Super Bowl week. All around good times with some laughs. Check it out boys. :rimshot::yay:

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Los Angeles Rams: A pessimistic look at 2018 offseason
by Nick Fox10 hours ago

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This is part one of a two-part series looking at the larger trajectory of the Los Angeles Rams. Are they headed in a good place or a bad place? Today we take a pessimistic angle. Next week we will take a more positive outlook.
We all have that pessimistic voice in side of us. When things are going well, the voice whispers that this will all end. We have a sense for future dread. A propensity for pessimism. Let’s indulge that for a moment (because things are rarely as bad as we fear, right?).

Everything went right for the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. Few (if any) writers predicted an 11-5 season, not to mention the top scoring offense in the league after being last in 2016. But, here comes the pessimistic voice since things rarely go so well two years in a row.

Here are some things that may not go as well going forward for Los Angeles heading into 2018, even if they will be considered one of the top teams to beat in the NFC early on.

Injuries

The Rams were very fortunate in the 2017 season, as they stayed very fee major injuries to their starters. Cornerback Kayvon Webster ruptured his Achilles tendon, wide receiver Robert Woods was out a few weeks, and linebacker Mark Barron along with safety Lamarcus Joyner both were banged up here and there. But overall, the team was remarkable healthy through the season. Injuries test a teams character. Exhibit A: The Philadelphia Eagles, who despite having great players at several important position out for the year, still managed to make the Super Bowl. Would the Rams have the character to lose key players and keep winning? Will the Rams be able to build the depth going forward to survive one or several key injuries in the season?

Related Story: Pro Bowl adds depth to quality of Goff, Rams season
The Coaching Honeymoon is Over

Sean McVay went 11-5 in his first season as the Rams head coach. And though the turnaround was Coach of the Year worthy, it is not uncommon for coaches to make changes and reap benefit the first year. Remember, Jeff Fisher took the Rams from 2-14 to 7-8-1 in his first year, but never did better than that in subsequent seasons. Ben McAdoo took over the New York Giants, who were 6-10 the year before he got there and won 11 games his first year. But with only two wins into December in his second year, McAdoo was eventually fired. Could McVay hit a sophomore slump?

Defenses Could “Figure Goff Out”

We also must consider the chance that Jared Goff, who had perhaps the greatest single season turnaround in a decade, returns a bit to the middle of the pack next year. With a year of tape on the young quarterback and his tendencies, might 2018 see him throw more picks, get more pressure, and ultimately take a step back? What does this offense look like if Goff is more Brian Hoyer than Carson Wentz? Does the offense still work, and will the Rams go quarterback shopping again?

Free Agency

Lastly, we know that every team is unique. This offseason, players will come and others will leave. We will never see this exact mix of players we saw this season. It is unlikely that the Rams will be able to sign all of their own free agents, let alone add significant free agents from other teams.

Next: 3 picks Rams should consider in first round of NFL Draft
The Rams do have significant cap space going forward, but also some very expensive stars they will need to lock up. Was this year the sweet spot of youth and experience, one-year contracts and prove-it stars? In the end, winning in this league is very difficult, even for talented teams. Los Angeles needs to keep growing and building to take that next step, especially since the league will not do it for them.


https://ramblinfan.com/2018/01/31/los-angeles-rams-pessimistic-look-offseason/

Offseason:

Cut: Tavon Austin, Mark Barron

Re-sign:

Trumaine Johnson - 4 years $48 million
LaMarcus Joyner - 5 years $40 million
NRC - 3 years $15 million
Sammy Watkins - 3 years $30 million (Sammy takes this as an extended "prove it" contract so that he can cash in when he's still young after this contract is over)
Cody Davis
John Sullivan
Tyrunn Walker
Dominique Easley
Jake McQuaid

Extend - Aaron Donald - 6 years $120 million



Free agents:

Todd Davis ILB - many have addressed why this makes sense

***This would take some cap magic by Snead/Devaney, but I think they can do it. Maybe restructure Quinn if needed



TRADE: Rams trade 1st, 2019 1st, 2019 3rd for the Bears first round pick (pick 11) - Bears do this because they can pick up a WR later in the first round and need to accumulate more talent. The Rams do this because..

Round 1 pick 11 - Vita Vea - the piece that takes the Rams defense from "really good" to "super bowl". McVay/Snead have already shown the willingness to sacrifice premium picks to make the team better with the Watkins trade - this makes too much sense IMO. Rams will be strapped cap-wise for a few years after this, so foregoing a first round pick in 2019 to get a better player might be the best move the team has to make. Many will probably scoff at the idea of trading a future first round pick, but the Rams in the perfect situation to do so - by bringing back most of the pieces, they're built to last

Round 3 - Billy Price, G/C Ohio State - good depth and get our future center

Round 4 - Jamarco Jones T - needs work in pass pro, but a solid developmental T for us. Might not be a LT in the NFL, but provides solid depth

Picks 5-7 - BPA to build depth - don't know too much about the later round prospects right now, but this is what I would do so far

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Thoughts?

I really mean proof that they cheated in ALL of their Super Bowls, of which all are nullified.

So money, revenge, or glory? haha

Since the CB position is probably going to have the most value at 23, and since it might well be our greatest need, figured I'd start there. Going to put up some film on the guys who might be on the board when we pick, starting with my favorite for the range of our pick:

CB Mike Hughes, UCF

Strengths: sticky coverage and an ability to play the ball even after he turns his hips and runs with the receiver.

Weaknesses: run support, which is common with top man cover prospects. He does a lot of diving at feet, gets washed out by receivers, etc.

Here's some film cuts of his games:

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http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article197508249.html#storylink=latest_side

Story just broke out from the Kansas City Star. And I just now got a notification from the mothership, ESPN. Looks like Kansas City's going to save 17 million dollars in cap space.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...elichick-i-cant-say-enough-about-jim-schwartz

Bill Belichick: 'I can't say enough' about Jim Schwartz

When Bill Belichick looks across the field Sunday, he will see a former pupil leading the ferocious Philadelphia defense.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz got started on his NFL coaching career as a research assistant and scout under Belichick with the Browns from 1993 to 1995.

"I can't say enough good things about Jim Schwartz," Belichick said Monday at Super Bowl LII Opening Night. "He's one of the smartest people I know. ... He's a really talented person. Look, I couldn't say a bad thing about Jim Schwartz."

Belichick revealed that he tried to coax Schwartz away from Tennessee to join him in New England before the start of the Patriots dynasty, only to see Jeff Fisher promote the linebackers coach to defensive coordinator in 2001.

"But he did a good job in Detroit," Belichick added. "He did a good job in Buffalo, and he's a good, good football coach. He started off in personnel, so he has a good understanding of player personnel, player development, those kind of things. I have a ton of respect for Schwartzy, he's one of the best guys I've worked with."

After running his own team in Detroit from 2009 through 2013, Schwartz has been an unqualified success as Doug Pederson's defensive boss in Philadelphia. In addition to boasting the league's top run defense, the Eagles have seven pass rushers with 20 or more pressures this season.

To hear Schwartz tell it, Belichick has had a major impact on his success.

"I owe just about my whole NFL career to him," Schwartz told reporters upon his hiring as Lions coach in 2010. "He taught a lot of people [in Cleveland]. There were a lot of head coaches that were in that building just starting their careers."

When Schwartz accepted the Eagles job two years ago, he pointed out some of the lessons he learned from Belichick, including how to exploit subpar offensive lines and the challenges of covering a "blistering b----" out of the backfield.

