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Aaron Donald is a fucking monster.

Jake Ellenbogen's All-Time Rams Roster: Wide receivers


In this renewed series Jake gives you a complete all-time Rams roster going through each position. It's now time for the wide receiver position, there will be two starters (since we have to go split-back formation with RB and won't start 3 WR's), four backups, and two honorable mentions.

Starter: Isaac Bruce

(179 games started, 942 receptions, 14,109 receiving yards, 15.0 yards per reception, 84 touchdowns)
(4x Pro Bowler, 1x Super Bowl Champion w/ Rams)
The all-time Rams leader in receiving yards. The reverend Ike dominated the competition alongside Torry Holt during the greatest show on turf. Bruce, has great as he was, has often times been overlooked and underrated. He is still waiting to get the call to Canton and he is considered a tad below Holt on the all-time Rams WR by many. I believe Bruce is the Rams greatest overall receiver.

He leads all Rams wide receivers all-time in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, but what is more impressive is that he is third all-time in games played for a Ram. Why is he so overlooked? When you look at his accolades and his career results, right off the bat you notice dominance, consistency and lack of recognition. Bruce was only a four-time Pro Bowler. Most guys in the league would take that in a heartbeat, but it was clear that Bruce was overlooked and should have been a Pro Bowler on four other occasions.

One of the biggest things often used against Bruce is the fact he was part of the Greatest Show on Turf, but if you look at his play before Warner and company came along with lesser talent it's easy to tell Bruce was transcendent. Bruce had the single-season receiving yards record at one point until Jerry Rice broke that in the last week of the season. Regardless of what anyone says, Bruce in my opinion is the most overrated receiver in NFL history, he should be a Hall of Famer by now and is my go-to WR on this team hands down.

Starter: Torry Holt

(146 games started, 869 receptions, 12,660 receiving yards, 14.6 yards per reception, 74 touchdowns
(7x Pro Bowler, 1x All-Pro, 1x Super Bowl Champion w/ Rams)
"Big Game" Torry Holt had a shorter career than Isaac Bruce, but man, was it consistent. Holt racked up eight seasons out of ten with the Rams in which he had 1,000 yards or more. In two of those seasons he had 100-plus receptions. Holt was known for his big-play ability and a player was part of something special his rookie year and only proved to be an outstanding receiver as time went on.

Holt is the more appreciated receiver out of him and Bruce by the fans around the NFL. It's no doubt he was flashier and seemed to be the more noticed receiver which was shown as he ended up with seven Pro Bowls and an All-Pro to his credit. It goes back to his rookie year, Holt was absolutely un-phased by the amount of spotlight and he showed that with his 20 receptions for 242 yards in the playoffs and a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Holt is a player I firmly believe is a Hall of Famer, but I also believe Bruce should get in at least with him or before him. There is no doubt the voting for the Hall is filled with voters who don't respect the wide receiver position which is only way to understand how it has kept two prolific receivers out of Canton. Regardless, just like during the Greatest Show on Turf days, I am electing to have Bruce and Holt as my starting wide receivers.

Backup: Elroy Hirsch

(103 games played, 343 receptions, 6,299 receiving yards, 18.4 yards per reception, 60 touchdowns)
(3x Pro Bowler, 2x All-Pro, 1x NFL Champion w/ Rams)
The marvel "Crazy Legs" was ahead of his time as one of the most dynamic receivers of the 1950's. Elroy Hirsch started off his career slow with the Chicago Rockets due to injuries, but was released and then decided to sign with the Rams. Although he may have continued his slow start, things eventually clicked for Hirsch his second season with 42 receptions for 687 yards and seven touchdowns. It only got better for Hirsch in 1951, he won a championship with Hal of Famers Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield and Tom Fears. (There is actually a really cool film called "Crazlegs" from 1953 you can check out here if you want to learn more and watch more on him and the 50's Rams.)

He also happened to have one of the most statistically dominant seasons in the history of the league. In that season his 66 receptions, 1,495 yards and 17 touchdowns shattered team records and even NFL records. He set an NFL receiving yards record, an NFL yards per game average record which only two dating up to now have passed him in, he tied Don Hutson's touchdown record which has only since been passed by four players up to the present day and setting team records (later broken) for receiving yards and touchdowns in a single-season. More impressive? All of this was done in a time when the NFL season was just 12 games long.

The Hall of Famer went on to be the Rams General manager who was responsible for drafting Rams legends Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Roman Gabriel. He eventually went back to his old college Wisconsin to become the athletic director. There is no doubt Hirsch would be my slot receiver on this team and would add another dynamic weapon for Warner.

Backup: Henry Ellard

(141 games started, 593 receptions, 9,761 receiving yards, 16.5 yards per reception, 48 touchdowns)
(3x Pro Bowler, 2x All-Pro)

The original number 80 before there was Isaac Bruce. Henry Ellard was a spectacular receiver for the Rams for 11 seasons. Although, unlike Holt and Bruce it took Ellard until his prime for the light to really come on, but when it did it was a thing of beauty. He had four straight seasons from age 27 through age 30 in which he had 1,000 yards or more. Ellard was dynamic as a receiver and a return man early on in his career.

Ellard is a player that is more respected by past legends of the game. His days at Fresno State were astonishing and his average of 24.4 yards per catch is still an NCAA record to this day. When Ellard retired from the game he held Rams records in receptions and yards for a career. That was of course until Holt and Bruce came into the picture.

Backup: Tom Fears

(87 games played, 400 receptions, 5,397 receiving yards, 13.5 yards per reception, 38 touchdowns)
(1x Pro Bowler, 1x All-Pro, 1x NFL Champion w/ Rams)

The other part of the Rams 1950's passing attack outside of Hirsch was Hall of Famer Tom Fears. Fears, in his first three NFL seasons led the league in receptions and broke the single-season record with 77 of them. He then turned around and broke his own record by tallying 84 the next season. Fears started at the age of 26 and his career ended abruptly eight years later with a fractured vertebrae.

Fears is known for his big 6-foot-2 and 200-plus pound frame he used to bully and boxout defensive backs. He used that size to his advantage many times, but most importantly he used it to catch the game-winning touchdown to win the Rams their first NFL Championship in Los Angeles.

Warner would have another dynamic weapon to come off the bench in the form of Tom Fears. He had set the single-game receptions record back in 1950 with 18 and stood until 2000 when Terrell Owens broke it. Putting Fears on this team would seemingly be a no-brainer.

Backup: Jack Snow

(111 games started, 340 receptions, 6,012 receiving yards, 17.7 yards per reception, 45 touchdowns)
(1x Pro Bowler)

Jack Snow was a first round pick by the Minnesota Vikings who made the mistake of trading him away to the Rams. Snow was a big-play threat every time he was split out wide. He never quite had those mind-blowing type of 1,000 yards and 10 touchown type of seasons, but he offered tons of yards per catch. For instance, in 1967 he averaged 26.3 yard per catch in his first and only Pro Bowl season. He was a huge deep for QB Roman Gabriel.

Snow was drafted by the Chargers in the AFL and the Vikings in the NFL, but he only would be known for playing with one team and that was the Los Angeles Rams. Snow retired as second in team history for yards and touchdowns only behind Elroy Hirsch at the time and third in receptions. He still remains in top five in franchise history in receiving touchdowns and receiving yards

Honorable Mentions

Flipper Anderson

Willie Anderson was a fan favorite and definitely was liked among the Los Angeles fans who loved him at UCLA. Anderson had two seasons in which he eclipsed 1,00 yards receiving and during his time with the Rams he accounted for 5,246 receiving yards on 259 receptions and 26 receiving touchdowns.

He is most-known for his insane game that has stood the test of time in which he caught 15 passes for the NFL single-game record 336 yards during the 1989 NFL season. Still, to this day, even with players like Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown, that record still remains intact.

Harold Jackson

The Rams drafted Harold Jackson out of Jackson State in the 1983 draft only 323rd overall. They ended up trading him to the Eagles in which he turned into one of the top receivers in football. Ironically enough, the same team that traded him away, traded for him. The Rams traded Roman Gabriel for Jackson and Jackson ended up making an instant impact with the Rams.

Jackson finished his six years with the Rams with a total of 200 receptions, 3,591 yards, 18 yards per receptions and 36 touchdowns. He ended up being a great receiver as a whole and to this day people continue to debate if he should, in fact, be in the Hall of Fame or not.

What are your thoughts Rams fans? Are you okay with this position group? Let me know! Be sure to stay tuned for the next article in this series when we give our tight end group.

...ESPN's 30 for 30: The 85 Bears. It reminded me once again why I'm such a big fan of the game of football and the tremendous sacrifices players and coaches make to entertain us, the fans. Jeff Fisher was not mentioned because he was on injured reserve that season. 30 for 30 is the best, maybe the only good thing left on ESPN. If you haven't watched this episode yet, I highly recommend it.
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Chicago Now

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http://www.espn.com/30for30/film?page=85bears

Director's Take
In the the early '80s, the NFL was at a crossroads. The 1982 strike was still fresh in fans' minds; viewership was nowhere near what it is today, and Commissioner Pete Rozelle was clamoring for players with the type of personalities that could transcend the sport.

Enter the The '85 Bears, with a fiery head coach who barely spoke with his monomaniacal defensive coordinator, an unpredictable renegade at quarterback, a living legend at running back, a defense as ripe with characters as they were with talent, and a 325-pound cherry on top who would soon become the most recognizable athlete in the country.

But the '85 Bears were much more just characters. Aside from a Monday Night misstep in Miami, they were unbeatable, with a swagger to match. As hip-hop was first entering the mainstream, they cut hit rap record boasting of their inevitable Super Bowl appearance -- eight weeks BEFORE the game was played. (They remain the only Grammy nominated world champs in sports history.)

Their story began long before 1985 and continues to this very day. It was a privilege for our crew to chronicle the rise, the fall and the aftermath of the most culturally significant team of our lifetime. I hope viewers enjoy watching this doc as much as we enjoyed making it.

About The '85 Bears

Film Summary
It started with a letter. The glory of the 1985 Chicago Bears really began with a 1981 missive to 86-year-old owner George Halas that was written by defensive captains Gary Fencik and Alan Page and signed by the members of their unit.

Sensing that head coach Neil Armstrong was about to be fired, they implored Halas to keep their defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan. Upon receiving the letter, the patriarch said he had never been more proud of his players.

Unbeknownst to the team, Halas had another letter on his mind. This one had been sent to him by the special teams coach of the Dallas Cowboys, a former Bears tight end who had once crossed Halas. He not only asked Papa Bear for forgiveness, but he also asked to be considered for a head coaching job should a vacancy arise. It was signed, "Mike Ditka."

The rest was, quite literally, history. ESPN's 30 for 30 will explore the famous and infamous Super Bowl XX champions on the 30th anniversary of that title with "The '85 Bears", directed by Emmy Award winner Jason Hehir ("The Fab Five"). Halas, Ryan and Ditka are only three of the legends Hehir revives in this extraordinary film about a group of misfits who became the toast of football.

