gap post-snap.

Alternative prototypes: Alan Branch, Javon Hargrave



1-TECHNIQUE (4-3 NT) – LINVAL JOSEPH
The 1-technique is also referred to the nose tackle, but more often in a four-man front. He is very similar to the 0-technique in that they both play over the center, but the defining difference between the two is that the 1-tech shades one side of the center and is usually responsible for only one gap, not both A-gaps. They are still expected to eat double teams from the center and a guard, which frees up others on the line to take advantage of one on one matchups.

In the past, this spot has been primarily a run-stuffing force, but with the league trending ever-more pass heavy, 1-technique defensive tackles have to be able to bring something when it comes to pass rush or be replaced on third downs. Harrison – our 0-tech prototype – could also easily be the prototype for this alignment, as it’s where he finds himself most often for the Giants.

He was at that alignment on 60.1 percent of his snaps in 2017 compared to just 8.0 percent at 0-tech, but listing him as the 0-tech prototype allows us to throw some love in the direction of Minnesota’s Joseph, who does bring more as a pass rusher than Harrison.

Like Harrison, Joseph is a force against the run, with an 89.0 PFF grade in that facet of the game last year, but he also notched 30 total pressures and was on the field for 414 pass-rushing snaps over the season, almost 100 more than Harrison.

Alternative prototypes: Damon Harrison, Brandon Williams



3-TECHNIQUE (4-3 PASS-RUSH/UNDER TACKLE) – AARON DONALD
Arguably the most well-known alignment to the common fan is the 3-technique. They are the premier interior pass-rusher in every modern NFL defense, whether that team plays with a three- or four-man line in their base defense.

With the league focusing more on the pass, sub-packages have become far more prevalent than base defense, and every sub package features a heavy dose of 3-tech alignment, though those primary pass-rushers inside will play directly in the B-gap as well as the other side of it in a 4i alignment as well. The goal of this movement is to generate a one-on-one situation with an offensive lineman, whether that be the guard or tackle and to attack the B-gap.

The 3-tech is a penetrating lineman who shoots the B-gap more often than anything else and tries to play in the backfield whether against the run or the pass. Teams are more and more employing their most athletic interior players and even edge rushers in this alignment on passing downs regardless of where they typically get deployed on base downs.

Aaron Donald has become the league’s most devastating interior pass-rusher. He led the league in total pressures in 2017 with 91 despite missing two games, dominating even edge rushers in pressure generated. His quickness and ability to shoot upfield has helped to change how much stock teams place on size at the position and he uses that to play the run as well as the pass exceptionally well.

Alternative prototypes: Geno Atkins, Calais Campbell, Gerald McCoy



4-5-TECHNIQUE (3-4 DE) – DEFOREST BUCKNER
3-4 defensive ends used to be two-gapping complements to the 0-tech nose tackle within defenses, but that style of defense has largely gone by the wayside, and the only thing that differentiates these players from true 3-tech interior pass-rushers is that they have to ply their trade a little more against tackles because of lining up a little further out from center.

J.J. Watt has been the prototype here for several years, but there are so many injury question marks with him it’s time to look elsewhere at least for a season. Watt’s length, speed, and quickness as a pass-rusher as well as his ability to penetrate and play the game in the backfield make him a perfect weapon to combat the additional length offensive tackles typically bring to the table over interior linemen.

Buckner is another player with that additional length, and as if to highlight the crossover between this position and the 3-technique, Buckner played 85.6 percent of his snaps somewhere between the guard and tackle either at 3-technique, in the B-gap or in a 4i alignment.

Alternative prototypes: J.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Calais Campbell



6-7-TECHNIQUE (4-3 DE, 3-4 OLB POWER-EDGE) – KHALIL MACK
In the past, the best edge rusher a defense had came from the quarterback’s blindside, the right side of the defense to take advantage of the fact the quarterback couldn’t see him coming. He went one on one with the left tackle – the best pass-blocker an offense had – and was typically the primary source of pass-rush a defense had.

The other side usually featured a more power-centric end, or “closed end.” This player often had to deal with tight ends and was considered the edge setter in the run game while the other end could pin his ears back more and get after the quarterback.

With offenses becoming more pass-focused, the left side of the defensive line is now home to some of the game’s premier pass-rushers as well, and all edge defenders need to be top quality pass-rushers, but players that can set a hard edge in the run game and play with power can still elevate themselves.

Mack may not be the biggest edge defender in the league, but he is one of the most powerful, and hasn’t had a PFF run-defense grade lower than 91.4 over his NFL career. Mack consistently destroys tight ends in the run game and can collapse the run in on itself from the front side of the play with his strength. As a pass-rusher he more than holds his own, and has notched 313 total pressures over four seasons of NFL play.

Alternative prototypes: Cameron Jordan, Terrell Suggs



9-TECHNIQUE (4-3 DE, 3-4 OLB SPEED-EDGE) – CAMERON WAKE
The 9-technique is primarily a pass-rush specialist and it temporarily came to fame with the defenses Jim Schwartz ran that employed a “wide-9” alignment from their defensive ends a lot. Those players lined up far outside the offensive tackle and relied on pure speed to beat their blocker around the corner and get pressure on the quarterback.

These players can use their first step to really challenge the movement skills of the pass-blockers assigned to stop them, and often force them to overcommit to the outside speed rush before making a move back inside or underneath into the space they just opened up. Von Miller is probably the best pure pass-rusher in the league and could easily be the prototype for this alignment (he was last season), but a better pure embodiment of the characteristics may come from Wake.

Miami’s pass-rushing phenom just consistently generates pressure due to his first step and ability to bend the edge outside. He racked up 62 pressures last season from under 400 pass-rushing snaps, and throughout his career has consistently notched pressure at a rate of around once every six pass rushing snaps, which is an elite level in any single season. Wake seems ageless and though his role has been dialed back a little in Miami, he remains a consistent source of speed pressure.

