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So my buddy comes home from the airforce this week after serving for 6 years. He's a huge Broncos fan and I wanted to do something that I thought would be funny.
I want to put my buddy's face over Peyton Mannings. I tried to do it but I suck at photoshop. Here's the picture of him I want to use:
Yeah he's a goofy motherfucker but hey lol this was my attempt at it
Looks like doggy doo doo. I would like to just insert his face in there but I don't know how. Is there anyone capable of this request? I know it's crazy but I would greatly appreciate it. I'l even venmo you a few bucks and pay for your morning coffee. Thanks in advance.
I was watching some show and they were discussing Baker Mayfield, and Joel Klatt the college football guy says the Browns need to make it easy for him by running a college style offense the way the Rams have done with Goff. And that is definitely what they are running. I thought that was an interesting thing to just throw out there like that without any explanation. The #1 offense in the league is a college offense?
Not that it matters a lot what you call it, I’m just curious if this is really how McVay is perceived.
For Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, It’s Time to Compete Again By Albert Breer
Every April, Pete Carroll has his Seahawks go through an exercise. In the team meeting room, each player gets up from the seats they were in the year before and finds a new spot around different people.
The idea, quirky as it might be, is to send the message to everyone that when a new NFL season begins, a new identity, new roles and new relationships have to be forged, because the team itself is brand new. You’ve heard it before—what happened last season doesn’t matter, past accomplishments don’t count—and this is Carroll’s way of physically demonstrating it for his players.
The Seahawks went through with it again a couple months ago, but the reminder wasn’t really necessary this time around. Richard Sherman is a 49er. Michael Bennett is an Eagle. Cliff Avril is mulling retirement. Kam Chancellor is awaiting scans on his neck to see if he’ll be able to play.
Earl Thomas has stayed away, and plans to keep staying away until he gets a new deal. And those five weren’t just a significant part of the team’s title core—they were also all under contract for 2018 just a few months ago, as five of Seattle’s 10 highest-paid players.
“I’m not saying I’m not more challenged this year than some other years,” Carroll said from his office the other day. “But I always feel like, ‘Man, this is my whole deal, to try to figure out how to recapture that.’”
Here’s the curveball: The roster turnover, the departure of all those core players, has actually made it easier for Carroll. Crazy? Not really. As he sees it, this offseason has been and will continue to be a chance, at age 66, to sell the bedrock of his program—competition—all over again. It got a little hard, as the above core came to prominence, to keep selling the idea that every spot was up for grabs. It’s not so difficult to sell anymore.
“It’s pretty plain to see, that when guys have established themselves for four or five or six years at a spot, and they’ve been really effective at what they do, it’s hard to convince the next guy that he’s going to take their spot,” Carroll said. “That’s for sure. So when opportunities are more open, it does create, in the truest sense, the best connection to what the philosophy and the approach is all about.
“And it feels like four or five years ago. It feels fresh and wide open, it’s more of an open competition for some of the spots. And that’s a really good thing for us, because it does feed into the whole approach.”
Toward the end of last year, a couple things were happening with the Seahawks. There had been a rash of injuries that put a lot of the foundational pieces of the Carroll Era on the shelf. There was some fatigue on the part of the vets who actually were available to play, to the point where they’d tell younger players, “You should’ve seen what this place was like in 2012.”
Six years ago, the intensity, tension and dog-eat-dog ethos were palpable. And last season, the guys making the decisions heard what the vets were saying—that’s evident in the calls they made this offseason. It started with Carroll’s staff; he hired new coordinators (Brian Schottenheimer on offense, Ken Norton Jr. on defense) and a new O-line coach (Mike Solari). It continued with the players. And it permeated how they drafted.
In fact, if you look at the Seahawks’ rookies, you’ll notice they’re all hardened by something significant they overcame. Shaquem Griffin is the most obvious example, but not the only one. First-rounder Rashaad Penny had to earn his way onto the field at mid-major San Diego State, behind Donnel Pumphery. Third-round pick Rasheem Green battled injury at USC. Fourth-rounder Will Dissly was a zero-star D-line recruit who grew into a great blocking tight end. Michael Dickson went from Australia to Texas to punt.
“We really hit it across the board,” Carroll said. “This year was a really good year for connecting with the right kinds of guys to really compete and add to the mentality. I don’t want to say that we tried harder at it. As always, we refocused, and we did better this year collectively hitting it. That’s why camp is good, that’s why every day these guys are juiced and ready to roll. They just add a nice energy. You can feel it.”
Carroll has seen it with veterans too, most notably in how Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin are working together. It’s there with a crew of running backs that Carroll calls “the most competitive group we’ve had,” with Penny fighting Chris Carson, Mike Davis and C.J. Prosise for snaps. And on defense, the addition of ex-Viking Tom Johnson has helped in pushing young D-linemen like Jarran Reed.
“There’s just been a lot of highlights, a lot of spots that fire me up,” Carroll said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how we come together when we get to camp.”
Of course, there’s another side to this, and that’s the fact that the previous crew was really, really good. It’s fine to be excited now. It’s another thing to actually win like those Seahawks did over the last six seasons. (A regular-season record of 65-30-1, five playoff appearances, three division titles, two NFC championships and a Super Bowl win.)
Carroll acknowledges that, of course, but he also doesn’t see this as a teardown. That brings us back to the other piece of last year to remember, which is the rash of injuries the Seahawks went through. It pushed onto the field a lot of guys who will be playing bigger roles this year, forcing them to get their feet wet. And what he saw then, and is seeing now, gives him hope that this could be 2012 again.
“It does feel like that,” Carroll said. “There was a time when our star players weren’t star players yet—they were just coming up, and it was exciting to see that emergence. That’s what we’re counting on in the next year, seeing these guys start to come to prominence and make a spot for themselves. I’m not even concerned about it. I just want to see what the timeline is. I hope it happens now. I want to see it happen right away.”
Last year a lot of people saw the changes looming and thought it was the perfect time for Carroll to walk away—he’ll be 67 in September, and after this year he’ll have been in Seattle as long as he was at USC. He sees it as a new start.
“I was clearly aware of what other people thought from the outside, because it was stated enough. Really, from my perspective, it turned me the other way,” Carroll said. “It made me more jacked up to get back into it, because we were taking all the right steps in the transition we were going to have to face, to make it work out.
“Somebody said, ‘You’re 65, are you thinking of retiring?’ or whatever it was. Who says at 65, you have to retire? What does that mean? It means nothing to me. I’m not old enough to retire. I’m not there at all. I do understand why people thought that. [But] we are not low on juice around here.”
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Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer/AP
HUE JACKSON JUMPED IN A LAKE; NOW IT’S ON TO 2018
A couple weeks back, Browns coach Hue Jackson fulfilled a promise to the fans in Cleveland, jumping in Lake Erie as a form of penance for going 0-16. He called it an “outstanding day for all involved,” in part because owner Dee Haslam was there, and in larger part because $30,000 was raised for his foundation.
It’s also the last he wants to hear about 2017. When he and I spoke on Thursday night, Jackson told me the players haven’t heard much from the coaches about it this spring. And they won’t either.
“It’s something we already know we were,” Jackson said. “We want to turn the page on that as fast as we can. Obviously we can’t get the taste out of our mouth until we start playing football games. We all know that and we respect that. But to talk about it, what does that do? It doesn’t do anything but bring up bad memories. We’ve pushed forward from that.”
The Browns’ minicamp this week will wrap up what’s been a muchdifferent offseason in Berea. After the Browns took an analytically driven, patient approach to building the roster in 2016 and ’17, new GM John Dorsey showed overwhelming urgency to get the team to 2018.
