Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer

[www.espn.com]

Rams GM Les Snead recently set up a workout with Jared Goff and a couple of draft-eligible receivers, Washington's John Ross, who just ran a record 4.22 40, and USC's JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster on Friday, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco: "I thought Jared Goff was an outstanding quarterback. Just did one-on-one; the way he approaches the game, and how we were just talking 'ball and life off the field. My meeting with them (the Rams) was great."
Repl

Rams ready to sort through bevy of receivers at combine

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST

INDIANAPOLIS – The wide receivers finally made it to Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday for their on-field workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine. All 58 of them, which is an extraordinary amount of prospects and typifies the heavy emphasis these days on throwing the ball.

Inside the stadium, the Rams scouting and coaching contingency watched intently, wide receiver being such a significant need and, based on how many of them the Rams requested formal interviews with and reach out to informally, this week a particular point of focus this week.

And not just here, either.

The opening of free agency on Monday is expected to offer a slew of interesting possibilities, and the Rams appear poised to be active as new head coach Sean McVay begins building the offense to his specifications.

“We’re confident that we know that market and who, in that market, fits Sean the most,” said Rams general manager Les Snead.

Depending on how aggressive they are next week – and there are strong indications they’ll at least kick the tires on a group that should include Washington’s DeSean Jackson, Cleveland’s Terrelle Pryor, Chicago’s Alshon Jeffery, Washington’s Pierre Garcon – the Rams’ receiver need might not be as compelling as it is right now.

Nevertheless, the Rams at their core are a draft and development organization, so ideally some long-range answers to a position that’s befuddled them for years were on the field Saturday.

Armed with the 37th overall pick in next month’s draft – and eight picks total across the second and seventh rounds – good chance one or two of them might be getting a call from McVay and Snead eventually.

Their draft position eliminates them from consideration for the top prospects – Clemson’s Mike Williams, Western Michigan’s Corey Davis and Washington’s Johnson Ross – but they’re well situated to tap into the next wave. And history shows impact receivers can be found beyond the first round.

With that in mind, here are some wide receivers who should be available when the Rams make their first pick.

JUJU SMITH SCHUSTER, USC, 6-2, 220, 2016 stats: 13 games, 70 catches, 914 yards, 10 TDs: There’s been a lot of talk at the combine that Smith-Schuster profiles as an Anquan Boldin type receiver, which makes a lot of sense. Like Boldin, Smith-Schuster isn’t a blazer, but he’s a big, physical, competitive receiver adept at route running and using his body to create an advantage in one-on-one battles. With the ball in his hands, he’s a punishing runner and isn’t afraid to use his size and strength as a weapon.

“Yeah, definitely. Anquan Boldin,” Smith-Schuster concurred. “His speed, at the same time the way he plays, the way he approaches the game, basically the overall how he plays his game and how tough he is. I kind of see myself the same way.”

COOPER KUPP, EASTERN WASHINGTON, 6-2, 205, 2016 Stats: 13 games 117 catches, 1,700 yards 17 TDs: Kupp disappointed a bit with his 4.62 and 4.66 40 times Saturday, but in a roundabout way that might actually help the Rams as it may eliminate Kupp from consideration as a first-round pick.

It shouldn’t, as Kupp’s productivity, natural hands, and ability to expertly slay every route on the route tree and operate against man or zone coverage makes him a first-round talent.

But in the finite world of stacking a draft board, Kupp might get docked for not delivering a sub 4.6 40.

Nevertheless, he’ll go off the board by the middle of the second round – at the latest – and he was one of the handful of receivers the Rams officially sat down with in Indiana.

“I believe in the receiver that I am, I believe in what I bring to a team,” Kupp said. “I think it’ something that no one else brings, the reliability, the versatility, someone who is going to be productive play in and play out.”

JOSH REYNOLDS, TEXAS A&M, 6-4, 194, 2016 Stats: 13 games, 61 catches 1,039 yards, 12 TDs: The Rams have a glaring need for big, reliable targets that can stretch the field, and Reynolds fits that bill. He isn’t the most physical receiver, and defensive backs will try to body him up to take advantage of his slender build. But he’s an explosive athlete that can gallop past defenders vertically – while possessing tremendous hand eye coordination and ball-catching skills – and can out-jump them on contested balls.

CHAD HANSEN, CAL, 6-2, 205, 2016 Stats: 10 games, 92 catches, 1,249 yards, 11 TDs: A former walk-on at Cal after spending one season at Idaho State, Hansen exploded onto the scene in 2016 with a monster year that transformed him from nobody to one of the most intriguing receivers in the draft. Watching him play, you’re instantly drawn to the explosive speed that allows him to burst past defenders, his ability to go up and get balls, but also work the sidelines with his footwork. He’ll get dinged for the elementary route running he was asked to do in Cal’s system, but he’s a willing learner and coachable, so he should seamlessly pick up the more nuanced NFL route tree.

“A lot of people think I’m a product of (Cal’s) offense but I don’t see it like that,” Hansen said. “I see myself as a complete receiver and someone that’s going to be able to translate to the NFL and be successful at that level.”

[www.ocregister.com]

2 straight seasons leading the league in net punt yardage ave. In 2016, he was 1.8yds longer than #2 on the list, finishing an insane 46yds per net punt.

51 of 98 punts landed inside the 20. The next closest had 38. Amazing!

Here is a link you can sort the punters any way you'd like;

http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/punting/sort/puntYards

Of course we can joke about having the best punter... but Johnny Hekker is a stud at his position... and watching other games... he really is a difference maker with field position.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-422-40yard-dash-breaks-chris-johnsons-record

Login to view embedded media
INDIANAPOLIS -- John Ross III recorded an official 40-yard dash time of 4.22 seconds on Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine, a record-breaking performance. Chris Johnson held the previous combine record at 4.24, set in 2008.

The Washington wideout pulled up after the run and told NFL Network's Kimberly Jones his calf muscles were bothering him and that he wouldn't do any more drills, including a second attempt at the 40-yard dash.

"I felt good," Ross told NFL Network's Ike Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew on NFL Network after his run. "I got tight at the end but it felt good coming out so I knew it was probably going to be pretty quick."

Ross went on to say he was grateful for the chance to show his speed at the combine.

"I'm just thankful beyond measure, blessed and just really happy to be in this situation," Ross told NFL Network's Michael Irvin about breaking the record, "because two years ago, I was sitting on the couch for the whole season, torn ACL, and now to be in this position, I'm really thankful."

When asked if he was disappointed that he didn't win the island that Adidas promised to the fastest 40-yard time wearing their cleats, Ross replied, "I really can't swim that well. And I don't have a boat, so you know, I had to run in Nikes."

Ross didn't make any bold predictions about breaking Johnson's record during his media interview Friday, but he did say he expected to run a sub-4.3 clocking.

Although Ross didn't have his breakout season at UW until 2016, his fourth year at the school, his reputation for blazing speed preceded that. He was named one of the fastest players in the nation by College Football 24/7 last summer after being clocked at 4.25 at the Husky Combine about a year ago.

Ross caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Pac-12 champion Huskies last year, and is one of three receivers frequently projected as potential first-round picks in the draft, along with Western Michigan's Corey Davis and Clemson's Mike Williams.

Downtown Rams Draft Profile: Bowie State CB Kristian Wilson

https://www.downtownrams.com/single...-Draft-Profile-Bowie-State-CB-Kristian-Wilson

Our new massive series here at Downtown Rams will give you players that catch our eye. We will bring you bring you draft prospects, see where their fit is with the Rams and of course give you a player comparison.
Who is the 5-foot-10 and 180 pound CB Kristian Wilson?
I actually like this young kid a lot out of Bowie State. I really like guys with the ability to be fearless at the cornerback position and that's really what you see in Wilson. He has ideal size to play nickel cornerback in the NFL and the feisty demeanor to start on the outside someday if he works hard enough. He's a small school guy that will be overlooked by the confines in the tape or the competition but he clearly stands out as the fastest player and most impressive on his tape.

Strengths
Quick and twitchy which could translate well as an NFL nickel corner
Great speed
Doesn't give up on plays
Instinctive and makes adjustments to his instincts
Can be a play maker with or without the ball
Plays both off the WR and on him
Recovery speed is solid
Shows good footwork and technique
Limited pass rushing ability is a plus

Weaknesses
Competition is lacking
Tackling needs to be a little more refined
Size may limit his options at the next level
Can get grabby at times
Tackling can be inconsistent

How does he fit with the Rams?
The Rams franchise tagged Trumaine Johnson but that doesn't mean they don't need cornerbacks. Now, just like small-school guy Daquan Holmes I am not calling this guy an immediate starter. There is a ton of work to be done. The Rams do find late round steals or even undrafted steals, so same with Holmes I expect Wilson to be a borderline draft pick that works his way onto a team as a special teams workhorse. The ride could be long and hard but it could pay off down the road. The Rams currently have LaMarcus Joyner at nickel but that could change sometime soon and if that is the case an opportunity would left for a kid like Wilson to insert himself into the lineup.