Alternative prototypes: Von Miller, Melvin Ingram, Jerry Hughes

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/11/spa...aunches-elon-musks-dream-for-reusability.html

So cool, never thot i would see this in my lifetime
train

Solid sources are saying that Martavis Bryant could get suspended

He hasn't been arrested, nor is he involved in a lawsuit ..... but Maybe this belongs in the "dumb ass of the day thread"



https://www.reviewjournal.com/sport...iders-fear-suspension-for-wr-martavis-bryant/

This was the #1 scoring offense in the NFL last season but our receivers can't even be listed in the top 10 by this guy? Yeah I'm a total Kool-Aid swilling homer and I'm in agreement with some of the teams mentioned on this list but come on man.
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https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/6/14/17462044/top-10-pass-catching-groups-nfl-josh-gordon-browns

The Top 10 Pass-Catching Groups in the NFL
Josh Gordon says the Browns are tops in the league, but is that true? Here’s the definitive list.
By Danny Kelly


Getty Images/Ringer illustration

Josh Gordon generated plenty of nuanced, rational online discourse this week when he said the Browns have the “best receiving corps in the league”—a claim backed up by his new teammate, Jarvis Landry. That is a bold proclamation, obviously—but it does bring into focus the strides Cleveland’s made over the offseason adding talent to its offense.

With a receivers group that now features a dynamic deep threat in Gordon, an elusive run-after-the-catch playmaker in Landry, and a pair of high-upside talents in Corey Coleman and rookie Antonio Callaway, it’s hard to deny that this unit could develop into one of the league’s best—especially if Gordon can stay on the field and return to his 2013 form.

Add in tight ends David Njoku and Seth DeValve, and Cleveland’s overall pass-catching corps has sky-high potential.

But the Browns’ cadre of young playmakers still has much to prove—and there’s plenty of ground to make up on the league’s elite pass-catching units. Widening the scope to include both wideouts and tight ends (while accounting for season-ending injuries to key players—sorry, Chargers), here’s my list for the top 10 receiving corps in the league.

10. Houston Texans
WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Will Fuller, WR Bruce Ellington, TE Ryan Griffin, TE Stephen Anderson, WR Keke Coutee, WR Braxton Miller, WR Sammie Coates, TE MyCole Pruitt, TE Jordan Akins

Hopkins still feels underrated, somehow, but there’s little doubt he’s one of the league’s premier talents. The Houston playmaker ranks third in both receiving yards (5,063) and touchdowns (tied at 34) over the past four seasons—which is even more incredible considering he’s done it, for the most part, catching passes from of a long series of subpar (to downright terrible) quarterbacks during that stretch. A full season playing with Deshaun Watson, though, may put Hopkins’s otherworldly potential on display.

Past Hopkins, Houston boasts a versatile group of intriguing downfield weapons: A healthy Fuller is one of the league’s most dangerous deep threats; Ellington flashed late last season, catching 29 passes for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 11 games; and the explosive rookie fourth-rounder Keke Coutee has a chance to carve out a role for himself in the slot in year one.

Add in a raw but highly athletic wild card in Miller and a tight ends group headlined by Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson, and Houston’s pass-catchers could be in store for big things in 2018.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Mike Evans, WR DeSean Jackson, TE O.J. Howard, TE Cameron Brate, WR Chris Godwin, WR Adam Humphries, WR Justin Watson

Tampa Bay’s receiving corps checks all the boxes of an elite unit: There’s Evans, the unguardable mismatch who’s caught 309 balls and 32 touchdowns in four seasons; Jackson, who’s still a quality field-stretching deep threat; Humphries, the team’s dependable slot receiver who quietly caught 61 passes last year; and Godwin, who flashed incredible potential as a rookie and has made a bunch of plays in the team’s OTAs this spring.

The Buccaneers are set at tight end, too: The highly athletic Howard is still just scratching the surface of his potential, while Brate is one of Jameis Winston’s favorite red zone targets, and the two tied for the team lead with six touchdowns in 2017.

8. New England Patriots
TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Julian Edelman, WR Chris Hogan, WR Malcolm Mitchell, WR Jordan Matthews, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Kenny Britt, WR Phillip Dorsett, WR Braxton Berrios, TE Dwayne Allen, TE Troy Niklas

This group’s led, of course, by the most dominant tight end in league history. When healthy, Gronk’s just about unstoppable in the passing game, where he’s caught an NFL-best 76 touchdowns since he came into the league in 2010 despite missing 26 games in that span. But Tom Brady has plenty of other options at his disposal, even with the departure of two stalwarts of last year’s pass offense, Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola.

Edelman’s four-game suspension to start the year stings, but when the veteran playmaker gets back onto the field, he should have no trouble reprising his role as Brady’s favorite target in the short and intermediate areas. Hogan (and/or Dorsett) should fill in as the team’s downfield defense-stretcher, and after missing all of last year to a knee injury, Mitchell has a lot of untapped potentialas the no. 3 option.

For depth, Matthews is an experienced veteran who can be a factor from the slot while Edelman’s gone (and once he’s back, Edelman may play outside more often), and Patterson offers an enticing run-after-the-catch ability that could be a factor in New England’s screen game (plus, he’s an elite kick returner).

Britt, who broke the 1,000-yard receiving mark just two years ago, is a total wild card who brings plenty of upside. And Allen and Niklas both could see plenty of snaps at tight end. It’s not the deepest or most-talented pass-catching corps Brady’s ever had, but it sure isn’t bad.

7. Green Bay Packers
WR Davante Adams, WR Randall Cobb, TE Jimmy Graham, TE Marcedes Lewis, TE Lance Kendricks, WR Geronimo Allison, WR J’Mon Moore, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR Equanimeous St. Brown

Adams emerged as the Packers go-to guy over the past two years, racking up 149 catches for 1,882 yards and 22 touchdowns in that stretch—and the combination of Aaron Rodgers’s return from injury and Jordy Nelson’s departure makes the 25-year-old a prime candidate for a rise to superstardom in 2018.

Cobb still has plenty of route-running and run-after-the-catch talent, so don’t be surprised when he kicks off a mini career renaissance this year; and it’s going to be a lot of fun to see if Graham can play a Jermichael Finley–style role in the Green Bay offense. The former Saints and Seahawks pass-catcher is a little past his prime, but he’s still incredibly dangerous in the red zone—and he provides Rodgers with a big target up the seam.

Mix in a few promising young receivers (Allison, Moore, Valdes-Scantling, and St. Brown) and a handful of veteran tight ends as depth (Lewis and Kendricks), and the Packers have a strong, versatile group of pass catchers going into 2018.

