Give a story about a St. Valentine's Day disaster that would get a do over in fantasy land but in real life is something which can never be lived down!


Professional office, staff of four female employees, male boss remembers Valentine's Day gifts for staff as he is driving to work on Valentine's Day morning. So with no good choices where to shop that morning he pulls into a truck stop and hopes for the best. He is relieved to find a four pack of artificial red roses that he thought the ladies would like for their desks. He buys 4 packs and hands them out to his employees when he got to work. It didn't take long for him to hear the laughing in the office but he ignored it since he was busy. After about a half hour one of the ladies went to his office to let him know that the 4 packs of roses were actually 4 packs of panties folded to look like red roses. The panties have made their appearance on the ladies desks every St. Valentine's Day since.

http://www.endzonescore.com/biggest-distraction-los-angeles-rams/58947

What was the biggest distraction for the Los Angeles Rams this season?

The Los Angeles Rams 2016-17 regular season campaign definitely did not go how they had envisioned. They had the fifth worst record in the NFL which was a drop off from where they stood last season.

The team struggled with losing its focus at times but who could really blame them? They endured many distractions prior to the start of the season, and throughout it.

The Jared Goff trade, the move to Los Angeles, the Eric Dickerson drama, etc. This team dealt with more than it obviously could handle, and it showed in the overall product.

There were weeks where they looked entirely engaged and locked in. While there were others where they did not seem all there mentally or physically.

The six losses on the season by three or more scores would attest to that. They answered just as many questions related to the games as they did about outside noise.

Which distraction was it though? What distraction plagued them all throughout the season and consistently put them at a disadvantage?

There will obviously be differing opinions in regards to this topic but the best case can be made that it was former head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher was a walking and talking distraction.

Fisher was at the root of a majority of the Rams’ discombobulation. Prior to the start of the season, news leaked about a possible contract extension between Fisher and the Rams.

This news drew attention to the franchise. Many outsiders did not think Fisher deserved an extension especially since his current contract was expiring this season.

Then came the regular season and with it, the Jared Goff decision. Fisher did not start Goff until Week 11 of the regular season. This occurred at a time when most of Goff’s contemporaries were playing at a high level. It put the microscope on the Rams franchise and brought their decision to draft Goff into question.

There was the Tavon Austin contract. Fisher, along with upper management, drew a lot of raised eye brows because of the contract given to Austin. Austin had not lived up to expectations at that juncture of his career, but they decided to pay him like someone who had.

The deal receives more criticism when including the fact that the Rams lost cornerback Janoris Jenkins in free agency due to his price tag. Jenkins was a player who actually deserved the big bucks. He proved it while playing for the New York Giants.

The biggest drama episode of the season was the beef between Fisher and Rams great Eric Dickerson. This drama affected everyone in the locker room and in a way forced people to take sides.

The Rams at this point had become the Kardashians of the NFL. Their baggage became their identity, rather than their play.

Fisher topped the icing on the cake when he confirmed his contract extension during the Dickerson drama. The franchise did not appear ready to announce the news despite Fisher’s affirmation.

This seemed to create a rift between Fisher and general manager Les Snead, despite their contentions that it did not. The culmination of all these events obviously took its toll on the team.

It was just one thing after another, with hardly any breaks in between each instance. Fisher’s firing led to much of the drama slowing down.

While many players and some upper management would contend that Fisher was not a distraction. The list of events tell a different story. Fisher was at the center of a lot of the Rams’ problems this season.

This team has the talent to perform much better than they did this year. It could all come to fruition next season now that things may finally be quieting down.

Why the snarky "love-in" title and Man Crush pic? While I like Peter King's MMQB and never miss it, I can't stand obvious bias by sports reporters. That said, this is a good interview with Tom Brady for those who can stomach reading more about the Patriots. The Rams? Don't bother searching for any mention of them, there isn't any.

