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IMO this is an excellent hire. It gives McVay a much needed voice in his ear on crucial downs, another pair of eyes on play challenges and someone to help him with clock management. Too often Sean gets overwhelmed with all he's trying to do. If John can help with red zone play calling that would be huge for the Rams. Too many times, McVay seems to beat himself.
Good hire and I think it will add another win or two during the season.
There is a fair bit of sorting out to do with Special Teams this offseason…
We need a PK.
We need return specialists. Austin Trammell is a FA and hasn’t really flashed much big play potential.
Ethan Evans has Punter fairly locked down, but he needs to take a step forward in 2024. His GROSS punting average of 49.2 was good for 10th, but his NET of 38.5 ranked 35th among punters.
Paul is firmly in the mix to be a top-100 pick. Paul has a long, powerful frame at 6'7" and 307 pounds that allows him to redirect rushers and comfortably handle stunts. His best attribute, though, is his patience in pass protection.
Rarely one to panic or expose his hands to defenders, Paul has great control of his own body, which forces defenders to show their move first. Paul's blend of great technique, raw power, and patience allowed him to be a force throughout 2022.
Where Paul struggles to compare to his peers is his natural athleticism. He's a very good run blocker but isn't the freakish athlete who can effortlessly landmark at the second level. His limited agility and tendency to bend at the waist against speed rushers do show an upside that's not quite on par with better athletes.
Chris Braswell lacks the high-end flexibility and fluidity to realistically ever be a consistent double--digit sack artist at the next level, but he plays with his pants on fire, and that effort and explosiveness will always find a role at the NFL level. He's added power to his frame and his hands are impressive. He beats college tackles well enough, but without adequate bend, it's hard to imagine him being a quarterback hunter at the next level.
It's impossible to watch the 2022 Aggies defense without having your eyes gravitate toward their monster in the middle. McKinnley Jackson was a captain for the Aggies as a junior, and his presence was sorely missed when he was off the field. Jackson's production may not appear impressive, but 7 TFLs and 2 sacks while playing as a true 0-technique is nothing to scoff at. He's an intelligent run defender with the burst to take on a more vertical role at the next level if need be.
Wilson has enough speed to chase and run in pursuit. He has the overall athleticism to hold up in space when dropping into coverage.
He can move laterally and chase in pursuit. A tough, violent tackler with a non-stop motor, Wilson also shows good awareness when dropping into coverage.
Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #48. He wrote " The 6-4, 230-pound former North Carolina state champion high school wrestler has vertical-jumped 36 inches, and coaches say he will “easily” run the 40 in the 4.49 to 4.54 range."
Keeps feet moving after initial contact. Jumps inside as a counter to typical rush, but needs to show a larger variety of moves.
As a pure runner, Corum’s profile is impressively well-rounded. He might not be quantifiably elite in any area, but he has excellent burst, speed, lateral agility, vision, and creative instincts when approaching and off-setting defenders. He’s also a hyper-dense, well-leveraged runner at 5’8″, 213 pounds who can bounce off of solo tackles and use his constant leg churn to maximize his finishing output.
A move tight end at 6'4" and 245 pounds, Ben Sinnott has experience both inline and in the slot as a receiver. He's not a speedy threat who can get vertical like some recent top tight end prospects, but he's comfortable making catches through traffic. Sinnott has good coordination and power with the ball in his hands, giving him value on short and intermediate targets.
Khyree Jackson was a bit of journeyman throughout his college career. The Maryland native played junior college ball at Fort Scott Community College, then transferred to the University of Alabama for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before transferring to the University of Oregon. He passes the eye test with an excellent 6'3", 195-pound frame.
While playing in coverage, Jackson shows a range of coverages and techniques. Press man coverage is the one he plays the most. He opts to mostly mirror receivers at the line of scrimmage and get hands-on as he rides them downfield.
At times, he can fall behind when facing shiftier athletes, and without true recovery speed, he can panic at times and grab for a jersey to keep within range. When he's able to get his head around, he does a great job of locating and tracking the ball. One of the biggest keys to Jackson's success in coverage is how well he's able to keep his pad level down.
Although Jackson isn't an enforcer in the run game, he does a good job of playing his position. He identifies the run and quickly comes up to support. A wrap tackler who shoots for the legs, he will throw his body around when advantageous. When taking on blocks, he lacks the strength to truly shock and control, although most times he does a good job of using his length to disengage from blocks.
Jackson is an interesting prospect with a high ceiling. He still needs to shore up some things in the NFL, but he has the length and skill set that teams are looking for. Jackson has the potential to be an impact player in the NFL.