6. Philadelphia Eagles
WR Alshon Jeffery, WR Mike Wallace, WR Nelson Agholor, TE Zach Ertz, TE Dallas Goedert, WR Mack Hollins, WR Markus Wheaton, TE Richard Rodgers

There’s no true superstar in this group, but what stands out about the Eagles’ pass-catching corps is its breadth of talent across the board. In Philly’s equal-opportunity passing-game philosophy, everyone plays their role: Jeffery is the team’s big, outside threat (where he reeled in 57 passes for 789 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns last year), while Agholor emerged as an effective weapon out of the slot (he caught 62 passes for 768 yards and eight scores).

Ertz has proven to be an all-around playmaker at tight end (and led the team with 74 catches and 824 yards, with eight touchdowns of his own), and Wallace looks like an upgrade over Torrey Smith as the offense’s designated deep threat. And even Nick Foles can contribute.

Add in Goedert, a high-upside rookie who should be a nice replacement for Brent Celek, and Hollins, who flashed at times last year, and the defending Super Bowl champs have plenty of options … for whoever lines up at quarterback this year.

5. Kansas City Chiefs
TE Travis Kelce, WR Tyreek Hill, WR Sammy Watkins, WR Chris Conley, WR Demarcus Robinson, WR De’Anthony Thomas, TE Demetrius Harris, TE Tim Wright, TE Jace Amaro

Pat Mahomes II falls into a pretty nice situation in his first year starting at quarterback with a strong run game at his back and an electric trio of pass-catching options to target downfield. Kelce (83 catches for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns last year) is the most dynamic tight end in the league, capable of taking a shovel-pass and picking up yards on the ground on one play, then creating a mismatch lined up on the outside on the next.

Hill might be the most explosive player in the NFL, and the 24-year-old pass catcher broke out last year with 75 receptions for 1,183 yards and seven scores, showing the ability to score from anywhere on the field. The addition of Watkins in free agency is just the cherry on top, and he’s going to make defending the deep parts of the field especially difficult on opposing teams, who can no longer simply key in on Hill.

Down the depth chart, Conley and Robinson give the team more options at receiver, while Harris and Wright provide some insurance at tight end.

4. New York Giants
WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Sterling Shepard, TE Evan Engram, WR Cody Latimer, WR Roger Lewis, WR Russell Shepard, TE Rhett Ellison, TE Jerell Adams

This group’s heavily boosted by Beckham, of course, who’s scored 38 touchdowns since he came into the league, second only to Antonio Brown’s 44 in that stretch (though Beckham’s played in 14 fewer games). Assuming he’s healthy by the time the season starts, the Giants’ superstar looks poised for a monster campaign, and he won’t be alone.

Sterling Shepard (59 catches, 731 yards, two touchdowns in 2017) is an underrated playmaker who can line up both inside and out, and Engram’s a mismatch creator over the middle who led the team with 64 catches and six touchdowns as a rookie. Add in third-year pro Lewis, Latimer, and a pair of role-playing tight ends in Ellison and Adams, and Eli Manning should have a wealth of options to throw to downfield.

3. Minnesota Vikings
WR Stefon Diggs, WR Adam Thielen, TE Kyle Rudolph, TE David Morgan, WR Laquon Treadwell, WR Kendall Wright

The Vikings essentially have two no. 1 receivers. Theilen’s posted back-to-back strong seasons for Minnesota and broke out as a legitimate star last year as he utilized crisp routes, blazing downfield speed, and dependable hands to reel in 91 passes for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns.

On the other side, Diggs showed plenty of star traits, too—especially on contested passes—and despite fighting through groin, hip, and knee injuries, he collected 64 receptions for 849 yards and eight touchdowns. To complete the team’s triumvirate of pass-catchers, Rudolph put in a Pro Bowl performance while catching 57 passes and eight scores of his own.

Signed in free agency, Wright has a shot to emerge as a solid veteran no. 3 option, and the team’s still hoping that former first-rounder Treadwell can finally capitalize on his potential. It’s not surprising that Kirk Cousins chose the Vikings in free agency.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers
WR Antonio Brown, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR James Washington, TE Jesse James, TE Vance McDonald, WR Justin Hunter, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, TE Xavier Grimble

Brown is just stupid good: Since breaking out for the Steelers in 2011, the diminutive playmaker has racked up an NFL-best 717 catches (96 more than the next closest player, Larry Fitzgerald), an NFL-best 9,743 yards (689 more than Julio Jones, who’s second), and 59 scores (fifth). He’s an astoundingly quick route-runner, is unnaturally strong at the catch point despite standing just 5-foot-10, 181 pounds, and has shown few signs of slowing down as he enters his age-30 season.

Opposite Brown, Smith-Schuster has the potential to be a star: The USC product utilized a combination of size and speed to catch 58 passes for 917 yards and seven scores last year, quickly earning Ben Roethlisberger’s trust.

That’s what rookie deep threat Washington will hope to do this year, too, and if he can, Pittsburgh’s passing game won’t suffer much from the loss of Martavis Bryant. Add in tight ends in James, McDonald, and Grimble, and the Steelers can do just about anything in their passing attack.

If we were to add running back Le’Veon Bell to this group (and it’d be easy enough to do so, considering Bell’s a hybrid player who lines up in the slot to run routes), Pittsburgh would be my clear no. 1. But to avoid too much ambiguity, I specified this list is just for receivers and tight ends only, which means Pittsburgh’s talent-packed receiving corps gets edged out by just one team.

1. Atlanta Falcons
WR Julio Jones, WR Mohamed Sanu, WR Calvin Ridley, TE Austin Hooper, TE Logan Paulsen, WR Justin Hardy, WR Marvin Hall, TE Eric Saubert

Julio Jones anchors this group as an unguardable, unbelievably explosive downfield playmaker. His 411 catches and 6,317 receiving yards over the past four seasons trails only Brown, and while one knock on his game might be the relative lack of touchdowns—he’s scored 23 times in that stretch, which ranks 21st—few players come equipped with the combination of size, speed, hands, and body control that Jones possesses.

The eighth-year pro caught 88 passes for 1,444 yards and three scores last year, and there’s no reason to believe his run of consistently dominant play is anywhere close to ending.

What separates Atlanta from the pack, though, is the depth of talent behind their superstar leader. Sanu (126 catches, 1,356 yards, and nine touchdowns the past two seasons) is a physical and versatile no. 2. Rookie first-rounder Ridley should utilize his strong route-running skills and knack for picking up chunks of yards after the catch as the team’s third option early on.