Draft Grade
7th round-UDFA

Player Comparison
Nevin Lawson

I really like this comparison and I think Kristian might too. Nevin Lawson is the same type of build as Wilson, similar type of play style and similar type of draft grades. Lawson was thought of as a reach by the Lions in the fourth round after many said he was a seventh rounder or undrafted free agent. Nevin Lawson has carved out quite the roll in the NFL and Pro Football Focus rated him the 38th best overall cornerback in 2016. Lawson showed more ability as a pass rusher and had played against better competition but besides that Wilson and him do the same thing. Wilson could be a feisty and nasty nickel down the road bit with Lawson playing on the outside across from one of the league's best in Darius Slay, Wilson certainly has a chance to be doing the same thing at some point in his career.

Downtown Rams Draft Profile: Alabama WR ArDarius Stewart

https://www.downtownrams.com/single...ams-Draft-Profile-Alabama-WR-ArDarius-Stewart

Our new massive series here at Downtown Rams will give you players that catch our eye. We will bring you bring you draft prospects, see where their fit is with the Rams and of course give you a player comparison.

Who is the 5-foot-11 and 210 pound WR ArDarius Stewart?
One half of a dynamic duo of WR's at Alabama. Stewart and fellow teammate Calvin Ridley created multiple mismatches at Alabama. Ridley will likely be a first round pick next year based off what he can do and the frame he has. However, Stewart is considered somewhat of a sleeper in this draft. Stewart is like if you combined Tavon Austin and Pharoh Cooper . . . at least that's what I see on tape. He has flashed the ability to go up and make the big play by high pointing the ball even with his 5-foot-11 height. It's safe to say Stewart excels in the ability to create plays and run after the catch.

Strengths
Strong hands that spear the football out of the air
Body control
Good speed
Accelerates well
Ability to pluck the ball at it's highest point
Violent runner
Able to make significant plays after the catch
Good tracking of the deep ball
Makes the spectacular catch look easy
Adjusts well to errant passes; had plenty of practice at that in 2016
Can be used in the backfield or end around's
Slot and outside capability
Can throw the football as more of a swiss army knife player

Weaknesses
Needs more polish in his route running
Not the ideal height for a number one WR
Always trying to take it to the house which may lead to unnecessary maneuvers that may cause him to lose yards
Not a great blocker; needs to work on that aspect of his game to become a starter

How does he fit with the Rams?
ArDarius Stewart might be Tavon Austin on steroids as my dear friend and fellow writer Tevin Broner called him. Stewart doesn't have that elite ability in anything but he's at least solid in every category. I get the feeling when you watch Stewart's tape he's the jack of all trades but master of none. Stewart strikes a comparison for a mixture of players. I finally narrowed it down to one as you can see below. Stewart can come in right away and compete for a starting job instantly. As of right now Stewart would likely start on the outside with Pharoh Cooper and Tavon Austin out of the slot all interchangeable. However, since I believe there will be more wide receiver talent when the draft rolls along Stewart might have to really work for a starting job. I think he personally could have pushed himself into a first round grade had he stayed but he unfortunately needed to come out in order to support his family. It's worth noting Stewart would hands down be the best return man on the Rams roster especially if Benny Cunningham leaves in free agency.

Draft Grade:
3rd round

Player Comparison:
Jarvis Landry

I had to go back and forth with Tavon Austin, Pharoh Cooper, Jarvis Landry and even Odell Beckham Jr. I don't think Stewart is dynamic in space as OBJ is for the Giants. However, one of my favorite young wide receivers Jarvis Landry happens to be the perfect comparison. What I love first off is the size comparison, both were 5-foot-11 and weighed over 200 pounds. Both actually came out of the SEC, made plays after the catch, were overlooked by many and of course had their fair share of crazy catches. I think the Landry comparison is fair but Stewart is even faster than Landry and he has all the same tools as Landry . . . except blocking. Overall I think Stewart is going to be haunting 31 teams in the NFL as the guy that got away like Landry. Expect him to break himself into the NFL with designed end around's and screens to get him going on offense. But, in year two or maybe even later into his rookie year expect him to be an impact player like Landry has become.

Been kicking around what I think the Rams might do this offseason at TE, so figured why not throw it out there and let you animals savage it. Plan here is to go through options in roster reduction, FA additions, and the draft, and then make the call on what I expect them to do. Here we go!

Roster numbers, first off, tend to be an average of 3 league wide, and of course varies depending on quality of relative positions. So for purposes of this discussion we'll assume that 4 will be the end strength of the TE room.

Roster returns / Roster cuts

Kendricks was a starter and had his best season, but the problem with this dude is he's a six year veteran and nothing special. His greatest value is his versatility and particularly in the run game, but he is not a guy you can count on in many ways to include holding onto the MFing ball. $3.75m is not an enormous amount of money, but when it's being paid to a guy who probably doesn't factor into the teams' long-term plans it's probably too much. Thus I expect him to be cut.

Harkey is a depth option who is solid as a blocker and completely non-dynamic in the passing game. But he's a solid teams guy and is only going to be making $1.3m, so I expect the Rams to keep him around and give him a look in camp.

Higbee is one of the most talented TEs we've had on the roster in years in terms of raw ability. I watched a lot of WKU due to Doughty and Tyler is an outstanding passing game weapon that had two risks coming out: health issues and an alcohol related incident. His rookie season didn't see him show he could remain healthy, but he did keep his nose clean. Obviously the team has high hopes for him, for good reason.

Hemingway was the incredibly raw athlete addition last year. This guy's a real unknown, and I think come camp he's gonna be fighting for his life to retain a roster spot, but the new regime might be able to make something of him. They'll keep him around obviously and give him a look.

Williams was a UDFA who stuck around a bit on the Pats' roster before we got him. Pre-draft I expected him to be drafted, and really liked him as a big bodied and good hands guy, which I felt we needed for the passing game. I still like him and think he might be a surprise with some good coaching. He'll get a look either way in camp.

Wilson I know nothing about as a TE. Not sure he's gonna be able to compete with these other guys, most of whom are going to be ahead of him mentally. Huge dude though, and will get a look I presume in camp.

So in summary with Kendricks being cut I think they will be sitting at 5 not counting the FA and draft.

Free Agency

The TE group is extremely underwhelming in FA. If I had to put one of those guys as the top option I would go with Trey Burton who is young and who has shown some things spelling Ertz. But personally I don't think the Rams can afford to bring in a guy like him when chances are he'll be outperformed by Higbee, who is in his second season now and is much more talented.

Now, there are some guys we could bring in to be insurance or depth options, like Vernon Davis who is long in the tooth but knows the offense McVay will install. But there's really not anyone who represents an improvement over what the Rams have and if I were stacking the roster I'd steer clear of anyone who isn't a bargain basement type contract addition.

My expectation in FA is that the Rams stand pat at TE.

Draft

The TE class this year in the draft is excellent. There's quality at the top and throughout. There's size, athleticism, whatever you want. The question, though, is what do the Rams want?

Answer: they want a TE who can master the option route.

Now, that's easier said than done. The TE position first off is one of the toughest to adjust to the NFL, as proven by rookie production numbers. That said if the TE is used primarily in the passing game as a weapon and not required to block frequently, then I do think the adjustment can be faster. And again that would be a guy they feel can be a quick study as an option route threat.

Many will expect McVay to be looking at the Jordan Reed types due to his Redskins connection. But guys who master the option route aren't only the athletic types. There are guys like Reed, but there are also guys like Witten who are much bigger. Really the key is that the guy can play smart, get up on top of the DB to see what the coverage is, and then react correctly. IMO this staff is going to choose a guy they feel can do that. Here's my guess on the options:

Howard - Nice fit, but is gonna go too high.
Njoko - Not a smart player and has too many drops, is not a fit for where they'd have to take him.
Engram - Versatile and an option for the Rams if he's there at their round 2 pick.
Shaheen - Big and powerful, lower competition, hard to say with this guy, tough one.
Hodges - Raw as blocker and route runner, but a freak, risky at our round 2 pick, solid round 3+.
Everette - Small hands, focus drops, not a fit for where they'd have to take him.
Butt - Underrated IMO, smart player who executes, definite fit for rounds 3+.
Leggett - "Lazy Leggett" says it all lol, some team will fall in love and he'll bust. Not a fit.

Way it looks to me the sweet spot for TE is going to be that round 3 pick, which will have competition from CB, DE, Center as need/value pick options.

Prediction

I think the final TE roster will look something like this:

1. Higbee. I suspect he's going to respond exceptionally well to this staff and emerge as a strong option route weapon who can also stretch it deep down seams.
2. Williams. I think he is the other guy who responds to this staff and earns a role as Higbee's backup.
3. Harkey. Need a blocker and physical option.
4. Butt. My guess is they address the position in round 3 and bring in a guy who can do a little of everything.

Should be a seriously good fight!

As I peruse each position group this is a guy who stands out to me as that elite type player I want to see in round 2. He is such an impact player that I doubt he slides to us, but depending on how his return from that shoulder surgery goes I'm going to keep an eye on him, because I'm seeing it mentioned that he might not be ready for the pro day in Tuscaloosa.

