http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/08/09/goodell-says-he-supports-a-shorter-preseason/

Goodell says he supports a shorter preseason
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 9, 2017



NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell knows the quality of play in the preseason stinks.

“When I go around to fans, that’s maybe the No. 1 thing I hear,” Goodell said, via Bob Glauber of Newsday. “The NFL should do things to the highest possible standards. Preseason games are not that.”

If that's how you feel, then why not toss out the Pro Bowl game as well?

Goodell said he thinks the NFL could reduce the preseason schedule from four games to three and not lose anything.

“There’s value to them, building a team, evaluating players,” he said. “But there are other ways of doing that. I think we could do it in three [games]. Almost every coach has agreed we could get done what we need to in three games.”

The question is whether Goodell will try to push the players to accept a longer regular season in exchange for a shorter preseason. He indicated that any change to the schedule would be negotiated with the players, and not simply determined by the league.

“Any change in the [overall game] structure, we said that we would collectively bargain,” he said.

Many players would be on board with a shorter preseason. But if Goodell wants a longer regular season or some other concession in exchange for a shorter preseason, that could lead to a battle with the players.

To read about the other three NFC West teams click the link below.
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https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-snaps-lost-nfc-west

Snaps Lost: NFC West
BY JORDAN PLOCHER

Pro Football Focus’ ‘Snaps Lost’ series takes a detailed look at playing time void, created by players who have left their respective team either during the season last year, or during this past offseason, albeit trades, cuts, signing elsewhere or retirement.

This week, we’ve taken a look at the NFC East and AFC East, and today, we’ll break down the NFC West:





TOTAL SNAPS LOST: 6617
OFFENSIVE SNAPS LOST: 4400
DEFENSIVE SNAPS LOST: 2217

Key Losses, offense: Tim Barnes – C – 71.4 grade – 1004 snaps, Greg Robinson – T – 43.0 grade – 892 snaps, Lance Kendricks – TE – 42.9 grade – 830 snaps, Kenny Britt – WR – 76.5 grade – 790 snaps

Center Tim Barnes fled to the rival 49ers, taking his 96.0 PBE with him. The Rams traded their former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson to the Lions for an undisclosed 2018 draft pick, finally closing that chapter and hopefully things work out well for both the Rams and Robinson. Lance Kendricks left for Green Bay in free agency. Kendricks had the worst drop rate among qualified tight ends in 2016 at 12.28.

Replacement plan: John Sullivan – C – 72.2 grade, Andrew Whitworth – T – 90.2 grade, Gerald Everett – TE – rookie, Robert Woods – WR – 73.9 grade, Cooper Kupp – WR – rookie

The Rams replaced the lost snaps at center by signing John Sullivan in free agency. They’ll see a major upgrade at left tackle with the addition of Andrew Whitworth to protect the outside for QB Jared Goff. Whitworth was PFF’s second highest graded tackle last year, and Sullivan’s grade was a slight improvment over Barnes’. The additions of Sullivan and Whitworth should help increase the amount of time Goff has to throw in 2017.

Lance Kendrickks’ 830 snaps will likely be filled by rookie Gerald Everett, who was head coach Sean McVay’s favorite player in the draft class. Robert Woods was signed in free agency to be the Rams’ primary wide receiver.

Third round pick Cooper Kupp should see significant snaps as a rookie and should emerge as Goff’s primary target in the slot. Kupp had the third most routes ran out of the slot in the nation in 2016 and had the sixth highest catch rate out of the slot.

Key Losses, defense: T.J. McDonald – S – 75.3 grade – 1072 snaps, Eugene Sims – ED – 52.9 grade – 536 snaps, Cam Thomas – DI – 73.7 grade – 391 snaps

The biggest loss for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball is represented by the departure of T.J. McDonald’s 1072 snaps to the Miami Dolphins. McDonald was the 19th ranked safety in run stop percentage last year at 5.2%. The lost snaps of Eugene Sims and Cam Thomas can both be plugged with new pieces but the defense will also be operating a new scheme under Wade Phillips.

Replacement plan: Nickell Robey-Coleman – CB – 78.4 grade, Connor Barwin – ED – 42.1 grade, Samson Ebukam – ED – rookie, Tanzel Smart – DI – rookie

The Rams plan to replace T.J. McDonald’s snaps by shifting some existing pieces on their roster. Maurice Alexander who played both free safety and strong safety last season will likely be directing replacing McDonald’s snaps at strong safety. Lamarcus Joyner is moving to free safety but will likely get moved around in sub packages.

The signing of Nickell Robey-Coleman also adds another defensive back to the mix who can play in the slot in addition to the versatile Joyner. The aptly named Nickell was fourth in the NFL in cover snaps per reception allowed among qualified cornerbacks, allowing a catch only once per 13.0 slot cover snaps.

While Barwin hasn’t been very productive he does have familiarity with coach Wade Phillips defense and should be a “plug and play” veteran, who along with frenetic rookie Samson Ebukam can replace the lost 536 edge snaps of Eugene Sims.

Rookie sixth round pick Tanzel Smart should be able to replace the snaps lost by the departure of Cam Thomas if more established veterans can’t fill the void. Smart was seventh among qualified college defensive tackles last year in PRP, coming it at a mark of 9.9.

The Ram's hold 2 of the top 10 rookie contracts of all-time. Sam Bradford holds the top spot of all...
1. Sam Bradford- $76 million
8. Jason Smith-$61 million

https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/10-biggest-nfl-rookie-contracts-in-history.html/?a=viewall

Rams DE Aaron Donald has proven his point, now it's time to stop holding out


Okay, Aaron, you win. You have shown the Rams that you are for real in your demands for a new contract. However, now it's time for you to re-appear in the spotlight and get to work. After all, you have a huge season upcoming for you in 2017.

Look, I get the "Pay the Man" ideology, but it's officially going into the Rams first preseason game of 2017 and the Rams top player is still nowhere to be found. If you had told me or anyone for that matter three years ago that Donald would be holding out of training camp. Well, you may have thought about that and just shook your head. You may have even said "Aaron Donald would never do something like that. He's all about the team, he's the ultimate teammate." However, three years later, Donald is, in fact, holding out and it's become quite a bit of an issue.

This holdout is drawing mainstream media attention, it's causing crowds to pour into Rams training camp with "Pay the Man" signs and shirts as well as even chants. Donald is, in fact, the best defensive player in the league per this writer's opinion and many others. He's also, however, one of the more humble baby faced fan favorites in the league. So why the sudden change into the look of a borderline selfish player? Money talks for sure, but so do teammates. While Donald was holding out, his teammate and friend Dominique Easley went down with a torn ACL. Sure, Donald was likely there for support and likely texted him or called him about it. However, he wasn't there when it happened and he's not there now.

This may sound like I am dogging on Donald and while it might be true, it's important to keep in mind we all love Donald. It's also important to keep in mind you can love someone and criticize them when they are in the wrong. Donald is officially in the wrong. If this holdout didn't hit fans before, the new depth chart showcasing a starting lineup without Donald really put the nail in the coffin. It makes fans question the big key phrase or mantra of the year for the Rams "We Not Me'. Well, I'm no football player or coach, but something tells me that Donald's actions aren't very "we" and more along the lines of "me". Something I really never thought would be possible for Donald, but it goes to show you how much power these player agents have over the players.

You might be thinking to yourself, "How do you know Donald wants to be there and it's all his agent's doing?" Glad you asked, teammate and Rams DT Michael Brockers told the media that Donald wants to be back and it's killing him. Now, before your mind goes wandering off and you imagine what a holdout looks like, it's important to keep in mind this is Donald we are talking about. An Aaron Donald hold out is 100% guaranteed to incorporate workouts, training, and other activities to keep him in tip-top shape. That's the one positive with Donald and his holdout. You know it's Donald, so you know he's not going to come back out of shape.

