If anyone is missing him on the Rams remember he had an 8 Game Suspension this season. I haven't heard anything. Anyone know if he still has to serve, it has been reduced etc... He was signed with the Dolphins last I heard. Only news I can find was back in March.

I know there are more important things to take away from this opening game Sunday, but I am still intrigued by the Fisher drama. I truly thought he was the right pick and slowly, gaff after gaff, became disenchanted and was ecstatic about the prospects of our young coach McVay.

But with McVay's style of "Let's keep the learning/reps in practice, and not play meaningful football in preseason", I literally have NO idea how this team is going to play this season.

So here is how I will score the coaching change:

Round 1: Opening game. Last season, I had high hopes for our team as they represented LA in the NFL for the first time in decades against SF. 0-28. You might have felt the same way I did after that game. Hoping McVay wins this round easily. But how would I know based on this preseason?

Round 2: First quarter of season. Fish was able to climb back to respectability, gaining a 3-1 record and leading into a home game against the beatable Bills. I'd love to call this a draw since I think it unlikely McVay wins this round.

Round 3: Halfway point. After a few heartbreaking losses, the Rams were 3-5 halfway through. I believe better coaching would have pulled out at least 2 of these games, but I'm a couch potato, what do I know? I would be thrilled if McVay takes Round 3, even it's 4-4 at that point.

Round 4: Final Record. No more 7-9 BS, right? Technically, although Fisher lost all control over the team during this time, the last 3 losses weren't his. He ended up 4-9, or 30.7%. So, McVay has to get to 5-11 to hit 31% to win the round.

Having thought this through a bit, I'm thinking maybe just showing a better-than-middle-school-offense might be the only bar that matters...

Just binge watched the ten episodes this past weekend.

I really enjoyed it. Plenty of tension, action, drama and a couple of really beautiful women.

This year it's not as focused on one individual like seasons 1 and 2 were. But it's very good and the acting is first rate. I didn't know the story of the Cali Cartel and tried not to Google much until I finished watching it. As with the first two seasons--it's a mix of English and Spanish so there are subtitles so if you don't mind reading it's worth it--and frankly after awhile you don't even notice it because the story is so good. Anyway--highly recommended.

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Oh--Andrea Londo--she plays a wife/girlfriend of various kingpins. Stunning.





Also Taliana Vargas a former Miss Columbia winner and Miss Universe runner-up. She plays the wife of a security manager for the Cartel leaders. Beautiful:

New TE Carrier Expected to Play Week 1

Myles Simmons

Tight end Derek Carrier just arrived in Los Angeles after the Rams acquired him from Washington, and he’s already expected to contribute this week.

“He’s going to play,” head coach Sean McVay said after Monday’s practice. “He’s going to be ready to go. He’ll be active, he’ll play, and he’ll see snaps for sure.”

How will the recently traded Carrier be ready? Well, he has a good base of knowledge from McVay’s tenure as Washington’s offensive coordinator over the last two years. Carrier played 20 games over the last two years in McVay’s system, starting 11 in 2015.

“There’s some similarities but some of the verbs have been changed,” Carrier said of the playbook. “There’s a little bit of a learning curve in terms of trying to forget what I did in the past and try to grasp what we’re doing now.”

They’re still using a lot of the same verbiage in Washington that we’re using here. So, I think it’s going to be an easy transition,” McVay said. “Not taking anything away from it, but I think his experience being familiar with the verbiage, while there’s a couple little nuances, for the most part he’s a really smart contentious guy that’s always done a nice job of picking things up pretty quickly. And it seemed like he did that today.”

McVay said Carrier looked good in his first practice with Los Angeles, showing some of his positional flexabilty. And because Carrier is already well versed in the offensive system, he’ll be able to contribute alongside Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett in many of the same ways Temarrick Hemingway would have prior to his injury.

“He can play in-line, he can play in the backfield at some of those move spots that you see us utilize — some of the tight ends,” McVay said. “I think when you add him to the mix with Tyler and with Gerald’s emergence, you feel good about those three, especially knowing how important and how valuable Temarrick was to us. So we feel very fortunate to be able to add a player like Derek.”

And the tight end has had a favorable impression of the new teammates in his room.

“Great group of guys. They all bring something different to the table, whether it’s being great in the run game and pass game,” Carrier said. “That’s kind of something I’ve liked to do as part of my career — kind of grab things from people that I’ve learned from along the way, and try to incorporate that into any own game. So it’s a great learning environment.”

Carrier described himself as an “all-around tight end,” adding, “I take pride at being at the point of attack in the run game, and being able to make plays in the passing game. I try to do everything to the best of my ability.”

He’s looking forward to working with McVay once again, saying he has a “great admiration and respect” for the head coach.

“Just a great coach, great person,” Carrier said of McVay. “Knows how to relate to players and knows how to coach, get through to guys. And, like I said, just a great overall guy.”

Carrier’s whirlwind few days will let up a bit with Los Angeles’ day off on Tuesday. But being in a Rams uniform for Sunday’s game agains the Colts should have him feeling centered once again.

“I think at the end of the day, it’s football. It’s a sport that I love to play,” Carrier said. “Just different location and different team.”

[www.therams.com]

Practice Report: Rams Turn Attention to Colts


Kristen Lago

With just six days left until the Rams’ regular season opener on Sunday, the team returned to the practice field for a non-padded workout. After finalizing the initial 53-man roster over Labor Day weekend, today’s session marked the official start to Week 1.

FIRST LOOK AT THE ACTIVE ROSTER

Monday’s session provided the coaching staff with their first look at the team’s 53-man roster and practice squad. Head coach Sean McVay described the afternoon as a “great day” where the team focused on its “game plan offensively, defensively, and [on] special teams” heading into this Sunday’s matchup against the Colts.

Over the long weekend, the Rams trimmed their roster from 90 to 53 men, before being assigned three new players via the waiver system. Los Angeles was assigned center J.J. Dielman from the Bengals, center Aaron Neary from the Eagles, and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson from the Seahawks. All were full participants in practice today.

Also joining the team on Monday was tight end Derek Carrier, whom the Rams acquired on Saturday through a trade with Washington.

The trade has reunited Carrier with McVay, who served as his offensive coordinator through two seasons in Washington. McVay says the tight end’s familiarity with the system will provide him an advantage moving forward.

“I think it certainly helps. When you look at what you’re trying to do at the tight end position, they’re still using a lot of the same verbiage in Washington that we’re using here. So, I think it’s going to be an easy transition,” McVay said.

And though today marked Carrier’s first practice with the team, McVay said Carrier will play in this weekend’s opener.

“He’s going to be ready to go,” McVay said. “He’ll be active, he’ll play, and he’ll see snaps for sure.”

EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR SEASON OPENER

As the team has reached games that count, McVay and many of his players described an added energy and enthusiasm from Monday’s practice.

“It feels different,” McVay said of the game week. “There’s a level of urgency that’s raised in the entire building. And this is what everything is built towards, is, really, the regular season. Our guys have done a great job of utilizing the offseason program [and] training camp to put ourselves in a position to be ready to go...but, we know that we’re still focused on taking it one day at a time and hopefully that will lead to us peaking at one o’clock on Sunday.”

While the preseason was a good practice period for many of the young players on the Rams’ roster, veterans like cornerback Trumaine Johnson and left tackle Andrew Whitworth expressed their enthusiasm to take the field in a game that actually matters long term.

“I woke up in a great mood, I put it on my snapchat — Week 1, I’m ready,” Johnson said. “I know it’s only Monday, but I’m excited to get back. ... I can’t wait to get out there with them guys in Week 1 when everything counts.”

“Yeah, I’m always excited to start the regular season,” Whitworth said. “It’s fun, the energy, just the atmosphere there that first week of the year. I’m sure everybody’s ramped up a little bit across the league and it’s always a fun week.”

ADDITIONAL ROSTER MOVES

At the conclusion of Monday’s practice, the Rams announced they had added a third quarterback to the roster, claiming Brandon Allen off waivers from the Jaguars. In a corresponding move, the team waived cornerback Kevin Peterson.

Although McVay has no previous experience with Allen, current quarterbacks coach, Greg Olson was Allen’s offensive coordinator last year in Jacksonville.

“He was a guy that some of our coaches are familiar with,” McVay said. “He’s a guy that’s put some good stuff on tape. Adding Brandon, we’ll be able to develop him and see how he does. He’s a guy that his tape has merited the claim and I think we feel good about that.”

Additionally, the Rams announced that they had reached an injury settlement with wide receiver Nelson Spruce, waiving him from the reserve/injured list. The team also re-signed defensive tackle, Louis Trinca-Pasat to its practice squad.

PRESS POINTS

After Monday’s session, McVay took the time to address the media and discussed the team’s captains for the upcoming season. Catch up on his most important points of the day and check out the full interview below.

SEAN McVAY:
On if he has decided on his team captains: “I think it’s a big deal that you let the players vote for it. We’ve got a lot of guys that I think are capable captains that represent a lot of things that you guys hear us talk about – in terms of what we want our team, what do we want our players to embody. But, we’ll let the players vote on that. We’ll do that this week and I think there’s a great honor in being voted by your teammates as a captain. And that’s something that we’ll do this week.

[www.therams.com]

From overall perspective, how do you all feel about the Rams and the media?

1. Ms Dani K: It's clear that Dani is very attractive. I'm a happily married man and when I see her, I have to make sure my thoughts are pure lol. As a reporter, I feel like she does a very good job. Again, she is easy on the eyes as we know. But, I feel like she enunciates well, her transitions between questions are smooth, she is short and direct to the point, and she seems that she is just a joy to be around. I am glad that the Rams have her as the "front man ".