Yes, 0-16 is still there, but because of all of the activity, and because of Dorsey’s presence, to the people in Berea it feels like it happened longer than five months ago. That’s why I thought to reach out to Jackson this week. Here are a few nuggets from that conversation, straight from Hue to you…
Jackson wants the players to feel the urgency. “That’s the way John’s approached it. I know it’s the way our coaching staff has approached it. We want to get to winning as soon as we can, and the moves signal that.
Tyrod Taylor’s our starting quarterback, we drafted a rookie quarterback, and I think it’s a great situation to be in—we don’t have to play a rookie quarterback right away, because we have a proven guy who’s played in the league, won games, played in playoff games. That’s exciting. I also think it sends a message, creates a narrative that this team is gearing up to win, that everything we’re doing is pointing towards winning.”
The talent is better… “If you look across the locker room, every position group has been upgraded with more talent. It’s everywhere. That in itself, when you look from one guy to the next, they can see it, there’s been more talent brought on to this football team. …
I’ve been in this for a while, so there are things you can tell. I’m not ever going to say our team is not good enough, or we’re not this or not that. We’ll know when we get to training camp. But I do know there’s talent on this football team. And I think that’s obvious. If you look around the roster, there’s been some players who’ve been really good players on other teams.”
… so is the synergy between scouting and coaching… “When it’s like that—and it is now and has been since John has been here with us—we see things the same. So when you’re trying to acquire players, there’s a reason why we’re putting him on our team.
There’s a reason why we’re doing everything that we’re trying to do in the offseason to get this team to be the best they can be. It doesn’t mean we agree all the time, but we have great discussions and great conversations about why. You gotta win your ‘why’ on why we’re doing this.”
… and so is the makeup of the team. “I really like my football team. I like all the acquisitions we’ve made to our team. I like the young players we’ve had, because they’ve improved, some of them are into Year 3, some are into Year 4. I think it’s a great blend of young talent and veteran talent. …
A lot of these guys come from organizations where they won a lot of games, some have been to the playoffs, some didn’t do it as well. It’s a good blend, a good mix. But I think in the locker room, these guys know what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying accomplish. We’re trying to do something special.”
And the big question: Can Baker Mayfield win the starting job this summer? “That’s not in my mind. What’s in my mind is Tyrod’s our starter. We have two very capable players, one in Drew Stanton, who also has a ton of experience, and we have a young, emerging quarterback that’s got a lot of work to do, and has to learn a lot. I don’t want to put a ceiling on any player, but I already know where our pecking order is.
And again, I’ve said this before, I’m not going to stop him from being the best version of him, I’m not going to stop him from working extremely hard. I just want to do everything I can so when he goes out to play for the Cleveland Browns, whenever that is, he’ll know and he’ll be ready to play.”
-------------------------------------------------------------- Login to view embedded mediaView: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=iPnkmQOm3q0
So far, so good for Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Johnny Manziel. It’s not much yet, but in the clips I’ve seen, he looks like the smooth, natural athlete he was as a collegian.
------------------------------------------------------------- TAKEAWAYS
1. If you’d told me on the morning of April 26 that Derrius Guice would wind up being the seventh back taken in this year’s draft, I’d have called you crazy—and that would have been even with the knowledge that he was facing off-field questions. But that happened, and now it looks like the Redskins are the beneficiaries of murky rumors emerging on Guice during draft week, which precipitated his fall 27 picks into the second round.
Washington coaches love what they’ve seen from Guice so far. Yes, it’s non-contact spring work, but his vision, patience, explosiveness and hands have been apparent. Even better, they see a passion for football in him, which is one thing teams look for in players who’ve had maturity issues (Guice has) as an indicator that they’ll grow past them. Obviously, Guice still has a long way to go, but if he keeps putting it together like he did over the last month, he should be a factor in the fall.
2. Speaking of impressive springs, you can also mark down new Rams receiver Brandin Cooks. You might have seen the video of Sean McVay lusting over Cooks’ ability—“How about how fast Cooks looked on that strike? … You see how fast Cooks is? Oh God!” The truth is, the team had a pretty good idea of what the fifth-year pro would bring to the table.
What they’ve learned for themselves since is of his great attention to detail, practice habits and work ethic. And it ties into what Patriots OC Josh McDaniels told McVay as the trade was going down: Cooks didn’t miss a single practice rep last year in New England. A first-round pick was, of course, a hefty price to pay. But early indications suggest L.A. won’t regret it.
3. A slow-developing safety market has been a part of the Eric Reid storyline. And we’re still where we’ve been on that. On Thursday, Reid, Kenny Vaccaro and Tre Boston—starting-level players—will hit the three-month mark as free agents. It’s crazy, and an indication of a widening gap in how teams value corners and pass rushers vs. players elsewhere on defense.
A lot of teams believe, right or wrong, that they can get by with less at safety. That said, it’s worth mentioning that the two Super Bowl teams invested pretty heavily in versatile pieces at the position—Malcolm Jenkins in Philly, Devin McCourty in New England.
4. The Bills are a good example of a team that made it work at safety with less. Last year Buffalo got better ball production out of its starters at the position (10 interceptions) than any other team in football. Those starters, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, are back, and veteran Rafael Bush was added to the group, and I’m told the Bills are ecstatic with their safety situation given how those three worked together in the spring.
The cost? Hyde is making $6.1 million per, Poyer is at $3.25 million per, and Buffalo pried Bush from the Saints for $3.5 million over two years. So the Bills are paying a total of $11.1 million per year for two starters and a top backup at the spot, which is less than the franchise-tagged Lamarcus Joyner will make for the Rams this year, and almost $2 million shy of Chiefs S Eric Berry’s APY.
5. I know what Julian Edelman posted on Instagram in the wake of the suspension news (“I don’t know what happened”) came off as a little weird, but there is an explanation for it. I was told Edelman’s result was triggered by a substance that wasn’t immediately recognizable, and there are scientists analyzing it.
And as to the timing, the test did happen during the offseason (a couple months ago), which means it’s not for any kind of stimulant. You might remember the rash of players saying they got popped for Adderall—the rules have changed now so that offseason use of stimulants falls under the substances of abuse policy, rather than the PED policy.
6. If Julio Jones wants an adjustment to his contract, it would be tough to blame him. He’s now making less than Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry and Davante Adams. Jones is three years into the deal he signed in 2015, meaning he’s out of the guaranteed money, with three years left. He has an extensive injury history, and he turns 30 next February.
There will come a time, of course, when Jones’s skills will erode, and Atlanta will come looking to give him a financial haircut (like Arizona once did with Larry Fitzgerald) or his walking papers (like Dallas did with Dez Bryant). So he might as well see what he can get before all that happens.
7. Ditto for Earl Thomas. He’s had a litany of injuries, and he turns 30 in less than a year. There will come a time, and soon, when his value starts to nosedive. I’ll never blame a football player in that situation for trying to leverage a team.
8. I have trouble getting worked up over Terrell Owens’ plan to skip the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I wouldn’t advise a player to do it, but I look at this the same way I look at top prospects deciding whether or not to attend the draft: It’s amazingly difficult to get there, and each guy should have the right to celebrate how he sees fit. And the idea that this act by Owens makes him any less deserving of induction is patently absurd.
9. I thought the surprise in Detroit over new coach Matt Patricia making his players run laps was way overblown. For one, people there I know have said that the guys who worked under Jim Caldwell were a pretty disciplined group to begin with—it was a hallmark of how Caldwell wanted his teams. It’s not like Patricia and his players were starting from zero.
In fact, Caldwell would assess fines, rather than penalty laps, and you can guess which method the players wind up preferring. And then there’s where Patricia came from, which makes this predictable.
