http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...jeremiahs-top-50-prospects-for-2018-nfl-draft
Jan. 26, 2018

I skipped down to the area where the Rams will be selecting.

RANK#16


Mike Hughes, CB, UCF


Hughes is a fluid, agile cornerback prospect with the versatility to play inside or outside. He has good size and excels in press coverage, where he incorporates a two-hand jam and rarely allows a free release. He has very quick feet. He redirects and mirrors opponents with ease. From off coverage, Hughes has a fluid pedal and shows some pop out of his plant/drive. He's rarely out of phase in coverage, but when he is, he has the speed to recover. His ball awareness is excellent. He isn't a physical tackler, but he goes low and gets the ball carrier on the ground. Hughes did have an off-the-field issue at his previous school (North Carolina). Overall, Hughes is an outstanding cover cornerback and he's ready to start right away at the next level.

RANK#20


Donte Jackson, CB, LSU


Jackson is an undersized cornerback with rare twitch and make-up speed. LSU moved him all over the field in its scheme. He played inside, outside and even took some reps at safety. In press coverage, he's patient, but I'd like to see him be more physical with his hands at the line of scrimmage. He usually plays out of a quarter turn (butt toward the sideline). He uses his quickness and speed to mirror wideouts underneath and down the field. He rarely gets caught out of position, but when he does, he has the speed to recover. From off coverage, he has a quick pedal and is a very easy/fluid mover. His instincts and ball skills are good but not great. He's a willing tackler, but he's not ultra-aggressive in run support. Overall, Jackson doesn't make a ton of plays, but I believe his best football is ahead of him. He's a special athlete.

RANK#23


Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville


Alexander is a tough, instinctive cornerback prospect. He spent the majority of his time on the outside at Louisville, but he did take a few reps at the nickel spot. He's excellent in press coverage. He consistently re-routes his opponent with a quick two-hand jam. He has a little stiffness when he opens up, but he's rarely out of position underneath or down the field. From off coverage, he has a choppy pedal, but he boasts an excellent burst out of his plant and drive. His route recognition, throw anticipation and ball awareness are elite. He collected several pass breakups in every game I studied. He's very willing in run support and provides some big hits. Overall, Alexander lacks ideal fluidity, but I love his instincts, swagger and ball skills.
RANK

24


Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama


Payne is a powerful, run-stuffing defensive tackle with pass-rush upside. Against the run, he launches out of his stance and quickly shoots his hands to generate knock-back against single blocks. He will also use a quick slap/swim to disrupt. He holds up well vs. double-teams and has tremendous lateral range. As a pass rusher, he has a quick get-off, but he needs to develop a plan. Most of his pressure is the result of his swim move. He needs to work on counter moves. His effort is excellent. Overall, Payne is built to dominate on run downs right now. He has the athletic ability and power to emerge as a much better pass rusher in the near future.

RANK#25


James Daniels, C, Iowa


Daniels is a very athletic and technically proficient center. In the run game, he's extremely quick and effective on reach blocks and second-level blocks. I'm amazed by his ability to stay attached with his hands while he re-works his foot positioning. In pass pro, he plays with outstanding knee bend and balance. He shoots his hands quickly and can anchor against power as well as redirect vs. counters. He's very aware. Daniels is one of the best center prospects I've evaluated in the last five years.

#27


Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama


Evans is a versatile, playmaking linebacker. He moved all over the field in the Alabama defense. He aligned off the ball in the middle of the defense, stood up outside and even occasionally put his hand in the ground as a defensive end in pass-rush situations. Against the run, he's a tick late to key/read, but once he makes up his mind, he closes in a hurry. He runs right through blockers and if he doesn't make the tackle, he creates a pileup to slow down the ball carrier. He has outstanding speed to range sideline to sideline. He will miss an occasional tackle in space because he rarely breaks down, instead looking for the big hit. In coverage, he can easily mirror tight ends and backs. He will even match up in the slot at times. He isn't a polished pass rusher, but he can win with pure speed and effort. Overall, Evans is a tone-setter on defense and his versatility is a huge asset.

#30


Billy Price, C, Ohio State


Price was a four-year starter for the Buckeyes. He played both guard and center during his career. He was a very dominant run blocker while lining up at center in 2017. He has quick feet and a very powerful base. He latches on and flashes the upper torque to rag-doll opposing defenders. He isn't a great knee-bender, but once he gets his hands on you, he stays attached. He does struggle with balance at the second level. He gets overly aggressive and ends up on the ground too often. In pass protection, he can anchor easily against power rushers and he's very aware vs. twists and stunts. Overall, I love his strength, toughness and position flexibility. He's not an elite athlete, but he's a Day 1 starter at either guard or center.

By Daniel Jeremiah
Jan. 27, 2018 at 09:34 p.m
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...rospects-who-helped-themselves-in-senior-bowl

Editor's note: Click through the tabs above to see standouts from each day at the Reese's Senior Bowl.

MOBILE, Ala. -- After a week of practices here in Mobile, we finally had a chance to see some of the 2018 NFL Draft's top prospects on Saturday in the Reese's Senior Bowl. The story of the day at the marquee college all-star game was the quarterback play. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield was the biggest star in attendance, but he was a non-factor Saturday, throwing 7 passes on 2 offensive series before exiting. Three other QBs took full advantage of their time in the spotlight. I was there to see it all up close, analyzing the game from the sideline for the NFL Network broadcast.

Here's a look at seven players who helped themselves on Saturday.
Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Allen is going to build momentum in scouting circles coming out of the Senior Bowl. He's already considered one of the top prospects at his position, and I expect there to be even more excitement about him now.

He didn't have a lot of success in the first half, and could have shut it down at that point, but he didn't. He came back out to start the second half, and I love that he did. He competed, and he showed his complete skill set in second half, finishing the day 9-of-13 for 158 yards and 2 TDs.

We saw his strength to be able to absorb hits and make throws despite the contact. We saw his athletic ability when he took off and ran a couple times. We also saw the fastball that everybody talks about -- he gets plenty of juice on his throws. However, both of his TD passes in the third quarter were beautiful touch throws. I also liked watching him interact with his teammates in this game. He had a lot of energy, and you could see guys rally around him.

The fact that he hasn't fared well against Power Five teams in his career has been one of the biggest knocks against Allen, but he took advantage of the opportunity this week to show the NFL that he can compete against elite talents. I came into the week with Mayfield ranked one spot ahead of Allen on my board, and it remains very close between those QBs. I'm not ready to call that race just yet.

Allen has some rough edges that he still needs to smooth out, but we got a glimpse on Saturday of what it looks like when it all clicks for him. He makes throws that no one else can make.

Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta and Western Kentucky QB Mike White
Obviously, Allen and Mayfield were the biggest stars this week, but Lauletta and White were the two biggest winners of Saturday. With all the attention on the other QBs, they stepped up in a big way and showed they have starting traits. They possess plenty of poise, anticipation, timing and accuracy.

White looked like he had the game MVP award locked up with his outstanding play early on (8-11, 128 yards, TD), but Lauletta entered in the second half and swiped it from him, completing 8-of-12 passes for 198 yards and 3 TDs.

Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
Davenport wasn't very effective in the first two days of practices here, and some people didn't really give him much of a chance to adjust to the environment at the Senior Bowl before criticizing him. He clearly needed that adjustment period because he was unstoppable late in the week of practices, and it carried over to the game. He recorded a half sack and scored a TD on a fumble recovery. His numbers might not jump off the page, but the North team had its hands full trying to slow him down.

DJ Chark, WR, LSU
There was zero buzz on Chark coming into this week, but he had everyone talking by the end of the week. His production was outstanding (game-high 160 yards on 5 catches) -- everyone can see that -- but it shouldn't go overlooked that he also was good on the coverage teams, covering kicks.

Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State
Penny showed that he has plenty of burst, racking up 137 total yards (64 rushing, 73 receiving). His 73-yard TD catch showed the versatility that he brings to the table. In a year where we have so many good underclassmen running backs, he had to make a splash in this game to stay relevant. He definitely did that. I think he's positioned himself as a second-rounder at this point in the process.

Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State
Leonard has been one of my favorite players all week long. He was all over the field again on Saturday, recording a game-high 14 tackles. I liken him to Jaguars OLB Telvin Smith.

Because you’d never know there was another team involved!

The coverage is all Patriots, Brady, Belichick, Brady’s breakfast, Brady’s lunch, and Brady’s dinner.

http://theramswire.usatoday.com/201...nior-bowl-draft-prospects-meetings-tight-end/

The Rams have three capable tight ends in Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett and Derek Carrier, but none of them were particularly great in a specific area this past season. Higbee is a willing and consistent blocker, while Everett doesn’t offer much in that department. Carrier is a decent No. 3 tight end, but he may not be on the team in 2018.

All that considered, the Rams seem to be very interested in the tight end position this offseason. They met with at least three of the tight ends at the Senior Bowl in Mobile this past week, which is pretty telling of how they feel currently about the position.

A short (albeit incomplete) list of players the #LARams have visited w/ this week at the @seniorbowl:

Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon
Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa
Tyler Conklin, TE, CMU
Durham Smythe, TE, Notre Dame
Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana
Sean Welsh, OG, Oregon
Trayvon Henderson, S, Hawaii

— Brandon Bate (@NoPlanB_) January 27, 2018

Everett and Higbee aren’t in danger of being cut as both are under contract through at least 2019, but Sean McVay said this offseason that the Rams need more out of their tight ends so they can avoid getting stuck in 11 personnel with three receivers on the field.

It’s highly unlikely they’ll spend a top pick on one in the draft, but selecting a tight end in the mid-to-late rounds is certainly a strong possibility.

Darnold, Rosen, Allen, and Mayfield at this point, with no workouts yet (which tend to improve QB standing more often than it hurts them). Allen had a real nice bounceback in the second half of the Senior Bowl, and Mayfield killed it all week in practice. With all the QB-needy teams drafting in the top 15, we can pretty much bank that four QBs will come off the board before we pick.

IMO the Rams are going to get the 19th pick in terms of non-QBs.

What would be really cool is if one or two of those next tier QBs leads a team to fall in love with them, and sneak into the Rams' hood leading to someone wanting to jump up for them. Some might think this is a stretch, but Mike White for example has been flyin under the radar for some time and had a great performance in very limited snaps today in the Senior Bowl.