2. Miles: This guy drives me absolutely up the wall. First, it seems like he tries so hard to be a perfectionist and how he explains anything that he thinks. His phrases are so long gated due to the fact that the words that he speaks are so spread out when presenting a sentence. He overenunciate's unlike Dani which again makes it seem like he is trying to persuade you. His voice sounds robotic and mono tone which completely compensates the previous two statements. Not that I've stared at the guy, but because I have to when the camera is on him, he is small and lanky in size and has a cheesy smile. I am not one to comment on how people look, but when you are on camera and representing an organization, and presenting news, I would think that the qualities that Miles has will not fit the bill. JMO

*I prefer more DFarr than Miles for sure

3. Website: Overall, I can definitely see some improvement in the website since the Rams have moved from St. Louis to LA. There is definitely been a turnover of staff, or the budget has been increased to help boost the material and the quality with the St Louis staff still in place. I am purely speculating, but it is clear that the website looks and operates better IMO.

4. Material: I feel like there has been an increase in material overall as well. It is pobably do to the fact that we have a new regime in place along with new employees in all aspects of anything Rams. The only thing I wish coupd be done better is that the videos would be longer with more highlights. I definitely understand that you can't show too much due to game planning and things of that nature, but it doesn't hurt to see more clips of players making plays. I also wish that the one on one interviews would be a little bit longer as well. It will be cool to get to know some of the players personally without them having to spill all the beans of their life.

Just a few thoughts of mine, feel free to chime in.

Breaking down the acquisition of new Rams QB Brandon Allen


https://www.downtownrams.com/single...-the-acquisition-of-new-Rams-QB-Brandon-Allen

The Rams claimed QB Brandon Allen after the Jaguars waived him in hopes of Allen clearing waivers and putting him back on their practice squad.

Now, the Rams add a third quarterback to the mix behind former 2015 third-round pick Sean Mannion and 2016 first-overall pick Jared Goff. Brandon Allen is his name and you may know him just off the fact he was the guy that stretched his hands so he would have a bigger hand size measurement at the combine. Allen deserves to be known for more than that, but the 2016 sixth-round pick hasn't been able to crack the starting job and of course won't now after Jacksonville outright cut him from the roster.

Rams Head coach Sean McVay flirted with the idea of bringing in QB Dan Orlovsky as a veteran mentor after week one, but now it appears the Rams have gone ahead and have gone in a completely different direction bringing in a developmental third quarterback. Allen has familiarity with Rams QB coach Greg Olson and so it seemed like a combination of the familiarity with Olson and the tape Allen put out in preseason gave the Rams the thought that Allen would be a nice acquisition.

Coach Olson spent time in Jacksonville as the offensive coordinator, so he obviously played a part in the decision to draft the young 24-year old quarterback last season. Now, with Olson joining the Rams he brings that same quarterback in who has some upside and has shown some growth going into his second year in the league. Since the Rams claimed Allen off of waivers they will assume control not only of Allen but his contract as well. The Jaguars pay his bonus, but the Rams get a deal with Allen that makes him a Ram until the conclusion of the 2019 NFL season. What makes this interesting is the fact that backup QB Sean Mannion's contract expires after the 2018 season.

Allen is a threat just off his talent alone to take over as the backup, but the financial flexibility, age and contractual longevity make it even more likely he takes over. Allen may not possess the big prototypical QB body like Mannion with his smaller stature at 6-foot-1 and 219 pounds, but he has some tools that make him a nice developmental project for his former coach Olson and Rams HC McVay.

When I went through the quarterbacks last season and I watched film on pretty much all of them, I actually found myself intrigued by Allen. I have never been one to care about size so that didn't bother me like it did for everyone else. However, what I did care about was his ability to show he could lead men and he did that very well at Arkansas. He's an effective passer on the run but has shown his ability to adapt to more of a pocket passer style. One thing to like about Allen is his ball placement and it's not just good it's great and sometimes it's top notch. Sure, he is still somewhat raw, but when he is given time he puts the ball right out in front of his receiver to continue the play. He has solid mechanics which ultimately allow him to drive the ball and make tight window throws and he has an understanding of what it takes to play quarterback and seems to have that "it" factor. When talking to draft expert Matt Waldman on our podcast he told us a quarterback either has it or doesn't have it, Allen is a gamer and he has it.


One of the obvious problems with him is decision making at times. He can get a little too loose with the football and it showed up in preseason along with the great decisions he made as well. He still has a problem bailing on the pocket and turning to his legs to get him out of danger. He's not a QB that will hang in there and take a big hit sacrificing himself for the perfect throw, instead, he might take a big hit while he is on the move. Allen is not a finished product and it's not really even close, but the best thing to do is get him working behind QB's that can handle the game day operations at the position while he continues to work in practice and grow under the coaching staff and mainly his old coach Olson. If the Rams didn't have any plan for Allen they wouldn't have claimed him and probably would have brought in Orlovsky as a veteran presence like the original plan. However, the Rams clearly see enough in Allen to consider developing him as the backup behind Goff or maybe even someday the backup plan if Goff doesn't pan out.

I see we have over 300 guest viewing this awesome forum go ahead and sign up would love to have your voices and opinions join in on discussions

Ex-Rams QB Dan Orlovsky indirectly rips former HC Sean McVay on Twitter

https://www.downtownrams.com/single...directly-rips-former-HC-Sean-McVay-on-twitter

The Rams released Dan Orlovsky this past weekend. After the release and during the post-cutdown day press conference, Rams Head coach Sean McVay spoke on the possibility of bringing Orlovsky back in the building as a QB mentor to young QB's Jared Goff and Sean Mannion.

Well, that was until the Rams found Brandon Allen on the waiver wire and claimed in on Monday. The Rams plans changed, it's the NFL and it happens a lot. However, Orlovsky, a career backup and one that struggled mightily in his preseason finale start in Green Bay tweeted this out.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/danorlovsky7/status/904869616219852800


Unfortunately, a career veteran backup QB took to social media to release his frustrations out to the world. It's not the first time McVay has been ripped for something (see Mike Martz) and it certainly won't be the last. However, it's kind of sad to see someone who has been in the league for years not recognize a business decision when it occurs. Bottom line is that the Rams originally planned to bring back Orlovsky, but then a better offer and an offer they couldn't refuse was presented to them.

In all seriousness everyone makes mistakes and Orlovsky might have made one that was straight off of impulse. However, in a sense that Allen is not a shoe-in for the Rams moving forward and could be cut if he doesn't perform to the level they expect and want to see in practice. It certainly hurts an unemployed QB's chance of being his replacement now after likely burning bridges with the organization and coach McVay who just spoke extremely high of him this past weekend.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/12725311
We got a little history lesson for everyone today. Also, after @-X- mentioned my partner sounding like he's talking from a coffee can, I can't stop thinking about it lol luckily he's home for a few weeks at the end of the month so the show will momentarily be better haha

It would help us out a lot if you guys would like us on Facebook and follow on twitter. Even if you hate our voices

http://www.phillyvoice.com/ranking-nfl-teams-age-after-53-man-cutdowns-2017-edition/

After trimming the roster down to 53, Cleveland Browns take the spot for the youngest team in the league, averaging to 24.24 years; we're currently 25.09, which isn't a major jump from last year (25 on avg in 2016) Prior to this year, we were the youngest team in the league for 5 years straight

Despite being the 2nd youngest, we have some veteran pieces a la Whitworth, Sullivan, and Barwin that will help younger players understand the nuances of their respective positions

Per some squat dude in a sports jacket on Fantasy Live (NFLN)...let's hear his pearls of wisdom...


"Sammy Watkins, who I liked when he was in Buffalo. I thought he could be a draft value, but then he goes to LA...No thank you, not with Jared Goff who's not going to throw the football downfield and that's where Sammy Watkins really makes his hay as a vertical threat. I just don't see the Rams doing a lot of throwing the ball deep, They could be doing this give him some bubble screens, try to make some plays. But this offense just doesn't fit what Sammy Watkins can thrive at, and so I am avoiding him as more than a wide receiver three."

Thanks, Skippy....

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/mikegarafolo/status/904807303001538560


I like it

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Just a friendly reminder this last weekend was the beginning of the championship run for 2017 for those Wolverines from Ann Arbor. Championship in imminent, it is a great year. I feel our Rams and those Maize and Blue boys going to have a hell of a year.

If you are not a fan of any college football team i suggest you watch those boys in the most iconic helmet in college football, the winningest program in CFB history, and the biggest capacity stadium with the best tradition in the country. Maybe you can be apart of The Team as well!

Considering I was layed-up most of last week and through the week-end. This will serve as my way of catching up, with all of you, with my thoughts on Rams News!

In other words;

WHAT I THINK I KNOW

*** To begin with, In the Rams vs Packers game, I believe McVay made a huge mistake by Starting Orlovsky at QB! I know McVay and the other coaches wanted to get a long look at the 2's and 3's to see what they would play like in different situations, BUT they could have been a lot more successful with Mannion in there! JMHO!

But in the end, I was right, I predicted the only starters that would Play would be Johnny Hekker and Greg Zuerlein!

*** On the original Roster Cuts, to 53! At first I was surprised Cutting down to only 8 O-Lineman seemed a bit Thin! And keeping so many safeties seemed a bit too much!
I was surprised when they cut Harkey, Mike Jordan, Penton and Sam Rogers! Not to mention Josh Forrest!

*** But everything seemed clearer when we signed Derek Carrier! "McVay is going to build a Passing team that will use a lot of TE's!

*** And with the players we have recovered onto the PS and New signee's plus the players recovered back onto the IR List There plan seems to be coming together! ( Although I don't care for the two new Centers!)