Will the former student have a few tricks up his sleeve for the tenured teacher on Sunday? That coaching matchup is one of the dozens of tertiary storylines hyping Super Bowl LII.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/scie...ipse-Super-Blue-moon-Blood-Moon-area-path-map

Eclipse 2018: When is the Super Blue Blood Moon in YOUR area? Time, map, path of totality
A SUPER blue blood moon will rise tomorrow in what NASA has dubbed a ‘lunar trifecta’. These maps show what time the eclipse occurs and its path of totality.
By JOE TAMBINI



The rare total eclipse takes place on Wednesday January 31, combining three lunar phenomenons: A supermoon, a blue moon and a blood moon.

Viewers can expect to see a blue moon – the second full moon in a calendar month – orbiting closer to the Earth than usual, making it seem up to 14 percent larger in the sky.


Planet X News

If that wasn’t enough there will also be a total lunar eclipse, which is often described a blood moon because of they way the moon turns a gorgeous coppery red.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves directly behind the Earth’s shadow, or umbra, meaning it cannot receive any light from the Sun.

NASA program executive Gordon Johnston said: "The next full Moon will be on Wednesday morning, January 31, 2018, appearing 'opposite' the Sun at 8:27 AM EST.

"The Moon will appear full for about three days around the time of the full Moon, from Monday night through Thursday morning, possibly even into the early part of Thursday evening."

The map below shows which parts of the world fall into the eclipse’s path of totality.

The whole eclipse will be visible in Australia, eastern Asia and parts of Canada, while the west coast of the US is also set for some spectacular views.

Mr Johnston explained: “For the continental US, the viewing will be best in the West. Set your alarm early and go out and take a look.”

He added: “Weather permitting, the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii will have a spectacular view of totality from start to finish.”

A super blue moon eclipse has not be visible in North America for more than 150 years, according to NASA.

Below is a breakdown of what time totality will occur across the United States (All local times):

• Washington DC - 7.51am to 9.07am
• New York City - 7.51am to 9.07am
• Chicago - 6.51am to 8.07am
• Kansas City - 6.51am to 8.07am
• Denver - 5.51am - 7.07am
• Phoenix - 5.51am - 7.07am
• Los Angeles - 4.51am to 6.07am
• Seattle - 4.51am to 6.07am

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Gurley Named PFF Comeback Player of the Year
Kristen Lago



The Comeback Player of the Year award is normally reserved for a player who missed the majority of the previous season due to injury, only to perform in an impressive fashion once they return.

But this season, Pro Football Focus’ winner had a different kind of story. The outlet gave the designation to Rams running back Todd Gurley, who bounced back from a quiet 2016 to put together an MVP-worthy campaign in 2017.

Last year, Gurley finished the 2016 season as the 53rd-ranked running back in the NFL with an overall grade of 50.7. Of his 278 rushing attempts, the Georgia product was held to 3.2 yards per carry and just 2.18 yards after contact per carry. And Gurley was not very productive in the passing game either — recording 43 catches for 327 yards for an average of 0.98 yards per route run.

In 2017, however, Gurley burst onto the scene as one of the most dynamic running backs in the league, earning an 86.9 grade. He flourished under first year head coach Sean McVay and behind a strong offensive line, racking up 1,305 rushing yards with an average of 4.7 yards per carry. Not only did he prove to be a game-changer on the ground, but he also enjoyed a spectacular season as a pass-catcher.

Through 15 games during the regular season, Gurley put up 788 receiving yards, ranking No. 2 among all running backs. He also finished with a league-leading 19 touchdowns and 2,093 yards from scrimmage — the most of his young career.

Former Eagles coach Steve Spagnuolo: Patriots cheated during 2005 Super Bowl

Are the Patriots cheaters? At least one former Eagles coach thinks so.

Steve Spagnuolo, who was the linebackers coach for the Eagles in 2005 when the team faced off against the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX, told 97.5 The Fanatic’s Anthony Gargano and Bob Cooney on Monday that he now believes late Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was right about New England cheating during the game.

“The biggest thing we learned was make sure you have two signal callers, not one signal caller, because they may have all your signals,” Spagnuolo said, referring to the “SpyGate” scandal, in which coaching assistants under the direction of head coach Bill Belichick were caught videotaping play-calling signals from opponents’ practices.

“I remember through the course of the game Jim [Johnson] saying, ‘They’re getting our signals. They know when we’re blitzing … try to hide it.’ I remember distinctly thinking. ‘I don’t think so Jim, just concentrate on calling the game,’ ” Spagnuolo recalled. “In hindsight, he was right. When you go back and look at that tape, it was evident to us. … We believe that Tom [Brady] knew when we were pressuring him because he certainly got the ball out pretty quick.”

Spagnuolo, who became the Giants’ defensive coordinator following the 2007 season, said he used the experience to prepare him ahead of New York’s Super Bowl XLII victory against the Patriots.

“It wasn’t going to happen in the 2008 Super Bowl,” Spagnuolo said.

[www.philly.com]

UPDATE: Please click on the link below to see the video via dropbox. I will reupload the video once I find a different track causing the copyright dispute



Well the coaching staff and the players aren't the only ones inspired by McVay; he's got me to get back into making highlight reels, enjoy the video guys

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On a scale of A - F, what would you rate this year's video?

Mods, feel free to sticky this video for the fans to get through the offseason

EDIT: Sorry guys, will have to upload a new video with a separate track to bypass the copyright issue. Here's the alternative link for now

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ntj8y13a0d0r7yl/2017 Los Angeles Rams highlights.wmv?dl=0

Drew Brees impressed with Jared Goff after Pro Bowl

[www.fanragsports.com]


Jenna Laine
ESPN Staff Writer
Drew Brees had glowing remarks for Jared Goff after spending time together during Pro Bowl week. "I think a ton of him," Brees said. "It was really great to be around him this week. You see what he's such a good player and was able to have the season that he did this year. The future is so bright for a guy like that. I love his demeanor. I love his approach."

Jake Ellenbogen's 2018 Rams Mock Draft 2.0 (Post-Senior Bowl)


January 29, 2018
| By:Jake Ellenbogen

It's been a fun week here in Mobile, I've let everything I've seen marinate and here is my brand new post-Senior Bowl Rams mock draft. I even dug into the NFL Draft trade points chart and I even made a trade.

1st-round pick - 28th overall via trade w/ Pittsburgh: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville

So, I decided to start things off with an interesting proposition, a trade. Yes, I know, many want this guy and that guy but if I learned anything at the Senior Bowl, it was simply that there is not a significant drop-off as you move down to the second or third round. I figure the trade with the Steelers makes sense because they are going to want someone like Rashaan Evans to improve upon Vince Williams and possibly replace Ryan Shazier if he can't get healthy. In order for the Steelers to do this, they will have to trade up and jump past the New Orleans Saints. So, anyway, why did I pick Alexander? Have I even mentioned him in any of my mocks? Nope. I simply have been doing my homework out here in Mobile and that includes late-night film sessions which now led me down the path of 5-foot-11 and 192-pound Jaire Alexander.

Alexander is someone that has great ball skills, he can mirror his receiver with ease, shows urgency when defending the run (unlike some of the draft's top corners), has return ability, has experience in press coverage and can shadow receivers all game long. Oh, also, Pro Football Focus charted Alexander when targeted. So, get this, quarterbacks have a 17.7 passer rating when targeting Alexander which is first in all cornerbacks. Simply put, this is a lockdown and shutdown cornerback that seems to be getting a little underrated. Alexander dealt with an injury that really cut into his 2017 season but make no mistake he has the confidence, tenacity and scrappiness everyone wants in their number one cornerback. Trumaine Johnson is not a guarantee to come back and Kayvon Webster is coming off three major injuries. I like the way Troy Hill and Kevin Peterson played towards the end of the year and I really like impending free agent nickel cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, but you are simply kidding yourself if you think the Rams don't have a need at cornerback. Put Alexander on an island and watch as Wade Phillips all of the sudden is allowed to do more with his defense.