At tight end, Hooper (49 catches, 526 yards, three touchdowns) is an ascending talent with breakout potential, and he’s bolstered at that spot by veteran Paulsen and rookie fifth-rounder Saubert. Add in fourth-year receiver Hardy and the speedy Hall, and the Falcons have the deepest, most complete pass-catching corps in the league.

Random randomness.
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Versus the NFL coming in at $177MIL.

Not sure who negotiated the TV deals for the NBA but the NFL should bring them on as a consultant LOL.

$101 million divided among essentially 11 players versus $177 million divided among essentially 53 players. That's an average of $9.18MIL in the NBA and $3.33MIL for the NFL.

Breaking it down by game favors the NFL a little bit, $208K to $112K, but the damage to players is WAAAAAY more significant to NFL players.

I think this is going to effect the new negotiations for TV deals going forward for NFL games.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-edge-vs-interior-which-pass-rusher-reigns-supreme

Edge vs Interior: Which pass-rusher reigns supreme
BY ERIC EAGER AND GEORGE CHAHROURI


Los Angeles Daily News

Much has been made of the relative value of pass-rushing ability in the NFL, as we’ve discussed multiple times on the PFF Forecast (this episode in particular). The simple fact that a strong pass-rush directly impacts the most valuable play in football, the downfield pass, makes it a very precious commodity. Regardless of where you rank pass-rushing among the different facets, there remains the question of whether pressure is more valuable when it is generated from the interior or the edge.

The traditional perception that interior defensive lineman are simply run-stuffers while edge defenders are responsible for creating pressure has gone the way of the printed map with NFL teams figuring out that passing reigns supreme. Players like Aaron Donald (99.7 PFF grade and 99.9 pass-rush grade), Fletcher Cox (90.3 pass-rush grade) and Geno Atkins (89.3 pass-rush grade) have generated tremendous value because they lay waste to would-be pass blockers and cause a nightmare for the opposing quarterback.

Just because the interior d-linemen of today are making a name for themselves as pass-rushers doesn’t necessarily mean that the pressures they generate are more valuable or even as valuable as those generated by their counterparts on the edge.

In fact, the surfeit of pass-rush production still resides on the edge; in 2017, there were two interior linemen with a pass-rush grade over 90.0 and 10 with a pass-rush grade of 80.0-plus, meanwhile six edge rushers earned a 90.0-plus pass-rush grade and 19 hit 85.0 or above.

Another argument that has gained some traction is that the reliance on quick throws in the current iteration of the NFL makes dominance on the interior and players like Donald (though he is really without compare) even more valuable.

From 2011 through 2013 the average time to throw was 2.77 seconds compared to 2.67 seconds over the last four seasons (2.69 seconds in 2017). For this reason, we will focus on 2017 data, though the difference between 2017 and including the last four years is quite small.

There are several things to consider when answering the ultimate question — which position creates pressure more frequently, which position creates more value for their team when they create pressure, which position creates pressure quickest, and which position creates pressure at a more consistent rate year after year.

GENERATING PRESSURE
One of the first places to look in terms of the value of the pass-rush from the edge versus the interior is how often pressure occurs from these places. Unsurprising (we think) to most observers of football, pressure is still most-frequently occurring from the edge. Pressure (a sack, hit, or hurry) occurred on 12.02 percent of pass-rush snaps from the edge in 2017, while non-nose tackle pass-rush snaps generated a pressure only 8.22 percent of the time.

Pass-rush snaps from a player shading the center occurred at a lower rate than both from the edge and other interior spots (6.43 percent) while someone that rushed the passer from an off-the-ball position (blitzing from linebacker or the slot) generated pressure frequently (16.85 percent of the time).

This can be seen within our premium stats for individual players as well. For example, there were 42 qualifying 4-3 defensive ends/3-4 outside linebackers with pass-rush productivities over 10.0 in 2017, while there were only seven qualifying defensive tackles/3-4 defensive ends that eclipsed the same mark. PRP weighs sacks a bit more than hits and hurries, but as we’ll see below, that only points more in the favor of value of edge pressure being higher than interior pressure.

Pressure rates in 2017 for:
Edge: 12.02% (n = 42547)
Interior: 8.22% (n = 35302)
Nose: 6.43% (n = 8000)
Off-the-ball LB/SCB: 16.85% (n = 6473)

PRESSURE VALUE
The value of pressure is undeniable. Last season, defenses created pressure on 35.5 percent of dropbacks. On plays under pressure, the offense averaged -0.32 expected points added (EPA) per play compared to 0.21 when the quarterback was kept clean. When the quarterback was under pressure, offenses gained 3.8 yards per play compared to 7.2 when clean.

Not all pressures are created equal, however. When pressure comes only off the edge the offense averaged -0.303 expected points added per play, only slightly below the overall mean. Pressure that comes only from the interior or the nose position results in an average expected points added per play of -0.178 and -0.213, respectively. Both of those are well below the overall average. In isolation, pressure off the edge provides far more value than pressure from the interior or nose.

The most debilitating pressure occurs, unsurprisingly, when multiple positions get to the quarterback. When pressure occurs from both the edge and interior the offense is at a tremendous disadvantage, averaging -0.632 EPA per play.

Pressure from the edge and nose is also quite disruptive, causing a loss of 0.482 EPA per play for the offense. Both scenarios are well above the average pressure in terms of generating value for the defense. While it doesn’t occur often, pressure that occurs from the interior and the nose position is not quite as valuable at -0.275 EPA per play for the offense.



EPA generated on pressures in 2017 for:
Only edge pressure: -0.303 (n = 3489)
Only interior pressure: -0.178 (n = 1740)
Only nose pressure: -0.213 (n = 298)
Only off-the-ball LB/SCB pressure: -0.286 (n = 696)
Edge and interior pressure: -0.632 (n = 802)
Edge and nose pressure: -0.482 (n = 102)
Interior and nose pressure: -0.275 (n = 58)

The most valuable pressures are those that result in sacks or fumbles. Whatever the reason, location of the rush or the speed of the player, the edge rusher has the clear upper hand. Edge rushers had a sack rate of 1.83 percent and a forced fumble rate of 0.28 percent compared to interior defensive lineman (0.97 percent sack rate and 0.07 percent forced fumble rate) and nose tackles (0.79 percent sack rate and 0.06 percent forced fumble rate).