I think the overall biggest aspect of this whole situation being missed is that Donald is missing out on the opportunity to get acclimated with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, his new defense, and the new scheme. The Rams are running a new defense which is basically a 3-4 base and Donald is now technically playing a different position as last year. Regardless of all of that, Donald is missing valuable time and repetitions to create chemistry with the new players on defense. The Rams, after all, let T.J. McDonald go and traded away William Hayes. Besides that, the Rams also brought in new starters Connor Barwin and Kayvon Webster. Donald needs to be out there sooner than later installing that chemistry early on.

It wouldn't have likely been a huge deal if Donald held out next year, but the fact is this. The Rams are trying to install a new look, new coaching staff, new scheme and new culture. What Donald is doing jeopardizes all of that. Think about it, doesn't it set a bad precedent to the rest of the team if the new culture driven coaching staff shows Donald it's no big deal to sit out of training camp while the other 89 teammates of yours are out there on the practice field. It actually is a bad look if you look back at the things we heard about former Rams HC Jeff Fisher having "favorites" and not allowing competition and being lenient on the big names only. If you don't hold everyone to the same standard then is it really much of a culture? Is it really We Not Me? It sounds more like We and sometimes Me.

Aaron Donald is a transcendent player through and through. This is not a knock on him as a person, but more a knock on his decision this off-season. We know Donald will be back before the first game of the season, but what we don't know is when. If he refuses to report back to the Rams until the deal is closed then it's likely going to be right before the season. My thoughts are around when Tavon Austin and Michael Brockers were given deals last summer. We all want Donald to get paid, but similar to last season with Austin and Brockers, there is a time and a place for everything.

Not giving general manager Les Snead a pass or anything, but the Rams need to attend to other matters first. Donald may not see the "We" in this, but for the Rams sake, it makes sense to lock up Alec Ogletree and LaMarcus Joyner before anything. Why do I say that? Both of those players will be gone after this season if the Rams do not extend them. Ogletree is an absolute must as he plays one of the most vital positions in football, inside linebacker. Donald with all due respect has to know the Rams have to figure out a way to pay him the massive amount of money he deserves while also fitting in the rest of the team and their future moving forward.

Donald's deal is going to be a lot of money for the Rams to swallow, but they will have to in due time. Right now though Donald needs to go back on the field like fellow transcendent 2014 draft class superstar Odell Beckham Jr. It really doesn't help Donald's cause that OBJ, who is practically in the same boat as Donald, is not holding out and is in fact at camp getting ready for the 2017 season. The Rams went 4-12 last season in what was literally a worst case scenario. The Rams cannot afford to have Donald miss the preseason preparation going into the 2017 season.

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Still bummed about the NFL shield at the 50 instead of the Rams logo, I really hope they don't just slap "Los Angeles" in the endzones either, but I get the feeling they will since they talked about having the Chargers/Rams changeover being digital. Either way the building is beautiful.

I dont know where everybody is from on this board but i am from St. Louis and our market will probably not be playing alot of the Rams games this year. My question is is there any other services that people might use except Nfl Sunday ticket. Sunday ticket is pretty pricey but i will pay it if i have too.

And if you have used Sunday Ticket before how was your experience. Was the streaming quality pretty decentm

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...vay-make-jared-goff-a-poor-mans-kirk-cousins/

Can Sean McVay make Jared Goff a poor man's Kirk Cousins?

Rookie seasons are rarely memorable for NFL quarterbacks, but Jared Goff's first shot as an NFL signal caller was entirely forgettable. He rode pine until late November, with Rams coach Jeff Fisher stubbornly sticking by Case Keenum. When he finally got the starting job, Goff went 0-7, was a little lucky to complete 50 percent of his passes and threw just five touchdown passes, three of which came in one game against the Saints.

Fisher was fired midseason and the Rams cleaned house after 2016 ended, all while watching the Titans select a talented wideout with the top-five pick that the Rams handed them as part of last year's Goff deal. The Rams' next hire was a critical one and they went uber young with it, bringing 30-year-old Sean McVay over from Washington.

(The Rams are back at training camp! Don't MISS anything as they prepare to try and make the playoffs -- take five seconds to Sign up for our Free Rams newsletter now!)

Make no mistake, McVay's hire is about turning Goff into a legitimate quarterback. McVay's tutelage in Washington turned Kirk Cousins into the ultimate conundrum: a quarterback who plays well enough you have to pay him but not well enough to commit past massive single-year franchise tag deals.

A lot of what you see with Goff and the Rams from 2016 is a case of Los Angeles putting major reigns on their rookie quarterback and limiting what he can do with a particular play. There are four guys running routes here but only one of them is really in play here. Goff is throwing to Tyler Higbee.



It's not surprising for an offense to put a cap on a rookie early on and for coaches to limit the amount of things a player has to worry about, but Goff was so obviously locked into a single target that he was sometimes throwing before he finished his drop



Again, there are four routes being run but three of them might as well be decoys. This throw, by the way, resulted in a 19-yard completion and even set up a 24-yard Todd Gurley touchdown run. But let's not get too caught up in results. Everything about the gameplan in Goff's first start -- Week 11 against the Dolphins -- was rudimentary to the nth degree.

The creativity level was about what you would expect out of the worst offense in the league. The Rams averaged a measly 14 points per game and trailed even the 31st-ranked Jets by a healthy margin in DVOA. On a critical 3rd-and-4 play call against Miami, with the Rams leading 7-0 and 2:32 left in the second quarter, here's what Goff saw at the top of his shotgun drop.



It looks like rush hour between the hash marks. Ndamukong Suh ripping through the offensive line didn't help matters and it resulted in a sack. Pressure was a problem for Goff, who finished the season with a 50.8 accuracy percentage on plays where he was pressured according to Pro Football Focus. Only Blaine Gabbert was lower.

And that might not change. There are still issues with the Rams offensive line, although the addition of veteran Andrew Whitworth should be a huge help in pass protection. Goff needs to do better jumping the gun and leaving the pocket. He also appears a lot of times to be throwing primarily with his torso, not getting his entire body behind throws and almost aiming more than throwing. The result was some seriously scattershot accuracy; Goff completed just 54.6 percent of his passes.

The McVay effect

The good news for him is that McVay specializes in cranking up the completions. In Kirk Cousins two seasons as a full-time starter, both with McVay as his offensive coordinator, he completed a whopping 68.3 percent of his passes, including a league-leading 69.8 percent in 2015.

Ignore any criticism you/anyone else might have of Cousins: If the Rams were guaranteed that Goff could produce stat lines like Cousins has over the past two years they would sign off on it in a heartbeat. After a rough rookie year his ceiling doesn't look guaranteed.

Fortunately there are a few different ways for McVay can improve the situation. It starts with Goff's head -- he and McVay have to be seeing and thinking the same things as it relates to playcalling and defensive coverages they're seeing. Transitioning to the NFL is hard. Transitioning out of Sonny Dykes' "Bear Raid" system and into a pro-style scheme was never going to equate to early success. McVay believes Goff's taken a pretty big leap "above the neck."

"I thought he handled the above the neck information, getting in and out of the huddle, did a nice job commanding that. And with the drop back game, he did a good job," McVay said this offseason during an appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show." "He's got a good feel, it's just figuring out a way to be consistent, kind of really becoming an extension of the coaching staff. And when you do that, you feel really good. We have different things we want to emphasize offensively, but certainly we're going to put a premium on what our guys get good at."

If we're buying what McVay is selling, there's good reason to think Goff will be significantly more prepared from a mental standpoint this year than he was last season. It's a low bar.

Washington ran 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR ) 73 percent of the time in 2016, sixth most in the NFL. The Rams ran it 65 percent of the time. But Washington was substantially more successful than Los Angeles, generating 6.5 yards out of the formation to L.A.'s measly 4.3.

It's possible a simple upgrade in playcaller could make an immediate impact. Here's a play from the Redskins' Week 1 game against the Steelers with three wideouts and Jordan Reed lined up on the right side of the line. On 2nd-and-5 from the Washington 44, Cousins takes the snap out of shotgun and drops back. At the top of his drop, he has an easy option to hit Reed underneath as he runs an out route but instead chooses to push the ball downfield to Pierre Garcon.