The more QBs that move up the better it is for us.

Is it possible they add interior line help this year at C & OG, with the idea they kick Saffold outside in 19' and keep him there until they get the chance to draft a big time LT prospect?

This was posted on another website. Our head coach is a model

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-be-under-center-for-the-vikings-next-season/

Which quarterback will be under center for the Vikings next season?

The Vikings have one of the NFL's most interesting quarterback dilemmas in quite some time. Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater and Case Keenumappear to be on the verge of free agency. After Minnesota had four passers under contract for almost all of the season, undrafted rookie Kyle Sloter, who signed a three-year contract in September, is the only quarterback assured of returning in 2018.

Decisions made at the quarterback position could be franchise altering. The direction taken will dramatically affect whether the Vikings can replicate this season's success, which concluded with a disappointing 38-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game after going 13-3 to win the NFC North.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer wasn't ready to address the quarterback situation at the end-of-season press conference held earlier in the week. A more pressing issue is finding an offensive coordinator to replace Pat Shurmur, who left to become the Giants' new head coach. Quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski will be given consideration. Darrell Bevell, who was the Seahawks offensive coordinator for the last seven seasons before his recent firing, will be interviewed. Bevell was Minnesota's offensive coordinator from 2006 through 2010 under Brad Childress. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo is also a potential candidate.

Dissecting 2017
Bradford seemed poised for a big year with good health. He began this season picking up where he left off in 2016, when he set an NFL single-season record with a 71.6 completion percentage and threw for a career high 3,877 yards while getting comfortable with Minnesota's offense on the fly after a surprising trade from the Eagles in the days leading up to the regular-season opener.


Bradford earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after completing 84.4 percent of passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening victory over the Saints. He played a total of only six quarters of football this season due to issues with his left knee, having previously suffered two ACL tears. Bradford was put on injured reserve at midseason after a minor arthroscopic procedure on his knee, which didn't reveal any structure damage. He was activated during the playoffs to serve in a backup capacity.

When Keenum signed a one-year, $2 million contract with $250,000 in incentives, which he earned, a month into free agency to backup Bradford, it was thought to be an inconsequential NFL transaction. But the acquisition proved invaluable because of Bradford's knee problems. In 15 games, Keenum threw for 3,547 yards with 22 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He connected on 67.6 percent of his passes, which was second in the NFL, and had the league's seventh-best passer rating at 98.6.

The Vikings were 12-4 with Keenum as a starter, including the postseason. Keenum was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November after guiding the Vikings to a 3-0 record by completing 71.1 percent of his passes (69 of 97) for 866 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions to post a 114.0 passer rating.

Bridgewater recovered from the gruesome, career-threatening knee injury he suffered at the end of the 2016 preseason, which prompted the Vikings to give the Eagles a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick for Bradford. Minnesota's 2015 starting quarterback was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list at midseason to be Keenum's backup for the final eight regular-season games. Bridgewater's only game action was mop-up duty in a decisive Week 15 victory over the Bengals. He was relegated to third string during the playoffs when Bradford returned.

Considering Keenum
Keenum changed his career trajectory this season. He's no longer viewed as strictly a quality backup. Keenum's postseason didn't measure up to his regular-season performance, although his 61-yard walk-off touchdown pass against the Saints propelled the Vikings to the NFC title game. Keenum's completion percentage dropped to 60.2 percent, his passer rating was 73.5 and he threw more interceptions (three) than touchdowns (two).

Nonetheless, Keenum's salary floor should be the three-year, $45 million deal Mike Glennon signed with the Bears last offseason in free agency as a less-proven commodity. Keenum is also more accomplished than Brock Osweilerwas when he received a four-year, $72 million contract containing $37 million fully guaranteed from the Texans in 2016 free agency after just seven rather pedestrian career starts. The average contract packages for expected 2017 starting quarterbacks signed as veterans (i.e.; not under a rookie contract) is approximately $20.4 million per year and contains slightly more than $45.5 million in guarantees. Just under $30.75 million is fully guaranteed at signing with 3.39 years as the average length.

Concern about regression, since it's unknown whether this season has been a true breakout performance for Keenum or an anomaly, could make a transition tag or a non-exclusive franchise designation a distinct possibility, despite a subpar game against the Eagles. The non-exclusive quarterback franchise tag should be $23.307 million with a $178.1 million 2018 salary cap, which is the high end of cap projections given to teams at a December league meeting. The transition designation would give the Vikings a right only to match another team's offer sheet. That tag is expected to be $21.029 million at this cap figure.

Considering Bradford
Bradford was probably going to be in an enviable position had he remained healthy. A contract similar to Derek Carr's ($25 million per year with $70 million in overall guarantees) as a free agent would have been a possibility provided he could have can maintained or improved upon his 2016 performance. Renewed concerns about durability make Bradford a risky proposition. There could be reluctance for any team to commit more to him than his current two-year, $35 million contract (worth up to $40.5 million through salary escalators and incentives) containing $26 million in guarantees, even though he cleared for action in the playoffs.

It would be smart for interested teams to insist on large annual game-day active roster bonuses in Bradford's contract given his injury history. The per-game amount is payable only if a player is on the 46-man active roster for that particular game. For example, Colin Kaepernick's 2014 extension with the 49ers had $2 million worth of roster bonuses annually. When Kaepernick was put on injured reserve after nine games in 2015, it cost him $875,000 while providing the 49ers financial relief because he didn't earn seven games worth of the roster bonuses. Part of the extension quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed with the Packers in 2013 included $600,000 of annual game-day active roster bonuses ($37,500 per game). Two stints on injured reserved this season have cost Rodgers $337,500 because he didn't collect nine games worth of the roster bonuses.

Considering Bridgewater
The Vikings declined a $12.198 million option for a fifth year with Bridgewater in 2018 because of the uncertainty in his recovery. Bridgewater's situation is more complicated than Bradford or Keenum's. There is a possibility that he could still be under contract in 2018 anyway at his 2017 salary of slightly more than $1.35 million.

The NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement provides for a player's contract to be tolled when placed on PUP in the last year of the deal if he still can't perform football services by the sixth regular-season game. Players who are put on PUP in connection with the roster cutdown, like Bridgewater, aren't eligible to start practicing or come off the list until the week of his team's seventh game.

Bridgewater's health at the sixth game should be the determining factor in whether his rookie contract is extending another year so he doesn't hit the open market until 2019. Returning to practice at the earliest possible instance allowed by PUP rules suggest that the 25 year old was capable of performing football services at an earlier part of the season and will have the same free-agency status as Bradford and Keenum. The NFLPA would surely file an expedited grievance on Bridgewater's behalf asking that he be declared an unrestricted free agent this offseason should tolling apply to him.

Bridgewater hasn't taken any meaningful snaps since 2015, when the Vikings made the playoffs as a wild card with an 11-5 record. He completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards. Bridgewater threw 14 touchdowns passes and nine interceptions. His passer rating was 88.7.

Bridgewater should be the cheapest option assuming tolling doesn't occur. A short-term contract at the top of the compete-for a-starting-quarterback-job range, much like Robert Griffin III signed with the Browns in 2016, could be in order considering he hasn't played in two years. These deals have been topping out at $7 million to $7.5 million per year recently, with performance bonuses that can increase the value to as much $12 million per year.

Another option
The Vikings will be in a salary-cap position to look outside the organization for a quarterback. There should be over $55 million of cap space if the high end of projections are accurate or exceeded. A pursuit of Kirk Cousins would be feasible provided he isn't given a third franchise tag, which would effectively take him off the market because he would be prevented from soliciting an offer sheet from other NFL teams. Signing Cousins will likely require making him the NFL's highest-paid player over Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who signed a five-year, $135-million contract extension with an NFL-record $92 million of overall guarantees during the preseason.

Vikings tendencies
The Vikings are one of the most proactive teams in extending contracts of core players. Linebacker Anthony Barr, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Eric Kendricks are entering a contract year. Some of the cap room will be devoted to their extensions. It remains to be seen who is prioritized for new contracts. Paying a quarterback at the level that will be required for Cousins could ultimately cost the Vikings one or more of these key pieces.

Ideally, the Vikings could combine Bradford's talent with Keenum's health and Bridgewater's youth. Since all three players consider themselves starting quarterbacks, retaining more than one will be a difficult task.

Bradford may be the biggest risk while having also the potential to pay the biggest immediate dividends. Signing a quality veteran backup would also be a necessity since Bradford is a reminder that the best ability sometimes is availability.

Elevating Stefanski to offensive coordinator could be a sign that every effort will be made to keep Keenum for at least the 2018 season. His promotion would ensure continuity of a scheme in which Keenum had success.

Bridgewater's contract tolling would be Minnesota's easiest solution but is far from a certainty. He is more of an unknown quantity than Bradford or Keenum at this point. Bridgewater being the quarterback of choice when Zimmer first became Vikings head coach in 2014 shouldn't be ignored. Minnesota traded 2014 second- and fourth-round picks to move back into bottom of the first round to get him.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/su...s-rising-temps-dip-minneapolis-023626446.html

Super Bowl ticket market shows no signs of rising as temps dip in Minneapolis

The deep freeze is headed for Minneapolis and Super Bowl LII next week. And in a scenario that is edging toward worst-case territory, it’s just beginning to wreak havoc on the most sought-after sports ticket in America.

In short, prices are sliding. And there are indications it’s going to get worse.

The “get-in” seats for Super Bowl LII have already dipped nearly 40 percent since the morning of the NFC championship game, when the cheapest seats were selling for just north of $4,900. As of Thursday night, the get-in prices had fallen to just over $3,000.

At this stage, there are only negative change agents lying in wait. From temperatures that are expected to hover in the low teens (at best), to a potential snowy forecast and Minnesota Vikings fans having been pulled out of the market after the NFC title game loss, the pursuit of Super Bowl tickets has quickly become a buyer’s market, with little hope that something will change it.

Asked what factors could cause prices to move up between now and the Super Bowl kickoff, one broker remarked, “There’s nothing to make it go up. Only down.”

