Rams are sponsoring a draft party in Hersomosa Beach with a bandstand a 60 yard football field on the sand and hosted by JB Long.

Not far from me and where I learned to sur as a kid. I'll definately be there to represent and make a lot of noise. If any of you ROD members plan to attend,

Article on DailyBreeze.com

FREE AGENCY
Rams re-sign Coleman Shelton and give Alaric Jackson and Micheal Hoecht (moves back to DE) the appropriate tenders.

Rams sign Noah Fant, TE, Seahawks
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NFL DRAFT

1.19 Brian Burns, EDGE, Panthers via TRADE
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Rams trade 2024 & 2025 1st round selections for a young stud pass rusher who only turns 26 years old right before the draft. With the Donald effect & Turner improving this kid could potentially set the NFL sack record.

2.52. Max Melton, CB, Rutgers 5110, 187 32 1/8” arms
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Brother of Packers WR Bo Melton, Max and his 32 1/8” arms, ran a 4.39/40 and had a 40 1/2” vertical jump at the combine. He’s a physical CB who is also a good special team player with 4 blocked punts.

3-83 Christian Mahogany, OG, Boston College 6033, 314
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Kevin Dotson gets an offer he can’t refuse on the free market so the Rams seek competition for his spot. Mahogany is a road grader who shined during the East West Shrine practices after 34 career starts. BC seems to run the same rushing scheme as the Rams.

3-100. Tykee Smith, STAR, Georgia 5096, 206
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Smith provides the Rams with a physical slot defender who plays the run like a linebacker, but can also cover. He lead the team in tackles, INTS, and TFL last season and is the type of player the Rams need vs. the 49ers.

5-153. Ainias Smith, WR/Returner, Texas A&M 5043, 190
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@OldSchool turned me on to this kid. A former RB turned WR who is also a very good punt returner. A play maker able to be active on game day.

5-154. Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame 6021, 234 (from Steelers)
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I’ve only seen highlights, but Liufau is said to play with his hair on fire, is a good blitzer, and in pass coverage. 34 ¼” arms can do wonders there. Liufau should also be an asset on special teams.

5-177 Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky 5084, 228
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One of the best RBs in the entire draft class who will probably only be on the board this late because he will turn 25 in November. Good runner, receiver, and blocker.

6-191) Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State 6060, 338 (from Broncos)
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Glover is a 5 year starter with 34 ½” arms. After a strong showing in the Hula he was a late call up to the Senior Bowl where is was said to fair pretty well. With an 80.7 PFF pass blocking grade he was said to also hold his own vs. North Carolina and LSU.

6-212) TRADED FOR AN UNKNOWN VETERAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

6-217 Levi D. Rodriguez, DT, Texas A&M-Comm 6014, 297 (comp)
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Rodriguez arms measure 3348 and was said to be the consensus top overall player at Spiral Tropical Bowl where he had 3 sacks in the game and was voted MVP.

6-218 Will Reichard, K, Alabama 6010, 190 (comp)
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2023 STATS 55/55 extra points, 22/25 field goals, 3/3 inside 30 yards, 7/7 30-39 yards, 7/10 40-49 yards, 5/5 50+ yards, 52 long

I think Mcvay & Kupp are hanging together with there wife’s & kidd’(s).

NETFILCK Live ( The Slam )

Nadal & Alcaraz

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I can be hard on the analysts and talking heads, but Mort was one of the good ones. RIP

who here still remember when milk was delivered to your front door ?

I kinda do , we still had milk men when I was a kid , don't know when they stopped , some time in the 70's I'm guessing

even though our milk man was our neighbor , I don't think I ever once saw him delivering milk ,

did it early in the mornings I'd guess

but my question is , how long could the milk sit outside , before going bad

it was usually delivered early in the morning before people went to work , so it probably didn't sit out there to long

but like here in Iowa , in the winter , milk in a glass bottle sitting outside could freeze in 20 minutes

so what was the routine ? I'm guessing most of them came like twice a week , did you get up to meet them , or just worry about the milk sitting outside later...........lol

I do remember we had this white wooden box at the bottom of the step he would put the milk in , it was also a great box for keeping snakes and turtles in

anyways , I was just sitting here watching an old British comedy , and in the background you could see a milkman delivering milk to a neighbor , in the summer time ,and it just made me think

how long could that milk sit out there before it goes bad

I googled it , but got like 9 different answers

This is exactly the type of player that I feel the Rams could use to take the defense up a notch. Should be in his prime at 28. Hopefully the Rams get involved here.

