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Jon Gruden Wants To Coach Again(Turned down Rams job)
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 30 Replies
This is a long 5-page article. To read the article in its entirety click the link below. Posted below are some comments and quotes. For those of you who are interested in "Chuckie" or how the NFL works, enjoy!
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https://www.pewterreport.com/srs-fab-5-gruden-wants-to-coach-again-likes-bucs-playoff-chances/
Gruden Wants To Coach Again, Likes Bucs’ Playoff Chances
Posted By: Scott Reynolds
Photo by: Getty Images
Gruden Wants To Coach Again
I asked Gruden, who turns 54 on August 17, but looks 45, if he was annoyed or flattered that his name gets attached to vacant, high profile NFL and college coaching jobs each year. Fresh off of watching some game tape for the millionth time this year, he took that question and ran with it.
“I’ve met with several people – I won’t deny that,” Gruden said. “People – just about every year I talk about coming back to coach. I’m not in here every day at 4:30 or 4:00 in the morning watching pinball. You know? I’m preparing myself to come back. I am. Every day. I’m preparing to come back.
“It helps me in my broadcasting and I think if you lose that edge … you can’t come back unless you are totally wired with college football, personnel, schemes, the CBA, how people are practicing, trends, you know. You’ve got stay on top of this stuff.”
“I love ESPN,” Gruden said. “I mean I love what I’m doing. I’m with a great team – a great group of guys. I’m still real close to the game. I still stay in contact with a lot of players and coaches at the league at every level. I don’t know if [all the talk] is flattering or irritating.
I don’t really pay attention to a lot of it. But I am – every year – preparing myself to coach. Sometimes I show up at camp and I show up in the offseason and people let me coach. I jump in drills and they still let me install plays and call plays at some places. I still have a lot of fun.”
I miss the players. I miss … I won’t deny that. I don’t want to start anything, but I say the same thing to everybody. There are very few passions in my life. The man upstairs, family and football.”
On Coaching College Football
While Gruden didn’t reveal what the right situation would be to prompt him to leave ESPN and dive back into battling the media and fan expectations in the coaching world, it won’t be in college football.
“Too many rules, man. I mean I like to work. I don’t like to be working 15 hours a week with players. The recruiting, Facebook, texting, e-mails – all that stuff. Yeah, I’d probably have you in real deep, deep trouble if I was your college coach.”
On Not Drafting Aaron Rodgers
Back in April, Gruden revealed that not drafting quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the Bucs’ fifth overall pick in 2005 was “one of the greatest regrets” of his life in an interview for ESPN.com.
“I went and watched tape with Aaron,” Gruden told ESPN.com. “I can still remember it like yesterday. I watched tape with Coach [Jeff] Tedford and Aaron. Was really impressed in the film room and then we went out right there in the stadium. We walked right outside and started playing catch to loosen him up and then you look up in the stands and here comes this strange figure walking down the aisle and Aaron says, ‘Who is that?’
I said that’s our receiver. He says, ‘Well who is it?’ I said, ‘You’ll see.’ So it’s Jerry Rice. That was pretty good. That was a great day. I’ve still got the picture hanging right here at the FFCA [Fired Football Coaches Association]. It’s a memento of why I was fired. You can see one of the greatest regrets in my lifetime.”
On Who He Would Have Drafted At QB This Season
“I’m on record … on (one of) those (ESPN) shows, they put me on the stage and said ‘Who ya takin,’ and I said ‘Mahomes,’” Gruden told the Kansas City Star. “I can’t find guys that can do what he does in terms of his overall arm talent.
“I said if I could have one guy, I’d pick Mahomes.”
On Turning Down The Ram's Job
Gruden’s name was linked to the Los Angeles Rams last December when Jeff Fisher was fired, but he turned down interest from Rams COO Kevin Demoff, who worked with Gruden as Bruce Allen’s assistant in Tampa Bay from 2005-08.
Perhaps Gruden didn’t care for quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, after having him as a guest on Gruden’s QB Camp.
Instead, the Rams hired 30-year old Sean McVay, the Redskins offensive coordinator, who coached for Gruden in 2008 with the Bucs and then with Jay Gruden in Washington from 2010-16.
On His Coaching Tree
Gruden is proud of the coaching tree that he helped cultivate in Tampa Bay where several of his former assistant coaches have gone on to head coaching jobs – past or present – in the NFL.
Legendary Bucs DT Warren Sapp & Jon Gruden – Photo by: Getty Images
“A lot of guys have come out of Tampa,” Gruden said. “My brother, head coach of the Redskins, he was here every year with me. Kyle Shanahan was here with me. Sean McVay was here. That’s three head coaches.
Then you’ve got Jeremy Bates and Nathaniel Hackett, who is the offensive coordinator at Jacksonville. [Mike] Tomlin got a head coaching job. [Rod] Marinelli got a head coaching job. I’m not saying it had anything to do with me, but it was us – it was the Glazers, it was the Bucs.”
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The rest of the interview centers around his history with the Bucs and what he thinks of the present day Bucs.
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https://www.pewterreport.com/srs-fab-5-gruden-wants-to-coach-again-likes-bucs-playoff-chances/
Gruden Wants To Coach Again, Likes Bucs’ Playoff Chances
Posted By: Scott Reynolds
Photo by: Getty Images
Gruden Wants To Coach Again
I asked Gruden, who turns 54 on August 17, but looks 45, if he was annoyed or flattered that his name gets attached to vacant, high profile NFL and college coaching jobs each year. Fresh off of watching some game tape for the millionth time this year, he took that question and ran with it.
“I’ve met with several people – I won’t deny that,” Gruden said. “People – just about every year I talk about coming back to coach. I’m not in here every day at 4:30 or 4:00 in the morning watching pinball. You know? I’m preparing myself to come back. I am. Every day. I’m preparing to come back.
“It helps me in my broadcasting and I think if you lose that edge … you can’t come back unless you are totally wired with college football, personnel, schemes, the CBA, how people are practicing, trends, you know. You’ve got stay on top of this stuff.”
“I love ESPN,” Gruden said. “I mean I love what I’m doing. I’m with a great team – a great group of guys. I’m still real close to the game. I still stay in contact with a lot of players and coaches at the league at every level. I don’t know if [all the talk] is flattering or irritating.
I don’t really pay attention to a lot of it. But I am – every year – preparing myself to coach. Sometimes I show up at camp and I show up in the offseason and people let me coach. I jump in drills and they still let me install plays and call plays at some places. I still have a lot of fun.”
I miss the players. I miss … I won’t deny that. I don’t want to start anything, but I say the same thing to everybody. There are very few passions in my life. The man upstairs, family and football.”
On Coaching College Football
While Gruden didn’t reveal what the right situation would be to prompt him to leave ESPN and dive back into battling the media and fan expectations in the coaching world, it won’t be in college football.
“Too many rules, man. I mean I like to work. I don’t like to be working 15 hours a week with players. The recruiting, Facebook, texting, e-mails – all that stuff. Yeah, I’d probably have you in real deep, deep trouble if I was your college coach.”
On Not Drafting Aaron Rodgers
Back in April, Gruden revealed that not drafting quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the Bucs’ fifth overall pick in 2005 was “one of the greatest regrets” of his life in an interview for ESPN.com.
“I went and watched tape with Aaron,” Gruden told ESPN.com. “I can still remember it like yesterday. I watched tape with Coach [Jeff] Tedford and Aaron. Was really impressed in the film room and then we went out right there in the stadium. We walked right outside and started playing catch to loosen him up and then you look up in the stands and here comes this strange figure walking down the aisle and Aaron says, ‘Who is that?’