Three brokers who are still sitting on inventory had varying targets on a basement price for the cheapest seats. Two put the target between $2,200 and $2,700. One was far less optimistic, saying he believes $2,000 is a more realistic price leading up to game day. That’s stunning, considering some brokers were seeing brisk sales of get-in seats at $5,000 just one week ago.

[Stream the NFL Pro Bowl live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app]

“I want it to go up, but I think it can go to $1,500, which is still almost double face-value on the cheapest tickets,” the broker said. “I want it to go up, but there’s nothing I can do to make it go up. The $1,500, I’m talking about [on the street] two hours before the game. And most people won’t look at prices that late. When the weather is [bad] a few days before the game, that’s what really kills prices. Because people will just not go.

“There’s been people who have called me who live in Iowa, and they’re thinking, ‘Well, it’s only a four-hour drive.’ There’s some of that going on. But with the weather, they’re going to say ‘[Forget] this. It’s cold as hell and snow is blowing around.’ And if it’s a full-on blizzard like it was Monday [when 12 inches of snow fell], we’ll be giving tickets away at the last minute.”

The message in that? If you’re a Philadelphia Eagles or New England Patriots fan who can find last-minute accommodations and would be willing to pay in the mid-$2,000 range for a seat, it’s looking like you’ll have a buffet of opportunities in the 72 hours before kickoff.

“The thing that could prop up prices would be Eagles fans buying tickets,” one broker said. “I’ve got some [Eagles fans] who are on the hook asking me, ‘Where do you think it’s going to go?’ And I’m telling them, ‘$2,000. I don’t think you’re going to have any problem. You’re just going to have to wait and see.’ I already look smart because I told them not to buy when they got all nervous seeing prices [last week] at $5,500. I told them, ‘You’re going to pay $3,000 maybe.’ And now, it’s going to be even less than that. It’s already at that now. So I’m telling them to just stay put. Nothing is going to cause this to go up that I can think of.”

For those who have waited, patience has already paid off. And it appears that it will continue that trend right into next week.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/...arry-high-school-sweetheart-to-come-true.html

Florida teen's dying wish to marry high school sweetheart to come true

Wedding bells are in the air for a couple whose love will last long after death.

A Florida teenager with terminal cancer will get his dying wish on Sunday to marry his high school sweetheart.

Dustin Snyder, 19, of Valrico, Fla., has been battling cancer, synovial sarcoma, on-and-off since before he turned 18, ABC News Go reported.

The young man was told he was cancer-free following surgery and chemotherapy, but just three weeks ago he experienced pain and was rushed to the hospital where he was told the cancer had returned.

TEENS EATING MORE TIDE PODS THAN EVER, DESPITE EFFORTS TO STOP TREND

Snyder was given just weeks to live.

"The only treatment for this is removal and they can’t remove this," Cassandra Fondahn, Snyder’s mother told FOX 13. “It’s been a rough road.”

His girlfriend, Sierra Siverio, who has stayed by Snyder’s side through his sickness, plans to marry her boyfriend Sunday at Big Red Barn in Plant City.

“That means everything to me,” Siverio told FOX 13. “I'm going to be there for him no matter what and I'm really excited for this opportunity.”

“She was there with me since the beginning, and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else,” Snyder told FOX 8.

The teens met in middle school but lost touch before reuniting in high school.

The community has come together to make sure the wedding is as memorable as possible. Citizens have donated everything from the rings to the wedding gown and venue.

LifePath Hospice is working to get the flowers and bridesmaids dresses, along with someone to provide drinks and a bar service.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for the couple’s wedding. As of Saturday morning, the campaign has raised more than $19,500.

“I can’t believe the amount of people that have reached out to help,” Fondahn told FOX 8. “It’s a lot of good and compassionate people.”

Siverio said she and Dustin would be together “no matter what, forever, in both of our hearts.”

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-engineered-to-be-bill-belichicks-perfect-qb/

2018 Senior Bowl: One player scientifically engineered to be Bill Belichick's perfect QB

The New England Patriots are about to play in their eighth Super Bowl with Tom Brady under center, but the Pats are still in the quarterback-acquisition business this offseason, after trading Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco during the 2017 season. And there might be a perfect quarterback prospect for Pats coach Bill Belichick sitting there in the early-to-mid rounds.

It's not one of the names you know, not a Baker Mayfield or a Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. Instead, it's a less-heralded prospect, Richmond's Kyle Lauletta, who could be eyed as the "next Jimmy G," the potential heir to Brady in New England.

As detailed by Eric Edholm over at Pro Football Weekly, the three-year starter for the Spiders is the ideal candidate to play "Bill Belichick Bingo." He checks the boxes for things Belichick loves and he checks them quickly.

For starters, he has experience and has shown to be an accurate passer who minimizes mistakes. Lauletta threw 73 touchdown passes over four years (three as starter for Richmond) to just 35 interceptions. That's not a perfect ratio, but he is playing at an FCS-level school. Extrapolate Brady's stats over three years as a starter and he would have had 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.

But digging past just the stats you see a guy Belichick could drool over.

Lauletta comes from a family full of lacrosse players and was "a big lacrosse guy" himself.

"I was a big lacrosse guy, absolutely," Lauletta told Edlhom from the 2018 Senior Bowl. "For a while I thought I might enjoy playing that in college. I just enjoy football more. I think it's a better team sport. But I've always grown up a lacrosse guy. My dad was an All-American in high school. My uncle played in college."

Belichick is, quite notoriously, a huge LAX bro. He has visited Johns Hopkins team to see them practice, and has actually practiced with the Maryland lacrosse team before. He's talked/joked about how Brady would make a great lacrosse goalie ("can't dodge, can't run") and named lacrosse positions for all his players. He will sit down with Lauletta and have some LAX talk. That's a guarantee.

"You think about skills on the lacrosse field that translate to football — toughness, change of direction, lot of good things that helped me in football," Lauletta said.

LAX. TALK. BRO. Pats scouts even found out about Lauletta loving lacrosse and said "Belichick will love this" according to the quarterback.

But wait, there's more. The Richmond quarterback is also a product of a family who spent significant time around the Naval Academy and the football program there.

Lauletta's father was a quarterback for the Naval Academy in the mid-'80s, per Edholm, and his uncle Lex was also a PUNTER for Navy in the mid-'70s.

This is the perfect storm. Belichick is very passionate about the service academy, after his father Steve coached there, and Belichick is a huge history/war buff. Belichick loves punters too, as he is the ultimate football geek.

And then there's this -- according to Lauletta, he's been compared by people to Jimmy G multiple times.

"Jimmy Garoppolo, an FCS guy, a guy I've been compared to a few times throughout the process," Lauletta said. "He's a great guy to be compared to; he's doing really, really well. That whole system they have, the success speaks for itself."

I mean, COME ON. There's a LAX-playing, LAX-loving FCS quarterback who had a Navy quarterback dad and a Navy quarterback father and has drawn Jimmy G comparisons in draft process? Belichick is about to turn into a human heart-eyes emoji on this one.

Go ahead and use that second-round pick from the 49ers on this robot sent from the future to be Bill Belichick's perfect quarterback.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ere-diagnosed-in-2017-most-in-last-six-years/

NFL says 281 concussions were diagnosed in 2017, most in last six years
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 26, 2018

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KQn2ZSt2Mo

The NFL says players were diagnosed with concussions a total of 281 times in 2017, which is the most the league has seen since it began tracking concussions consistently across the league six years ago.

The major increase in concussions came in practices, not in games. There were 45 concussions in practices in the preseason and 11 concussions in practices in the regular season. Both of those totals are the most ever seen by the league. There are always more concussions in preseason practices than in regular season practices because there is much more contact in preseason practices than in regular season practices.

In games, there were 46 concussions in the preseason and 179 concussions in the regular season. Both of those numbers represent increases over 2016, but neither represented an all-time high.

“Certainly we’re disappointed that the concussion numbers are up. It’s something that challenges us to roll up our sleeves and work hard to see that number come down,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer. “We take this as a challenge because we’re not going to be satisfied until we drive that number much lower.”

The question is whether that top number of 281 means there were actually more concussions suffered by players, or whether diagnostic efforts have improved. The league indicated that players are self-reporting concussion symptoms more often, which may indicate the latter — and which is good news, even if an increase in concussions is not good news.

After seeing the gigantic improvements that resulted from all of the coaching and personnel moves made last offseason, who cannot be excited by what lies ahead?

If the upcoming personnel moves are anywhere near as solid as those of last year? The moves that took us from 4-12 to 11-5? It’ll be Wow! Just WOW!

The coaching is set, of course, and that was a biggie.

I see the following:

Some OL depth added, but not at the top of the draft, unless a LOT that they really, really like falls to them at #23. Seems somewhat doubtful.

The existing TE corps gets a ton of attention and steps up to take a significant place in McVay’s O. Don’t see a high draft pick at TE. A big outside FA brought in would also surprise me.

Sounds like Snead is hellbent on keeping Watkins. If not, then I do see them bringing in a FA at WR to try to duplicate their success with Woods last year. Might be a good bang for the buck move. Either way, our WR corps would seem set.

We bring in a new NT. Might be our 1st rounder, even. If not there, then maybe the 3rd. Would seem a big step toward improving Wade’s run D.

I expect some serious changes in our LB corps. A major renovation. Quinn probably gone. Maybe Barwin, too. Barron might be offloaded and Tree moved to his position. The 3 missing pieces to be filled by some combo of draft, outside FA, and maybe somebody already on the roster. Ebukam and/or Littleton? I dunno. We’ll see how Wade wants to play it. Our pick at #23 just might be a LB.

I make TruJo 75% to be gone. Won’t sign for a reasonable amount. TBH, won’t break my heart, anyway. A press man CB might be Wade’s preference, at that. New CB might be from the draft. Another possible choice at #23, but could be later. Snead has been very good at that. Otherwise, I see 2 FA’s brought in to be our starting outside CB’s. Can’t count on Webster’s healthy return and can’t count on Troy Hill as our other starter just yet. But here’s the thing. Snead and Wade both know CB’s and what they need in a player for best fit. So I have every confidence that they’re all over this CB situation.

Joyner will be extended. I would even use a “bank it” on that, frankly. JJ is our other starter at Safety.

All other players brought in will be for depth.