Just this week, in fact, Bill Belichick assessed penalty laps for mental errors on two occasions, in plain sight of the media, and then wrapped the minicamp by making his players run hills. That isn’t treating guys like they’re in high school. That’s conditioning them for an NFL season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- FIVE-DAY FORECAST
Aaron Donald isn’t expected at Rams minicamp. Khalil Mack’s status for Raiders minicamp is up in the air. Le’Veon Bell still hasn’t signed his franchise tender, so he won’t be at the Steelers’ mandatory work. Earl Thomas plans to miss this week. We’ll see about Julio Jones. Everyone will be watching Odell Beckham Jr.’s involvement at Giants minicamp closely, too.
And this is what we’ll be talking about this week. The maximum fines for missing the three days of minicamp are as follows: $14,070 for the first day missed, $28,150 for the second day, and $42, 215 for the third day, bringing the grand total to $84,435. (Bell isn’t subject to the fines since he’s unsigned, but the others are.)
Is skipping worth it? Maybe this is just what I remember of the last few years, but it seems teams aren’t often moved much by players missing work in the spring. The summer, of course, is a different story—that canmake management squirm a little. We’ll all make a big deal—probably too big a deal—of these things this week. If any of these wildcat contract strikes are still going on six weeks from now, well, then that actually would be a big deal.
NFL Division Power Rankings: NFC South easily reigns supreme By Gregg Rosenthal
No division can match the NFC South's quartet of quarterbacks. No division possesses a more talented team trying to escape the basement than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No other division sent three teams to the playoffs a year ago.
The easiest part of making the division power rankings below was where to start: in the NFC's Dirty South.
NOTE: Each divisional subhead presents the teams in the order they finished last season.
This is the only division where all four teams are realistic threats for double-digit wins, which comes back to their quarterbacks. Productive passing games are more consistent from year to year than strong defenses, and this is a division led by quarterbacks: Matt Ryan and Cam Newton have won two of the last three MVPs, while Drew Brees was playing at a championship level last season.
The 2017 Bucs finished fifth in drive success rate, according to Football Outsiders, with a fluky dead-last ranking in lost fumbles per drive torpedoing their season. No lead is safe in a division with quarterbacks this good.
This is no longer the Aaron Rodgers Invitational. The Vikings kept all the best parts of their NFC title game squad while upgrading at quarterback, defensive tackle and the No. 3 receiver spot. Matthew Stafford has the perfect combination of scheme continuity, weapons and a bolstered offensive line to enjoy a career season.
Rodgers is due for another MVP campaign that reminds everyone he might be the most talented ever at his position, while the Bearsfinally look interesting again.
Chicago's anticipated revival is the key. I don't need to watch another six-minute montage prior to a Bears-Packers national television game calling it the sport's greatest rivalry before another 38-13 target-practice sesh for Rodgers. If the Bears' hype pans out, the NFC North has the highest ceiling of any division: Two true title contenders and two dreaded "teams no one wants to face."
Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan are set up to have the best coaching rivalry of the next decade, with Shanahan having the edge at quarterback. :baghead: The Rams' aggressive remodeling effort could wind up costing people jobs, with owners from other franchises wondering: Why can't we do that?
Any team led by Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Earl Thomas can't be counted out, while any offense with Josh Rosen and David Johnson should be fun to watch. This has been the best division in football on balance for the decade -- and it's on the way back up.
After spending most of the decade as the worst division in football, the AFC South has finally turned a corner. There is a lot of room for growth, too, with Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson coming off injuries and Marcus Mariota capable of playing better than he did for much of 2017.
I love the Titans' young nucleus and general manager Jon Robinson's conclusion that coach Mike Mularkey wasn't going to get the team over the top. I love the Jaguars' entire defense, at least while it stays together. I love how watchable Watson and Luck should make these division games, even if the rosters in Houston and Indianapolis aren't quite balanced yet.
What the division lacks in obvious title contenders, it makes up for in saucy possibility. Get on board before the rest of the nation does.
Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh are fighting for their careers, with a strong defensive base to build off. The Bengals boast a roster without huge weaknesses ... and a lot of players in their prime. The Browns' depth chart barely resembles the 0-16 squad from a year ago.
This was the last AFC division to send three teams to the playoffs, back in 2014. While it's a longshot, the North has the best chance of any AFC division to do it again.
A division power rankings done last offseason might have had the AFC West first. That came before the bottom fell out for the Raiders and Broncos, and before the Chargers did in Los Angeles what they mostly did in San Diego.
Look past the 2017 results, however, and there is a lot of firepower. The Chiefshave an offense that the rest of the league is trying to copy. That Chargersroster -- the one that seduces writers like me every offseason -- still ranks among the league's best. Derek Carr and the Raiders offensive line that thrilled the NFL in 2016 remain intact. Denver's defense still has championship bones, and John Elway's changes on offense make a lot of sense on paper.
The AFC West might rank first in unpredictability, and second only to the NFC South in top-to-bottom competitiveness. Shake up these four teams, and they could finish in any order by the end of the season.
Consider the NFC East the rich man's AFC East. It has one team that should make the playoffs, barring the end of days. It has three other squads that are hard to envision as title contenders, but which can be compelling if everything breaks right.
The Patriots rank near the top of any respectable strength-of-schedule analysis heading into the 2018 season -- as in, the easiest -- because they get to play the Dolphins, Jets and Bills six times. The same competitive imbalance has existed for most of the Belichick-Brady era, with only the peak-level Rex Ryan Jets resembling anything close to a team ready to win a Super Bowl.
The Bills show signs of working toward true post-Brady success, smart enough to rebuild and address weaknesses after a nine-win playoff campaign instead of taking the cheese and believing they arrived. Jets coach Todd Bowles and Dolphins coach Adam Gase could be battling to keep their jobs this season, which puts extra pressure on the early portion of the season.
The AFC East ranks last here despite the presence of the NFL's longest-running dynasty because none of the division games sound like appointment television. It's been too long since a December Jets-Dolphins game or some variation involving the teams here truly mattered.
I've been hearing and reading it this off season and I just disagree with it.
OK............yes if he gets even better I'm going to be very happy, we will all love that. But if he plays exactly like he did last year for the rest of his career, well I'm still happy. I don't see the argument having much validity. And I don't know why that's a big part of the discussion surrounding him.
I think we would all like to see him play like Warner, but if he does what he did last year I'm fine with that. He wasn't average at anything, he was good to excellent any way you slice it.
Here is my case for why that discussion is not valid and is a waste of time.
1. He played 15 games. Averaged 253 yards per game, would have broken the 4,000 barrier if he played 16 games..........which would have been good enough for #8 overall on pass attempts than a lot of guys in front of him.
2. 8 YPA..........good enough for #3 overall and .09 of a yard, less than 4 inches short, of being #1 overall.
3. 12.9 per catch.......probably in the top 5 I can't find that stat. Maybe top 3.
4. A rating of 100.5..............good enough for #5 overall.
5. And by the way how about this. A 4-1 TD to INT ratio. And that is good enough for top 5 overall.
6. He was first alternate at QB in the NFC, lets not forget that. Think of the list of players at the QB position in the conference. Only 3 get voted in, so the fans, players and coaches must believe he was the 4th best overall QB. Derek Carr and Alex Smith were the AFC alternates..........anyone want to make a case for them being better than Goff? So players, fans and coaches think he is a top 7 QB right? That's how I see it anyway.
His pocket presence was really good IMO. He got himself out of some noisy/collapsing pockets and got off a pass many times last year or just threw it away.
So when I read or hear talking heads say "he needs to take the next step" I'm left with nothing to say except "or what?" because if he doesn't the team still has an excellent QB.
His completion % is 62%, which I can live with because he doesn't hesitate to throw it away if nothing is there or he feels a pass would be a risk. He takes great care of the ball which is how McVay has coached him.
What is the big improvement supposed to be?
If it is his completion % then all he has to do is complete 3 more passes per 100 thrown which isn't a "big step" and he's going to be about top 5 in that category.