Dude was a straight beast in that defense, and when I imagine him playing next to Ogletree it just about brings a tear of joy to my eye, because we'd have two big ILBs that range sideline to sideline with one (Ogletree) who has a penchant for forcing fumbles and the other (Foster) who is nasty/intense and hits like a damn truck. There are those rare LBs who have an ability to be like a wall when they hit, even without a head of steam and this dude is one of them.

Anyway here's a sampler for those who aren't familiar with him:

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1mXBHGBLKE
(The LSU guy he crushes on return is Fournette)

Combine Notebook: March 3

By Myles Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — Friday was the first official day of on-field workouts, with offensive linemen and running backs taking to the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium. Meanwhile, quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers put their best foot forward meeting wit the media. Here are a few notes from the day.

1) What Kromer wants in an offensive lineman

New Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer has been around the league long enough to know exactly what to look for during drills at the Combine. But he said he feels like the in-person interviews are probably more valuable when it comes to the week in Indy.

“The way I like to look at these guys at the Combine, is I’m trying to find out whether they can learn football first,” Kromer told therams.com. “So the interviews are really the most productive thing for me, just an opportunity to teach them something and see if they can teach it back to me.

“Also, just when they are working out, and they are doing their drills, that goes so far,” Kromer continued. “So, they’ve got to know what to do, how to do it, and continue to do the right thing over and over. You can find more about that in the interview than you can actually on the field in the drills, so I really spend a lot of time and really like the interview process of the Combine.”

We’ll have more in Kromer in a full feature on the site this weekend.

2) RBs impress with 40 times

Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette may not have had the best vertical jump, but his speed was certainly impressive for his size. Fournette, who checked in at 6-feet and 240 pounds ran an official 4.51 40-yard dash.

That time put Fournette right in line with another notable running back, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. He ran a 4.48 40 to go along with his 37.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump.

McCaffrey, however, is listed at 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds. So for Fournette to only be .03 behind the Stanford product in 40 time says something about his athleticism.

T.J. Logan of North Carolina finished with the best 40 time of any running back at 4.37.

3) What are Smith-Schuster’s best qualities?

For some hometown flavor, USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was at the podium on Friday afternoon and received a question about his best qualities as a receiver. He listed three: his football I.Q., his toughness, and how competitive he is.

“I’m tough. I played through a broken hand,” he said. “And just very competitive — willing to work, willing to put my body out there on the line.”

Plus, there’s been a bit of buzz around a quarterback who won’t be draft eligible for another year — USC’s Sam Darnold. Smith-Schuster revealed he’s worked out with both Rams quarterback Jared Goff and Eagles signal-caller Carson Wentz in the past, particularly as he prepares for his own draft process. So how does Darnold stack up?

“Sam Darnold’s up there. That’s probably one guy I would take from my team right now,” the wideout said.

High praise, indeed.

4) How would Trubisky about feel heading home?

Speaking of North Carolina, quarterback Mitchell (not Mitch) Trubisky’s hometown, Mentor, Ohio, is about 30 minutes east of Downtown Cleveland. The Browns, of course, hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. So how would the Northeast Ohio native feel to have his name called by the team he grew up rooting for at the top of the draft?

“I’m going to be excited wherever I go,” Trubisky said. “I have a lot of pride in where I’m from — that being my hometown. But no matter what team selects me, I’m going to be super excited and I’m going to work as hard as possible wherever I go. It’s been a dream of mine to play in the NFL since I was a little kid. So whoever picks me, it’s going to be a dream come true.”

Standard, middle of the road answer. But I’d bet he’d be ecstatic.

[www.therams.com]

My first reaction is of confusion. Is this real? Or... was there an explanation left off by the commentators or league?

Login to view embedded media

Rams GM insists moving up to draft Jared Goff was right move and would do it again

Pete Prisco

INDIANAPOLIS -- Almost a year after trading a bevy of picks to the Tennessee Titans to draft quarterback Jared Goff with the first pick in last April’s NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead said here this week that he would make the same move all over again.

Even though Goff started just seven games and didn’t do much to make many believers think he is a star in waiting, Snead is emphatic that the team made the right decision and would still do it again. We would expect him to say that, but Snead laid out some of the reasons why.

“Yes, no doubt,” Snead said during a break here at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Last year we were sitting at No 15 (in the first round) and we knew we had to find a long-term starter. We then identified Jared and we liked Carson (Wentz) too. I always say this about the calculus equation. Needing one is part of the equation. Identifying one is another part. But the toughest part is how do you acquire that guy. We found a way and decided to do it. That’s why we made the move.”

Snead said the team also looked at this year’s draft potential and realized they had to make a move last season, rather than wait. That’s why they gave up a No. 15 last year, this year’s first (No. 5 overall) and a handful of other picks to move up to the top spot.

As it turns out, this year’s quarterback class isn’t a strong one, so it made sense. Would you rather have Goff or Clemson’s DeShaun Watson or North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky?

I’d rather have Goff, which is why the Rams making the move was the right one.

Yet there are those around the league who wonder if Goff can be the guy for the long haul. Goff lost all seven of his starts and completed 54.7-percent of his passes with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. That’s bad accuracy, no matter if he’s a rookie or not.

It didn’t help that the Rams’ offensive line was a disaster, running back Todd Gurley struggled and the outside receivers were little more than average. The Rams finished 3-13 and coach Jeff Fisher was fired during the season.

“There was adversity, road blocks, hindering type issues,” Snead said. “But it was the first step for him to becoming a franchise quarterback. He didn’t blink. He didn’t mope. He didn’t shake his confidence. We saw a lot of what we saw at Cal in college, but what we didn’t know was when things went bad how would he handle it. And none of that shook him.”

Now Goff has a new coach and a new system. Former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay takes over as coach, and he is considered one of the bright offensive minds in the league. That should help Goff, but the team needs to get more pieces around him.

“Once we get Jared in the building, it’s going to be about teaching our system,” McVay said. “Seeing how he processes things, and he’s able to handle the above-the-neck information and then be able to translate it to grass once we get on the field. You see the traits. You see the characteristics. I am really excited to how he retains information, how it translates to the grass. But very excited about Jared and some of the things we’ve seen from him on tape.”

Goff has spent time this offseason working with Tom House, who has worked with a lot of NFL passers on motion and mechanics. House works with Tom Brady, so it has to help Goff.

The next step will be to spend time with McVay, but league rules prevent that from happening until later this month. The big jump for Goff this season will be getting through his progressions better. As a rookie, quarterbacks tend to get to the first or the second, but not the third or the fourth. You can’t win consistently in the league without getting to the third and fourth progression.

“He definitely got to two, but not three or four,” Snead said. “Those things are evolving. But his big thing will be calling protections at the line of scrimmage. Sean is a big believer in calling protections at the line of scrimmage. That’s a big pat of what he needs to do. He didn’t do that in college. He did very little of that last year. That’s something he has to work on.”

Even so, there is no remorse for Snead.

“No, none,” he said. “We looked at a lot of factors and made the move. We are happy we did.”

[www.cbssports.com]

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-10-big-name-players-that-failed-to-perform-in-2016/

More than a decade ago, PFF was founded on proving or disproving general perceptions of players through an unmatched level of detail—unbiased grading of every player on every play of every game. Does the guard who’s made the Pro Bowl five straight seasons still deserve the honor? Did the league’s sack leader generate a lot of pressures quickly, or were some sacks simply cleanups or unblocked?

The truth is, box-score statistics and previous biases can have an immense impact on our notions of how productive a player was. For the defensive side of the ball (or offensive line), this point is emphasized further, since tackles and sacks are commonly used to judge performance. It’s important to go well beyond these simple numbers and actually watch the tape to evaluate.

Here are 10 big-name players from this past season that earned grades far below what their reputation may suggest.

1. Clay Matthews, Edge, Green Bay Packers
2016 overall grade: 43.6 (96th among edge defenders)

After being moved to an off-the-ball linebacker role for the last two seasons, Clay Matthews was primarily back at his normal position on the ball as a stand-up edge rusher. His pass rushing, which used to be his trademark, was relegated to average in 2016. Matthews collected just 28 total QB pressures on 255 pass-rushing snaps, giving him an 8.6 pass-rush productivity mark—36th among 3-4 outside linebackers.

2. Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets
2016 overall grade: 72.1. (66th among cornerbacks)

Before 2016, the highest passer rating Darrelle Revis allowed in primary coverage throughout his career was 87.5 (his rookie year). This past season, he allowed a 104.2 rating and a career-high 66.7 completion rate, along with 664 yards. Often asked to follow a team’s top receiver, opponents no longer feared “Revis Island.” In no game was this more evident than Week 8 against Cleveland when he was targeted 17 times—the second-most for any player in a single game this past season.

3. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
2016 overall grade: 68.8 (33rd among running backs)

In the 2015 season, Todd Gurley broke onto the scene, forcing 47 combined missed tackles and averaging 2.87 yards after contact per attempt, despite playing behind a porous run-blocking offensive line. Gurley forced just 41 combined misses in 2016 on 71 more touches, and ranked 46th of 53 RBs at 2.18 yards after contact per attempt. In a more expanded role this past season, he was also asked to pass protect more often, which left him merely around the middle of the pack; as seen below, it was not his strong suit.

4. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
2016 overall grade:53.0 (27th among quarterbacks)

The Giants’ defense was the cornerstone for their return to the postseason in 2016, while the offense struggled to score for much of the time. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning was part of that struggling offense, throwing 16 interceptions—not all of which were his fault. However, he had 15 more attempts that should have been picks, but were dropped, committing 34 turnover-worthy plays in all. Seeing pressure on just 29.5 percent of his dropbacks within the quick-hitting Giants offense, Manning’s accuracy under pressure was particularly poor, at just 60.6 percent.

5. Dontari Poe, DI, Kansas City Chiefs
2016 overall grade: 55.8 (59th among interior defenders)

The Kansas City nose tackle dealt with a recurring back injury this past season, but the misconception of Poe’s play is still stunning. Simply put, his recent production has never matched the level of 2013 (86.4 grade). Naturally, as a nose tackle, you’ll see your fair share of double-teams over the course of the season. However, Poe was not able to consistently disengage with defenders as he had in the past. He wasn’t beaten badly out of his gap, but he also didn’t finish on plays, ending the year with a run-stop percentage of 4.0, good for 70th of 75 defensive tackles.

6. Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns
2016 overall grade: 56.3 (87th among cornerbacks)

Once a truly dominant cover corner, Joe Haden’s play has declined since 2014, while injuries have nagged him from any sort of consistency. He allowed six touchdowns and a 97.7 QB rating in coverage. Struggling heavily on go routes, most of his big plays occurred when playing press on a receiver and not having the speed to recover once beaten. Something that used to be a strength earlier in his career, his tackling also was subpar; he missed nine tackles and ranked 103rd among CBs in tackling efficiency.

7. Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
2016 overall grade: 73.9 (55th among wide receivers)

Robinson is another young player who seemingly came out of nowhere a year ago, earning an 86.2 grade in 2015. Much of the former Nittany Lion’s work came after the catch (4.4 yards after catch per reception) that season. In 2016, he saw virtually the same number of targets and catchable targets (six less), but his YAC was not duplicated, with just 2.7 yards per reception coming after the catch. He also forced six fewer missed tackles.

8. Robert Quinn, Edge, Los Angeles Rams
2016 overall grade: 60.6 (68th among edge defenders)

In 2013, Robert Quinn (98.8 grade that season) was one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the NFL. From concussions to mysterious illnesses and shoulder injuries, Quinn’s 2016 did not go as planned, and he managed to record just 19 QB pressures on 201 pass-rushing snaps; in fact, 36 4-3 defensive ends recorded a better pass-rushing productivity mark. Quinn also often lost his gap by pursuing too far up field on run plays, leaving gaping holes for rushers.

9. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
2016 overall grade: 71.4 (25th among quarterbacks)

Much like Eli Manning, Joe Flacco showcased one of the greatest runs of QB play in recent memory in route to his 2012 season Super Bowl MVP honor. Since then, however (with the exception of his 2014 season), Flacco has been merely average at best, committing far too many turnover-worthy plays and inaccurate passes that he’d previously make up for down the field.

Colleague Harley Sherman had this to say about Flacco’s 2016 campaign: “His deep ball just wasn’t there, ranking 31st of 34 QBs in deep-ball accuracy, at 30.3 percent. He also had some head-scratching interceptions, and others while throwing off balance or off of his back foot that led to many under-throws.”

10. Anthony Barr, LB, Minnesota Vikings
2016 overall grade: 43.1 (79th among linebackers)

Entering the 2016 NFL season, Anthony Barr ranked 34th in Senior Analyst Sam Monson’s Top 101 players, impacting the game as a run defender, pass-rusher, and in coverage. However, in 2016, his work in coverage dropped significantly, as he missed eight tackles in the passing game alone. Barr also allowed four touchdowns and a 135.0 passer rating, struggling with the task of covering running backs coming out of the backfield. Numerous injuries were certainly prevalent throughout the season, but Barr was also repeatedly blocked at the second level of the defense, creating wide holes for opposing running backs.

https://www.cnet.com/news/icon-smart-condom-ring/

The i.Con Smart Condom, which markets itself as the "world's first smart condom," is actually a ring that fits over a boring, dumb condom and claims to track the exercise of your man bits, as well as detect chlamydia and syphilis.

The ring, first announced last July, is currently available for preorder on British Condoms for £59.99 (about $74, AU$97) with an unknown release date. But you can't actually put a ring on it yet -- the company says it won't take your money until the product has a firm release.

In short, the i.Con ring promises to answer every burning question you've ever had about your sex session. Don't worry, it will pair with an app for all your data visualization needs.

According to the preorder page, the ring will answer questions such as:

• What's my thrust velocity?
• How fast are my thrusts?
• How many calories did that sesh just burn?
• How many times did I just have sex?
• What's the average skin temperature of my... eggplant?
• What's my girth?
• How many different positions did I just conquer?

Plus, it aims to answer that age-old question: How do I stack up at sex to everyone else around the world? Because sure, let's gamify sex. What could go wrong?

The ring, which will come with a one-year warranty, will have a Micro-USB charging port to provide six to eight hours of "live" usage (not clear if this means thrust usage or something else). It will work with a combination of "nano-chip and sensors," and pair with your device via Bluetooth. (I thought it would charge kinetically, but maybe that's just a pipe dream.)

With zero pictures of the self-styled "future of wearable technology in the bedroom" on the site, it's hard to say just how all this technology will fit into a tiny ring. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. British Condoms does say the i.Con will be available in one size with a "band adjustment feature."

Worried about privacy, the data kind? British Condoms says "all data will be kept anonymous, but users will have the option to share their recent data with friends, or, indeed the world."

Forget dick pics. Now we have to worry about dick status updates.

http://insider.espn.com/nfl/insider...son-moves-every-nfc-team-2017-nfl-free-agency

Each NFL team's offseason is filled with small moves and marginal personnel decisions. Sometimes, that series of small moves will build a winner. But a big, bold move can help dramatically -- by improving talent at an important position or changing the overall direction of the franchise.

This week, we'll be suggesting a bold move for each team. Some of these are realistic; others are more far-fetched, but each would provide a significant change and improve a team's chances of winning future Super Bowls.

As a reminder, Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metric takes every play during the season and compares it to a baseline adjusted for situation and opponent. It is explained further here and will be referenced below.

AFC article published here.

NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys
Keep quarterback Tony Romo

With QB Dak Prescott leading the team to 13 wins and a No. 1 seed in his first season, why should the Cowboys keep Romo (and his $24.7 million cap number) in Dallas? Here's one reason: Connor Cook. Here's another: Matt Moore. And a third: Brock Osweiler. When Derek Carr, Ryan Tannehill and Tom Savage went down with injuries for the Raiders, Dolphins and Texans, a quarter of the teams in the 2016 playoffs were realistically eliminated before the postseason even began. With Romo on the roster, the Cowboys would still be playoff contenders even if injury were to strike Prescott in his second season.

So the question is not really if the Cowboys should keep Romo, but whether how such a move might be financially feasible. According to OverTheCap.com, the Cowboys have a league-low $4.2 million in cap space. Romo has the biggest 2017 cap hit on the team at $24.7 million. Cutting or trading him now would save the Cowboys more than $5 million in cap space; cutting him after June 1 would save them $14 million.

But while Romo would be cartoonishly overpaid as a backup, the Cowboys might be able to afford it because Prescott is cartoonishly underpaid as a starter. Between Romo, Prescott and Jameill Showers, the Cowboys have a total of $25.8 million in 2017 cap space devoted to the quarterback position. That's a lot, but it's not quite the most in the league -- the Cardinals have $28.3 million devoted to their two quarterbacks, Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton. Keeping Romo might stop the Cowboys from spending big money in free agency, but this team won 13 games last season -- it's not as though they have a lot of holes to fill. -- Vincent Verhei


New York Giants
Trade for offensive tackle Joe Thomas

On the surface, it looks like the troubles in the Giants' offense last season had little to do with pass protection. They were second in the NFL in adjusted sack rate, which accounts for factors such as down, distance and opponent strength. And according to Sports Info Solutions charting, the Giants had one of the 10 lowest rates of offensive pass pressure in the league.

What those numbers don't show, however, is that Eli Manning was rarely given time in the pocket to look for big passing plays down the field. Fifty-four percent of his passes were thrown to receivers within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, the highest rate of his career, and he averaged just 10.7 yards per completion, the lowest rate of his career.

Enter Thomas, the Cleveland offensive tackle who has made 10 Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams in his career. With the Browns coming off a one-win season and looking to build for the future, it only makes sense that they would at least listen to offers for Thomas, who will turn 33 during the season. The Giants have the 23rd pick in six of the draft's seven rounds (they will pick 34th in Round 4), which should give them some options in putting a deal together. If they can't work anything out with Cleveland, they also could look to the Bay Area, where Joe Staley is in a similar situation: a talented veteran tackle on a rebuilding team.