After the monumental changes last offseason, this season’s challenges seem like child’s play by comparison.

To summarize our offseason priorities:

Fix NT
Fix CB
Fix LB corps (hopefully, 3 moves there)
Make a decision on Watkins, one way or another.

The result just might be a SB worthy team.

Hot Damn!

DTR PODCAST EP56: Senior Bowl w/Joe Curley, Isaiah Wynn, Kalen Ballage, MJ Stewart, Tyrell Crosby & More...

Jake and Joe Curley talk Rams and the total Senior Bowl experience from this week. Jake also interviews 10 players at the end of the of podcast (Georgia G Isaiah Wynn, Oregon OT Tyrell Crosby, Dubuque CB Michael Joseph, UNC CB MJ Stewart, Arizona State RB Kalen Ballage, Jacksonville State DB Siran Neal, TCU OT Joe Noteboom, UCF TE Jordan Akins, UPenn WR Justin Watson & Virginia S Quin Blanding)


iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast...len-ballage/id1233567831?i=1000400737899&mt=2



Spreaker:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/downtownrams/senior-bowl-w-joe-curley-isaiah-wynn-mj-



iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-D...senior-bowl-wjoe-curley-isaiah-wynn-28875154/

Ok Rams brothers, this is what being a true Rams fan is all about. My second cousin....( my cousins son) has just been named Quarterbacks coach for the Seahags...David Canales. His older brother played in the Dodgers farm system back in 2000. But, have I become a hags fan? Nope, zero, nada.
Hate them just as much today as yesterday. Go Rams!!!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-leads-all-player-merchandise-sales-for-2017/

Carson Wentz leads all player merchandise sales for 2017 on NFLShop.com
Posted by Mike Florio on January 25, 2018

His team made it two the Super Bowl, but he won’t be playing in the game. The consolation? He’s top seller of merchandise among all NFL players.

Per NFL.com, by way of SportsBusiness Daily, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was the No. 1 mover of merchandise in the NFL for the 2017 season sold through NFLShop.com.

Coming in second place was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who continues to sell jerseys and other gear with his name or likeness on it despite the fact that anyone who has ever wanted to buy anything with his name or likeness on it has had a generation to do so.

Rounding out the top five are Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

The No. 6 spot went to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Steelers tackle Alejandro Villaneuva was No. 7. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski came in at No. 8, Vikings receiver Adam Thielen at No. 9, and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was No. 10.

No other Eagles or Patriots player appears in the balance of the top-30 list published by the league.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ntz-and-brady-are-kings-of-nfl-merch-mountain

Wentz and Brady are kings of NFL merch mountain
By Dan Hanzus



Tom Brady and Carson Wentz won't square off in the Super Bowl this year, and that's a shame. For the time being, football fans will have to settle for a pretty stellar merch battle going on between the two star quarterbacks.

Brady merchandise led sales in 10 states during the 2017 season, according to NFL Shop data made available to NFL.com. Brady was king in the six states that comprise New England (duh), as well as New York, Florida, Indiana and Hawaii.

Wentz was the top seller in nine states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Utah, Delaware, North Dakota and Montana. Wentz also took the top spot in the District of Columbia. U.S. capital bonus!

Brady claimed the most states, but Wentz ranked No. 1 in overall sales, which covers jerseys and all other merchandise bearing a player's name or likeness. Brady finished second in overall sales with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott rounding out the top three.

The sales data spans Sept. 1 through Jan. 18.

Wentz, of course, will watch the Super Bowl from the sideline after suffering a season-ending knee injury in December. How much do Eagles fans adore their star-crossed young star? Wentz held down the top two spots in overall jersey sales this season -- his green No. 11 was the NFL's top seller and his black No. 11 finished second. The third, 10th and 11th spots were all different Brady jerseys. One can imagine Patriots fans have walk-in closets filled with weathered No. 12 tops collected over the past two decades of glory.

Some surprises from the data: Alvin Kamara outsold Drew Brees in Louisiana. Antonio Brown owns Ohio (sorry Browns and Bengals fans). Brady topped hometown kid Marcus Mariota in Hawaii.

Christian McCaffrey finished ahead of Cam Newton in North Carolina. Thankful Clemson fans made Deshaun Watson No. 1 in South Carolina.

Check out the top jersey figures for top 15 rookies, top 30 players and top 10 teams.

Key stats on PFF's top 15 impending free agents
BY MARK CHICHESTER • JAN 25, 2018
Dec 31, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) drops back to pass against New York Giants during second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL’s free agency period is often times the most exciting period of the offseason for fans, and this year’s class of free agents may just be the best we’ve seen in years.

Coinciding with our 2018 Free Agent Tracker, and the release of our 2018 Free Agency Guide, which includes PFF profiles, stats and analysis for hundreds of potential free agents, we thought it best to preview the top of the class of impending free agents, in a way only we at PFF can — key advanced statistics on each and every one of them. While some of these players may be likely to re-sign with their respective teams from 2017, others may not.

Without further adieu, here are the top 15 impending free agents who’s contracts were up, in one way or another, with their respective franchise after the 2017 season.

[Editor’s Note: The 2018 Free Agency Guide is available for all PFF Edge & Elite subscribers along with the first ever QB Annual and our eventual 2018 NFL Draft Guide coming in February. Join now to not miss a thing.]

1. DREW BREES, QUARTERBACK
2017 Grade: 88.6

2017 Team: New Orleans Saints

Another year, another exemplary season from a quarterback who has perennially been the league’s most accurate passer. At age 38, in his 17th NFL season, Brees put together yet another masterful performance in terms of accuracy and ended the year with an adjusted completion percentage (the PFF metric that eliminates outside factors to give a clear measure of accuracy) of 80.7 percent, the best mark among quarterbacks. With all signs pointing towards Brees staying in New Orleans, the Saints appear set to retain a quarterback who has now finished in the top-five in this statistic in nine of the 12 seasons that PFF has data for.

2. JIMMY GAROPPOLO, QUARTERBACK
2017 Grade: 85.2

2017 Team: San Francisco 49ers



The 49ers likely found the franchise’s savior when they traded for Garoppolo last October, and after watching perform so well in his time as the starter, it makes little sense to let him walk straight back out of the door. Reports that the ‘Niners are trying to secure Jimmy G to a long-term deal are already circling, and if they do manage to lock him up, the 49ers will be delighted to retain a quarterback that showed tremendous poise while under pressure this year. Since taking over as quarterback in Week 13, Garoppolo produced an adjusted completion percentage of 71.4 percent on his throws under pressure, which ranked second among 39 quarterbacks with at least 40 attempts, but that mark is made all the more impressive by the fact that he averaged a whopping 8.3 yards per attempt on those throws, the best mark of the season and the 11th-highest mark ever recorded by PFF.

3. KIRK COUSINS, QUARTERBACK
2017 Grade: 78.9

2017 Team: Washington Redskins



After playing two straight seasons under the franchise tag in Washington, the veteran quarterback will once again enter the offseason with his sights set on a long-term contract. As the saga rolls on, the eventual winner of the Cousins sweepstakes will get one of the coolest performers in the NFL when it comes to throwing from a clean pocket. Since taking over from Robert Griffin III to start the 2015 season, Cousins has logged a passer rating of 109.6 on throws without pressure, which is second only to Drew Brees in that span and beats out notable signal-callers such as Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and PFF’s 2017 offensive player of the year, Tom Brady.

4. LE’VEON BELL, RUNNING BACK
2017 Grade: 85.4

2017 Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

At the halfway point of the season, it seemed highly improbable that the Steelers would part ways with the versatile playmaker, but as we further we approach the offseason, it seems more and more apparent that Bell and the Steelers are heading for divorce. Bell, who has been one of the most consistent players in the game over recent years, has achieved PFF overall grades of 91.2, 93.9, 91.9 and 85.4 over the last four seasons, which was good for second, first, first and seventh among running backs, respectively. Since 2015, Bell has logged 2,030 offensive snaps, more than any other running back in the league, and he’s averaged 2.89 yards after contact per rushing attempt, the third-best mark among backs with at least 1,000 attempts in that span. He also averaged 1.36 yards per route run which is the 21st-best mark among running backs with at least 100 targets and all told, he’s combined to force a total of 150 missed tackles, which is the league’s second-best total.

5. DEMARCUS LAWRENCE, EDGE DEFENDER
2017 Grade: 94.1

2017 Team: Dallas Cowboys

PFF’s breakout player of the year picked the perfect time to unleash the best season of his young career and will be look to cash in on a big payday after he spent most of the 2017 campaign terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. All told, Lawrence put up 79 total pressures from 425 pass-rush snaps this year, giving him a pass-rush productivity of 14.8, which was the best mark among all edge-rushers in the league with at least 130 pass-rush snaps. On average, he produced pressure once every 5.4 pass rushes, the league’s second-best rate behind only Elvis Dumervil.

6. MALCOLM BUTLER, CORNERBACK
2017 Grade: 79.2

2017 Team: New England Patriots

After the Patriots opted to sign cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year $65 million contract last offseason, the chances are that the hero of Super Bowl 49 will be allowed to test the open market. Whoever secures Butler’s signature this offseason will get one of the best playmakers available at the position, as Butler has got his hands on 35 (29 pass breakups and six interceptions) of the 285 passes that have been thrown into his coverage since 2015, giving him a playmaker index of 15.4 percent, the fourth-best mark among cornerbacks with at least 200 targets in that span.

7. ANDREW NORWELL, OFFENSIVE GUARD
2017 Grade: 88.8

2017 Team: Carolina Panthers



Prior to the 2017 season, the Panthers signed both right guard Trai Turner and left tackle Matt Kalil to big contracts and because of this, the Panthers will have limited cap space to work with impending free agent Norwell. He will very likely have a lot of interest if he hits free agency as the fourth-year guard put together an impressive season that saw him ranked third among guards with a PFF overall grade 88.8 and a first-team All-Pro selection. While Norwell performed well in the run game (83.4 run-block grade – eighth-best among guards), his performance in pass protection is what will set him apart from other players at the position. Throughout the regular season, Norwell allowed just 13 hurries on his 564 pass-blocking snaps, which resulted in a pass-blocking efficiency of 98.3, the second-best best mark among qualifying guards. He was also the only offensive lineman in the NFL to log at least 500 pass-blocking snaps without allowing either a sack or a quarterback hit, which makes him one of only four guards who have achieved this feat since PFF started collecting data back in 2006.