These are only excerpts. To read the whole article click the link below.
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http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/02/13/tom-brady-montana-super-bowl-51-nfl-patriots-peter-king

Tom Brady Tells the Story of the Super Bowl 51 Comeback
From his hideaway in Montana, the Patriots QB recounts the plays that led to New England’s fifth title and explains why it wasn’t his best game ever.
by Peter King



SOMEWHERE IN MONTANA — This was the most amazing thing about the two hours I spent with 39-year-old Tom Brady on Sunday afternoon in a cabin (well, it’s called a cabin, but the getaway area for the Brady clan is pretty darned well-appointed) in the shadow of one of the most beautiful mountains in the world:

“I have zero pain,” Brady said, almost one week to the hour after he took the field for Super Bowl 51. “I feel great. I feel 100 percent.”

Brady had a zen look to him on a brilliant afternoon in Big Sky country. Clear eyes, zero bloodshot. Placid. No limping, no wincing, which took me by surprise after Atlanta’s five sacks and nine significant hits of Brady in the game. And there’s this: Brady has played 261 NFL games, and never has he taken as many (99) snaps as he did against Atlanta.

But when we talked, he looked like he’d been relaxing for a month—not just having arrived here Saturday from a hectic post-Super Bowl week in Boston. He went skiing Sunday on a pristine trail with fresh powder. (He asked that I not name the exact location for privacy’s sake.)

Brady does a good job handling being Brady. But who can take being in the eye of the public storm all the time? When I first saw him Sunday afternoon, Brady had a wide grin. That grin was repeated six or eight times on the afternoon, including when he was urging his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, to play photographer for The MMQB with the shot you see below this paragraph.

It’s break time, and other than some solemn, emotional minutes talking about his mother, Brady is determined to get away for a while, after the strangest yet most rewarding year of his professional life.


Photo: Gisele Bündchen for The MMQB

After the game, I’d asked Brady for some time to dissect the key plays in one of the great pieces of football theater the NFL has ever put on, New England’s comeback from a 28-3 deficit to the 34-28 victory. We did this after his last Super Bowl victory two years ago, on the phone. This time he invited me here. One thing led to another, and we put 90 minutes on tape—much about the game, but much, too, about his future, his family, his season, and the way he lives.

So I’ll divide my time with him thusly: Today I’ll put the great comeback under his microscope; Wednesday, I’ll write Part II about all other things Brady—including how long he plans to play. And in conjunction with The MMQB’s podcast partner, DGital media, I’ll put the conversation in a Brady-centric two-part podcast: Tuesday morning and Thursday morning.

You’ll have a seat with us for the entire conversation. And for those who’ve had their fill of perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time, we’ll have plenty more to interest you this week at The MMQB.

Brady disagreed with my first premise of the afternoon, about this Super Bowl being one of the great games of his life.

“I don’t really think that is necessarily the case,” he said, relaxing in ski pants and sneakers. “I think it was one of the greatest games I have ever played in, but when I think of an interception return for a touchdown, some other missed opportunities in the first 37, 38 minutes of the game, I don’t really consider playing a good quarter-and-a-half plus overtime as one of the ‘best games ever.’

But it was certainly one of the most thrilling for me, just because so much was on the line, and it ended up being an incredible game. There are so many things that played into that game—a high-scoring offense, a top-ranked defense, the long Super Bowl, four-and-a-half-hour game, the way that the game unfolded in the first half versus what happened in the second half … so it was just a great game.”

Well, I’ll quibble with him on that one. I get the angst over the crappy interception that Atlanta cornerback Robert Alford returned for a touchdown, and a few other bad throws. But any quarterback who, on his team’s five biggest drives of the season, goes touchdown-field-goal-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown, and brings his team back from 25 down to win the Super Bowl … that constitutes one of the great games of one’s life.

We’ll start with 8:31 left in the third quarter. Atlanta had just gone up 28-3.

“That’s a good place [to start],” Brady said.

* * *

Atlanta 28, New England 3 (third quarter, 8:31 left)


Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

NFL Films captured Brady going up and down the sideline, exhorting his teammates: “Let’s go! Let’s show some fight! Let’s play harder! Harder! Tougher! Everything!”