I get the idea that Alexander may seem too injury prone (suffered a knee sprain injury and a broken bone in his hand this past year) to draft but this is someone that legitimately could have the same impact as Marshon Lattimore. It was also announced that Alexander ran in the 4.3's for the forty-yard dash in the spring. Closing speed, covering ability, smooth hips, ball skills, return ability and confidence. That sure sounds like a player that could end up being rookie of the year just like Lattimore is going to be.

3rd-round pick - 87th overall: Uchenna Nwosu, EDGE, USC

USC EDGE defender Uchenna Nwosu was a captain for his team this past year and he topped it off with showing flashes of total domination. I have him here in the third because I believe after a nice and productive season, he still didn't show out at the Senior Bowl. That's okay though, the Rams will reap the benefits in this scenario and get their edge rusher in the third round. I really like Robert Quinn but he only has one move, he gets hurt often and hasn't been the player the Rams are paying him to be. On top of that Connor Barwin is a free agent but he doesn't have the speed and quickness to really seal the edge and funnel the ball carrier into the trenches, Samson Ebukam is a nice young developmental piece that I think will thrive in year two but at this point he might just be a situational guy. Matt Longacre might have been the best all-around edge defender on the team last year but he is coming off a back injury.

Nwosu could start day one and could provide the ability to rush the passer and really set the edge. The Rams had games where teams just bounced runs to the outside because the edge defenders didn't stay out and seal the edge. Nwosu would be a consistent B+ player for his career and possibly make some Pro Bowls. The Rams don't need to be elite at the position but they need consistency, availability and the ability to stop the run. Nwosu is for the first step to fixing the issue the Rams had last year in the run defense department. The other option here could be Georgia's, Lorenzo Carter. I heavily considered Carter but I'm sticking with Nwosu as far as the more well-rounded player.

3rd-round pick - 92nd overall via trade w/ Pittsburgh: Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan

Alas, the reason second-round pick Taylor Moton did not play left tackle at Western Michigan last season. Chukwuma Okorafor is a left tackle that is an absolute mauler in the run blocking game, this seems like the best fit for him in the late third. As mentioned before the Rams in this scenario traded down to 28th overall with the Steelers to pick up an additional third- round pick. Okorafor is someone that has the athletic ability and size at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds. He has humongous hands that are a nightmare for a pass rusher, decent arm length and pocket awareness so he knows where his QB is at all times.

The Rams have Andrew Whitworth at left tackle likely for at least another year but they are going to need to draft or find their guy in another means for the position once the 36-year old retires. Okorafor could slide right in at right tackle and the Rams could move Rob Havenstein in at right guard in the meantime. It's always good for an offensive line to have that "sixth man" and Jamon Brown would be a really good player to have as the first reserve offensive lineman off of the bench. Okorafor, make no mistake, is a legitimate option for left tackle down the line. If the Rams could get him here that would certainly be a nice way of taking advantage of a solid trade.

4th-round pick - 119th overall: Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State

I went back and forth between Ballage and Mason Cole here. Look, I know the Rams need a center (or at least everyone says they do) however, I could see John Sullivan returning for another year and the Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer deciding to develop Austin Blythe as the guy moving forward. Blythe had some playing time this past year and really flashed at times. I don't think developing at least one in-house guy would be a bad idea for the team. Now, onto Ballage. The Arizona State running back was often times not used the way he should have been. I have concerns about his ability to finish through arm tackles on tape but the 6-foot-2 and near 230 pounder has athleticism galore.

Watching Ballage at the Senior Bowl it became evident he was the best back there and would be an interesting option and an unorthodox placement in the "Chris Thompson" role every Rams fan seems to want to fill. Just because Thompson happened to be 5-foot-8 does not mean the Rams need to find a 5-foot-8 guy. Ballage can do all the things that the role entails, he's fast, he's quick, he can run routes, finish through contact and be decisive when in the open field. Ballage may not have been the college player many expected but as far as an NFL pro? He could be like a combination of Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard. I don't know how the Rams pass him up if he's available in the fourth round.

5th-round pick - 151st overall: Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond

Perhaps one of my favorite quarterbacks of this draft Kyle Lauletta just had a fantastic week at the Senior Bowl. He struggled day one of practices but after that, he turned on the jets and really showed out what he can do. He built a noticeable rapport with LSU WR D.J. Chark which immediately transferred to the field in the Senior Bowl game in which saw Lauletta and Chark connect several times leading to a blowout in Mobile. Lauletta showed his escape-ability off, his arm talent, his ability to read coverage and go through his progressions and of course his ball-placement which was quite honestly spot on.

Now, the Senior Bowl MVP last year was Davis Webb who went in round three. This might seem to low for Lauletta but you need to keep in mind that he is a small-school guy, his tape wasn't the greatest thing in the world, the level of competition is always a concern for teams whether they want to believe it or not and there are a bunch of good prospects at QB: Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Mason Rudolph, Luke Falk, Mike White, Riley Ferguson, Kurt Benkert, Logan Woodside and Matt Linehan. It's not to say Lauletta won't be drafted but he may not go as high as some think based on one All-Star game.

The Rams could benefit from drafting a QB like Lauletta to develop. He would fit well in McVay's system, Sean Mannion is a free agent after the year so it's the right time to start drafting a QB, Brandon Allen was brought in as a Greg Olson guy and we have no idea what the rest of the coaching staff feels about him now that Olson has left. Fifth round when you have a young franchise QB on the roster in Jared Goff is certainly a realistic and a sensible spot to select a developmental guy like Lauletta.

6th-round pick - 180th overall: Shaquem Griffin, LB/S, UCF

Keep doubting Shaquem Griffin and he will make you pay. Sure, it was funny watching him on the sidelines being interviewed and realizing at the last minute he was supposed to be on the punt team, but Griffin is not all jokes he's seriously a good football player. Griffin, despite having one hand has been able to rack up 18.5 sacks in the last two years, including 33.5 tackles for a loss and 166 total tackles, all within the last two years. This is someone that had a nice week at the Senior Bowl showing off his explosiveness around the edge and quickness to be a pass rusher, the ability to drop in coverage as a linebacker and even some ability to play deep as a safety.

This could end up being Wade Phillips' swiss army knife, you just use him out there whenever you need him to be out there. See, in the sixth round, Griffin becomes a very realistic pick due to the fact teams feel like he's a late day three pick. Griffin is someone I have said will be a Ram, I don't know why but I can feel that the Rams are going to draft this kid. When you meet him you certainly get that "We Not Me" vibe. Griffin is a top 150 player and this would be a steal, you would be taking advantage of the fact teams don't know how to evaluate a one-handed player but if you put him in the right situation he will succeed. The coaching staff in Los Angeles would be the best possible one to get Griffin going.

6th-round pick - 181st overall: Nathan Shepherd, DT, Fort Hays State

This honestly would be the biggest steal possibly of the draft. Nathan Shepherd had an amazing week at the Senior Bowl, he proved that Fort Hayes State or not, he's a legitimate NFL player at the next level. He was the only one I saw in Mobile consistently challenge dominant UTEP guard Will Hernandez and suddenly I found that his pass rushing ability allows Brockers to go back to being the nose tackle while the Rams deploy Donald and Shepherd at the end positions.

Shepherd has great size at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds but has a quick first step and the ability to overpower offensive lineman at will. So why is he even here late in the sixth round? Shepherd, unfortunately, will get overlooked because he's from Fort Hays State, but make no mistake, Shepherd is legit. Another reason for his fall down the board? Shepherd broke his hand last Thursday so he was not only unable to capitalize off a great week of practices and showcase himself in the Senior Bowl game, but he also puts his pre-draft process in jeopardy. If Shepherd can heal up quick enough he has a chance but I see him falling in the sixth round and being a nightmare for the 31 teams who passed up on him.