There's the beer-drinking quarterback from Brigham Young, Jim McMahon, and the hugely versatile William "The Refrigerator" Perry. Viewers will again experience the greatness of running back Walter Payton and the fierce intelligence of linebacker Mike Singletary.

They will relive that epic season-the birth of the 46 Defense, the sweet-revenge victory over the 49ers, the loss to the Dolphins that ruined their perfect season, the "Super Bowl Shuffle" that was filmed the day after.

But more importantly, Hehir shows how this team was forged by men with differences who came together for a common cause at just the right time. The only real shame of that season was that Halas wasn't around to see his Bears become champions once again.

It was a letter that started it all, and it's a letter that ends this extraordinary chronicle. This one, a thank-you note written by Buddy Ryan, is read aloud by the men he coached: "I told you a long time ago, and it's true. You'll always be my heroes."

"Rams last 17 months"



Since we have over a month to endure until all of the players are together on July 28, 2017 for training camp, I decided to post a "time capsule" presentation of the most important current events that have transpired with the Rams since January 12, 2016 to the present time.

I didn't list every single important event, but I've listed most of them as a reminder of how the last 17 months have impacted the Rams as they get ready for Sean McVay's first training camp as the new head coach.

I selected a "theme" picture and added a link to the bottom of each (online) dated event for a reference. The small three or four paragraphs listed in each dated event is plenty enough information to read and "draw the dots" for everything that has happened with the Rams since they arrived in Los Angeles last year.

This piece should be a good walk down memory lane and put the past 17 months into perspective for all of the main events leading up to the hiring of McVay and the miscellaneous transactions that have since followed.

Like several of you have already commented on, I expect improvement from last seasons 4-12 disaster and it's not unrealistic to believe that McVay, Phillips, Fassel and the new staff additions are capable of coaching this team to at least 6 or 7 wins in 2017.

As many of you have also mentioned, I'm not prepared to make any "bold" predictions of more than 7 wins without first getting a better grasp of how the core players, "free agents" and some of the "rookies" mesh together under the new coaching regime.

Until we get some "full padded contact" training camp reports and see the players perform live in preseason action, predictions for the 2017 season are based more on good faith from all of the positive offseason personnel changes and what we've read or seen in highlight clips from the recent OTA's and mini-camps etc.

Everyone would agree that the majority of the "key players" need to stay relatively "healthy" during training camp and the preseason, or the Rams new season will likely be over before it starts. The same can be said for virtually all of the NFL teams.

Anyway, I'm quite sure that everyone remembers each of the "chronological" time related events listed below so I hope it makes for an entertaining "all in one stop" reading reference.









"Timeline of the Rams last 17 Months"





JANUARY 12, 2016
NFL Owners "Approve" Rams Move back to Los Angeles


For more than two decades, billionaire developers, corporate titans, Hollywood power-brokers and four Los Angeles mayors tried and failed to bring the National Football League back to the nation's second-largest market.

The odyssey ended Tuesday.

NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow the St. Louis Rams to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season and to give the San Diego Chargers a one-year option to join the Rams in Inglewood.

The Rams' home will ultimately be on the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood in what will be the league's biggest stadium by square feet, a low-slung, glass-roofed football palace with a projected opening in 2019 and a price tag that could approach $3 billion.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-la-chargers-rams-20160113-story.html


MARCH 1, 2016
Rams "Franchise Tag" Trumaine Johnson


Rams place franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson has received the non-exclusive franchise tag, the team announced Tuesday.

Johnson will earn $13.952 million for the 2016 season.

The Rams opted to tag Johnson over fellow free-agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins, although the team will likely continue contract talks with Jenkins. Jenkins fired his agent over the weekend, complicating his contract situation.

Johnson, 26, is a year younger than Jenkins. He has 15 interceptions in his career, the most among players taken in 2012 draft. The Rams and Johnson have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement.
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/new...tag-janoris-jenkins/b42u87vcfaji1kdbua2xi5bw0


MARCH 9, 2016
Mark Barron gets "Big" Contract Extension


Mark Barron gets new deal worth $45 million: Now, the Rams are headed to Los Angeles, and they're taking Barron with them. NBC Sports, ESPN and NFL Network were among the media outlets reporting the Rams had re-signed Barron just before he would have become a free agent at 3 p.m. CST Wednesday.

Barron's new contract has been reported at a five-year deal for $45 million. Staying with the Rams means the former Alabama All-American will be staying at a new position.

When Rams weakside linebacker Alec Ogletree broke his leg in the fourth game of the 2015 season, Barron, normally a strong safety, stepped into his starting spot and finished 16th in the NFL with 116 tackles. The Rams began calling the position weak safety because of Barron's preference to be known as a safety.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/03/mark_barron_gets_new_deal_wort.html


MARCH 31, 2016 "Rams Free Agency"


The Los Angeles Rams have mostly been quiet in the opening weeks of free agency, electing to spend most of their resources re-signing key free agents such as cornerback Trumaine Johnson, linebacker Mark Barron, ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims and center Tim Barnes, among others.

The only outside additions they've made have come in the form of relatively low-cost options such as cornerback Coty Sensabaugh and end Quinton Coples.

Meanwhile, the Rams lost cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/28041/rams-get-a-c-for-work-in-free-agency

Rams 2016 Free Agent Signings
(only the listed players currently on the 2017 roster as of 06/25/2017)

DEFENSE
CB- Trumaine Johnson (Franchise Tag)
LB- Mark Barron Re-signed
CB- Troy Hill Re-signed
FS- Cody Davis Re-signed
DL- Dominique Easley F/A
SS- Marqui Christian F/A
SS- Isaiah Johnson F/A
CB- Blake Countless F/A
CB- Kevin Peterson F/A

OFFENSE
KK- Greg Zuerlein Re-signed
RB- Malcolm Brown Re-signed
TE- Cory Harkey Re-signed
WR- Brandon Shippen F/A


APRIL 4, 2016
"The Move" Rams Arrive in Los Angeles


Oxnard and Agoura Hills to be exact, where the football operations and administrative departments have hit the ground running on preparing for the Rams’ new life in Southern California.

The football side will spend the next two months in Oxnard, where a temporary practice field, weight room, locker room and offices have been set up to cover the team’s nine-week offseason training program.

After that, it’s off to Irvine for training camp from the end of July to late August. During the season, the Rams will set up temporary headquarters and practice facilities at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, where they will spend the next two years.

The goal is to eventually build permanent headquarters in Thousand Oaks.

They will begin play this season at the Coliseum before moving to their new home in Inglewood in 2019.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/201...ifornia-to-complete-emotional-22-year-journey


APRIL 14, 2016
Rams & Titans Make a Deal "Blockbuster" Draft Trade


In a stunning move that shakes up the top of the draft and almost ensures that the Rams will be starting a rookie quarterback in 2016, the Tennessee Titans traded the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams, both teams announced Thursday morning.

The Rams, previously selecting at No. 15, are one of the lowest-picking team in NFL history to trade up to the No. 1 spot. The move, however, did not come cheap.

The Rams, on the other hand, are taking a gigantic risk. Prepping for the first season in Los Angeles, the team wanted to arrive on scene with a new face of the franchise. It is almost a guarantee that the Rams will end up with either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff.

NFL Media's Albert Breer reported the Rams already have conducted on-campus workouts with both quarterbacks. They likely made the move fearing that the quarterback-needy Browns would take their preferred choice at No. 2.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ams-trade-up-to-acquire-no-1-pick-from-titans


APRIL 28, 2016
Rams select "QB"Jared Goff (No.1 Overall)


Jared Goff was selected first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft on Thursday night, ending weeks of speculation that started when the Rams traded up for the pick on April 14. Then again, this pick hardly comes as a surprise.

While Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher did not tip the team's hand publicly, it became clear over time that Goff was the selection.

Goff does not have some of the traditional hallmarks of a No. 1 overall pick. He didn't rack up wins in college, and he doesn't have an absolute cannon for an arm. But Goff earned this moment in the sun by breaking records in three years as a starter while displaying many of the traits NFL teams crave.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-select-jared-goff-with-top-pick-of-nfl-draft




Rams 2016 Draft Picks & (UDFA's)
(only listed the players currently still on the 2017 roster)

QB- Jared Goff #1
TE- Tyler Higbee #110
WR- Pharoh Cooper #117
TE- T. Hemingway #177
LB- Josh Forrest #190
WR- Mike Thomas #206

WR- Nelson Spruce UDFA
CB- Mike Jordan UDFA
LB- Corry Littleton UDFA
OT- Pace Murphy UDFA
WR- Paul McRoberts UDFA
LB- Nicholas Grigsby UDFA
RB- Aaron Green UDFA
DE- Morgan Fox UDFA


JUNE 17, 2016
Steve Wyche Camp Report:
Goff "not close" to ready


NFL Media's Steve Wyche reported on NFL Total Access on Thursday that Goff has a long way to go before he's ready to face NFL defenses. "Jared Goff is nowhere near being ready to start Week 1," Wyche said on NFL Network.

"He's only had offseason workout practices, but he's swimming in it. ... Training camp is vital for him. I spoke to one team official that said they are looking forward to seeing him in pads and preseason games because his ability to improvise are some some of his strengths.

But do not be surprised -- I know the expectation is for him to start Week 1 -- but don't be shocked if Case Keenum is the starter, because, again, Jared Goff has a long way to go."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-jared-goff-nowhere-near-being-ready-to-start


AUGUST 4, 2016
Fisher confirms Keenum "starting" QB


The Rams gave up a lot to trade up to the No. 1 pick and take their latest franchise quarterback, Jared Goff. But the team apparently has no plans to rush the former Cal star into the lineup.

Goff is currently working with the second-team, and coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday that former undrafted free agent Case Keenum remains atop the depth chart.

"Keenum made some really good throws," Fisher told reporters. "I mean, some really good throws throughout practice. That's what you expect out of your starter."

Historically, it wasn't uncommon for coaches to sit rookie quarterbacks, even those drafted near the top of the first round. But that thinking has changed in recent years; in 2011, first-overall pick Cam Newton started 16 games and Blaine Gabbert, drafted 10th, started 14 times.

In 2012, the top two picks, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, started a combined 31 games and led their teams to the postseason.

Blake Bortles, the No. 3 selection in 2013, started 13 games as a rookie, and the top two picks in last year's draft, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, combined for 28 starts.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/j...se-keenum-not-jared-goff-is-rams-starting-qb/


AUGUST 6, 2016
Keenum to "start" vs Cowboys in Preseason


Jared Goff was, to the Rams, worth selling the farm to move up to select him. But that value is also enough to keep the organization from forcing him into the starting lineup, at least for Week 1 of the preseason.

Former University of Houston star and current middling quarterback Case Keenum will start for the Rams against the Dallas Cowboys in their return to Los Angeles at the Coliseum on Aug. 13, coach Jeff Fisher said Friday.

What a bummer for those Rams fans and their shiny, new No. 16 jerseys, right? Wrong, says NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks, who went to Rams camp and witnessed Goff's current progress as a professional quarterback.