I said that’s our receiver. He says, ‘Well who is it?’ I said, ‘You’ll see.’ So it’s Jerry Rice. That was pretty good. That was a great day. I’ve still got the picture hanging right here at the FFCA [Fired Football Coaches Association]. It’s a memento of why I was fired. You can see one of the greatest regrets in my lifetime.”
On Who He Would Have Drafted At QB This Season
“I’m on record … on (one of) those (ESPN) shows, they put me on the stage and said ‘Who ya takin,’ and I said ‘Mahomes,’” Gruden told the Kansas City Star. “I can’t find guys that can do what he does in terms of his overall arm talent.
“I said if I could have one guy, I’d pick Mahomes.”
On Turning Down The Ram's Job
Gruden’s name was linked to the Los Angeles Rams last December when Jeff Fisher was fired, but he turned down interest from Rams COO Kevin Demoff, who worked with Gruden as Bruce Allen’s assistant in Tampa Bay from 2005-08.
Perhaps Gruden didn’t care for quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, after having him as a guest on Gruden’s QB Camp.
Instead, the Rams hired 30-year old Sean McVay, the Redskins offensive coordinator, who coached for Gruden in 2008 with the Bucs and then with Jay Gruden in Washington from 2010-16.
On His Coaching Tree
Gruden is proud of the coaching tree that he helped cultivate in Tampa Bay where several of his former assistant coaches have gone on to head coaching jobs – past or present – in the NFL.
Legendary Bucs DT Warren Sapp & Jon Gruden – Photo by: Getty Images
“A lot of guys have come out of Tampa,” Gruden said. “My brother, head coach of the Redskins, he was here every year with me. Kyle Shanahan was here with me. Sean McVay was here. That’s three head coaches.
Then you’ve got Jeremy Bates and Nathaniel Hackett, who is the offensive coordinator at Jacksonville. [Mike] Tomlin got a head coaching job. [Rod] Marinelli got a head coaching job. I’m not saying it had anything to do with me, but it was us – it was the Glazers, it was the Bucs.”
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The rest of the interview centers around his history with the Bucs and what he thinks of the present day Bucs.
A Familiar Position For Jared Goff
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 2 Replies
Familiar Position For Jared Goff
NOVATO, Calif. — When Jared Goff was a freshman at Cal, the Golden Bears finished 1-11.
f that piece of information is familiar to you, it should be. As one of the widely heralded top quarterbacks of the 2016 draft class, Goff’s record was repeatedly dissected and scrutinized in the lead up to the Rams selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick.
Despite the team struggles of that first college season, Goff helped put the program in a position to go 8-5 in his junior year, winning a bowl game for the first time since 2008. And in the process, Goff became one of the most prolific passers in Pac-12 history.
The situations are not the same, but it’s easy to draw parallels between that freshman season and Goff’s first year in the NFL. Speaking with the quarterback and a few of those close to him in his hometown over a weekend in late June, it’s clear why they are all eager and optimistic as Goff’s second season gets underway.
“I was always a quarterback since I was about 7 or 8 years old,” Jared says. “Always a quarterback.”
The Rams No. 1 overall pick has been hosting a youth flag football tournament over the last two days at his alma mater, Marin Catholic, where he starred as the high school’s varsity signal-caller from 2010-2012. Jared led the program to a 39-4 record in that time, winning three Marin County Athletic League championships and one CIF North Coast Section title.
As he said himself, Jared has been a quarterback long before he was torching high schools from all over the Bay Area. But always?
“It’s kind of funny. He was never the biggest kid. He’s gotten to the point now where he can handle himself, but back then, he was lean,” Jared’s father, Jerry Goff, recalls. Jerry played Major League Baseball in the 90s as a catcher for the Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. “So we walked up the first day of football practice, and sent him out there with the rest of the kids. And he got in the linemen line.”
“Nobody knows — they’re seven years old, right?” Jerry laughs. “So he’s over there with the linemen and I’m like, ‘Man… I don’t want him to be a lineman.’ Because I had just played high school football and I knew his body wasn’t meant for that. So we had a little chat after and I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get out of that group and try this group.’ And that’s when he ended up doing what he’s doing now.”
“He loved it,” Jared’s mother, Nancy Goff, says of her son playing quarterback. “He just took off and loved it from Day 1.”
While quarterbacks don’t traditionally drop back much at that age, part of Jared’s love for the position came from his early ability to pass.
“I was just throwing the ball further than everyone so that’s why I started it,” Jared says. “And then as I grew older, I kind of grew into the position and everything that kind of goes along with it. And it’s kind of shaped me a little bit.”
Shaped him?
“Just the way I carry myself. [Being a quarterback] gives you confidence, and you have to have confidence at the position,” Jared says. “Leadership, energy, and everything else has shaped into my personality.
But if you ask his mom, Jared may have simply been innately suited to play what’s often described as the most difficult position in sports.
“I think he’s a natural leader. He loves telling people what to do, orchestrating things — even not just in football, but when he gets friends together,” Nancy says. “He likes orchestrating and leading, and he’s good at it.”
“He’s got a real strong sense of himself, a real strong sense of confidence,” she continues. “We get asked a lot that question — ‘Where does that come from?’ And I think the real explanation is the easiest: It’s just who he is.”
By the time Jared reached Marin Catholic, he’d been playing football for years. He clearly had arm talent, but no one quite knew how he would fare at the high school level.
Mazi Moayed has been Marin Catholic’s football coach since 2010, and remembers his first impression of Jared well.
“Tall, skinny kid who wanted to play quarterback,” Moayed says. “You have a lot of guys with that type of frame, and everybody wants to play quarterback.”
But there was something different about the way the ball would come off of Jared’s hand.
“You watch him throw the football, and you’d be like, ‘Wow, that looked really easy.’ Like, you felt like you could do it,” Moayed says. “You could tell he was special then. And he had the tools and the gifts — just had to see, at that point, was he going to have the head and the heart for it?”
Moayed and his staff learned Jared possessed both as he began his sophomore year.
“You could see right away [that] he was mature, just a mature athlete,” Moayed says. “And his competitive toughness was pretty awesome. He would compete like crazy at practice.”
Even though he was the starter, Jared wanted to be the scout-team quarterback, too. And so Moayed sent him out there in each practice as a sophomore, with Jared always trying to get the best of the first-team defense.
“It was fun — it was a good rivalry. A lot of his best friends were on the other side of the football, so it made it that much sweeter,” Moayed says. “That stood out right away, though, his sophomore year, was wanting to even be the scout-team guy. And we let him. And I think it made him better because it was always good-on-good.”
Growing up with a professional athlete as a father likely fostered that spirit in Jared.
“He’s got a very competitive side. I mean, he and my husband, they’ll compete over ping pong to where it gets a little nasty sometimes,” Nancy says. “Neither of them can stand to lose.”
But along with the intangibles, Jared’s skill-set allowed him to flourish.
Moyaed says Jared had an “ability to stand in the pocket and [keep his] eyes downfield. It didn’t matter what was happening — he’d be willing to stand in there and take a hit. You saw that in high school all the time and that was the No. 1 thing recruiters noticed when they’d come through, is, ‘Wow, he stays in the pocket and his eyes are downfield the whole time.’”
“He was pinpoint accurate and that was really helpful,” Moyaed adds. “It helped the average guys become a lot better, and the good guys become great because of how he was able to place the ball.”