I decided to start an on-going series flashing back to past Rams history (similar to what we are doing with the Throwback Thursday episode of The Downtown Rams Podcast every Thursday). In this series, I will try and bring these former Rams to light, show off what they did for the horns and their overall career.
Greg Bell was a former Notre Dame running back that went in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft. The Buffalo Bills drafted him 26th-overall and he produced immediately. His rookie year, Bell finished with over 1,000 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. It was apparent Buffalo had made a solid choice by selecting Bell in the draft. The next season Bell finished under the 1,000-yard rushing mark but finished with eight touchdowns. His third year would be his last full year with the awful Buffalo Bills who finished a combined 8-40 during that three-year span. Bell only started six games and didn't amass anywhere near the rookie season he had.
The next season all of the sudden the former Buffalo Bills first-round pick had been shipped to Los Angeles in a 10-player and three-team mega blockbuster trade for Eric Dickerson. The Rams knew they were having difficulties re-signing Dickerson and so they traded him to the Colts for a bevy of assets. The Bills traded away RB Greg Bell, a first-round pick in 1988, a second-round pick in 1988 and a first-round pick in 1989. In return, the Bills received the rights to second-overall pick in 1987, LB Cornelius Bennett from the Colts. The Colts received RB Eric Dickerson and on top of Bennett the team gave up RB Owen Gill, a first-round and second-round pick in 1988 and a second-rounder in 1989. The Rams acquired Bell, Gill, two first-round picks (RB Gaston Green & WR Aaron Cox) and two second-round picks (WR Willie Anderson & LB Fred Strickland) in 1988 in addition to a first-round (DE Bill Hawkins) and second-round (LB Frank Stams) pick in 1989.
The Rams didn't really get much out of the trade aside from Flipper Anderson, Fred Strickland and of course Greg Bell. Bell made the Rams look like early winners in the trade starting in 1988. He had over 1,300 total yards from scrimmage and 18 total touchdowns. Dickerson still led the league in rushing, but it was the fact the Rams had a young replacement that had 18 total touchdowns and on top of that the team was going to have more picks incoming. Bell and the Rams had a nice season going 10-6 and falling short in the first-round of the playoffs in a 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In 1989, the Rams and Bell picked up right where they left off as the 27-year old RB accumulated over 1,200 total yards and 15 touchdowns. It became apparent that it was going to be time to pay the 27-year old after the team went 11-5. This was the year that the Rams had knocked off both the Eagles and Giants in the playoffs but were ultimately blown out in a game to go to the Super Bowl by Montana and the 49ers.
As for Bell and the Rams for that matter, it was the end of the quick winning era. Bell was one of those dream scenarios when you get a player via trade to replace a star and they do a great job in doing so. Dickerson could never be replaced but Bell was among the league leaders in rushing. Unfortunately, Bell and management didn't see eye-to-eye. He was loose-lipped in his thoughts and because of it, the Rams felt they weren't going to sign him to a long-term deal like Bell wanted. The Rams, in turn, decided to trade him to the Oakland Raiders for an undisclosed draft pick. It was a shame the Rams had such a talented back but felt like he didn't fit the culture of the team. After that last season with Bell, the Rams would go on to have a disastrous stretch until 1999 when they won the Super Bowl.
Bell retired right after his first year in Oakland. He had fallen off a cliff just like the Rams after his departure and others departure. Bell had 33 total touchdowns in two seasons as the Rams starting RB. Dickerson finished with just two more touchdowns in his five seasons with the Colts. The trade simply had no winner or loser and perhaps the winner was the Buffalo Bills who received Bennett. He spent nine seasons with the Bills, racked up 52.5 sacks, 751 tackles, 22 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries and six interceptions. The Bills linebacker was a five-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. Bell was great in a limited amount of time for the Rams but the longevity wasn't there and is why Bennett and Bills won the mega Eric Dickerson trade.
Rams vs Seahawks played December 17, 2017 in Seattle
I watched this game again last night... Pretty much every Ram’s player gets their name called at some point. Just a classic or signature game for many of our players.
The Rams just dominated.
Probably the only players that did not play “great” were Zuerlein and Goff. And... they weren’t exactly horrible, either. This might have been Greg’s last game, he appeared to be lumbering.
Tons of gems in this one.
And good visuals...
Oh and Pete... since I’m talking trash... about that SuperBowl pass play from the 1yd line...
Steve Palazzolo and Mike Renner take a closer look at Aaron Donald, who we recently ranked #1 in our
2018 Top 50 NFL Players. See the complete Top 50 rankings at: https://www.profootballfocus.com/news...
Click the link below as this didn't copy and paste well......Here is the Quote about Rams top speed. I'm not sure if it means the receiver who caught the ball. Seems like that would be it. Any thoughts?
Davis, who died in 2011, would probably hate the current version of the Raiders. As a receiving group, the Raiders are the second slowest in the N.F.L., according to Sportradar. If we look at every pass play in the N.F.L. this season through Week 16, and then average the top speed of each receiver across all of those plays, the Rams have the fastest group with an average of 13.32 m.p.h. The Raiders, at 11.96, are slower than every other team except for the Packers, who are more than a mile and a half per hour slower than the Rams at 11.74 mph.
Rams Flashback Spotlight: DE Coy Bacon, Jackson State University
June 5, 2018 | By:Jake Ellenbogen
I decided to start an on-going series flashing back to past Rams history (similar to what we are doing with the Throwback Thursday episode of The Downtown Rams Podcast every Thursday). In this series, I will try and bring these former Rams to light, show off what they did for the horns and their overall career.
Leandor McCoy (Coy) Bacon was undrafted out of Jackson State and spent his rookie year on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad (taxi squad). Of course, that wasn't before he was named All-Star of the Continental Football League for the Charleston Rockets in 1966. In 1968, the Cowboys traded Bacon to the Los Angeles Rams for a fifth-round pick. The Rams traded for him halfway through the season and used him as depth behind the Fearsome Foursome squad that dominated the NFL. Bacon ended up playing in seven games that season for the Rams in a season that saw them finish 10-3-1 and still not make the playoffs due to a close loss on the last game of the year to Don Shula's Baltimore Colts.
The next year when starter Roger Brown went down with an injury, Bacon stepped right in for him at defensive tackle and made his presence known. Bacon finished the season with 13 starts on the year. This season, the Rams had improved and finished the year at 11-3 under George Allen and went to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Rams fell short in the divisional game against the Minnesota Vikings 23-20 and found themselves eliminated from the playoffs in a season that could have seen them going to the championship.
In 1970, member of the Fearsome Foursome Lamar Lundy had retired and now Coy Bacon was an official starter. Bacon had officially moved to the defensive end spot in which he was about to showcase his incredible overlooked ability. There was a reason the Rams traded away a fifth-round pick for an undrafted rookie free agent. In this season, Bacon racked up an unofficial total of 20 sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown, he started all 14 games but unfortunately, the 9-4-1 Rams missed the playoffs.
The 29-year old Bacon continued his dominance in 1971 but was finally recognized for it after notching his first honors to the All-Pro Second-team. Bacon had an unofficial total of 21 sacks in his second season starting as a defensive end. The franchise named Bacon the defensive player of the year for their team. Unfortunately, it was a season that ended in yet another miss of the postseason after the Rams finished 8-5-1. When the league expanded to 26 teams it really took a toll on the Rams playoff chances as they were good but unless they won the division they weren't good enough.