6th-round pick - 183rd overall: Devron Davis, CB, UTSA

Yes, I have the Rams double-dipping on cornerbacks in this draft. So the Rams grab Jaire Alexander in the first to replace Trumaine Johnson but then due to the uncertainty with Kayvon Webster coming off three major injuries, the Rams decide to grab another cornerback and one that they met with multiple times in Devron Davis. Davis has been working with Arizona Cardinals All-Pro CB Patrick Peterson and has a football bloodline being the cousin of both CB Vontae Davis and TE Vernon Davis. Davis is an intriguing prospect because he has the ideal height at 6-feet, he can play press man, he has ball skills and the fluid hips to turn and change direction. He put together a nice outing against now-Rams WR Josh Reynolds in which he shut him down pretty well.

The Rams should love what they got out of Troy Hill and Kevin Peterson but they should also realize that assuming Webster will be ready, Robey-Coleman will be back and Dominique Hatfield won't be a liability again is the wrong way of thinking. Davis is the late round value that could end up being a huge get for the Rams.

Updated Rams Roster per draft pick position (free agents not shown):

QB: Jared Goff/Sean Mannion/Kyle Lauletta/Brandon Allen
RB: Todd Gurley/Kalen Ballage/Malcolm Brown/Justin Davis/Lenard Tillery
LT: Andrew Whitworth/Chukwuma Okorafor/Cornelius Lucas
RT: Chukwuma Okorafor/Rob Havenstein/Darrell Williams
DE: Ethan Westbrooks/Morgan Fox/Tanzel Smart/Nathan Shepherd
OLB: Uchenna Nwosu/Samson Ebukam/Shaquem Griffin/Garrett Sickels
CB: Jaire Alexander/Kayvon Webster*/Troy Hill/Kevin Peterson/Devron Davis/Dominique Hatfield/Taurean Nixon/Marcus Sayles

These are excerpts. To read the whole article click the link below and then start a drinking game by taking a drink every time PK mentions Brady, Belichick or anything Patriots related.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/01/29/d...a-eagles-super-bowl-52-brett-favre-peter-king

His Career Forged in Darkness, Eagles Coach Doug Pederson Ready for Spotlight of Super Bowl 52
Peter King


PETER KING/THE MMQB

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. — This was Friday, 5:14 a.m. It’d been only six-and-a-half hours since Eagles coach Doug Pederson left the office Thursday night, but you couldn’t tell, except for the 5 o’clock shadow (which might be perpetual with him) and the slightly droopy eyes. This was a happy man, driving to work while most of greater Philadelphia was sound asleep.

As Pederson steered his Range Rover onto I-295 for the 20-mile commute to his office in south Philly, he savored the pitch-blackness. “I love this time of day,” he said. “Quiet, peaceful, not a lot of traffic on 295. My time to process the moment, process the morning. Football-wise, it’s a short-yardage, goal-line, third-down day. The plays [offensive coordinator] Frank Reich and I went over and over last night, I’m cycling through those.”

But last night … wasn’t that you in the orange Flyers jersey, dropping the puck at center ice before the Lightning-Flyers game?

“Yep,” he said. “That was cool. They asked me to go up to the suite after that and meet a few people, but there was no way. Frank and I had three hours of work left on the game plan.”

To beat the great Belichick and the five-time Super Bowl champion Patriots, Pederson can’t spend enough time on the next game plan. Regarding the last one: Football people are still fairly wowed about the changeup game Pederson called in the 38-7 rout of the Vikings for the NFC championship last week.

After being arch-conservative with quarterback Nick Foles in the 15-10 division playoff win over Atlanta, it’s like Pederson had his old buddy Brett Favre playing quarterback against the Vikings. This was bombs-away stuff, surprisingly, for three quarters. The Vikings didn’t know what hit them.

“Best game you’ve ever called?” I wondered.

Pause. “I think so,” Pederson said. “I believe that. But it takes players. I tell the players all the time: ‘There is no magic play.’ Players make the plays.”

You’ll probably need to do better in this game coming up,” I said.

“Amen to that,” he said. “That’s for sure.”

* * *

Today kicks off Super Bowl Week in Minneapolis: favored New England (15-3) versus Philadelphia (15-3). Bill Belichick and Tom Brady already hold the coach and quarterback records for Super Bowl victories (five); a win Sunday would be the Patriots’ sixth Super Bowl win and tie Pittsburgh for the most ever.

On the other side, the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, and last won an NFL title 57 years ago. So there’s more desperation in this football-mad place, where players and fans are ordering dog masks from China and, on Friday, the tabloid Philadelphia Daily News devoted the front page and the back page plus 6.5 more inside pages to coverage of a game that was nine days away.

In the pregame mayhem this week, there is sure to be this story line: Belichick vs. Pederson: Mismatch of Super Bowl 52. Pederson gets it. He was a Louisiana high school coach 10 years ago when Belichick already had three Super Bowl rings.

He respects Belichick tremendously, and Pederson acknowledges that everyone in the football business wants to get what the Patriots have—dynastic success in a sport that pushes every team toward mediocrity. But he won’t be kissing any rings this week, from the sound of our predawn conversation Friday.

“How many times have you mentioned the name ‘Belichick’ to your staff this week, in your hours of meetings with them?” I asked.

“Zero,” Pederson said. “I have not. I know the success Bill has had, the success the team has had, is gonna be mentioned by the media. I don’t feel like I have to go out of my way to continue to talk about it. Is the mystique, is everything about it real? I believe that. I do believe it’s real. I do believe that teams have to play for 60 minutes against this team, because they are so well-coached. They are so well-prepared.”

One of the Pederson’s pregame stratagems is what he calls the “faceless opponent.” No matter who the Eagles are playing, he doesn’t harp on the names of the coaches or the names of the players. It’s not respect or the lack thereof—it’s just keeping track of what’s important in preparing for the game.

“I just think you can’t get caught up with who’s on the other side,” he said, never taking his eyes off the traffic-free interstate. “Everybody in the NFL is good. Every team is good. I’ve always believed you just go about your business. You prepare. You get your team ready to go every week, and you treat it that way. It’s about doing your job.

That’s a phrase Bill uses all the time: Do your job. That fits with the faceless opponent. That fits with, Don’t worry if they’ve got a star on their helmet, or a ‘G’ for Green Bay or a Patriot on the side of the helmet. Do what you’ve been coached to do this week for 60 minutes. Win your matchup, the one-on-ones, and let’s see what happens after 60 minutes. Nothing else matters, so why introduce anything else?”

(Later in the day, I asked tight end Zach Ertz about that. “Extremely smart,” Ertz said. “That’s been the motto the entire year. Typical Doug. Nobody plays well when they are stressed. We are best when we’re loose, focusing on the minute details … It’s like we’re told: The play doesn’t care who makes it. Just make it.”)


AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES

I want to focus on the game plan last week, which was a compelling part of a stunning 31-point victory. Against Atlanta, the Reich-designed game plan played it cautious and threw horizontally; the average Nick Foles pass traveled 5.1 yards past the line of scrimmage, and Foles did not throw a pass farther downfield than 11 yards in the second half.

Against the Vikings, who had watched the tape and seen how post-Carson Wentz-injury game plans were designed to be arch-conservative with Foles, the average pass went 10.3 yards past the line, and Foles played mistake-free.

Look at the Eagles’ bold plan this way: The NFL’s highest yards-per-attempt average by a quarterback this season was Drew Brees, at 8.. Foles, in the title game, was 10.7. The upshot was that Minnesota studied the tape and saw a dink-and-dunker in Foles; Pederson threw a changeup that would have made Clayton Kershaw proud, and the Vikings secondary wasn’t ready for it.