8. ALLEN ROBINSON, WIDE RECEIVER
2017 Grade: 71.7

2017 Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Robinson was lost for the 2017 season after he tore his ACL on just his third snap of the year, so he will consequently hit free agency without the kind of leverage that he’d been hoping for. Despite the injury, Robinson is still arguably the most talented offensive player on the Jaguars roster, therefore he could be one of the most intriguing free agents on the market. Wherever he ends up, Robinson has proved that he can produce as a game-changing deep threat, evidenced by his stellar 2015 campaign, where he racked up a colossal 672 receiving yards from passes of 20 or more yards downfield, the most ever recorded by PFF.

9. SHELDON RICHARDSON, INTERIOR DEFENDER
2017 Grade: 83.8

2017 Team: Seattle Seahawks

Richardson, who was acquired from the New York Jets prior to Week 1 of the 2017 season, enjoyed a productive first year with the team and has publicly expressed his desire to remain with the Seahawks going forward. However, If the Seahawks do decide to let Richardson walk, several teams could pursue the 27-year-old, as he was a force in both the run game and in the pass-rush this year. Through 17 weeks of the 2017 season, Richardson racked up 36 total quarterback pressures and 22 run stops, which ranked ninth and 17th among defensive tackles this year, respectively.

10. JARVIS LANDRY, WIDE RECEIVER
2017 Grade: 82.0

2017 Team: Miami Dolphins



Since he entered the league in 2014, Antonio Brown (472) and Julio Jones (411) are the only two wide receivers who have logged more receptions than Landry’s 400, which justifies his desire to be paid like a true No. 1 WR. As free agency looms near, the Dolphins need to make a decision on the fourth-year pass-catcher, who has excelled as a slot specialist since entering the league, racking up a total of 267 receptions and 2,880 receiving yards from the slot, both of which rank first among receivers in that span. His average of 1.94 yards per route run from the slotranks third among receivers with at least 50 slot targets as well. However, whoever wins the race for Landry’s signature will not just be getting a top-tier slot receiver, they’ll also be getting a mightily productive red zone weapon. Landry has generated a passer rating of 124.1 on his red zone targets over the last two seasons, the second-best mark among wideouts with at least 25 red zone targets since 2016.

11. EZEKIEL ANSAH, EDGE DEFENDER
2017 Grade: 80.1

2017 Team: Detroit Lions

In 2015, Ansah enjoyed a breakout season and flashed the traits of a perennial Pro-Bowler after he ended the season with 13 sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 33 hurries on his 397 pass-rushing snaps. While injuries have played a major part in hindering his progression since, the fifth-year edge-rusher looked to be back to his best form down the stretch of the 2017 season. In the last six games of the season, Ansah tallied a whopping eight sacks, four hits and seven hurries on his 129 pass-rushing snaps, which resulted in a pass-rushing productivity of 12.6, the seventh-best mark among 4-3 defensive ends in that span.

12. JUSTIN PUGH, OFFENSIVE GUARD
2017 Grade: 52.4

2017 Team: New York Giants



Since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2013, Pugh has emerged as one of the better guards in the NFL, but unfortunately, injuries have plagued him in all but one of his professional seasons. With an entire offseason to recover from the back injury that cost him the last six games of the 2017 campaign, Pugh enters free agency as a high-end, starting caliber guard, who graded above 80.0 in both 2015 and 2016, and has allowed just 39 pressures over the last three seasons on the interior, the fourth-best mark among guards with at least 750 pass-blocking snaps since 2015.

13. NATE SOLDER, OFFENSIVE TACKLE
2017 Grade: 75.1

2017 Team: New England Patriots

After spending the majority of his career as the man responsible for guarding Tom Brady’s blindside, Solder’s experience will make him one of the most appealing names in free agency. While Solder’s performance in pass protection has been up and down over recent years, he has always been one of the more consistent run-blocking tackles in the game and has achieved run-blocking grades above 80.0 in 5-of-7 professional seasons. This year, his run-blocking grade of 83.4 is good for ninth among all players at the position.

14. JIMMY GRAHAM, TIGHT END
2017 Grade: 53.8

2017 Team: Seattle Seahawks



The veteran tight end has now come to the end of the four-year deal that he signed with the New Orleans Saints, a deal that he signed just a year prior to being traded away to the Seahawks in an experiment that will ultimately go down as a disappointment. Prior to the trade, Graham was regarded as one of the best tight ends in the league and finished in the top-five in yards per route run among tight ends every season from 2010 to 2013, including two first-place finishes. However, his production has failed to reach such heights since, even ending the 2017 season averaging just 1.11 yards per route run, the 32nd-best mark among tight ends and the lowest of his career. As Graham seeks to reignite his career, teams will undoubtedly be intrigued by his performance in the red zone this year. At the close of the regular season, no player in the game saw as many red zone targets (27) or contested red zone targets (13) than Graham, and he thrived in those contested situations, producing a catch rate of 61.5 percent and generating a passer rating of 107.4, both of which ranked first among all tight ends.

15. SAM BRADFORD, QUARTERBACK
2017 Grade: 68.9

2017 Team: Minnesota Vikings

Following a very successful season that almost took them to the Super Bowl, the Minnesota Vikings will no head into free agency with what could be the trickiest offseason quarterback situation in recent memory. Bradford, who has arguably been the Vikings best signal-caller, will be entering the eighth year of his career but he’s only managed to make it through two of those seasons without injury. While it could be a risk to sign him long-term, teams could opt to take a flyer in the hopes that Bradford can recapture the form that he found during his first year with the Vikings, where he ranked in the top three among quarterbacks in adjusted completion percentage (80.3 percent), deep passer rating (121.5) and passer rating under pressure (87.7). In the 12 years that PFF has recorded data, only two quarterbacks have ended the regular season ranked in the top three in each of those categories, with Robert Griffin III (2012) being the other.

Link added by moderator:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-key-stats-on-pffs-top-15-impending-free-agents

https://www.si.com/wrestling/2018/01/25/wwe-football-league-xfl-vince-mcmahon

WWE chairman Vince McMahon will announce Thursday afternoon that he is launching a pro football league, ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports.

WWE announced Thursday morning that McMahon’s new investment company, Alpha Entertainment, “will make a major sports announcement” at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday.

McMahon was previously the brains behind the XFL, the short-lived league that promised a brand of football somehow even more violent than the NFL. The league folded after just one season and cost both WWE and NBC millions of dollars.

Rumblings that McMahon might be reviving some sort of XFL-like product began in mid-December. (The man who broke the news, a North Carolina freelance journalist named Brad Shepard, even said McMahon would announce the new venture on Jan. 25.)

Alpha Entertainment filed several trademarks tied to the new league back in September, including UFL and UrFL. It appears, however, that the new league will use the old XFL branding.

January 24th, 2018 at 7:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Los Angeles Rams, a surprise contender that captured the NFC West crown before suffering a defeat in the first round of the postseason.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:

• Connor Barwin, LB
• Malcolm Brown, RB (ERFA)
• Derek Carrier, TE
• Cody Davis, S
• Lance Dunbar, RB
• Dominique Easley, DE
• Troy Hill, CB (ERFA)
• Trumaine Johnson, CB
• Lamarcus Joyner, S
• Zach Laskey, FB (ERFA)
• Matt Longacre, LB (RFA)
• Cornelius Lucas, T
• Cameron Lynch, LB (RFA)
• Jake McQuaide, LS
• Aaron Neary, G (ERFA)
• Nickell Robey-Coleman, CB
• Garrett Sickels, LB (ERFA)
• John Sullivan, C
• Tyrunn Walker, DT
• Sammy Watkins, WR
• Darrell Williams, T (RFA)

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:

1. Robert Quinn, DE: $12,399,770
2. Andrew Whitworth, T: $12,166,666
3. Alec Ogletree, LB: $11,600,000
4. Michael Brockers, DT: $10,750,000
5. Mark Barron, LB: $10,000,000
6. Robert Woods, WR: $8,000,000
7. Tavon Austin, WR: $8,000,000
8. Jared Goff, QB: $7,619,365
9. Rodger Saffold, G: $7,500,000
10. Aaron Donald, DT: $6,892,000

Other:

• Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $51,012,500
• 23rd pick in draft
• Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for RB Todd Gurley

Three Needs:
1) Find a dynamic edge defender: We don’t need to tell you that defensive tackle Aaron Donald is an absolute monster. He earned a near-perfect 99.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, and was the only interior lineman who ranked among the NFL’s top 20 in quarterback pressures (his 52 were third-most in the league, behind only Demarcus Lawrence and Khalil Mack).

Thanks to Donald’s dominance and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips‘ scheming, Los Angeles posted a decent performance against opposing signal-callers: while the club ranked just 24th in sacks, it finished fifth in adjusted sack rate and 16th in pressure rate. Imagine what the Rams could do after improving on edge options Robert Quinn and Connor Barwin, each of whom graded as bottom-20 pass-rushers in 2017, according to PFF. Quinn’s production has been dwindling for at least three consecutive seasons, while Barwin is now 31 years old and will hit free agency in March.

The only problem with trying to improve an edge defense through free agency is that most teams don’t let quality pass-rushers get away, meaning many players on the open market will come with some kind of flaw (age, injury, etc.). So the Rams may first need to look internally, and potentially give more playing time to backup Matt Longacre, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Longacre, 26, played more snaps in 2017 than he had in the previous two seasons combined, and came through with 5.5 sacks and 15.5 pressures. Cameron DaSilva of RamsWirerecently looked at why Longacre was so successful last year, noting that stunts and twists were a large part of Longacre’s usage.

If Los Angeles does look at the free agent edge rushing market, they won’t find much. Demarcus Lawrence is overwhelmingly likely to stay with the Cowboys either through a long-term contract or the franchise tag, leaving the Lions’ Ezekiel Ansah as the top defender available. Ansah has spent his entire career in a 4-3 scheme, leaving questions as to whether he could play in the Rams’ 3-4 front. If LA doesn’t think Ansah is a viable option, the club will instead have to look at incremental improvements.