“It was similar to what I had felt at halftime,” Brady said. “We came out of halftime saying, ‘Look, we’ve had 20 minutes time of possession, we’ve run 45 or 46 plays, we’ve done a good job moving the ball up and down the field, we just have nothing to show for it because of a missed third-and-one, a fumble in their territory, an interception return for a touchdown in their territory, because of poor execution in the red area …

We had over 200 yards passing in the first half [actually 184], so it wasn’t like we were in there at halftime saying, ‘Hey, how are we going to move the ball?’

“So we come out for the second half, defense does a great job getting a stop, which was exactly what we needed, we’re down 21-3. And we come out there on offense and throw an incompletion on the first pass of the second half, which was close to being caught but we didn’t come up with it, then a third down to Julian [Edelman], I hit him running across the middle and who knows if we would have gotten the first down, but we didn’t come up with it and it was just more of the same. …

So we come off again, and I’m like, ‘Guys, at some point we all gotta just start making the plays.’ [Atlanta] went down the field and scored to put us down 28-3. And at that point, you can say a lot of things, but ultimately it comes down to what we do.”

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said after the game that Atlanta played more man coverage than he expected. That meant the Patriots didn’t have as many easy short throws as usual. Combined with the fact that Atlanta’s run defense throttled the Patriots’ ground game in the first half (14 carries, 35 yards), the Patriots had to fight for things that often were easy in their previous 18 games.

On this drive, Brady converted a fourth-and-three from his 46 on a quick out to Danny Amendola for 17, victimizing Falcons corner Jalen Collins—which would be a popular theme in the last 27 minutes. James White took a Brady flip five yards for the touchdown that gave New England’s sidelines some hope, even if Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point.

“We just needed to execute one drive, and after that drive we’ll come to the sidelines and we’ll talk about the next drive,” Brady said.

“We had an entire quarter left,” McDaniels said a week ago. “We knew we’d get three possessions at least.”

That was all they’d get.

Atlanta 28, New England 9 (fourth quarter, 14:51 left)


Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Great stat from the Elias Sports Bureau that I shocked Brady with on Sunday: In the Patriots’ first six Super Bowls in the Brady/Belichick era, New England never completed a pass to a rookie. In this game, rookie fourth-round pick Malcolm Mitchell was huge—six catches, 70 yards, in big spots—and especially big on this drive.

He had catches of 15, seven and 18 yards, and Brady said the reason McDaniels had him in the game, and Brady picked him on routes with multiple options, came down to one word: trust.

“I think he had earned that trust of everybody,” Brady said. “If it was Julian, Julian was going to get it. If it was Malcolm, Malcolm was going to get it. Malcolm happened to be in those spots. And everybody had confidence to have Malcolm in those spots if he got it. He proved everybody right because he came up with the plays.”

Two big Grady Jarrett sacks forced the Patriots to kick a field goal. With 9:48 left, it was a two-score game. When Fox came back from its break, Brady and McDaniels were deep into play-diagrams for the next series. “There were still a lot of calls on the call sheet that we liked, based on the style that they were playing,” Brady said.

“The Super Bowl is a strange game. I’ve been in a lot of them, and it may go one way and then it may go the other way, and I know at the end of all those games that I’ve played in the Super Bowls, the defenses have a hard time stopping the offense at the end, in every game.”

Here, Brady said, “I felt like, man, we’re back in the game.”

Atlanta 28, New England 12 (fourth quarter, 8:24 left)

Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The break New England needed, the sack/fumble of Matt Ryan by Dont’a Hightower, set up two of the most interesting plays of the Super Bowl for the Patriots.

One: the six-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola. Watch closely the Fox replay. Brady’s in the shotgun with 31 seconds left on the play clock, with his receivers fanning out and Amendola settling in the left slot. Collins, the abused Atlanta corner, starts on Amendola’s outside shoulder. But then he walks, almost aimlessly, to the inside shoulder and stares a hole through Brady.

With about 21 seconds left on the play clock, Brady changes the play. He gives Amendola a sort of stop sign, and Amendola moves out a couple of steps. Collins does nothing. Now, Brady can hear a coach talk to him until the 15-second point of the play clock, but he doesn’t recall exactly what McDaniels told him on this one.