Brooks said it was clear that Goff, who ran a simpler system at California, "still has a long way to go before he reaches the standard needed to wrestle the starting job from Keenum."

This is no reason to panic. There's a learning curve at every position in professional football, with none greater than under center, where quarterbacks need to master, as Brooks says, three key areas: communication, coverage identification and judgment. Oh, and don't forget the increased speed of the game.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000680938/article/rams-to-start-case-keenum-in-preseason-opener


AUGUST 9, 2016
Jeff Fisher on (HBO) Hard Knocks
"I’m not Effing going 7-9 or 8-8 or even 10-6"


“Little things are important, you follow me? I’m not Effing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK? Or 10-6 for that matter. This team’s too talented. I’m not going to settle for that."

"I know what I’m doing. We had 7-9 bullshit this morning. Deon’s gone, that is 7-9 bullshit.

We don’t need it. You guys take ownership of this thing, OK? You take your ownership and you trust that I know what I’m doing, and we’ll be just fine.”
http://coachingsearch.com/article?a=The-top-5-quotes-from-the-Hard-Knocks-season-premiere


AUGUST 27, 2016
Tavon Austin Signs "Huge" Contract Extension


Tavon Austin signs 4-year, $42M extension with Rams: After a career year in 2015, Rams wideout and former first-round pick Tavon Austin has earned himself an extension.

Austin has signed a four-year extension to stay in Los Angeles, the team announced Saturday. The new deal is worth $42 million with $30 million in guarantees, a source with knowledge of the deal told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. The extension keeps the wide receiver under contract through the 2021 season.

The 25-year-old speedster will be invaluable over the coming seasons, adding another layer to a Rams offense that is desperate for playmakers. In 2015, Austin caught 52 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 434 yards with four more scores. His 907 yards from scrimmage nearly doubled his previous best -- 569 during his rookie season.

Rams fans have been waiting for an offensive coordinator to come along and unlock Austin's potential for years now. Last year's increase in rushing attempts, from 36 to 52, was the biggest indication yet that the team was working overtime to carve out a larger role for him.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...on-austin-signs-4year-42m-extension-with-rams


SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Rams Finish up their 2016 Preseason 2-2


The Rams won two games in the Coliseum and lost two games away from the Coliseum this preseason.

The Los Angeles Rams finished off the preseason on Thursday night with a close loss on the road at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.

In his first NFL start, rookie Jared Goff got off to a strong start on the opening drive marching the Rams down the field on seven plays for 78 yards resulting in his second touchdown pass of the preseason with a one-yard connection with Kenny Britt.

It was an impressive throw on a timing route going toward the sideline to Britt’s outside shoulder. What also stood out on that drive was that he took five of the seven snap from the shotgun formation, including the touchdown pass.

However, things quickly went in the opposite direction for Goff over the rest of the first half as he went 3-of-12 with a fumble and an interception, which occurred on back-to-back snaps deep in his own territory.
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1702792-rams-finish-up-the-preseason


SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Case Keenum ready for "Opener" at 49ers


It was only the other day that Case Keenum finally checked out the Hollywood sign. The Rams quarterback has yet to visit many Southern California landmarks and said he laments his delay in sampling eateries such as Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles.

He simply hasn’t had time. Keenum spent the last nine months preparing to be the Rams’ starter, a goal that will be realized Monday night when he steps onto the field against the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s been a long time coming for Keenum, who launched his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans in 2012. Keenum has started 15 games, five last season for the Rams, but this will be his first opening-game start. “The first for it to be my show,” he said Thursday.

Keenum, 28, is excited about an opportunity that was earned by playing with consistency while No. 1 pick Jared Goff struggled and made mistakes. Goff will be inactive for the opener. Sean Mannion will be the No. 2 quarterback.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-keenum-goff-20160908-snap-story.html

No.1 Pick in "street clothes" for season opener at San Francisco


The Face of the Franchise will be in street clothes when the Rams open their season Monday night. Jared Goff will be inactive against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams claim otherwise, but this is a problem. Goff says this won’t compromise his long-term prospects, but this is a setback.

The Rams mortgaged their future to move into position to draft Goff, and he’s stuck behind Case Keenum and Sean Mannion? “He plays to play and I want him to play,” Coach Jeff Fisher said. “We’re not there yet.”

Forget about what this means now. It’s not as if anyone was counting on a 21-year-old rookie quarterback to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl. What should concern the Rams are the long-term implications.

More specifically, this: If Goff is the team’s No. 3 quarterback, can he get the necessary work to become the franchise quarterback the Rams envision? “I’ve never done that,” Goff said. “It is different. My whole life, I’ve been a starter.”

What Goff could use are first-team snaps. That much was evident in a shaky preseason in which he completed 22 of 49 passes. But the overwhelming majority of reps with the starters will go to Keenum.

“One of the challenges for a young player in this league is to prepare yourself to play without getting reps,” Fisher said. “They’ve all come in here from college programs where they got all the reps. Now, they find themselves in a position where you don’t get reps.”
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-goff-hernandez-20160910-snap-story.html


SEPT 12, 2016
Rams "Blanked" in Opener at 49ers


Case Keenum is not the model of consistency he displayed during the exhibition season. The Rams quarterback struggled mightily in his first opening-game start. He completed 17 of 35 passes for 130 yards, with two interceptions, and failed to move the offense to the red zone, let alone the end zone.

The 49ers’ blitzes helped create constant pressure on Keenum, who was sacked twice but pressured or hit innumerable times. Keenum and his receivers also created their own problems. Many times, it appeared as if they were running different plays.

Coach Jeff Fisher treated his star running back with care and played him in only one series during four exhibitions. He finished Monday night’s game with only 47 yards in 17 carries and his longest run went for 10 yards. All of that added up to an embarrassing Week 1 effort. The last time the Rams were shut in the regular season was December 24, 2011 at Pittsburgh 27-0.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-what-we-learned-20160913-snap-story.html

'Star' DT Aaron Donald "loses his cool" in week 1 at SF



SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
Rams won a game they had to win
with "90,000" people watching in LA


Los Angeles waited patiently for more than 20 years for the Rams to return. The stakes were too high for another uninspiring loss this week. Fans were often surging in the rich, deep bowl of a stadium. It was loud. Strangers embraced all over the place when the Rams won. "Ramily," they called it.

The Rams have toiled in mediocrity in recent seasons and even opened this one with a feeble 28-0 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. But against the Seattle Seahawks, they embraced what this first game back meant, how interlocking with this L.A. fan base it had to be and how a good first step was critical to building momentum in their L.A. return.

They mastered the script, beating Seattle 9-3. The Seattle defense was good but the Rams defense surpassed it. It was throwback football in the Rams’ throwback royal blue and yellow jerseys in a throwback place that all signaled a new day.
https://www.sbnation.com/2016/9/19/12971532/los-angeles-rams-seahawks-win-homecoming


OCTOBER 2, 2016
Fisher's Rams win their 3rd straight game at Arizona with
another last minute "nail biting" victory. Tied for first at 3-1


Rams move to 3-1 in 17-13 win over Cardinals. The Rams looked terrible in the first week of the regular season in a 28-0 loss to the 49ers. They haven’t lost since, though, and they join the Seahawks as NFC West teams with 3-1 records after a late score lifted them to a 17-13 victory over the Cardinals.

Brian Quick caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to put them up 17-13 late in the fourth quarter and linebacker Mark Barron picked off Drew Stanton a few plays later.

Things weren’t quite over and the Rams’ penchant for drawing personal fouls handed the Cardinals 30 yards that moved them near midfield before the clock struck 12 on their hopes of winning when T.J. McDonald picked off a Hail Mary in the end zone.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/10/02/rams-move-to-3-1-in-17-13-win-over-cardinals/


OCTOBER 6, 2016
Case Keenum plays his best career game but
Rams lose "shootout" at the Detroit Lions


The Rams lost to the Lions, 31-28, on Sunday in a back-and-forth game in which Case Keenum completed 27 of his 32 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns -- he also rushed for a score of his own -- before throwing an interception to end the game.

Case Keenum played his best game of the season on Sunday, but it was not enough.

The Rams defense failed to stop Detroit's offense late in the 4th quarter which led to the Lions' Matt Prater kicking a the game winning field goal. Keenum’s pass with just over a minute left was intercepted by Detroit Lions safety Rafael Bush, sealing a 31-28 victory over the Rams at Ford Field.

The Rams are 3-3 after their second consecutive loss.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-live-coverage-rams-vs-detroit-lions-20161015-htmlstory.html


NOVEMBER 6, 2016
Rams lose their "4th straight" game vs Panthers


The Los Angeles Rams lost their fourth game in a row and fell to 3-5 on the 2016 NFL season in morbid excuse for a sunny Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers did not entirely convince with their play, but the visitors managed to score 13 points, which was more than Case Keenum and the Rams' offense could manage in 60 minutes, i.e. the Rams lost the game 13-10.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Rams-lose-4th-straight-to-Panthers-2016-400187731.html


NOVEMBER 13, 2016
Zuerlein "stops" 4 game
losing streak at NY Jets


The Rams are still searching for ways to score touchdowns.

On Sunday, the offense continued to struggle, but Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals and middle linebacker Alec Ogletree intercepted a pass with less than two minutes left as the Rams defeated the New York Jets, 9-6, at MetLife Stadium.

The Rams ended a four-game losing streak to improve their record to 4-5. It marked the second time this season the Rams won without scoring a touchdown. They defeated Seattle, 9-3, in Week 2. The Rams defense continued to play well and mostly neutralized second-year quarterback Bryce Petty, who was making his first start.

Rams quarterback Case Keenum completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards but could not get the Rams into the end zone. Todd Gurley rushed for 64 yards in 21 carries.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-li...ted-supply-but-rams-1479071379-htmlstory.html


NOVEMBER 15, 2016
Jared Goff to get "First Start" vs Dolphins


The Rams are finally making the move to Jared Goff. Being 4-5 and coming off a 9-6 victory is as good a time as any to make a drastic change, so Jeff Fisher and the Rams are turning to the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported the news.

Goff, taken No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, has yet to attempt a regular-season throw for the Rams. Case Keenum started the first nine games for Los Angeles.

The rookie will get to begin his career in front of the home crowd -- probably a pretty reasonable part of the equation to starting Keenum last week in New York -- against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. In terms of the timing for this start, things are a little weird.

Many people believed Goff should have started out of the gates, and the play of Keenum pretty much justified that for several parts of the season.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/r...h-jared-goff-to-start-vs-dolphins-in-week-11/


NOVEMBER 20, 2016
Goff has "lackluster debut" and the Rams
Defense blows 2nd half lead to the Dolphins


The Rams’ coaches insisted they would not change the offense for Jared Goff. And they didn’t. The offense still stinks.

Save for the rain in Los Angeles—a bit of cosmic humor if ever there was one—Goff’s first career start looked awfully similar to the Rams’ first nine games of the season, with Case Keenum at the helm. After scratching and clawing their way to a 10–0 lead, the Rams shut it down ... and then fell apart, in a 14–10 loss to the Dolphins.