The first call general manager Les Snead makes should go to veteran defender Julius Peppers, who is a free agent again after spending the 2017 season in Carolina. Peppers is 38 years old, but he hasn’t posted fewer than seven sacks in a decade. And the Rams shouldn’t necessarily worry about Peppers’ advanced age given that they’re in clear win-now mode. Not only can Peppers still be productive, but he played in a 3-4 look from 2014-16 — while Phillips and ex-Packers DC Dom Capers run different versions of the 3-4, Peppers has proven he can be effective in a stand-up role.

The other pass-rusher that should interest the Rams is Aaron Lynch, who will become a free agent in March after four seasons with the 49ers. Los Angeles should have a good idea of Lynch’s ability given that it plays San Francisco twice per year, but Lynch admittedly hasn’t been on the field much since 2016 (he’s averaged only 16% playtime over the past two seasons). The 24-year-old Lynch was reportedly overweight and in danger of getting cut last May, and while those are concerns, those issues could also mean Lynch will be cheap once he hits the open market. As recently as 2015, Lynch ranked fifth in the NFL with 34 pressures — that’s the type of upside that should interest the Rams, potentially on a multi-year deal.

A few other veteran players could be of note to the Rams this offseason, including a number that may be released in the coming months. Chief among them are two notable NFC North defenders, the Packers’ Clay Matthews and the Bears’ Pernell McPhee. Both are age-29+ and have dealt with injuries in recent season, but both also still have the potential to be play-making difference-makers. If they’re cut, the Rams should have interest. Los Angeles could also consider a trade, with the target being the Colts’ Jabaal Sheard. Sheard is coming off the best season of his career, but if Indianapolis is going to undergo something of a rebuild, it doesn’t need a 29-year-old edge defender, meaning he could probably be had.

If the Rams don’t land an impact edge rusher in free agency, they may be up a creek without a paddle, as the 2018 draft class of outside linebackers/defensive ends isn’t rife with top-end talent. NC State’s Bradley Chubb isn’t falling until the end of the first round, and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com only lists three other edge defenders — Arden Key (LSU), Harold Landry (Boston College), and Sam Hubbard (Ohio State) among his top-50 prospects. Adding insult to injury, Los Angeles doesn’t own a second-round pick in 2018 (ramifications of the Sammy Watkins trade), so it won’t be able to take advantage if one of those defenders listed takes a draft-day tumble.

2) Bolster the interior offensive line: The Rams’ 2017 offensive turnaround was one of the more discussed topics in the NFL last season, and the club’s improvement along the offensive line was a major part of that effort. After the 2016 campaign, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focusgraded Los Angeles’ front five as the No. 27 offensive line in the league, a ranking that almost seemed too positive given that the Rams had finished 29th in both adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate.


In 2017, after swapping out left tackle Greg Robinson for Andrew Whitworth and center Cody Wichmann for John Sullivan, the difference was obvious. By midseason, PFF listed the Rams as the NFL’s 12th-best offensive line, and the unit ended up finishing third in adjusted line yards and ninth in adjusted sack rate. Quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley were the beneficiary of the front five advancement, and Los Angeles can make its stars’ lives even easier by re-investing in its offensive line again this offseason.

The Rams’ two areas of concern are at center and right guard, but they are worries for different reasons. Sullivan regained his position as one of the league’s best centers after spending the 2016 campaign as a backup in Washington, but he’s 32 years old and a pending free agent. Right guard Jamon Brown, meanwhile, is still 24 years old and on his rookie contract, but he was the lone weak spot on LA’s offensive line a season ago. However, head coach Sean McVay recently indicated that he’s excited about Brown’s upside, and seems committed to using Brown as a starter again in 2018.

The optimal solution for the Rams, then, seems to be investing a draft pick on a young player who can manage both center and guard, and thus cover for a potential loss or decline from Sullivan, or a failure to live up to expectations by Brown. A dream scenario would see Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson falling to pick No. 23, but even given the league’s trepidation of selecting a guard early, it’s difficult to see Nelson — who is billed as a once-in-a-generation lineman — dropping to the end of the first round.

More likely, Los Angeles could use its first-round pick on someone like Billy Price (Ohio State), who is capable of playing anywhere on the interior of the offensive line. In his first mock draft of the year, Todd McShay of ESPN.com sent Price to the Rams at No. 23, noting that Price should be a “steady starter” from Day 1. If Price can come close to matching the production of Vikings center/fellow ex-Buckeye Pat Elflein, the Rams would be pleased. Mid-round options could include Frank Ragnow (Arkansas) or Skyler Phillips (Idaho State), the latter of whom Matt Miller of Bleacher Report calls the biggest sleeper in the 2018 guard class.

3) Shore up the secondary: The Rams can probably get by for another season by patching over holes on the edge of their defense and on the interior of the offensive line, but if Los Angeles doesn’t add to its defensive backfield over the next several months, the club could be in trouble. Trumaine Johnson and Nickell Robey-Coleman are both ticketed for free agency, while Kayvon Webster‘s ruptured Achilles tendon could put his availability for the start of the 2018 season in question.

Let’s start with Johnson, who has been franchise-tagged in each of the past two years. A third consecutive tag is untenable, so it’s either a long-term deal or bust for Johnson and the Rams. Johnson is still only 28 years old and while he wasn’t superb last season (No. 68 CB per PFF), he was also adjusting to a man-heavy scheme for the first time. While a new deal seemed impossible at this time last year (Los Angeles reportedly tried to trade Johnson after tagging him), the Rams are now open to re-signing Johnson if the price is right. It’s a tough call, but given the defensive backs available on the free agent market, Johnson might be the best option at outside corner for Los Angeles.

Robey-Coleman, however, might be an even more pressing contract situation, as the Rams can’t afford to lose him after the season he just posted as the club’s slot cornerback. Surprisingly released by the Bills prior to last year, Robey-Coleman signed with Los Angeles on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract and preceded to manage the best season of his career. Robey-Coleman, 26, ranked fourth in Football Outsiders’ success rate and 14th in yards per pass, while the Rams as a whole finished seventh in DVOA against slot receivers.

If the Rams plan to add another outside cornerback, they’ll likely need to sign someone with experience playing man coverage. That means looking at free agents from teams who play extensive man schemes like the Titans, Chiefs, Cardinals, and 49ers. From those clubs, the best pending free agent may be Tramon Williams, but I’m not sure Los Angeles (or any NFL club) will be eager to sign a 34-year-old coming off his most productive season. Instead, the Rams could target corners such as Brice McCain, Terrance Mitchell, Justin Bethel, or Dontae Johnson, all of whom admittedly played poorly in 2017, but have experience playing press-man.

The draft is another avenue where the Rams can pursue a cornerback upgrade, and draft analysts have been making that connection in recent weeks. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com sent Auburn’s Carlton Davis to the Rams in his first mock draft of the year, while Matt Miller of Bleacher Report gave Los Angeles Isaiah Oliver (Colorado). Ohio State’s Denzel Ward is regarded as the best corner in the 2018 draft, but he’s unlikely to fall to pick No. 23. Other options could include Josh Jackson (Iowa), Mike Hughes (Central Florida), or Donte Jackson (LSU).


[www.profootballrumors.com]

MOBILE, Ala. — The Los Angeles Rams face contract challenges this offseason with two of their top players in defensive tackle Aaron Donald and wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Even so, Rams general manager Les Snead doesn’t sound like he’s sweating it.

Speaking with co-host Mark Dominik and me Wednesday at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Snead expressed confidence Wednesday about being able to strike new deals with Donald and Watkins.

Donald is entering the final season of his five-year rookie contract with a 2018 base salary of $6.9 million. The Rams also would have the ability to use a franchise tag in 2019 and 2020 to guarantee retaining Donald.
But considering he staged a holdout throughout the entire 2017 preseason because of unhappiness with his contract, Donald may not return without a pact that better reflects his standing as arguably the NFL’s best defensive player.

The Rams and Donald’s agents spoke last year without being able to strike a deal. The two sides will now need to start anew considering the NFL has projected that the 2018 salary cap is leaping from $167 million to between $174 million and $178 million.

“Every year the market changes based on last year’s (free-agent) crop signing and is there a new highest-paid player,” Snead said. “We’ll have to manage that. Also, every year we have more UFAs and decisions to make.

“But Aaron is always going to be a big part of that puzzle. We’ll always keep room in the budget for Aaron Donald and work around him.”

As for Watkins, the Rams were aware that his rookie contract was expiring at the end of the 2017 season. A franchise or transition tag to retain Watkins is an option if a long-term deal can’t be reached.

“We’ve chatted with his agent and told him we were coming back in early February and really discuss the intricacies of our plan,” Snead said. “I know this – going from 32nd to first in offense Sammy was a big part of it down the stretch.

“A goal of ours is to keep that (wide receiver) group together because a lot of our weapons are 25 and under.”

The Rams are currently projected to have $45 million in salary cap space available per spotrac.com and can create even more room through player releases and restructuring contracts.

[www.sportingnews.com]

What the Senior Bowl practices have me thinking about the Rams

It's been a fun week for me meeting with different players, NFL personalities, and friends. However, it hasn't just been a social thing, there is serious work to do and here is what I've seen and what I believe could make sense for the Los Angeles Rams in the draft.

Say no to QB unless you can get value


Look, I get it. You like Sean Mannion a lot or don't and of course, the Rams did add Brandon Allen mid-season to the roster. Hear me out, this organization has a new regime aside from a few coaches Sean McVay decided to keep. With that being said, McVay is going to want his own QB. I think when you look at the QB crop you can find some intriguing late round talent this season. During my two days at the practices, I've seen good things from Virginia QB Kurt Benkert on day one and Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta today on day two. I can't imagine Luke Falk falling but if he did that would also be an option. The reason I bring this up is not to take anything away from anyone but simply give you an idea of who could be targeted if McVay wanted his own QB to develop behind Goff.

Quarterbacks are currency. Let us not forget how the Patriots traded away two potential franchise QB's behind Tom Brady for assets. The Rams could do the same and there is no reason why they shouldn't with three sixth-round picks slated to them at the end of the draft.