“I think he said, ‘Don’t forget about Danny,’ or ‘Danny has a great shot on this.’ Something like that,” Brady said. “I wanted to give Danny a better chance to get open. So I pushed him out because I knew at that point I had changed the route and I wanted to make sure Danny would get the leverage or put him in a better position to get the leverage based on the route that he had. I wanted to move him out because I didn’t want him to get stuck inside of Jalen …

[Collins] being inside told me it was probably man coverage, a perimeter corner on the inside of the field … When I pushed Danny out, Jalen didn’t really adjust, so I was really looking outside after that to see if the corner was going to try to get involved and maybe trapping that to the flat. But once I saw the corner go with the outside receiver, or it might have been James White, I just threw it to Danny.”

But, one of the benefits of running a tempo offense is you’ve got a trusted voice in your ear. Brady said he likes McDaniels’ reminders because they’re not oppressive or unrelenting; they’re notes based on what McDaniels is seeing from the sideline.

“No question part of the advantage of going fast is the coach-to-quarterback communication,” Brady said. If you’re set at the line with 31 seconds left, there are two advantages: You limit defensive substitutions, and a second set of eyes can help you.

Two: the two-point conversion fakery, the successful run by White. As I wrote last Monday, McDaniels said the Patriots “took it out of mothballs.” It’s the same play they used in the Super Bowl 13 years ago against Carolina, with Kevin Faulk getting the ball and burrowing in for two points. But the difference here was what happened at practice on Friday.

On the play, White lines up next to Brady as a snug sidecar. The center, David Andrews, has to vary his shotgun snap slightly, sending it a hair to the left, and Brady has to fake like he’s getting it, and then White has to burst forward and try to make a hole where they may not be one.

Andrews is normally good at the snap. But on Friday … “He snapped it over, it was kind of at my head, so James couldn’t get his hand up there to get it,” Brady said. “So the ball is laying on the ground, rolling around on a two-point play, on a direct snap when it is supposed to be right in James’ breadbasket. We come to the sideline and it was like the last play of the whole week of practice. You always want to finish practice on a high note, and then to finish …

I don’t know how a lot of teams practice, but at the end of the week we do what we call, ‘Move the field,’ and you’ll start at one end and work your way down, first down, second down, third down, and you’ll move your way down the field. Then you’ll score a touchdown and you say, okay, let’s go for two, and you run your first so-called two-point play. And that was it.

We moved the field, we scored the touchdown, it was the last play of the whole day, and we ran the two-point conversion and we had a mistake, so who knows? I don’t think Josh lost confidence in that play, and certainly not losing confidence in David, because Dave has been a great player for us, and he has done it a hundred times right.”

I told Brady it reminds me of the Friday practice in 2007 when David Tyree dropped four of Eli Manning’s passes—only to redeem himself with the Velcro catch.

“Oh, don’t tell me that,” Brady said.

The one other point about White’s play: He gave nothing away—didn’t act jumpy or anticipatory. “It is a lot of concentration,” Brady said. “Don’t give it away, catch a snap when you really don’t know it’s coming, so you have to react to it. Then after you catch the snap, read the blocks and get in at the most critical point in your career. I’d say that is a pretty incredible play.”

The Julio Jones catch interlude

Brady: “I saw Matt [Ryan] step up; it was right on our sideline … I kind of looked through a bunch of bodies and I saw him make the catch, and I saw both refs run in and signal catch and I said, ‘There’s no way!’ I looked up on those screens, and then they showed it once or twice, and I was like, ‘He frickin’ caught it!’

When you actually see the replay, I didn’t realize how close [Patriots cornerback] Eric Rowe was. Then I saw a picture in Sports Illustrated of the catch, in the early pages. It was insane. The height that he had to jump and the concentration to get two feet down … Fingertips. Sideline. Toe touch.”

Atlanta 28, New England 20 (fourth quarter, 3:30 left)

Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Everyone (and rightfully so) obsesses about the Edelman catch, which was sort of a reverse Tyree. I’m going to respectfully skip that, because it’s been so well covered, including by our Jenny Vrentas last week.