With free agency just a couple of weeks away… I have no idea what our offseason strategy will be… The Rams have proven the ability to build their roster whatever the situation requires, so…

Do we sign a name FA? Or do we stay more in the value market?

Do we make a splash trade, reminiscent of that 2021 offseason? A big time player like L'Jarius Sneed?

What about pick #19? Do we trade down in attempt to stack the odds, by increasing the pick count?

Do we do something crazy like trade up?

The Rams have shown they can do it all, so maybe it’s a mashup of multiple strategies?

One thing is for sure… with the 12th most cap room in the league, the Rams have a plan. It’s going to be fun to watch, but hard to predict!

GO RAMS!

.

Puka headed to the nrl double header at Las Vegas today. It was the the opening of the rugby league season in 2024. Not sure if any of you watched it but it was on fox1 Saturday night. Here's his reaction to the action on the field.


.

Yeah, it does when I read or hear "pundits" say this or that defensive player is a fit for the Rams. WTF? Don't they know there is a new DC? No one knows what kind of defense he will run. As a first time DC I don't think Shula is sure because I think it's going to be a hybrid of different schemes. So no particular "combine" warrior is likely to be a "fit".

The reason the Rams place little emphasis on the Combine is that the drills are the same every year and the players specifically train for them. That's why the Rams rely upon game film analytics to get things like actual game speed, i.e. how fast is a player in games. They are looking at toughness which isn't tested at the Combine. That is why the Rams took Puka. He plays faster than timed, and he's a tough MF who can break tackles and block. In other words those kind of guys are gamers, i.e. ballers.

It's why the Senior Bowl means more than the Combine to the Rams. At the Senior Bowl they can see how coachable or not a player is. They get to see him in actual game action facing top competition. It's one thing to say an offensive player is a fit because we have seen Sean's latest iteration of his offense and can extrapolate from that.

Case in point are WRs. The extending of Robinson is a big tell. Kupp, Nacua and now Robinson are big WRs. They have good hands, run in the 4.5-4.6 range, can make contested catches, block and most of all run crisp routes. They understand route concepts, i.e. they can read the coverage by how the DBs are positioned and know how to make their breaks accordingly. That is the issue that Atwell still struggles with and why I see him as trade bait or gone after this year.

So yeah I laugh at the so called experts who say a certain defensive player is a fit when they have no way of knowing because Shula's defense has yet to be seen.

When I was remembering great Southern Cal QB's like John David Booty and Todd Marinovich, I wondered who was the best SC QB in the NFL?

What are your thoughts?

He is going under the radar but will be a starter in this league. He has the arm talent, accuracy and moxy to be the best long term QB in the draft

Where does he go?

Would you trade back for multiple picks if we can take him then build through rounds 2 and 3?

What is the UFL? Teams, logos, coaches, stadiums, players​

We're less than a month away from the debut of the United Football League, which is the product of a merger between the XFL and USFL. Starting with the March 30 matchup between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions, eight teams will play a 10-game season that culminates in a championship contest June 16.

Before we get to that, here's a handy cheat sheet on the UFL basics, complete with the logos, stadiums, coaches, quarterbacks and other key players to watch in the league. The UFL has a two-time national championship winning quarterback (who has also started an NFL playoff game) in AJ McCarron and the youngest brother of a Super Bowl MVP, but we'll start things off with the defending XFL champions and their College Football Hall of Fame coach.

Arlington Renegades

Stadium: Choctaw Stadium
Coach: Bob Stoops
Quarterbacks: Holton Ahlers, Luis Perez, Drew Plitt, Lindsey Scott

The Renegades come into the UFL fresh off the 2023 XFL championship. They are led once again by Stoops, who won 191 games and the 2000 BCS national championship in 18 seasons at the University of Oklahoma.

As far as the quarterbacks, Perez is a spring football icon, as he quarterbacked Arlington to last year's XFL title. He has also played in the Alliance of American Football, the 2020 version of the XFL and the USFL. Ahlers threw for 13,933 yards and 97 touchdown passes at East Carolina, while Scott is a dual-threat QB who passed for 11,934 yards and 127 touchdowns at Incarnate Word while adding 2,988 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing.