The throw actually wasn't great, but the timing and a nice adjustment from Garcon led to a gain of 19 yards. The same thing is unfolding at the top of the screen. It's not a complex playcall, but with the Steelers in zone it did a nice job of giving Cousins multiple options.

On the other end of the spectrum is this play in Goff's start against the Saints (his three-touchdown game). The Rams lined up in 11 personnel and sent four guys out to catch passes. It's not entirely clear if Todd Gurley was staying in to block, running a delayed route to the right or trying to spear his lineman in the back. Whatever, it's irrelevant -- what matters here is that the Rams, on this 2nd-and-2 from around midfield (fairly similar situation to what the Redskins had) decided to send four receivers on deeper routes.



Kenny Britt (top of the photo) would run a comeback route and get some separation, but by the time Goff made his throw he was facing heat from the Saints pass rush.

The key difference here is that McVay used his playbook to put Cousins in a position to make a decision. He doesn't have to be a hero, he just needs to be smart. And say what you want about Cousins, but he has developed into a smart triggerman for the Redskins offense.

He's a point guard of sorts -- it's not his job to shoot 30 shots. He just needs to make the right passes at the right time and let the scorers do their thing. Which is kind of the crux of the Cousins conundrum and why we're constantly battling about how much he should be paid. No, he is not the best quarterback in the world. He doesn't even always execute the decisions he makes real well. Even on some of the big pass plays there are ducks out there. But he knows what he's doing and the system he's running, with the weapons he has helps to elevate his skill set. It has worked pretty well the last two years.

Goff's passing-game options

The actual personnel involved here is going to be an issue, of course. They don't have DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed, Pierre Garcon and Jamison Crowder to flood the field with. But give Les Snead credit for the way the Rams approached this draft -- there was a clear intent to get some weapons for McVay to plug in around Goff.

And it's not hard to imagine that some of them will work in a similar fashion. Cooper Kupp reminds me a little bit of Crowder. (You thought I was going to say Wes Welker, didn't you?) Josh Reynolds is a big play waiting to happen. Combine him and Robert Woods and the Rams have a little bit of size to complement Kupp and Tavon Austin. No one is saying these guys will be even close to what Cousins dealt with this coming season, but there is some growth potential. The Rams also invested two early picks in tight ends the last two years in Gerald Everett (second round, 2017) and Tyler Higbee (fourth round, 2016).

The loss of Kenny Britt in free agency is going to sting big time, though. Britt was the first Rams pass catcher to top 1,000 receiving yards since Torry Holt in 2007. Again, a very low bar.

Schematically, it should be fairly easy for McVay to help Goff as well.

According to Cian Fahey of Pre Snap Reads, the Redskins gained 7.36 yards per screen pass attempt in 2017, 10th best in the league. Sean McVay certainly didn't lean on the screen game (Cousins ranked last in the league in screen percentages) but it's not hard to envision a scenario where Gurley, Tavon Austin and Cooper Kupp are all featured in the screen game throughout the season. The personnel is there for it and the screen game allows for an easy offensive manufacturing.

The Rams are making a concerted effort to get Gurley more involved in the passing game this year which presents even more of an opportunity to create high-percentage throws for Goff.

Changing coaching staffs and offensive systems isn't easy for a young quarterback, but all told the switch should be a net positive for Goff. And while no one thinks he is going to make a leap and become some elite player in his second season, there is ample evidence that Goff could actually give the Rams some return on their investment this year.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...on-donald-leveon-bell-and-other-nfl-holdouts/

What's next for Aaron Donald, Le'Veon Bell and other NFL holdouts

Nothing says an NFL player is unhappy with his contract like a training camp holdout. This summer's missing campers? Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, Texans left tackle Duane Brownand Raiders left tackle Donald Penn.

Being involved in two lengthy holdouts during my agent days with Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell gives me some insight into these types of contract disputes. Smith's 38-day holdout in 2002 ended with him getting a new contract from the Jaguars at the end of the preseason. McCardell's dispute with the Buccaneers in 2004 lasted 82 days before he was dealt to the Chargers right before the trading deadline.

The cost of a holdout
Donald, Brown and Penn can be fined a maximum of $40,000 for each day of training camp missed because they are under contract. Penn is subject to an additional fine of one week's base salary for each preseason game missed (1/17 of $5.85 million or approximately $345,000) because he signed his contract as an unrestricted free agent. Donald is still under his rookie contract. Brown's deal is a contract extension.

A year of service toward free agency isn't earned when a player under contract doesn't report to his team at least 30 days before NFL's first regular season game. This year's deadline is Aug. 8. The date is somewhat relevant only to Donald because he is entering his fourth NFL season. If he plays out his rookie contract, which includes a fifth-year option in 2018, he would still have enough service time to become an unrestricted free agent, provided he doesn't miss the deadline both this year and next.

A team can also recover a portion of a player's signing bonus. A total of 15 percent of the prorated amount of signing bonus can be recouped on the sixth day of a training camp holdout. It's one percent for each additional missed day with a maximum of 25 percent of the prorated amount during training camp. An additional 25 percent can be recovered with the first missed regular season game. After four missed weeks, a team can recover 1/17 of the prorated amount for each additional week of the player's absence. The maximum a team can recover in a season is the entire prorated amount of the player's signing bonus in that contract year.

Donald is the only holdout that has to worry about signing bonus recoupment. The Rams right to recover $213,450 of Donald's $5.692 million signing bonus (15 percent of the $1.423 million prorated amount) was triggered on August 3. None of the $12.5 million signing bonus that Brown received in his 2012 extension can be recovered because proration of the bonus ended in 2016. Penn's deal doesn't contain a signing bonus.

The financial penalties don't apply to unsigned draft picks, as well as players with restricted free agent, franchise or transition tenders who aren't under contract that miss training camp. Their attendance isn't required because of the absence of a signed contract. Bell falls into this category because he's a franchise player who remains unsigned. Players under contract are withholding services they are contractually obligated to perform while Bell has no such obligation.

Who blinks first?

A holdout is ultimately a test of each side's resolve. Once a player misses the beginning of training camp, there usually isn't much dialogue between a player's agent and the team early on when there is a contract impasse. Teams typically approach a holdout as if the player is injured. They look for replacements at his position either internally or from available free agents and evaluate how the team performs with him absent.

Most holdouts don't mind missing the daily grind of training camp, but as the regular season gets closer, a player may start having second thoughts about his decision. If meaningful dialogue on a new contract resumes, it may not be until the middle of the preseason. There were hardly any conversations with the Buccaneers during most of McCardell's holdout because both sides were firmly entrenched in their positions.

Savvy teams will refrain from talking to the media about the player besides an obligatory statement about being unwilling to publicly comment on a player who isn't in training camp or that the player's contributions are valued and welcome him returning to the team when he is ready to honor his contract. In most cases, fans don't take a player's side in a contract dispute with a team. The public has a difficulty relating to a player being unhappy with what is a lucrative contract in their eyes or rejecting a substantial offer. Unusual circumstances are required for public sentiment to be with the player.

A major obstacle a player must overcome is a team's concern about establishing a precedent of giving into a player's demands for a new contract through a holdout. Although teams should be able to easily make distinctions based on each player's particular circumstances, they don't want to send a signal to the other team members that they could get rewarded by holding the team hostage. This is especially the case when there is a new owner, or new general manager or a new head coach with a hands-off owner. Along those lines, some teams have a philosophy that they won't have meaningful dialogue about a new contract while the player is a holdout.

Prominent players at impact positions have the best chance of success, provided they remain patient and give the impression that they are willing to continue their absence into the regular season. Once a player decides to end an unsuccessful holdout, some teams will reduce the fines accumulated as a gesture of goodwill, especially with a player who is one of the most important players on the team or a veteran that commands a lot of respect among his teammates.