Once again Bacon was named the Rams defensive player of the year but unfortunately, it once again was a season that ended in defeat. This time though, the Rams had fallen from grace after finishing third in the NFC West division under second-year Head coach Tommy Prothro. It was another Second-team All-Pro honor for Bacon but that was all she wrote as far as Bacon's story with the Rams goes. The franchise decided to trade their star defensive end and their 24-year old up-and-coming running back Bob Thomas in 1973 to the San Diego Chargers for quarterback John Hadl. This marked the point of the organization in which the Rams had given up on the once elite QB Roman Gabriel and had sold the farm to grab a new QB in what looked like a panic-ridden decision.
The next year things worked out for the Rams under new Head coach Chuck Knox, John Hadl and star RB Lawrence McCutcheon. The team finished 12-2 and found Bacon's replacement in Fred Dryer. Unfortunately for Bacon, the Chargers were a polar opposite type of team that finished 2-11-1 on the year. The only real highlight came on an 80-yard interception return from Bacon. He played another solid season while only starting in nine games. Bacon reunited with Head coach Prothro the next season in which displayed an improved season after going 5-9. There looked like something was being building until the collapse the next season falling right back down to the bottom of the league at 2-12. The 24-year old QB Dan Fouts was miserable as well as the rest of the team. Once again, Bacon was traded after a disappointing year and this time he was off to join the Cincinnati Bengals in a trade for Pro-Bowl WR Charlie Joyner.
At the age of 34, Bacon was clearly not done. The trade to the Bengals brought in one of the most dominant seasons in league history. The NFL did not start recording sacks until 1982 but the Bengals started to long before that and to this day the Bengals accounted unofficially that Bacon had sacked the QB 26 times which would be the record in a single-season to this day. However, things get tricky as they did not count half sacks as a half but more as an entire sack. So, it is said that Bacon finished with 21.5 which was still incredible and was among the elite and still is today. He received another Second-team All-Pro honor as well as an invitation to his second Pro Bowl. He started every game for a team that finished 10-4 and just missed the playoffs again. The next season the Bengals went 8-6 and while it was another Pro Bowl season for Bacon, it was also another empty postseason as well.
Right before the 1978 season, Bacon would be traded again to the Washington Redskins for a First-round pick along with eight-time Pro Bowl teammate Lemar Parrish. The league had already expanded to 28 teams but it had also made the bold move to switch to 16 game seasons. The Redskins received the pass rusher they needed in Bacon but it wasn't enough in year one of Bacon's Redskins career as the team went 8-8. The next season the playoff kryptonite known as Bacon and the Redskins missed the postseason again at 10-6. The following season the 38-year old Bacon notched a third straight double-digit sack season (unofficially) but the Redskins struggled and finished 6-10. Bacon in his fourth and final season with not only the Redskins but the NFL as a whole started three games but suffered an injury that would sideline him the rest of the season. The Redskins went 8-8 in their first season coached by Joe Gibbs and the once elite pass rusher was released from the team the next season.
Bacon just loved the game and refused to let it go, so in 1983 at the age of 40, he joined the Washington Federals in the USFL. The team went 3-15 and Bacon started all but two games that season with 62 tackles and seven sacks in what was to be his final year playing football. He retired and still remains as one of the most overlooked defensive players of all time. After his career was over Bacon became a motivational speaker following his encounter with a drug-related gunshot wound. He spent years working at the Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility. In 2008, Bacon passed away at the age of 66.
Although he played for the Fearsome Foursome era Rams, Bacon was mainly forced to play around a lot less talent for the next nine years. He was the focal point of the defense and teams would make sure to double team him. Still, even with the double teams, Bacon was ferocious. He played 180 NFL games in 14 seasons, accumulated three Pro Bowl honors, two touchdowns, 15 fumble recoveries and an unofficial total of 130 sacks. He may never find himself in the Hall of Fame just like his teammate from the Rams - Roman Gabriel. That, however, does not mean he and Roman weren't deserving. Unfortunately, Bacon is one of the most overlooked players of all time but it is important to remember him and pass around the word to keep his legacy alive. As the younger voters file into the Hall of Fame voter committee, the odds of players like Bacon making the Hall continue to dwindle.
You have to go back to 2015 to find the last time a player was selected in the NFL Supplemental Draft. That last time, however, was the St. Louis Rams selecting Clemson OT Isaiah Battle in the fifth round.
Of course, Battle never worked out and due to the selection by rule, the Rams had to relinquish their 2016 fifth-round pick. This year there are three legitimate prospects expected to be in this supplemental draft. It started with the 6-foot-3 Virginia Tech CB Adonis Alexander announcing his intentions to apply for the Supplemental draft soon after Western Michigan standout CB Sam Beal and Mississippi State Safety Brandon Bryant displayed their intentions to be a part of the draft as well.
With the Rams having a Super Bowl caliber roster on paper it may not seem like a need but the question remains, should the Rams draft someone in this Supplemental draft? First, before anything, you have to look at your assets at the moment as far as the draft goes next year. The Rams have all of their picks except their second-round pick that they trade away as part of the Marcus Peters deal and potentially the seventh-round pick they give to the Giants this year or next year depending on if the Broncos trade their pick to the Giants or not which is also conditional. So, the Rams could use the supplemental draft and pick in rounds three, four, five and six but not seven or the second. Here are the three options for the Rams to choose from.
Option 1: Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech (6-foot-3, 207 pounds)
The first option is the most likely due to the fact Adonis Alexander is officially locked in as an option for the draft itself. The big long-limbed cornerback has had some off-the-field issues for sure but he offers a lot as a long-term investment. This is not a player that should be starting in year one but a situation like the Rams have provides a lot of attraction. First, the Rams are fine at the CB position...for now. Marcus Peters finds himself as an unrestricted free agent in 2020 along with fellow starter Aqib Talib, Sam Shields is only signed for one year as is Troy Hill and Kevin Peterson (who is an exclusive rights free agent). That's not to mention Dominique Hatfield and Taurean Nixon are both restricted free agents in 2020. The only cornerback on the roster through 2021 is Nickell Robey-Coleman who plays the nickel spot.
Alexander might not even play in 2018 if he is drafted by the Rams but let's not forget why he applied for the Supplemental draft in the first place. It was simply because when he decided to stay in school the NCAA ruled him academically ineligible to play. This isn't a guy that was dying to make the move to the NFL right away. This is someone that simply felt there was no reason not to. With the type of veterans around Alexander, this could be a beneficial landing spot for him with a chance to also win a Super Bowl in his rookie season.
What does Alexander bring to the table aside from size though? 32 games of experience at Virginia Tech, seven interceptions, 17 pass breakups, 125 total tackles, a forced fumble and a sack. Regardless, this is a player with fluid hips that has the ability to really redirect a receiver off the line of scrimmage with his length. His seven interceptions display obvious ball skills and his ability to play in both press man or off-ball coverage allows himself more leeway as far as what he can do to help a defense.
Alexander does struggle in some areas though, it starts with the off-field issues as far as the marijuana incident and violating team rules in 2017. If you ask me, I do not think that is much to worry about. The real issues to worry about are his inconsistencies with play speed and play awareness. At times, you will see a player that has a nose for the ball but then you might turn on another play only to find Alexander completely away from the ball. He also does suffer from the same type of problem Arden Key and Dorance Armstrong suffered from and that is the tape disparity from his 2016 tape to his 2017. Did he regress? These are things teams need to diagnose before unloading a draft pick for next year's draft when you have yet to see how the current season will play out.
Round Prediction: I see him as a fifth-round pick. You liked some of the things that Battle brought to the table as an athletic offensive tackle but you saw the negatives as well and of course, he flopped in the NFL. With Alexander, it's similar but Alexander is less of a project than Battle was. I wouldn't be shocked if Alexander went in the fourth but with the potential of the other two guys Beal and Bryant joining the fray, I could see Alexander slipping.