*** THE BIG BOTTOM LINE!
I heard Snead say the plan was " ... to put the Best 46 man Roster together that we can, and then go from 47 to 53 and 54 t0 63 with who-ever the Best Players are regardless of Position!!" I think they are doing just that!

Well, that's all I have for now! I have a lot of catching-up to do after all this time gone! Let me know if you think I'm Right-Wrong- on too many Meds- or just full shi --

Coming to the end of this series, I enjoyed the lists, and I hope some of my fellow ROD Ram fans were able to enjoy them as well. Of course these Greatest Rams lists have been subjective, based on my perspective, memory, and research of Rams history. Hats off to the www.footballdb.com for my research, and statistics. It is a great, and reliable source for stat. bums like me.

And now, the focus is on the regular season, and our resurgent 2017 Los Angeles Rams! So without further ado, I start off our final list fittingly, with the man many of us consider to be the ultimate Ram Representative:

1. Jack Youngblood
2. Tank Younger
3. Jim Youngblood
4. Greg Zuerlein
5. Jeff Zgonina
6. Robert Young
7. Brian Young
8. Jack Zilly
9. Tony Zendejas
10. Charle Young

Honorable Mention: Mike Young, Dick Zoll

Notable: Ron Yary, George Youngblood.

No: Ray Yagiello

ball:

The Downtown #Rams podcast is back shockingly without a guest as Blaine Grisak & Jake Ellenbogen bring you complete coverage and thoughts on the Rams 53-man roster, the three waiver claims they made, Aaron Donald's holdout and even some NFL draft content. Check it out here and get ready for this Friday when we have Joe Curley on to give you a full season preview for the Rams. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review on iTunes!

https://www.spreaker.com/user/downtownrams/rams-announce-2017-roster

YO! ROD!!!!!

FINALLY it's time to get this party started!! Week 1 vs. the Luck-less Colts! If your interested in joining our tailgate in Lot 4 shoot me a text with your headcount, drink order, and food suggestions. I'll bring all the food and whatever soda or beer you want (iced down). Just reimburse me at the game for your food and drinks. I will also supply bottled water. Any donations for the Lot pass are greatly appreciated, the passes run around $200 a game, any lil bit helps. Please let me know counts and drink orders by Thursday, I'll go shopping Friday.

Greg
(714) 510-7693

2018 NFL Draft Prospects Week One Recap

https://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2017/09/04/2018-NFL-Draft-Prospects-Week-One-Recap

It was quite the weekend for college football. Here is my week one recap and the draft prospects that stood out to me.


Lamar Jackson's improvement is noticeable and he clearly has an NFL future at quarterback

All of the knock of Lamar Jackson and his NFL future as a QB should be halted for now. Jackson may not be the perfect prospect, but he's different and in a good way. Jackson stands 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, so he could certainly use more meat on his bones, but Jackson has all the talent in the world. He's not a traditional pocket passer by any means, but he's clearly worked on it and proved that Saturday night in a close win versus Purdue.


Jackson does not have an all-worldly talented team by any means, so he was forced to carry it with 485 total yards of offense. Despite 10 false start penalties and three fumbles (including one of his own) Jackson was able to overcome it in a close 35-28 victory. It's not about stats when scouting a player, or at least not all about stats. Jackson showed improved and noticeable ability to step up and climb the pocket and deliver multiple strikes in traffic with ease. One of these plays is perfectly represented here:


It's one game sure, but it's time to actually start analyzing Jackson's improved play in the pocket and stop pushing him out of a future NFL QB discussion. Jackson just has to continue to improve upon his pocket passing and once he does, you mix that generational speed and quickness and he could be a serious threat similar to a Michael Vick at the next level.


Other QB Storylines:


- USC QB Sam Darnold had an up-and-down season debut. Going to need receivers other than Deontay Burnett to step up.


- UCLA QB Josh Rosen put himself in prime position to start off the year as QB1 on many people's board. However, I need to see more. He was phenomenal in the second half, orchestrating a 35-point comeback, but there is still some bad that came along with it. Including one of the touchdowns he threw that went through the defender's hands.


- Wyoming QB Josh Allen showed off extreme raw talent. Mainly the fact that he's still extremely raw, but don't write him off for the rest of the season.


- Washington QB Jake Browning is the starting QB on a good football team, but I'm not sold on his ability to survey the field and feel pressure coming in the pocket. Need to see much more out of him, he's a likely day three pick as it stands.


- Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield made some risky throws, but overall it was a great performance for him in a snoozer versus UTEP. Excited to see Mayfield against the more impressive competition in the Big 12.


- Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph looked superb albeit against a lesser talented team, but superb nonetheless. Even with nothing out of top WR prospect James Washington on the day. He showed his ability to spread the ball out and find other receivers.


- Washington State QB Luke Falk looked as comfortable as ever this week and as my number two QB in this class he is going to need to carry this momentum through bigger opponents than Montana State.


- USF's QB Quinton Flowers & Auburn's transfer QB Jarrett Stidham are intriguing, but still have their kinks. They definitely need to show me more, but I'm intrigued.


- Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush has a chance to be real good. He's our friend Connor Rogers' sleeper. Definitely has a long way to go, but he was impressive in his first start.


Saquon Barkley is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson

It might be crazy to say this after week one, but even after the Rose Bowl last year versus USC I had my thoughts that Saquon Barkley could be better than Leonard Fournette as a prospect. I love Fournette and had an astronomical grade on him this past draft, but Barkley is quicker, faster, maybe not stronger, but he poses a threat based off the fact he has all of the tools and recognition in the run game. Barkley's home run ability is undeniable and we saw that in his bundle of runs against Akron. Barkley is not just a great running back, but he offers so much as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Make no mistake everything you have heard about Barkley is spot on and he could be even better than we thought. The Downtown Rams crew here approves that Barkley is the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson. An often redundant phrase, but it's the truth.


























Other RB storylines:


- Not sure if Ronald Jones II will stay around past this year at USC. In case you haven't noticed he is pretty good. He ran for three touchdowns on 8.8 yards per carry and looked explosive and powerful doing it. Top three round running back right off the bat.


- LSU RB Derrius Guice is an NFL-ready runner. What is crazy is how good he looks and the fact he's in my honest opinion, way behind Saquon Barkley. He's definitely RB2 for me and he's likely a first-round pick. He showed tremendous power and ability to run inside like the NFL is going to command out of Guice.


- Iowa RB Akrum Wadley stood out immediately in the game that everyone started having their attention on Josh Allen in. Wadley showed tremendous cutback ability and burst to the point of being the clear player of the game (aside from teammate Josey Jewell). His most notable moment was when he combined his cutback ability, burst and power to convert a third-and-long play. Definitely a name and a senior that is on my radar.


- Colorado RB Philip Lindsay broke onto the scene in my mind after a stellar performance on Friday night versus the Colorado State Rams. Definitely a name to keep in mind.


- Arizona State RB Kalen Ballage is as good as Stick to Football advertised. Ballage runs with pure power and is a total truck when he sees open field. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds he has a future in the NFL.


- Michigan State RB L.J. Scott struggled big time, but it's early and I still believe he can bounce back moving forward. One bad game does not have me hitting the panic button just yet.


- Notre Dame RB Josh Adams was impressive. Adams headlines an impressive backfield this season and has some explosion to boot. Definitely a player that is on my radar and one of the fun players to watch that may have put Notre Dame back on the map again.


Equanimeous St. Brown might be the top wide receiver in this class already

Notre Dame as I just mentioned is back on the map. They may have some serious offensive talent, but no one excites me as much as Equanimeous St. Brown. St. Brown offers a gigantic frame standing at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, he could add some more weight, but for now he looks really good playing at that weight. St. Brown showed off great speed, athleticism, hands and of course his size. St. Brown is honestly one of the more freaky prospects I've seen in awhile. He's not quite as big, but it makes you wonder if we are looking at someone as talented as Calvin Johnson.


St. Brown in my opinion is actually going to pass Courtland Sutton on my list of top receivers. I love Sutton, but I think St. Brown offers the hands and extreme route running ability that Sutton needs to improve upon. This is definitely the one player and likely a team I will be tuning in to watch every Saturday.


Other WR storylines

- Deontay Burnett gave USC QB Sam Darnold a serious number one weapon. Burnett has shown immense growth already in his junior season and is likely going to be a day one or day two player after the season. Burnett is physical and has the speed to find the extra yards after the catch.


- Calvin Ridley is going to follow the list of great Alabama wide receivers after this season. Ridley offers extreme deep ball threat and solid hands. He has a chance to be a first-round pick this season and a star WR at the next level.


- SMU WR Courtland Sutton is one of my favorite wide receivers, but my issue after his game this week was the fact he only logged two catches for 22 yards. Stephen F. Austin is not a powerhouse and Sutton should have had his way with


- Oklahoma State star WR James Washington was non-existent as previously mentioned above. It makes you question how consistent he will be at the next level.


- Ohio State WR Parris Campbell looks like a possible late first-round prospect early on in the season.


- Austin Pettis' cousin Dante Pettis has an NFL future at not only WR, but as a punt returner. He has been a huge playmaker for Washington. He really opened up my eyes to his play last year, but this year could be even more of a playmaker.


Josey Jewell put himself in the scouting eye and looks like a future NFL starter at outside linebacker

Iowa LB Josey Jewell looked even better than teammate Akrum Wadley on Saturday. I came away extremely impressed with his quickness, instincts and the mean streak you see when he puts a little something extra on each hit. Jewell right not is a day two pick for me, but if he continues this pace consistently there is a good chance he could be a late day one pick.


Jewell is a tackling machine that has the ability to not only finish his tackle, but he also has the instincts to be a serious player at the next level.


