From: JB Long


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A few reactions to the Los Angeles Rams 2018 preseason schedule:

1) Based on last year's precedent (and success), Rams starters don't figure to play much in the 2018 preseason. However, to the extent starters do play, they’ll do so predominantly in games two and three, which will be AT HOME versus the Raiders and Texans. That's a nice reward for LA season ticket holders.

2) That's more travel than you would ideally build into your preseason slate. It's possible the Coliseum renovation construction interfered, making it difficult for Rams to schedule according to their preference. We'll learn more about that in coming days, perhaps.

3) I don't attribute any significance (advantage/disadvantage) to playing the Raiders and Saints in the preseason, knowing they're also on the regular season schedule. Especially not in McVay's second season. Whenever the Rams connect with OAK and NO when it counts, the personnel and the scheme will bear little resemblance to what's on the field in August.

4) at BAL: Six years after the Rams orchestrated "The RGIII Trade," sending the No. 2 pick to WAS, now this figures to be the quarterback's first live audition for his last chance in the NFL. The Ravens recently signed him to be their backup.

5) vs OAK: Raiders back in the LA Coliseum. Gruden vs McVay, the appetizer. We'll also see this match-up in the regular season in Oakland. I thought it might make for a great Week 1 Monday Night Football opener, but might that opportunity be negated by the proximity of preseason game between the two teams? Not necessarily...

6) vs HOU: We didn’t get to see Deshaun Watson in person last year. He was injured shortly before the Texans were scheduled to play the Rams in 2017. Also didn’t get to see J.J. Watt. Potential to see both in the regular season tune-up between these franchises.

7) at NO: First of two trips to the Big Easy for the Rams in 2018. Brandin Cooks likely won’t play, and he's already made his first "return to New Orleans," as a member of the Patriots last season.

I see there's a thread asking how to kill time before the draft, soooo...

Anybody up for a draft contest?

To keep it simple, I recommend just listing the 32 prospects you think will be drafted in the 1st round (draft slot doesn't matter).
But if anyone has anything better/different to offer up, have at it.

We have seen the contracts that some WR have inked this year ie Watkins. Now we have another singing.

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I’m going to guess it will take something similar to Watkins. Thoughts?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...s-punter-johnny-hekker-restructures-contract/

Report: Rams punter Johnny Hekker restructures contract
Posted by Curtis Crabtree on April 12, 2018


Getty Images

Rams General Manager Les Snead conceded that they are about to make defensive tackle Aaron Donald the highest paid defensive player in league history.

With that in mind, the Rams appear to be checking the couch cushions for whatever change they can find.

According to Field Yates of ESPN.com, the Rams restructured the contract of punter Johnny Hekker. The move converted $1.21 million of Hekker’s 2018 base salary to a signing bonus paid immediately. It saves the team $968,000 in cap space this season while pushing an additional $242,000 in cap commitments to each of the next four seasons of his deal.

The Rams currently have the least amount of salary cap space of any team in the league, according to NFLPA numbers. The team will have to find the space needed to accommodate Donald’s impending deal, though the year one cap hit could potentially be pretty negligible depending on how the contract is structured. Hekker’s contract restructure is one way for the Rams to get the space needed so they can take care of the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Wade Phillips Talks LA Culture and Aaron Donald: HOF –Audio

Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips discusses the culture in LA and why he believes Aaron Donald is on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Listen to Wade Talk Rams

The excitement of free agency is over, and the Rams are out of cap space. Then we don't draft until the third round. What do you suggest doing between now and the third round.

I realize the Rams have a LOT of upcoming salary cap issues to deal with but I am hoping that they can somehow extend Suh! I just think Suh and Aaron Donald are going to be something special together next season and I would like to see them together for the long term (I know! I am just dreaming!)!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...t-offense-in-league-if-sam-bradfords-healthy/

David Johnson: We’ll be best offense in league if Sam Bradford’s healthy
Posted by Josh Alper on April 11, 2018



In the football world, April is a time for optimism about what will happen once September and the regular season arrive.