But the play before that, and the aborted play after, were huge.

The play before: Three times in the last 19 minutes the Patriots ran the exact same formation—a three-by-one set (three receivers to the right, one to the left). Three times they threw it to the “one” receiver. Twice that was Malcolm Mitchell, the most inexperienced receiver (by leaps and bounds) on the team. And with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter, with New England 75 yards away from the end zone, McDaniels called it again.

The Patriots liked the man-to-man matchups against Collins. Why? Because he is, in the vernacular, “long,” and New England’s scouting theory entering the game was that “long” corners (Collins is 6'1") are slightly slower at stopping and starting. On this play, Mitchell sprinted out 12 yards and then slipped and fell to one knee. The bad part of this?

Brady’s pass was already in the air. If Collins had been in a better position with Mitchell, there’s a good chance he could have darted in front of Mitchell for the game-ensuring 35-yard pick-six. And wouldn’t the story lines today be a lot different. Instead of Brady the hero, the stories would be about Brady the pick-six king. But somehow, Mitchell got up and snagged a throw that was on top of him in an instant.

When I mentioned this to Brady, about the pick-six part, he zinged me.

Brady: “It's actually a route Malcolm runs really well … He really sells that go route really hard, he gets the DB running. Every corner is different in the game because there's a scoreboard behind him. In practice you can be pretty brave with jumping routes because nobody cares if you get beat for a touchdown. In the game it's different.

They always have to be fearful of you throwing the ball behind the defense … I thought I saw Malcolm start to slip. Then he went behind the left tackle or left guard so I really couldn't see the completion. I just heard the crowd go ohhhhhhh (dejected voice), then OHHHHHHHH (happy voice).”

The play after: During the game, I wondered—why are the Patriots rushing to the line with 2:03 and the ball at the Falcons’ 41 and two timeouts left? Why leave Atlanta with enough time to go down and win the game with a field goal? Two reasons: The Patriots called twin double-moves on corners who hadn’t seen many double-moves all day. And the Patriots, as McDaniels explained post-game, wanted to be in position to get another possession if they didn’t covert the two-point play after scoring a touchdown on this drive.

“What are the chances of making two two-point conversions?” Brady said. “Josh was obviously thinking that.” The fact that Brady didn’t chance a throw for a touchdown here isn’t the point; it’s that New England was playing chess here—thinking two and three moves ahead. At 2:03, Brady hit Amendola crossing to the right for 20 yards, to the Falcons’ 21.

White made the last 21 yards himself, catching two quick passes and then scoring on a one-yard dive over right guard. Atlanta, 28-26.

The Patriots had three two-point plays on the play sheet for this game. The first one was the Andrews-to-White snap and run fakery. The second one depended on two receivers turning into snowplows at the goal line for Amendola. Edelman and Chris Hogan plowed two Atlanta defenders just far enough away that Amendola burrowed ahead, and the ball pierced the goal line. Barely.

Overtime: Atlanta 28, New England 28


Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP

Matthew Slater called heads. The coin flip came up heads. Patriots ball. Ballgame. The Falcons were gassed. The Patriots were energized.

But when Brady looks back at this Super Bowl, he’ll think of more than the game. He’ll think of 111 practices.

The anticipation throws he made in this game were, collectively, his finest achievements and the biggest difference in winning and losing. The chemistry between Brady and his receivers is as good as it possibly can be.

Third play of the opening, and only, drive of OT: Hogan was singled left on Collins. (Poor Collins. He’s got to be having nightmares about this offense.) Follow this. Brady, standing on his 37-yard line, sees Hogan and Collins running stride for stride, almost Siamese twins, at the Atlanta 45. Brady throws to a spot about 23 yards downfield, on the left.

Hogan digs his foot into the ground at the Atlanta 37 and boomerangs back, expecting the ball. Collins is a step behind him. The ball hits Hogan in the hands at the 40, and he efforts ahead to the 37. Just a beautiful play. This is the kind of unsung play that wins huge games, and it went a long way, Brady throwing those 11- and 15- and 23-yard comebacks to drive Atlanta crazy.