Dorance Armstrong is my top EDGE rusher not named Arden Key

Kansas EDGE rusher Dorance Armstrong is an unrelenting force as a pass rusher. In his first game of the 2017 campaign Armstrong was consistently pressuring the quarterback showing improvisation, explosion and overall football awareness. He is a problem for any offensive lineman, I have been an obvious fan of his because of my liking of the Kansas Jayhawks, but now he's on the national radar leaving draft experts like Matt Miller to call him a top 25 pick in next year's draft.


Minkah Fitzpatrick can do-it-all and has a little Jalen Ramsey in his game

The defensive back from Alabama looks as advertised early on. I had him as my top CB, but it looks like he is going to play safety too. This kid gives his future NFL team a versatile swiss army knife. As someone who can pass rush as an excellent blitzing cornerback/safety, someone that can dissect the play early on and flashes ball hawk and game-breaking ability. Fitzpatrick is a guaranteed first-round pick.


Derwin James is a phenom and is a future top five pick

After coming back from a serious knee injury last season, Florida State safety Derwin James looks primed to be the top dog at the safety position. James offers superior speed, range and ball tracking ability. However, that's just the tip of the ice berg. Whoever drafts James in the 2018 draft will be getting a player that will lay the wood. A total package of a safety that can cover, deliver punishing blows as a hard-hitter and be a leader on his defense? Sign me up.



Who stood out to you this weekend? Who are your players that I did not mention? Let me know!

If Peter King had his way, it would be Patriots vs. Patriots in the Super Bowl every season due to his massive man-crush on that team.



These are excerpts. To read the whole article click the link below.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/04/super-bowl-52-pick-patriots-seahawks-nfl-roster-cuts-trades-mmqb

Monday Morning QB: Roster Cuts, Surprising Trades and a Super Bowl 52 Prediction
By Peter King


ADAM GLANZMAN/GETTY IMAGES

I’m not saying New England and Seattle are smarter than everyone else in the NFL. Time will tell if they’ve made the right moves after each of them made a league-high five pre-cutdown trades in the NFL, on a weekend when more than 1,100 players got cut/traded/waived, the biggest transaction period in NFL history.

I am picking a New England-Seattle Super Bowl. The weekend put the exclamation point on that. But this weekend wasn’t the end of it.

“It never stops,” Seattle GM John Schneider said four minutes before stepping into a 6 p.m. Pacific Time meeting Saturday to see which of the 1,100 players on the street the Seahawks might be interest in claiming or bidding for. “This is a non-stop building of the roster now. We’re not smarter than anyone else—I can guarantee you that—so we’re just going to keep working.”

Briefly, I am picking a Super Bowl 49 rematch because—though each team has flaws—I like the quarterbacks, I like each coaches’ imagination, I like the offensive weapons (even the new and strange weaponry in New England), and I like the Seattle defense. A lot.

The acquisition of three-technique defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson by Seattle on Friday clinched it for me; I look at a Michael Bennett/Richardson/Jarran Reed/Cliff Avril front, with Frank Clark the nickel rusher or more, as the best in the NFC. Just about unblockable.

With the NFL’s 98th season starting Thursday in Foxboro (Chiefs at Patriots), the unprecedented roster churn less than a week before puts significant pressure on the coaching side and the player-acquisition side to fold in new players quickly. The Patriots and Seahawks, under Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, have track records of getting new players up to speed quickly.

They’ll have to, with Week 1 challenges for New England from Kansas City’s pass-rush and its excellent special teams, and for Seattle from Green Bay’s passing game. But it’s going to be a competitive and typically mysterious season, and if you’d predict a Steelers-Giants Super Bowl, or Chiefs-Falcons, or Raiders-Packers, that’s no worse than my pick.

Let’s start with the weekend, and the most stunning trade, and then I’ll get to the two teams that fascinate me the most entering the NFL’s 98th season.

* * *

It was a text message from New England at 7 p.m. Friday that started the trade that, when it was complete at midday Saturday, knocked people off their beach chairs on this Labor Day weekend. On Friday evening, a Patriots operative texted the Colts and asked, and I am paraphrasing: Any interest in Jacoby Brissett for Phillip Dorsett?

In the previous five pre-cutdown periods, there was an average of 10.2 trades per year across the NFL. This year, there were 25. “There was a lot of trolling, because there were going to be so many players out there,” said one AFC GM, who was active in the week leading up to the Saturday 4 p.m. ET cut deadline. “There was a lot of, ‘Any interest in this guy? He’s not gonna get to you on the waiver claim system. You’re too low.’”

In other words, if a young player, a rookie or impressive undrafted free agent was cut and hit the market, a team with a low waiver priority (a high-finishing team in 2016) would likely get undercut for the guy. That was a propellant for deals like the Patriots dealing a sixth-rounder for Cincinnati special-teams ace Marquis Flowers.

But that doesn’t account for what the Patriots did with the Colts in the stunning trade of the weekend. There was not a whisper of a rumor that the Pats would deal their No. 3 (but rising prospect) quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, this weekend, particularly with the absolutely unknown QB situation the Patriots have in 40-year-old Tom Brady and looming 2018 free agent Jimmy Garoppolo ahead of Brissett on the depth chart.

And though Indy had talked to teams (Rams, Patriots, several others) this summer about trading the underachieving Dorsett—two years, 51 catches since taken as the 29th overall pick in 2015—most around the league thought the Colts would get a mid-round pick, or a pick plus a swap of higher picks.


GETTY IMAGES (2)

So after the Patriots reached out, the Colts did their due diligence, watching tape of Brissett, especially liking his poise against a hard Houston rush in a September 2016 start. By noon Saturday the Colts had decided to do the deal. Interesting, really, to see how quickly deals developed on this weekend: When Indy staffers were at dinner Friday, they had no thought of doing anything significant at the quarterback position.

By lunch Saturday they had upgraded their backup quarterback position—significantly, they thought. Brissett will be an upgrade over Scott Tolzien, who still will likely play at least the opener next week while incumbent Andrew Luck continues to heal from offseason shoulder surgery. The Colts did not make this trade out of a fear for Luck’s health. They did it to get a three-year solid backup/developmental quarterback at a manageable average salary of $735,000 through the end of 2019.

Dorsett is undervalued now. Brissett had a good two-year run in the Patriots’ system, and New England probably maximized his value in part by his four-TD preseason game Thursday night. Trading Brissett is risky, but the way New England looked at it, I’m sure, is they’ll worry about the quarterback of the future in 2018, not now. Now is time to maximize a malleable receiver group. “If you want to get something, you’ve got to give up something,” Bill Belichick said Sunday.

A week before the season, New England found itself suddenly in big trouble on special teams with arguably the best kicking-game units in football, Kansas City’s, coming to Foxboro this week. Thus the trades for special-teams aces Marquis Flowers and Johnson Bademosi before final cuts.

I don’t expect Dorsett, who is not a good returner, to be in play as a punt-returner; if he plays Thursday night, I expect it to be in the regular offense, and I expect him to be used exclusively as a receiver this season.

What the Patriots have done on offense since the end of the season, even with the ACL tear suffered by reliable Julian Edelman, is bolster their capacity to play positionless football. This is probably the fastest receiver group Belichick has ever coached. Dorsett and Brandin Cooks, both sub-4.4 guys in the 40-yard dash, could line up wide, stretch the field and open up the intermediate areas like never before.

Chris Hogan is a 4.45 guy and figures to be in the slot with Danny Amendola a lot. I doubt Rex Burkhead, who is capable of playing the slot, will play much if at all there; I figure he’s going to be a versatile presence in the backfield only. Rob Gronkowski could be more of a move player than he has been, now that solid blocking tight end Dwayne Allen is in the house—we’ll see.

New England has the ability to be so much different on offense than the explosive team that put up 34, 36 and 34 points, respectively, on three postseason foes. Who knows what they’ll do. This is a team that has the potential to be much better on offense later in the season than in September.

And I take you back to my conversation with Brady in February to explain why. I marveled at the precision of the timing routes to first-year Patriots Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell at crucial times in the Super Bowl, and this is what Brady said: “That's a lot of throws. That's 111 practices that we had. That's however many games. Films, meetings. It's got to be like clockwork. You're throwing it to a spot, he's turning, those are the ones the DBs have been covering all year too. It took great execution.”

Cooks, Dorsett, Burkhead. Allen, Mike Gillislee. When I think of folding in so many new guys to the New England offense, I think of 111 practices. It could take a while before it all fits together. The Patriots’ could change more than any offense in football between today and December. That’s not a bad thing.

* * *

MORE CUTDOWN WEEKEND THOUGHTS

• On the Sheldon Richardson trade. (Richardson and a seventh-round pick from the Jets to Seattle for wideout Jermaine Kearse and a second-round pick.) Good for both teams. Might be great for Seattle. The Seahawks plan to try hard to sign Richardson beyond this year, and it’ll cost quite a bit; Richardson will be supremely motivated to play great in Seattle.

Next March, at 28, could be the last chance he’ll have to do a mega-deal in the NFL. The Jets can use the low second-round pick they’ll get for a player or as ammo to help them move up for their quarterback of the future next April. And Kearse is a good place-holder with a great worker-bee rep.

• The Seattle pre-cutdown haul. Six trades, with the biggest chip dealt being their second-round pick in 2018. When the picks that flew back and forth cancel out, Seattle might have gotten marginally better on the offensive line (Matt Tobin from the Eagles, Isaiah Battle from the Chiefs), but Richardson is the big key, particularly with the future of the rookie the organization loved, three-technique tackle Malik McDowell, in doubt after an ATV accident.

One thing that GM John Schneider does with his scouting staff is stress that, yes, he knows the offensive line needs help. But Anthony Muñoz is not walking through that door, so let’s not cry about it. Let’s find bodies better than the bodies we have.