Goff’s performance was of the same game-manager variety that Keenum specialized in, only devoid of the occasional deep ball Keenum found this season. The weather played a large part in shackling both quarterbacks, at least until Ryan Tannehill caught fire for two fourth-quarter touchdowns that saved Miami.

The rest, beyond Mother Nature, looked all too typical for the Rams this season: shoddy blocking, the receivers’ inability to get open, untimely miscues and an offense content to live with short passes. For his part, Goff finished 17 of 31 for 134 yards, no TDs and no interceptions.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/11/20/jared-goff-debut-rams-dolphins-jeff-fisher


DECEMBER 5, 2016
Gurley having a "disapointing" Season


Last year, Rams running back Todd Gurley was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year. This year, Gurley is one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. Far from building on his impressive first season, Gurley has just 679 yards on 211 carries.

Among the 24 NFL running backs with at least 120 carries this season, Gurley’s average of 3.2 yards per carry ranks dead last. There are 34 players in the NFL this year with at least two runs of 20 yards or longer, and Gurley is not one of them.

Asked after Sunday’s loss to the Patriots what’s going wrong with the 4-8 Rams, Gurley said he’ll look at himself, as he thinks all of his teammates will do. “At the end of the day,” Gurley said, “you just have to look at yourself and say, `We’re not doing a good enough job.’”

Gurley still doesn’t have a 100-yard game this season, and he admits that bad week after bad week gets old. “It’s hard,” Gurley said. “It’s repetitive, over and over every week. It’s crazy.” A player with Gurley’s talent just has to go off and have a big game at some point. But that point may not be until 2017.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...awful-season-todd-gurley-looks-in-the-mirror/


DECEMBER 11, 2016
The Atlanta Falcons "Humiliate" Rams 42-14


Matt Ryan passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns and Atlanta forced five turnovers in a 42-14 victory over the spiraling Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Deion Jones returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown, and Vic Beasley forced a fumble by Jared Goff and returned it for another TD during Atlanta’s comprehensive pummeling of the Rams (4-9), who have lost four straight and eight of nine in their increasingly miserable homecoming season.

Goff went 24 of 41 for 235 yards with two interceptions and a fumble. The No. 1 overall draft pick fell to 0-4 as a starter with a trip to Seattle looming Thursday.

”If there was ever a game to put behind you quickly, it’s this one,” said Goff, who scored his first NFL rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. ”We’re not having fun. We’re not enjoying this. It’s awful.”
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/ryan-throws-for-3-tds-falcons-thrash-faltering-rams-42-14-121116


DECEMBER 12, 2016
Breaking News Rams "Fire" Jeff Fisher


Los Angeles Rams fire head coach Jeff Fisher: The Rams stunned the football world on Monday afternoon, firing long-time head coach Jeff Fisher just a few months after handing him a two-year contract extension. Just last week, Fisher confirmed he signed that deal before the start of the 2016 season.

Special teams coordinator John Fassel, the son of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, has been named the team's interim head coach.

"This was solely based on performance," said Kevin Demoff, Rams executive vice president of football operations, during a news conference Monday. "Today was the best chance to move forward and finish the season with some direction and hope.

It's unfortunate for him today because this is an organizational failure ... this is just not about the head coach and coaching staff. We have to improve across the board."

Demoff went on to say that the Rams losing eight of its last nine games ultimately "tipped" the decision to get rid of Fisher. In addition, when asked if general manager Les Snead could be in jeopardy, Demoff said "it would be a mistake to say anybody in the building would be back next year."

The 58-year-old Fisher has been in charge of the club since 2012 and in that time compiled a 31-45-1 record with zero playoff appearances.

Fisher is now tied with Dan Reeves for most career losses by an NFL head coach, though Reeves reached that mark in 18 fewer games. Fisher's overall record is 173-165-1 over 22 seasons.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000755854/article/los-angeles-rams-fire-head-coach-jeff-fisher


JANUARY 1, 2017
Cardinals "Destroy" Rams 44-6 in Season Finale


The Rams said they were motivated and would play for pride in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

They looked anything but inspired on Sunday at the Coliseum in a 44-6 loss that proved a fitting end to a lost season. The Rams finished 4-12 in their return to Southern California. They lost 11 of their final 12 games and won only one game at home.

The search for a new coach to replace the fired Jeff Fisher will ramp up this week. Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in the draft, was sacked seven times and absorbed numerous hits. He finished 0-7 as a starter.

In his final game, Goff completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards 0 TD 0 INT. Because of Goff's inept performance and for the benefit of his safety, he was benched early in the 4th quarter.

Goff was benched early in the 4th quarter because of his inept play and for his own safety. The Rams offensive line was unable to keep their young quarterback off of his back due to their own poor performance. Todd Gurley, needed 155 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Gurley finished the game with 14 caries for 40 yards.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-li...ls-the-cardinals-go-1483315583-htmlstory.html


(Rams 2016 Season Summary)

The Rams honeymoon return to Los Angeles was short lived and ended leaving a bad taste in the mouths of their fans. They finished the season with an embarrassing 4-12 record. Of the seven home games they played in front of their Los Angeles fans, they won only one game at home.

The Rams ended their 2016 season with a 7 game losing streak and lost 11 of their final 12 games.

The 5th and final season of the Jeff Fisher "era" was an epic failure and Rams upper management was clearly guilty for their share of the blame.

The Rams 2016 season practically ended the way it started back on September 12, --- on that eerie Monday night up north in San Francisco. The search for finding the right head coach will be paramount to the future success of this continual failing franchise.


(Rams 2016 Team Stats)

OFFENSE
(Points Scored 224 Rank #32) (Pass YPG 184.4 Rank #31) (Rush YPG 78.2 Rank #31)
-AVG YPG 262.7 (Rank #32)

DEFENSE
(Points Allowed 394 Rank #23) (Pass YPG 233.2 Rank #10) (Rush YPG 103.8 Rank #16)
-AVG YPG 337.0 (Rank #9)

PENALTIES- (Flagged a Total of 125 times Rank 3rd most)
_____________(Total Penalty Yards 1,086 Rank 5th most)


JANUARY 2, 2017
Rams clean out their "Lockers"


THOUSAND OAKS – Chemistry. Accountability. Culture. Usually, those are buzz words that losing teams toss out in lieu of actual analysis of what went wrong. For the Rams, the words can be quite revealing.

Why did the Rams lose this year? And the year before? And each of the five years under former coach Jeff Fisher? Players expressed strong support for Fisher, before and after his December firing, but as they cleaned out their lockers Monday at Cal Lutheran, the Rams gave a glimpse into what has ailed them.

A day after they ended a 4-12 season with a dismal 44-6 loss to Arizona, Rams players were honest. They didn’t pretend like they were a handful of plays away from the playoffs. They didn’t minimize their issues. They spoke, directly at times, about some major problems.

“I think Fisher made it fun to come to work in a great environment,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “I think, as players, we need to hold ourselves accountable.”

That sounds like a problem, though. A team carefully constructed, over five years, by Fisher and General Manager Les Snead openly is talking about the need for greater accountability and better attitude.

So while the Rams clearly have some personnel issues to address in the offseason – most notably at receiver, offensive line and defensive back – the next coach seemingly has some team-building to do.

The Rams, it seems, will start their offseason Tuesday. In a letter to season-ticket holders distributed Monday, Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said coaching interviews would begin Tuesday.

Already, the Rams have been linked (in various published reports) with nine candidates who are current NFL assistants:

Offensive coordinators: Harold Goodwin (Arizona) Anthony Lynn (Buffalo), Josh McDaniels (New England), Sean McVay (Washington) and Kyle Shanahan (Atlanta)

Defensive coordinators: Matt Patricia (New England) and Vance Joseph (Miami); Jacksonville interim coach Doug Marrone; and Carolina assistant head coach Steve Wilks.
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/01/0...ent-they-need-to-hold-themselves-accountable/


JANUARY 11, 2017
Sean McVay has "2nd Interview" with Rams


The Los Angeles Rams are a couple of weeks into their in-depth search for the team's next head coach which now appears to have an early front-runner for the position.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams conducted a second interview with Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay on Wednesday. They had originally met with him last Thursday afternoon.

Despite being just 30 years old, McVay has become a hot name in the market over the last several days after reportedly blowing away both the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the respective interviews.

Much of the appeal for him stems from the success quarterback Kirk Cousins has experienced over the last two seasons with him as the play caller in Washington. The former Michigan State product is also coming off an extremely productive campaign throwing for just shy of 5,000 passing yards along with holding a 97.2 quarterback rating and 67.0 completion percentage.
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1745147-rams-interview-sean-mcvay-a-second-time


JANUARY 12, 2017
Rams hire "Sean Mcvay" as head coach.


McVay, who turns 31 on Jan. 24, will become the youngest head coach since Art "Pappy" Lewis for the Cleveland Rams, who took the job in 1938 at 27 years old, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The L.A. Rams clearly don't mind. They were so enthused with McVay that they agreed to hire him without first sitting down with Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who was considered one of the favorites when the process began.

McVay's contract is for five years, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/rams-hire-redskins-oc-sean-mcvay-head-coach/story?id=44748794


JANUARY 13, 2017
Rams hire "Wade Phillips" as Defensive coordinator


LOS ANGELES -- The Rams have agreed to hire longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Phillips, 69, will work under Sean McVay, who was brought in earlier Thursday to be the team's head coach. At 30, McVay is the youngest NFL head coach in the Super Bowl era.

Phillips' most recent role came as the coordinator of a Broncos defense that was the backbone of a Super Bowl-winning team in 2015, a season that earned him The Associated Press' NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...vay-add-wade-phillips-run-defense-source-says


JANUARY 13, 2017
Rams retain John "bones" Fassel


The Rams are keeping special teams coach John Fassel on their staff under new coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead confirmed Friday. Fassel served as the team’s interim coach last month following the firing of Jeff Fisher.

He knew he would not be a candidate for the full-time head coaching position. Fassel, 43, has been with the Rams since 2012.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/13/rams-will-keep-fassel-on-new-staff/


JANUARY 18, 2017
Rams hire Greg Olsen as "QB" coach


Olson was hired Wednesday to be the Los Angeles Rams' quarterbacks coach, according to multiple reports. The move is another step in the direction of nurturing second-year quarterback Jared Goff. New head coach Sean McVay was hired last week, after leading the Washington Redskins offense to a stellar season behind Kirk Cousins.

Olson, 53, served as the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016. He was the Rams' offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2007, before being fired. He coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers in 2001 and the Chicago Bears in 2003.

He also coached the position in 2004 and 2005 for the Detroit Lions. Olson was a quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2009. He became and assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Jaguars in 2012, before bolting for the Oakland Raiders in 2013.
http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/...eg-Olson-as-quarterbacks-coach/5071484802036/


JANUARY 26, 2017
Rams hire Aaron Kromer "Offensive Line" coach


The Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday added another piece to their coaching staff under new head coach Sean McVay with the expected hiring of Aaron Kromer as the next offensive line coach. Kromer has spent 11 years in the NFL as an offensive line coach for four different teams.