Fun is part of it too. That showed on the third-quarter flea-flicker that broke up the championship. The flea-flicker was an homage to longtime Eagles administrative assistant Carol Wilson, who was Andy Reid’s aide when he was the Eagles’ head coach—and when Pederson became a quality-control coach there in 2009. In Pederson’s four years as an assistant (2009-12) and two years as head coach, the flea-flicker was never called. Until last week.

“When I was here working with Andy, back then we would write the game plan quite literally up on the grease boards,” Pederson said. “And Carol was the one who would always type our game plan list into the computer. And so, every week I’d walk her through it, so she could understand the handwriting. She’d always look for one section of the game plan. ‘Is the flea flicker in?’ She just loved the flea-flicker. She loved the play, and I think she even loved the name. Flea-flicker.

Every week, I’d say, ‘Oh, Carol. Sorry. It didn’t make the list this week. Maybe next week.’ Every week she’d ask, and I might say, ‘Yeah, it’s in this week, it’s gonna be great. We might call it this week!’ That went on for four years. Every week. Every week she’d ask. We never called it. Not one time.

“And so she congratulated me after the Atlanta game, about two weeks ago. She said how proud she was of me—she knows me pretty well. She was here when I was a player, and then obviously, working for Andy as a coach. And I said, ‘Thanks, Carol.’ Then she texted me and said, ‘Is the flea-flicker in this week? It’s my favorite play!’ And I remembered that it was her favorite. So last week, later in the week, I texted her and said, ‘Carol, the flea-flicker’s in this week. It’s in.’

“So the game comes, and I called it in the game at the right time, and I was thinking, ‘I hope Carol’s watching right now.’ There was Carol Wilson pressure! And we hit on it.

“Right after the game, I look at my phone. She sent congratulations. She was so happy we called the play. She gave me the thumbs-up emoji. That was cool. That was cool. I am so happy we got her favorite play in the game—and it worked.”

Here’s the other part of that crazy story: The receiver on the play, Torrey Smith, starting from wide left, was supposed to run a post route. “But I looked up and there was too much traffic there,” Smith said. “I just adjusted my route, and Nick saw it. It’s just playing football. That’s what we did there.”

“From a player’s standpoint,” said Ertz, “Doug is an unbelievable offensive play-caller. He has a unique ability to see the game. I don’t know if it stems from him being behind great quarterbacks in his career—Dan Marino, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre. But he sees the game like he’s playing it. He calls the game like he’s still a quarterback, like he’s in the flow of the game with us.”

“Sounds familiar,” Brett Favre said over the weekend.

* * *


MORRY GASH/AP

Favre was hunting in Alabama—surprise—when the text came about Pederson. Favre does not return phone calls when he’s hunting. But he makes an exception for Pederson.

“You called me today and asked me about Doug, and I’m going to tell you I’m not blowing smoke. If Doug was working at the cement plant in Monroe [La.] right now and not getting ready to coach his team in the Super Bowl, I’d tell you the exact same thing: He was incredibly valuable and important to my career,” Favre said. “Doug and I were together, whatever, 10 years?

Not long enough if you ask me. The only bad thing for me was we weren’t together 20 years. I always though Don Strock and Dan Marino were like a match made in heaven. That’s the way it was with me and Doug.

“When Doug was with me, I hate to say he was a lot like a coach, but he was. Very instinctive. He thought the way I thought. He knew me. He knew what I was thinking, and he was able to relay that to the coach, or the play-caller. Not a lot of the backup QBs have the headset on, but I wanted him talking to the coach. He’d tell the play-caller, Mike [Holmgren] or Sherm [Lewis, offensive coordinator] or Mike [Sherman, a Holmgren successor], ‘Think checkdown.’ Or, ‘Third-and-three, expect this.’

He was right so often. Some quarterbacks don’t want anything in their ear but the play. I did. I would say, ‘Make sure to give me reminders.’ So he’d say, ‘Hey, Merton Hanks likes to come from the weak side here,’ or ‘Brad Culpepper is tilted on the nose here—be careful for the weakside blitz.’ He just knew how I thought.

“Off the field, just as much. We RAN to the golf course. We RAN off to hunt. Not that anyone ever wants to hear the news their father died, but Doug, it was almost like the good Lord was looking out for me by who he placed with me at one of the worst times of my life.”

The afternoon before the Packers were to play at Oakland in 2003, on Dec. 21, Favre, Pederson, punter Josh Bidwell and kicker Ryan Longwell were playing nine holes of golf. “We played a few holes,” Pederson said, “and then my cell phone rings.

It’s Deanna, Brett’s wife. You know, Brett didn’t carry his cell phone much. If he had it, it was never on. She asked me if I was with Brett. I said, ‘Yeah, we’re playing golf.’ There was just something different about her voice. Not the typical upbeat Deanna. She asked to speak to Brett. I was taken back a little bit. She never calls me.”

Irvin Favre, 58, had a stroke and heart attack while driving in Mississippi. By the time the foursome got back to the hotel, Pederson got to thinking he might have to play in this game with significant playoff implications. “I’m obviously feeling terrible for my friend. But I’m also thinking: ‘Is he gonna stay and play? Or is he gonna go home, and am I gonna have to play?’

I was trying to be there for Brett, and I’m trying to prepare myself for a possible start the next day. Then, in the team meeting Sunday night, Brett wanted to address the team, and nobody really knew what he was gonna say. Brett stood up in front of the team and he said, ‘My dad would want me to stay and play.’ It’s like he could hear Big Irv in his head: ‘You’re gonna stay, and play for your teammates, and you’re gonna play for your coaches, and you’re gonna play great.’

“That was it. It was one of the most profound things I’d ever heard under that kind of pressure—he was gonna stay and play for his teammates. He had our backs. What a leader he was. That’s a night I’ll never forget.”

But before the game, in the old Oakland Coliseum, Favre seemed morose.

“Doug stayed by my side,” Favre said. “Finally he says to me, ‘Let’s go out and throw, kid.’ So we went out on the field, me and him. I’m bouncing it, throwing it over his head. I could not throw a 10-yard pass. I’m getting ready to play on ‘Monday Night Football,’ I’m nervous, I’m just out of it. I am going to make a fool of myself in this game.

“We go back inside. I’m shaken up. Doug comes to my locker. He says, ‘It’s gonna be okay.’ He said a prayer, right there. He put his hands on my shoulder, said a prayer. Then he bumps his fists real lightly on my shoulder. He tells me, ‘You’re gonna be great tonight. You’re gonna play an awesome game.’”

When Favre was introduced before the game, the Black Hole crowd did something no one in Oakland had ever seen: Fans gave Favre a standing ovation. Crying openly before the game kicked off, Favre proceeded to have the best half, statistically, he ever played in his Hall of Fame career. He threw four touchdowns, including a heaved 43-yard rainbow that somehow found Javon Walker’s two hands in the end zone, surrounded by Raiders. The final: Green Bay 41, Oakland 7.

“How does he block out the pain and the heartache, and play an incredible football game?” Pederson said. “I don’t know. No one knows. But he did. No one will ever forget that night.”

“A few years ago,” Favre said, “I decided to be the offensive coordinator at Oak Grove High in Mississippi—it was our high school there. I called two people about it: Doug, and Ty Detmer [another Green Bay backup]. Both coached high school.

We were joking about it the other day. You know what his advice was? ‘KISS.’ That’s it. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Make a play. Football’s not that hard. Teach ’em football, teach ’em how to make plays, put ’em in position to make plays. You can see it with his guys, and the way they execute his plays.”

The 14 years of pro football, in all kinds of systems, helped Pederson know everything about the offensive side of the game. But after his last season, 2004, he didn’t know if he wanted to coach. He thought he’d try it, to see if he liked it, and so and his family moved to Shreveport, La., to put down some roots. Pederson applied for the football coaching job at Calvary Baptist Academy, an 800-student K-through-12 school, where he took his sons to school every day.