The longer a holdout drags on, the more of a distraction it can become with coaches and teammates being constantly asked about it by the media before and after games and practices. It also helps to be on playoff contenders/teams with Super Bowl aspirations or teams where the head coach or general manager is on the hot seat. Pressure may be put on ownership to do whatever it takes to get the player back into the fold as the regular season approaches. Smith's holdout was aided by Jacksonville's first-team offense struggling to move the football without him (16 punts in 17 offensive possessions).

Here's a look at each holdout's situation.


Aaron Donald DT / L.A. Rams

First-round picks selected under the rookie wage scale implemented by the 2011 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), like Donald, typically don't get new contracts after three seasons. Thirteen first-round picks have gotten extensions at this juncture of their NFL tenure over the last three years.

Fortunately for Donald, the Rams have a track record for rewarding first-round picks early. Wide receiver Tavon Austin and defensive end Robert Quinn received new deals no later than the middle of September of their fourth season.

The ongoing negotiations between Donald and the Rams should have produced an agreement by now, given the team's treatment of Austin. The Rams inexplicably gave Austin a four-year extension averaging approximately $10.5 million per year with $28.5 million of guarantees late last preseason despite underachieving in his first three NFL seasons. The 2013 eighth overall pick barely topped the 500-receiving yard mark for the first time during his career in 2016. Austin's contract also contains $14 million of incentives and base salary escalators in which he could realistically make a minimum of $1 million annually under these clauses by performing like a good wide receiver.

Donald, the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has quickly become the NFL's most disruptive force from the interior of a defensive line. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Donald's 82 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, quarterback hurries and quarterback hits) were the third-most in the league last season and led NFL interior defensive lineman. Donald took the top spot in PFF's top 101 players for the 2015 season. He was second in PFF's 2016 rankings. Donald has also been a consensus first-team All-Pro the past two seasons.


Aaron Donald's play suggests he deserves to be paid more than Ndamukong Suh. USATSI

The Rams possess leverage over Donald because he is under contract this season for approximately $1.8 million and for $6.892 million in 2018 since the Rams picked up their fifth-year option with him. Donald could also be designated a franchise player in 2019 and 2020.

Teams giving highly-accomplished first-round picks extremely early extensions haven't exploited their leverage. Cowboys center Travis Frederick, Panthers inside linebacker Luke Kuechly, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Texans defensive end J.J. Watt became the highest-paid player (by average year salary) at their respective positions. Each player received All-Pro honors in two of their first three years, just like Donald.

Based on their treatment, the Rams should at least be willing to make Donald the NFL's highest-paid interior defensive lineman over Ndamukong Suh. Suh signed a six-year, $114.375 million contract with the Dolphins in 2015, which averages $19,062,500 and contains nearly $60 million fully guaranteed. Donald insisting upon being the NFL's first $20 million per-year non-quarterback with more than the $70 million in guarantees Von Miller received from the Broncos in 2016 would be justified. Miller became the league's highest paid non-quarterback at $19,083,333 per year with his extension. The Cowboys making Zack Martin, who has earned All-Pro honors in his each of three NFL seasons, the NFL's highest-paid offensive guard before Donald gets a new deal would likely added to his resolve.


Le'Veon Bell RB / Pittsburgh

Bell would have easily topped a declining running back market if he had accepted the five-year deal the Steelers offered. Instead, he will play the 2017 season on a one-year contract, presumably for his $12.12 million franchise tag. According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, Bell rejected a five-year deal averaging more than $12 million per year where $30 million was in the first two years and $42 million was over three years.

Bell is following in the footsteps of other unsigned franchise players in recent years by minimizing the risk of a serious injury with his training camp absence. Chiefs safety Eric Berry didn't sign his franchise tender last year until 13 days before Kansas City's first regular-season game. Bills safety Jairus Byrd missed 25 days of training camp in 2013 before accepting his franchise tag.

Bell is allowed to negotiate his one-year salary with the Steelers and other conditions relating to his franchise player status. He could insist on a clause that would prohibit the Steelers from using a franchise or transition designation on him in 2018, also known as a prohibition clause, in order to sign his tender and report.

Obtaining a prohibition clause might be difficult for Bell. A franchise player hasn't gotten this type of provision since 2008 when the Titans gave Albert Haynesworth a conditional prohibition clause. It was triggered by Haynesworth making the Pro Bowl, having at least 60 percent defensive playtime, or 53 percent defensive playtime and the Titans winning at least 10 games or ranking in the top five in total defense.


Le'Veon Bell won't likely sign his franchise tender until late in the preseason. USATSI

Linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Asante Samuel had clauses similar to Haynesworth's when they were franchised in 2007 by the Bears and Patriots respectively. Samuel's prohibition clause was triggered by him having at least 60 percent playtime on defense or the Patriots winning at least 12 games. Briggs' clause was predicated on him having at least 75 percent playtime on defense. Jeff Backus and Nate Clements received the last unconditional prohibition clauses in 2006 with the Lions and Bills respectively.

Bell missing any part of the regular season would seem remote with him losing almost $715,000 of salary for each week missed. It hasn't happened with a healthy franchise player since the 2006 CBA implemented the July multi-year deal deadline. This excludes Jason Pierre-Paul, who missed eight regular season games in 2015 while he wasn't cleared physically by the Giants from his Fourth of July fireworks accident. Dunta Robinson came closest when he signed his franchise tender four days before the Texans' 2009 regular-season opener.


Duane Brown T / Houston

Brown has two years left on the six-year, $53.4 million extension he signed in 2012. Skipping offseason workouts triggered a $250,000 base salary de-escalator to reduce Brown's 2017 income from $9.65 million to $9.4 million. Although the Texans gave J.J. Watt a new deal in 2014 with two years remaining and renegotiated Andre Johnson's contract in 2010 with five years to go, redoing contracts before a contract year is an uncommon team occurrence.

Houston's top contract priority is getting wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is in his contract year, signed long-term. Addressing Brown's contract this preseason would potentially cause the Texans headaches in the future. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus is outperforming his four-year, $26 million extension that runs through the 2019 season. He would likely expect the Texans to do the same with his contract next season when he was two years left if Brown gets a new deal.

It might be inevitable for the Texans to treat Watt like Johnson, provided he returns to his previous form after two back surgeries last year. Watt once again becoming the closest thing to a modern day Reggie White would be a tremendous bargain considering he is currently under contract for four additional seasons after this one for $57 million over those years.

Paying teammate Jadeveon Clowney, the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, more than Watt next year when he is in his contract year will likely be problematic if the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year continues to be a dominant force. The Texans would need to adjust or renegotiate Watt's contract sooner rather than later as well after doing so for the lesser-accomplished Brown to avoid having a disgruntled cornerstone of the franchise.

The deck is stacked against Brown getting a new deal even though offensive tackle is a more glaring weakness without him. In addition to Houston's reluctance to rework contracts with multiple years remaining, there is a team policy against in-season contract negotiations.



Donald Penn T / Oakland

Penn's mistake was signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract (worth up to $14 million with incentives) in 2016 instead of a one-year deal. There aren't any guarantees or security in the second year. The Raiders didn't get a salary cap break with the second year because Penn's deal is structured like nearly all of the team's other veteran contracts. Penn's salary cap number and cash are the same in each year because his deal doesn't have a signing bonus.

Penn might have been a highly sought-after free agent despite being 34 years old after a 2016 season in which he only gave up one sack and was named to the Pro Bowl. Age didn't prevent 35-year-old Andrew Whitworthfrom signing a three-year, $33.75 million deal (worth a maximum of $36 million through incentives) with the Rams in free agency.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie seems receptive to working on a new deal for Penn provided he ends his holdout. The additional fine of a week's base salary (just under $345,000) for every missed preseason game, starting Aug. 12, could be the impetus for Penn to return. A two-year extension in the $10 million per year neighborhood shouldn't be out of the question for Penn considering the Eagles recently re-did Jason Peters' deal so he is under contract through the 2019 season for $27.25 million. Peters is 35. The Peters deal can be worth as much as $30.25 million because of incentives and base salary escalators.

http://variety.com/2017/music/news/glen-campbell-dead-dies-rhinestone-cowboy-1202519954/

Country Music Legend Glen Campbell Dies at 81
Andrew Barker
Senior Features Writer


OWEN SWEENEY/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Country legend Glen Campbell, whose crossover hits “Gentle on My Mind,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Rhinestone Cowboy” forged a lasting bridge between country and pop music, died Tuesday. He was 81.