Either of these trades would make the Giants better at left tackle while also letting Ereck Flowers move to right tackle, effectively improving at two positions and hopefully bringing the long ball back to New York. -- Vincent Verhei


Philadelphia Eagles
Trade up in the draft for a top wide receiver

Things could change dramatically after the combine, but right now it appears that two wide receivers are head and shoulders above the rest in this draft class: Clemson's Mike Williams and Western Michigan's Corey Davis. Scouts Inc. has both wideouts among the top 15 players in the draft, with no other receivers making the top 30. Landing either one would be a coup for the Eagles, who would love to find a real outside No. 1 receiver instead of trying to use Jordan Matthews in that role.

The Eagles have moved up and down this draft as a result of the Carson Wentz and Sam Bradford trades, but right now they have the No. 15 pick in the first round. If they're lucky, one or both of those receivers will fall to that spot, in which case you can ignore this section. More likely, though, one will go somewhere around the No. 10 pick. At that point, teams will start looking to make a move. As spread formations become more prevalent across the league, there is going to be a higher demand for top wideouts, and odds are good that some team will want to make a move for Williams or Davis.

That's why it will be important for Philadelphia to trade up. Going from 15 to 10 or so might not sound like much, and in fact that's one of the reasons the Eagles should consider such a deal -- it likely won't cost them much in draft capital. But it might be necessary to find a top target for Wentz, and pairing a stud rookie receiver with their second-year quarterback would be a bold move that will pay off not only in 2017, but perhaps for the better part of the next decade. -- Vincent Verhei

Washington Redskins
Trade the 'franchise' quarterback

The Redskins are kind of stuck. They are not necessarily a bad team, but they are not a particularly good team either. In three years under Jay Gruden, they have gone 21-26-1, with barely winning records in the past two seasons and struggles against the league's better teams. They have gone just 3-11 against teams that went on to make the playoffs, and 18-15-1 against everyone else. Worse yet, the core of the team's offense -- quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon -- remains unsigned for 2017.

Washington has used the exclusive franchise tag on Cousins, which guarantees him a salary of nearly $24 million in 2017. It will make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league and leave Washington with only $35 million or so in cap space. Worse, it's just a one-year deal, which means the team might have to use the franchise tag on him again in 2018 -- and doing so would guarantee Cousins a $35 million salary for that one season, which would be lunacy. Washington could avoid that disaster by signing Cousins to a long-term contract, but with a bank-breaking 2018 payday on the horizon, there's little incentive for Cousins to do that unless Washington offers a blowaway deal -- and if it wanted to do that, it likely would have been done a long time ago.

For the time being, Cousins' contract is going to make it difficult to retain Garcon and even harder to retain Jackson. And even if Washington could get all three under contract, where would that leave them? With no cap space to add talent on the other side of the ball, they would be right where they are now, with a strong offense and questionable defense that leaves them in a constant string of seven-to-nine-win seasons, occasionally sneaking into the playoffs but never advancing very far. Even that might be optimistic in a deep division like the NFC East, where the Giants and Cowboys both made the playoffs last year and the Eagles look to be on the rise. There are no Jacksonvilles or Clevelands to exploit here.

So perhaps it's time to hit reset. Rumors out of the Bay Area say the 49ers would be willing to part with the No. 2 overall selection as part of a deal for Cousins. That move would reunite the signal-caller with his former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Washington could then use that No. 2 pick to take a dominant runner such as Leonard Fournette or a defensive stud such as Jonathan Allen, then add a young, cheap quarterback a few rounds later. Perhaps a veteran free agent such as Tyrod Taylor, with his running ability, could bring top-shelf explosiveness to the Washington offense at a bargain-bin price. The Redskins could then take the money they saved at the quarterback position and invest in the defense, grabbing a free agent such as Calais Campbell or Dont'a Hightower.

Chicago Bears
Trade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

This could be our bold move suggestion for about half the teams in the league, but few moves this offseason would be bolder than the Bears bringing in the hometown quarterback to try to revitalize the franchise.

The Bears look to finally be moving on from Jay Cutler, and every other quarterback on the roster is a free agent of one sort or another. It's time to rebuild after hitting rock bottom at 3-13, and the Bears have a number of options. They could re-sign Brian Hoyer and use him as a bridge to a mid-round prospect. They could use the No. 3 overall pick on Mitch Trubisky or DeShone Kizer. They could see if Tyrod Taylor is cut from the Bills, or take a gamble on Tony Romocoming back from injury. (Chicago likely wouldn't even appeal to Romo, given his stated desire to live within a short flight of his family in Dallas.)

Of course, no move in the NFL today is bolder than trying to beat the Patriots in a trade, so let's look at Garoppolo. The third-year backup was sharp replacing Tom Brady at the beginning of this season, with a passing DVOA of 43.7 percent and a QBR of 90.0. It's a small sample size, but those are better numbers than Matt Cassel put up when replacing Brady back in 2008, and inspired some brief discussion of whether the Patriots should even bring Brady back during the jump-to-conclusions portion of the early season. Some draft observers believe Garoppolo is a better prospect than anyone in the 2017 draft; it's fairly clear none of this year's prospects are regarded as highly as Jared Goff and Carson Wentz were a year ago. If the Bears agree with this, then using the third overall pick -- or, more ideally, the No. 36 pick and some other mid-round selections -- to pry Garoppolo free might be the move they need to make to begin their offensive rebuild. -- Bryan Knowles


Detroit Lions
Sign defensive end Charles Johnson

The Lions need help along the defensive line, as the lack of pressure they put on opposing quarterbacks goes a long way to explaining the fact they finished dead last in pass defense DVOA in 2016. Detroit managed just 26 total sacks and had an adjusted sack rate of 5.4 percent, both stats resting firmly in the bottom 10. Applying more pressure and forcing quarterbacks to make quicker decisions would be a significant boost to the Lions' passing-game woes.

The safe play is to trust Ezekiel Ansah and Kerry Hyder as your edge rushers, add some rotational depth behind them, and improve on the aging Haloti Ngata up the middle. The bold move is to use Hyder as a depth player and go out to sign a big name in free agency. It was shaping up to be a pretty good offseason to be shopping for an edge rusher, but the big names -- Chandler Jones, Jason Pierre-Paul and Melvin Ingram -- have been slapped with franchise tags. With the surefire prospects gone, signing a defensive end becomes more of a risk, but one with a potential high reward.

Enter Charles Johnson. He used to be an absolute stud pass-rusher for the Panthers, averaging double-digit sacks from 2010 through 2014. However, injuries and age have slowed him down the past couple of seasons, and he recorded only 18.5 pressures last season, according to Sports Info Solutions charting. Johnson will be 31 next season, but it's not a bad gamble to hope for a rebound season. He battled through hamstring troubles in both 2015 and 2016, and was still a good player, especially against the run, despite his injuries. A healthy Johnson may not be a double-digit sack producer and primary pass-rushing threat anymore, but he could still contribute significant production if paired with another good pass-rusher -- say, Ansah. A one-year deal for Johnson is a high-risk, high-reward play, the kind of play you need to make when you had the worst defense in the NFL. -- Bryan Knowles

Green Bay Packers
Cut linebacker Clay Matthews

From a philosophical standpoint, the Packers abhor bold moves. They don't go out of their way to sign big-name free agents -- Jared Cook and Julius Peppers are the only two notable names the team has picked up in the past four years -- and they don't overpay for their own free agents. General manager Ted Thompson instead builds through the draft, using trades and compensatory picks to build up the roster. The slow-but-safe strategy has paid off with an eight-year playoff streak and a Super Bowl win. A bold move for Green Bay, then, might be suggesting they actually sign a player from another team -- a cornerback such as A.J. Bouye or Logan Ryan, perhaps, or an inside linebacker such as Dont'a Hightower.

That would take cap space, however, and while Over The Cap projects the Packers to have $41 million in space entering free agency, they have a sizable number of free agents to re-sign: running back Eddie Lacy, tight end Cook, offensive linemen T.J. Lang and JC Tretter, edge rushers Nick Perry and Peppers, and defensive back Micah Hyde, to name just a few. That starts to add up, and Green Bay might have some tough decisions to make simply because of its finances.

Which brings us to Matthews. While undeniably a team leader, Matthews' play in 2016 was not up to his previous standards. Missing time with a hamstring injury and playing through a shoulder injury, Matthews ended with career lows in tackles and sacks, and dropped to playing just 46.4 percent of Green Bay's defensive snaps. He has two more years on his contract, but the Packers could free up nearly $11 million by cutting the star this offseason. Matthews, who will be 31 next season, probably has one or two more solid years in him before age really takes its toll, but it's always better to move on from a player a year too soon than a year too late. It would be wildly unpopular and would leave the Packers with a bigger hole to fill in the front seven, but it would give them more financial flexibility. -- Bryan Knowles


Minnesota Vikings
Buy an offensive line

The Vikings' offensive line was a disaster last season. The starters played poorly, got hurt, and then the backups stepped in and did even worse. Nine linemen started at least one game for Minnesota, and only guard Alex Boone emerged with both his reputation intact and a contract for 2017. That leaves the Vikings with four starting positions to worry about.