Sack rates in 2017 for:
Edge: 1.83%
Interior: 0.97%
Nose: 0.79%
Off-the-ball LB/SCB: 2.52%

Forced fumble rates in 2017 for:
Edge: 0.28%
Interior: 0.07%
Nose: 0.06%
Off-the-ball LB/SCB: 0.25%

PRESSURE SPEED
One would presume that the quicker the pressure the more it benefits the defense. But that isn’t exactly the case. Perhaps because of the way passing plays develop there is a notable advantage to pressuring the quarterback quickly, but not too quickly, as offenses averaged -0.273 EPA per play on pressures occurring in 2.0 seconds or less and -0.384 EPA per play in between 2.1s and 2.5s (the highest of any time interval).

After 2.5s the value of a pressure drops to a loss of 0.271 EPA per play for the offense. In general, pressures that occur in 2.5s or less cost the offense 0.342 EPA per play compared to those that occur in 2.6s or more which costs the offense 0.289 EPA per play.

EPA generated by time to pressure in 2017
2.0s or less: -0.273 (n = 1,930)
2.1s to 2.5s: -0.384 (n = 3,158)
2.6s to 3.0s: -0.271 (n = 1,720)
3.1s or more: -0.323 (n = 892)
2.5s or less: -0.342 (n = 5,088)
2.6s or more: -0.289 (n = 2,612)

As we all know, the shortest route to the quarterback is a straight line and while there is no explanation in this article of how triangles work the shortest straight line is the one that has the smallest angle relative to the line of scrimmage. Having said that, the interior line is in a position to take a more direct route to the quarterback.

So does that translate to quicker pressure? Before diving in, it is important to note that we track the time to pressure with respect to when the quarterback first feels the heat, hence we look again at pressures that occur from each individual position as well as the combinations.

The average NFL time to pressure in 2017 was 2.42 seconds. Neither edge nor interior pressures managed to beat the average with edge-only pressures averaging 2.43 seconds and interior-only pressures averaging 2.46 seconds. Unlike value, time to pressure does not take a leap when both the edge and interior pressure occurs (2.45 seconds).

Time to pressure in 2017 for:
Only edge pressure: 2.43 seconds
Only interior pressure: 2.46 seconds
Only nose pressure: 2.50 seconds
Only off-the-ball LB/SCB pressure: 2.15 seconds
Edge and interior pressure: 2.45 seconds
Edge and nose pressure: 2.51 seconds
Interior and nose pressure: 2.43 seconds

HOW STABLE ARE PRESSURE RATES AND GRADES BY POSITION
While pressure from the edge appears to happen more often and has more value than pressure from the interior, we’ve seen examples within our data where the more valuable trait among two choices is not the more stable one.

To see if this may be the case for pass-rushers, we used a clustering algorithm to group players into broad position groups using our PFF player participation data. These players (all of whom had 150 or more pass-rushing snaps in consecutive seasons) fell into four clusters that we’ll use in this analysis: predominantly edge, edge/interior hybrids, predominantly interior, and interior/nose hybrids.

We found that the further away from the ball a player plays the less stable his performance in terms of PFF pass-rushing grade and pressure rates. For example, PFF pass-rushing grades are correlated season-to-season at a rate of 0.67, 0.64, 0.59 and 0.57 for interior/nose, interior, edge/interior and edge players, respectively.

This is a nontrivial difference in trait maintenance, but likely does not make up for the increase in both frequency and value of edge pressure as it relates to interior pressure. Sack rates were less stable for edge (0.29) than interior (0.34) but forced fumble rates were more stable for edge (0.22) than any other position cluster.

So, having an Aaron Donald one season is indeed more likely to lead to having an Aaron Donald the next relative to a similarly strong edge player, but an interior player needs to be like Donald to even make the comparison to a similarly-skilled edge player in the passing game a meaningful one.

There have been 95 instances where a player had more than 150 snaps as a predominantly edge player one season and then 150 snaps as an edge/interior player the next. Among that relatively small sample, pass-rush trades still appear to stick. The correlation coefficient for this group with respect to PFF pass-rushing grades was similar for predominantly edge players (0.55).



Stability in PFF pass-rushing grade for:
Edge: 0.57 (n = 352)
Edge_Interior: 0.59 (n = 134)
Interior: 0.64 (n = 670)
Nose: 0.67 (n = 74)
(min. 150 rushes each season)

Stability in pressure rates for:
Edge: 0.49 (n = 352)
Edge_Interior: 0.54 (n = 134)
Interior: 0.60 (n = 670)
Nose: 0.69 (n = 74)
(min. 150 rushes each season)

Stability in sack rates for:
Edge: 0.29 (n = 352)
Edge_Interior: 0.23 (n = 134)
Interior: 0.34 (n = 670)
Nose: 0.07 (n = 74)
(min. 150 rushes each season)

Stability in forced fumble rates for:
Edge: 0.22 (n = 352)
Edge_Interior: 0.09 (n = 134)
Interior: 0.16 (n = 670)
Nose: 0.00 (n = 74)
(min. 150 rushes each season)

CONCLUSION
A good place to end this discussion (for the time being) is where the elite pass-rushers at each position compare.

Aaron Donald was an absolute stud last season, earning a 99.9 pass-rush grade and amassing 91 quarterback pressures, both of which led the league. But his impact was perhaps not as tremendous as one might imagine. On Donald’s solo pressures (70, including nullified plays), the opposing offense gained 4.9 yards per play and lost a total of 16.96 expected points.

Compare this to the highest-graded edge rusher, Joey Bosa, whose solo pressures (46) cost the offense 41.89 expected points and resulted in 2.9 yards per play. Donald was quicker than average on solo pressures at 2.28 seconds per pressure which was still slower than Bosa who averaged just 2.22 seconds per solo pressure.

Doing this comparison for the five highest-graded pass-rushers at each position also yields interesting results. The top five interior pass-rushers (Donald, Fletcher Cox, DeForest Buckner, Geno Atkins, and Gerald McCoy) cost the opposition 75.30 expected points, averaged 2.34 seconds per solo pressure and saw offenses gain 4.1 yards per play.

The top five edge rushers (Bosa, DeMarcus Lawrence, Cam Jordan, Melvin Ingram, and Von Miller) cost the offense 109.16 expected points, averaged 2.29 seconds per solo pressure and saw the offense gain 3.1 yards per play.