Cardinals running back David Johnson provided a reminder of that on Wednesday. During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Johnson was asked by Adam Schein about how good the team’s offense can be if quarterback Sam Bradford is able to remain healthy for the entire season.

Imagining such a development qualifies as optimistic and Johnson’s answer pushed things even further.

“We’re going to be great if Sam Bradford is healthy,” Johnson said. “For me watching him personally I’ve seen him do some great things. I think the biggest thing is just being healthy. Not just with the addition of him, but also the lineman we got, the receivers, and everyone else that we have added to the team on the offensive side, we definitely will be the top offense in the league this year.”

Most people would agree that having Johnson healthy would set up a major rebound for the Cardinals offense from last season. That would still leave a big jump from better than last year to best in the league even with Bradford at 100 percent, but it will be months before we’ll have any actual evidence about the overall state of things in Arizona in either direction.
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David Johnson will end another season on IR, and the Cardinals will finish 4-12 or 5-11 wasting yet another year of Larry Fitzgerald’s magnificent career…
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They have no weapons outside of Larry and Johnson so good luck with that.
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Johnson must be concussed
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Hahahaha.
Best laugh I’ve had in days.
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Has he seen his offensive line? Donald and Suh will have something to say about this.
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The Rams have the best offense!
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They don’t even have the best offense in their own division.
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that’s what the Minnesota Vikings said last year.

I may take a trip to Baltimore.

• By Gregg Rosenthal
• April 11, 2018 at 01:26 p.m

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ms-still-have-major-todo-lists-this-offseason

No general manager had a busier, bolder spring than Rams general manager Les Snead. No decision maker has more work left to do in the coming months.

The Rams' trade tsunami resulted in a wave of incoming talent, diminishing salary cap space and only one long-term contract handed out, to little-known cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. The casual confidence Snead has in his coaching staff to assimilate all the team's new players is matched by his belief that he can make all the contractual puzzle pieces fit. "We have plenty of space over the next two years to lock up these guys long-term and have this core together, and that's the goal," Snead said at one of the Rams' seemingly daily press conferences earlier this month.

Rams' to-do list
1) Sign Aaron Donald: All signs indicated that Donald welcomed the addition of Ndamukong Suh to the Rams' formidable defensive line. That congenial attitude figures to disappear if Donald is forced to play for half as much money as Suh this season as currently scheduled. Donald, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is more likely to be playing on a contract closer to the groundbreaking pact Suh signed in Miami back in 2015. Snead has said repeatedly he has "budgeted" an extension for Donald and said this week Donald should become the highest-paid defender in football. That's been easier said than finalized for a year now. It will be a complicated contract that will presumably push a lot of salary cap pain into the future because the Rams have virtually no space at the moment.

2) Re-sign Brandin Cooks or LaMarcus Joyner to an extension: The Rams have three standouts from the 2014 draft class in Donald, Cooks and Joyner. Donald and Cooks are set to play this season on the fifth-year options of their rookie deals, while Joyner was retained with the franchise tag for more money -- $11.29 million. The Rams would love to free up the use of the 2019 tag by signing at least two of the three players.Cooks is the better bet to get a contract quickly, with NFL Network's Steve Wyche reporting that the Rams intend to sign him long-term before the season. The Rams have until July 16 to sign Joyner to a long-term contract. A contract for either player would likely be backloaded to lower the cap hit for 2018 and push money into the future. That could become a trend for the team as it builds toward moving into its expensive new stadium in 2020.


3) Budget for Todd Gurley and Marcus Peters contracts: There is a general misconception that the Rams are in "win-now" mode after all the recent transactions. To borrow the words of rival Pete Carroll, Snead is trying to orchestrate more of a "win forever" mindset. This is a relatively young team and the Rams' core players aren't even in their second contracts yet. After the 2014 NFL Draft class mentioned above, the Rams also have 2015 picks Gurley, Peters and two key offensive line starters Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown. This is a roster built to last, but Snead will have to prioritize some contracts over others. Donald, Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff are the building blocks. Peters is under contract for the next two years for a total of just over $10 million. Considering his rollercoaster career so far, the Rams may let Peters play out his fifth-year option in 2019 and see where they stand after that. They just need to get Peters on board with that plan.