Some moves are fairly obvious. They'll likely look to re-sign Joe Berger to shore up the interior, and reserve tackle Jeremiah Sirleslooked better than starter Andre Smith did, so he could stick around at right tackle. The Vikings may be a bit gun-shy about spending big in free agency after the Smith signing worked out so poorly in 2016, so the safe strategy is picking up some midrange free agents, using draft picks wisely, and gradually rebuilding from a disaster to something respectable. Adrian Peterson's option, and bring in some big impact names. Without a first-round pick, it's the quickest way they have to return to normal service up front. Signing a free-agent lineman from Cincinnati didn't work out last year, but bringing in Kevin Zeitler, one of the top guards in the game, would likely turn out much better. Picking up Ricky Wagner or Kelvin Beachum to shore up the left tackle spot would be a big upgrade as well. It would put a crimp on the Minnesota cap situation going forward, but desperate times on the line sometimes call for desperate measures. -- Bryan Knowles

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons
Sign the best pass-rusher available

Atlanta's boldest move of the offseason may have already happened, with the Falcons hiring former Washington Huskies and USC Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian to replace new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan as their offensive coordinator. The Falcons are one of the most offense-driven teams in the league, and will live or die by the performances of reigning MVP Matt Ryan, top receiver Julio Jones, and the running back tandem of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. That means Sarkisian is probably the most important hire they could possibly make this offseason.

That said, even if Sarkisian does an excellent job as Shanahan's replacement, a drop-off from last season's league-best offense is likely. The Falcons will need to see improvement from their young defense if they are to have the best chance of repeating as NFC champions. The surest way to improve a defense is to improve its pass rush, and the surest way to achieve that is to sign the best pass-rusher available. That looked set to be Melvin Ingram or Jason Pierre-Paul, but both have now been placed under the franchise tag by their respective franchises.

Mario Addison is also off the market after agreeing to an extension with the Panthers, leaving Charles Johnson, Nick Perry and Calais Campbell as probably the Falcons' three best options. Perry and Johnson would work as traditional edge rushers in Atlanta's 4-3 front, or Campbell could shift situationally between a 5-technique end and 3-technique tackle -- he has experience playing both roles in Arizona's 3-4 scheme. Pairing Vic Beasley Jr. with any of those three, on either side of Super Bowl star Grady Jarrett, would give the Falcons a pass rush to be feared, hopefully making life that much more enjoyable for the potential rising stars of their young back seven. -- Andrew Potter


Carolina Panthers
Replace Ted Ginn Jr. with DeSean Jackson

Cam Newton has done a lot of very impressive things in the five years since he was drafted first overall by the Panthers, but one of his more impressive feats has been helping former Dolphins kick returner Ginn enjoy actual success as a wide receiver. Ginn has 19 receiving touchdowns in his three years catching passes from Newton, versus a mere six in his seven seasons on other teams. Ginn has been plagued by inconsistency throughout his career; while he is capable of some spectacular plays, he still misses too many easy receptions to be a truly reliable target. His most recent season in Carolina was his worst for both touchdowns and DYAR despite posting a relatively decent yardage total and catch rate. If there's one thing Newton could really use ... well, it's actually a decent offensive tackle or two, but a truly reliable receiver would be next on the list.

Jackson is that type of receiver, doubly so considering his role as a deep threat and the quarterbacks who have thrown him passes. Jackson's career-low of 42 DYAR (back in 2012) was better than eight of Ginn's 10 seasons, and Jackson has enjoyed success on teams quarterbacked by such greats as Robert Griffin III, Nick Foles, post-prison Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb. The best quarterback Jackson has played with is either Kirk Cousins or late-career Donovan McNabb, making him about as desperate to play with a top quarterback as Newton is to play with a top receiver. There aren't many plausible potential moves this offseason that would be a bigger immediate upgrade. -- Andrew Potter

New Orleans Saints
Sign A.J. Klein, or at least one other linebacker

The Saints have had a bad defense for so long that it's now taken for granted. They've ranked 28th or worse in DVOA in five of the past six seasons, their random 10th-place finish in 2013 being the sole exception. Bad defense is as much a part of this team's identity as black and gold, the Superdome and Drew Brees. Many attempts have been made at fixing the problem, from free-agent splashes on the likes of Jairus Byrd and Curtis Lofton to premium draft picks spent on Cameron Jordan, Kenny Vaccaro, Stephone Anthony and most recently Sheldon Rankins. Jordan has been an unqualified success, Vaccaro has shown promise, and Rankins flashed pass-rush ability in his rookie season. The free agents have fared less well: Lofton is now in Oakland, Byrd is set to be released this offseason, while last year's additions James Laurinaitis and Craig Robertson have failed, along with 2015 first-rounder Anthony, to shore up the team's linebacking corps.

That needs to change. It's difficult to look at that linebacker group and find one player who should be counted on as a starter in 2017. Robertson is a competent run-stuffer in a passing league, Anthony still looks lost whenever a quarterback drops back instead of handing off, Laurinaitis didn't make it past November before being released, and Nate Stupar is a special teamer stuck in the defensive rotation by default. That leaves the oft-injured Dannell Ellerbe, who is capable of making an impact -- when he's capable of getting on the field. Though the staff has reportedly made cornerback and defensive end its priorities, both are positions in which the draft is supposedly teeming with talent.

For a linebacker, they should turn to free agency and make Luke Kuechly's deputy fill-in A.J. Klein their priority. Klein filled in well in Kuechly's absence last season and will be looking for a starting role, which should be all but guaranteed in New Orleans. A capable three-down player, the only knock on him seems to be he's not Kuechly, which is no searing indictment. How much Klein costs would then dictate a potential second target, most likely from the bargain end of the market. Prioritize coverage ability over run-stuffing, pick up the other pieces in the draft, and maybe the defense can finally get out of the bottom five again while Brees still has something left in his arm. -- Andrew Potter


Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Complete the defense first

Their offense has more weak points, but the Buccaneers were a free safety and a defensive tackle away from having one of the league's best defenses in 2016. Even with their safety position manned by the final starting gasps of Chris Conte, the adequately adequate Bradley McDougald, and a handful of starts from Keith Tandy, Tampa Bay had the sixth-best pass defense in the league by DVOA and a very decent chance at the playoffs come mid-December.

It's also quite easy to identify the Bucs' needs: a safety or two -- particularly a rangy free safety -- a clogger in the middle of the line alongside Gerald McCoy, and potentially another defensive end in a draft widely considered deep at that position. That would give the Buccaneers more pieces to complement a solid group of cornerbacks and two of the best young linebackers in the league, and improve their chances of competing in a division that once again in 2017 will probably feature two of the league's best offenses. Tony Jefferson is a rangy, athletic safety who is comfortable both at the line of scrimmage and in deep coverage. Johnathan Hankins of the Giants is probably the best free agent available at defensive tackle. That sort of aggression would be atypical of the Buccaneers in recent years, but it's a long while since they had a defense close enough to greatness to splurge for the final pieces. -- Andrew Potter

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals
Re-sign (via franchise or otherwise) both Chandler Jones and Calais Campbell

Arizona can clear out cap space to sign both of these defensive studs by cutting some combination of Daryl Washington, Mike Iupati and Justin Bethel, among others. The Seahawks and their much-maligned offensive line are the Cardinals' biggest threat in the division, so keeping as much of their starting defensive front together as possible would give them a huge matchup advantage in their two games against the Seahawks in 2017. The Cardinals went 1-0-1 against the Seahawks last season, and if the Seahawks' recent history against the Cardinals, Rams and Panthers is any indication, having a strong defensive line can cause the Seahawks' offense to break down before it can even get started.

Keeping both Jones and Campbell would likely preclude the Cardinals from re-signing free-agent safety Tony Jefferson, but if you can consistently pressure the quarterback as a defense, it can cover up some weaknesses on the back end. This is also a deep draft for defensive backs, so a cheaper replacement for Jefferson will be available at some point. The Cardinals do have 2016 first-rounder Robert Nkemdiche waiting in the wings to play on the defensive line. But with Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald nearing the ends of their careers, Arizona shouldn't gamble on the unproven Nkemdiche. They should try to keep the band together while Palmer is still around, even if it hurts in 2018. -- Carl Yoder


Los Angeles Rams
Sign wide receiver Alshon Jeffery

After the Jared Goff trade last year, the Rams don't have many high-value picks in this year's draft available to address their needs at positions such as wide receiver and offensive line. As such, Los Angeles doesn't have the capital available to make a bold trade. However, the Rams do have some money available to spend on the free-agent market. Wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon of Washington are both free agents, and Los Angeles coach Sean McVay has experience working with the two of them from his time with the Redskins. However, in a division where Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman are always on the schedule, it would make sense for the Rams to bring in a big, physical No. 1 receiver for Goff to work with.

As frustrating as Goff's rookie season was, he didn't get a lot of help from the guys around him, so the Rams should dive into free agency and sign Jeffery in order to help open up the offense. The threat of Jeffery would take defensive attention away from Tavon Austin and open up more space for him on quick screens and underneath routes. Austin's speed would have a better opportunity to shine through if he isn't a guy defenses are keying on. The same can be said for Todd Gurley, who is entering his third season. After an explosive start in his rookie season, Gurley did not impress in his second year, and adding Jeffery would hopefully allow Los Angeles to get more out of the former Georgia Bulldog. -- Carl Yoder

San Francisco 49ers
Sign-and-trade Alshon Jeffery for additional picks

The 49ers currently have a massive amount of cap space and few key free agents that they absolutely need to retain. Given that the team is likely more than a year away from returning to the heights of the Jim Harbaugh era, it would make sense for the 49ers to sign a prized free agent with the understanding that they would then trade him to a cap-strapped team such as Philadelphia, effectively renting their cap space out for draft picks. ESPN's Bill Barnwell once raised this hypothetical situation on a podcast, and Chase Stuart expanded on it at his Football Perspective website, using the Jaguars as an example.