• Brock Osweiler’s a Bronco. John Elway wanted to sign Osweiler as Denver’s quarterback of the future in March 2016 for about $16 million a year. He signed him Saturday night for 4.8 percent of that. But Osweiler’s better suited as a third-stringer or backup now; his accuracy is not NFL-effective. Elway made it clear Osweiler will be the backup to Trevor Siemian until Paxton Lynch returns from a shoulder injury in about a month.

After that? That’s in Siemian’s hands. If he plays well in the first month, the Broncos may be inclined to cut Osweiler and use the roster spot on another position of need. If not, Osweiler could have an on-field second act in Denver. Man, how weird it’s going to feel for Osweiler this week, back in that locker room after he made it clear he was happy to leave there 18 months ago.

• Dot dot dot … I like Sammie Coates in Cleveland—a big, imposing receiver who got trumped by Martavis Bryant’s return. Coates and Kasen Williams (waiver claim from Seattle) are intriguing weekend catches for the Browns … One of my favorite waiver claims: running back Alex Collins, by Baltimore. The Ravens’ backfield is the land of opportunity, and Collins runs hard … Like the T.J. Ward signing by the Bucs. Good leader, hard hitter.

Julio Jones will know where he is on downfield throws, to be sure … The Eagles’ offensive line got better with the one-year extension for Chance Warmack, who’s having a good second act with the Eagles after flopping in Tennessee … Interesting the Texans choose to go with Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson and no number three quarterback—though I’m sure Brandon Weeden will keep his phone handy for a call if Savage goes down … And the Niners kept only two quarterbacks, with Iowa rookie C.J. Beathard, camp star, being number two.

* * *

Ezekiel Elliott Case: There Are No Winners

RODGER MALLISON/FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/TNS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Whatever happens Wednesday—by which time the league should hear the results of the Ezekiel Elliott appeal of his six-game suspension for abusing girlfriend Tiffany Thompson in 2016, and by which time we should know if a Texas court will grant Elliott a restraining order so he can play Sunday against the Giants—both Elliott and the NFL will not look good after this case.

We know now Elliott admitted having rough sex with girlfriend Tiffany Thompson, admitted using illicit drugs (“in college,” was his proviso), could not stay away from a relationship with a woman he says got pregnant by him on purpose (the woman who alleges his drug use included “doing a bunch of coke”), and says he had sex with a woman (not Tiffany Thompson) whose breasts he exposed in public.

We know now the NFL, which should have learned from prior errors in sex-abuse investigations, did not allow the investigator—who interviewed Thompson six times and reportedly had problems with her credibility—to report her findings directly to commissioner Roger Goodell. In fact, Goodell should have demanded to speak with lead investigator Kia Roberts. Her findings were reported to Goodell, but not personally by Roberts.

She should have been allowed to tell him exactly what her concerns were, since she was the investigator who would have the most informed opinion on Thompson’s credibility. The NFL must at all costs in cases of abuse do everything right. Everything. Because the league knows the microscope of appeal will delve thoroughly into every aspect of their case.

And the aspect of Roberts knowing the accused better than anyone in the league and not conversing with Goodell about that is a blatant error, even if the chain of command in this case does not require Roberts to report to Goodell.

I don’t know if Elliott is guilty, or worthy of a six-game ban. But from reading the reports of this case, I sincerely hope the Cowboys do not simply fight for his freedom so he’ll be able to play the maximum number of football games this year. This guy needs to grow up. He needs to go to the Dak Prescott school of maturity. I am reminded of my conversation with coach Jason Garrett in training camp, when Garrett told me of his offseason admonitions to Elliott.

“I’ve had a number of talks with him,” Garrett said. “I’ve asked him, ‘What do you want to be?’ My point to him is, ‘If you maximize your abilities, you night be able to make $200 million off the field, like LeBron. Or you could make a million.’ I mean, say you’re AT&T, or you’re Pepsi. You’re looking for a spokesman for your product. What would you do right now? You’d probably say if you’re one of those companies, ‘Oh, we’ll go with Dak. Or we’ll go with Jordan Spieth.’ But that’s in his control.”

It’s not just about the money. It’s about Elliot’s career, and about his life.

For now, it’s also about his fate. Kia Roberts raises enough doubts about the case, and the veracity of Thompson’s testimony, that unless the metadata is crystal clear that Elliott abused Thompson, a six-game suspension seems excessive. That’s why the evidence, and the forensic examination of the data, is so vital in this case. And the appeals officer in the case, Harold Henderson, has to determine in very short order whether the metadata can be trusted. And if he thinks it can, then Elliott will have to convince a Texas judge the data is flawed—and quickly.

It’s hard for me to imagine Henderson erasing the suspension. But the sheer volume of conflicting stories between Elliott and Thompson make it realistic to think Henderson could knock the suspension down a couple of games. And though you never know what could happen in a court of law, it's also hard to believe Elliott could win this case on its merits. But there’s so much conflicting evidence in this case that any predictions you make on it are done at your own peril.

* * *

Stats of the Week: Cleveland Browns Continue to Hoard NFL Draft Picks


NICK CAMMETT/DIAMOND IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

Before we get to the stats of the week, let me preface by saying I have come to (semi-) praise the Browns, not bury them. That is because of the man at the top, Jimmy Haslam, who along with co-owner and wife, Dee Haslam, has practiced patience through some more lean times in the past year and a half.

I mean, they haven’t fired a major player in the football hierarchy for a whole 20 months, and reports are that coach Hue Jackson and football architects Sashi Brown, Andrew Berry and MLB alum Paul DePodesta are getting along pretty well in making the football calls.

Jenny Vrentas and I met with Jimmy and Dee Haslam in Cleveland in August, and I asked them what was the most important lesson they’d learned. Dee Haslam brought up something she’d heard the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, say: “Hire for where you want to be, not for where you are.”

Jimmy Haslam said about the challenges of the NFL versus the truck stop business: “It’s a lot harder than you think. Having been in business and having done at least okay there, to come into the NFL and think that’s necessarily going to transfer to running a pro sports franchise, it doesn’t work that way. The important thing is to get the right people in place, and … leave them there for a long time. And, in this league, you gotta have a quarterback.

“The group is working very well together. We have very healthy debate. If you and I went to dinner, I would predict we would have a lot of good and vigorous debate on subjects, which is good. If we agree on everything, there’s something wrong. We’ve put together a diverse group of skill sets—smart, work hard, bring a lot to the organization. This year, I don’t think we’ll be 15-1, but we’ll be better. We spend time talking about small victories.”

My biggest problem with the people who run the Browns—and it surfaced again last week with the cutting of Joe Haden—is they continue to build for the future by again and again letting go of good players. Not saying Haden was great (he’s fallen off from his two-time Pro Bowl status), and not saying he was worth his scheduled $11 million a year over the next three seasons. But the list of good players sent away is long, and these are not cancers—they’re good football players.

Taylor Gabriel, Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz, Terrelle Pryor, Tashaun Gipson, Andy Lee since New Year’s Day 2016 … players who would contribute to a winning team; Gabriel, Mack and Schwartz were key guys in the NFL playoffs last January. One contributing player was acquired Saturday, when the Browns got the better end of a deal, trading a sixth-round 2018 pick to Pittsburgh for a 2015 third-round receiver from Auburn, Sammie Coates, plus Pittsburgh’s seventh-round pick in 2019.

Part of the constant churn of the roster comes from the constant churn of club architects. The Browns have employed six GMs since 2008. Haslam’s most significant words in this interview: get the right people in place and leave them there for a long time. I’m hoping for the sake of Browns fans and the sheer misery of nine straight losing seasons (4-28 the past two years) that Sashi Brown gets the significant team-building time Ray Farmer and Mike Lombardi and Tom Heckert and George Kokinis and Phil Savage didn’t.

Now for the Stats of the Week.

I

In the eight drafts between 2008 and 2015, Cleveland had five general managers and five head coaches who made 10 first-round draft choices.

Nine of those ten first-round picks, who would now be between 24 and 33 and theoretically be in the prime of their careers, forming the backbone of a team for the long haul, are gone: Alex Mack, Joe Haden, Phil Taylor, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Barkevious Mingo, Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manziel and Cam Erving.

One, defensive tackle Danny Shelton, a 2015 pick, is still on the team.

II

The Browns are drafting enough players over a 37-month period to field a full game-day roster, and have two players left over. The Browns’ draft haul, annually, from 2015 to 2018:

Year -Total Picks
2015- 12
2016 -14
2017- 10
2018 -(As of Sept. 3) 12

Total: 48 (after the Sammie Coates acquisition on Saturday). Average NFL team’s picks over those four seasons: 32. (Teams get seven draft choices per season, and in the NFL, another 32 picks per year, approximately, are awarded as compensatory picks for teams that lose monied free agents.)

III

Assume the Texans finish with a better 2017 record than the Browns, and this will be true, if nothing changes about the 2018 draft between now and late April next year:

Cleveland will pick six players before Houston picks one.

IV

None of the eight quarterbacks and wide receivers on Cleveland’s roster as of this morning was on the roster in March 2016.

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“I’m kind of chasing him around. You know, like chasing a girl in high school.”

—Rams coach Sean McVay, as the team continues to deal with the holdout of its best player, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who wants to be the highest-paid defensive player in football.

* * *

POD PEOPLE

This week: a special podcast with tributes to Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, as well as a conversation with LeBeau. The Hall of Fame former Detroit defensive back turns 80 on Saturday, a day before he’ll become the first 80-year-old coordinator in NFL history.

• LeBeau on the best wideout he ever covered: “Paul Warfield was as good as any of them … I covered Bob Hayes, who was a great player and an Olympic 100-meter champion. When he ran, half the stadium shook because he was so powerful. As a guy trying to run with him, you just had to watch and feel, and you knew when he was opening up, and you knew damn well you better give him some room.