His most recent stint was the last two years for the Buffalo Bills that came after stops with the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders. The 49-year-old now takes over the tough assignment of having to improve one of the league's worst offensive line over the last couple of seasons.
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1749370-aaron-kromer-added-as-offensive-line-coach


FEBURARY 8, 2017
Rams hire Matt LaFleur as "Offensive coordinator"


LaFleur has experience working with new Rams head coach Sean McVay. The two were on the Washington Redskins' staff together from 2010-2013 -- McVay working with tight ends, LaFleur with quarterbacks.

McVay said at his introductory news conference that he would call plays for the Rams. That will leave LaFleur's main task to rebuild Jared Goff and help construct an offense that caters to the young quarterback.

LaFleur's resume boasts working with a quarterback group that owned a diverse array of skills. As Redskins QB coach, he helped Robert Griffin III during his historic rookie campaign. LaFleur also worked with Everett Golson at Notre Dame before signing on to aid Matt Ryan in Atlanta.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000784668/article/rams-name-matt-lafleur-offensive-coordinator


MARCH 6, 2017
Trumaine Johnson Signs second "Franchise Tag" in 2 years


The Rams and Johnson will have an exclusive negotiating window from now through mid-July. If they don’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal before that point, Johnson will have to play out the season on the one-year franchise tender, which will pay him approximately $16 million and make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL this season.

He made approximately $13.9 million while playing on the tag during the 2016 season. Trumaine Johnson is the first defensive back to receive back-to-back franchise tags since Charles Woodson in 2004 & 2005 (Raiders)
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/r...on-trumaine-johnson-for-second-straight-year/


MARCH 9, 2017 Rams "Free Agency"


Rams 2017 Free Agent Signings
(only listed the players currently still on the Roster)

OFFENSE
LT- A. Whitworth UFA
WR- Robert Woods UFA
OC- John Sullivan UFA
RB- Lance Dunbar UFA
JK- Greg Zuerlein UFA
TE- Travis Wilson UFA
OC- Austin Blythe F/A

DEFENSE
LB- Connor Barwin UFA
CB- Kayvon Webster UFA
CB- Nickell Robey UFA
LB- Carlos Thompson UFA
DT- D. Easley Re-signed
DL- E. Westbrooks Re-signed
DT- Omarius Bryant F/A
DE- Mike Purcell F/A


APRIL 27-29, 2017 "NFL Draft"


Rams 2017 Draft Picks & (UDFA's)

TE- Gerald Everett #44
WR- Cooper Kupp #69
DB- John Johnson #91
WR- Josh Reynolds #117
LB- Samson Ebukam #125
DT- Tanzel Smart #189
FB- Sam Rogers #206
DE- Ejuan Price #234

OL- Jake Eldrenkamp UDFA
RB- Lenard Tillery UDFA
WR- Shakeir Ryan UDFA
RB- Justin Davis UDFA
TE- Johnny Mundt UDFA
DE- AJ Jefferson UDFA
DT- Casey Sayles UDFA
CB- Aarion Penton UDFA
LB- Kevin Davis UDFA
LB- Dominique Hatfield UDFA


MAY 22, 2017
Aaron DONALD is a "no show" at OTA's


The Los Angeles Rams have Donald under contract for two more years if they pick up his fifth-year option for 2018 on his rookie deal, but he is skipping OTAs as they reach the serious end of negotiations.

Donald has had two of the six highest-graded seasons since 2006 by an interior defender, grading at 96.6 in 2015 (fifth overall) and 95.6 in 2016 (sixth overall). He also owns the second- (95.1), and third- (96.9) highest pass-rush grades for a season by an interior defender — only J.J. Watt has ever had a higher grade.

The former Pittsburgh Panther is the only defensive tackle to rank in the top 10 in both run-stop percentage and pass-rush productivity in any of the past three seasons, with Donald doing it in all three years. Through his first three seasons in the league, no interior defender has registered more quarterback hurries than Donald.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-aaron-donald-skipping-otas-over-contract-dispute/


MAY 23, 2017
Rams will now "Host" Super Bowl LVI (56)


As a result of the stadium delay in Los Angeles, Super Bowl LV is moving across the country. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Super Bowl LV (55) in 2021 will now be held in Tampa, Florida, at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Buccaneers.

Los Angeles will still get its Super Bowl, but it will have to wait until 2022 for Super Bowl LVI (56).
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/n...-55-to-tampa-super-bowl-56-to-be-held-in-l-a/


JUNE 5, 2017
McVay happy with "progress" of OTA's


After three weeks of organized team activities, head coach Sean McVay is beginning to see some things that get him excited for next week's mini-camp. Aside from cornerback Trumaine Johnson returning to OTAs after a week long absence, McVay loves the competition he is seeing from his team:

"It's been great," McVay said about the level of competition between the offense and defense, "I think the guys have done a nice job of responding. Practicing smart, but also, we're getting great competitive situations. Anytime that there's a winner and there's a loser in these situations the guys get amped up about it."
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/06/05/mcvay-happy-with-level-competition-at-rams-otas.html


JUNE 13, 2016
DONALD "shows up" at Mini-Camp


There was speculation surrounding Aaron Donald possibly skipping minicamp for the Los Angeles Rams due to his contract situation. After missing organization team activities with the Los Angeles Rams, there was some concern over the possibility of Aaron Donald skipping minicamp this week, which is mandatory for all players.

Tuesday afternoon marked the first day of minicamp for the Rams, as they look to improve from last year’s 4-12 finish, and believe it or not, Donald was in attendance. Whether Donald would show up for the first day on Tuesday was one of the most debated topics at the beginning of the week since the defensive superstar skipped OTAs due to wanting a new long-term deal from the organization.
http://ramblinfan.com/2017/06/13/aa...facility-los-angeles-rams-first-day-minicamp/


June 15, 2017
Rams "Trade" Greg Robinson to the Lions


The Rams have gotten rid of a former draft bust and the Lions have gotten a potential fill-in for their injured left tackle. Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, has been traded to the Lions, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Detroit sends its 2018 sixth-round draft pick to Los Angeles in the deal. The Rams declined Robinson’s fifth-year option, which means the 2017 season is the final year on his rookie contract. He is due a base salary of $3.3 million.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/15/lions-trade-for-greg-robinson-sign-cyrus-kouandijo/


JUNE 21, 2017
McVay pleased with first "offseason" program


Sean McVay’s first offseason program as the Rams’ head coach was over. Surprising the players with a reward for their hard work throughout the offseason, McVay heard roars of an overjoyed team by announcing the end of minicamp a day early. But meeting with reporters last Thursday, McVay admitted he was still amped from everything that had gone on over the past few months.

“I told my girlfriend last night, I said, “You know I canceled the last day of minicamp and I’m still waking up at freaking 4 in the morning. She says, ‘You are…What’s wrong with you, spaz?’ I said, ‘You’re right I am,’” McVay recalled with a laugh.

“The interesting thing about that is you always want to be mindful about having goals, having kind of an emphasis for both the coaches and the players,” McVay said. “When you break the offseason program up into three phases, Phase 1 was really, ‘Let’s establish our identity, and let’s learn our systems.’ And we felt like we were able to do that.

And then Phase 2, when you can actually get onto the field, start to do some drill work, we said, ‘It’s about improving our technique and mastering our systems.’ And then really,

Phase 3, when you get out on the football field, when you’re going through the OTAs, the minicamps — now we said it’s about coming together as a team. And that’s competing against each other, making each other better, but all understanding that it’s about coming together as a team. And the nice thing about it is we feel like we were able to accomplish that.

“By no means are we where we need to be for what we’re striving to accomplish,” McVay continued, “but I think in terms of what we were trying to get done in the offseason program, we felt like it was a successful offseason program — came out of it relatively healthy, where the guys that we’re really counting on, they’re all expected to be ready to roll by the time training camp hits.”

“Anytime that you got 90 players on your roster, you want to make sure that you have that interaction with all of them,” McVay said. “I think, as a whole, the guys have done a great job of being receptive, really, not just to me, but to our coaches. But it’s an on-going process. I look forward to staying in touch with them, but leaving them alone a little bit over this break and continuing to get to know them as we get back together.

“Just like anything else, that experience helps develop a foundation for those relationships that I think is really important to be able to sustain when you do go through some adversity, which is inevitable in an NFL season,” McVay added. “And that’s ultimately when you’re really tested because things are great right now. Everybody asks, ‘How’s it going?’ I say, ‘It’s great man. We’re still undefeated. We’ll see on Week 6.’”

“It sounds cliché — I think the expectation is that we’re just going to continue to try to get better every single day. I know this, in terms of the predictions, things like that, we don’t really talk about it. But when you talk about the time, the effort that you put into each week, your expectation is to try to win that game.

“But I think when you look at what’s been done in the past, we’re optimistic that we’re improving as a team. And as long as we’re mindful of that, I think if we get better, then we’ll give ourselves a chance to compete. And that’s what we expect to do.”
http://www.therams.com






June 22, 2017
Los Angeles Rams Announce their "Training Camp" Schedule for 2017


The Los Angeles Rams will host their 2017 Training Camp presented by AT&T at the University of California, Irvine, for the second-consecutive year beginning on Saturday, July 29 at 3 p.m. Rookies report to UCI on July 26 and the remainder of the team will report to camp on July 28.

“Training camp is always an exciting time of the year and we’re looking forward to welcoming our fans back to Irvine for Rams football,” Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said.

“From a coaching perspective, we are eager to see the players transition what they learned during the offseason program to training camp, and our practice with the Chargers will be another great opportunity for us to prepare for the regular season.”

The 2017 Rams Training Camp will feature 15 practices at UCI that are open to the public, including one joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday, August 9. All open practices are free to the public. Gates open 90 minutes prior to the start of practice and select players will sign autographs after all open practices.

Camp Schedule: July 29th 3pm, July 30th 3pm, July 31st 3pm, Aug 1st 3pm, Aug 2nd 3pm,
Aug 4th 3pm, Aug 6th 3pm, Aug 7th 3pm (Aug 9th Joint Practice vs Chargers 4:30pm)
Aug 10th 3pm, Aug 11th 3:30pm, Aug 14th 3:30pm, Aug 15th 3pm, Aug 16th 3pm,
Aug 17th 1:45pm
http://www.therams.com


AUGUST 12-31, 2017
Los Angeles Rams "Preseason Schedule" for the 2017 season


LA Rams Preseason Schedule: Dates, Times & TV Network

vs Cowboys Sat, August 12th (9pm ET/6pm PT NFLNetwork/CBS/Univision)
at Raiders Sat, August. 19th (10pm ET/7pm PT CBS/Univision)
vs Chargers Sat, August 26th (8pm ET/5pm PT CBS (national)
at Packers Thurs, Aug 31st (7pm ET/4pm PT CBS/Univision)


SEPTEMBER 3, 2017
NFL Owners change rule for Final Roster Cuts: Now they will go from "90 to 53"


NFL owners voted to approve a rule change regarding roster cuts. Now, when teams trim their preseason rosters from 90 men to 53, they’ll do it in one fell swoop, according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer.