Including pressures where other players were involved doesn’t change much. Pressures involving Donald cost the opposition 28.28 expected points, took an average of 2.33 seconds and resulted in 3.4 yards per play.

Pressures involving Bosa cost the offense 68.20 expected points, took 2.18 seconds on average and resulted in 1.8 yards per play. Taking away plays that resulted in turnovers from Bosa’s total still leaves Bosa ahead of Donald by over 11 expected points lost.

Donald is a tremendous player who is certainly deserving of the acclaim he has received as the top player in the PFF 50 rankings. But production and value do not always align. Donald was utterly dominant with Jeff Fisher at the helm and that was not nearly enough to move the needle for the Rams. Enter boy genius Sean McVay and the rest is recent history.

It might be a little early to declare edge pressure definitively superior to interior pressure, but the preponderance of evidence thus far certainly casts great doubt that the counterfactual could be true.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...m-nfl-stars-like-julio-jones-and-earl-thomas/

Get used to minicamp holdouts from NFL stars like Julio Jones and Earl Thomas

Missing minicamp has no impact on the upcoming season

There seems to be a bit of a trend this offseason, one I can't say I am surprised by, frankly. Skipping out on minicamp is all the rage, lately. And, well, so what?

I'm on record documenting what I think about OTAs and spring NFL "football" in general as presently constructed, which is a glorified baby-sitting service for young players and an opportunity for the league to maintain a year-round stranglehold on some semblance of the news cycle. It serves the purpose of taking attendance and getting rehab done for guys with two years or less of pro experience and for everybody else it's fairly irrelevant, Well, ditto for minicamp.

Yeah, sure, minicamp is mandatory and OTAs are even less meaningful, as voluntary exercises you can't even fine a player for following his contractual guidelines and staying home or going on vacation instead. But I'll let you in on another dirty little secret as well – not a whole helluva lot happens at minicamp, either, for guys who are established much less for superstars. If you think a few days of practice in the middle of June – where the priority is, above all else, no one get hurt – is going to have any impact on the upcoming season whatsoever, you are woefully misguided.

Okay, these sessions are a little closer to a real football practice, but when it comes to the kind of guy with the wherewithal to pull off opting out of them, well, they don't matter one bit. If you think Earl Thomas or Julio Jones or David Johnson or Taylor Lewan or Tom Brady are really going to get a damn thing out of a couple of afternoons, you don't get it. These are men at the very top of their game who stay in pristine shape 12 months a year and who are dominant competitors and who don't need a quick check-in during the dead of June to prove anything to anyone or maintain their edge.

They are far beyond this exercise and no one should be surprised if players of this caliber – particularly those on their rookie contracts who have far out-performed their compensation level, decide to do something else and incur the wrath of an $84,000 fine. In fact, in many ways it is the natural bi-product of this collective bargaining agreement that stripped entry-level players of any leverage or true negotiating strength given the specter of a fifth-year option and the inability to even ask for a reworked contract until after their third season and, of course, the possibility of multiple years of franchise tags on top of that.

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So get used to this. And be thankful that it isn't really taking away from your team. The penalties for holding out of training camp are much steeper and players have very little recourse in that regard anymore, so if there is a greater proliferation of them avoiding mandatory minicamp, I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

Especially given what transpired back in March, and what will continue to transpire with the cap now rising quite a bit each year. The NFL continues to rake in record broadcasting and sponsorship fees, and teams sell for more money than ever before, regardless of what you might read about the business of football being somehow imperiled. Because the reality of free agency is that with more cap money floating around and a good portion of the league fairly adrift and lacking star power and desperate to get a mediocre player to take considerably more money that he is probably worth.

Thus, when teams like the Chiefs want to give Sammy Watkins $45M guaranteed, despite his injury woes and modest productivity, well, I've got news got you, All-Pro's like Julio Jones and Odell Beckham take notice. When the Giants want to give solid-but-not-spectacular left tackle Nate Solder $15M a year, then a true brawler like Lewan is going to notice pretty quickly – someone younger and superior and stronger and more dominant in the run and pass game; someone who is in essence Marcus Mariota's bodyguard and in many ways the key cog in that offense, might just opt to stay home all spring. Even more so when he has yet to earn a dollar that wasn't essentially pre-described by the rookie wage system he was drafted into.

We've already become used to the fact that players on an unsigned franchise tag are going to stay away. But this may become a much more sweeping proposition.

Players know that once they get their new deal, that $85,000 they risked by no-showing for minicamp is going to come out in the wash. It's a very calculated gamble and the odds of them actually losing out on this money when they invariably get their new paydays are very slim. In the meantime they skip a period of time when you could suffer some freak injury and they don't really miss out on much that matters (even in the case of a new coach or system players of this pedigree can figure it out in camp).

But they do get the undivided attention of their front office and coaching staff. They do get the fanbase to start going white knuckle and obsessing over their absence. They do get ample national attention as well and more of a spotlight shined on their particular situation. Lately, they even get a fancy response from the front office in the form of a written statement about their absence.

All of a sudden their negotiation seems a lot more pressing – even though true deadlines loom at the start of camp, and, even more to the point, Week 1 – and coaches and GMs have to start answering questions about it and owners might start asking those same men about it and, again, there really isn't much for the player to lose. Trust me, this makes less than a ripple in the locker room and the other players get it. They understand how the game is played and what it takes, quite often, to get that cash and that also know that what their leaders are missing doesn't amount to much.

So fret not, Falcons fan or Titans fan or Cardinals fan or Patriots fan. Your season might not go as you would hope and you may have issues this season and problems on the horizon, but a minicamp holdout won't have anything to do with it. These teams are well aware of their underpaid labor and know when they really have to rectify the situation and the other 89 dudes running around in shorts this week will be just fine without them.

Jimmy Kennedy joins Jake Ellenbogen for Throwback Thursday;

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/15044497

Tyler Eifert was almost a Ram, but Bengals matched our offer.