Rice began his collegiate career at Colorado, totaling 27 receptions for 419 yards and five touchdowns across his first 17 games. He was an electric kick returner, averaging 26.6 yards per return on 19 attempts. In 2022, Rice transferred to USC to play for Lincoln Riley, setting career highs in receptions (45), yards (791), and touchdowns (12) in 2023. He's a tall, vertical playmaker who isn't a refined route-runner or dominant athlete in space. Still, he has good speed and size at 6'3" and 205 pounds. He projects as a quality rotational piece as a Day 3 pick
For his career, Karty made 85% of his field goal tries and missed just one extra point in three years. His junior season saw him make all 18 of his kicks, and finish as a Lou Garza finalist.
The Cardinal have quite a few position battles to settle for 2024, but one that may be more prevalent than most people realize at kicker, where they will have to replace the program legend.
6’0”, 205-pound 5th-year senior with an athletic, well-developed build. He began his Air Force career at 182 pounds and added 20+ pounds of mass by his redshirt sophomore season in 2021. Did not play during his first two years at Air Force but has started 23 games at safety since the start of the 2021 season. Possesses sharp DB instincts and keen play diagnosis when dropping into coverage. Uses great reactionary athleticism and route recognition to get into a receiver’s hip pocket in press & off-man coverage. Boasts quality play speed, recovery speed, and closing burst to maintain a tight cushion while in phase. Displays disciplined use of hands at the top of the route; Not overly handsy or grabby. Sufficient zone coverage ability but is prone to lapses in spatial awareness. Natural hands-catcher with strong ball skills/reactions. Plays through the hands consistently at the catch point. A willing run defender with intriguing range to cover the second and third levels from sideline to sideline. Comfortable playing within the box and close to the LOS. Exhibits notable physical toughness by filling gaps and blitzing off the edge. Capable tackler in one-on-one situations, but is susceptible to taking poor angles when running the alley from the Safety spot. Struggles to shed blocks from offensive linemen, tight ends, and wide receivers alike. Questionable overall play strength at the POA. Not the most fiery competitor, but he appears engaged and operates with the temperament of a leader at all times. He also provides valuable special teams versatility given his athletic ability, toughness, range, and tackling ability.
Hall has heavy hands and uses them aggressively, rocking offensive linemen back. He shows the ability to disengage and out-grapple blockers in a phone booth.
A savvy, versatile and instinctive edge rusher who did a little bit of everything, Hall was especially effective getting to the quarterback.
Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #17. He wrote "The former high school shot putter, who had six sacks and seven TFLs in 2021, bench pressed 500 pounds, power-cleans 465 pounds, did 750 pounds on the trap bar deadlift and squatted 650 (the BU strength staff stopped him or else Hall’s probably lifting a lot more). He also hit 18.2 mph on the GPS."
His spin move is already NFL-caliber, and he displays a very good motor.
Agile and nimble footwork with smooth body control - very light on his feet. Fights through the whistle and is always chirping and going at full speed - love his effort and determination.
He has decent enough flexibility to bend the edge, and he shows a good closing burst.
Hall displays good lateral movement skills, capable of working his way down the line with decent range when chasing in pursuit.
SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
Never out of a play, but can get out of control and work himself away from the action.
Undersized and lacks elite bulk and girth for an interior defensive lineman - will be scheme specific in the NFL.
Is still a bit raw as a pass rusher and needs to diversify his repertoire of pass-rush moves.
Starters
QB: Matthew Stafford v. Carson Wnetz
HB: Kyren Williams v. Blake Corum v. Royce Freeman
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Puka Nacua
WR: Brendan Rice v. Tutu v Robinson v Skow
TE: Benn Stinnett v. Allen v. Higbee
LT: Alaric Jackson v. Patrick Paul
LG: Steve Avila v. Noteboom
C: Drake Nugent v. Shelton
RG: Kevin Dotson v Noteboom
RT: Rob Havenstein v Noteboom v. McClendon Jr.
DE: Kobie Turner V. Michael Hoecht
NT: McKinnley Jackson v Gabe Hall
DE: Aaron Donald V Desjuan Johnson
OLB: Chris Braswell v. Mathis
OLB: Byron Young v Hampton
ILB: Ernest Jones
ILB: Payton Wilson
CB1: Kendall Fuller
CB2: Khyree Jackson v. Derion Kendrick v. Cobie Durant
SLCB: Cobie Durant v. Derion Kendrick v. Tre Hodges-Tomlinson
SS: Lake vs. Trey Taylor
FS: Russ Yeast
I think we need a thread to talk about those players that go late on day 3 (rounds 6-7 and UDFA types). These guys are difficult to call out right now as it is early and a lot of variance on some of the big boards I reference; lots of movement.
The draft crushes thread tried to limit to three players. I think 5 or 6 is a good number here.