Even then, Jared was exhibiting qualities that would help him get selected at the top of the draft — including his on-field demeanor.
“His calmness no matter the situation — he takes a hit, just playing the next play staying focused, and cool, and sort of calming the other guys down,” Moyaed says. “He has the energy to keep it fun and loose so he can be efficient.”
That sense of calmness was another significant point of Jared’s evaluation when he was entering the NFL. He says it’s just a quality he thinks he’s always had.
“I don’t know, I think it comes from trying to enjoy the game,” he says. “Trying to not make it more than it is, trying to have fun and don’t make the moment bigger than it is. It’s still just a game at the end of the day — a fun game we all play — and just try to enjoy it everyday.”
“I think he has a way of calming himself and knowing it’s going to be OK,” Jerry says. “You want to succeed at whatever you do. But there’s going to be some failures. And for his ability to push those off and push to the next play, or the next game — whatever it may be — is a really nice way to be wired as a quarterback.”
Whenever a high school player is putting up numbers like Jared — he threw 44 touchdowns as a junior — colleges are going to start giving him some attention. And so during that 2011 season, Jared started getting the sense that he had a future in football.
“I knew my junior year I could do it,” Jared says. “My junior year, I had a pretty good year — a bunch of touchdowns and not many interceptions and we were really good. I had some pretty good receivers around me that year and that’s when I kind of knew I could do it, started getting some interest.”
“Probably his junior year of high school where I knew, ‘You know, maybe he can play in college,’” Jerry says. “I’m like, ‘OK, he’s doing some things now that he has a chance to play in college. I don’t think he can for sure, because he’s still got to get better.’ And he kept getting better.”
So college programs began to show interest, and eventually Jared was offered Washington State, Boise State, and a school just a half hour away from his hometown: University of California, Berkeley.
“He had talked to a few other colleges, offers from a few others, and was still talking to a few others,” Nancy says. “And at one point he said to both Jerry and I, ‘I know I can’t do better than Cal. I know that’s where I want to go.’ And Jerry said, ‘Then just declare. Let’s do it.’ And so he did.”
“It was close to home, that was part of it,” Jared says. “It was nice to be close to home but ultimately, it was the chance to compete in the Pac-12. Great school — if football didn’t work out, you get a great degree.”
It was a choice that elicited plenty of family pride, as both Jerry and Nancy had attended Cal, too. Back then, Jerry not only excelled on the baseball field, but was also a punter for the football program.
“We were so happy — I was so happy. It’s unreal, it really is unreal, as a mom who went to school there, to have your son then deciding that he’s going to play there. And, hopefully, be the starting quarterback at Cal,” Nancy says. “I watched Jerry play there. So to be back on that field, Memorial Stadium, with Jared starting was unreal.”
“Yeah, selfishly it was great, because we could see every home game — we’re a half hour away,” Jerry says. “And then we were able to go on the road, too, because it wasn’t that big of a deal being on the West Coast. It meant a lot, in terms of just his legacy. He’s a second generation Cal guy, which is good.”
There were, however, a couple of factors that could have complicated Goff’s ascent. The first, was that Cal wanted Jared to enroll in the spring of 2013 so he could participate in spring practices. That meant the quarterback would have to graduate Marin Catholic early, which wasn’t something normally done.
“We got on the phone with Marin Catholic and said, ‘What do we need to do?’” Nancy says. “He had to take a few summer school classes. He had to do a few things because Marin Catholic has some other requirements. And they didn’t waive any of them — he had to finish the way everyone else finishes, but within three-and-a-half years. So we went online, he took some classes and he got it done.”
“That was just kind of new, believe it or not, in 2013,” Jerry says. “A lot of kids hadn’t been doing that. It started maybe in 2012 with a few kids. That’s your only chance to play as a freshman at the quarterback position — is to get out of high school a semester early. And he felt, you know, he’s like, ‘I want to do this. I want to get this done.’”
The opportunity to start as a freshman was a significant factor for why Jared wanted to graduate in that time frame. In a way, it’s an example of his highly competitive nature.
“I could’ve played baseball and still enjoyed my spring semester [in high school],” Jared says. “But it was the fact that I knew, if I’m sitting in class here, and it’s second semester senior year — you know how it goes. It’s like every class is kind of a joke towards the end. So [I pictured] sitting there and they’re doing practice across the bridge, and they don’t have a quarterback, and I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I knew I didn’t want to be in that situation. So that’s why I went.”
“I obviously did miss my friends a little bit but there were times where they would come over and see me at Cal or I’d go back home on weekends all the time. It really wasn’t too bad, because I was so close,” Jared adds. “But that was the best decision I’ve ever made, going there early.”
“I think, obviously, when you look back on it, that could be why he is where he is now,” Jerry says. “If he doesn’t go there [early], he probably doesn’t start, and who knows? Things happen for a reason, and it was a good call on his part wanting to do that.”
The other complicating factor: Cal relieved head coach Jeff Tedford of his duties after the 2012 season, meaning Jared would walk into an unfamiliar situation with a coach who hadn’t recruited him. But even though there were potential opportunities to go elsewhere, Jared never wavered in where he wanted to be.
“I committed to the school,” he says. “I love coach Tedford, I thought he was great, I loved his whole staff. But I was committed to Cal as a school and as the institution it is.”
“I think he’s an ‘all-in’ type of guy with whatever he does — very loyal guy,” Moayed says of Jared. “And I think after he’d been committed that long, his heart, mind, and soul was into Cal. In his mind and heart, he had already played there, practiced there, walked-through there. He was already there.”
In some ways, the coaching change may have worked to Jared’s advantage. Cal hired Sonny Dykes and he brought with him an air-raid offense that bore a closer resemblance to what Moayed ran at Marin Catholic.
“With coach Tedford’s scheme, although very successful, it’s hard to come in and learn his system right away in one spring,” Moayed says. “You’re better off [red] shirting to grow in that offensive system.”
Under Dykes, Jared effectively learned the new offensive system and seized the starting role as a true freshman in August.
“I went in there not really knowing what was gonna happen, but just trying to do my best. And through probably a few weeks of early spring training, I thought, ‘Man, I could do this. I feel like I’m better than all these guys and I feel like I could do it,’” Jared says. “And I worked, and worked, and worked all the way through the summer and worked hard all the way through training camp and was named the starter about two weeks before the first game.”
Though he earned the starting role and set a number of passing records in 2013, Goff’s first college season was tough.
“It was rough, there’s no doubt about that. He lost four games throughout his whole high school career, and he loses 11,” Jerry says. “And not only did they lose, they got rolled.”
It was the program’s worst record in history, with Cal’s only win coming Week 2 against Portland State.
Nevertheless, there were positives. Two of those new Cal records were yards passing (3,508) and completions (320) — both of which he’d later break. And it was during that year that Jared and those around him began to realize what his ceiling might be.
“When I played my freshman year, we were terrible but I was still throwing it around pretty good, and completing some balls, and completing some big plays,” Jared says. “So I was like, ‘Alright, I can do it.’”
“Even through that 1-11 season, you would hear a lot of bright things about Jared,” Nancy says. “Especially on TV by the commentators about his pocket presence, his arm, his quick feet — things that they talk about when players can go on, attributes that you kind of need to have to go on. Not that they won that often, but Jared’s physical attributes. So I think it was right his freshman year when we started hearing people talk about it on TV, and I was like, ‘Hmm, OK, this could happen for him.’”
Part of that was Jared’s attitude. Even though his freshman season went south quickly, he stayed even keel.