Other players to watch: Vic Beasley, OLB (Clemson, former first-team All-Pro with the Atlanta Falcons); Marquette King, P (Fort Valley State, second-team All-Pro with the Oakland Raiders); Marquel Lee, LB (Wake Forest, played four seasons with Raiders)

Birmingham Stallions

Stadium: Protective Stadium
Coach: Skip Holtz
Quarterbacks: Matt Corral, Adrian Martinez, Jalen Morton, J'Mar Smith

Holtz, the son of College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz, has excelled in spring football, leading the Stallions to a 21-3 record (including playoffs) and consecutive USFL titles. Prior to Birmingham, Holtz won 152 games over 22 seasons of college football.

The quarterbacks are led by Corral, who was a third-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2022, and Martinez, who started five seasons at Nebraska and Kansas State. Smith, who was the starting quarterback on Birmingham's 2022 USFL championship team, will also be a factor, while Morton has spent time in the Canadian Football League.

Other players to watch: Travin Howard, LB (TCU, Super Bowl champion with Los Angeles Rams); Gary Jennings, WR (West Virginia, fourth-round pick of Seattle Seahawks in 2019); Amari Rodgers, WR (Clemson, third-round pick of Green Bay Packers in 2021)

D.C. Defenders

Stadium: Audi Field
Coach: Reggie Barlow
Quarterbacks: Deondre Francois, Jalan McClendon, Jordan Ta'amu

Barlow returns to the Defenders after leading them to the XFL championship game a year ago. Prior to D.C., Barlow compiled an 83-58 record as a coach at Alabama State and Virginia State over 13 seasons. He also played eight NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ta'amu was the primary quarterback for the Defenders last season and has played three professional football seasons in the 2020 and 2023 versions of the XFL along with the USFL in 2022. Francois was on the XFL's Orlando Guardians last year, while McClendon also played in the XFL for the Vegas Vipers.

Other players to watch: Gareon Conley, DB (Ohio State, first-round pick of Raiders in 2017); D.J. Swearinger, DB (South Carolina, eight-year NFL veteran); Preston Williams, WR (Colorado State, four-year NFL veteran, primarily with Miami Dolphins)

Houston Roughnecks

Stadium: Rice Stadium
Coach: Curtis Johnson
Quarterbacks: Jarrett Guarantano, Nolan Henderson, Reid Sinnett

Johnson is in his second year of coaching spring football, as he led the USFL's Houston Gamblers to a 5-5 mark last season. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Tulane for four seasons and a longtime assistant at the college and NFL levels, spending 11 seasons with the New Orleans Saints under Asshole Face.

Sinnett is the only quarterback to have professional playing experience, seeing time with the San Antonio Brahmas last season. He also had brief stint on the active rosters of the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Guarantano was briefly on the Denver Broncos' active roster in 2022, while Henderson had a brief offseason stint with the Baltimore Ravens.

Other players to watch: Reuben Foster, LB (Alabama, first-round pick of San Francisco 49ers in 2017); Ryan Izzo, TE (Florida State, played three seasons with New England Patriots); Ethan Westbrooks, DE (West Texas A&M, played five seasons with Rams)

Memphis Showboats

Stadium: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
Coach: John DeFilippo
Quarterbacks: Case Cookus, Cole Kelley, Troy Williams

DeFilippo is in his second season of coaching spring football, serving as the head man for the USFL's New Orleans Breakers last season. Prior to that, he spent more than two decades as a college and NFL assistant, mostly as a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator.

Cookus is playing his third season of spring football, spending the previous two years with USFL's Philadelphia Stars, where he combined to throw for 3,629 yards and 27 touchdown passes. He'll compete with Kelley, who threw for 1,534 yards and seven touchdown passes for Memphis last season, and Williams, who threw for 1,414 yards and six touchdown passes for the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers.

Other players to watch: Daylon Mack, DT (Texas A&M, No. 6 player in 2015 ESPN 300); Dylan Moses, LB (Alabama, No. 5 player in 2017 ESPN 300); Vinny Papale, WR (Delaware, son of former Philadelphia Eagles WR Vince Papale, the inspiration for the 2006 film "Invincible")

Michigan Panthers

Stadium: Ford Field
Coach: Mike Nolan
Quarterbacks: Davis Cheek, Danny Etling, Brian Lewerke, E.J. Perry

Nolan brings more than four decades of coaching experience, the most recent being a 4-6 record with the Panthers in the USFL last year. Nolan also spent three-plus seasons as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and served as a defensive coordinator for eight NFL teams.