But Paul, you couldn't do that with him, because if you took your eye off him for a second, he was already five yards somewhere else and there was never any physical exertion, seemingly, that this guy is really trying to run hard. Paul was like Fred Astaire in football cleats, man.”

• LeBeau, who imported the Zone Blitz to the NFL in 1984, on how he found it: “I was … out on a scouting mission for the Bengals in the early ’80s … and I was probably only talking to [LSU assistant coach] Bill Arnsparger for 15 minutes, but I admired what he had done as a defensive coach and some of the various movement patterns that he had started, and I'll never forget this, but he said, ‘All I was looking for was a safer way to create pressure.’

And that sentence was the atom that split for me, because I was going to Texas and I had an airplane flight and I got the gal to give me a supply of cocktail napkins and I started drawing right away on a safer concept of pressure. Blitzes up to that time were all what we call zero coverage, where everybody had a guy and you overloaded the protection by sending an extra guy …

I thought, Wouldn't it be nice to be able to get that pressure at least from one half of the defense and still keep a free safety where if something went wrong, he could tackle the guy and we could play the next down? I'm not sure that's what Bill meant, but that's how it focused into my mind right away.”

• LeBeau on calling plays at 80: “I never think about it. I'm just a football coach and I'm going to try to do my job. I never think of stuff like that. The secret for being able to work this long is I have had some wonderfully good players. I could name a ton of them that have played well for me and kept me working. I have great genes. My mom was 96, my dad was 88, my dad's sisters all went way into their 90s. LeBeaus are hard to get off the planet.”

* * *

Things I Think I Think

1. I think the Su’a Cravens story, is, as one person close to the Washington hierarchy said Sunday, “just plain weird.” But also, as people begin to dig deeper on it, not as much of a shock as you’d think at first glance. Cravens, drafted at age 20 by Washington out of USC in the second round of the 2016 draft, told the organization Sunday morning he planned to retire.

The Washington Post reported club president Bruce Allen talked him out of it, and the team placed him on the exempt list, which will allow him one month to decide whether he’ll come back to football. Still, this was the projected starting strong safety, walking into the office of the team president seven days before the opening game of the season, saying he was retiring. A stunner to the public, to be sure.

But as our Albert Breer reported in March, some teammates were skeptical that Cravens, who missed the final three games of last year with a biceps injury, was injured to the point that he couldn’t play. And his absence was a factor (one of many) in the team losing to the Giants in Week 17 and missing out on the playoffs.

So even if Cravens chooses to come back to football, it’s fair to wonder how he would be received in the locker room by his teammates, some of whom may feel Cravens picked an inopportune time to quit.

In a revealing story about the Cravens departure Sunday, Mike Jones of the Postreported an eerie detail about how he told those in his defensive backfield group: “Saturday night, Cravens informed his fellow defensive backs in a group text message that he was retiring, a second person familiar with the situation said. Cravens, in the group message, praised each of his teammates for their skills and expressed gratitude for them and their role in his life.

He said that he had enjoyed playing with them, but was retiring on Sunday and ended the text message with, ‘Peace out,’ and then removed himself from the group chat. Members of the group chat were both shocked and angered by Cravens’s decision, players said. Some felt like in a sense, Cravens had let them down.” Good reporting by Jones … and in the culture of a locker room, it explains how it could be difficult if Cravens wants to come back to the team a month from now.

2. I think you can’t underestimate the kind of damage a player quite important to the welfare of a team can do by walking away after all the hay is in the barn preparing for a game. I don’t know if the Washington defense had been given the game plan yet for Philadelphia (usually that happens on Wednesday morning before a Sunday game, but with the last preseason game having been played on Thursday, the defensive coaches surely had most of the plan already prepared), but defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was surely planning for Cravens—a physical run-support player at 6-1 and 222 pounds—to be a major part of the plan.

3. I think the Jets can say whatever they want. Every action since the end of 2014—shedding Sheldon Richardson, Brandon Marshall, David Harris, Eric Decker, Breno Giacomini, the diminished Darrelle Revis and Nick Mangold, and adding a second-round pick in 2018—says this team is all about 2018 and ’19, with 2017 being only a bridge to happier days. They hope.

4. I think the Vikings punctured one of the feel-good stories from the 2016 draft. You remember wide receiver Moritz Boehringer, the German kid who blew away a U.S. pro dayprior to the draft and got lots of dratniks fired up about him … and he was one of the Vikings’ cuts over the weekend. Turns out he just didn’t make the adjustment to the pro game in terms of receiving mechanics and instincts.

5. I think the best response to the recent news about the release of the Paul Zimmerman book, “Dr. Z: The Lost Memoirs of an Irreverent Football Writer,” came from an old journalism friend of his and fellow Hall of Fame voter, Frank Cooney from San Francisco. I’ll share some of it: “Paul and I shared a lot of similar perspectives, and probably disagreed on just as many others. We each saw football a bit differently than our journalistic brethren, who he once referenced as ‘semi-pro,’ which I thought was hilarious.

We both played minor league football and cherish those memories and the perspective offered by the experience. We both love the game, our game, and passionately care about preserving the realities of history, despite not always agreeing on those realities. Paul reduces an impassioned antagonist to a mere foil. But it was as much fun as it was frustrating. Paul was THE VOICE in our Hall of Fame selection meetings.

Paul: ‘Dave Casper is the greatest tight end ever to play in the NFL.’ Done.

Paul: ‘Howie Long re-invented how to play on the defensive line.’ Done.

Although he often beat me up in those meetings, I miss THE VOICE. I was lucky to be able to disagree and agree with him face to face from the middle 60s until we were prematurely robbed of his unique self expression. So, thanks for bringing back a flood of memories.”

My pleasure. You can find the book several ways: through Triumph Books, Amazon, IndieBound, or Barnes and Noble.

6. I think Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star-Tribunegot Adrian Peterson to talk some truth Sunday. There’s no way (and the Vikings know this) that Peterson was going to take his exile from Minnesota well, when the Vikings wouldn’t pay him his option-year salary with a cap cost of $18 million. Who could blame the Vikings with a 32-year-old running back?

I can’t think of one GM in the league who would have carried Peterson for that money, or anything close. But it has provided motivational fodder for Peterson this off-season, as he told Craig. The Vikings host New Orleans and Peterson in Week 1, and the Vikings are the host team for Super Bowl 52 as well.

“In my mind, we’re starting and ending the season in Minnesota,” Peterson told Craig. “Of course I want to stick it to them. I want to stick it to everyone we play. But going back to Minnesota, playing the Vikings? Yeah, I want to stick it to them.”

7. I think the one under-the-radar acquisition I loved over the weekend was the Giants dealing a low-round pick for Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell. New York gets a feisty and physical insurance policy at a vital position. Watch the Steelers practice, as I did one day in August, and Cockrell really stands out for his run-support and fearlessness. He'll come in handy at a position that always needs reinforcement during a 16-game season.

8. I think Dallas has the most interesting quarterback roster in football. Imagine 13 months ago if you’d told anyone with the Cowboys that the 2017 opening-day Dallas depth chart at quarterback would read: 1. Dak Prescott; 2. Cooper Rush. End. Just amazing how fast things change in the NFL. Rush, by the way, is a Central Michigan Chippewa who completed 32 of his last 36 passes in the preseason and made Kellen Moore instantly obsolete.

9. I think I’m glad we can be done with all speculation to the contrary. One weekend of college football tells us Josh Rosen is the top pick in the 2018 draft. At least that’s what Twitter informed me late last night/early this morning. Good to know. Kidding, sort of.

Hats off to Rosen for a ridiculous comeback performance (292 passing yards, four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter) to beat Texas A&M. Seven more months to determine who's going number one to the Jets. Or Browns. Or Niners. Or whichever team.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/246939/nfl-trades-are-up-but-does-it-mean-anything

The number of NFL trades are up, but does it mean anything?

During the past month, NFL general managers have been trading players and/or draft choices at a pace unmatched in recent memory. The deals have included former No. 1 draft picks and long snappers -- yes, plural. All but three of the 26 draft choices that exchanged hands were fifth-, sixth- or seventh-round picks.

What's going on here? Has the NFL embarked on a new era of next-level wheeling and dealing? Or are we overreacting to what history will judge as a bunch of relatively inconsequential moves?

A quick spin through a few NFL sources Sunday suggested a consensus more toward the latter. To be sure, there have been no NFL rule changes or policy tweaks that make trades more attractive. While the frequency was without recent precedent, the deals themselves might prove to be simply a different process -- more aggressive but at a greater cost -- to either address roster holes or give a once-promising player a second chance. It's also worth noting the heavy participation of recently hired general managers, who are either applying a new style or remaking their rosters in a hurry, or both.

Let's take a closer look at the numbers. As the ESPN Stats & Information chart shows, NFL teams have made 30 trades since Aug. 1 through late Sunday afternoon. That's already more trades than we saw between Aug. 1 and the first game of the regular season in each of the previous nine years. The average during that period was 13.3 trades.

A healthy portion of this year's action has been generated by new general managers for the Buffalo Bills(Brandon Beane), Indianapolis Colts(Chris Ballard) and San Francisco 49ers (John Lynch). Beane has been especially aggressive, dumping receiver Sammy Watkins, linebacker Reggie Ragland and quarterback Cardale Jones -- all draft picks of predecessor Doug Whaley -- for pennies on the dollar.

But the activity has not been limited only to newcomers. Seattle Seahawksgeneral manager John Schneider has been involved in seven deals, by my count, including the blockbuster of the summer: receiver Jermaine Kearse and two draft picks to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and one draft pick. In total, the Seahawks have acquired four players and four draft picks in exchange for one player and four draft picks.