“I was extremely happy,” he said. “Those were the best four years of my life. As a coach, as a mentor to young men, to high school boys. Thinking back on those four years, it taught me a bigger lesson. I wondered, Can I teach football? Can I coach football? Here I come from 14 years in the National Football League as a player, soaking everything in with some great coaches, some great players, some really great offensive minds.

The advice that I was getting from some of my coaches and peers was, you need to go find out if you can teach and coach. Do you like the journey? Do you like the process? Even though it was a high school, do you like putting in the time? Do you like teaching? And I did. I loved coaching. I loved teaching those kids. And it let me know this is what I wanted to do. After that fourth year, I just started thinking, ‘There’s got to be something more than this.’ That’s when I reached out to Andy Reid.

“When I was on IR my last year in Green Bay, we played the Eagles here in Philadelphia. We were standing out on the field pregame, and he asked me if I wanted to get into coaching. I said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to get into coaching one day. But I don’t want to ever draw pictures. I don’t want to put notebooks together. I want to coach.’ Four years later I reached out to him.

He had this quality-control position on offense. I took it. Sure enough, the first couple years, I’m drawing the pictures. I’m putting the notebooks together. I’m doing all the grunt work I said I wouldn’t do. But you have to enjoy the journey. I did. I thought at the beginning it would be great to be a position coach. What I aspired to do once I started coaching again was be an offensive coordinator.”

And here he is, an NFL head coach in his second season. In the Super Bowl.

Now Pederson’s turned onto Broad Street. He talks about instructing his team to eliminate the clutter this week—forget everything else; you may never have this chance again. He pulls into his parking lot, and backs the Range Rover into his spot, and puts the car into park.

“In order to be the champion,” Pederson said, “you’ve got to play the best, you’ve got to beat the best. So this is great. A great opportunity for us, for this team, for this organization, for myself—as a coach, number one, to see if everything I’ve been talking about for two years … to see if the guys truly believe it and if they can execute it at the highest level. That’s the real fun about the chess match of games like this and opponents like this.”

At 5:55 a.m., Pederson climbed the stairs to his second-floor office. Time to work. He knew the Faceless Opponent was doing the exact same thing.

* * *

STEVE WILKS HAS WISDOM TO SHARE

Last week the Cardinals named Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Wilks their head coach, succeeding Bruce Arians. I do not know Wilks well, but his players say he’s bright and caring and innovative. We spoke, and I found some life wisdom right away. “One thing I’ve learned,” said Wilks, 48, “is don’t always be looking for the next job. I tell the coaches, ‘Take care of what you do. How you play is your résumé. How you coach is your résumé.’ If you take that approach, you’ll have the chance to move up.” Great advice, in all walks of life. Do the job you’ve been hired to do. Fishing for the next one all the time is a turnoff.

I’m always curious about the influencers of people who’ve climbed the ladder to big gigs. So I asked Wilks about the most influential coaches in his 23-year journey to the top job in Arizona. His five key mentors, and what he took from all:

• Ruffin McNeil, college coach, Appalachian State, 1987-91. “He mentored me as a player and a coach. He taught me a huge truth about coaching: ‘They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Understand: Players are not all gonna be like you. You have to be a teacher, and you have to care.’”

• Tyrone Willingham, coach, Notre Dame, 2004. “I learned the complete makeup of what a coach should possess. It’s not just the X’s and O’s. It’s the character, the influence you have on the young men you coach.”

• Lovie Smith, coach, Chicago, 2006-08. “Not only did he give me the opportunity that 31 other teams did not, he taught me the importance of technique. This is a copycat league, and you have to correct the smallest things you see.”

• Norv Turner, coach, San Diego, 2009-11. “Huge lesson here: This is a matchup league. You find and exploit matchups every week. It’s not just about the scheme. You have to find matchups you can win every week.”

• Ron Rivera, coach, Carolina, 2012-17. “Understanding players. Understanding each player. Get out of the office. Get down with the players. Know them. Lead the team.”

I love the fact that one of the five is a college coach Wilks had three decades ago.

* * *

DON’T LAUGH AT DARYL MOREY

Morey, the highly respected Houston Rockets GM, sent out this anti-football Tweet the other day:

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/dmorey/status/956229640678494209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnfl%2F2018%2F01%2F29%2Fdoug-pederson-philadelphia-eagles-super-bowl-52-brett-favre-peter-king

The first reaction is to chuckle at this, seeing that 167,428 students played high school football in 2016 in Morey’s state alone, according to Texas Monthly. And that all 21 regular-season games played in London over the past decade have had paid attendance of more than 70,000 (20 have been sellouts). And the NFL could be the first American sports league to have a franchise in Europe, sometime in the next five years or so.

Upon further review, Morey might be a few years early, but he’s right in pointing out causes for concern by the football-as-religion people. Texas Monthlyhad a good examination on the decline of participation, from 14.5 percent of high school students in Texas in 2000 to less than 11 percent in 2016.

Football’s not falling off a cliff, and I think in my lifetime football will remain king. But the lords of the game on all levels should not get too comfortable. The safety issue is going to continue to cause more and more parents to send their kids to play other sports. Roger Goodell’s biggest job, actually, is not to get the next CBA done without missing games in 2021.

It’s to stop the erosion of football as a youth sport—and my feeling on this is a simple one: The NFL has to get behind the concept that youth football should not be tackle football. As the Chris Nowinski/Concussion Legacy Foundation group proposed last week, kids shouldn’t be tackling until at least age 14, and flag football should be the national alternative to youth tackle football.

The NFL actually should follow the example being set in football-mad Georgia right now. Last summer, the Atlanta Falcons provided seed money to establish flag football leagues in all 159 counties in the state. The Falcons brought representatives of every league—gym teachers, recreation directors, enthused parents—to Atlanta to give them the base of flag-football knowledge to establish the leagues, which were funded by the Falcons. That’s a progressive way to convince parents to let their young children play football.

* * *

THINGS I THINK I THINK

1. I think these are my three unsolicited pieces of advice for Vince McMahon as he restarts the XFL in 2020, after a 19-year hiatus (I guess you’d call it a hiatus; I thought it was dead forever):

• Figure out how much money it’s going to cost, worst-case scenario, to play three seasons, minimum. Whatever that figure is, and say it’s $500 million, find rich people willing to commit that money and that investment of time, or don’t start it at all. My memory of the first XFL experience was it lasted about 20 minutes.

McMahon and network partner NBC had all these great ideas for football done a new way, and the first two or three weeks were very cool. (I was at the league opener in Vegas, and it was quite a scene.) But when the ratings plummeted, the league died after just a few months. Why should people invest in your league if they have no idea if you’ll hang in when the ratings drop?

• Play two-hour games. Play four 12-minute quarters. Don't stop the clock on incomplete passes. Play fast. Have fun. Interview players on the field. Mic them up. Be the cool, distinct experience you promised you’d be in 2001.

• Don’t try to conquer the NFL. Not happening. You don’t have Bill Gates money. Be your own fun, different, interesting league, perhaps wooing players to leave college after one year so you get good players for a couple of years before they eventually run to the NFL.

2. I think it was good to hear Carson Wentz on Friday talk confidently about being ready for opening day after his major knee surgery in December, but the Eagles have to be realistic about it too. Wentz, on Dec. 10 in Los Angeles, tore his ACL and LCL, and the projected recovery time for an injury of that sort is nine to 12 months. He had the surgery on Dec. 13.

So, obviously, nine months would make it Sept. 13 … or one week after the Eagles’ Thursday night opener if they win the Super Bowl, and four days later if they do not win the Super Bowl. And that’s the minimum. Because the Eagles will not risk anything with the 25-year-old player they believe will be their quarterback for the next decade or more, it’s likely they’ll be conservative with his return, and thus it’s realistic to think Wentz will miss some time at the start of the 2018 season. Having said all that, every knee injury is different, and time will tell on his recovery.