In 2011, Campbell announced he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and mounted a well-publicized farewell tour. His official Twitter posted the news. His daughter, Ashley Campbell, also shared a heartfelt message about the news.

Campbell was hardly the first country artist to break out of the rural regional radio ghetto — the Nashville Sound of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves had produced several wide-appeal hits in the early ’60s — but his influence in expanding country music’s parameters and fanbase was substantial.

His signature hits often combined orchestral arrangements and traditional pop hooks with countrified lyrical themes and vocal stylings, catalyzing both the “countrypolitan” and soft rock subgenres that would proliferate in the 1970s. (John Denver and Kenny Rogers both owe much of their careers to Campbell’s example.)

He sold more than 45 million records in his career and topped the country singles chart 12 times.

Crossover came naturally to the tall, solidly built Campbell, who enjoyed a pre-stardom career as a prolific session musician for rock, pop and country acts alike. He possessed a calmly authoritative tenor and impeccable guitar chops, but his genial, easygoing charm as a performer was thrown into sharp relief by his hotheaded offstage character, with his reputation marred by substance abuse and allegations of domestic violence.

Later becoming a born-again Christian, Campbell continued to maintain a steady audience well into his seventh decade, opening his own theater in Branson, Mo.

Born into a sharecropping family in a tiny town in southwestern Arkansas, Campbell was the seventh of 12 children. Picking up guitar at an early age, he left home at age 14 to pursue music, eventually landing in Los Angeles, where he fathered his first child at age 17.

Out west, Campbell soon found himself an in-demand session musician with the now-storied studio conglomerate dubbed the Wrecking Crew, recording guitar parts for such varied acts as Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, the Monkees, Merle Haggard and Elvis Presley.

Campbell reached the height of his session player power in 1965, when he became a touring member of the Beach Boys — playing bass to compensate for the absent Brian Wilson — as well as contributing guitar parts to the group’s landmark “Pet Sounds” album.

All the while, Campbell had been erratically pursuing a solo career, recording mostly unremarkable singles for Crest Records and later Capitol. Though he broke onto country radio a few times, he began to lose favor with Capitol label heads, who by the mid-’60s were pondering dropping him from the roster.

Fortunately they didn’t, as Campbell’s career experienced a sudden, dramatic upswing in 1967, when he recorded a rendition of John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind.” Though the 45 barely breached the top-40 singles chart, the titular LP was a runaway success, topping the country album chart and reaching No. 5 on the pop charts.

Follow-up single “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was an even bigger hit, reaching No. 2 on the country chart and marking the beginning of Campbell’s collaborations with songwriter Jimmy Webb, whose compositions would provide Campbell with hits for years to come.

Underscoring the universality of the burgeoning star’s appeal, Campbell won four Grammys for the two songs at the 1967 awards — two in country categories, the other two in pop categories.

This turned out to be the opening salvo in a remarkable streak of hits for the singer. Starting with “Gentle,” Campbell managed to rack up seven consecutive country album chart-toppers over a two year period, recording such iconic tracks as “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “Dreams of the Everyday Housewife” and a string of duets with Bobbie Gentry. LP “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” won Campbell an album of the year Grammy in 1968.

Outside of music, he began hosting a weekly CBS variety show, “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” in 1969, and made a promising foray into acting that same year in Paramount’s “True Grit,” playing La Boeuf alongside John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn.

(Campbell was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance, and his titular song contribution to the film was nominated for an original song Oscar.) A starring role in 1970’s “Norwood” followed. After his show was cancelled in 1972, Campbell remained visible with a plethora of one-off TV specials, though his film career never really took off.

His hitmaking pace cooled off in the early ’70s — even “Reunion,” a collaboration with Webb, failed to catch fire — but his career reignited in 1975 with the release of “Rhinestone Cowboy.” A Larry Weiss-penned ode to showbiz durability, the song would become Campbell’s signature, and it reached No. 1 on both the country and pop charts that year, as did the LP of the same name. Singles “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)” and “Southern Nights” followed to comparable success.

However, Campbell’s substance abuse escalated. Divorcing his second wife Billie Jean Nunley in 1976, Campbell married Sarah Barg. The couple divorced in 1980, and Campbell immediately began dating singer Tanya Tucker, 17 years his junior.

The two notched a minor duet hit with “Dream Lover,” but their relationship, a frequent tabloid fixture, was a toxic one. At its nadir, Tucker claimed Campbell once beat her viciously enough to knock out her two front teeth. (Campbell denied the incident, though he admitted that their relationship occasionally turned violent.)

The two broke up, and Campbell found domestic peace with his fourth and final wife, Kimberly Woollen, a former Rockette whom he married in 1982. He eventually worked his way toward sobriety — though he would later fall off the wagon in 2002 and serve a brief stint in prison for drunk driving — and newfound spirituality during the decade, returning to full force as a performer and releasing several inspirational records.

He opened up the Glen Campbell Goodtime Theater in Branson in 1995 and toured steadily until Alzheimer’s forced him into retirement.

His album, “Ghost on the Canvas,” was released in 2011. Campbell returned to Capitol Records in 2008 for “Meet Glen Campbell,” and “See You There” in 2013. His final studio album, “Adios,” was released earlier this summer, from sessions Campbell recorded in 2012 and 2013.

In addition to his five Grammys and large collection of CMA and ACM awards, Campbell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Filmmaker James Keach documented the progression of Campbell’s illness and its effect on the family’s lives and work in “Glen Campbell … I’ll Be Me,” released in 2014. It blends unflinching medical details, poignant performance footage and a survey of its subject’s place in musical history.

Campbell is survived by wife Kimberley and eight children, three of whom played in his backing band during his final farewell tour.

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http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...riots-first-nfl-team-own-planes?sf104552173=1

Patriots become first NFL team to have own planes
Darren Rovell/ESPN Senior Writer



The New England Patriots have become the first NFL team to buy their own plane to fly to games. Make that two planes.

Sources tell ESPN that the reigning Super Bowl champions bought two 767 Boeing wide-body jets in the offseason and retrofitted them with all first-class seats, some of which recline completely. On the outside of at least one of the planes is the team logo and five Lombardi trophies on the tail.

These planes, depending on miles flown and condition, generally cost between $5 million and $65 million. A source said the planes the Patriots bought are extended range, which allows the planes to fly nonstop for about 12 hours.

A brand-new plane could cost $200 million.

One plane will be used as the main plane for the season, while the other will be the backup, with flight operations being run out of Providence, Rhode Island, sources said. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said team officials would not be publicly commenting on the acquisitions.

NFL teams haven't thought much about buying their own planes in the past, with only 10 games on the road. But charter travel has gotten more expensive over the past couple of years, due to the major carriers starting to retire the bigger planes that fly the teams around.

The bigger planes -- which can carry a full team, its support staff and the onerous amount of equipment the team needs on the road -- are being retired because they are nearing a point in their life cycle where they have to be stripped, fully gutted and reworked in order to satisfy Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

Airlines like Delta and American have chosen to begin retiring the planes instead of going through what would be a cost-prohibitive reboot.

American said last year that it would no longer fly the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. At least two of those teams, the Steelers and the Dolphins, took their business to charter-only airline Miami Air, sources said.

The rising cost of chartering flights for NFL teams makes the decision to buy a plane somewhat easier. Sources with knowledge of the deals teams have done with charter companies say the 10 round-trip flights per season can cost up to $4 million.

It is expected that team-owned planes will help give athletes a leg up on the recovery process, which is one of the areas that interested the Patriots.