4) Evaluate if Aqib Talib and Suh are short-timers: Not every young Rams player is destined to get a long-term contract, and not every veteran acquisition figures to be around for long. Talib and Suh both are free agents after this season. It's hard to imagine Suh getting the guaranteed guap he'd like on a long-term deal in Los Angeles after the Rams presumably pay Donald. Talib, already 32, looks like an excellent one-year rental. These moves don't mean the organization is selling out to win now. They are just taking every avenue toward improving their roster, following in the footsteps of the last two Super Bowl champions who relied plenty on short veteran contracts.

5) Construct McVay-Goff 2.0: The Rams' fire show on the transaction wire shouldn't overshadow all the work that coach Sean McVay has to do on the field. He did an incredible job building an offense around Jared Goff last season, but building on a breakout year at quarterback is no easy task. (Just ask Derek Carr, Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton.) NFL defenses should be better prepared to attack Goff's weaknesses, including throwing on the move, after a year of gathering film. McVay has earned the benefit of the doubt that he'll keep the Rams one step ahead, especially after upgrading from Sammy Watkins to Cooks at receiver.

6) Somehow find tackle depth and edge rushing talent: Andrew Whitworth turns 37 years old this season, yet is one of the most irreplaceable members on the Rams' roster. Tackle depth is hard to find on nearly any team, but the Rams don't have any legitimate options behind Whitworth and right tackle Havenstein. While Snead has traded away his top two picks in this draft, he still has a third-round pick, three fourth-rounders and four sixth-round lottery tickets. The fourth round is where the Rams found outside linebacker Samson Ebukam last year, who is slated to play a huge role as an edge rusher this season. He's practically the only one on the roster. For all the Rams' defensive talent, that also remains a big area of need.

7) Make this buzz count: Two years into their Los Angeles adventure, the Rams are ahead of schedule. This season represents an incredible opportunity to bring new fans along for the ride with the move to the new stadium looming. If this Rams team doesn't inspire devotion and subsequent ticket sales, then no team will. All they have to do is win.

Misone looks at the men in the middle of the defense and who stacks up as a legitimate NFL prospect.

Its a very long post by him so I decided not to post the entire article just go to the site below.


https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/...eports-inside-linebacker-la-rams-roquan-smith

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pff-draft-room-los-angeles-rams

PFF Draft Room - Los Angeles Rams
BY JORDAN PLOCHER AND ERIC EAGER


Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead will have his hands full attempting to find, and fill team needs with players in the 2018 NFL Draft. While the direction of their draft has largely been predicated on a list of needs created following mini-camp rather than by just selecting the best player available in year’s past, the Rams’ needs may be far and few between this offseason after their aggressive start to 2018.

With eight picks all within 108 selections of one another from Rounds 3-6, the Rams may become likely trade contenders in this year’s draft as they’ve addressed arguably their biggest need already this offseason with the acquisition of cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib to form one of, if not the best, secondary in the league.

In years past, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has been heavily involved in evaluating defensive players for the coaches so selecting an edge rusher early could be highly likely as well to play next to the fierce interior duo of Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh.

The Rams busy offseason has had their 2018 draft picks in constant flux. Out is their first-round pick (in exchange for Brandin Cooks), a fourth-round pick (Peters), a fifth-round pick (Talib) and a swap of sixth-round picks for Robert Quinn to go to Miami.

In are a second-round pick for Sammy Watkins to head to Kansas City, a set of fourth-round picks (from Cooks & Quinn), and another fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder for linebacker Alec Ogletree. All told, the Rams don’t make their first selection until Pick 87 of Round 3 this year and hold only one of their own original draft selections.