Qwan’tez Stiggers - CB maybe a Safety. Very interesting path to get to the draft. Was sorry to see he didn’t get invited to the combine but made a little noise at the East West practices. Couldn’t find much video on him with no college ball and only one year in Canada. Kinda Kurt Warner path to the NFL guy if he makes it.
Jha’Quan Jackson- WR/Return guy
I was impressed by what he did at the Senior Bowl. His college highlights I saw a lot of body catching but that didn’t happen at the Senior Bowl. He’s quick and I’m interested in what he does at the combine. Already an interesting return guy prospect and he has what you can’t coach. Wondering what he might do with NFL coaching and watching a guy like Kupp.
Caeden Wallace- RT from Penn State. Quicker than I thought at the senior bowl. Big guy at 6’5” 325. Plays with a bit of a mean streak from what I’ve seen. Could be a nice late add based on his projections now.
Not sure why exactly but I like Tip Reiman- TE from Illinois. Big guy at 6’4” 273. Never going to say he’s quick or overly athletic. Think he’s a blocker primarily but has surprisingly soft hands. Could be a seam route guy or occasional target in the red zone.
Andru Phillips -DB Kentucky. Think he is a slot guy but fits the zone scheme Rams seem to run. Solid against the run and this was his best year so showing improvement still. Has been a special teams guy for Kentucky.
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson -Safety from Texas Tech. Seems like a solid late round safety. Undersized a bit but around the ball a fair amount (10 interceptions and 19 pbu’s last three years). Honestly I think the Rams like Tanner Ingle around and he has a good chance to make the team next season.
A bunch of LB prospects I like whose rankings are all over the place right now as well that might be upgrades over Rozeboom.
Paul is firmly in the mix to be a top-100 pick. Paul has a long, powerful frame at 6'7" and 307 pounds that allows him to redirect rushers and comfortably handle stunts. His best attribute, though, is his patience in pass protection.
Rarely one to panic or expose his hands to defenders, Paul has great control of his own body, which forces defenders to show their move first. Paul's blend of great technique, raw power, and patience allowed him to be a force throughout 2022.
Where Paul struggles to compare to his peers is his natural athleticism. He's a very good run blocker but isn't the freakish athlete who can effortlessly landmark at the second level. His limited agility and tendency to bend at the waist against speed rushers do show an upside that's not quite on par with better athletes.
Chris Braswell lacks the high-end flexibility and fluidity to realistically ever be a consistent double--digit sack artist at the next level, but he plays with his pants on fire, and that effort and explosiveness will always find a role at the NFL level. He's added power to his frame and his hands are impressive. He beats college tackles well enough, but without adequate bend, it's hard to imagine him being a quarterback hunter at the next level.
Round #2 Pick #51 Chris Braswell Edge Alabama Round #2 Pick #51 Chris Braswell Edge Alabama Round #2 Pick #51 Chris Braswell Edge Alabama Round #2 Pick #51 Chris Braswell Edge Alabama Round #2 Pick #51 Chris Braswell Edge Alabama Round #2 Pick #51 Chris Braswell Edge Alabama
Just theorizing here. The first 37 Superbowls had a lot of boring games if your team wasn't one of the participants (or if you didn't hate the team that lost). 20 of them saw a team ahead by 14 points or more after 3 quarters. Nobody came back to win. There were also 3 other games where the lead was 13 points and none of those teams came back. That's 23 of 37 basically out of reach after 3 quarters. And only 5 times was the deficit less than a TD. Three of those games saw a comeback.
In the last 21 Superbowls, there have been three 14 point deficits heading to the 4th quarter. One of those teams came back (N.England over Atlanta). There was one other game with a 13 point deficit. Also, there were 2 games tied after 3. New England and Philly in 2004 and the Rams and Patriots in 2018. Finally, of those 21 games, 14 of them saw a deficit of less than a TD going into the 4th. Five of those games saw a comeback. Now that's exciting.
It would appear the cap and free agency not only has made it possibly for teams to make huge turnarounds relatively quickly but Superbowls have become more exciting. And when that's the biggest single day event in sports nationally, that's a good thing.
One other thing. With the salary cap and free agency having the desired affect, is there any doubt Tommy and the Patriots cheated like hell?
Super Bowl LIX odds open with 49ers, Chiefs, Ravens as top 3
play
Doug Greenberg
Super Bowl LVIII, an overtime win for the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, will go down as an instant classic.
Vegas foresees a rematch next year.
The 49ers are the consensus favorites to win Super Bowl LIX, coming in at +550 on ESPN BET. Other national sportsbooks have San Francisco as short as +450 and as long as +575.