Jeffery would work here. San Francisco could sign Jeffery as a free agent and pay him a larger-than-normal signing bonus up front. They would then subsequently trade him to the Eagles for a valuable package of picks, with Philadelphia essentially using picks to open up salary-cap space they would not have otherwise. When the player is traded, his signing bonus accelerates onto the original team's cap, so the 49ers would be left with a dead-money charge for Jeffery as the cost of effectively buying the picks from the Eagles.

The 49ers could then take those picks and either use them in the draft themselves or as part of a trade package for the Patriots' Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco would likely view the No. 2 overall pick as too high of a cost for Garoppolo, but if they acquired more picks as part of this hypothetical trade with the Eagles, they could put together a package worth something similar to a late first-round pick without forgoing the opportunity to load up on other young players in the draft. -- Carl Yoder


Seattle Seahawks
Aggressively pursue a trade for Joe Thomas

During John Schneider's tenure as general manager, Seattle has not been afraid to make aggressive decisions where other teams might shy away and pursue a more conventional route. In recent years, the Seahawks have traded first-round picks and quality players for Percy Harvin and Jimmy Graham and experimented with just how much Russell Wilson's mobility could cover up for his offensive line. One move that has been discussed frequently is trading for left tackle Joe Thomas of the Browns, but Cleveland does not seem interested in moving its fantastic tackle for anything less than a king's ransom.

Given how close the Seahawks have been in recent years to winning another Super Bowl, it may be time for Seattle to make another bold trade, this time for Thomas, to improve their chances at another ring. The NFL awarded the Seahawks two compensatory third-round picks and did not penalize them with a loss of any draft picks for the Richard Sherman injury disclosure gaffe. With five of the first 106 picks in the draft, the Seahawks have enough capital available to make an aggressive play for Thomas without giving up the opportunity to add depth at all three levels of the defense in what should be a great draft for defensive talent.

Offensive tackle is also one of the shallower positions in this year's draft, so acquiring a future Hall of Famer to protect Wilson's blind side would be a major upgrade and allow the raw George Fant to learn from one of the best left tackles we've seen. Trading for Thomas makes all the sense in the world from the Seahawks' perspective, but it takes two to tango. Cleveland correctly does not want to trade its star left tackle, so Seattle would have to make the Browns an offer they couldn't refuse if they're serious about landing Thomas. -- Carl Yoder

With Truman Johnson now enjoying his enormous $16,742,400 pay day, and me on record not wanting this, I'll have to somehow try and recover enough momentum to submit a mock which is more in line with our current CAP status and personnel. As of 3/3/17, according to Spotrac, the Rams now have $19,494,225. in available CAP space.
Just to spice things up a bit, I have us trading DE William Hayes, WLB Mark Barron & both our # 141 & 149 picks in the 4'th and 5'th rounds to the Cleveland Browns for their # 65 pick in the 3'rd, ILB Christian Kirksey & the rights to problem child WR Josh Gordon. The trade frees up some money to use in free agency, and Cleveland is the richest team in available CAP space, so Greg Williams can be happy with Barron at WLB.
Goff won't get a lot of veteran help with this scenario, but LT, OG, & C should all be improved positions, Goff also gets Garcon, Austin & Gordon as starting WR's along with what looks like a good group of young talented players returning as back-ups. Robinson moves inside where he should now realize some of his beastly potential, and LT & C improvement should make an immediate impact. We also signed last seasons top FB (PFF) to help with the blocking.
Defense should now be top 5, adding two quality OLB'ers, which should hold down the fort if Quinn continues to be a health problem. Other than Hayes & Barron being moved, the front 7 shouldn't miss a beat, and our old friend Nick Fairley returns as a solid rotational DT. While I wouldn't mind a little more depth at Safety, with Randolph returning healthy and an addition at both CB & FS, we should be good to go with Alexander taking over full time at SS.

Re-sign :

K - Greg Zuerlein, UFA, cost $2.25mil. (3 years)
DE - Dominique Easley, RFA Tender
DT - Louis Trinca-Pasat, ERFA

CAP Cut :

TE - Lance Kendricks, save $4.250mil.
DE - Eugene Sims, save $2.5mil.
C - Tim Barnes, save $3.mil.
C - Demetrious Rhaney, save $700,000.
TE/FB - Cory Harkey, save $1.3mil.
RB - Tre Mason, save $750,000.

Trade :

DE - William Hayes, save $2.5mil.
LB/SS - Mark Barron, save $7.mil
ILB - Christian Kirksey, cost $1.962mil.
WR - Josh Gordon, cost $1.mil. ?

Free Agent signings :

LOLB - Nick Perry, $8.5mil. (5 year)
DT - Nick Fairley, $5.mil (3 year)
WR - Pierre Garcon, $8.7mil. (3 year)
FB - Kyle Juszczyk, $2.25mil. (3 year)
OT - William Beatty, $2.5mil (1 year)
OLB - Datone Jones, cost $3mil. (3 year)

Draft :

1) N/A
2) LT - Garrett Bolles, Ut.
3a) C - Ethan Pocic, LSU or DE - Tanoh Kpassagnon, Vill.
3b) DE - Tanoh Kpassagnon, Vil. or C - Pat Elflein, OhSt.
4a) CB - Ahkello Witherspoon, Co.
4b) Traded
5) Traded
6) FS - Josh Jones, NCSt.
7) QB - Jarod Evans, VTech.

53 Man Roster :

Offense (25) :

LT - Beatty, Bolles, D.Williams
LG - Saffold, Brown, Wichmann
C - Pocic or Elflein, Wichmann
RG - GRobinson, Brown
RT - Havenstein, Donnal

RB : Gurley, M.Brown, Green
FB : Juszczyk

TE : Higbee, Hemmingway, Bryce Williams

WR : Garcon, Gordon, Austin, Cooper, Spruce, Thomas

QB : Goff, Mannion

Defense (25) :

DL : Donald, Brockers, Easley, Kpassagnon, Fairley, Trinca-Pasat, Fox
LOLB - Perry, D.Jones
ILB - Ogletree, Kirksey, Hager, Forrest
ROLB - Quinn, D.Jones

CB : TruJo, Witherspoon, EJ Gaines, Joyner, Jordan

SS : Alexander, Christian, I. Johnson

FS : Jones, Randolph, Joyner, Davis

Special Teams (3) :

P - Hekker
K - Zuerlein
LS - McQuaide

The reason I chose that thread title, was because when Bell was coming out, he was my favourite back but I was almost afraid to admit it because he wasn't the one all the pundits were talking about. Well fuck it, gonna share my feelings after watching the backs in the combine today.

I was super impressed with Michigan RB De'Veon Smith.

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/2Nm0wImu8UM


Nevermind the shitty quality for the first 30 seconds. But look at the way he cuts like it's nothing, the broken tackles, the one in the BYU game was a beauty. Really think this kid is gonna be somebody in the NFL.

I so hope this is not against the rules here. The moderators can delete this thread if it is. I'm not a Cardshop nor do I sell to them. I've collected Warner and top RAMS players my whole life and all my other Collectibles of Great Rams and memories I will just keep as I have been retired 30 plus years and my son is an Eagles fan and is not worthy of taking over such an awesome collection. I've sold over 20 Thousand dollars worth of mainly Kurt Warner cards with a 100% positive feedback rating. I keep like 60 cards up at all times now that Kurt went into the Hall Of Fame.

I have tp pay E-bay and Paypal fee's and I always ship free with a tracking number and you always sign for your cards. Now that I'll be going to Canton in August I collected one of the Largest Warner collections on the planet. I have over 20 Rams hats preserved from dust when we were playing in Los Angeles . All different. Pins ,Helmets,footballs,Magazines, almost everything autographed with COA's . Never knowing or even thinking I would ever resell.

Some of our top rookies are so funny from our very bad picks to our Ram rookies that would make you laugh. From Trung Canidate,Adam Archuletta .Tommy Polley, Damien Lewis,Ryan Pickett,that Sooner QB that tried to play safety for us. I wasted tons of money on his rookie auto cards thinking he had to make it with us. Our UCLA LB that was like AA in that he won Pac 10 or 12 defensive player of the year. On and on.

The JOY I got from watching Warner's "Cinderella" career from Arena onward and how he did what he did with Marshall,Bruce,Holt, Pace ,Timmerman, and All of our defense. I have auto's from Mike Jones on cards to Dre Bly and Todd Lyght and every Ram rookie from Gabriel on.

I have so many regular buyers I am just now wondering if any of you here had bought from me as I'm famous for throwing in extra Jersey and autograph cards. Sadly I only ship to U.S. as one card cost 18 dollars to ship to Canada. I have always had FREE SHIPPING.