Los Angeles has heavily factored in Senior Bowl week production into their recent draft classes, evidenced by their selection Cooper Kupp and Samson Ebukam – smaller school products from Eastern Washington a year ago.

Using our Wins Above Replacement (WAR – roughly the number of wins a team gets from replacing an off-the-street player with the player of interest) metric as a model, Kupp was the second-most valuable rookie wide receiver from the 2017 NFL Draft and 12th-most valuable rookie at any position a season ago.

RB Todd Gurley ranked second among all running backs in WAR, behind only rookie talent Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints. On the defensive side of the ball, an emerging star at safety in John Johnson III finished as the league’s 10th-most valuable rookie at any position from the 2017 draft.



HOW HAVE THE RAMS’ DRAFT CLASSES STACKED UP LEAGUE WIDE 2013-2017?

Overall WAR of drafted players for the Rams: 9th
Drafted Players with the Highest WAR (per season):

– Aaron Donald

Arguably the NFL’s best player, earning a PFF grade above 88.2 each seson of his career.

– John Johnson III

Had a great rookie season, earning a PFF grade of 85.8 in the Rams secondary.

– Cooper Kupp

A steal of last April’s draft, Kupp was one of seven qualifying receivers to average more than 2.0 yards per route run from the slot.

– Todd Gurley

His 2016 struggles were real, but Gurley’s emergence as a receiver in 2017 (90.5 PFF grade there) was a revelation for the Rams’ offense.

– Lamarcus Joyner

His move from slot cornerback to safety was a boon for the Rams’ defense as it was for his PFF grade (from 78.4 to 90.3).

Drafted Players with the Lowest WAR (per season):

– Greg Robinson

Earned a PFF grade below 50.0 each of his seasons with the Rams.

– Tanzel Smart

Just 11 stops and six total pressures in 319 snaps in 2017.

– Tyler Higbee

Gave up an outrageous 13 total pressures as a pass-blocker at tight end in 2017.

– Gerald Everett

Started strong as a rookie, but faded a bit, catching just 53.1 percent of his targets, with three drops.

– Tavon Austin

Never lived up to his draft position or new contract, with a highwater mark of 509 receiving yards in 2016.

Oh the irony of my new team (Knights) opening vs my old team (Kings). Just figures don't it? Ah hell gonna enjoy the series regardless of the outcome.

I didn't see a sportsbook option for this year's playoffs, maybe we'll get one?

Boston picks are all the rage but I can't see it. Or can't allow myself to see it perhaps and I don't think the Pens have the same mojo this year... I'm going with the Leafs in the east, and the Preds in the west. I do think the Knights have a chance, but inexperience is probably going to hurt them.

....Just like our horns. Tell me your story, I'll tell you mine.

Seen this on FB today.
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Question?
I’ve only been to one game since they been back to LA and it was that home opener against the Seahawks 2016. Didn’t see any fights or scuffles yet I heard there was a ton. Every other time I always would see at least 3-6 fights especially in AZ. Have you seen a lot when you go to watch a game in person? And if so have you seen many in LA?

Sad. I'll miss them.
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/04/10/fox-color-rush-uniforms-are-going-away/

FOX: Color Rush uniforms are going away
Posted by Mike Florio on April 10, 2018


USA Today's FTW

Color Rush has cut to black.

With FOX inhering the full Thursday Night Football schedule, FOX says that Thursday Night Football no longer will consist of alternative, monochromatic uniforms.

Via Jason Barrett of Barrett Sports Media, FOX Sports Executive Vice President of Programming, Research and Content Strategy Bill Wanger said Tuesday at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas that Color Rush uniforms will no longer be used on Thursday nights. Wanger explained that hardcore fans don’t need gimmicks to watch.

Wanger also said that the game schedule for Thursday night will be stronger than it’s been in the past. That may be news to CBS and NBC, which could see their Sunday slates become less potent if the NFL pushes “better” games to Thursday nights.