“He hung in there and kept it together,” Jerry says. “He could’ve fell apart real easily — because there was another guy there who was highly recruited who got there before him. He could’ve [started] looking over his shoulder — never ever flinched the whole time.”
“To see him perform consistently at the level he was, the way he was throwing the ball, that, to me, said a lot,” Moayed says. “Just to keep throwing for all the yards that he did even though the team was struggling the way that it was. And to keep your head about you to be executing efficiently, and re-set every week. When you have a fresh approach, you’ve got to be really tough minded to do that. And after that year, I was like, ‘Hey, it’s only going to get better from here. It’s not going to be any worse.’”
But in order to make that happen, Jared had plenty to overcome. He had the support of his coaches and teammates, but also the confidence in himself to put the 1-11 season behind him and take Cal football in the right direction.
“I think there were a lot of things we went through and had to learn from and ultimately, it was changing the culture, and changing the expectation in the building,” Jared says. “And I was a part of that but I wasn’t the only part of that — there were a bunch of guys there with me that were pulling their weight as well. And I’m proud to say I was a part of it but by no means was I the only person behind that. It was a group effort.”
“No team has ever gone 1-11 and then to a bowl game the next year in college football. And they could’ve done that. There were a couple of games that they probably could have won [but] didn’t,” Jerry says. “They ended up 5-8, and then yeah, they moved on.
“So I think the fans in L.A., just to push this forward a little bit, are going to see that, too, out of this kid,” Jerry continues. “Being that he played seven games and didn’t win any of them — that’s no secret — you guys, hang with this guy. He’s going to be
As Jerry says, the similarities between Jared’s freshman year at Cal and his rookie season in the NFL are plainly apparent. After L.A. traded up to No. 1 overall to select him, Jared started seven games, but the Rams finished the year 4-12. And completing just 55 percent of his passes for 1,089 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions was not an ideal first year by any stretch.
“I learned a lot,” Jared says. “I think I learned, ultimately, that winning in this league is not easy and doesn’t come without sacrifice. There’s a lot of things that you need to lay on the line a little bit to get what you want. And, ultimately, that is winning. And I think I learned that — I think our whole team learned that.”
“Definitely want to use some of the things I did learn last year, though, to continue to move myself forward and our team.”
Those close to Jared all have a strong sense that the quarterback will have a much improved 2017. They say he’s proven he has the ability to do it through his resolve and resiliency.
“His track record shows it — he gets better every year,” Jerry says. “Every year, no matter what he does, at whatever level he plays, he gets better. And he’s going to get better, and get better, and get better. He’s not going to stay static — that’s not in his DNA.”
“I think the biggest thing is going to be taking that 1-11 year and using that to his advantage, just sort of being himself and staying the course,” Moayed says. “He’s been playing football all his life and I always hear these different things on interviews or write ups, and sometimes it’s like they’re talking about a guy like he’s never played football before, you know? It’s sort of funny. But there’s a lot of elements involved. And I think he’s going to bounce back and have a great year coming up with the Rams.”
“I think things are on the rise there. I think it’s kind of similar to Cal, where it’s kind of a shift in culture, new coach, they’re kind of turning some things around,” Nancy says. “And I think it’s going to get better just like Cal — I really do. I have a lot of confidence. Jared, obviously, has a lot of confidence. And I think his teammates do. I mean, you can feel it.”
Wide receiver Nelson Spruce
— who helped out at Jared’s camp in June — says he’s noticed a difference not just within the dynamic of the team, but also with the way his quarterback handled the offseason program.
“I just think that leadership role that he’s taken is where I’ve seen the most growth,” Spruce says. “He knows he’s going to be the guy Day 1, and he’s kind of taken the position as the leader of our offense, and the leader of our team. And I think a lot of that has to do with the year that he had, and seeing what goes into an NFL season, and what it takes to lead an NFL team. And I think on the field as well, he’s kind of taken some big strides.
“Being the No. 1 overall pick, and coming in [last year] as a quarterback in that situation — I couldn’t imagine the pressure,” Spruce adds. “Anyone in that situation is going to have their speed bumps. But I think what he did was learn from that. That’s one thing I’ve noticed he does well — he won’t repeat the same mistakes. So I think that he’s kind of taken all the lessons he’s learned from the past year. We did have a lot of negative moments last year, and I think he learned from all those. And he’s doing his best to make sure we don’t repeat them.”
Part of that certainly has to do with Los Angeles’ new staff, led by head coach Sean McVay. Between McVay, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, Jared has plenty of support to help guide him to a much more successful 2017. But it’s the environment McVay implemented in and around the building that Jared feels can make an even bigger impact.
“I think what coach McVay has done so far with the new culture he’s instilled and the new expectations and all that stuff is exactly on line with what we need,” Jared adds. “And I’m really excited about what we’ve got working now.”
Jared has the skills. He has the intangibles. He feels he has the right teammates and coaches around him. He has the experience.
That’s why when you ask him what to expect from the Rams this upcoming season, he eagerly replies, “A lot more.”
“It’s turning — you can feel it in OTAs, you can feel it in minicamp. The tide is turning,” Jared says. “And, again, I think it starts with coach McVay and everything he’s instilled. Just the expectation level is much higher this year — much higher. I know it’s higher on myself. And I know I’m ready to go.”
[www.therams.com]
NOVATO, Calif. — When Jared Goff was a freshman at Cal, the Golden Bears finished 1-11.
f that piece of information is familiar to you, it should be. As one of the widely heralded top quarterbacks of the 2016 draft class, Goff’s record was repeatedly dissected and scrutinized in the lead up to the Rams selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick.
Despite the team struggles of that first college season, Goff helped put the program in a position to go 8-5 in his junior year, winning a bowl game for the first time since 2008. And in the process, Goff became one of the most prolific passers in Pac-12 history.
The situations are not the same, but it’s easy to draw parallels between that freshman season and Goff’s first year in the NFL. Speaking with the quarterback and a few of those close to him in his hometown over a weekend in late June, it’s clear why they are all eager and optimistic as Goff’s second season gets underway.
“I was always a quarterback since I was about 7 or 8 years old,” Jared says. “Always a quarterback.”
The Rams No. 1 overall pick has been hosting a youth flag football tournament over the last two days at his alma mater, Marin Catholic, where he starred as the high school’s varsity signal-caller from 2010-2012. Jared led the program to a 39-4 record in that time, winning three Marin County Athletic League championships and one CIF North Coast Section title.
As he said himself, Jared has been a quarterback long before he was torching high schools from all over the Bay Area. But always?
“It’s kind of funny. He was never the biggest kid. He’s gotten to the point now where he can handle himself, but back then, he was lean,” Jared’s father, Jerry Goff, recalls. Jerry played Major League Baseball in the 90s as a catcher for the Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. “So we walked up the first day of football practice, and sent him out there with the rest of the kids. And he got in the linemen line.”
“Nobody knows — they’re seven years old, right?” Jerry laughs. “So he’s over there with the linemen and I’m like, ‘Man… I don’t want him to be a lineman.’ Because I had just played high school football and I knew his body wasn’t meant for that. So we had a little chat after and I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get out of that group and try this group.’ And that’s when he ended up doing what he’s doing now.”
“He loved it,” Jared’s mother, Nancy Goff, says of her son playing quarterback. “He just took off and loved it from Day 1.”
While quarterbacks don’t traditionally drop back much at that age, part of Jared’s love for the position came from his early ability to pass.