3. I think that’s one more reason why the Eagles are thrilled they signed Nick Foles to a two-year contract in March.

4. I think this is going to be a really good game, a close game. And I don’t have a feel yet which team wins. Thinking the Patriots, but give me a couple days to let that marinate.

5. I think Josh McDaniels coaching Andrew Luck is going to be so much fun to see.

6. I think that was one impressive press-conference performance put on by Pat Shurmur, the new coach of the Giants, on Friday. These snippets show the way you handle an opening press conference to a disaffected fan base and a competitive media:

“You have hired a career coach. You've hired a guy that doesn’t know what he would do if he wasn’t doing this. You’ve hired a guy that wants every day to interact with the staff, the coaches, the players, and I really do feel like my role is to make everybody as good as they can be. And I think if we do that on a day-to-day basis, we’ll get to where we want to be, and that’s re-establish the winning tradition and put ourselves in a position to win championships. And I understand that’s a journey.

“You’re going to try to all figure out who I am. Some would say I’m a little serious. I get that. But I do think this is a serious business. It’s played and coached by adults. We just happen to do it with a young person’s enthusiasm, and I think that’s important … Most people will tell you that I’m competitive and gritty, and that’s the overachiever’s mindset in me. I feel like we don’t know it all, and I look forward to learning something new every day.

Those of you that do know me, though, I have zero tolerance for people that don’t compete. I have zero tolerance for people that don’t give effort, and I have zero tolerance for people that show a lack of respect. And I think that's something that you’ll know about me as we get to know each other better.

“But the people and the players that know me know that I’m willing to give them a hug at the end of a hard day. As we put the staff together, we’ll try to get you that information in a timely way. And I learned in my last shot at being a head coach, information travels off your thumbs very quickly … In the old [coaching] handbook it was, ‘Say nothing and be very guarded.’

I don’t feel like that’s necessary anymore. So I’ll try to answer your questions. Unfortunately, the answer to a question might be, ‘It’s between me and the player.’ But I’ll try to be open. We’ll try to answer your questions in really any situation, except for those things that involve Giants’ business that make no sense to be public.”

7. I think the team and the GM and now the coach have said all the right things about backing Eli Manning and that he’s the quarterback. Understandable, truly. But Shurmur has to be free to manage this quarterback the way he sees fit. He’s a smart quarterback man—ask the Vikings, who swear by him—and he can’t be hamstrung about Manning the way Ben McAdoo was.

If the Giants draft a quarterback in the first round, there has to be a realization that the 37-year-old Manning’s time is coming to an end, and if Shurmur decides to play either the new guy or 2017 third-rounder Davis Webb, the locals can’t freak out the way they did when McAdoo, coaching a 2-9 team, attempted to look out for the future of the franchise and was told to go sit in the corner and then fired.

I’m no president of the Ben McAdoo Fan Club, but McAdoo was the only adult in the organization when this thing was going down in the fall. Sentiment never won a football game. Shurmur needs to handle the quarterback situation in the best interests of the franchise winning in 2018, 2019 and beyond. Anything that gets in the way of that must be fought, and fought hard.

One of the reasons I like the Shurmur hire for this team right now is he’s not going to be intimidated if he knows the best thing for the team is to play one of the kids instead of Manning. I don’t mean to harp on the Manning story as much as I have recently.

He’s truly a good man and has been nothing but wonderful for the Giants organization, and he’s produced in the clutch to win two Super Bowls—something no other quarterback for either New York franchise has ever done. But he has not played well, overall, since winning the second Super Bowl six years ago. It’s a production business, and Shurmur needs to play the quarterback who produces.

8. I think I’m beyond impressed with the job Gotham Chopra did on the six-part “Tom vs. Time” documentary series for Facebook Watch; the first two episodes are on Facebook Watch now, with three more episodes due Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday of this week, and the sixth TBA. They are about 15 minutes long each, and, importantly, show how athletes in the future may get to control their message to the public.

Brady didn’t control this, but it’s clear that it’s a gauzy portrait of Brady being Brady. What I’ve seen looks real. We don’t know about the real life of Tom Brady; I’ve gotten very small glimpses but could never say I know how Brady lives his life. Chopra is the only one—with camera—who has ever been close to being inside, and he looked to be pretty damned inside to me.

Chopra told me the idea was to show Brady, who turned 40 last August, “training in a way that people could see him preparing to play at the highest level at 40. And it turned into so much more.” Chopra, the son of esteemed author Deepak Chopra, sold it to Brady that he’d be able to have this mirror into his 40-year-old self for the rest of his life—Chopra is friends with Brady and will turn over much of the footage to him—and how great would it be to look back at that one day?

He follows Brady with a camera through the offseason and somewhat during the season. There’s a lot of the Brady workout/eating/pliability/body-care ethos. But some of the best stuff, by far, is looking at his life.

My favorite part of the first two shows was Brady, sullen, driving home from the first game of the ’17 season, the Thursday night loss to Kansas City. The Patriots got steamrolled. His wife, GiseleBundchen, is in the from passenger seat, and, in the darkness, she plays the partner who knows things will get better. “You’re not … we’re not … in sync yet,” she says to him. “It’s like building a relationship.

The first time you meet somebody you’re not going to be their best friend. You know? It takes time to get to know people. They’re going to get to know you, and your looks, and the way you play and the way you do things. You know? And you’re going to get to know them.” You hear Brady gun the engine on the highway. Frustrated engine-gunning. “It’s going to be awesome,” Bundchen says. “I know it. Okay?” She reaches over and rubs his shoulder. End of show. That was great.

9. I think I’m looking forward to the 30-for-30 “The Two Bills,” quite a bit. I lived a lot of it, having covered the Giants from 1985 to ’88 for Newsday and having connections for many other seasons to both Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

Something Brady said in his doc resonated as coming from Belichick, via Parcells—because Parcells always said it. Brady: “Did you win, or did you lose? End of story.” That one airs Thursday night at 9 ET.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4640/aqib-talib

Three NFL general managers said at the Senior Bowl that they would not trade for Broncos LCB Aqib Talib.
Per ESPN Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold, all three GMs said they believe Talib will eventually be released, making him an unrestricted free agent. The mere fact that the Broncos have made it public they want to deal Talib lowers his value. Turning 32 next month, Talib continued to play at an extremely high level in 2017, earning PFF's No. 15 overall cornerback grade among 120 qualifiers.

Click to expand...

With Trumaine Johnson a FA, if we decide not to re-sign him, I expect that we'll go after Talib once the Broncos release him. Talib can be a bit of a hothead and knucklehead, but he was a dominant CB in Wade's scheme in Denver. He should be cheaper than Trumaine due to his age and willing to accept a shorter deal (my guess would be a two-year or three-year deal).

I also recommend keeping an eye on CB Bashaud Breeland. He played under Aubrey Pleasant and Joe Barry in Washington. He's a good fit for Wade's scheme (physical, press-man CB), still young, and is about to hit FA. The Redskins reportedly are going to let him go because they can't afford to pay him and Norman top dollar, and they have already planned for his departure (drafted Fuller, Moreau, and paid Dunbar).

The Pro Bowl, that was a fake ass bullshit game and I will never watch another one.

Just out of curiosity, if you were the GM, would you want to keep to keep our 6th rounders or would you want to deal them in the mid-rounds to ensure that you grab a guy you want a couple spots ahead of where you're drafting.

Of course, I understand many answers may be predicated on who is there in - say - the 3rd or 4th round.

Depending how FA goes, we may end up having surprising depth at a number of positions, WR, CB, Safety...