Many have complained about and/or lampooned the Color Rush concept, which was subtly downplayed last year with the league quietly allowing teams like Washington (which had a garish yellow-on-yellow getup) to not go through with it.

This won’t stop teams from embracing the Color Rush concept on their own. Last week, the Titans unveiled an array of uniforms that includes the light-blue-on-light-blue Smurf look, specifically dubbed the team’s “Color Rush” uniforms.

So while Color Rush may be dead as a mandatory, across-the-board program, it will still exist as a voluntary, periodic, alternate uniform program. And if Thursday night is going to become even more special, maybe that’s when teams will choose on their own to wear them.

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LB Josey Jewell - This guy just looks and plays like a MLB!

Myles Simmons Rams Insider

View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Phillips-I-Dont-Manage-Players-I-Work-With-Players/717d2290-4320-42b7-8890-789e404bef17

First the Rams added cornerback Marcus Peters. Then the club traded for cornerback Aqib Talib. And finally Los Angeles signed defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.Three elite-level defensive players, to be sure. But each man is known for having a pretty strong personality.

There’s been plenty of talk about how adding these personalties may affect the chemistry of Los Angeles’ locker room — that and how the coaching staff will be able to manage these three men.But defensive coordinator Wade Phillips seemed unconcerned when addressing the situation last week.

“We’re going to have personality now. You bring in Aqib Talib, you’re going to have personality,” Phillips said. “It’s not manage though. I don’t manage players, I don’t handle players. I just work with players.“They asked me the same thing when I went into Denver,” Phillips continued. “I want them to have personalities. A lot of them are really good because of their personalities, they’re confident in themselves.” 


Peters, Talib, and Suh are all players who have been to multiple Pro Bowls and whose statistics jump off the page. That’s part of what Phillips means when he says their confidence translates to results. And that trait is particularly useful on defense, where players usually have to be more aggressive in order to be at their best.

“That’s what you want. We play an aggressive-style defense anyway, so I think it always helps to have those kind of guys,” Phillips said. “That’s the way they want to play is aggressive — not over-aggressive, just aggressive.”Either way, when discussion personalities and working with players, Phillips points out he thinks of the NFL as a relationship business.

“It’s working with each individual,” Phillips said. “It’s a person-to-person business — it’s not a business where it’s authoritarian, or where I say this and you all do it. You know, I explain how we do things, why we’re doing things, and let them know that I’m trying to get them better. Even though they’re great players or an average player or whatever, it’s my job to get them better as football players.”And as head coach Sean McVay put it at the Annual League Meeting last month, there’s no reason to worry about Phillips working with players with strong personalities.

“I think the defensive coordinator has more swag than all of them,” McVay said, “so we’ll be in good shape.”

https://www.instagram.com/rams/

http://www.ramsondemand.com/forums/rams-nfl-talk.26/create-thread
By Sean Tomlinson April 10, 2018

It's easy to look at what the Los Angeles Rams have done in the 2018 offseason and spit out a poker cliche like "They're all-in!" or "All of the chips are on the table!" Much like poker, Rams general manager Les Snead is taking a calculated risk with the moves he's made.On one side, there are the draft picks he shipped off in trades for cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. By trading said picks, the Rams willingly sacrificed the chance to select, develop and install future building blocks.

That's the gamble Snead is taking. But moving forward, the 2018 Rams might provide the blueprint for teams whose championship window could begin to close once they have to pay their star quarterback.Jared Goff, who took a major stride forward in his first season under head coach Sean McVay, is still under team control for three more seasons. He found himself in the MVPconversationlast season after averaging 8.0 yards per attempt and throwing 28 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions.

Goff has the support of a young offensive mastermind in McVay and a versatile running back in Todd Gurley, who finished last season with 2,093 yards from scrimmage en route to being named Offensive Player of the Year. Everything is lining up for Goff's swift upward trajectory to continue, which means the Rams eventually must pay him like the franchise quarterback he'll likely become.