Previously, there were two sets of cuts. Teams had a deadline to eliminate 15 players and get rosters down to 75, and then a separate deadline to finish deciding which players needed to go to get the roster down to 53 men.

Now, there will be just one deadline. Previously, the first set of cuts was scheduled prior to the fourth preseason game.

The change allows teams to carry 90 players into the final preseason contest, giving them more time to evaluate those players.

This season, the preseason wraps up on Sept. 1. Teams will be required to get rosters down to 53 no later than 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 3
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/5/23/15680812/nfl-rule-change-roster-cuts-2017


SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
Los Angeles Rams Kickoff "Week 1" and begin their "Regular Season" Schedule for 2017



Hope all of you loyal Rams fans enjoyed this "time capsule" presentation...

The Falcons are making a run at the Cowboys for coolest video board in football

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/l...-cowboys-for-coolest-video-board-in-football/

Jerry Jones might want to step his game up. The gigantic video board in AT&T Stadium now has competition in the form of the new video board at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Cowboys' mammoth 180-by-72-foot wonder is now just the third-largest video screen in the NFL. Atlanta's 1,075-by-58-foot wraparound screen holds the title of the largest in the league. And if you take just one look at it, and you can tell that it is pretty awesome.

The Falcons posted a clip of the screen in action on the Instagram account. Check it out:

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.instagram.com/p/BVsyt_qBdd-/

We'd seen hints of this in clips from Madden 17, but now we've got the real thing, and it is pretty damn cool. It's not a giant, hanging video board like the one down in Dallas, but instead a screen that spans what appears to be the circumference of the stadium. Nobody will be punting any footballs and hitting the screen, and everyone, even those in the front rows, will be able to look up and see it.

Both the LA Dons and the LA Rams played the same team in the Los Angeles Coliseum. What team was that? (Again, no looking at the internet for the answer!)

Name the team that two of the second most important games were won by the Rams in St Louis and LA? (Go with me on this, cuz if I am any more clear you will get this easily!)

This time of year is when I have time off from university, so I can really focus on my passion, the Los Angeles Rams. Of course, this is when THERE IS THE LEAST NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:help:
Give me the top 10 most important Ram's stories during your lifetime, that doesn't include the Super Bowl (that would be too easy).
1, Rams move to Anaheim, then to St Louis, and back to LA.
2..Rams finally beat the hated Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round enroute to its first Super Bowl in 1979
3. "Who's this Guy?" Kurt Warner
4. Rams acquire Marshall Faulk
5. Phantom Sack of Jim Everrett in the 1989 NFC Championship Game vs the 49ers.
6. Rams beat the 49ers after being dominated for so long in 1999.
7. First in person game at the LA Coliseum, Rams vs Browns, Dec. 16, 1973. (Rams won)
8. Rams trade Eric Dickerson to the Colts.
9. Longtime Rams MLB Jack Reynolds goes to the 49ers (and wins a Super Bowl..arghhh!)
10. Jerome Bettis traded to Pittsburgh.

I am sure that I missed some event that might fit into the top 10, but give me YOUR Top 10.

.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/galler...luable-than-dominant-defensive-players-062017

Ray Lewis explains why elite quarterbacks are less valuable than dominant defensive players

Pro Football Focus released their ranking of the top 50 players in the NFL heading into the 2017 season — and two defensive studs edged Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at the top of the list.

According to Pro Football Focus, Rams star Aaron Donald is the best player in the NFL, followed by J.J. Watt. Brady, a five-time champion, was listed third.

On Tuesday's episode of "Undisputed," Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless reacted to the ranking.

Ray Lewis: The most important player on the defensive side of the ball is the closest player to the quarterback

“Look, I can be a little biased because I’ve always argued that defensive players should be rated higher. When you think about … the most important player on the offensive side of the ball is obviously he quarterback, right?

The most important player on the defensive side of the ball is the closest player to the quarterback. Right? A lot of people don’t think about that.

I’ve watched this from a personal experience. What am I talking about? I played behind one of the most dominant D-tackles in all of football, which was Warren Sapp. I played behind him at the University of Miami, and I never saw dominance like that.

When I started to see what his dominance was, I started to understand that … wow, he actually makes my job easier. When he goes, it’s a whole other conversation.”

Ray Lewis: Aaron Donald is the type of player that wins you a championship

“I got into the league. Our first Super Bowl, the most dominant piece on our defense was Sam Adams. When Sam Adams was ready to play football, I don’t care who it was, he was unblockable.

So you watch Aaron Donald, you watch J.J. Watt. Now let me just be very up front: J.J. Watt [played] three games last year, coming back … I don’t know if I put him [there], you can not put that guy up there. But now we’re in a different world, because it’s a world of popularity now, a world of social media. That’s who is ‘crowning’ people now.

But you talk about Aaron Donald, his body of work since he came into the National Football League. When you talk about pure dominance, from a linebacker standpoint, what it looks like … this is why this piece is so crucial. The reason why I’m really excited that someone sat down and watched enough film to see what that dominance looks like is because that’s where most championships are really won — in the trenches.”

Ray Lewis: J.J. Watt needs to prove he's still the same player

“J.J. Watt, healthy, he’s one of the most unblockable people ever. Why?

If you watch J.J. Watt enough, you say ‘now how in the hell … ?’ You can’t block J.J. Watt. Why? Because J.J. Watt says, ‘Take the game out of it, I’m talking about a one-on-one battle that you have to deal with me.’

Most D-linemen are going to be quicker than the offensive linemen. Some of them are stronger than offensive linemen — and that’s where I think the gems are found. When you find an Aaron Donald, who has a motor like that, or you find a J.J. Watt.”

Troy Taormina Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

How you'll likely be watching NFL games in the future

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/r...l-likely-be-watching-nfl-games-in-the-future/

If you watch Thursday Night Football this year, it's very possible that you'll be getting a sneak peak of how the NFL will be airing it's games in the future.

One of the NFL's biggest issues over the past couple years has been trying to figure out how to reach cord-cutting fans. Back in 2015, the league started to experiment with streaming games when they aired a game from London exclusively on Yahoo.com. The league followed that up last season by streaming 10 Thursday games on Twitter.

For the 2017 season, Amazon won the rights to stream Thursday games, which will also be airing on CBS or NBC plus the NFL Network (You can see the full TNF schedule here).

Streaming or "over the top" viewing of NFL games is something that fans better get used to because that's the future, according to Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

"This year we're with Amazon and for us the future is [Over the top]," Kraft said, via the New York Post.

Kraft added that the league will be watching the Amazon streaming experiment closely because, for the first time, the stream will only be available to subscribers. Although fans were able to watch the Yahoo and Twitter streams for free, the Amazon games will only be streamable to customers who subscribe to Amazon Prime.

"We'll be very interested to see how Amazon goes as it's behind the paywall. The thing we have to be careful of is millennials," Kraft said. "They don't watch TV, they don't have TVs or subscribe to cable. So we have to bring that audience in. Partly it's done through fantasy games and linking to that. Over-the-top is a great opportunity."

Of course, if the NFL does change its strategy for airing games, that likely won't happen anytime soon. The league has television deals with CBS, NBC and Fox that all run thru the 2022 season while the NFL's Monday contract with ESPN runs thru the 2021 season.

After that, it will all be up in the air.

Patriots president Jonathan Kraft recently said that he doesn't expect the league to strike a similar deal with networks that it has done in the past.

"When we get to the end of this deal, what has been our traditional television deals I'm sure will change in their form and format," Kraft said in mid-June, via the Boston Globe. "I think the way [games are] distributed and the way you access them, by definition, will be different, and we will definitely evolve with the consumer. And between now and then we'll be doing a lot of experimenting so we know exactly what our consumers want."

The most interesting thing with streaming will be how much the league might charge for it. Right now, the only way to stream every game is to subscribe to DirecTV's Sunday Ticket Max, which will cost roughly $380 for a subscription in 2017.

The NFL offers most of its games for free -- you can watch a regional NFL game for free as long as you have a TV with CBS, Fox or NBC -- which means the league will have to find the balance between offering their product for free while also making money from the companies hoping to show their games.

Tuesday June 27th Rich Eisen will have coach McVay on his radio/tv show in the second hour which will be sometime between 10 and 11 AM PST.

Can the Rams' defense be a top-five unit under Wade Phillips?

Outside expectations for the Rams' defense has climbed considerably with Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

By Alden Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES -- Wade Phillips has taken over nine different defenses, as a defensive coordinator or a head coach, and nearly every single one of them improved significantly in the first year. He has served a combined 34 seasons in those roles. In 18 of those seasons, his defenses finished within the top 10 in fewest yards allowed. In the last six years, three of his defenses have finished within the top five.

Will his Los Angeles Rams be next?

"I have a good feeling about this team," Phillips, the Rams defensive coordinator, said last week, when asked if his latest defense had the makings of finishing as a top-five unit. "Again, we’re only in shorts and we haven’t done anything live game-wise, which we’ll get to. I feel good with where we are right now. Comparatively to the teams that I’ve gone to in the first year, I think they’re right on par with those teams. And a lot of those teams did well.”

The Rams boast a devastating front seven, led by Aaron Donald, the game's best 3-technique lineman by a wide margin. Michael Brockers is a solid, underrated defensive tackle who lines up next to him. Veterans Robert Quinn and Connor Barwin, with a combined 104½ career sacks, are outside linebackers who will spend a significant portion of their time rushing the quarterback. Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron are two athletic, ball-hawking inside linebackers who should give Phillips a lot of flexibility.

The question is the secondary, though Phillips believes that department is "stronger than people think. I think they'll show that."

Trumaine Johnson will return as the primary corner, and on the other side the starter will probably be Kayvon Webster, who was previously buried on the depth chart on Phillips-led Broncos defenses behind elite cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. Lamarcus Joyner will be making a transition to free safety and Maurice Alexander will return to his more comfortable role at strong safety. And outside of that the Rams have some flexibility, having added a solid slot corner in Nickell Robey-Coleman through free agency and a talented free safety in John Johnson through the draft.

Defense was a staple for the Rams under former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is now with the Browns. Last year's numbers -- 16th in rushing yards allowed, 10th in passing yards allowed, 23rd in points allowed -- don't necessarily support that. But the Rams' defense simply ran out of gas down the stretch in 2016, ultimately crippled by an offense that finished 32nd in the NFL in yards and 25th in time of possession.

Football Outsiders' latest projections had the Rams finishing with the NFL's second-best defense in 2017, behind only the division-rival Seahawks.

Phillips will simply tell you they're off to a good start.

"I couldn’t be more pleased with the guys’ attitude, No. 1, and also the ability we have," he said as the Rams were finishing their offseason program. "I think we have a lot of talented players. They’re working hard to get better, and I think we will show that in the fall when we start playing, start practicing together. We don’t make many mistakes, and they’re real aggressive and they play well as a team."