“I was just throwing the ball further than everyone so that’s why I started it,” Jared says. “And then as I grew older, I kind of grew into the position and everything that kind of goes along with it. And it’s kind of shaped me a little bit.”
Shaped him?
“Just the way I carry myself. [Being a quarterback] gives you confidence, and you have to have confidence at the position,” Jared says. “Leadership, energy, and everything else has shaped into my personality.
But if you ask his mom, Jared may have simply been innately suited to play what’s often described as the most difficult position in sports.
“I think he’s a natural leader. He loves telling people what to do, orchestrating things — even not just in football, but when he gets friends together,” Nancy says. “He likes orchestrating and leading, and he’s good at it.”
“He’s got a real strong sense of himself, a real strong sense of confidence,” she continues. “We get asked a lot that question — ‘Where does that come from?’ And I think the real explanation is the easiest: It’s just who he is.”
By the time Jared reached Marin Catholic, he’d been playing football for years. He clearly had arm talent, but no one quite knew how he would fare at the high school level.
Mazi Moayed has been Marin Catholic’s football coach since 2010, and remembers his first impression of Jared well.
“Tall, skinny kid who wanted to play quarterback,” Moayed says. “You have a lot of guys with that type of frame, and everybody wants to play quarterback.”
But there was something different about the way the ball would come off of Jared’s hand.
“You watch him throw the football, and you’d be like, ‘Wow, that looked really easy.’ Like, you felt like you could do it,” Moayed says. “You could tell he was special then. And he had the tools and the gifts — just had to see, at that point, was he going to have the head and the heart for it?”
Moayed and his staff learned Jared possessed both as he began his sophomore year.
“You could see right away [that] he was mature, just a mature athlete,” Moayed says. “And his competitive toughness was pretty awesome. He would compete like crazy at practice.”
Even though he was the starter, Jared wanted to be the scout-team quarterback, too. And so Moayed sent him out there in each practice as a sophomore, with Jared always trying to get the best of the first-team defense.
“It was fun — it was a good rivalry. A lot of his best friends were on the other side of the football, so it made it that much sweeter,” Moayed says. “That stood out right away, though, his sophomore year, was wanting to even be the scout-team guy. And we let him. And I think it made him better because it was always good-on-good.”
Growing up with a professional athlete as a father likely fostered that spirit in Jared.
“He’s got a very competitive side. I mean, he and my husband, they’ll compete over ping pong to where it gets a little nasty sometimes,” Nancy says. “Neither of them can stand to lose.”
But along with the intangibles, Jared’s skill-set allowed him to flourish.
Moyaed says Jared had an “ability to stand in the pocket and [keep his] eyes downfield. It didn’t matter what was happening — he’d be willing to stand in there and take a hit. You saw that in high school all the time and that was the No. 1 thing recruiters noticed when they’d come through, is, ‘Wow, he stays in the pocket and his eyes are downfield the whole time.’”
“He was pinpoint accurate and that was really helpful,” Moyaed adds. “It helped the average guys become a lot better, and the good guys become great because of how he was able to place the ball.”
Even then, Jared was exhibiting qualities that would help him get selected at the top of the draft — including his on-field demeanor.
“His calmness no matter the situation — he takes a hit, just playing the next play staying focused, and cool, and sort of calming the other guys down,” Moyaed says. “He has the energy to keep it fun and loose so he can be efficient.”
That sense of calmness was another significant point of Jared’s evaluation when he was entering the NFL. He says it’s just a quality he thinks he’s always had.
“I don’t know, I think it comes from trying to enjoy the game,” he says. “Trying to not make it more than it is, trying to have fun and don’t make the moment bigger than it is. It’s still just a game at the end of the day — a fun game we all play — and just try to enjoy it everyday.”
“I think he has a way of calming himself and knowing it’s going to be OK,” Jerry says. “You want to succeed at whatever you do. But there’s going to be some failures. And for his ability to push those off and push to the next play, or the next game — whatever it may be — is a really nice way to be wired as a quarterback.”
Whenever a high school player is putting up numbers like Jared — he threw 44 touchdowns as a junior — colleges are going to start giving him some attention. And so during that 2011 season, Jared started getting the sense that he had a future in football.
“I knew my junior year I could do it,” Jared says. “My junior year, I had a pretty good year — a bunch of touchdowns and not many interceptions and we were really good. I had some pretty good receivers around me that year and that’s when I kind of knew I could do it, started getting some interest.”
“Probably his junior year of high school where I knew, ‘You know, maybe he can play in college,’” Jerry says. “I’m like, ‘OK, he’s doing some things now that he has a chance to play in college. I don’t think he can for sure, because he’s still got to get better.’ And he kept getting better.”
So college programs began to show interest, and eventually Jared was offered Washington State, Boise State, and a school just a half hour away from his hometown: University of California, Berkeley.
“He had talked to a few other colleges, offers from a few others, and was still talking to a few others,” Nancy says. “And at one point he said to both Jerry and I, ‘I know I can’t do better than Cal. I know that’s where I want to go.’ And Jerry said, ‘Then just declare. Let’s do it.’ And so he did.”
“It was close to home, that was part of it,” Jared says. “It was nice to be close to home but ultimately, it was the chance to compete in the Pac-12. Great school — if football didn’t work out, you get a great degree.”
It was a choice that elicited plenty of family pride, as both Jerry and Nancy had attended Cal, too. Back then, Jerry not only excelled on the baseball field, but was also a punter for the football program.
“We were so happy — I was so happy. It’s unreal, it really is unreal, as a mom who went to school there, to have your son then deciding that he’s going to play there. And, hopefully, be the starting quarterback at Cal,” Nancy says. “I watched Jerry play there. So to be back on that field, Memorial Stadium, with Jared starting was unreal.”
“Yeah, selfishly it was great, because we could see every home game — we’re a half hour away,” Jerry says. “And then we were able to go on the road, too, because it wasn’t that big of a deal being on the West Coast. It meant a lot, in terms of just his legacy. He’s a second generation Cal guy, which is good.”
There were, however, a couple of factors that could have complicated Goff’s ascent. The first, was that Cal wanted Jared to enroll in the spring of 2013 so he could participate in spring practices. That meant the quarterback would have to graduate Marin Catholic early, which wasn’t something normally done.
“We got on the phone with Marin Catholic and said, ‘What do we need to do?’” Nancy says. “He had to take a few summer school classes. He had to do a few things because Marin Catholic has some other requirements. And they didn’t waive any of them — he had to finish the way everyone else finishes, but within three-and-a-half years. So we went online, he took some classes and he got it done.”
“That was just kind of new, believe it or not, in 2013,” Jerry says. “A lot of kids hadn’t been doing that. It started maybe in 2012 with a few kids. That’s your only chance to play as a freshman at the quarterback position — is to get out of high school a semester early. And he felt, you know, he’s like, ‘I want to do this. I want to get this done.’”
The opportunity to start as a freshman was a significant factor for why Jared wanted to graduate in that time frame. In a way, it’s an example of his highly competitive nature.
“I could’ve played baseball and still enjoyed my spring semester [in high school],” Jared says. “But it was the fact that I knew, if I’m sitting in class here, and it’s second semester senior year — you know how it goes. It’s like every class is kind of a joke towards the end. So [I pictured] sitting there and they’re doing practice across the bridge, and they don’t have a quarterback, and I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I knew I didn’t want to be in that situation. So that’s why I went.”
“I obviously did miss my friends a little bit but there were times where they would come over and see me at Cal or I’d go back home on weekends all the time. It really wasn’t too bad, because I was so close,” Jared adds. “But that was the best decision I’ve ever made, going there early.”