Already looking like it’s a good thing we didn’t waste 8M on this guy, hoping he’d hold up.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tu...-transactions-cincinnati-bengals-tyler-eifert

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-unsure-if-eifert-back-will-be-ready-for-camp

10 Observations from Day 2 of Rams Minicamp

Posted 2 hours ago
Myles Simmons Rams Insider @MylesASimmons

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Team insider Myles Simmons shares his top 10 observations from the last practice of minicamp.
1) Special teams coordinator John Fassel began the session by practicing kickoff return with the group. Fassel had said in his press conference earlier in the day that the new return rules will necessitate more changes than the new kickoff rules.
2) Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh stood next to each other and ostensibly had a long conversation along the sideline while special teams got its work done on the field. There was certainly a good amount of knowledge and experience going on in that talk.
3) On the second field, kicker Greg Zuerlein was practicing field goals with the entire operation of long snapper Jake McQuaide and holder Johnny Hekker. There were no goalposts on the field, but it was still a good sign to see him launching the ball off his right leg.

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PHOTOS: Rams Minicamp Day 2
4) As head coach Sean McVay said it would be during his Tuesday press conference, Wednesday’s session was fairly light to cap the offseason program. The offense and defense stayed on separate fields throughout the short session, which meant there was no 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 work.
5) The offense started individual drills with running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers catching a quick pass in the flat from the four quarterbacks. The receiver then had to run past a pair of tackling dummies and stiff arm each of them to get through the drill.
6) The same group also went through a red-zone drill, where each quarterback had to scramble out of the pocket and then throw to a receiver on the run in the end zone. That can be a tough pass for a quarterback to complete in live-game situations.
7) The offensive skill players went through plays in their group drills very quickly — averaging about 10 seconds between snaps as McVay barked out formations and plays.
8) On the other field, the defense worked on covering routes with a split squad in order to maximize the individualized attention and reps for the players. One pair of inside linebackers was working with a corner and safety on one field side of the field, with the same thing happening in somewhat of a mirror image on the same field.
9) The defense also worked on a pursuit drill, with different coaches stationed at different places on the field to represent various wide receiver routes. After the coaches mocked the snap, the defensive players had to find the coach with the ball raised above his head, and then run to that spot. There were swing passes, deep passes, and midrange passes for the defense to pursue.
10) Overall, McVay seemed satisfied with the day’s mental work, saying in his press conference he was “pleased with the focus and concentration” from the walk-thru and practice.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-sets-to-get-lamar-jackson-on-the-field-more/

Ravens experimenting with two-QB sets to get Lamar Jackson on the field more

Jackson has apparently been wildly impressive during Ravens minicamp

For the last decade, the Baltimore Ravens have been quarterbacked by Joe Flacco. The Ravens selected him out of Delaware with the No. 18 overall pick in 2008, and he's started all but six of the Ravens' games ever since. He won Baltimore a Super Bowl back in 2012, but he's struggled since that point, and has been particularly bad over the last couple years.

And so, in his last draft running the team, general manager Ozzie Newsome traded up, down, forwards, backwards, and sideways and eventually landed the No. 32 overall pick, which he used on Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. Given Flacco's declining play and contract status (the Ravens can save $10.5 million by cutting Flacco after the 2018 season, and $18.5 million if they designate him a post-June 1 release), it seems likely that the Jackson era will be upon us sooner rather than later, no matter what happens this year.

But Jackson has already been so impressive during OTAs and minicamp that Ravens players are "in awe" of him and comparing him to a young Michael Vick, while the coaching staff is dreaming up more ways to get him on the field. That includes using two-quarterback sets, according to coach John Harbaugh.

"Gosh, I sure like him out there helping us," Harbaugh said, per ESPN.com. "If you put two quarterbacks on the field at once, what options does it create for our offense? That's what we're trying to figure out."

Jackson was easily the most athletic and fastest quarterback in this year's draft, and maybe in quite some time. He's so athletic that some teams wanted him to work out as a wide receiver. Jackson turned that down, because, well, he's a first-round quarterback prospect, so why on earth would he need to play another position? The Ravens insisted after the draft that they see Jackson strictly as a quarterback as well, but they're also using him to run the ball in some practices.

"I have a lot of fun seeing what they come up with and what they're going to come up with next," Jackson said. "We'll see where it goes. You have to use your good players."

A pretty easy way to make sure Jackson gets on the field is to just play him at quarterback. That's where this is heading eventually, anyway, but the team may be hesitant to bench its longtime starter for a rookie. The upside with Jackson is certainly significantly higher than it is with Flacco, though, and with a Ravens team that should once again have one of the NFL's best defenses, that could be enough to push them forward in the AFC North race.

“Oh ROD.....what have I wrought?!”

Shoot! I'll get the hang of this "running thing" yet! At least I'm not Blue-Arm Guy!!!

Not a bad read actually.....

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-goff-hernandez-20180612-story.html

Rams might look super on paper, but they'll need Jared Goff to step up and deliver
By DYLAN HERNANDEZ
JUN 12, 2018 | 7:50 PM


Jared Goff marched to the front of the media room at the Rams training facility. He looked down and noticed a sleek white podium had replaced the bulky brown stand that used to be there.

“New podium,” he wisecracked. “Exciting.”

Jared Goff opening a news conference with a joke?

It was uncharacteristic, but it also made a certain amount of sense, this being Goff’s third preseason with the Rams.

Goff was noticeably comfortable Tuesday on the opening day of minicamp. Comfortable with his place on the team. Comfortable with the system. Comfortable with the increased expectations.

The change was startling and the implications of that were exhilarating.

At this time a year ago, nothing was expected of the Rams. They had a first-year coach in Sean McVay. They were coming off a four-win season in which rookie Goff was underwhelming.

The Rams are now Super Bowl contenders, in large part because of the progress Goff made last year while directing the offense of the league’s highest-scoring team. He passed for 28 touchdowns, had only seven passes intercepted and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

With Matt LaFleur and Greg Olson departing in the offseason, Goff will be working with his third offensive coordinator and third quarterbacks coach in three years. The experienced team of LaFleur and Olson will be replaced by Shane Waldron and Zac Taylor. Waldron, the new pass-game coordinator, was the tight ends coach last year. Taylor was the assistant receivers coach.

But Goff won’t require as much hand holding as he did in his previous two seasons. And he also already has played a year under McVay’s system with McVay as the play-caller.

“He’s taken great strides this offseason,” Waldron said. “When you’re learning a new offense as a quarterback, you’re learning a new language. So, I think, Year 2, he’s more familiar with the language of the offense, the structure of what we’re trying to get done so he can take more ownership and he’s done a great job doing that.”