[www.espn.com]

FPI makes its predictions for the 2017 NFL season

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Jun 1, 2017

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  Hank GargiuloESPN Analytics

As we edge closer to the start of the NFL season, ESPN's Sports Analytics team has calculated our initial Football Power Index rankings for 2017. In short, a team's FPI rating combines its efficiency ratings on offense, defense and special teams -- based on each unit's expected points added per play -- with the sum of all three squad ratings yielding the overall FPI rating.


We then use these ratings to simulate the NFL season 10,000 times in order to derive a team's chances to win its division, make the playoffs, win the Super Bowl, etc.

Without further delay, here's how FPI sees all 32 teams heading into the 2017 season.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19504913/fpi-makes-predictions-2017-nfl-season


Numbers aren't looking good in these models however none of this accounts for the human element of the game.

Just wanted to say how damn ecstatic I am to have a home team in the city of dreams. Sucks that I'm going to have to drop my Kings, but on the plus side I'll be able to spin down the road from my house to watch them practice.

I have always liked Perron, solid forward, but curious to hear all you Blues fans' takes on the dude when you get a moment.

Oh and btw I'm thinking the first game I attend will be the Saturday game in Vegas versus guess who? Yeah, the Blues, who will probably mangle the new kids on the block lol.

June 22, 2017
By TheRams.com



Rams Training Camp presented by AT&T returns to University of California, Irvine for second straight year; This year’s camp will feature a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers on August 9

- Printable Schedule (PDF) -

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Rams will host their 2017 Training Camp presented by AT&T at the University of California, Irvine, for the second-consecutive year beginning on Saturday, July 29 at 3 p.m. Rookies report to UCI on July 26 and the remainder of the team will report to camp on July 28.

“Training camp is always an exciting time of the year and we’re looking forward to welcoming our fans back to Irvine for Rams football,” Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said.

“From a coaching perspective, we are eager to see the players transition what they learned during the offseason program to training camp, and our practice with the Chargers will be another great opportunity for us to prepare for the regular season.”

The 2017 Rams Training Camp will feature 15 practices at UCI that are open to the public, including one joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday, August 9. All open practices are free to the public.

Gates open 90 minutes prior to the start of practice and select players will sign autographs after all open practices.

Below is a complete schedule of practices open to the public. Additional fan information can be found on the team’s website at TheRams.com/TrainingCamp.

Weather and field conditions are evaluated daily, so all dates and times provided are subject to change, including autograph sessions.


RAMS PRACTICES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

DATE TIME LOCATION

Saturday, July 29
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Sunday, July 30
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Monday, July 31
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Tuesday, August 1
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Wednesday, August 2
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Friday, August 4
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Sunday, August 6
3:30 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Monday, August 7
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Wednesday, August 9
*Joint practice w/LA Chargers
4:30 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Thursday, August 10
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Friday, August 11
3:30 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Monday, August 14
3:30 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Tuesday, August 15
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Wednesday, August 16
3 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Thursday, August 17
1:45 p.m.
University of California, Irvine

Fan Parking Information and Prohibited Items

Parking will be available to fans in the Mesa Parking Structure (next to the Bren Events Center). Fans are encouraged to purchase parking passes in advance at a discounted rate of $10 per car online at TheRams.com/TrainingCamp.

Parking purchased in-person on the day of practice will cost $14 per car. Fans cannot bring alcohol, food (exceptions for special dietary needs), pets (service animals are permitted), video cameras or weapons. Please be aware that UCI is also a smoke and tobacco free community.

Media Policy for Training Camp

Media may watch practice in its entirety. Local television cameras will have the opportunity to film the stretching and individual periods (approximately the first 20 minutes).

Still photographers may shoot the entire practice. Head Coach Sean McVay will speak to the media on the field following each practice, and players will be available by request on the field following practice after they have fulfilled all of their responsibilities (i.e. lifting, meetings, etc.).

The use of cell phones for any reason is prohibited while at practice. Media may not, at any point, report details on personnel groups, formations, specific plays, or any information that would compromise the team’s strategic efforts. The Rams have a zero tolerance policy regarding the dissemination of strategic information gathered from practice.

Media Credentials and Parking

Media interested in covering Rams Training Camp must apply and be approved for credentials by the Rams Communications Department. The Rams will begin accepting credential applications for training camp beginning on Monday, July 17.

All applications must be submitted through the Rams credential website, TheRams.com/Credentials, by the media outlet’s assigning sports director, editor, or producer at least 24 hours in advance of the practice(s) you wish to cover. No exceptions will be made.

Media approved to cover practice may park for free in Parking Lot 6A (please note parking is limited and the Rams encourage media to carpool). Outlets with TV Truck/Satellite Trucks should park in Parking Lot 6 (parking lot closest to the field).

Only credential requests from accredited working media on specific assignment for a recognized news organization or sports publication will be honored. Credentials will not be issued to independent websites or freelance writers or photographersunless requested by a recognized news organization or sports publication.

Demand for credentials is high, and as such, the size and legitimacy of each media outlet requesting access will be considered on a case-by-case basis and is subject to the discretion of the Los Angeles Rams Communications Department.

http://www.therams.com/

LA Rams QB Jared Goff Was Absolutely Horrible in 2016

by misone Jun 21, 2017

Much of what was spun out of 2016 was that Rams QB Jared Goff struggled because of poor play. Perhaps the bigger problem was how badly he played even when the line was good.

Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Jared Goff has yet to escape his terrible rookie season of 2016.

In his debut campaign, Goff delivered plenty of turnovers, errant throws, and took a lot of sacks.

To be blunt, Goff’s first season was a nightmare. But one of the more recent stats revealed might be the most terrifying for Rams fans.

Football Outsiders recently released their Quarterbacks and Pressure 2016 article, and things did not look good for Goff.

There are two related things I continuously point out. One is that is not all of the pressure Goff saw was the offensive line’s fault.

He simply struggled mightily against the blitz with just identifying it and knowing what to do.

Teams knew this, and they exploited this weakness unlike ever before.

The other is that QB Case Keenum played in the same offense behind the same line with the same receivers and the same coaching staff...and the outcome was completely different.

FO had this to say;

It is time that we talked about Goff, a true Hollywood horror film. With or without pressure, his DVOA was the pits of 2016.

Now the fact that he had the highest pressure rate of any quarterback since 2010 (40.4 percent) might draw him some sympathy, but let's consider the fact that teammate Case Keenum's rate was only 21.2 percent, ranked sixth in the league.

The Rams had four offensive linemen play at least 893 snaps last year, so there was not a massive decline in talent and continuity when Goff took over.

Defenses blitzed Goff more than Keenum, but there was not a huge difference.

It is more likely that the rookie just got a bit confused at times, mixing up where the next pass-rusher was coming from with where the sun was going to set.

Those numbers represent a massive difference in performance. It’s actually quite scary to think that the future of your franchise struggled that much.

Things got more interesting once they dove into what Goff did when he faced zero pressure. This is actually where the nightmare starts and seemingly never ends.

However, one of the absolute best stats in judging whether or not a quarterback can cut it in this league is DVOA without pressure.

Some crazy results can happen under pressure, but you expect the quarterback to do well when given a clean pocket from which to operate.

This is where Goff's season -- and granted, it was seven starts on an offense that has been barren for years -- gets really scary.

Since 2010, no quarterback had a worse DVOA without pressure than Goff's -45.2%. In fact, it was not even close.

In all sincerity I never knew it was possible for someone to play that bad without reason. Goff’s -45.2% makes Brady Quinn’s 2012 season look like any of Tom Brady’s seasons.

But, where there’s darkness, there’s an opportunity for a glimmer of light to be a hero. Enter new Head Coach Sean McVay:

If we dropped the requirement to 100 passes, that would bring up a holy trio of awfulness in Ryan Lindley (2012 Cardinals),

Tyler Palko (2011 Chiefs), and Caleb Hanie (2011 Bears). It also includes Kirk Cousins in his 2013 season, and he has at least made something of himself in these last two years for Washington.

It is worth mentioning that new Rams coach Sean McVay took over as Cousins' offensive coordinator in 2014. However, one name out of two dozen is a major problem.

If a quarterback can't reach at least 10.0% DVOA without pressure, he just might not be capable of starting in the NFL. Ambiguous Hollywood ending: Goff has a long way to go.

Washington QB Kirk Cousins was pretty bad once upon a time, but then McVay got his hands on him.

Not to give all the credit to McVay as Washington HC Jay Gruden probably has more to do with his turn around than McVay, but it would be naive to think McVay had no role.

Now, he gets the opportunity to show just how good he is at developing a QB with the Rams in Goff.

Technically speaking, Jared Goff was one of the worst quarterbacks to take the field in at least the last 15 years.

It didn’t matter what his circumstances was, because as this data supports, even when things where all right and set up for him to actually succeed, he failed to take advantage.

My benchmark for his progression has remained the same all offseason — Goff will improve, but it’s basically because he can’t really get any worse.

However, in no way am I expecting some miraculous turnaround and he suddenly becomes a Pro Bowl QB.

As I have said before, at best we should expect to see something similar to what Case Keenum gave as the starter.

The odd thing about all this, is Goff playing on the same level as Keenum did between 2015 and 2016, would qualify as a massive upgrade, and it’s an upgrade that any person should be happy to see.
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/6/21/15831168/la-rams-qb-jared-goff-2016

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/mikegarafolo/status/877981901553680384


Wow big news out of KC today. I imagine he will be highly coveted by many teams.

Login to view embedded media View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Continue-Trimming-Roster/47c16cf3-7a90-48c6-8cb7-da6ed72968f1


This one kind of surprises me.

It's very long but it agrees with my way of thinking.

For the TL;DR folks: It's not as simple as making a FO member, coach, or player a scapegoat.

https://theringer.com/los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay-stan-kroenke-63646f1f2df2.

Last week, Amazon bought Whole Foods, America’s healthiest mass-market grocery store. Before that, the company purchased the rights to document the Los Angeles return of the Rams, one of the NFL’s unhealthiest franchises, thus partnering the distributors of Manchester by the Sea with the Los Angeles Rams, making Amazon an expert on depressing content.

The crew at Amazon decided to name the documentary miniseries (which started with the Arizona Cardinals the previous season) All or Nothing, which sounds more like an old Frank Sinatra tune than an NFL doc. For Amazon, there won’t be anything classic about reviewing the Rams’ 4–12 season, which featured one of the worst offenses in modern NFL history. Rams fans know that the past 12 years have been extremely painful to watch, producing just 60 wins and never reaching nine in any one season. Playoffs? No chance — the Rams have finished third or worse in nine of the past 12 seasons. Wouldn’t you have liked to be a fly on the wall of the NFL Films editing room as they tried to make this 4–12 season watchable? Do you think Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos called down and wondered if his team could subtly insert Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, or even Casey Affleck into the show without anyone noticing? This is a project that challenges the creative juices of all involved.

How can a team that won a Super Bowl after the 1999 season continually reside in the bottom of the NFC West for so long? How can a team that has one of the league’s richest owners in Stan Kroenke be this awful? In the NFL it’s hard to become great, and it’s even harder to stay consistently bad — because of the rules, the league rewards poor play and promotes mediocrity.