Next on the consensus odds rankings are the Chiefs, who show +700 odds to win next year on ESPN BET. Several books are offering +750, with Caesars showing Kansas City at +800, tied for second on the list with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens, who lost to the Chiefs in this year's AFC Championship Game, are a consensus top-three option, with their +850 odds at ESPN BET mostly representing the offering across the market, with some variance higher or lower.
The Buffalo Bills come in as a consensus top-four option across the market (10-1 at ESPN BET), but after them it starts to get murkier: The Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins are all in the next echelon, but with varying positions and prices from book to book.
Oddsmakers set the lines based on what they're seeing from teams now and the anticipation of what they could be in the future, which leaves plenty of wiggle room for the odds to change.
"There's going to be a fluctuation in these odds for various reasons before the season starts and when the season starts," DraftKings director of race and sportsbook operations Johnny Avello told ESPN.
Aside from offseason draft picks and trades, several books already have moved lines after taking early action.
Since its odds for next year first went live on Jan. 29, ESPN BET moved the Ravens from +750 to +850 and the Lions from 14-1 to 12-1. Caesars told ESPN that Detroit and the Los Angeles Chargers (25-1) are already its biggest liabilities for Super Bowl LIX.
"Obviously, the Lions are following up on a tremendous season and the Chargers made a splash by hiring Jim Harbaugh as their head coach," said the book's assistant director of trading, Adam Pullen.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the consensus odds list are the Carolina Panthers, who are 250-1 at ESPN BET and aren't doing much better at any other books.
Bye bye, Jalen Ramsey. See ya, Leonard Floyd. Thanks for stopping by, Bobby Wagner. Sorry things didn't work out, Allen Robinson. Good luck, Greg Gaines, Taylor Rapp, and Nick Scott.
The bills were coming due, everyone said. This is the price of "F them picks" and going "all in," the talking heads mused. The Rams are rebuilding... maybe tanking for Caleb Williams, some lamented.
But, then... a funny thing happened. The Rams found quality starters... even superstars... in the least likely places. The RB depth chart had a Pro Bowler. High end starters were obtained in Rounds 3 and 5 of the draft. Great fits at OG and CB were found on the bargain racks. And, in the end, the Rams made the playoffs and came within a hair of advancing.
Now, we can look forward to shopping with a healthy budget of draft picks and cap dollars, with another run in our crosshairs.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco...
After failing to get that long-desired confetti shower, the 49ers find themselves (depending on what site you believe) at or over the cap for 2024. While they don't have a huge number of starters heading into free agency (Chase Young, Oren Burks, Tashaun Gibson and John Feliciano being the most significant), there are black budgetary clouds on the horizon, with a 2025 free agent class that includes Arik Armstead, Brandon Aiyuk, Dre Greenlaw (who will likely start 2024 on PUP), Aaron Banks, Colton McKivitz, Deommodore Lenior, Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward - not to mention a certain young QB who, though not a FA, will likely be looking for a big raise.
Sure, the 49ers could reload like we did, but finding a Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Kyren Williams in the draft is easier said than done.
So, watch out, 49ers... there's a Piper who's looking for you!
The obvious answer is probably, "you can't copy Patrick Mahomes, but we have a pretty darn good facsimile in Matthew Stafford."
Beyond the QB, though, are there things about the Chiefs you'd try to copy?
On offense, the Chiefs have demonstrated for years the value of a top receiving TE. While I don't see any TE putting up Kelce-like numbers in McVay's offense, a TE who can create mismatches would be a big asset. Whatever you think of Tyler Higbee, he's never been that guy (and he's probably going to be on IR to start next season). Could Davis Allen be that guy? I saw some flashes, so I'm at least intrigued. In the draft, Brock Bowers looks to be that type of player, but he will likely go long before the Rams make their pick. A couple of later round prospects to watch are Ben Sinnot, Kansas State and Dallin Holker, Colorado State.
On defense, their defensive backfield was key. I see CB as one of the top targets for Round 1 of the draft, and I'll be interested to see what the Rams do with John Johnson and Kendall Jordan both needing new contracts. I rarely target safeties high in the draft, but I'd probably consider looking to add talent in the middle rounds.
Finally, special teams! The Chief's punt coverage and kicking game were keys to their win. Gotta fix those areas!
Ok so the Rams went all in. They won the Super Bowl at SoFi then suffered an injury riddled season last season. Then they had to get through salary cap deficits this season. But McSnead did an amazing job to go 10-7 and had a chance to advance in the playoffs, losing by one point to the Lions. IMO, this might have been McVay's best coaching job.
The whiners basically went all in this season and they've got some credit card bills to pay next season, which will start to close that window when Joe Montana (cough cough), Uhm, Brock Purdy needs to be paid more than minimum wage,