Etling was a seventh-round pick of the New England Patriots and has been on the practice squad of seven NFL teams. Lewerke had a brief stint on the New York Giants' active roster in 2021. Perry has bounced between the USFL and NFL the past few seasons, while Cheek played one game for the USFL's Breakers last year.

Other players to watch: Kai Nacua, S (BYU, five-year NFL veteran and oldest brother of Rams WR Puka Nacua); Samson Nacua, WR (BYU, older brother of Puka Nacua); Breeland Speaks, DE (Ole Miss, second-round pick of Kansas City Chiefs in 2018)

San Antonio Brahmas

Stadium: The Alamodome
Coach: Wade Phillips
Quarterbacks: Quinten Dormady, Tom Flacco, Chase Garbers

Phillips moves to the Brahmas after a successful stint with the Roughnecks in the XFL last season in which he led them to a Western Division championship. The 76-year-old was an NFL fixture for nearly 50 years as a defensive coordinator and head coach, compiling a 90-73 record (including playoffs) in nine-plus seasons as a head coach.

The headliner among the QBs is Flacco, the younger brother of longtime NFL signal-caller Joe Flacco. Dormady was the primary starter for the XFL's Orlando Guardians last season, throwing for 1,507 yards and 10 touchdown passes. Garbers was on the Las Vegas Raiders' active roster for the final two games of the 2022 season.

Other players to watch: Donald De La Haye, K (UCF, YouTube account (@Deestroying) has 5.77 million subscribers); Teez Tabor, DB (Florida, second-round draft pick of Detroit Lions in 2017); Kade Warner, WR (Kansas State, son of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner)

St. Louis Battlehawks

Stadium: The Dome at America's Center
Coach: Anthony Becht
Quarterbacks: AJ McCarron, Brandon Silvers, Manny Wilkins

Becht returns for his second season coaching the Battlehawks after leading St. Louis to a 7-3 record in the XFL last year. He spent 11 seasons as a tight end in the NFL with five teams after being selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft.

Along with winning two national titles at Alabama, McCarron has spent nine seasons in the NFL, most recently with the Bengals in 2023. McCarron threw for 2,150 yards and 24 touchdown passes for the Battlehawks last season. Silvers was the primary starter for the Roughnecks last year, throwing for 1,551 yards and 13 touchdown passes, while Wilkins returns after serving as St. Louis' backup last season.

Other players to watch: Hakeem Butler, WR (Iowa State, fourth-round pick by Arizona Cardinals in 2019); Wayne Gallman, RB (Clemson, six-year NFL veteran, primarily with New York Giants); Jahcour Pearson, WR (Ole Miss, XFL's leading receiver in 2023)

MORE: HERE

It didn't matter where the Rams were located. Cleveland? St. Louis? L.A.? It didn't matter. They always seemed to have some of the league's best running backs, with Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Steven Jackson, Todd Gurley, Lawrence McCutcheon and Dick Bass among them.

But they had an equally accomplished cast of receivers, too, and they starred on offenses that were so productive they had their own nicknames ... like the "Point a Minute" and "Greatest Show on Turf." But who among those receivers had the best single seasons?

You're about to find out.

Not the best careers mind you. This is not an all-time Rams' team. It's a career-year team, taking the best season by all receivers who wore Rams' jerseys -- whether they played a couple of years or their entire careers with the franchise -- and ranking the top 20.

Here's how they stack up.

20. Eddie Kennison, 1996—In the 1996 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams passed on Syracuse wide receiver Marvin Harrison and selected Kennison, a 4.4 speedster out of LSU. The Rams' brain trust thought Harrison was too much the same "type" of receiver as Isaac Bruce.

And that was a bad thing ... how?

Nevertheless, Kennison did have a good rookie season, with 54 receptions, 924 receiving yards (17.1 avg.) and nine touchdown receptions. He also gets bonus points for being an excellent punt returner, taking two to the house.