I'm of the mind that 7th rounders are for locking down UFAs that you don't want to be outbid or out marketed for, 6th rounders are for depth and ST. If we shore up the above positions, I like the thought of trading the 6ths (some or all) to move up and down in the draft.

(Down, because I could see us sliding from the first for picks but giving back a 6th or something).

I was just thinking about the Rams going to the Pro Bowl this year, all 8 of them, Very Cool!!:yess:

But here's a question, our whole Special Teams unit, K- Zuerlein, P- Hekker, LS- McQuaide, and KR/PR Cooper All made it. Has any other Teams entire ST Unit made it to the Pro Bowl before!!? IDK, but can anyone answer this question!!?



( Too Bad Donald, and Zuerlein aren't pictured!!)

This goes out to all the draft gurus out there that I depend on this time of year. With the addition of Jeff Fisch to the coaching staff, do you think the Rams will have more insight to UCLA players? Now I realize you don't overdraft and WR Coach Eric Yarber came from UCLA too, however, Fisch was their OC and on could surmise that the Rams might look in that direction, but again, Fisch was hired as a Senior Offensive Assistant and in the draft room, it might pull much weight...Just throwing it out there.

Edit: one I forgot to cut was Tavon, that saves another 3 million to sweeten some of my signings money a little bit or just to add to the coffers. He's gone too as you can see by my depth chart just didn't add him in.

Waited a while to do the first version, wanted to see the Senior Bowl as Snead and his scouts put a lot of stock in that game from what we've seen in the recent past.

First thing I'm doing is sending Marc Barron in a trade to Cleveland to reunite him with GW who got the most out of him in his 4-3. This saves us $9 million in cap space and nets us pick 4.1 (103).

Our free agents

Our own free agents are going to be fun. I don't think we offer TruJo enough to keep him and he walks for about $13 million a year (He and Butler both sign for about that imo).

Watkins will be an interesting case and I'm not sure any of us have a good idea what actually happens. Some speculation he gets franchised, I'm in the hope not group. And Spotrac has his market value estimation at $5.9 million, which I'm getting him to sign as fast as humanly possible. Personally I'm offering him a 5 year $40 million deal with All Pro, playoff and Super Bowl bonuses. Reports are he loves LA, the offense was good for him and with an off season to work in it and with Jared he's going to hit those incentives. With no guaranteed money in the last 2 years he knows the chances are good if he performs he can renegotiate and extend for more money.

Joyner I'm resigning for 5 years $45 million. He stays with Wades defense and we get him about a million below the franchise tag showing him respect he's earned as our FS.

NRC was great as our slot corner and most importantly was healthy. I'm signing him to a 3 year $10 million deal. A nice pay raise and a short enough deal for him to get a big payday if he earns it before he turns 30.

Pro Bowler Jake McQuaide gets a 4 year $4 million dollar deal to keep the Pro Bowlers together.

John Sullivan was solid at center and gets a 2 year $2.5 million deal.

On our own free agents I've spent $22.5 million and freed up another $9 million so we're now down to roughly $32 million left in space. I've done the math and our draft picks when we include the Browns pick we acquire will be about $6.5 million so we're down now to $26 million.

Free agents

One guy that several of us have had our eye on for a while because he just makes too much sense is Todd Davis. He played well for Wade in Denver and comes to LA to reunite with him at 4 years $22 million.

Another signing that I've seen in multiple spots including Jrry is Bashaud Breeland. Good man corner comes back to play with Coach Pleasant at 5 years $35 million.

Next I'm bringing back one of our own. We're signing a veteran Guard for some depth in John Greco. Give him a 2 year $1.5 million contract with some gameday active bonuses and we improve the depth in our IOL.

Those signings take us down to about $14 million. Now I'm doing what we all know needs to be done and signing our DPOY to an extension. Giving him a 6 year $150 million contract extension with a $70 million signing bonus (prorated over 7 years that makes us take a $10 million hit this year on the cap) with the first 2 years guaranteed giving him $100 million guaranteed. People have been clamoring for this to be done for a long time and we get it done here.

That leaves us after free agency and accounting for the draft with roughly $4 million. We need that money for injury replacements on the cap so we're done with free agency and onto the draft.

Draft

Round 1:23 Joshua Jackson CB, Iowa - I have seen mocks he drops to us and some he goes top 15. I think we can sub in for him Denzel Ward, Isaiah Oliver or Mike Hughes. Jackson goes into the rotation with Breeland, NRC and Webster (likely plays early with Webster still rehabbing).

Round 3:87 Tim Settle NT, Virginia Tech - I'm really torn here because I want Payne badly but I just have this sinking feeling he goes to the Chargers a few picks before us. Harrison Phillips is another very real possibility if he's here but he also might be gone at this point. IMO job #1 this off season is to upgrade the run defense and along with Davis at ILB this goes a long way to accomplishing that job.

Round 4:103 Alex Cappa OT, Humblot St - Alex did great in practice and IMO was moved around too much in the Senior Bowl game to really get any momentum going. He gets time to work with Whitworth and Kromer but is our swing tackle this year and will eventually take over at LT.

Round 4:130 Austin Corbett OG, Nevada - Corbett was the LT for the Wolfpack and will be moving inside in the NFL. This is our 2nd pick in a row from the Senior Bowl and continues depth along the OLine.

Round 5:165 Uchenna Nwosu OLB, USC - Dipping again into the Senior Bowl roster we take an OLB to work in behind Ebukam who I have taking over for Barwin.

Round 6: 197 Kyle Lualetta QB, Richmond - Mannion has one more year on his deal and could be retained but might also go the way of most backups and seek a chance to start with a needy team in 2019. Lualetta had a really good Senior Bowl game and practice week (Hey another guy from that game) and has moved up from a priority free agent to us spending one of our 3 3rd round picks on him.

Round 6: 200 Jamarcus King CB, South Carolina - Double dipping at corner with a guy who struggled last year but came on very nicely this year. He has good size and adequate short area speed.

Round 6: 207 Darrell Williams RB, LSU - My 6th straight Senior Bowl pick is a guy who was buried behind Fournette and Guice the last couple of years but still as a backup managed 820 yards and a 5.7 YPC while also catching 23 balls. He really did well at the Senior Bowl and I think will continue a tradition of backup RB's at LSU that go on to have some success in the NFL this time backing up Gurley.

Depth Chart

QB: Goff, Mannion, Lualetta
RB: Gurley, Brown, Williams, Davis
WR: Woods, Watkins, Kupp, Cooper, Thomas, Reynolds
TE: Higbee, Everett, Hemingway
LT: Whitworth, Cappa
LG: Saffold, Corbett
C: Sullivan, Blythe, Eldrenkamp
RG: Brown, Greco
RT: Havenstein, Williams

DE: Donald, Fox
NT: Settle, Bryant, Walker
DE: Brockers, Westbrooks
OLB: Quinn, Longacre, Price
ILB: Davis, Hager
ILB: Ogletree, Littleton
OLB: Ebukam, Nwosu, Sickles
CB: Breeland, Webster, Hill
CB: Jackson, Peterson
Slot: NRC
FS: Joyner, Countess
SS: J. Johnson, I. Johnson

K: GZ
P Hekker
LS: McQuaide
Returner: Cooper

Have at it, tear me up!! I know this probably isn't what a lot of people will want. There's a lot of anger at our young TE but I don't think we add anything but maybe a blocker. But I also feel that Higbee's blocking took major strides last year and I think he and Everett grow with an offseason of work. I know people want to cut bait on Quinn and draft an edge higher or sign a big free agent but I just don't see solutions there that don't hurt us in other areas. We could draft a replacement in our first 2 picks but a long term CB and a true NT to me are our two biggest draft needs. As I said improving that run defense is my main priority well maybe after extending AD.