In 2014, a concept plane designed by a firm named Teague, in partnership with Nike, sought to equalize the effects of air travel on mind and body as well as get a head start on recovery through an in-flight training room.

Two years later, Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi built its concept plane, which had features including a "smart toilet" that measured an athlete's state of hydration and sensors in seats that could detect an athlete's physiological changes.

The Patriots will allow for the planes to be rented out during the season when they are not needed for team travel, sources said. It is not known how aggressively the team will seek to make up some of its costs by advertising the planes' availability.

The Rams Are Now A Food Website

The best content factory in the NFL is stepping their game in advance of the 2017 season.
by 3k

3k
1-2 minutes
With the 2017 season fast approaching the Los Angeles Rams, we got a great update from the team today on how to make eggs.

In a two-minute video featuring Rams Reporter Dani Klupenger & Team Nutritionist Joey Blake, the two break down the Xs and Os of microwaving eggs with some leftover sausage. Move the hell over, Bon Appetit.

Focused on building Owner Stan Kroenke’s massive $2.6b development in Inglewood, football hasn’t been the top priority for the franchise in years. As VP/COO Kevin Demoff explained, the Rams are not a football team; they’re a content production company, a small share of whose content focuses on the actual football games.

So having enjoyed Hard Knocks, All or Nothing and the riveting series Hollywood and Football which focused on the players’ home lives, the Rams are now expanding into another content niche: microwave breakfast recipes.

Here’s looking forward to more off-field content successes in 2017!

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/8/8/16114460/la-rams-content-food-breakfast-microwave-eggs

We Ram fans have yet to witness a pre-season game and already the roller-coaster has begun. The high of acquiring a top notch coaching staff was expected to overcome a young roster with the youngest starting QB in the NFL. Then we witness Austin deal w injuries that mitigate his development as a deep threat while Thomas will miss the first four weeks and Reynolds is listed as fourth string so Gurley gets to be greeted with stacked boxes once again (SJax...does this sound familiar)? As Kupp and Woods give us hope that the ball will actually be caught more often than not, Hav and Brown are getting flipped because Goff may not see the time necessary to get the ball to them. While Donald will eventually get signed...the perceived strength of this team (D-line) lets go of Hayes and then Easley is injured, lost for the season, leaving us w Westbrooks and LTP taking starter reps in camp.

Seriously, give me ONE positional group that is deep enough now to suffer an injury to a starter and not suffer a significant downgrade with the "next man up"? (DB's maybe?) Now, how likely is it that such an injury won't occur?

While I truly believe this is a better team with far better coaching than what we suffered through the last several years, the likelihood of a playoff run is remote at best. While the starters could form a terrific nucleus for success, there are very few second stringers that inspire my confidence.

Alden Gonzales

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...n-webster-locks-down-starting-cb-job-for-rams

Kayvon Webster spent four years buried in the depth chart of a Denver Broncos secondary that was among the game's best. He started only two games during that stretch, both as a rookie.

From 2014 to '16, Webster received a mere 247 defensive snaps, sitting behind the likes of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby while forced to make his mark almost exclusively on special teams.

The Los Angeles Rams see him differently.

"Unless something changes, he's starting," Rams coach Sean McVay said of Webster following Monday's practice. "... He's a starting corner that's going to be very important for our defense moving forward."

Heading into training camp, Webster appeared to be in competition with E.J. Gaines for a starting job on the outside opposite Trumaine Johnson. Gaines had a solid rookie year in 2014, then spent the entire 2015 season recovering from a foot injury and dealt with a few lesser ailments last season. But Webster's play and his familiarity with Wade Phillips, also his defensive coordinator with the Broncos these last two years, ultimately gave him the edge.

The Rams will scale back Webster's demands on special teams because they
want him playing every snap for them on defense.

"He's been a huge addition to our secondary," McVay said. "You look at he and Trumaine Johnson, they offer a nice pair at the corner spot. I love the way that he works, and he's been a joy to be around."

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The Rams are off on Tuesday, then host a second joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers at UC Irvine at 4:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday. Three days later, they'll play their first preseason contest against the Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Leading up to that game, the Rams released an unofficial depth chart.

Quarterback: Jared Goff is the starter, Sean Mannion is the backup and Dan Orlovsky is third string, as expected. The question is whether the Rams will ultimately keep Orlovsky on the 53-man roster. They might, given the youth of their top two quarterbacks.

Running back: It's Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Lance Dunbar, Aaron Green and Justin Davis, respectively. Dunbar's knee injury, which has basically kept him out of practice since signing with the Rams, has opened the door for Brown to be Gurley's backup.

Wide receiver: In a three-receiver set, the Rams listed Tavon Austin, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, just like they did before training camp. Problem is, Austin is now dealing with a hamstring injury that has made the Rams very slot heavy. Mike Thomas, activated off the physically unable to perform list on Monday, was listed second in one of the receiver groups, but he is suspended for the first four regular-season games. Josh Reynolds, another vertical threat, was listed fourth in another, but he's dealing with an injured quad.

Tight end: Tyler Higbee is the starter and Gerald Everett is his backup, though they might see a lot of time on the field together. Third is Temarrick Hemingway and fourth is veteran Cory Harkey. That doesn't seem to bode well for Harkey's chances of making the team, but McVay recently said he sees

Harkey as both a tight end and a fullback. The only fullback currently listed on the Rams' depth chart is rookie Sam Rogers.

Offensive line: McVay recently began experimenting with the right side of his offensive line, but Rob Havenstein is listed as the right guard and Jamon Brown is the starting right tackle here. Andrew Whitworth (left tackle), Rodger Saffold (left guard) and John Sullivan (center) are solidified. Pace Murphy and Darrell Williams are listed as the backup tackles. Cody Wichmann and Andrew Donnal are the backup guards, though Donnal has been dealing with a knee injury. Austin Blythe is listed as the backup center.

Defensive line: Dominique Easley tore his ACL and is out for the year, while Aaron Donald continues to hold out (a close look at his situation can be found here). Michael Brockers is the last man standing. He is flanked by Ethan Westbrooks and Louis Trinca-Pasat on this depth chart. Once Donald reports, it'll probably be the more experienced Westbrooks who stays. But several others will get snaps, Trinca-Pasat included. Morgan Fox, Mike Purcell and Tanzel Smart are listed as backups.

Outside linebacker: Connor Barwin and Robert Quinn are the starters, as expected. Matt Longacre and Cassanova McKinzy are their backups. Samson Ebukam, a fourth-round pick out of Eastern Washington, is expected to play a significant role, but he has been among several nursing a soft-tissue injury.
Inside linebacker: No surprise with the starters here, either, with Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron. One mild surprise is that Josh Forrest is listed third string. Forrest was impressing as a rookie before a knee injury prematurely ended his season.


Cornerback: Johnson and Webster are the starters, while Gaines and Nickell Robey-Coleman, a standout slot corner who has impressed during training camp, are the backups. The Rams did a nice job over the offseason of replenishing some depth here. Mike Jordan and Troy Hill, suspended the first two games, are third string.

Safety: Maurice Alexander is the strong safety and Lamarcus Joyner is the free safety. That much has been established. But it'll be interesting to see how much the Rams also use Joyner as a slot corner. John Johnson, a promising third-round pick out of Boston College, is currently third string, which is somewhat surprising. Isaiah Johnson and Cody Davis are listed as backups.

Specialists: The Rams are solid on special teams, with punter Johnny Hekker, kicker Greg Zuerlein and long snapper Jake McQuaide. Austin is currently listed as the only punt returner, but Kupp and Pharoh Cooper are under consideration there, too. Cooper is listed as the kick returner, and it seems safe to say he'll play that role when the regular season begins.

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Training Camp Report: Top Takeaways from Day 9

The Rams were back in full pads for Day 9 of their training camp today after a light walk-thru practice to cap the weekend. Monday afternoon marked the team’s last day on field before they practice with the Chargers on Wednesday, in the second of two joint practices. Tomorrow will be a players day off.