He was All-Rookie, fourth in the NFL Offensive Rookie-of-the Year voting and pulled down two NFC Player of the Week awards -- one for special teams (Week 11) and one for offense in Week 16 when he caught five passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns.

Kennison never panned out as a Ram but had some decent seasons in Kansas City under Dick Vermeil.

Bet they wished they'd grabbed Harrison.

19. Ron Jessie, 1976—More of an eye-test guy than many of those on this list. Yes, in 1976 he was voted to his only Pro Bowl, but it wasn't the quantity of his 34 catches; it was the quality -- many of which were circus grabs.

He averaged 22.9 yards a catch and, as the receiver playing opposite Harold Jackson on the NFC's top-scoring offense, posed a challenge for defenses.

18. Bernie Casey, 1967—The Rams turned the corner in 1966 after a string of consecutive losing seasons. Then, in 1967 they made a charge, winning the NFL Coastal Divison and reaching the playoffs game for the first time since 1955.

Casey was a part of that.

George Allen acquired Casey in the offseason from the Falcons for running back Tom Moore (Casey has been shipped to Atlanta as part of a multi-player trade that landed quarterback Steve Spurrier) and the future Hollywood actor responded with 53 catches for 871 and eight touchdowns. He also received the only Pro Bowl invite of his career.

Casey caught a touchdown pass in late-season games vs. the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts -- victories that sealed the division title -- and was the only Rams' player to score in their 28-7 loss to Green Bay in the opening round of the playoffs.

17. Jim "Red" Phillips, 1961—Phillips was a first-team All-Pro in his career year and a Pro Bowler who became the fourth receiver in Rams' history to lead the NFL in receptions. He had 78, and his 1,092 receiving yards were third-most in the NFL.

The Rams were bad (4-10), but "Red" was good.

16. Tommy McDonald, 1965—The Hall-of-Famer became the Rams' flanker after spending 1964 in Dallas and was so good that he finished second in voting for NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

The effusive and maskless McDonald caught 67 passes for 1,036 and nine touchdowns. He was third in the NFL in receiving yardage and sixth in touchdown catches. It was his last great season and he was rewarded with his final Pro Bowl.

15. Bucky Pope, 1964—The "Catawba Claw" as he was known (one of Steve Sabol's favorite nicknames) wasn't particularly fast, but he did have sneaky speed. And that, coupled with a basketball player's height (he was 6-foot-5), allowed him to go deep on NFL defensive backs.

Though he caught only 25 passes for the season, 10 went for touchdowns -- enough to tie for the NFL lead. Even more noteworthy, however, with 25 receptions he averaged 31.4 yards.

Thirty-one point four.

He didn't have enough catches to qualify for the league lead (the minimum was 28), but, if you look at all NFL players with 25 or more receptions in a season, his yards-per-catch figure is tops in NFL history.

14. Robert Woods, 2018—"Bobby Trees" had good numbers (86-1,219-14.2-6), but that's not what made him a great player; it was how vital he was to Sean McVay's offense with his blocking and motion.

His skill set allowed the Rams to say in "11 personnel" (three wide receivers) a majority of the time, though they could still run effectively because of how well receivers could block.

Woods was the best at that.

13. Jack Snow, 1967—This was a difficult decision. Snow was a consistent player who didn't put up huge numbers but was always a solid split end.

His top year statistically was 1970 when he caught 51 passes for 859 yards and seven touchdowns. I know, that doesn't sound like much, but in a 17-game season it prorates to over 1,000 yards.

But 1970 is not the pick. I'm going with 1967, his Pro Bowl year.

And not because of the Pro Bowl (which was his only one) but because of his league-leading 26.3 yards per catch. Plus, 1967 was the season of his highlight-reel snag when he grabbed the back half of the ball in Baltimore.

It wasn't the only one that year. He had another one like it in Detroit.

Snow was Roman Gabriel's deep threat in 1967, delivering on his claim never to have been caught from behind.

12. Flipper Anderson, 1989—While we are on a yards-per-catch roll, there's Flipper's 1989 season when he averaged a league-leading 26.0 yards on 44 receptions.

Yes, a lot of his 1,146 receiving yards were built on his record-setting 336 yards receiving vs. New Orleans. But if you throw out that game, he still averaged 27.9 yards a catch.

Flipper could get deep. He led the NFL in yards per catch the next year and finished his career with a 20.1-yard average.