“I think, obviously, when you look back on it, that could be why he is where he is now,” Jerry says. “If he doesn’t go there [early], he probably doesn’t start, and who knows? Things happen for a reason, and it was a good call on his part wanting to do that.”
The other complicating factor: Cal relieved head coach Jeff Tedford of his duties after the 2012 season, meaning Jared would walk into an unfamiliar situation with a coach who hadn’t recruited him. But even though there were potential opportunities to go elsewhere, Jared never wavered in where he wanted to be.
“I committed to the school,” he says. “I love coach Tedford, I thought he was great, I loved his whole staff. But I was committed to Cal as a school and as the institution it is.”
“I think he’s an ‘all-in’ type of guy with whatever he does — very loyal guy,” Moayed says of Jared. “And I think after he’d been committed that long, his heart, mind, and soul was into Cal. In his mind and heart, he had already played there, practiced there, walked-through there. He was already there.”
In some ways, the coaching change may have worked to Jared’s advantage. Cal hired Sonny Dykes and he brought with him an air-raid offense that bore a closer resemblance to what Moayed ran at Marin Catholic.
“With coach Tedford’s scheme, although very successful, it’s hard to come in and learn his system right away in one spring,” Moayed says. “You’re better off [red] shirting to grow in that offensive system.”
Under Dykes, Jared effectively learned the new offensive system and seized the starting role as a true freshman in August.
“I went in there not really knowing what was gonna happen, but just trying to do my best. And through probably a few weeks of early spring training, I thought, ‘Man, I could do this. I feel like I’m better than all these guys and I feel like I could do it,’” Jared says. “And I worked, and worked, and worked all the way through the summer and worked hard all the way through training camp and was named the starter about two weeks before the first game.”
Though he earned the starting role and set a number of passing records in 2013, Goff’s first college season was tough.
“It was rough, there’s no doubt about that. He lost four games throughout his whole high school career, and he loses 11,” Jerry says. “And not only did they lose, they got rolled.”
It was the program’s worst record in history, with Cal’s only win coming Week 2 against Portland State.
Nevertheless, there were positives. Two of those new Cal records were yards passing (3,508) and completions (320) — both of which he’d later break. And it was during that year that Jared and those around him began to realize what his ceiling might be.
“When I played my freshman year, we were terrible but I was still throwing it around pretty good, and completing some balls, and completing some big plays,” Jared says. “So I was like, ‘Alright, I can do it.’”
“Even through that 1-11 season, you would hear a lot of bright things about Jared,” Nancy says. “Especially on TV by the commentators about his pocket presence, his arm, his quick feet — things that they talk about when players can go on, attributes that you kind of need to have to go on. Not that they won that often, but Jared’s physical attributes. So I think it was right his freshman year when we started hearing people talk about it on TV, and I was like, ‘Hmm, OK, this could happen for him.’”
Part of that was Jared’s attitude. Even though his freshman season went south quickly, he stayed even keel.
“He hung in there and kept it together,” Jerry says. “He could’ve fell apart real easily — because there was another guy there who was highly recruited who got there before him. He could’ve [started] looking over his shoulder — never ever flinched the whole time.”
“To see him perform consistently at the level he was, the way he was throwing the ball, that, to me, said a lot,” Moayed says. “Just to keep throwing for all the yards that he did even though the team was struggling the way that it was. And to keep your head about you to be executing efficiently, and re-set every week. When you have a fresh approach, you’ve got to be really tough minded to do that. And after that year, I was like, ‘Hey, it’s only going to get better from here. It’s not going to be any worse.’”
But in order to make that happen, Jared had plenty to overcome. He had the support of his coaches and teammates, but also the confidence in himself to put the 1-11 season behind him and take Cal football in the right direction.
“I think there were a lot of things we went through and had to learn from and ultimately, it was changing the culture, and changing the expectation in the building,” Jared says. “And I was a part of that but I wasn’t the only part of that — there were a bunch of guys there with me that were pulling their weight as well. And I’m proud to say I was a part of it but by no means was I the only person behind that. It was a group effort.”
“No team has ever gone 1-11 and then to a bowl game the next year in college football. And they could’ve done that. There were a couple of games that they probably could have won [but] didn’t,” Jerry says. “They ended up 5-8, and then yeah, they moved on.
“So I think the fans in L.A., just to push this forward a little bit, are going to see that, too, out of this kid,” Jerry continues. “Being that he played seven games and didn’t win any of them — that’s no secret — you guys, hang with this guy. He’s going to be
As Jerry says, the similarities between Jared’s freshman year at Cal and his rookie season in the NFL are plainly apparent. After L.A. traded up to No. 1 overall to select him, Jared started seven games, but the Rams finished the year 4-12. And completing just 55 percent of his passes for 1,089 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions was not an ideal first year by any stretch.
“I learned a lot,” Jared says. “I think I learned, ultimately, that winning in this league is not easy and doesn’t come without sacrifice. There’s a lot of things that you need to lay on the line a little bit to get what you want. And, ultimately, that is winning. And I think I learned that — I think our whole team learned that.”
“Definitely want to use some of the things I did learn last year, though, to continue to move myself forward and our team.”
Those close to Jared all have a strong sense that the quarterback will have a much improved 2017. They say he’s proven he has the ability to do it through his resolve and resiliency.
“His track record shows it — he gets better every year,” Jerry says. “Every year, no matter what he does, at whatever level he plays, he gets better. And he’s going to get better, and get better, and get better. He’s not going to stay static — that’s not in his DNA.”
“I think the biggest thing is going to be taking that 1-11 year and using that to his advantage, just sort of being himself and staying the course,” Moayed says. “He’s been playing football all his life and I always hear these different things on interviews or write ups, and sometimes it’s like they’re talking about a guy like he’s never played football before, you know? It’s sort of funny. But there’s a lot of elements involved. And I think he’s going to bounce back and have a great year coming up with the Rams.”
“I think things are on the rise there. I think it’s kind of similar to Cal, where it’s kind of a shift in culture, new coach, they’re kind of turning some things around,” Nancy says. “And I think it’s going to get better just like Cal — I really do. I have a lot of confidence. Jared, obviously, has a lot of confidence. And I think his teammates do. I mean, you can feel it.”
Wide receiver Nelson Spruce
— who helped out at Jared’s camp in June — says he’s noticed a difference not just within the dynamic of the team, but also with the way his quarterback handled the offseason program.“I just think that leadership role that he’s taken is where I’ve seen the most growth,” Spruce says. “He knows he’s going to be the guy Day 1, and he’s kind of taken the position as the leader of our offense, and the leader of our team. And I think a lot of that has to do with the year that he had, and seeing what goes into an NFL season, and what it takes to lead an NFL team. And I think on the field as well, he’s kind of taken some big strides.
“Being the No. 1 overall pick, and coming in [last year] as a quarterback in that situation — I couldn’t imagine the pressure,” Spruce adds. “Anyone in that situation is going to have their speed bumps. But I think what he did was learn from that. That’s one thing I’ve noticed he does well — he won’t repeat the same mistakes. So I think that he’s kind of taken all the lessons he’s learned from the past year. We did have a lot of negative moments last year, and I think he learned from all those. And he’s doing his best to make sure we don’t repeat them.”
Part of that certainly has to do with Los Angeles’ new staff, led by head coach Sean McVay. Between McVay, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, Jared has plenty of support to help guide him to a much more successful 2017. But it’s the environment McVay implemented in and around the building that Jared feels can make an even bigger impact.