I have a deal with GOD to also TITHE on all I ever sell. As HE made it possible and you can see why I picked Kurt Warner (as he is a strong Christian) to buy thousands of his rarest most expensive cards numbered 1/1 to so many rare short printed numbered Autographed cards with Jersey,Pants,Helmets,Shoes on them. Dickerson,Olsen, Faulk, Deacon, Warner, Pace,Youngblood and many more Hall Of Fame RAMS . I have them all. Autographed and short printed.

I can give away as gifts during the season if we want to spice up this years pick Em contests. I had ceased posting here during Fishers last year as I had nothing positive to say. We all know if you have nothing nice to say , then say nothing. I did read everyday like usual. My only source of Rams news. You can just look up arams41 and see my 69 cards. Sold 31 packages just since Warner was announced a HOF'ER. I would sell cheaper to our family here. Just say your from here with name. I'm not sure this is allowed to do and if its not then I'm sorry and please delete this thread moderators and please don't take away my Ramsondemand as I'm permanently totally disabled and live 20 minutes away from Bonifay Ram the EX Trooper.

Its a very small hobby trying to get rid of the largest Warner collection on the planet. I kinda got overly carried away and its fun losing money daily selling to a new generation just discovering the "Greatest Show On Turf" . They raised the price of my daily Morphine I've taken for 30 years and the pee pee tests have gone from 5 dollars to 2000 dollars a test. Never failed one yet . Now because idiots are overdosing daily on things they have no bussiness getting near too, well the Pharmicutical(sp?) companies think that is a reason to charge old folks thousands of dollars per month for what they once paid 10 dollars for. Its very sad. So selling these cards has been a GODsend. If your looking for Holt,Bruce or even Carter our SB DE from Florida's auto rookie cards. Just e-mail me. I only can take paypal but promise major deals to real RAMS fans you won't get normally. I can save you money and I want to give to Ramsondemand to pay my way too. Helps with Medical bills. :grouphug:

I would love to split my ( 3 ) season Tix with someone. ROD member would be great. I decided that 8 games+ is to much for me. I have no intention of making a dollar true split. probably end up being $2500 with parking depending on price hike. My seats are 45 yd line in the shade of the press box. PM me if interested or post and ask any questions here.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/flipsreportNFL/status/837799419235938304

Login to view embedded media View: https://mobile.twitter.com/DailyNewsVinny/status/837737409869643776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw





Im a fan if juju. If the rams could land him or corey davis I'd be ecstatic

These two have been compared throughout most of Fournette's college career. Fournette is definitely a force to be reckoned with but so far it's looking like Todd is the bigger athletic freak of the two.

Fournette ran a 4.51 40, which is pretty impressive for a guy who came in a little overweight at 240 pounds. Still, Gurley can easily run in the mid-4.4s and a lot of his ex-teammates swear he would've run a 4.3 if he hadn't been hurt at the Combine. Keith Marshall is one of the those teammates and he ran a 4.31 last year.

Fournette also had a pathetic vertical of 28.5". By contrast, Todd has a 38.5" vertical. Fournette skipped the broad jump but judging from his vertical I highly doubt he'd top Gurley's measure of 10'1".

I'm interested to see how Fournette performs in the rest of the drills but so far he doesn't seem nearly as fast or explosive as Todd. He's still a great RB though, it'll be fun seeing how these two compare in the pros.

That get together to watch the games? If so, where?

I head out to watch them every week and I see the occasional Ram fan, but it would be nice to find some other fans to hang with on a more regular basis.

Porn really is bad for you! Lonely Japanese man who amassed a SIX-TON pile of dirty magazines died when it collapsed on top of him... and his body wasn't found for six months

• The man, identified only as Joji, was found dead in his flat by a cleaner in Japan
• The 50-year-old had such a huge porn collection that it weighed in at six tonnes
• He was only discovered when his landlord went to the flat over unpaid rent
• Not clear whether he died and fell into the magazines or was if he was crushed

By GARETH DAVIES FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 08:45 EST, 3 March 2017 | UPDATED: 09:48 EST, 3 March 2017

A lonely Japanese man who amassed more than six tons of porn died when a huge pile of magazines fell on top of him.

And even more tragically, the man's body was only discovered six months later when the landlord entered the flat to find out why the rent had not been paid.

The man's lowly death was revealed by a member of the cleaning team, who said his company had been hired to remove the magazines discreetly in a way that would not be noticed by neighbours and the man's family to save them from the shame.

He said that the dead man, a 50-year-old former carmaker identified only by the name Joji, had died buried underneath under a pile of the pornographic magazines.

It was unclear if he had suffered a heart attack and fallen into the stacks of magazines which had then fallen on top of him, or whether he had been crushed by the mass of paper.

But the cleaner said that if he was still conscious, the paper would probably have muffled his cries.

Every space in the flat was filled with piles of magazines, which also stacked on tables and on shelves.

There were also clippings from erotic magazines where it appeared the man had cut out his favourite articles, and thrown away the rest of the magazine.

Despite his trimming, at the time of his death the collection weighed in at six metric tons (13,228 pounds).

PICTURES: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ix-ton-pile-porn-magazines.html#ixzz4aHAovLRb

Rams 'definitely planning to be active' in free agency

The Rams will be looking to add a veteran receiver and DeSean Jackson could fit their bill. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire

By Alden Gonzalez

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Rams are "definitely planning to be active" in free agency this offseason, their sixth-year general manager, Les Snead, said from the scouting combine on Thursday.

To what extent remains to be seen.

"You have to wait to see how the process goes and see who goes off the board, what they get paid, and do they factor into your big picture," Snead said. "But I definitely think we need to use free agency to supplement our roster."

The Rams built primarily through the draft in Snead's previous five years as GM, which came with Jeff Fisher as the head coach. They consistently rolled out the NFL's youngest roster throughout that time, allocating minimal dollars to veteran players from the outside. The Rams spent just over $131 million on free agents over the last three years, ranked 23rd in the NFL, and a lot of that was a product of extending their own.

But now they're entering a draft with only one pick within the first 68 selections and have a desire to inject their roster with veteran players. They were scheduled to have just shy of $40 million in salary cap space, but unless an extension is reached by the middle of July, nearly half of that will be spent on a second franchise tag for cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Johnson, linebacker Mark Barron, receiver Tavon Austin and defensive tackle Michael Brockers are set to cost nearly $54 million towards the salary cap in 2017, making up about 32 percent of it all.

The Rams are expected to be heavily involved in the market for receivers, though Kenny Britt probably won't be back and Alshon Jeffery isn't expected to be pursued.

Snead said the Rams are "open to multiple positions" through free agency.

"Offensive side of the ball, even defense," Snead said. "We're moving to a 3-4. There's some positions we're adding to our defense we didn't have before. It's not just one position. It's multiple."

The Rams will need more help at linebacker, a position where only Alec Ogletree and Barron are solidified. They need to replenish some depth in their secondary, where strong safety T.J. McDonald is set to become an unrestricted free agent. They probably need a couple of receivers, and they need to figure out what to do with their offensive line. Snead said the Rams are "talking through" whether former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson will remain at left tackle, though Snead added that Robinson's body type -- 6-foot-5, 332 pounds and athletic -- is a natural fit for the position.

New offensive line coach Aaron Kromer recently talked about how excited he was to take the job because the group he inherits is so young.

The Rams are still evaluating whether that means they'll stay in-house.

"It’s a puzzle that we’re trying to figure out now," Snead said. "But there’s definitely going to be some guys in-house that are in our lineup next year."

In free agency, the Rams will steer most of their focus towards a receiver group that includes DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Terrelle Pryor, Kenny Stills and Robert Woods. Two of the most prominent names on that list, Jackson and Garcon, played under new head coach Sean McVay with the Redskins and would certainly be open to reuniting with their former offensive coordinator. Garcon, a physical receiver with great route-running ability, could be particularly intriguing to the Rams.

But the Rams can't fix it all through free agency or the draft. Their funds are limited, as is their allotment of draft picks. Most of the improvements on offense -- a unit that gained the NFL's fewest yards each of the last two years -- will have to come from the scheme implemented by McVay and his new coaches.

"What we’re looking at is that daily improvement," McVay said. "We're not going to make any promises, but we are going to focus on getting better every single day, focusing on our process, developing our standard of performance. And if we do that, then I think you’ll see those incremental improvements that will lead to big things over time."

The Rams have gone two years without agreeing on an extension with Johnson. Snead indicated that his price might have been too high last offseason, because he was coming off a seven-interception season, and he spoke Thursday about how it may make more sense to see if Johnson is a fit for Wade Phillips' system before committing long term.

The two sides have until July 15 to agree on a long-term deal. It may still happen, but those talks probably won't pick up until after OTAs, when the Rams at least have a chance to see Johnson on the field.

For now, their attention is turned elsewhere.

"It's very important for us to acquire great players," McVay said, "and the thing you feel great about with Les, being where it’s a new staff coming in, is he’s got a jump on what the draft has available, where there’s depth at certain positions that we need to address. And that’s going to dictate what we do in free agency. Maybe we’re able to address a certain need in the draft because there is a little more depth at a certain spot."

[www.espn.com]