In the meantime, Snead knows Goff will be earning backup money for the next few seasons. That's why he pounced this offseason, and it's why the future employers of the 2018 draft's best quarterbacks may follow suit in the coming years. In the trades for Peters, Talib and Cooks, Snead gave up an enormous amount of draft capital. But given the Rams' win-now window, they were better off with established veterans than rookies who weren't guaranteed to make an immediate impact.

To get Peters, the Rams sent Kansas City a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 124) and a 2019 second-round pick. Given the talent on this L.A. roster, that second-round pick is likely to be outside of the top 50. Meanwhile, safety Deon Bush, linebacker Kwon Alexander, running back De'Anthony Thomas, defensive end Trevardo Williams and cornerback Ron Brooks were selected at No. 124 between 2012 and 2016.

While Alexander developed into a Pro Bowler, the other four started a combined 20 games. That includes one player who didn't suit up in 2017 (Brooks) and another who appeared in just three games before falling out of the league (Williams). When we look back further, the No. 124 slot has produced just two first-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl appearances since the merger, according to Pro Football Reference. Peters, meanwhile, has a first-team All-Pro selection and two Pro Bowl appearances on his own.

For Talib, the Rams sent the Denver Broncos a fifth-round pick (No. 160). Between 2012 and 2016, linebacker Kentrell Brothers, tight end Jesse James, defensive end Ed Stinson, running back Zac Stacy and guard Ryan Miller came off the board at that slot.Those five players have combined for 51 career starts. That doesn't sound so bad until you realize 29 of those games came from James alone.

Even the 23rd overall pick L.A. gave to the New England Patriots in exchange for Cooks hasn't been a guaranteed home run as of late. While New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (2017) finished his rookie season with six touchdown catches and 722 receiving yards, Vikings receiver Laquon Treadwell (2016) has caught only 21 passes over two seasons. And although Broncos defensive end Shane Ray (2015) had a solid second season, he has still tallied only 13 sacks over three years and 38 games.Instead of navigating that draft minefield, the Rams used their picks to acquire proven production. As NFL Network's Albert Breer noted, they effectively drafted Cooks, Peters and Talib with three of their first five picks in 2018.
Albert Breer @AlbertBreer

This is what all-in looks like. The Rams’ first 5 slotted picks for 2018 ...
Round 1: To NE (Brandin Cooks)
Round 2: To Buf (Sammy Watkins)
Round 3: 87th pick (now their highest pick)
Round 4: To KC (Marcus Peters)
Round 5: To Den (Aqib Talib)

Don't look at that as giving away draft picks. Instead, consider Snead's offseason maneuvering as him maximizing a championship window by using his picks to add experienced NFL talent. Those picks are one of many tools in his toolbox, as he told The MMQB's Peter King.Rather than selecting a raw wide receiver in the first round, Snead acquired a veteran in Cooks who's fresh off his third straight season with 1,000-plus receiving yards.

Snead could have targeted cornerbacks in the draft, too. But he now can look elsewhere after acquiring Peters and Talib, two defensive backs who have combined for seven career Pro Bowl appearances and 53 interceptions. Both of them will be under team control for the next two seasons assuming the Rams pick up Peters' fifth-year option, too.Snead's strategy isn't without risk, as he learned after trading a second-round pick for Sammy Watkins last offseason. All three of Talib, Peters and Cooks, who only has one year left on his current contract, could likewise have short stints with the Rams. But it's the kind of risk Snead likely won't be able to take if Goff earns a massive extension a few years down the road.

Fueled by Snead's aggressiveness, the Rams could be ushering in a new approach to cap management. Not only is the aim to secure a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract, but then to feverishly add talent before that $30-plus-million cap boulder comes crashing down.