Similarly, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick -- the dean of all NFL decision-makers -- has made five deals.

Of course, teams have always tried to trade players before releasing or waiving them. So the biggest question to ask here is this: Why are teams giving up draft choices, albeit low-round picks in most cases, for players they could probably have acquired on the open market if they were patient?

In some cases, a general manager might feel that the available player is either better or better in his system than the profile of a player he might draft if he holds on to the pick. He might also consider the pick a small price to avoid a bidding war or even a free-agent courtship should he wait for an eventual release.

But let's be clear. These trades, as much fun as they are, have far from shaken the NFL landscape. You can't look at a group of moves that includes one second-round pick, two in the fourth and then 23 in the fifth round and later and consider them paradigm-shifting. Let's check back at the end of the season, when we can see the sum of contributions from the players involved, before getting too excited.

Hello guys - how to start.. right now i am on holiday in San Francisco because my mother used to live here about 25 years ago. During the last couple of nights the idea of renting a car and not only making this my first US trip but the first time seeing my Rams live grew in me - to bad i left my SJ39 jersey at home.
So i wanted to ask you locals for some help:
Should i buy tickets online via the official rams site or is there any better way, maybe even buy them before the game?
Whats about parking - is there a possibility to park (cheap ) in LA and go to the stadium with public transport?
if you would have about 32 hours in LA (planing to arrive saturday evening/afternoon) what would you do - especially on weekends. (i saw ucla and usc are playing - but want the rams to be my "first time" at the coliseum ).
And are there places you should generally avoid as an european tourist with the clueless look on his sunburned face?
Thank you very much for your help - can't tell you how excited i am :yay::yay::yay:



@ mods: if this thread is in the wrong category feel free to move it - i´m sorry.

I found this design on the internet courtesy of Frank151.com. I like the colors on his helmet design. It's a different shade of blue that pops, but it looks good. The white trim on the outside of the yellow/mustard horns is a good mix of old and new colors, and gives more options with the jersey and pants.

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Press Conference – September 2, 2017

Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Sean-McVay-Press-Conference-9-2/b503fb5e-3daf-44ce-baf0-f4e98f19de03


(On the trade for Redskins TE Derek Carrier)
“Derek is a great guy. He brings some versatility to the position. He’s familiar with a lot of the verbiage, the terminology – he can play the ‘F’ position, he can play ‘Y’ in-line. So he can do a lot of things that will complement that group. Good athlete – he will be able to contribute for (special teams coordinator John Fassel) ‘Bones’. When you lose a (TE) Temarrick Hemingway, who was going to be a big part of what we wanted to do, (Carrier) was a guy that we had potentially targeted knowing the depth that the Redskins had at that position. We feel fortunate to be able to acquire Derek. He is going to be a big help to us.”

(On if there is an update on DT Aaron Donald)
“It’s the same. The dialogue’s been good and it’s where we kind of left it off the last time that we discussed that.”

(On if he is expecting Donald at practice on Monday)
“Like I said, we’re in a situation right now where the dialogue is ongoing. I still remain very optimistic. I’m always going to maintain that positive approach and that’s where we’re at. I know that our guys are working relentlessly to try to come to this solution and like we said, the level of urgency is certainly raised as we get closer and closer to our first regular season game. But, right now there is no update – kind of still where we’re at and the dialogue is back and forth with us and Aaron’s representation.”

(On how difficult cut day can be and how the process was his first time as a head coach)
“Yeah, I felt really good about just the way that we were able to come to decisions on our entire team, both with our offensive and defensive staffs, with (GM) Les (Snead) and his staff. I feel like the communication on all levels has been very good where we’ve kind of all been on the same page. Certainly the decisions weren’t easy, but I feel like because you have some many people that are good at what they do, are able to give their insight with their previous experience, it makes it as seamless as possible. But, with regards to some of those decisions in dealing with a lot of these players, it’s tough. I couldn’t say enough about just what a class act all the guys that we dealt with where you’re delivering unfortunate information, but what a joy these guys have been to be around – I speak for all of our coaches when I say that. I think it’s a representation of the type of guys that we have in this building, both that are still here and guys that were here. It was a special group of 90 men. I thank them for what they did and it was a great opportunity to be able to work with those guys. Unfortunately, with a lot of them we had to move in different directions and then a handful of them we’ll bring back to the practice squad, but it’s never fun. I think certainly being in this role for the first time where you’re kind of the first one delivering that information, it definitely has a different feeling to it. But, as long as you deal with these guys openly and honestly and when you’re dealing with good people like we were fortunate enough to do – an unfortunate and a tough day went as well as it could of I guess is the best way to put it.”

(On if he anticipates any changes with the roster between now and Monday)
“Yeah, that’s a good question. I think really when you look at it, as we continue to get all the guys that have been waived in and Les and his staff have done a nice job kind of sorting through those things. We’ve had an eye on a handful of guys that could be subject to being released that might potentially upgrade us. We haven’t gone through that. Those are discussions that we’ll have after this and kind of watching that waiver wire and see how things shape up. Then when everything kind of gets finalized tomorrow, we’ll be able to make the decisions if we stick with the guys we do have or if we decide to kind of make some swaps. You want to be smart about it, especially kind of being mindful of having that fifth spot where you’re at in the claim order where you might be able to potentially upgrade if we feel like a guy does give us that upgrade spot at one of those positions that we’re looking at.”

(On if offensive line is a position that can potentially be upgraded)
“Really you’re looking at all positions or spots that you can potentially upgrade and it depends on who becomes available. With us right now, currently keeping eight guys on the O-line because (T) Darrell (Williams) and (T) Andrew (Donnal) – Andrew is a guy that’s played both guard and tackle. I haven’t had a chance to evaluate a lot of him, but with (C) Austin Blythe being a center, I think we feel good about those eight right now. We’ll look at the waiver wire, but certainly it’s not a knock on the eight that we do have. Really, when you look at what Andrew does provide, he hasn’t been able to practice, but this is a guy that’s played all over the line. Darrell has done a nice job at tackle and then we feel good about what Austin has done at the center position.”

(On Donnal’s status)
“He was out there today. He was able to do some team work for the first time since the injury occurred. He’s a guy that it was tough because you’d like to see him out there and get acclimated and accustomed to a lot of the new techniques that we’re implementing, different than what they had done before. I feel like right when he was kind of hitting his stride at the end of the offseason program, you started to see him get comfortable with that and then unfortunately, the knee injury occurs right at the beginning of camp. But, Andrew is a guy that’s played a lot of football. A very smart player and that versatility is valuable, especially when you are talking about typically having seven guys active on game day and when you’ve got a guy that can fill a lot of needs they bring value to the team for sure.”

(On if CB Michael Jordan did not make the active roster because of the numbers at that position)
“I think so. I think really when you look at our secondary as a whole, both the corner and the safety position, it’s as deep a group as I’ve ever been around where you feel really good about the room from top to bottom. When you keep six safeties on the active roster and five corners, not to mention that when (CB) Troy Hill gets back you’re talking about potentially 12 DBs. But ‘Mike J’ is a guy that did a lot of good things. He got his hands on the ball, made some plays, closed a couple games out, but I think he’s a guy that can play in this league. I think it was more of a situation where we had such good depth at that positon and it became more of a numbers game, but I think Michael Jordan is definitely capable and I think he’ll get a shot somewhere.”

(On how the conversation went with TE Cory Harkey being released)
“Well, I think you guys know what a class act he is, what he’s meant to this organization. That was certainly a difficult discussion because of the type of player, the type of person he is, but like you guys would expect, what a class act, what a great human being. A good leader, kind of stands for all the right types of things in terms of what you’re looking for, for a guy to represent the organization the right way. That’s what he’s done over the last handful of years. He would still be on this team right now if it weren’t for the Derek Carrier trade where we were able to acquire Derek. So, it certainly wasn’t an easy discussion, but I wish nothing but the best for Cory and can’t say enough things about what he represents in terms of the toughness, the leadership, the character, all those good things that you want your players to embody, that’s what Cory Harkey is and that’s what he stands for. I think very highly of Cory.”

(On if he feels like he ever really got a chance to get a look at WR Nelson Spruce due to his injuries)
“It’s one of those situations when you talk to Nelson today, you say it’s unfortunate because he’s a good football player, he’s got great instincts, good, aggressive hands. Unfortunately, the injuries really kept him out of chances to really compete for a roster spot and it’s unfortunate. We’re hopeful that Nelson will get a spot and get a chance to compete somewhere else. We wish him nothing but the best, but again, that’s another position like you talk about the secondary with looking at some of the guys that we were able to acquire through free agency or a trade and then the two guys we added through the draft. We feel really good about the depth at the receiver positon. Just like at corner, you’re going to get (WR) Mike Thomas back after Week 4 and potentially some tough decisions to be made there, but we have six guys going into this season that you feel really good about where you have a chance to keep guys fresh because they’re interchangeable because you truly have confidence in all six of those guys if they’re targeted to be able to make the play.”

(On if he is committed to just going with QB Jared Goff and QB Sean Mannion and letting go of QB Dan Orlovsky)
“I think Dan – the value that Dan had for those guys especially being aware of how young Jared and Sean both are, I thought Dan was a great example of kind of providing a mentorship role for them. Being around some great players and then him having the experience that he’s had. I thought he was really helpful to those guys. Dan’s definitely a possible guy that we’ll bring back on this roster, so by no means does that mean that we couldn’t see him Week 2. I think very highly of Dan. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Dan from other people in the coaching world that have been with him and he certainly lived up to that reputation. He’s definitely a guy that could be a possibility for us to bring back in Week 2.”