Option 2: Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan (6-foot-1, 190 pounds)
Sam Beal is the better prospect in my opinion and he's the most NFL-ready one as well but that's the issue here. The Rams are "all-in" but that doesn't mean they are going to spend a third-round selection next year to nab Beal's services. Beal is likely going to play a lot in his rookie year, he's that good. However, there is no way the Rams can afford to give up a third after not having a second with Peters. Plus, who knows, Beal could be a second-round pick in this Supplemental draft. I really like Beal and if the Rams nabbed him in the fourth they would have a nice future going on at CB. However, it's just unlikely. Beal doesn't have a serious off-field concern and just like his off-field concerns, he doesn't seem to have many weaknesses either.
A taller cornerback that mirrors receivers well, sticks to them like glue, has legitimate speed and excels in press man coverage. Beal petitioned the league and so he will most likely be approved. This is the player a team like the New York Giants or New England Patriots might snag due to lack of starting talent or confidence in that said starting talent. The Rams have three guaranteed starters and a potential stud fourth corner in Shields. They will not spend the capital it will take to acquire Sam Beal. If the Rams did acquire him though, they would have to take a long look at potentially trading a cornerback and maybe in return picking up another pick or even a linebacker.
Round Prediction: This guy to me checks all of the boxes. I don't know why he didn't come out this year in the first place. I see second round talent. However, I think teams will use the Isaiah Battle experience as an excuse to pull themselves away from a potential selection that high. Beal to me heads to the New York Giants via a third round selection. Janoris Jenkins is great but who's playing next to him? Riley Curtis? William Gay? Eli Apple? Um no. The Giants will take Beal in round three.
Option 3: Brandon Bryant, S, Mississippi State (6-foot-0, 215 pounds)
The least productive prospect of the three is probably the most intriguing of the three. With Sam Beal, we know he has the skill to play right away and with Adonis Alexander, we know he has the raw size to be a factor if developed properly but with Brandon Bryant, we are looking at an athletic freak or rather a physical specimen. Bryant ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash and deadlifted 600 pounds according to NFL.com. Bryant didn't get to play much so there isn't a ton of tape on him out there but make no mistake Bryant offers a lot of athleticism for a team to play around with and try to mold.
Due to the lack of production Bryant is likely a sixth round-to-undrafted prospect at best. It bodes well for a team that is looking for a developmental guy with amazing athletic build but doesn't want to pay top dollar for him. With the Rams, they have their two starters for this season in LaMarcus Joyner and John Johnson III but it is worth mentioning how important of a role the newly-signed Jacksonville Jaguar and now former Ram Cody Davis played. The Rams obviously like what they have in Marqui Christian and Blake Countess, as well as some of the UDFA's they added like Steven Parker and Afolabi Laguda but Bryant might make a lot of sense for this team. Even so, Joyner is not a guarantee long-term as he plays through the franchise tag this season.
Bryant is another fun project that would be a nice fit for the Rams as far as fit, where he's at with development and value. It's going to be hard for the Rams to not even bid on any of these prospects. It's not like the past, this is a legit class of Supplemental draft prospects. In the past, only 43 players have been drafted since the Supplemental draft was installed in the 1977 season. There could be three in this draft alone.
Round Prediction: I am going to go out on a limb and say that Bryant gets drafted in the sixth round because teams in this league just love athleticism. He has rare athleticism and he's a workout warrior. Sure, the academic issues are a shame but we know putting in the work towards football is not an issue for Bryant. This is a player that needs a few years but if he falls into someone's grasp that knows what they are doing. You could have a really good football player out of it.
What are your thoughts on these three guys? Do you believe the Rams should take any of them? Let us know!
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Les Snead was happy to interject.
The Los Angeles Rams general manager sat alongside Ndamukong Suhand coach Sean McVay as Suh was introduced as the newest member of the team's defensive line.
Reporters peppered the trio with questions about Suh’s addition to a group that already included reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
A few minutes later, a reporter asked a question that mentioned a third -- and less talked-about -- starter on the line.
“I’m glad you brought up Michael Brockers,” Snead said. “He felt left out in the last two questions.”
At the outset of the offseason program last month, Brockers had become all but the forgotten piece in a position group that features Donald, a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro, and the recently acquired Suh, also a three-time All-Pro.
But as the Rams wrap up their third and final week of organized team activities, with Donald not having attended any part of the offseason program because of a contract dispute, the 6-foot-5, 302-pound Brockers has reaffirmed himself as an integral part of a line that is considered among the best in the NFL ahead of the 2018 season.
And Suh, whom the Rams signed as a free agent after his release from the Miami Dolphins, is adapting to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme, a system the ninth-year pro has never played in.
Brockers, entering his seventh season with the Rams after he was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, is embracing his ability to assist younger teammates.
And get Suh up to speed.
“It’s been fun,” Brockers said. “I think it’s more informative for him because he’s new to this. He’s new to playing inside at nose tackle and between the A-gaps all the time. So he’s just trying to find where he fits in this defense and I think he’s jelling in perfectly.”
Brockers is expected to remain at the 5-technique (lined up outside the offensive tackle), a position he moved to last season when the Rams initially struggled to stop the run after switching from a 4-3.
Building a relationship with Brockers has been key to Suh’s integration.
“Overall communication, understanding in rush defense where people are lining up, how things are going to move, how he likes to play, how he likes to play off the center or guards when we have twist games, different things of that nature,” Suh said. “Overall it’s just pure communication is best. You guys probably don’t see it as much as you see it from a quarterback’s perspective, but as a front, for us all to be on the same page, we have to communicate.”
Brockers’ season ended abruptly in 2017 during an NFC wild-card playoff against Atlanta Falcons. In the second quarter, Brockers and Donald met at Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
“I’m going in for the sack,” Brockers said. “AD was coming low on the quarterback, I was going high.”
The play resulted in Brockers tearing his MCL. He remained on the sideline as the Rams fell in their first playoff appearance since 2004.
The injury did not require surgery but proved a sour end in a season Brockers otherwise regarded among his best.
He finished with a career-high 39 tackles, had 4½ sacks and deflected four passes.
“There’s always room to improve and get better, but as far as my first season playing -- not even starting at that 5-technique but just getting thrown in there -- and having a great season, like I did, it felt good,” Brockers said. “For me, personal satisfaction, yeah it was a good season.”
The defensive line’s chemistry will remain a work in progress until Donald’s holdout ends, but with most of the attention focused on the All-Pro players, Brockers should have plenty of opportunities.
“In this defense, the way that Wade coaches it, it’s an attack-style defense,” Brockers said. “So I think there’s enough stats around and enough tackles around for everybody.”
After three weeks of 10 OTA practices, the Rams will hold their mandatory minicamp from next Tuesday through Thursday to finish the 2018 offseason program.
With that in mind, TheRams.com recently sat down with head coach Sean McVay to talk about the offseason program so far, what’s changed for McVay since last year, and the expectations of the upcoming year.
Myles Simmons: How have OTAs gone so far?
Sean McVay: I think it’s been really good. There’s been a lot of good competition, guys getting familiar with our systems, continuing to learn each other — how to compete but be smart doing it.
And I think we’re just starting to see guys just continue to make improvements one day at a time. Our coaches are doing a great job. So want to wrap up OTAs the right way next week.
MS: Do things start to feel more real in this part of the offseason program since you’re allowed to practice 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills?
SM: It does. And really, that’s what it’s about — getting out here, getting on the grass and getting the chance to compete. Love doing the meetings, love being able to have these guys work with Ted and with Reggie and his staff, and just getting themselves as healthy as possible and as strong as possible.
But it’s about playing football. It’s about getting out here on the grass with these guys and enjoying that, and us all collectively getting better together.
MS: What do you typically try to accomplish in Phase III of the offseason program?
SM: I think it’s just that — getting an ownership on our systems, coming together as a team and trying to continue to formulate that identity with what the 2018 Rams are going to be.