“It's such a Peyton Manning-type throw,” Brady said. “I watched him for so many years make those throws. I used to be in amazement. Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne], they'd cut their route off, turn around, ball was in the air, in stride, 15-, 18-yard gain. How the heck did they do that?

There's so much trust from the quarterback to the receiver. The DB can't get to the ball faster than the receiver can. You got to believe your receiver is going to get to the ball faster than their guy. That's what that play came down to.”

“But,” I said, “if you throw it 25 yards in the air, it could be an interception or incompletion.”

“And that's a lot of throws,” Brady said. “That's a lot of throws. That's 111 practices that we had. That's however many games. Films, meetings. It's got to be like clockwork. You're throwing it to a spot, he's turning, those are the ones the DBs have been covering all year too. It ended up being a really tight play. But it took great execution.”

The end: James White, who made so many plays in this game, took a pitch from Brady and willed his way into the end zone. Replay confirmed it.

Remember the two two-point conversions, and the Patriots having a third one on their call sheet? Well, this White run was that third one. New England went three-for-three on two-point plays in the game, and the net result was 10 points—and a Super Bowl championship.

* * *

The Patriots trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter in Super Bowl 49 against Seattle, and down by 19 entering the fourth against Atlanta. Brady’s performance, collectively, in the final 34 minutes of those two games—the fourth quarter against Seattle, and the fourth plus the four minutes of overtime against Atlanta:

Comp.-Att./ Pct. /Yards/ TD-INT/ Rating
34-42.........../ .810 /370..../ 3-0........./ 127.2

Brady searched for a reason, but he has no idea what it is. And maybe it is a coincidence. But if so, it’s a great time of your professional life to have some coincidental luck.

“I always feel like I'm the same. Sometimes the stats don't show that, but that's how I feel … I felt the same in both of those games. I felt like I just go out there and do my job.”

Playing that level at that age at that time—and after playing the most snaps of his professional life, in a high-pressure game. In his last game in his 30s, Brady played seven more snaps than he ever had. And it looked like he could have played 20 more. Or 30. How, exactly?

“That,” Brady said, “is for a whole other podcast.”

We have all week. On Wednesday, Brady will tell us.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/LATimesfarmer/status/830202437814267905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw


* * *

The Story That Will Not Die


Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

Terrell Owens didn’t make the Hall of Fame, which you know. You also know that the fault in him not making the Hall this year seems to be that he was often a disruptive teammate. The man who presented T.O.’s case in front of the Hall’s 47 other selectors, Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News, was befuddled (as was I) at the overwhelming importance apparently placed on his behavior versus his performance. Owens is second all-time in receiving yardage in NFL history, and third in receiving touchdowns.

I wanted to give the story a few days to die down before talking to the widely respected veteran football writer. This was Domowitch about Owens on Saturday:

“I understand people’s reservations about his disruptive behavior. Totally understand. No one disputes he had his disruptive moments. But being second all-time in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns—those are Ruthian numbers. We’re keeping him out of the Hall of Fame because of some disruptive incidents with teammates?

Most of the people keeping him out of the Hall didn’t cover him. I did. What he did most often was hardly the work of a person who doesn’t care. I don’t think you play the Super Bowl with a broken bone in your leg, and you catch nine balls for over 100 yards … I mean, that’s not something you do if you don’t care. Now what concerns me is how entrenched some people seem.”

That concerns me too. But the next 49 weeks will have a way of calming some troubled waters. I still don’t think it’ll be enough to get Owens in next year in a starry class, but I hope I’m wrong.

* * *


Photo: Norm Hall/Getty Images

For those who rolled their eyes at the return of Carson Palmer and think the Cardinals should have moved on from the 37-year-old passer: Palmer has thrown for 655 more yards than Aaron Rodgers over the past two seasons.

* * *

• John Lynch on how the story of him being a GM was such a shock to so many people: “Early on, the story broke that I was doing the silence part to test [CEO] Jed York, and that’s true, but that was probably third on the list. I have four kids. My wife, when I went to her, she said, 'John, listen. It is hard for me to wrap my arms around something until you have an offer. So, develop this thing if you wish, but I don’t want to tell the kids at this point, because kids get anxiety about that.’