(On what RB Justin Davis showed him to earn a spot on the active roster)
“I think, probably, the same things you guys noticed. He’s an explosive back that, I think he got better as the preseason progressed, really a conscientious player – was really impressed with just the maturity and growth in a short amount of time. I saw some things that improved in terms of his technique in the protection element. Obviously, when the ball’s in his hands and he puts his foot in the ground and decides to get vertical – you see an explosion and I think he’s a nice change-of-pace back. And when you look at really, I think (RB) Todd’s (Gurley) kind of that complete all-around back that can do a little bit of everything. You guys know how highly I think about Todd. Then I think (RB) Malcolm (Brown) is a nice guy that can kind of provide some carries in the first and second-down role. Then, really, when you look at what Justin does bring, if you’re looking for that change of pace back, very similar to the reason that we liked (RB) Lance Dunbar so much – that’s kind of what Justin has provided. We’re excited about Justin. We know that as a rookie some of the things that we’re going to ask him to do, it’ll be something that we’ll just take little steps at a time. Justin definitely earned his spot on this roster and we’ve been pleased with what he’s done throughout the preseason.”

(On if WR Tavon Austin will be ready for Week 1)
“He is, that’s the plan. Unless something changes, he’ll be our punt returner. He’s going to be a guy...not sure if you guys saw him moving around before the Green Bay game just getting a workout in. I asked him, “How he felt today? Yeah, I feel okay.’ I said, ‘Well if that’s how okay feels that’s great news for us, man.’ He looked pretty good. He looks healthy. He looks explosive and he looks like the Tavon Austin that we’re accustomed to seeing.”

(On how he feels about the defensive line outside of DTs Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers)
“I think (Defensive Line) coach (Bill) Johnson’s done a nice job developing some depth. I think when you really look at it – having those guys that you feel good about provides an opportunity to move guys around in a variety of roles based on the package that we’re playing. We’ll do some different things with our rush packages. When you’ve got guys that you feel like you can play, it allows them to be interchangeable and keep those guys fresh. We know what kind of special rusher (OLB) Robert Quinn is. You feel really good about (OLB) Connor Barwin. But what I think what’s been nice is you see the emergence of the (DT) Tanzel Smart. You know what ‘Lou’ (DT Louis Trinca-Pasat) brings inside as a solid player. I think (DE) Morgan Fox has done some good things and then bringing back (DT Tyrunn) Walker – all of those guys can do a little bit of everything. Like you already mentioned with ‘Brock’ (Michael Brockers) and I think the more guys that you can have that you feel like can fill a variety of roles – the fresher you can allow those guys to be where you’ve got a healthy rotation. That’s when those guys have a chance to be at their best.”

(On if he feels like this year was a strong draft class despite not having a first-round pick and considering so many made the final roster)
“I think (General Manager) Les (Snead) and his staff did a great job of kind of prioritizing that board and then allowing, when our coaches got involved in it, for us all to be on the same page and kind of come to a conclusion – especially with those guys early on. So far, we know that the season’s going to really give us a good idea of kind of where we’re at with those players. But from what we’ve seen with the offseason program going into training camp and the preseason – I think that there’s a lot of draft picks that we’re going to rely heavily on. I think you look at some of those guys especially offensively with the skill players that we drafted. (OLB) Samson’s (Ebukam) a guy that has flashed. And then you look at (OLB) Ejuan Price in the limited time that he’s had, you see why he was such a productive player at Pitt, (DT) Tanzel Smart. So, when you go back and you really look at it, you do feel good about what we were able to do through the draft and these are guys that we’re going to be counting on and looking forward to seeing these guys progress each and every day.”

(On what went into TE Johnny Mundt making the active roster)
“I think when you really look at it, John did a nice job the other night. He’s been a guy that…very smart, contentious player. I think he’s a guy that we’re really looking forward to developing. He’s a guy that…I don’t necessarily know how things will shape out, but when you do go get a (TE) Derek Carrier then it allows you to feel comfortable with that fourth tight end to go the route of where you’re going to be patient with a guy and allow him to develop, knowing that he had the ankle injury in the rookie minicamp – so he’s missed some time. But when he’s gotten out there and when you look at what he was able to do at Oregon, he’s got some ability. He’s got some talent – really contentious, smart. He has the ability to move around the formation a little bit. Then I think (Tight Ends Coach) Shane’s (Waldron) done a good job of getting him more comfortable playing in-line. It was good for John to make a couple plays the other night for his confidence. I think you see a little bit of flashes with him and he’s a guy that we’re looking forward to kind of just seeing how he progresses.”

(On if he expects most of his starters to practice this week)
“Yeah we are. Unless something changes, everybody’s going to be ready to go. That was kind of what we had out there today as well. So, with the exception of obviously (DT) Aaron (Donald) not being there, we had kind of all hands on deck and that was good. You know, you’ve got (LB Mark) Barron out there, you’ve got (OLB Robert) Quinn, (CB) Kayvon Webster is back and healthy. So, everybody that has missed some time was back out there and they did a nice job. It was good to see them move around.”

(On if Monday will be a full practice)
“It’ll be modified. I think what it is, is we want to be aware of using it to be able to get ahead on the Colts, but also want to be fresh. So, that when we do get into that normal game week preparation, because Tuesday will be a day off and then we’ll get right into our normal weekly rhythm that we’ll have throughout the course of the season. So, Monday will be a bonus day. I thought today was good for these guys to get out there, get a good sweat in, but really didn’t want to push it too much. We got some good competitive work. There’s a little bit of carryover kind of what we do offensively and defensively, where even when you’re going against each other, you’re seeing some similarities to what we’ll see from Indy offensively and defensively and it’s going to be a great challenge. We’re excited to get going and Monday will really represent the first day of true preparation for our team and for the Colts.”

(On if he is still hopeful that he will see Donald at practice on Monday)
“Oh yeah, I’m an optimistic guy. You know, I’m always going to take the positive approach, so nothing’s changed on my end. I know that with what I can do is try to help with that situation, I had some conversations with Aaron. Aaron’s a very special player to us and we want him here and we want him to be a part of this. I think with what these players have started to create, I think it would be special to have Aaron be a part of that, because of what we’ve talked about and some of the things that we want our players to represent and the way they go about their daily work. Everything that I’ve heard and in the short exposure that I’ve had to Aaron, he kind of personifies what we’re looking for. And I think the players have a huge amount of respect for him. We already know what the production that he’s had, that kind of speaks for itself. That’s why he’s an important part of what we’re trying to do. We’re going to try to come to a solution and a conclusion to this. I can’t tell you how happy I’ll be, hopefully, if I don’t have to answer any more of these questions about it (laughs).”

(On the tone of his conversations with Donald)
“I think the one thing that I would reiterate – (Executive Vice President of Football Operations/Chief Operating Officer) Kevin (Demoff), (General Manager) Les (Snead) and (Senior Assistant) Tony (Pastoors) have done a great job of kind of keeping me out of those discussions when it comes to the money and the specifics of it. And, Aaron and I’s discussions have been exclusive to you know, player/coach relationship types of things – what he’s missed out on, how much we can’t wait to get him back here. And Aaron loves football. He wants to be here. We respect their approach and where they’re at, their stance, kind of based on kind of what they want to get accomplished out of these things. But, with regards to mine and Aaron’s dialog, it’s been exclusively kind of player/coach football related stuff. And, that’s where I think it can be – that’s what you want it to be and that’s where I think it’s helpful and healthy for my role to be. That’s why you appreciate Les, Tony and Kevin taking that approach and kind of looking out. Let’s keep it about business with them and let them kind of get those things handled with the agents and you keep it about football with your players and that’s very helpful for me.”

(On who initiates those conversations with Donald)
“I’m kind of chasing him around like I’m chasing a girl in high school again right now (laughs). So, I reach out to Aaron, just like anything else. We’ve had a back-and-forth dialog. I’ve reached out to Aaron, but it’s kind of been a back-and-forth. He’s a guy that I enjoy talking to and I’ll enjoy it a lot more when I see him in person.”

(On if he thinks Donald will be ready to go once he gets back)
Yeah, well I think it’s going to be predicated on when he does get back. Aaron’s a special player. I know he’s taking good care of himself. Certainly there’s no substitute for actual practice and the stress that you get on your body when you’re putting pads on and the time in between plays. If there’s anybody that you feel like can try to mimic and emulate those things when he’s working out on his own, Aaron is one of those guys. But, we do definitely want to be aware of getting him back and being smart about it. While knowing that, if we do get it solved and come to a solution, he’s one of our best players – want to have him out there with his teammates, but not at the expense of not having a smart plan in place to where you rush him back and then it results in not having him for a couple weeks. So, hopefully those are things that we’ll have to figure out a plan sooner than later, but that’s definitely something based on when he comes back, we’ll have those discussions and that will involve (Director/Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott), (Strength and Conditioning coach) Ted (Rath), Aaron, our coaching staff and a lot of people involved in that conversation with how we feel like its best for our team and for him moving forward into the season.

(On if he is prepared for a scenario where Donald does not show up)
“Yeah. Certainly you have to. I think you always have to have those plans in place and I think that’s the one thing that you don’t want to have to do that, but I think what I would say that’s been such a breath of fresh air with our team and our players that have been here is, while they want to have Aaron back, they haven’t allowed it to be a distraction to what we’re trying to get done and guys are getting reps at the spot that you kind of project Aaron right now. I know that if that’s the case, they’ll be ready to go against Indianapolis and we got confidence in those guys to step up. Certainly, we know the type of player that Aaron is, but I think credit to the players right now that are here, they won’t allow it to be a distraction and if he does come back, everybody will welcome him back with open arms and be happy to have him.