“I think what coach McVay has done so far with the new culture he’s instilled and the new expectations and all that stuff is exactly on line with what we need,” Jared adds. “And I’m really excited about what we’ve got working now.”
Jared has the skills. He has the intangibles. He feels he has the right teammates and coaches around him. He has the experience.
That’s why when you ask him what to expect from the Rams this upcoming season, he eagerly replies, “A lot more.”
“It’s turning — you can feel it in OTAs, you can feel it in minicamp. The tide is turning,” Jared says. “And, again, I think it starts with coach McVay and everything he’s instilled. Just the expectation level is much higher this year — much higher. I know it’s higher on myself. And I know I’m ready to go.”
[www.therams.com]
First pics from Rams camp...Part Deux
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 19 Replies
Ok, so to continue with my original post. I sort of talked my way into camp today. All I wanted to do was get some pics of the bleachers with the shade canopies so those who were thinking of going would know what to expect.
I didn't expect to see any players and I didn't. But these really are pics of the training camp just that there isn't any training going on! Well, there were some guys in the weight room but we couldn't see who they were with the smoked glass on the building.
I drive up in my company truck. Not going to say which company but they are a BIG sponsor of this training camp. All the parking lots are blocked off with barricades and security people manning them. I turn into one of the lots at the Bren event center and this really nice girl just starts moving the barricade out of my way and lets me in! So far so good. I guess I need to take my company truck everyday to camp! (NOT!) My partner and I walk around a bit looking for the path to the fields. We are challenged a couple of times to see if we have wrist bands (we don't). No one was mean or demanding and neither were we. I also turned on my video recorder on my phone and placed it in my shirt pocket. First time doing this so now I know how to make it better. I'm going to try and upload the video and that will be self explanatory.
Bottom line is that I got to the fields and took some pics and then moved on. I didn't want to push it as I work for the sponsor and didn't want my name to get noted. So yes, it is only pics of empty bleachers, fences and gates and green grass but, it is training camp!
There is more to this story and I did edit the video a bit but I think I would just be boring you. Enjoy.
EDIT: Now I can't upload the video and I'm trying to get it on Flickr but not much luck. Guess you'll have to take my word for it.
I didn't expect to see any players and I didn't. But these really are pics of the training camp just that there isn't any training going on! Well, there were some guys in the weight room but we couldn't see who they were with the smoked glass on the building.
I drive up in my company truck. Not going to say which company but they are a BIG sponsor of this training camp. All the parking lots are blocked off with barricades and security people manning them. I turn into one of the lots at the Bren event center and this really nice girl just starts moving the barricade out of my way and lets me in! So far so good. I guess I need to take my company truck everyday to camp! (NOT!) My partner and I walk around a bit looking for the path to the fields. We are challenged a couple of times to see if we have wrist bands (we don't). No one was mean or demanding and neither were we. I also turned on my video recorder on my phone and placed it in my shirt pocket. First time doing this so now I know how to make it better. I'm going to try and upload the video and that will be self explanatory.
Bottom line is that I got to the fields and took some pics and then moved on. I didn't want to push it as I work for the sponsor and didn't want my name to get noted. So yes, it is only pics of empty bleachers, fences and gates and green grass but, it is training camp!
There is more to this story and I did edit the video a bit but I think I would just be boring you. Enjoy.
EDIT: Now I can't upload the video and I'm trying to get it on Flickr but not much luck. Guess you'll have to take my word for it.
Why CB Kevin Peterson might be the ultimate Rams sleeper
- By JKBOGEN
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 14 Replies
Why CB Kevin Peterson might be the ultimate Rams sleeper
The Rams have a new coaching staff in place and on the defensive side of the ball a former Oklahoma State Cowboy looms for a larger role and a permanent role with the team.
The former 2016 undrafted rookie free agent was picked up by the Chicago Bears after the draft, but shortly after Bears would cut him. Towards the end of 2016 Peterson wound up on the Rams practice squad and then went on to sign a futures contract for this off-season with the Rams. Now, training camp is starting this weekend and it's Peterson's turn to show why he belongs on the roster.
Overall, Peterson just last year was received plenty of interest around the league as a player that can clearly fill a role at corner with his physicality and is smarts. He is considered a corner that wins more off of his cerebral nature as opposed to pure speed like many other corners. Peterson shows smooth hips that show he lacks stiffness which is a very good sign of things to come. Coming from the Big 12 he played against the likes of Corey Coleman and Josh Doctson both were picked in the first round that season and he held his own and then some against both of them. Peterson is just 5-foot-10 and around 180 pounds, but make no mistake he is aware of the field and his surroundings, he has technical skills that could make him a starter moving forward and has quality timing to disrupt the pass without creating contact and accidentally picking up a penalty.
So enough with the telling, it's time to show you what Peterson can do.
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In the above gif Kevin Peterson shows off his awareness, speed, ball tracking and instincts all in one play. Peterson has the tough task of covering blazing Corey Coleman, but he is somehow able to stick right with him, track the ball and then turn around facing his back to ball. He watches the WR's hands go up and he makes the play by putting his arm right in between the receiver's two hands without drawing contact. Result? No call 2nd & 10 pass breakup and a saved touchdown.
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In this last gif you see Peterson read and react. Peterson's job at the beginning of this play is to cover the receiver running a five yard curl route. Clearly on 3rd and 10, Peterson knows that his man is not in play and bolts on the assignment. He guesses right and WR K.D. Cannon gets the deep ball. It's hard to know if Peterson saved a catch or Cannon was going out of bounds regardless, but it looks like Peterson did save the catch from happening and on top of that showed off his NFL level range on this play.
As you can see just off these two plays alone, Peterson shows off some tools that should translate to a roster spot not just this season, but for the future. He doesn't have the wow factor in size or speed, but he has the underrated traits that NFL scouts love. He showed off his press coverage skills during the 2015 season in college, but his overall issue has been his inability to receive a chance to show his talents in the regular season. One thing is for certain, there are still plenty of corners in the league that were on or have been on 53-man rosters that don't have the football IQ this man possesses.
There is no hiding that his 2015 campaign didn't go the way he wanted it, but it is clear that Peterson's injuries hurt him that season as this year before he looked like that of a day two pick. In this game versus Corey Coleman above, that game in itself made him look like a future number two. Pro Football Focus liked Peterson enough to include him in the top 10 best undrafted free agent signings list from the 2016 off-season.
It may not seem smart, but I think Peterson can absolutely make the 53-man roster. The starters will likely be Trumaine Johnson, Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman filling at nickel, but there is two spots or maybe even three depending on where the Rams decide to go. Peterson will have to fend off two UDFA's from this year in Dominique Hatfield and Aarion Penton. He will likely have to take down Michael Jordan, E.J. Gaines and Blake Countess to make the roster. I think if Peterson had no chance of making the 53-man roster, he would have already been let go. Make no mistake Peterson is going to be competing for a job this summer and he just might get it when its all said and done even if only two percent of Rams fans no who he is.
The Rams have a new coaching staff in place and on the defensive side of the ball a former Oklahoma State Cowboy looms for a larger role and a permanent role with the team.
The former 2016 undrafted rookie free agent was picked up by the Chicago Bears after the draft, but shortly after Bears would cut him. Towards the end of 2016 Peterson wound up on the Rams practice squad and then went on to sign a futures contract for this off-season with the Rams. Now, training camp is starting this weekend and it's Peterson's turn to show why he belongs on the roster.