That spoke to me. I have a son who is going to be a junior right now. He checks Pro Football Talk, he checks The MMQB on a constant basis. I didn’t want him learning— and that’s the way this world works now. [My family members] were the top priority. But also because I had read the stories that there were a lot of leaks out of that San Francisco building.

I said, ‘Jed, it’s very important to me. Actually, it’s a non-starter. If this gets out, my name’s out of the hat.’ To his credit, it worked, and it stayed quiet. One person had the story, and he is a good man because he never leaked it. He’s a father, and I told him, as a father, I'm asking you to hold on to it, and he did.”

• Lynch on his baseball history—especially starting the first game in the history of the Florida Marlins organization: “Unfortunately what I remember is that the first seven pitches that day were balls. A four-pitch walk, and then I got to 3-0, and then I came back and I got it going, but oh wow, what an experience … It was so short to right field in the park, Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. [Wayne] Huizenga brought up all the dignitaries, and I throw the first pitch and they run out and take my hat, take my jersey, they give me another one, they stop the game.

Every pitch they were taking something for the Hall of Fame, so the fact that some of that stuff still resides at the Baseball Hall of Fame is pretty fun. I think I would have been a good pitcher. I had great sink, heavy sink. And I think it would have worked, but now just thinking about it, it's the same reason I took this job. I learned right there, my dad wanted me to play baseball. What are you doing? Look at the career—no injuries!

A lot of people thought I was crazy to leave the Marlins where I was the second pick ever, I threw the first pitch, and had a fast track to the major leagues. What I did is I followed my heart … I realized that I loved baseball but I had to have football.

That same line of thinking is what allowed me to pursue this opportunity without fear. I'm going to give it my best shot. I don't fail at many things that I try in life. I am going to have some failures but I'll overcome those.”

* * *

Things I Think I Think

1. I think these are my quick notes of analysis from the first week of the off-season:

a. Last one out of the Falcons’ coaches’ offices, turn off the lights.

b. All I know about the Terrell Owens Hall of Fame story is this: Lots of anti-Owens people have been in hiding for the past nine days.

c. It’s amazing to me that those who think Owens doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame are all hiding under rocks this morning.

d. Not a big fan of NFL coaches wearing T-shirts slapping the NFL commissioner in the face. It’s just not a good look.

e. The owners/GMs who interview an exceedingly intelligent and mature man and excellent coach, Matt Patricia, for head-coaching jobs in the future (and that will happen, just the way it did this year) are going to wonder: Do we have to worry about the leader of our team pulling a Delta Chi frat prank?

f. Kyle Shanahan wasn’t kidding, knowing him, when he said four days after the game: “I remember every single play, and I will go over those for the rest of my life.”

g. This Raiders’ thing in Las Vegas will not end well, because no high rollers there want to mess with the jilted casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

h. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, a hundred times: Mark Davis needs a partner with money, period.

2. I think Jimmy Garoppolo will not be traded by New England this off-season.

3. I think it’s pretty obvious why everyone thinks he will be: Tom Brady just finished a season with 35 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’ll next take a snap when he’s 40, but when he looks this good at 39, no one expects him to fall off a cliff. Got it. So go get a first-round pick for Garoppolo and develop Jacoby Brissett. But there are two problems with this logic, as I see it.

And understand, I have not spoken with Belichick about this; it is a simple reading of the tea leaves knowing the way Belichick could be looking at it. One: In the 17 seasons since the Patriots drafted Brady, Garoppolo has to be the first man Belichick looks at and thinks can be the Patriots’ quarterback for the next decade.

He’s smart, makes good decisions, has shown (admittedly in a very brief window last September) that he can beat quality opponents. Two: The Patriots do the most with lesser prospects of any team in recent league history. If you’ve got a starting quarterback about to turn 40, regardless of his incredible good health and fitness, whatever Brady gives the Patriots now is a bonus.