11. Del Shofner, 1958—After spending a year as a defensive back, Shofner was moved to receiver and ended up leading the NFL with 1,097 receiving yards. He did it on 51 catches and averaged 21.9 yards per catch (Sensing a yards-per-catch theme among here? The Rams have had some of the best deep-receiving seasons on the books).

The tall, slender Shofner was also a consensus All-Pro and Pro Bowler -- the first of five such seasons in his career before leg injuries slowed him in the mid-1960s.

10. Puka Nacua, 2023. The rookie out of BYU worked his way into the Top Ten last season with 105 catches and 1,486 yards receiving. At first, he filled in for an injured Cooper Kupp. But after Kupp returned, the rookie was still a focus of the Rams' passing game.

He broke a litany of long-standing records, was named a second-team All-Pro and was voted to the Pro Bowl.

9. Tom Fears, 1950—The Hall-of-Fame end set an NFL single-season record for receptions with 84, breaking one he set the previous season, and was a consensus All-Pro. He was also named to the Pro Bowl, which was reinstated after a seven-year absence,

Along with his receptions, Fears' 1,116 receiving yards also led the NFL.

8. Henry Ellard, 1988—Ellard had been an All-Pro as a punt returner in 1984, but in this, his career year of 1988, he led the league in receiving yards (1,414) and was named an All-Pro. He also produced a career-high 86 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns.

7. Bob Boyd, 1954—He's not a familiar name, but Bob Boyd deserves to be seventh on this list.

An NCAA sprint champion and part of the 1954 Rams' three-receiver offense, he had the best season of the three -- which is noteworthy considering the other two were Hall-of-Famers.

Boyd is another Ram who led the NFL in receiving yards (did I say they could throw the rock?) and his 22.9 yards per catch were second in the NFL. All told, he had 53 catches for 1,212 yards and six touchdowns. And he did it in a 12-game season.

Boyd was rewarded as a consensus All-Pro and went to the only Pro Bowl of his career.

6. Torry Holt, 2003—A league-leading 117 receptions, career-high 1,696 yards and 12 TDs made Holt a consensus All-Pro and Pro Bowler. However, 2003 was not an automatic choice.

I looked hard at 2000.

That year he averaged a league-best 19.9 yards per catch on 82 receptions and put up 1,635 receiving yards. Trust me, there aren't many seasons where someone averages almost 20 yards on that many receptions. In fact, among pro players with 80 or more catches in a single season, only one player averaged more yards per reception -- Charley Hennigan of the 1961 Houston Oilers.

Ultimately, though, I went with 2003 when he was the NFL Alumni Wide Receiver of the Year.

5. Harold Jackson, 1973—The diminutive Jackson (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) didn't post monster numbers. He couldn't. That's because his coach, "Ground" Chuck Knox, liked to pound the ball -- with the Rams leading the NFL in rushing attempts and yards.

However, when they did throw, Harold Jackson was the target.

Though he didn't have prodigious numbers for the season, he did in Week Five against the Dallas Cowboys when he was the NFL Offensive Player of the Week. On that October afternoon, he caught seven passes for 238 yards and four TDs.

That game ended Charlie Waters' career as a cornerback. Waters was assigned to Jackson most of the day and couldn't keep up with him. So he was moved back to his natural position of safety.

In 1973, Jackson was a consensus All-Pro, Pro Bowler and even won some votes for AP Offensive Player of the Year. Granted, he only caught 40 passes, but 13 went for touchdowns and he averaged 21.9 yards per catch.

4. Isaac Bruce, 1995—Ike got almost no "alls" in 1995 -- his highest honor was second-team All-NFC -- but he deserved better. He put up record-breaking numbers that season, setting Rams' marks for receptions (119) and yards (1,781), with 13 of his catches going for TDs.

Bruce was the NFC Offensive Player in Week 7, but his best game was the season finale when he caught 15 passes for 210 yards.

He had other years considered as career seasons, especially 1999 and 2000, but 1995 -- when he played without an elite receiver like Torry Holt and didn't have an MVP-caliber quarterback like Kurt Warner -- is my pick.

3. Jim Benton, 1945—Benton was rookie MVP Bob Waterfield's main target when the Cleveland Rams won the NFL title in 1945. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound two-way end caught 45 passes including eight for touchdowns, for a league-leading 1,067 yards and a whopping average of 23.7 yards a catch.