And that’s predicated on our players. We feel really good about the personnel that we have, and we’ve got to do a good job as coaches putting them in positions to have success, really, in all three phases.
MS: We often see you running around on the field with the players. Does being on the grass at practice energize you?
SM: Yeah, being able to get out here and work with the players is what you love so much about coaching. And I feel so fortunate to be able to do this and be able to work with people that you thoroughly enjoy and help them. And if you can kind of steal a couple runs and a little bit of exercise, that’s always fun as well.
But this is what coaching’s about. This is what you enjoy the most, and love being able to get out here with our players.
MS: Let’s take you back to last year at this time. What was that like?
SM: We were continuing to get to know our players, figure out what we were going to be on offense and defense. And I think that’s what you feel so good about, is as the season evolved, it’s about adjusting to our players. I think we have a better idea of what we can do to kind of maximize their skill sets.
But it’s about building and developing those relationships. And the more time you spend with people, the better feel you get for them. And we’re a year into that process.
We’ve got some great new pieces that we’ve added and that Les and his staff and Tony have done a great job of kind of incorporating.
And I think those guys are fitting in nicely. And looking forward to seeing as we progress one day at a time.
MS: Where do you feel like you are as a head coach now in comparison to last year?
SM: I think there’s still so much to learn. And I think you feel so fortunate that you’ve got good people around you that you can really lean on for their advice, their perspective. But I think you’re just a year into it — having learned from a lot of the mistakes you’ve made.
And, hopefully, continue to do some things the right way with what we were able3 to have a little bit of success with last year. But every year is a new challenge. And I think it’s just about taking it one day at a time, not getting too far ahead of yourself.
And at the end of the day, it’s all about these players. And we’re trying to do a good job of putting them in positions to succeed and reach their highest potential.
MS: What’s one thing you learned in 2017 that you’ve really tried to implement in 2018?
SM: Yeah, I think it’s just about planning. I think it’s just in terms of, you think you’re organized, but down to the minute — making sure every minute is maximized.
You’ve got your meetings, you’ve got your schedule set in a manner that’s conducive to maximizing every single moment. And what you’re also reiterated with is how fortunate you feel to have great people around you.
To be able to work with our players, with our coaching staff, it reminds you that any organization is about its people. And we’ve got great people that we’re working with here, and I feel fortunate to be a part of that.
MS: Do you ever still find yourself having to think about being the head coach of the whole team rather than just focusing on the offense?
SM: You know, I think one of the things that you feel fortunate about is I want to learn as much as I can about football. And being able to spend time with the defense that maybe you wouldn’t have otherwise when you’re a coordinator is a luxury that this job offers.
So I’m always trying to learn, spend time with defense and offense, spend time with Bones. But I think it’s great to be able to have such a unique opportunity to be in this role, but continue to lean on those people to try to get better and be able to put yourself in a position to lead the right way.
MS: Watching practice, it’s easy to notice how you emphasize tempo for the offense. Why is that so important to the scheme?
SM: I think there’s different phases of our offense that we try to utilize. And, again, it’s back to the players.
Their ability to be able to operate at the line, operate in-and-out of the huddle, using the huddles and breaking in a timely manner — so we’ll mix up the tempos, but it’s all based on our players’ ability to do that.
And when you’ve got smart, conscientious players, you can kind of change up the way that you’re coming at people with that tempo throughout the course of the game.
MS: When you were mid’d up during practice, we caught you talking about just how fast Brandin Cooks is after he caught a deep pass from Jared Goff. How does his speed add to his versatility for what he can be in the offense?
SM: Yeah, I think with Brandin, and then being able to play alongside such a great receiving corps that we have in place, he’s been a nice addition. Feel really good watching the way he’s been able to implement himself into our offense by the way he’s learned, how conscientious he is in meetings.
And he’s a guy — if you just look at, really, his career — he is a really fast player, but he can do everything. He plays big for a smaller-stature guy. But he’s strong.
He can win short, he can win intermediate, he can go down the field. So I think you’re really not limited in any way that you can utilize him.
And there’s a reason why he’s had over 1,000 yards and [at least] seven touchdowns each of the last three years. And he’s a special player for sure.
MS: Another topic that’s been brought up a lot this offseason, especially after all the transactions, is how how you’ll deal with the big personalties. So, how do you manage the multiple personalities on this team?
SM: I think [defensive coordinator] Wade [Phillilps] said it best — we don’t manage personalities, we work with players. And it goes back to building and developing those relationships, knowing that a mutual respect exists between our coaching staff and our players.
And it’s all about doing the little things the right way. And our players that are here have done those things so far. And we feel really good about the steps we’re taking, knowing that we’ve got a lot of work to do before you get to that first game against the Oakland Raiders.
So we’re just focused on taking it one day at a time, and I think our players are doing a great job of being able to personify that day in and day out.
MS: Specifically with Aqib Talib, what kind of leadership qualities have you seen since he’s been here?
SM: Well I think like anybody else, he’s had a lot of success in this league. But I think he leads by being able to connect with the players, and then going out and doing things the right way with the way he practices, the way he is in meetings.
I’ve been extremely impressed watching him from afar. I was with him in Tampa his rookie year, and now just getting a chance to reconnect with him — smart player, cerebral. Seen a lot of different things, understands concepts. And then he’s also got the athleticism to match up with it.
And he’s very comfortable having played in this system with coach Phillips in Denver. So, it’s been a seamless transition for him so far. And we feel really good about having Aqib with us.
MS: When you’re able to acquire a player like Talib, how much of a bonus is it that he has the strong relationship with Wade Phillips?
SM: Oh, it’s huge. I think that’s one of the things you feel so good about, is that a lot of the players that we’ve acquired from outside the organization have been people that have worked with some members of our coaching staff.
And Wade in particular with the knowledge and experience that he has, he’s got a great feel for personnel around this league. And having worked with some great players, you hear guys want to come play for him because of the way he works with those guys, the way he puts them in position to have success.
And Aqib is very similar. And, like I said, extremely pleased that we got him and it’s a real credit to Les and his staff for getting that trade done.
MS: You spend a lot of time, I’m sure, thinking about motivating players, trying to coach players up to their highest potential. But what motivates you?
SM: Yeah, I think it’s just that. I think it’s making sure you’re doing everything the right way to help these players and help our coaches — really just kind of be a consistent presence that’s doing your job to the best of your ability.
And that’s about listening to people, learning from them, and then putting yourself in a position to lead the right way. But I think what’s so special about our building is, it’s a collaborative effort from everybody — being on the same page, working on the same direction, working through problems, solving them together.
And we always talk about that communication, and we feel like the communication in our building leads to that great collaboration. And it’s about everybody doing their job to the best of their ability. And with the people we have in place, we’re confident that good things will happen if we do that.
MS: Cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant brings a lot of energy, which we see on a day-to-day basis at practice. What are some of the things he brings to the table that we don’t see because they’re going on in the building?
SM: I think when you get around a coach like Aubrey, you certainly feel his presence. Dynamic personality, got great, authentic energy. I was really fortunate to work with him in Washington, and there’s certain people that you’re around where they kind of have that ‘it’ factors, and he’s certainly one of those guys.
He’s worked under some great coaches. Extremely conscientious, smart, detailed, listening to him coach guys up on the fundamentals, the techniques.
But I think the enthusiasm and the passion he brings every single day — it can’t help but rub off on guys. And he’s one of those people that you can’t help being excited around him.
And I feel fortunate to have him on our staff. And he’s also a close friend — being able to spend some time together outside of the facilities. And he’s a great coach and he’s been a great influence on our DBs and, really, our team.
MS: What have you seen so far from Zac Taylor as QBs coach?