Body type does not matter when you can catch passes like Ballage


Kalen Ballage is a former Arizona State RB that was never really given a ton of opportunity. When you watch the film the one thing that sticks out is that Ballage goes down easier than he should. However, this week he showed that he is a quick cut back with the smoothest route running ability of the RB group and it's gotten me to the point of wondering if he could fill the Chris Thompson role. Yes, Thompson is small but when you look at Ballage at 6-foot-3, he does the job just as well as a 5-foot-8 guy would. You instantly see guys like David Johnson, Derrick Henry, Jordan Howard and DeMarco Murray in his game.

It's a little unorthodox but the Rams really could consider Ballage if he fell into day three as the guy to play behind Gurley. If he wasn't such a good route runner with great hands I would say otherwise. However, I know what I saw, I saw pure dominance from Ballage in Mobile and he really looked like a man amongst boys in all of the RB drills even the special teams' drill. You have to consider him.

Wide receiver is a question mark if Sammy Watkins leaves but there are "solutions"


There are solutions to a certain extent if the Rams let Sammy Watkins walk away in free agency and if they aren't as high on Josh Reynolds to take over. I recently mentioned Jaleel Scott and what his big-bodied frame brings to the table. I saw the same body control that really intrigued me on his film but I saw him have a hard time separating at times and playing to his physical build. I would like to see more of a 6-foot-4 and 200-plus pounder dominating his man with physicality but I didn't really see too much of that. Scott still would be a nice addition in day three if Watkins leaves.

Other options include guys like Penn State's DaeSean Hamilton who has been great this week after being called up, Oklahoma State's James Washington who has roasted the defensive backs all week for the most part, Colorado State's Michael Gallup who is always able to create separation and has had a nice week as well and I would say D.J. Clark from LSU is a deep threat that could be Ted Ginn-like. Say what you will about Ginn, but that is not a bad thing if you have someone like that who can stretch the field.

Overall, the best fit would likely be DaeSean Hamilton, I think he is still a possibility in the early portion of day three, he's someone that can win on the inside or the outside, he runs the smoothest routes in the WR group and has some great hands. Hamilton has really gone against the grain this week, receiving passes from QB's that have been pretty inaccurate thus far. Hamilton seems to be the most intriguing and the best option but there are players here at the Senior Bowl that are worthy. You could also make arguments for J'Mon Moore from Missouri, Byron Pringle from Kansas State and Justin Watson from UPenn. It will be very interesting. It will also depend heavily on what the Rams do with Watkins.

Tight end isn't a need but Mike Gesicki is quite the weapon


There is no way the Rams would go tight end again right? Well, I thought that but then the news comes out that the Rams have met with three tight ends at the Senior Bowl. The list includes Central Michigan's Tyler Conklin, Notre Dame's Durham Smythe and Ian Thomas from Indiana. If the Rams find this position such a need, maybe they should consider a trade down in the first to recoup a second round pick and draft either Gesicki or non-Senior Bowl TE Mark Andrews from Oklahoma.

Personally, I don't really understand the need for a tight end right now, especially with the possibility of Jordan Reed being let go due to his health and inconsistency. Gesicki is so smooth with his route running, he's got a great build for a big-play TE and has the speed and fluidity to play the position. His blocking is also not bad at all and he would be listed as my TE1 if I had to decide right now. Again, not saying drafting another tight end makes much sense.

Where do you look? Do you upgrade guard or prepare for the future at left tackle and or center?


Andrew Whitworth is 36-years old, John Sullivan is 32 years-old and Jamon Brown is a solid starter but could be upgraded. So what decision do the Rams make? Is there a wrong one? During an NFL Network interview at the Senior Bowl day two practices, Rams GM Les Snead said that he has seen no drop-off in Whitworth's play and wouldn't be surprised to see him play until he's 39 like Julius Peppers. That is all nice and all but there is a possibility Whitworth suffers the unfortunate injury that Joe Thomas suffered this year or his play just randomly hits the fan like former Rams RB Steven Jackson after he went to the Atlanta Falcons. It's not impossible. Insert Tyrell Crosby, a left tackle from Oregon that has looked very impressive this week in Mobile. He looks like the best OT by far and would offer the Rams the opportunity to replace Whitworth with someone who might be ready to play day one for the long-term. Brian O'Neil from Pittsburgh looked very good at tackle as well, there are guys there. Later value guys could include TCU tackle, Joe Noteboom. The question remains what position do you go, or do you try and press your luck with fingers crossed type of year banking on an almost 37-year old Whitworth and almost 33-year old Sullivan.

With Sullivan, there is a good chance the Rams might like their in-house options. Austin Blythe and Jake Eldrenkamp would be the short-term options in my mind but could make adequate starters if called upon. When you look at what the offensive line veterans possess, it's leadership and the ability to mentor these young guys. Still, though, Mason Cole from Michigan would not be a bad bet at center, even if you wanted to bring back Sullivan for another year.

With that all being said guard is the most interesting. As good as Jamon Brown played last year, it's still not guaranteed to be enough to retain his starting spot on the Rams top 10 roster in football. That's where players like Georgia's Isaiah Wynn, UTEP's Will Hernandez and maybe even Humboldt State's Alex Cappa who has been the talk among the draft circles. Cappa could play either right tackle or guard. Now, one issue that goes unsaid is Rob Havenstein at the right tackle position and trying to stifle speed rushers. Well, that comes to no avail. Havenstein is another solid player but if Brown's job isn't safe, let's not assume Havenstein's is. I actually was thinking of a scenario where the Rams move Havenstein back to guard, use Jamon Brown as their "sixth-man" and draft Tyrell Crosby to play right tackle and groom to eventually take over at left for Whitworth. The one guy I didn't mention was Robert Saffold, the reason for that is because he might be the best offensive lineman on the team. He had a fantastic year and surprisingly stayed healthy for just about the whole season.

The Rams lack of a second-round pick will definitely test their limits of a potential draft pick on an offensive lineman that high.
Project with the rare upside or the NFL ready prospect with a limited ceiling on the EDGE?


UTSA's Marcus Davenport has left me with more questions than answers but maybe I am just overthinking. Davenport is still raw and has immense potential but he still did struggle against that top notch competition when Alex Cappa literally tossed him too the ground. He's a powerful athletic freak on the EDGE and the issue could clearly be that he is not a 4-3 DE type of player and can only stand up but even so, it's not going to be a seamless transition. Tons of tools are possessed by Davenport but we need to be able to convince ourselves he can contribute at a high level this upcoming season and I don't know how realistic that is. The same could be said for Oklahoma's Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. I love the guy, he's shown off a toolbox of pass rush moves but with Okoronkwo you are looking at someone that can be rather inconsistent and can be eaten up at times. Another thing, with the Rams, if they draft an edge rusher they are going to need to set the edge and help in the run defensive game. I am not confident yet, that Okoronkwo can consistently do that.

Now, going away from the Senior Bowl a little, I started to feel like Harold Landry of Boston College might be that guy that makes the most sense for the Rams. This is a team that is really going to have to "pay up" When QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley and others start asking for contract extensions. We already know Aaron Donald wants to be paid. So, what does that tell me? The Rams might want to stick with a little bit of a "win now" approach since the future is not guaranteed. Landry is someone that can play day one and make an impact on a team that just went 11-5. While Davenport has a limitless amount of potential, Landry might be best for a team that might need to put a team together in a hurry that will make it at least until the big guys need to be extended.

While it could be straight up over-reaction, the question does make you wonder. Can you say with confidence that Davenport makes the Rams better right out of the gate in his rookie season or do they have to go with someone like Landry? That's the question. It's based on preference and what the coaches estimate on the development time for the higher ceiling player.

We have no idea what the Rams are doing at ILB next to Ogletree but there are plenty of prospects that could fill the role.


In Mobile, BYU's ILB Fred Warner was popping off the field. He's someone I had not really given enough attention too and then all of the sudden it seemed like everyone was starting to feel the same way. Warner has the mental processing to really thrive in this league if he was just an average athlete. However, this is an above average athlete, a guy that shows off range and football IQ. Again, we have no idea what the fate of ILB is in Los Angeles but if they decide to make Mark Barron a cap casualty, Warner is a legitimate option to start. As many of you know, I love Virginia Tech's Tremaine Edmunds, but now it seems like he might go top 15 which puts him out of the Rams range. Warner could be a cheaper option with that same type of athleticism.

The last option at the Senior Bowl is South Carolina State's Darius Leonard who has some of the longest arms you will find and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network compared him to Pro Bowl LB Telvin Smith. There's a chance he would fall into the day three territory and be a real value pick for the Rams. Is this a guy that can't start day one? Not sure, but I wouldn't count out him or Warner to the Rams. It all depends on what they do with Barron. They like him, but is it enough to avoid the cap casualty? That's the question we need answered and we will see answered soon.

Why pay Trumaine Johnson or anyone a ton of money when you might be able to find someone just as talented or even with more potential?


I love Trumaine, I ultimately have way too hard of a time imagining him gone. Johnson is physical and he's a sound tackler so it would be hard to let him go especially with Kayvon Webster coming off a ruptured Achilles, Torn Rotator Cuff and a Torn Labrum in his shoulder. I liked what you saw out of Kevin Peterson and especially Troy Hill towards the end of the season but how much confidence do you have in them to be the guys? It's no surprise even if Johnson stays that the Rams need help at cornerback. Well, I have liked what I have seen from a few guys at the Senior Bowl that might be great fits.

UNC CB MJ Stewart seems like one of the best options here. He measured shorter than people wanted but the height doesn't bother me. When you look at Chris Harris Jr. in Denver measuring at 5-foot-9 and then you see his body of work, you quickly forget about the size and just look at the production. Stewart is what I would call a "pest" in coverage. He sticks to his receivers like glue and is earning himself a ton of money in Mobile. He has the ability to flip his hips with ease and accelerate. When you look at Stewart this is someone that could work on the outside or the slot. I watched him in one on one's on the outside and he man-handled everyone he faced, just about. Stewart did not lose a single battle I watched him in this week so far. It would be interesting because Nickell Robey-Coleman is a free agent and if the Rams lost him and kept Johnson, Stewart could very well be asked to play nickel. I think he is going to thrive, the problem is do you feel comfortable drafting him in the second or third? Some don't but that might be the price it costs to get a guy like that.