Then he caught nine more balls for 125 yards and a touchdown in the championship game as Cleveland defeated Washington 15-14.

There was no Pro Bowl in that era, but Benton was a consensus first-team All-Pro and supplanted Don Hutson as the best end in the NFL ... at least for that year.

If you're wondering why someone with just over 1,000 yards receiving is third on my list, I look at it this way: If you prorate his performance over 17 games -- the current length of an NFL season -- Benton would have gone over 2,000 yards.

Enough said.

2. Cooper Kupp, 2021—Kupp was a receiving Triple Crown winner in his career year, leading the NFL in receiving, yards and touchdowns. But that's just the beginning. He was a consensus All-Pro, a Pro Bowler the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and twice the NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

Furthermore, he set franchise records with 145 catches and 1,947 receiving yards (each second-best in NFL history) and caught 16 touchdown passes. Not bad for someone who ran a 4.62 at the 2017 NFL scouting combine.

The grandson of 1969 Pro Bowl guard Jake Kupp, Cooper kept it up in the postseason, as well, with 33 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns. He was also named the Super Bowl LVI MVP after catching the game-winning pass in a 23-20 win over the Bengals.

It was an amazing year-long performance, but it was not the best in Rams' history. There's one slightly better.

1. Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch—"Crazylegs" may have had the best year of any receiver ever in 1951. In a 12-game season, he hauled in 66 passes for 1,495 yards (a 22.7 average) and 17 touchdowns, including a long of 91 yards.

All of those marks led the league, and, yes, you read that right

There have been receivers to achieve a receiving Triple Crown (see Cooper Kupp, above), but what about one who produced a quadruple crown? Add in yards per catch, and Hirsch did it. Or maybe a quintuple crown? Throw in the longest reception of the year, and Hirsch did that, too.

Ten of Hirsch's receptions were for over 40 yards, and six were for 70 yards or more. What's more, only two of his 17 touchdowns were fewer than 19 yards. Plus, 17 TDs tied the NFL mark held by Hall-of-Fame legend Don Hutson, with Hirsch averaging 48.1 yards on each.

Hutson averaged roughly half of that.

Still not convinced?

Calculate what his season totals would have been in a 17-game season: 94 receptions, 2,118 yards (still the same 22.7 YPC) and 24 touchdown receptions.

Those are scary numbers.

If you don't like that -- prorating numbers for games he did not play -- fair enough. Then take Cooper Kupp's season and convert it to the 12-game season Hirsch played in 1951. Then his 2021 totals would translate to 102 receptions, 1,374 yards and 11 touchdowns.

A very good season, but nothing like the huge year he had in 17 games.

When evaluating great seasons, I believe that you must consider the era and length of the year for a fair comparison. So I'm not suggesting that Hirsch could do now what he did then. But as someone who likes history, the point is to compare the rarity and greatness of seasons in particular eras -- as well as how they withstand the test of time.

And when you do, I think you'll agree that Crazylegs had the best-ever season by a Rams' receiver -- one that rivals the top seasons of Don Hutson, Jerry Rice or anyone else you care to name.

In 1951, Crazylegs Hirsch put up crazy numbers.

What new real money does Noteboom have coming, if he’s cut?

I ask because Snead (I think?) confirmed they’re working with him to try and keep him around.

The signing bonus and restructuring should have both been paid to him already. They’re spread out as a cap mechanism, but the money on both is upfront, from what I understand.

I’ve read that they can cut him with the post-June 1 designation now and avoid paying his 5 mil roster bonus.

So, my understanding.. if they cut him.. he is getting no more money from the team.

That would explain why they’re “working something out.”

Am I wrong about no new $ owed if he’s cut?

(The post June 1 designation has cap ramifications, I understand)

Given our track record, nobody would be surprised if the Rams were to trade out of the No. 19 slot in the first round of the draft.

So what trade options might there be that work under the Trade Value Chart (which assigns a numerical value to each selection, providing a guideline to what trades might be deemed to be fair exchanges)?