Overall, Peterson just last year was received plenty of interest around the league as a player that can clearly fill a role at corner with his physicality and is smarts. He is considered a corner that wins more off of his cerebral nature as opposed to pure speed like many other corners. Peterson shows smooth hips that show he lacks stiffness which is a very good sign of things to come. Coming from the Big 12 he played against the likes of Corey Coleman and Josh Doctson both were picked in the first round that season and he held his own and then some against both of them. Peterson is just 5-foot-10 and around 180 pounds, but make no mistake he is aware of the field and his surroundings, he has technical skills that could make him a starter moving forward and has quality timing to disrupt the pass without creating contact and accidentally picking up a penalty.
So enough with the telling, it's time to show you what Peterson can do.
''
In the above gif Kevin Peterson shows off his awareness, speed, ball tracking and instincts all in one play. Peterson has the tough task of covering blazing Corey Coleman, but he is somehow able to stick right with him, track the ball and then turn around facing his back to ball. He watches the WR's hands go up and he makes the play by putting his arm right in between the receiver's two hands without drawing contact. Result? No call 2nd & 10 pass breakup and a saved touchdown.
''
In this last gif you see Peterson read and react. Peterson's job at the beginning of this play is to cover the receiver running a five yard curl route. Clearly on 3rd and 10, Peterson knows that his man is not in play and bolts on the assignment. He guesses right and WR K.D. Cannon gets the deep ball. It's hard to know if Peterson saved a catch or Cannon was going out of bounds regardless, but it looks like Peterson did save the catch from happening and on top of that showed off his NFL level range on this play.
As you can see just off these two plays alone, Peterson shows off some tools that should translate to a roster spot not just this season, but for the future. He doesn't have the wow factor in size or speed, but he has the underrated traits that NFL scouts love. He showed off his press coverage skills during the 2015 season in college, but his overall issue has been his inability to receive a chance to show his talents in the regular season. One thing is for certain, there are still plenty of corners in the league that were on or have been on 53-man rosters that don't have the football IQ this man possesses.
There is no hiding that his 2015 campaign didn't go the way he wanted it, but it is clear that Peterson's injuries hurt him that season as this year before he looked like that of a day two pick. In this game versus Corey Coleman above, that game in itself made him look like a future number two. Pro Football Focus liked Peterson enough to include him in the top 10 best undrafted free agent signings list from the 2016 off-season.
It may not seem smart, but I think Peterson can absolutely make the 53-man roster. The starters will likely be Trumaine Johnson, Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman filling at nickel, but there is two spots or maybe even three depending on where the Rams decide to go. Peterson will have to fend off two UDFA's from this year in Dominique Hatfield and Aarion Penton. He will likely have to take down Michael Jordan, E.J. Gaines and Blake Countess to make the roster. I think if Peterson had no chance of making the 53-man roster, he would have already been let go. Make no mistake Peterson is going to be competing for a job this summer and he just might get it when its all said and done even if only two percent of Rams fans no who he is.
Rams select Texas OT Connor Williams 4th overall in Matt Miller's 2018 NFL mock draft
- By JKBOGEN
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 13 Replies
Rams select Texas OT Connor Williams 4th overall in Matt Miller's 2018 NFL mock draft
It's never too late to start talking NFL draft and of course draft expert Matt Miller believes that mantra. Miller recently came out with a mock draft in which he had the Rams picking fourth and selecting their blindside protector of the future in Texas Longhorn Connor Williams.
First thing's first, I love what Miller brings to the table and I hope someday we will have the privilege of having him on the podcast, but I think he has the Rams listed way too low on this mock draft. Regardless of pick though, Williams makes tons of sense for a Rams team that is set to start a 35-year old left tackle. Now, that left tackle happens to be one of the best in the business, but he won't be in Los Angeles long and so that's where Williams steps in.
Williams is a former three-star recruit that has turned himself into the top overall offensive lineman in the class. He has great size at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds and shows off an abnormal amount of quickness and technical skills that just don't come around often. You could argue that Williams is a generational talent that will likely be in the perfect situation with outstanding coach Tom Herman at the helm. Watching him on film is just textbook, the Rams would love it if a player with this caliber was there for them, but unfortunately and fortunately I believe the Rams will be out of the Williams range because of a successful season in Los Angeles.
What are your thoughts? Let us know and make sure you keep it here for all your Rams, NFL Draft and Fantasy football content.
It's never too late to start talking NFL draft and of course draft expert Matt Miller believes that mantra. Miller recently came out with a mock draft in which he had the Rams picking fourth and selecting their blindside protector of the future in Texas Longhorn Connor Williams.
First thing's first, I love what Miller brings to the table and I hope someday we will have the privilege of having him on the podcast, but I think he has the Rams listed way too low on this mock draft. Regardless of pick though, Williams makes tons of sense for a Rams team that is set to start a 35-year old left tackle. Now, that left tackle happens to be one of the best in the business, but he won't be in Los Angeles long and so that's where Williams steps in.
Williams is a former three-star recruit that has turned himself into the top overall offensive lineman in the class. He has great size at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds and shows off an abnormal amount of quickness and technical skills that just don't come around often. You could argue that Williams is a generational talent that will likely be in the perfect situation with outstanding coach Tom Herman at the helm. Watching him on film is just textbook, the Rams would love it if a player with this caliber was there for them, but unfortunately and fortunately I believe the Rams will be out of the Williams range because of a successful season in Los Angeles.
What are your thoughts? Let us know and make sure you keep it here for all your Rams, NFL Draft and Fantasy football content.
Rams Sign Four Players
- By Memphis Ram
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 16 Replies
Rams Sign Four Players
Posted 1 hour ago
Kristen LagoRams Writer/Reporter@kristennlago
With just two days left until the official start to the Rams 2017 Training Camp presented by AT&T, the Rams have added four new players to their roster.
Signed:
Parker Collins – Offensive lineman, Appalachian State
De’Mard Llorens – Running back, Northwestern State
Andy Mulumba – Outside Linebacker, Eastern Michigan
Folarin Orimolade – Linebacker, Dartmouth
The Rams also placed the following players on the Active/PUP and Active/NFIN lists.
Active/PUP:
Johnny Mundt – Tight End, Oregon
Active/NFIN:
Omarius Bryant – Defensive Tackle, Western Kentucky
DominiqueHatfield – Defensive Back, Utah
Alex Kozan – Offensive Line, Auburn
Aarion Penton – Defensive Back, Missouri
View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Sign-Four-Players-/ef47b22b-0737-4855-ae71-19e672780034
Posted 1 hour ago
With just two days left until the official start to the Rams 2017 Training Camp presented by AT&T, the Rams have added four new players to their roster.
Signed:
Parker Collins
– Offensive lineman, Appalachian StateDe’Mard Llorens – Running back, Northwestern State
Andy Mulumba
– Outside Linebacker, Eastern MichiganFolarin Orimolade
– Linebacker, DartmouthThe Rams also placed the following players on the Active/PUP and Active/NFIN lists.
Active/PUP:
Johnny Mundt
– Tight End, OregonActive/NFIN:
Omarius Bryant
– Defensive Tackle, Western KentuckyDominiqueHatfield – Defensive Back, Utah
Alex Kozan
– Offensive Line, AuburnAarion Penton
– Defensive Back, MissouriView: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Sign-Four-Players-/ef47b22b-0737-4855-ae71-19e672780034
Jets have new ownership, apparently
- By DCH
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 2 Replies
That's goddamned funny. Not wrong, either.