SM: Yeah I think when you look at Zac, great college quarterback, had some success playing professionally, Big 12 Player of the Year. He’s got a great even-keel demeanor and disposition.
He’s been a coordinator, when he called plays for the Dolphins. He was at the University of Cincinnati. But I think he’s just got such a great perspective and a really good way about relating to the players, communicating in a clear, open, and honest fashion.
And that demeanor, that disposition — especially dealing with the quarterback position — I think is perfect.
Extremely detail-oriented. Been really pleased with what he’s done. And he’s another guy, having had him in place, getting to work with our receivers last year, and now watching the way he’s interacting with Jared, with Sean, and with Brandon — it’s been a really seamless transition. And he’s done a really good job so far.
MS: What have you seen from Jared Goff throughout this offseason program? Where do you want him to be going into the season?
SM: I think he’s made a lot of improvements. But I think just like anything else — the quarterback position is as tough a position as there is in sports — it’s all about consistency. Making good decisions, playing within the timing and rhythm of the offense, throwing the ball accurately, having a command on the run game, being able to change up your cadence — in all those things, I think he’s continuing to take ownership on this offense.
I think what you want to try to avoid, but inevitably it’s going to occur, is when mistakes happen, how do we respond from that. And, really, since we got here with him as a coaching staff, he’s demonstrated that resilient mentality where he bounces back quickly. He doesn’t let previous plays affect him as he moves forward.
And he’s done that. And he’s just so refreshingly comfortable in his own skin, and I think that resonates with the players. He’s truly taking command and he’s really a true leader on this team just by being himself. And that’s what you feel good about.
And we’re in good hands with him leading the way, but he’ll be the first to tell you — as will I — that we’ve got a lot of work to do and we’ve got to get better every day.
MS: With the way things turned out in this offseason, how do you avoid going into this year with a, “This is a boom-or-bust season” mentality?
SM: I think the NFL is so competitive — don’t really look at it like that. Look at it as, we feel confident with the players that we have, with our coaches. And we’re focused on getting better every single day.
And I think in the short amount of time that I’ve been fortunate to work in this league, you realize how competitive all 32 teams are — the other 31 teams other than us. And [they’ve got] great coaches, great players. And you can’t afford to kind of get complacent.
You’ve got to always focus on getting better one day at a time, establishing a standard of performance and how our process guides our everyday approach — and that’s the one day at a time. And you can’t really get caught up in things that we can’t control.
We kind of just want to be just want to be where our feet our planted, and that’s being present in the day and controlling what we can control. http://www.therams.com/
The Rams took care of some offseason business on Friday afternoon, signing all 11 players from their 2018 draft class.
The group includes offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom and defensive end Jonathan Franklin-Myers, who were selected in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. It also features fifth-round picks linebacker Micah Kiser, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and sixth-selections like running back John Kelly, offensive tackle Jamil Demby, defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, and defensive end Trevon Young.
Rounding out the rookie class who signed their official contracts on Friday afternoon were linebacker Travin Howard and defensive end Justin Lawler, both taken in the seventh round of the draft.
Here’s what a few members of the 11-player draft class had to say upon putting pen to paper.
JOSEPH NOTEBOOM
What have the past few weeks been like leading up to this moment? “Since I got here it’s been mostly kinda exciting. It still hasn’t really set in yet. I don’t know why, maybe after signing this it will. But it’s just still football, just having fun still. It’s a great opportunity to be out here and I’m really thankful that they wanted me in the third round, so just trying to give my best effort and make it worth it.”
BRIAN ALLEN
What are you looking forward to the most now that the contract is done? “To be honest, I wasn’t really worried about this or had any lingering thoughts about this in the back of my mind. I’ve just been excited since I got here to keep playing football and get better at that. To be honest this is awesome to sign and get it out of the way, but that doesn’t really change much. Still here, excited to come to work everyday, work hard and get better.”
JONATHAN FRANKLIN-MYERS
What have you learned in the time leading up to this? “Just about my technique and how to improve my technique. Most of it was my stance — you know in college I was a stand up D-end, moved to a hand-to-the-ground guy, didn’t have a good stance and I changed that. Just by that, these last three weeks, I’ve noticed night and day improvement in my game and my pass rush ability.”
MICAH KISER
Who comes to mind as you sign your contract? “Just my parents and my family. I’ve been playing ball for a long time and it’s all credit to them. My little brother looks up to me, so a long time coming and a great dream. This is just the beginning, more work to do.”
OGBONNIA OKORONKWO
What is going through your mind as you sign your first contract? “This is crazy, this day is finally here. See I originally thought we were gonna sign the day we got here, so I’ve just been super anxious waiting. It just feels great to finally be able to get it done.”
JOHN KELLY
Who is coming to my mind as you sign your first NFL contract? “My family [comes to mind]. It’s been a long road, so this is just a huge achievement for me and my family. That’s just everybody who I’m thinking about right now — my niece and my nephew. I know they’re going to be happy when I send them a picture.”
JAMIL DEMBY
What is going through your mind in this moment? “Everything happened so fast. It’s so hard to take it all in, but I’m just more excited, happy. I just talked to my parents today and they’re just so proud of me, all I can do is smile. As you know, this is when it kind of hits you, when you sign on the line. So, just a lot of excitement, joy, smiles, and motivation going forward.”
SEBASTIAN JOSEPH-DAY
You’re the best dressed person here today, why was it important for you to wear a suit? “I just feel like it’s a business setting or a business thing, so I thought you should probably wear a suit since this is a big honor. It’s a big opportunity so I gotta come dressed. You gotta dress like money to make some money right?”
I thought this would have been posted by now..... and Maybe this should be merged with the "dumbass" thread, I don't know.
The 3rd and 4th paragraphs of a lady's obituary reads:
"In 1962, she became pregnant by her husband's brother Lyle Dehmlow and moved to California," it reads. "She abandoned her children, Gina and Jay who were then raised by her parents in Clements, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schunk."
"She passed away on May 31, 2018 in Springfield and will now face judgement. She will not be missed by Gina and Jay, and they understand that this world is a better place without her."
Terrell Owens won’t attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremony after he finally stopped getting snubbed Owens plans to celebrate his induction elsewhere. By Adam Stites
Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Terrell Owens never shied away from being an individual during his NFL career, and it’s still the case in his post-football life. On Thursday, the former NFL receiver announced he’ll skip the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in August and instead celebrate elsewhere.
“While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton,” Owens said in a statement Thursday. “I have already shared this information with the hall.
After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere. At a later date, I will announce where and when I will celebrate my induction.
“I wish to congratulate all past, current, and future inductees. It is quite an honor to be part of such elite company. This honor is something that I will cherish forever.”
Forgive me if there's another thread, I didn't see it. For anyone who has tix, or is interested, there are some pretty decent seats available through either new tix sales or the relocation program (more of course than the new)
I'm pretty frikken stoked! I didn't think there would be any decent seats left on the home side for relocation. Especially with the renovation. I have six tix, 4 way up in 11L row 79, and I bought 2 over on the sun side just the other day, 20h row 50. I was able to relocate all 6 to section 5H, row 24! 5-10 yd line. Gonna be so easy coming into gate 4 and we're right there!
I have been hearing chirping of Packer's fans, as they try to downgrade the Rams somehow. As though we had the success that we did because the of the hole left by Aaron Rodger's Packers absence. Rodgers is a great QB who could exploit a Fisher led Rams team. He may have been able to shred our secondary under the right circumstances, last year.
I don't feel like he could do that to this team. With Suh, Donald, and Brockers charging up the middle and the best starting duo of corners in Peters and Talib..Plus Joyner and Johnson at safety. LBers will be ok, I think with the excellence of the Dline and backfield. You pick an excellent QB, and I think the Rams can handle him, and I have not believed that in many years.
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