Dubuque CB Michael Joseph has been extremely impressive. I met with him and as we said to each other "competition is competition". Sure, Joseph comes from a D3 school, but that doesn't mean he can't hang with the best of the best. He certainly has the size at 6-foot-1 and sub-200 pounds to play on the outside. He got beat a couple of times on Wednesday but he has the physicality to succeed in the league. Where will he go in the draft? Likely day three, expect the same type of treatment he gets as Lindenwood CB Pierre Desir got. Sometimes, teams just don't feel comfortable going out of their way for a player like that. Joseph has the ball skills and the hard-hitting ability to be a nightmare for defenses, it also would help if he played in Wade Phillips scheme.

Lastly, someone that can play outside, inside or even safety Siran Neal from Jacksonville State has the size but can get a little grabby at times. He has some serious talent and the tools to become a very good defensive back. When I asked him who he modeled his game after, Neal said "Tyrann Mathieu" someone that can play all over the secondary. That is exactly what Neal wants to do whether it's outside corner, nickel or safety. Having a ready and willing versatile player is considered an asset. Neal is sticky in coverage and has that confidence that makes him a threat. This is someone again, he has tools and he is the perfect developmental secondary player for Wade. Neal would likely be comfortable playing press coverage as a corner for the Rams. Probably a day three pick but you never know with these small-school prospects. It just takes that one team to like them. The Rams picked quite a few last year.

No way do the Rams not bring back Joyner...right?


I don't know the answer here but the history of the Rams says it's not a good chance. Sure, it's a new regime but let's not forget safeties like Rodney McLeod not being brought back. Joyner made himself a ton of money by switching to safety and becoming a top-five player at that position seemingly overnight. Now, it's going to be a struggle for the Rams. What direction do they go in? Well, if they don't bring back Joyner, they just interviewed Hawaii safety Trayvon Henderson who has looked great in coverage at the Senior Bowl and has legitimate ball skills. Often raved about for his hard work ethic and coach-ability, Henderson finds himself as a potential target for the Rams. There are certainly other players like Virginia's Quin Blanding who came in at 6-foot-2 and would have the ball skills and coverage skills to play free safety. Armani Watts of Texas A&M has made plays including some loud collisions in which he smashed Akrum Wadley to the ground that got everyone going nuts. West Virginia's Kyzir White and Penn State's Marcus Allen round out what is a deep safety

The bottom line is once again, there are options. The Senior Bowl has provided me with a lens that shows the world will not end if any of these Rams are let go of or they leave on their own or they are signed. The Rams are in a good spot, the new regime did not draft Joyner or Johnson and not to say they don't deserve to be on the team but if the Rams want better fits for Wade's defense, then, by all means, they will find them.

Watkins
Barwin
TruJo
Nickell-Roby
Sullivan
Tyrunn Walker

In no particular order. It goes to show how we may actually have a harder time duplicating our success next year if we can't resign and/or find equal replacements for these guys. That's a pretty tall order (and that doesn't even take into account our other UFAs).

Yes, we were really healthy this last year but we also got an incredible return on our FA class last year (Dunbar being the only bust there).

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...-letdown-why-teams-stumbled-after-rapid-rises

Lessons from a letdown: Why teams stumbled after rapid rises

With Ezekiel Elliott's status in flux all season and changes on the offensive line, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys slipped in 2017. Ronald Martinez/Getty Image

• Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES -- There's a resurgence and then, typically, there's a letdown.

In recent years, teams that improved dramatically in 12 months usually stumbled immediately thereafter, the hope for sustainable success quickly tempered by the realities of a parity-driven league. From the start of 1990 to the end of 2016, 23 NFL teams increased their win total by seven or more games from the previous season. The following year, however, those 23 teams averaged 3.8 more losses, according to numbers compiled by ESPN's Bill Barnwell.

The Los Angeles Rams (11-5) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6) each made seven-win improvements in 2017, and perhaps history can teach them something. Eleven of the 23 teams that previously experienced similar seven-plus-win improvements saw that win total decrease by four or more the following season. One of those teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2003 to 2005, went from 6-10 to 15-1 to 11-5. But they won the Super Bowl in the final year of that stretch.

These other 10, however, were ripe for evaluation: 1990-92 Denver Broncos (5-11 to 12-4 to 8-8), 1991-93 Indianapolis Colts (1-15 to 9-7 to 4-12), 1997-99 Atlanta Falcons (7-9 to 14-2 to 5-11), 2000-02 Chicago Bears (5-11 to 13-3 to 4-12), 2005-07 Baltimore Ravens (6-10 to 13-3 to 5-11), 2007-09 Miami Dolphins (1-15 to 11-5 to 7-9), 2009-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13 to 10-6 to 4-12), 2011-13 Minnesota Vikings (3-13 to 10-6 to 5-10-1), 2014-16 Carolina Panthers (7-8-1 to 15-1 to 6-10) and the 2015-17 Dallas Cowboys (4-12 to 13-3 to 9-7).

the luckiest team ever. They finished 9-7 one season after going 1-15, but they were outscored 302-216 in the process. They sat 4-7, then won their last five games by an average of four points. Their Pythagorean wins that year: 5.0. It's no wonder they fell back down to Earth, to 4-12, the following season. Another team that sticks out here is that 2002 Bears squad that went from 5-11 to 13-3. They had six come-from-behind wins in the 2002 season, and two of them -- in back-to-back weeks -- were the result of Mike Brown interception returns for touchdowns in overtime. The Panthers went from 7-8-1 in 2014 to 15-1 in 2015 largely because they went 6-0 in games decided by one score. They went 2-6 in games decided by one score in 2016, and they fell to 6-10.

6. Intangibles: Sometimes teams are plagued by circumstances that numbers do not measure. Take the early 1990s Broncos, who began the decade by going from 5-11 to 12-4. They entered the 1992 season with great promise, but the rift between coach Dan Reeves and franchise quarterback John Elway continued to grow. Reeves fired one of Elway's biggest confidants at the time, Mike Shanahan, then drafted a quarterback, Tommy Maddox, rather than address a desperate need at wide receiver. The result? The 1992 Broncos fell to 8-8. The 2002 Bears played at a temporary facility while Soldier Field was being repaired, and that might have helped cause their slip. The Buccaneers went from 3-13 in 2009 to 10-6 in 2010. But they sported the NFL's youngest roster, and they dropped right back to 4-12 in 2011. Some would say the 1999 Falcons and the 2016 Panthers suffered that proverbial Super Bowl hangover.

Gerald McCoy, who has been invited to each of the past six Pro Bowls, was limited to six games for the 2011 Bucs. And star running back Ezekiel Elliott was suspended six games for the 2017 Cowboys, who went from 13-3 to 9-7.

4. Offensive-line turnover: Nothing can throw an offense out of whack like instability along the offensive line, and most of the teams here were plagued by that issue. The 1992 Broncos had a different starter at three of five offensive-line spots. The 2002 Bears spent most of the season with a new left side. The 2007 Ravens worked with a different right side. The 2009 Dolphins replaced their center, Samson Satele. The Panthers' offensive line was in a flux throughout 2016, with left tackle Michael Oher limited to three games and center Ryan Kalil playing in only eight. The 2017 Cowboys were forced to replace their left guard, Ronald Leary, and their right tackle, Doug Free.

Ranking top 50 potential free agents »
• Looming FA decisions for all 32 teams »

3. Departures: In the offseason leading up to 2002, the Bears lost two key members of their secondary in Walt Harris and Tony Parrish. The same could be said for the 2009 Dolphins, who lost Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill. The 1999 Falcons lost their leading receiver, Tony Martin. The 2007 Ravens lost running back Jamal Lewis and linebacker Adalius Thomas. The 2011 Buccaneers lost running back Cadillac Williams and linebacker Barrett Ruud. The 2016 Panthers (cornerback Josh Norman) and the 2017 Cowboys (safety Barry Church) each lost valuable pieces in their secondary. They all hurt.


2. Instability at quarterback: This is almost always a killer, and at least seven of these teams suffered from it in one form or another. Elway missed four games for the 1992 Broncos, and his team lost every single one of them. Jim Miller was limited to eight starts for the 2002 Bears, and Steve McNair was limited to six starts for the 2007 Ravens. The 2009 Dolphins were forced to start second-year player Chad Henne for 13 games because Chad Pennington required a third surgery to his throwing shoulder. The 2013 Vikings featured a quarterback carousel that was caused by Christian Ponder missing nearly half the games. The 2011 Buccaneers and the 2016 Cowboys were done in largely by young quarterbacks who took a step back. Josh Freeman's interceptions increased from 6 to 22 in Tampa Bay, and Dak Prescott's passer rating dropped from 104.9 to 86.6 in Dallas.

1. Turnovers: "It's all about the ball." That's what Sean McVay has preached to his Rams players almost every single day since he became their head coach. Turnover margins usually spell the difference, and that is especially the case here. Each of the 10 teams that lost four or more games in the season that followed seven-plus-win improvements experienced a drop in turnover margin. Most were precipitous. The Broncos went from plus-8 in 1991 to minus-12 in 1992; the Falcons went from plus-20 in 1998 to minus-17 in 1999; the Bears went from plus-13 in 2001 to minus-7 in 2002; the Ravens went from plus-17 in 2006 to minus-17 in 2007; the Dolphins went from plus-17 in 2008 to minus-8 in 2009; the Buccaneers went from plus-11 in 2010 to minus-16 in 2011; the Panthers went from plus-20 in 2015 to minus-2 in 2016. You get the idea.

I've been following this case as it's unfolded and it's even worse than the Jerry Sandusky stuff, and that's really saying something.

I'm even more dumbfounded that people would help cover this up after what happened at Penn State several years back. There is going to be a shitstorm of a backlash and I hope everyone involved gets prosecuted. Allowing this to go on IMO is nearly as bad as doing it oneself. And convincing little girls and young teenage girls that nothing is wrong with what happened when they come seek help and protection is horrific.

The punishment for the people who cover up and/or ignore this shit never seems to be harsh enough. Being forced to resign from your position falls WELL short of "the punishment fits the crime".

IMO he should just get put to death. Today.