Here are four that are TVC-Approved (meaning that the total points are within 25 points of even):

The KC Special
Rams trade picks 19 (875) and 100 (100), 975 TVC points, for
Chiefs' picks 32 (590), 64 (270) and 95 (120), 980 TVC points.
The nice thing about this option is that the Rams would still have a first round pick (meaning that player would still be under a 5th year option), while gaining an extra selection in Round 2 (and moving up a few spots at the end of Round 3). If the Rams have several comparably rated options on their board at No. 19, a trade like this could be a good move.

DC Tweener Option
Rams trade picks 19 (875) and 83 (175), 1,050 TVC points, for
Commodes' picks 36 (540) and 40 (500), 1,040 TVC points
If you like Tweeners (players who you like, but not at No. 19, who are probably gone by No. 52), this could be a trade for you. The Rams would have three picks between Nos. 36-52, and could load up on some high quality Day 2 talent.

NYG Tweener Option
Rams trade picks 19 (875) and 100 (100), 975 TVC points, for
Giants' picks 39 (570) and 47 (430), 1,000 TVC points
Similar to the Washington trade, this gives the Rams a bunch of 2nd round picks, allowing them to potentially obtain starters at three positions. Both Tweener options, of course, presume there isn't a "gotta have him" option at No. 19.

The Trade Up Option
Rams trade picks 19 (875) and 52 (380), 1,255 TVC points, for
Vikings' pick 11 (1,250), 1,250 TVC points
I don't know that there's much of an appetite for trading up around these parts but, at least, the math works on this one. If the Vikings are boxed out by an early run on QBs, could they be looking to trade back? Is there a player the Rams would deem worth a 2 for 1 deal to get?

Any of these look good to you, or do you prefer the Rams just let the draft come to them and stick with the slots they have?

I thought it might be good to start a thread to talk about something else besides draft and FA given these dog days beforehand.

A lot of talk has been had about what position we need starters at in the draft and FA but there are always guys who are 2nd and 3rd year players who ascend and become starters every year (Hi Kyren!) I want to know who you think they might be or if they're already starters, what more you expect to see from them.

Also, it's fair to say some guys won't ascend at all and some may even regress. Hit me!

Players that I'm chomping at the bit to see ascend:
- Kobie Turner, he's already dominate as a run defender but I'd like to see if he can add more to his pass rush arsenal and up that pressure rate (sacks are so variable on too many things that not sure he can hit his number again next year).
- Bobby Brown, here's a guy we all thought was just a jag and coaches said had an inconsistent motor but when we got him back from injury, there was a noticable uptick in consistency up front. Can he eliminate the consistency issues and continue to help us in run defense.
- Quentin Lake, he shared dimebacker/safety with JJ last year and settled into Star late in the year. Can he fully take over one of these spots. Not sure he's got enough range and trigger to take one of the deep safety spots but would love it if he could take right or left safety and run with it.
-McCallister and McClendon, what will a year in an NFL weight program and coaching do for these two as far as oline depth? I don't have illusions that they'll take starter spots actually but I would love to see them show that they can be primary backups on the line. Maybe more confidence in McCallister than McClendon.

Sadly, I don't have much hope for any of the corners to ascend though I'm sure some people want and or think Tomlinson can.

I want this guy.

I have no idea who he is.

Or how he did in college.

Or his ''grade" ...yeesh

Or where he's taken. As long is its by us.

Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry

HIS NAME IS KOOL AID MCKINSTRY!!!!!! Hingle McCringleberry is proud AF.

Tyler HigbeeUndergoes surgery
TE•LA•3hr ago
General manager Les Snead said Wednesday that Higbee (knee - ACL) has undergone surgery and a timetable for his return is still uncertain, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Analysis
Higbee suffered a torn right ACL and MCL during the Rams' wild-card playoff loss to the Lions on Jan. 14, after taking a low hit on the offense's final drive. The timing of his injury puts his status for the Week 1 of the 2024 season in serious doubt, and likewise makes him an unlikely candidate to be cleared for the start of training camp late July. Behind the 31-year-old veteran, Davis Allen, Hunter Long (knee) and Brycen Hopkins now all look like candidates to begin the 2024 campaign handling larger roles.

Heal fast big man!

https://nflpa.com/nfl-player-team-report-cards-2024

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYI0lwoD4-8


This is a real nice breakdown of Dotson in the run game. Keep an eye on Shelton and you can see why they want him back. As much as anything, it shows how well they are being coached by Wendell.

Wendell was IMO a key hire in terms of the Ram's success.