Hall of Fame, really?
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...to-im-done-the-stress-is-killing-me/#comments

Richie Incognito: I’m done, the stress is killing me
Posted by Josh Alper on April 10, 2018


Getty Images

Word came from Peter King of SI.com on Tuesday morning that Bills guard Richie Incognito is considering retiring before the start of the 2018 season and Incognito shared some of his thoughts with another reporter later in the day.

Incognito spoke to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News and his comments suggest that he’s leaning pretty far in the direction of retiring. Incognito cited health concerns as the reason.

“I’m done. That’s it. It’s been a long career,” Incognito said. “Went to the doctor. My liver and kidneys are shutting down. The stress is killing me. It’s just about doing what’s right. I just want to be in the Hall of Fame.”

Incognito also sent a tweet to the NFLPA saying he’s done. King’s initial tweet said that Incognito could return at the “right price” after agreeing to a pay cut earlier this year. King followed up with another saying that Incognito is talking to the Bills about revisiting his deal and has until Sunday to change his mind about calling it a career.

If Incognito does retire, he’ll join center Eric Wood as 2017 Bills starters to walk away from the game this offseason. They also traded left tackle Cordy Glenn to the Bengals, although Dion Dawkins got 11 starts as a rookie while Glenn was injured.

Words of wisdom from former Rams receiver Ricky Proehl.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/10/d...auletta-jimmy-garoppolo-chad-kanoff-princeton

The NFL’s Wide Receiver Crisis
Over the past three drafts, the 13 first-round wideouts have produced one Pro Bowler, and nine players who have never caught 40 passes in a season. From terminology, to routes, to how they’re taught to catch the ball, a look at why so many first-round receivers are becoming busts
By CONOR ORR

It’s the first day of organized activities and the quarterback enters the huddle with a play call: Twins right, scat right, fake zoom, seam 678 Y flat drag.

For a coach working with rookie wide receivers, it’s a thrilling moment to see a new dimension in the offense. It’s also a common frustration to see them bailing out after the first section of the first play call.

“They’re sitting there going, ‘What the hell is that?’” says Ricky Proehl, a 17-year NFL wideout and Panthers position coach from 2011-16, who currently trains college prospects. “They’re sitting there, they heard twins right and are still trying to line up. First thing they say: Twins right? O.K., I’m the Z, so I line up on the right. They didn’t hear any of the other s--- because they’re trying to figure out, ‘Where do I line up?’”

Proehl is definitely buying into the theory that the wide receiver position is in a bit of a crisis at the college level. It’s hard to believe, just four years removed from the Sammy Watkins/Mike Evans/Odell Beckham Jr./Brandin Cooks/Kelvin Benjamin class, we are entering a draft that may only contain one or two first-round picks at the position.

Since 2014, only Amari Cooper has been picked in the first round and gone on to a Pro Bowl. Kevin White, DeVante Parker, Breshad Perriman, Nelson Agholor, Phillip Dorsett, Corey Coleman, Will Fuller, Josh Doctson, Laquon Treadwell, Corey Davis, Mike Williams and John Ross have all been slowed by injuries or slow to lift off.

The reasons are three-pronged, and could be why some of your favorite NFL teams are drafting receivers specifically out of the few pro-style offenses remaining in college, like Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Florida State (under Jimbo Fisher, who took the Texas A&M job last winter).

1. Collegiate offenses reduce wideouts to one side of the ball with limited responsibilities.

“They say hey, you’re going to be the A receiver. The A receiver lines up on the left. The B receiver lines up on the right. And then this receiver lines up slot right because the tight end is on the left,” Proehl says.

The issues at play: The receiver is often in his own world. He splits out and checks with his coordinator or position coach, who reads the coverages for him, and then directs the receiver to one of a few routes that correlate.

“They don’t worry about motion,” Proehl says. “They don’t worry about snap count. They don’t hear anything else and the coach holds the board up and they know I got one of five plays where I’m running a go, post, slant or a comeback. That’s all they’re running. If he’s off I’m running a hitch. Man, I’m running a go.”