So how did the Rams get here? Easy: They have no clue about how to build a culture. This column is not about bashing their former personnel directors, or former coaches, or blown draft picks. Going over each pick of the past 12 years would be worse than a day’s worth of root canals. But to blame general manager Les Snead or former GM Billy Devaney would be a waste of time. The GM’s job is impossible if the organization believes that players and coaches can succeed without a winning culture. And to blame Jeff Fisher and all the other former head coaches would be to take the easy way out. No coach, not Bill Belichick, not Bill Walsh, not Vince Lombardi, not George Halas or Don Shula could succeed in this culture.

A winning culture for all successful sports teams is grounded in a recognized mission and shared team goals. It places the good of the team above all else — winning matters more than personal goals or making money, and no one is bigger than the team. Everyone works toward one common purpose, guided by a leader with great knowledge.

But the NFL today doesn’t prize that method — in many cases, it focuses on hiring subcontractors as head coaches. Find a bright offensive or defensive mind and give him the title of head coach. Fresh-faced, inexperienced, eager, but often ill-equipped or unable to grab the reins. These hires are typically just in charge of their assistants, hampering the ability to create a total organizational culture.

Having one vision, one voice, one set of ideas is essential, and unless this comes directly from the owner, it must come from the head coach. When organizations use the subcontractor-head-coaching route, differing values muddy the culture. I call this the “Vienna Problem.” Vienna is the capital and largest city in Austria. When visiting Vienna, because of its geography and vast history, you can experience a range of culture from other countries: the coffee of the Turks, the music of the Germans, the pastry of the French, the brandy of the Armenians, and great art from all over the world. This confluence of experience makes Vienna a unique destination for tourists — it’s a fantastic place to visit.

But the NFL isn’t Vienna, and no country has ever dedicated a monument to a committee. This approach to culture-building might look good from time to time, but it has no chance to become sustainable. Successful teams in the NFL aren’t tourist destinations; they require unity from top to bottom.

To understand why the Rams never understood that culture mattered, one must travel back to the first time the team resided in Los Angeles, back before the mid-’90s, when Georgia Frontiere was the owner. Georgia, who always took at least two months to approve her photograph for the media guide, was far more concerned with making money than winning. She hired a brilliant former CPA/lawyer John Shaw to run her team, allowing him to make every decision, from the move to St. Louis to the next head coach to how many legal pads were needed in the office supply room. Shaw was extremely influential in the NFL league office, serving on several committees and operating as one of the league’s power brokers, even though he never actually owned a portion of the team. He was shrewd, he knew how to negotiate, and most of all he knew how to make money — lots of money. He was a modern-day Hyman Roth — carrying the title of president while working behind the scenes, never officially moving to St. Louis despite being in control of every dollar the team spent while there. He made clever trades, often receiving a boatload of picks for players like Eric Dickerson. But he often blew those picks because he never built the right culture.

Shaw hired and fired coaches without ever changing his structure in the front office because it never occurred to him anything was wrong. He had an Al Davis–like approach, as he tried to control the game from his chair on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, even after the Rams moved to Missouri. He saw the game like one of his spreadsheets, all assets and liabilities. He was calculating and bloodless in his dealings. “He doesn’t get emotional,” then–Buffalo Bills GM Terry Bledsoe said of Shaw, with whom he’d worked out the Vince Ferragamo trade in 1985.

Shaw’s formula was simple: If the team loses, fire the coach. Or fire the personnel director, even though that person’s decisions were typically marginalized and ignored. (Shaw relied on superscout Mike Giddings’s outside personnel service more than any of his directors.) Then find another coach — give him a limited amount of authority and hope he can turn it around. Since 1990, this predictable routine has been going on — and guess the results? In 26 years, the Rams have had just four 10-win seasons, going to the playoffs only five times — and one of the playoff appearances was the result of an eight-win season. The Super Bowl win after the 1999 season covered the sins and memories of the losing. But that was a complete aberration — the normal for the Rams has long been losing.
After more than a quarter-century, the lack of culture for the Rams has become the culture. New owner Stan Kroenke learned at Shaw’s lap as he forged his plan to become the team’s owner. In 1995, Kroenke bought a stake in the Rams, then two years after the death of Frontiere, he purchased the remaining portion, officially controlling the team. The passing of the torch from Frontiere to Kroenke was seamless. Only instead of Shaw running the team, Kevin Demoff — the son of powerful coach and player agent Marvin Demoff — assumed control as the chief operating officer. Like Shaw, Demoff is smart and business savvy, but has little understanding of life outside the Rams’ walls. Demoff was the lead man who brought Jeff Fisher to St. Louis — Fisher has been represented by Kevin’s father for his entire career. The Dolphins presented a huge roadblock in the Rams’ attempt to hire Fisher, but the Demoffs found a way — no one around the league doubted it’d happen. And the move was largely celebrated in St. Louis, as the Rams and Demoff hired the best available coach in 2012.

Five years later, many fans regard Fisher’s tenure as a high-priced disaster. Like the Shaw regime, the Rams made incredible trades, heisting several picks from Washington for RG3 in 2012, during this period. And like the Shaw regime, most of those picks failed to produce. Demoff has not been as effective playing the role created by Shaw, who would never have had the third-highest payroll in the league (and only four wins last season) without having his best player (Aaron Donald) signed to an extension. The Rams are a self-made four-win team with four of their 10 highest-paid players on second-contract extensions. And the worst contract in the NFL belongs to a player in Los Angeles: Tavon Austin. The wide receiver/return man has the second-richest deal on the team, a four-year, $42 million extension he earned for his under 10 yards per catch average. The Austin contract probably pisses off Aaron Donald, the Rams’ most essential player, more than anyone.

So after a 31–45–1 record, out went Fisher at the end of this season and the Rams began a search for his replacement. In doing so, they revealed how little they know of their historical problems. Because they drafted a young quarterback — the thus far woeful Jared Goff — that appears to be in need of major skill development, the Rams decided to hire a quarterback guru as their head coach. They’re oblivious to their losing culture, therefore they never view their problems in a global sense, instead thinking linearly. They reduce this incredible amount of losing to a simple solution — just get a good quarterback coach, and we’ll be fine. So in comes Sean McVay, an enthusiastic 31-year-old first-time head coach. When Bill Belichick was 31, he was the linebackers coach for the New York Giants. Pete Carroll? He was the defensive coordinator at NC State. Gregg Popovich? He was head coach of Division III Pomona-Pitzer. To say McVay is youthful is an understatement. Often we confuse enthusiasm with the ability to effect change, and right now the Rams under McVay have tremendous enthusiasm — but can they change?

It’s unclear if McVay been around long enough to understand what a winning culture entails. Right now, McVay is like Axl Rose stepping off the bus in the “Welcome to the Jungle” video — he’s new to this.

Will Sean McVay walk into defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ office and demand he enact a specific game plan on D? Of course not. McVay is going to spend all his time working with the quarterback, generating that enthusiasm for the team — he’s going to leave Phillips alone. That might work in the short term, but it won’t work in the long run. When Phillips retires in a few short years, what happens then? McVay hired the celebrated Phillips exactly because he knows what he’s doing — as a first-time head coach, he’d be prudent to let Phillips lead the defense. There is a fine line between meddling and installing your culture. Phillips works for McVay, therefore, McVay must show the team he is in charge by using his intelligence on all sides of the ball, not displaying his title. It takes confidence in your football knowledge to do this. Does McVay have that knowledge? We’ll see.

Either way, ending the organization’s historic losing will require a historic turnaround. Fans believe it’s as simple as draft better, coach harder, be more enthusiastic. But the calcifying patterns of previous decades will be difficult to reverse. McVay might want to call Jeff Bezos and ask him about how he plans to redefine Whole Foods’ culture. As the great business guru Peter Drucker once said, “Organizational culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Bon appétit, Rams fans.

Not sure what the current total is with the latest cuts, 85, 86? Though OTA's are done and its the last break before TC, its apparent the Rams "Brain Trust" is in high gear. Looks to me like they are making room on the roster. Another QB? Long snapper?

Me thinks they have an eye on an unsigned vet. In any case, you can tell the foot is still of this coaching staff is hard on the gas pedal with no let up in sight.:yess:

Rams' offense should be better, but by how much?

Rams coach Sean McVay says his approach to the offense this winter was about "evaluating the pieces and then figuring out what's the best way to put it together." Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

Alden Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES -- The optimist sees the 2017 Los Angeles Rams like this: Good on defense, good on special teams, and now it's just a matter of how quickly they can fix the offense.

Sean McVay, the rookie head coach who was brought in for that very task, isn't ready to set expectations.

"It sounds cliché -- I think the expectation is that we're just going to continue to try to get better every single day," McVay said last Thursday, the day after the conclusion of his offseason program. "I know this, in terms of the predictions, things like that, we don't really talk about it. But when you talk about the time, the effort that you put into each week, your expectation is to try to win that game."

The short answer: Nobody really knows how much better this unit can be with one offseason.

There's way too much ground to make up.

The Rams were dead last in the NFL in yards each of the past two years, but their struggles are even deeper and more pronounced than that. They have finished within the bottom 10 in yards per game each of the past 10 years. During that 10-year stretch, they didn't have a Pro Bowl quarterback and only had two 1,000-yard receivers -- Torry Holt in 2007 and Kenny Britt in 2016. Using its DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metric, Football Outsiders has the 2016 Rams as the fourth-worst offense in the past 30 years

McVay has since cleared the decks.

Only six of those expected to start the 2017 season were starters on offense during the stretch run last season. That includes quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick from 2016 who must be given a real chance; running back Todd Gurley, the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015; left guard Rodger Saffold, by far the Rams' best offensive lineman last season; receiver Tavon Austin, who might have a one-year tryout with this new coaching staff; and linemen Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown, each transitioning to new positions on the right side.

At left tackle, the Rams swapped Greg Robinson for Andrew Whitworth. At center, Tim Barnes was replaced by John Sullivan. At receiver, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will essentially take the place of Britt and Brian Quick. At tight end, Tyler Higbee seems primed to absorb the targets that were once directed at Lance Kendricks.

"I don’t necessarily know if it was about kind of changing the structure of the entire offense," McVay said, "but more evaluating the pieces and then figuring out what's the best way to put it together."


Regardless, it will be a largely different group implementing an entirely different philosophy.

McVay was able to elevate quarterback Kirk Cousins while serving as the offensive coordinator and play-caller in Washington these past two seasons. He will call plays for the Rams, too, and has spoken constantly about being able to marry the run and the pass, something he wasn't really able to accomplish in his prior gig. It's even more important now because McVay wants to take a lot of the pressure off Goff, who's still only 22 years old.

The Rams' offense should be better, but it's impossible to know by how much.

"To say how our offense affects what we'll be able to do as a team, it's hard to say," McVay said. "And there's so many things that change from year to year. But I think when you look at what's been done in the past, we're optimistic that we're improving as a team."

[www.espn.com]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ders-derek-carr-finalize-5year-125m-extension
Well, this is what we should except in a couple years if Goff plays well.