When addressing the media after Sunday’s practice, head coach Sean McVay said he hoped the mental focus and light nature of the afternoon would translate into a high intensity practice today — and for the most part he got exactly what he wanted. Check out our top takeaways from Day 9:

TOP TAKEAWAYS

1. The secondary continues to shine

In what is quickly becoming a familiar trend to this year’s training camp, the Rams’ secondary continued to be a bright spot on the defense with numerous pass deflections and almost picks.

Safety Cody Davis had two tipped passes throughout the day, skillfully reading the receiver’s routes and excelling in his man coverage. Rookie defensive back John Johnson also had a would-be pick, but was unable to hold on to the ball on a pass from quarterback Sean Mannion. Finally, after forcing an incomplete pass early on in the day, cornerback Mike Jordan was able to come up with an interception on the last play of the day. The whole defense huddled around Jordan congratulating him for his impressive grab.

After Friday’s practice, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips discussed the secondary’s improvement during camp, emphasizing its focus on giving up less points overall.

“We’ve still got to get some things done, but I’m pleased with where we are right now,” Phillips said. “Part of that is the passing game, stopping [and] slowing down the passing game. Nobody really stops that in this league, but, if you cut it down enough, you cut down on the number of points they score against you and that helps.”

Judging by today’s practice, Phillips’ technique seems to be working, as the secondary successfully challenged the offense on its passing game play after play.

2. The entire team amps up its energy

But the secondary was not the only position group to turn on the intensity in today’s practice. The entire team was in good spirits throughout the afternoon and the competition level was set high during each set of drills.

Throughout the last nine days of training camp, the Rams have moved on from simply learning the new systems to working more fully on their execution level and skillset. And by mastering the systems, McVay says they are able to give more energy and output when it comes to the various portions of practice.

“I think you’re seeing a lot of good, competitive work, really from top to bottom on our roster,” McVay said. “Now that we’ve gotten a little bit further into our installs, the nice thing is you can do a lot of unscripted work and kind of some situational stuff.”

On offense, wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods along with tight ends Gerald Everett, Tyler Higbee and Temarrick Hemingway stood out with a number of solid receptions. While on defense, a variety of guys had some good looks throughout the day, including cornerbacks Kayvon Webster and Troy Hill.

“That’s the type of energy that you like to see from the team,” McVay added. “I think it raises the level of competition where there was some good back and forth.”

3. Wednesday’s joint practice with the Chargers

Monday’s practice also gave us a glimpse as to what we will see from the team on Wednesday.

In last Saturday’s practice at StubHub Center, we were able to get a really good look at how quarterback Jared Goff, along with the rest of his offensive line, would be able to handle themselves in a game-like situation. The line, led by veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth, looked impressive holding its own for the majority of the reps, even when faced with Chargers’ defensive end Melvin Ingram.

Goff also appeared to be comfortable controlling the offense as a leader, something he has continued to showcase throughout training camp.

However, going into Wednesday the offensive line will continue to experiment with some lineup changes. Although Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown are listed as the projected starters at right tackle and right guard respectively, over the past two days the linemen have switched positions.

“We know that Rob has played productive tackle in this league in his career and I feel like Jamon has put some good stuff on tape at guard,” McVay said. “Really, if we feel like those guys do well, then we’re trying to just figure out what the best spot is for them and that’s what this opportunity offers.”

As for Wednesday’s practice as a whole, McVay has referred to the joint practice as an “invaluable opportunity” to line up against a team other than your own.

“I think we’re always striving to improve and I think the games and playing against other teams are your best measuring stick to see where you’re at,” McVay said. “Going against the Chargers again on Wednesday, I think we are striving to just focus on one day at a time and if we do that, we feel like those incremental gains will lead to good things.”

FIELD-LEVEL OBSERVATIONS

- Earlier today the Rams announced several changes to their active roster taking wide receiver Mike Thomas off of the PUP list and waiving wideout Bradley Marquez with an injury designation. For the full story click here.

- On the injury front, wide receivers Tavon Austin and Josh Reynolds remained on the sidelines during today’s practice alongside linebacker Samson Ebukam. Safety LaMarcus Joyner also did not participate in the day’s drills.

- Actor Ty Burrell was on hand to watch Monday’s practice from the sidelines. The Modern Family star is a well-known fan of the Rams.

- On the defensive line, defensive ends Louis Trinca-Pasat and Ethan Westbrooks continued to take snaps with the first team defense. Both are listed as projected starters in Saturday’s game and have worked well alongside tackle Michael Brockers.

- In Tuesday’s practice wideout Pharoh Cooper took reps as the primary kick returner.

- During the 11-on-11 portion of practice, Everett had a great play catching the ball amid heavy coverage for about a 10-yard gain.

- Running back De’Mard Llorens had a nice run towards the tail end of the day, finding his hole quickly and bringing it all the way down field to the end zone.

PLAY OF THE DAY

During the full team portion of practice, Goff hit Kupp in the end zone for today’s play of the day. Goff stepped back in the pocket and delivered a beautiful pass downfield to hit his receiver perfectly in the back left corner. Although Kupp was heavily guarded by two defenders he managed to successfully pull it in for the touchdown.

This was the last of a series of great grabs by the receiver who seemed to be catching almost everything today. He is a projected starter on the offense and has shown tremendous growth and reliability at his position throughout training camp.

PRESS POINTS

After practice McVay addressed the media to discuss how the team will be preparing for their preseason matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. Catch up on his most interesting point from Day 9:

SEAN McVAY:

On his plan for how much work certain players will get in the first preseason game:

“When you go into training camp you always kind of have your plan set out, a good month, month and a half in advanced. I think the biggest thing is, is we’re going to keep our training camp mindset and mentality with the exception of when you get a couple days out, being mindful of, ‘Let’s still get some competitive work.’ But anytime you have that first preseason game with the exception of a few guys, usually those guys you’re counting on to start are playing anywhere between six to 12 plays.”

NFL writer Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.comcolumnist Ben Frederickson present their all-time St. Louis pro football team:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...ion_6a3a2d1b-a21b-5dc4-8028-8616e3be5eeb.html

In nearly a half-century of NFL football in St. Louis — first the Cardinals (1960-87), then the Rams (1995-2015) — there were more losses then wins. More heartache than hoopla. The Big Red had some good teams in the 1960s and brought us Air Coryell and the Cardiac Cards in the mid '70s.

After seven years without the NFL, the Rams came to town in '95 and in a few short years brought us some of the most dynamic offensive football ever seen with the Greatest Show on Turf.

Bill Bidwill wasn't an ideal owner — far from it. But he never really wanted to leave St. Louis. Not so with Stan Kroenke, who many feel misled St. Louisans about his intentions and then trashed the region on his way out of town.

The owners can take their teams, but they can't take the memories. Late last year, we put together the All-St. Louis NFL team — and upon Kurt Warner's Hall of Fame induction over the weekend, thought this would be a good time to re-publish it.

Some excellent players, such as running back Ottis Anderson, defensive end Robert Quinn, and place-kicker Jeff Wilkins did not make the first team. Some very good ones, such as Jim Otis, Tom Nutten, Irv Goode, and Pat Fischer did not make the second team.

But eight members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are represented now that Warner has been voted in. And in time that number could grow to 10 with respect to Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.


That's a pretty good number for a baseball town, don't you think?

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...ack-a-vertical-threat-for-sean-mcvays-offense

RVINE, Calif. -- Josh Reynolds ran short sprints between the two practice fields at UC Irvine. Mike Thomas caught passes from punter Johnny Hekker in the end zone. Tavon Austin just stood there, watching while Jared Goff and the rest of the first-team offense navigated through a light, one-hour practice on Sunday afternoon. Another day went by without the three guys -- the only three guys, really -- who are expected to be vertical outside threats for the Los Angeles Rams. They were heavy on slot receivers before, but it's even more so the case now.

Thomas has been dealing with a hamstring injury, but he is nonetheless suspended for the first four regular-season games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Reynolds has a quad injury, but the 2017 fourth-round pick is still a little raw for the NFL. The one that hurts the most is Austin, who spent the entire offseason program recovering from wrist surgery and has sat out the past five practices because of a tender hamstring.