The experience is the source of Goff’s budding confidence.

“It goes back to just understanding things further and starting to dive deeper into some of the stuff we do and truly understanding the intent of everything,” Goff said. “It’s really understanding what we’re trying to get done with each play, even run plays, pass plays, everything.”

That’s what McVay wants.

“You hear us say it over and over and it gets monotonous but it certainly is the truth where we want him to be an extension of our coaching staff,” McVay said.

Goff will have to be that, and more.

If the regular season last year was a testament to Goff’s development, a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the opening round of the playoffs showed how much further he still had to go. The Falcons were focused on neutralizing running back Todd Gurley and Goff failed to make them pay.

Goff started slowly, as he was sacked twice in the first four minutes and the Rams went three and out on their first two possessions. He later made some superstar-caliber throws, but had trouble moving the football with regularity.

He finished with 24 completions in 45 attempts. Of his 259 yards passing, 102 came on the Rams’ last two possessions, when the game was out of reach.

“There are multiple plays in that game I’d like to have back, change, do differently,” he said. “All stuff to learn from and all stuff looking forward to in the future.”

Progress could take a different form this season.

“I thought he did a lot of good things last year,” McVay said. “I think it’s all about just consistency. We talk about it all the time. That’s the truest measurement of performance and especially at that quarterback position.”

The quicker he can make that improvement, the better.

Goff will count only $7.6 million against the salary cap this season. The modest figure factored in the Rams being as proactive as they were in the offseason and adding Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Brandin Cooks.

Examine the Rams roster and it’s clear the team’s window to win is now. The question is whether it’s also Goff’s.

why is it we always say the nice things about people after they have passed, when they cant hear them, read them? Why can't we toast others, speak well of them when they are still around to hear it?

@DaveFan'51 passing made me want to post this. All of us members are speaking so highly of him and rightfully so but he can't read these now.

I challenge you to tag a member or multiple members and say something nice about them. Maybe you have met them in person and want to share that. Maybe they offer some insight about your favorite football team and want to say thanks for spending the time enlightening your day.

I know I have many here I would like to say thanks to and it may take me multiple posts to do but I'll start.

@bubbaramfan , what a fun guy to hang out with! Your posts and take on the NFL and the Rams is very refreshing.
@RamBall , you're a great guy who I enjoy reading your posts and am looking forward to seeing you and the Mrs. at camp again this year.
@CGI_Ram , @Selassie I , @RamFan503 , @Prime Time , this place would not be what it is without you guys. I love reading your stuff and opinions. Selassie, just by being yourself you opened my eyes to be more inclusive of others. I know, you had no idea.
@den-the-coach wonderful insight with your stories from the past. Keep 'em coming!

So many more. Give me time, I'll get to you all.

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10 Observations from Day 1 of Mandatory Minicamp

1) With the beginning of minicamp on Tuesday, the Rams went through a walk-thru in the morning, then had regular practice in the afternoon following a lunch break. The club started with special teams drills before the rest of the squad went through a stretch prior to individual drills.

2) It’s a pretty minor detail, but the Rams got new scoreboards for practice. They’re bigger and easier to see from any part of the field. There’s a large clock, a play clock, and segment section on the scoreboard to the left. And then an offensive tally and defensive tally to the right for compete periods.

3) The defense began individual drills with each position group — defensive line, linebackers, and secondary — going through takeaway stations. One station simulated strip-sacks, with the defensive players rushing a QB dummy, hitting the ball out, and recovering the fumble. Another practiced the proper technique to dive on the football. And the last simulated a defensive player ripping the ball out from an offensive ballcarrier.

4) As always, head coach Sean McVay was active on the practice field during individual drills, covering different receivers on certain routes — especially Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, and Cooper Kupp. McVay also would ask for different routes from the various wide receivers in the group, with routes changing for the X, Z, and F positions.

5) Los Angeles began its 7-on-7 drills with the starters on offense going against the starters on defense. It was a move-the-ball period with the offense pushing the tempo and going no huddle. Quarterback Jared Goff had a few nice completions to wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. He also fit the ball in a tight window to tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett.

6) During 7-on-7 with the second group of offense and defense, cornerback Troy Hill went up to make a nice pass deflection on a deep pass from Sean Mannion to wide receiver Mike Thomas. Hill and Thomas were down the middle of the field, with the corner effectively keeping up stride for stride until the ball arrived.

7) As McVay noted after practice, the Rams kept things a bit lighter for the first team offense and defense, with neither group going through 11-on-11 drills on Tuesday. The second group, however, did go through a full speed 11-on-11 period.

8) That period began with running back Malcolm Brown ripping off a nice run to the right side of the field. Brown has quietly had a productive offseason program, working as running back Todd Gurley’s backup.

9) Wide receiver Fred Brown ended the 11-on-11 period by making a nice diving catch on the left side of the field from quarterback Brandon Allen. While the Rams have a talented receiving corps, Brown will have a chance to compete for a role on the 53-man roster during training camp.

10) Los Angeles ended Tuesday’s session with Sam Ficken kicking field goals. As McVay has said during the offseason program, L.A. will continue to bring along kicker Greg Zuerlein slowly so as to not risk any setbacks.

I have to admit I am Jones-ing for the Next Big Rams News after:
- Marcus Peters - Yeah!!
- Sam Shields - NIce!!
- Aquib Talib - Hell Yeah!!
- Ndamukong Suh - UNBelievable!!
- Brandin Cooks - You Got to Be Sh#$%@^& Me!!
- Nate Holley - WTF!!
So when will we get the Next Big Rams News? and what will it be?

Coach: “You know Steve, Todd will be the first to tell you, you can’t rest on the success of last year, and he’s such a professional.....”

Steve Wyche: (....I love when he says my name....)

It's on NFL Network. Looks like training camp live is on for 3 hours. Not sure, I would imagine it's just repeating initial hour

It is with heavy heart to inform our members that DaveFan'51 has passed away.

His wife gave me permission to share that Dave passed away in his sleep on May-27. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest, complicated by his battle with COPD.

As you know, Dave was among our everyday members with over 18,000 posts the last 4 years. We shared many of laughs, good times and bad, with Dave.

A die hard Rams fan with a love for the team matched only by his family and beloved granddaughter.

If you'd like to leave well wishes, I will be sure to direct his wife's attention to this thread.

I share your sadness.