2. Coaches are starting to teach routes differently, and perhaps less effectively.

Take one of the most basic components of the NFL route tree: the curl. For years, the receiver was taught to run 12 yards, plant hard and work back to the quarterback at a 45-degree angle. This allows the quarterback to throw a split-second early—like when the receiver digs his heel in to turn.

Now, receivers are coming out of school running the curl as a continuous semicircle, which creates myriad problems at the next level.

“When you’re running a semicircle, you’re keeping your arms moving and chopping, some coaches think its great because you’re playing fast, you’re not stopping,” Proehl says. “But a guy running a semicircle, if I’m running it and a guy like Kelvin Benjamin is running it, our circles are going to be different. The quarterback has to wait for you to come out and square your shoulders. That takes more time.”

That extra time means defensive backs have a window to undercut the route.

“When you come to him, plant your foot in the ground and come back at an angle, you’re boxing him out. He’s behind you. You create and maintain separation with your angle coming back to the QB.”

3. The use of the ‘fingertip method’

Proehl says some receivers are now taught to catch the ball with their fingertips, or are at least enamored by the prospects of it—the silent woosh, the aesthetic of it.

The problem is that there is little strength in those muscles, which could cause a batted pass from a defender or an outright drop. Proehl, who now works with agencies like powerhouse Rep 1 sports to prepare their draft-eligible wideouts and maintains a stable of NFL clients at his PSP training facility in North Carolina, prefers an attacking method.

“Try and hold a ball with your fingertips and see how easy it is to strip out of your hand,” Proehl says. “Put your whole surface of your palm and your fingers on the ball. That’s how you catch a ball. Every part of your hand. The more of your hand you have on the ball, the more you have to maintain an attack from a DB when he tries to strip it.

“Fingertips? There are 10 little points on the ball. Guys say it’s so cool. Man, I want my guys to be aggressive.”

One more damning comment…

I asked Proehl if, before he left the Panthers after the 2016 season, there was a sense among NFL scouts and coaches that receivers were diminishing in value, at least enough to invest serious draft capital. His answer:

“We heard that more with running backs at the time, that they’re a dime a dozen, that you don’t take them in the first round. When I was coaching, there were classes with Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Odell Beckham. That never came up before, but I have heard that this year. The receivers coming out just didn’t impress at the combine—no true route runners, and there may not be a whole lot [going in the first round].”

So who might gamble on a first-round receiver this year?

Keep your eyes on the Cardinals, who visited privately with Texas A&M wideout Christian Kirk; the Seahawks, who are in geographical proximity to Washington’s Dante Pettis; and the Saints, who have had multiple connections with fringe first-round prospects throughout the pre-draft process.

The Bears might have no choice but to keep swinging and have had contact with consensus No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley out of Alabama. But the Cowboys might be the safest bet. With Dez Bryant in decline, they spoke with Ridley and Maryland’s D.J. Moore at the combine. Their local pro day also provides access to a ton of talent, including Courtland Sutton from SMU.

....falls to the Patriots at #23?? just a fun stir the pot poll

If this is an inappropriate thread for the subforum, feel free to go ahead and delete it and accept my extended apology for posting it, but...

When I joined here in 2016, it was after being on Clan Ram for 11+ years, ever since July 2005. It was my go-to for Rams information and occasional postings on the forum, as I lurked more than posted. They reformatted their website around that time and out of nowhere I couldn't log in with my username. Even to this day, I still can't log in with my old username (ramstough39) on there! Don't know what happened. Seems like the site rebranded itself as "Rams Nation" now. Sad to see, because I was on there for so many years.

I enjoy RoD, though. It just sucks that I could never get logged back into CR.

If you were/are still a member over there, what happened?

And again, sorry if this was against the rules to ask this question about another Rams site, but I figured I'd see if the same thing happened to anyone else.

Rodger Saffold‏ (Verified account) 3 hours ago
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Rodger Saffold‏ (Verified account) 1 hour ago
"I know everybody goes thru it but why me????"
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Anyone know whats going on?