"It’s a little bit of a setback," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "But the way we look at it is a setback is a setup for a comeback, and I think he has a good mindset about it."

McVay called Austin's hamstring "a day-to-day thing," something the Rams will be extra cautious about given his reliance on speed and quickness. When Austin does return, he's going to have a lot of catching up to do. The Rams are installing a completely different offense and want Austin to play a different role as an outside vertical threat, a skill set he hasn't really flashed in four prior NFL seasons.

"Tavon is a smart guy; he’s played in this league a long time," offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said. "The thing that you’re missing out on is just getting that timing down with your quarterbacks. I think that’s kind of a big deal. But we have a lot of faith in his ability to bounce back and he’s very attentive in our meetings and when we’re out on the field, so he’s getting those mental reps."

The Rams were also without Bradley Marquez, who had been nursing a knee injury and was waived on Monday. They were so shallow on receivers recently that they were forced to sign three new ones in a span of two days last week: KD Cannon out of Baylor, C.J. Germany out of Notre Dame College and former quarterback Justin Thomas out of Georgia Tech. They now have 13 receivers on the roster, 11 of whom are first- or second-year players.

And none of them is named DeSean Jackson.

Jackson is one of the game's greatest vertical threats, and McVay benefited from his presence greatly while serving as Washington's offensive coordinator the past three years. Having a reliable downfield target who can take the top off defenses "softens coverage," McVay said, "and it eliminates you having to go 12, 15 plays down the field because of the ability to create explosives. We’re always looking for ways to create explosives."

With the Rams, McVay doesn't really have a player who can consistently beat defenses over the top. It's why his offense will probably look completely different. It was evident during Saturday's joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers, when the vast majority of Jared Goff's completions traveled 10 yards or fewer, with a sizable amount coming after play-action rollouts. Receivers like Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Pharoh Cooper thrive in the short-to-intermediate passing game, as do tight ends like Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett.


"I know we have a lot of slot-body guys," Woods said, "but I feel like our guys can definitely roll. And if we hit them on intermediate routes throughout the whole game, something’s going to pop, because they’re going to have to step down eventually and play us honest. And that’s when we just run right by them."

Longtime defensive coordinator Wade Phillips faces off against McVay every day and will tell you his offense "creates a lot of problems." Woods believes McVay's concepts will keep defenses honest and prevent them from jumping routes.


"We do have a lot of slot guys," Cooper said, "but our offense lets everybody play every different position."

Cooper is a perfect example. He's 5-foot-11, carrying the label of a slot receiver from his collegiate days at South Carolina. But Cooper has been receiving the bulk of the first-team snaps in Austin's absence, lining up as an X and Z receiver on the outside, positions Cooper said he feels "very comfortable" playing.

"They teach it very well, so I know the concepts," Cooper added. "I plan to play a big role."

Cooper might, but given a clean bill of health, the Rams will seemingly go with Austin, Woods and Kupp on three-receiver sets. They're hoping the 5-8 Austin can be that vertical threat on the outside. Perhaps not to Jackson's level, but close enough so that opposing teams aren't stacking the box to stop running back Todd Gurley. They believe Austin's straight-line speed alone will make him a weapon downfield.

But they need to see it play out on the field.

"I know he’s anxious to get out there," McVay said. "We’ll see if he can do some of those things when he gets back out for us.”

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000826632/article/anquan-boldin-signs-oneyear-deal-with-buffalo-bills


After losing out on the Jeremy Maclin sweepstakes, the Bills have finally gotten on the board with a veteran wide receiver.

Anquan Boldin is signing a one-year deal to join Tyrod Taylor and Sammy Watkins in Buffalo, Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager reported Monday. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero adds the one-year deal is worth up to $4 million. Boldin, who will turn 37 in early October, now joins his fifth NFL team in 15 years. His latest stop comes in a place desperate for help on offense.

Notoriously sure handed, Boldin posted a 70.5 percent catch rate in Detroit last year -- one of the highest totals of his career. He finished the season with 67 total receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns.

While this is not a signing that will break the Bills' offense wide open, bringing in a veteran like Boldin is a tremendous gift for both Taylor and Watkins -- a receiver the Bills would like to see develop into a franchise-type star. Boldin's understanding of leverage and his ability to find small windows of empty space are among the best in the NFL.

"In my opinion, Anquan Boldin is a Hall of Fame player," Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters. "Add that to winning the Man of the Year Award and we're excited."

The Bills spent the early portion of camp looking at an uncertain depth chart behind Watkins. Rookie Zay Jones has made some plays early on, but behind him is a bundle of unproven players and older veterans like Rod Streater and Andre Holmes. Boldin should add a little more certainty at the position.

Just me cheerleading again for this place. Rattle those piggy banks boys!!!!!! Send a few coins to the coffers so the guys running this place can pay the bills!!!!! Those guys are starting to have to drink cheap beer and that's a shame!!alm: Get in here and help the brothers out! :cheers:

Yeah, i loved the speech...But one set of statements kind of stuck with me, and now I know why

Kurt Warner, born in Burlington, Iowa on June 21, 1971.
Johnny Unitas retired after the 1973 season
Joe Namath retired after the 1976 season (w/ the Rams)
Steelers vs Cowboys in Super Bowl X in 1976
Steelers vs Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII in 1979

Kurt was talking about the "jersey" he'd wear outside, imitating the exploits of the greatest QB's in the game. The way I heard it was that it was after a game seen on Sunday. He said that he put their names on his back, most of the great ones from the 70's...Staubach, Stabler, Johnny U., and Broadway Joe. He said also that one QB's name that he never put on his back was Steeler's QB Terry Bradshaw, because of the two Super Bowl losses by the Cowboys to them.

I can't believe that he remembers seeing any of the above before about 1978. He only ever saw games by Johnny U. and Broadway Joe (when they were great) on NFL films. Stabler's greatest year was in 1977 in winning the Super Bowl with the Raiders, maybe Kurt remembers it? I don't believe he remembers Super Bowl X in 1976, unless on NFL films.....

Anyway, stories get compressed and details get omitted so a story flows....Still a great speech.

Looks like McVay has let the cat out of the bag wrt Thomas. Seems to me he's got a roster spot when he returns. Assuming we keep 6 and with my own take for which spots they are best served:

Guaranteed roster spots
1. Woods. Y>Z. Not ideal at X (speed) but experienced and can do it if needed.
2. Kupp. Y>Z. Could probably play X but not ideal (speed).
3. Austin. Z>X. With his speed they need him outside, Z can be schemed for release from LOS.
4. Thomas. X>Z. May end up being their best option at X tbh.

Fighting for two roster spots
1. Reynolds. X. 4th round pick for this regime so probably gets one of the roster spots.
2. Cooper. Y. 4th round pick a year ago, been very visible with first team in Austin's absence.
3. Spruce. Y. Fan favorite and UDFA who looks like he's facing a cut by week 5 at the latest.
4. McRoberts. Y. Been doing some good things here and there by some accounts.
5. Ryan. Y. Caught a real nice fade in practice the other day, I think Rams really like him.

Looking at the above it's no wonder Marquez was waived. Good to let him have opportunity with another team as a special teams swiss army knife. Those last two cuts are gonna be tough.

Weakness of this WR corps still resides at X. Austin probably gets owned on the LOS by a top CB still. Thomas is suspended four games and has yet to show what the staff saw in OTAs (although he looked real good in routes on side of field in practice). And Reynolds is a rookie. Woods, thus, probably eats the most snaps there, which is not ideal. So I'm hoping for a hail mary with Thomas developing.

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.. and I'm Chomping-at-the-Bit waiting to see what Kind of Wagers @flv is going to come-up with to TEMP all of us Gambling Addicts! Just a thought I wanted to through out there! It's the beginning of real Football!:yess:

What would you like to bet on!!?! I want to bet on weather McVay Wins his 1st game a HC!