If I’m Belichick, I’m thinking: I’d rather have a quarterback on my roster who I know can win January games in 2017 than go without him and have a first-round pick instead. I can’t tell you how he’s thinking; I can only tell you that based on Belichickian logic, I think that’s most likely how he is thinking heading into the off-season.

Oh, and as the Patriots drove for the tying touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl eight days ago, these were the skill players who touched the ball, and the linemen who blocked for them, and the draft round and year for their entry into the NFL:

Tom Brady: sixth round, 2000.
James White: fourth round, 2014
Chris Hogan: undrafted, 2012
Julian Edelman: seventh round, 2009
Malcolm Mitchell: fourth round, 2016
Danny Amendola: undrafted, 2008
Nate Solder: first round, 2011
Joe Thuney: third round, 2016
David Andrews: undrafted, 2015
Shaq Mason: fourth round, 2015
Marcus Cannon: fifth round, 2011

Notice a trend? One of the 11 (Solder) was a top-75 draft choice in the NFL. It isn’t that the Patriots don’t want high draft choices; of course they do. But they win with players drafted down the line, or not drafted at all, or by stealing the fourth receiver on the Bills (Chris Hogan) in free agency.

4. I think I liked the officiating crew in the Super Bowl altogether. But I especially liked the decisiveness of line judge Jeff Seeman. The one thing you want out of your officiating crew is decisiveness. And when Edelman got entangled with three Falcons on that ridiculous cover-of-Sports-Illustrated catch in the fourth quarter, and it was unclear whether Edelman caught the ball but it sure looked like he didn’t, Seeman sprinted in from the sideline with absolute certainty that it was a catch.

He pumped his arms over and over in the officiating sign for a good reception. And, of course, it turned out Seeman was right. Great call, great conviction. That’s got to go on every Dean Blandino teaching tape this off-season.

5. I think the Raiders deserve credit for the Jack Del Rio contract extension. Lots of credit. But it had to happen, as he was entering the last year of his original contract. When I met with Derek Carr in December, he couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about Del Rio’s steadying influence. Right time, right place, right coach.

6. I think I wouldn’t be concerned about the mass exodus of Atlanta coaches, except for two: Kyle Shanahan and Bobby Turner. Shanahan made Matt Ryan better. He made the offense better because it was so diverse and so unpredictable. Turner’s the unsung loss. He’s the veteran running backs coach who, back in Denver, made a slew of low-drafted backs (Terrell Davis most notably) play great, and he was vital in the development of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman in Atlanta.

But I applaud the Falcons. They could have played hardball and kept Turner. But Turner wanted to go with Shanahan—Turner obviously was close with Mike Shanahan—and he becomes a very influential senior adviser (he is 67) to Kyle Shanahan.

7. I think it doesn’t hurt that the 49ers have rewarded Turner by making him one of the highest-paid (if not the highest-paid) running backs coaches in the NFL, with a salary of at least $625,000.

8. I think I’ve got five Atlanta points left over from the Super Bowl, in the wake of watching the tape back twice, along with the coaches tape, courtesy of NFL Game Pass, which is one of the great sportswriter tools ever invented:

• On Dan Quinn, and blame. Quinn four seasons ago was coaching at the University of Florida. He’s in his second year at any level of being a head coach, and he just guided his team to the Super Bowl. I can’t line up a firing squad because, with the play clock running, he didn’t overrule Kyle Shanahan and order him to run on second-and-11 with 3:56 left in the game. I don’t know how many times all season, if ever, Quinn has overruled Shanahan.

But Shanahan ran the eighth-highest-scoring offense in NFL history this season. He helped Matt Ryan play 10 to 15 percent better than he ever had. That, I believe, buys Shanahan the trust of the head coach when he makes a questionable call in a vital situation down the stretch. Atlanta could have kneeled down twice and Matt Bryant would have been in position to kick the insurance field goal from about 42 yards away, with about 3:35 left.

This, I believe, is on Shanahan. He should have thought ahead, and he didn’t do it. The buck does stop with Quinn. It’s a bitter pill for him, and for his team. But it’s more on the man who calls the offensive plays. It was an incredible gaffe by Shanahan.

• On fatigue. So much being made of the Falcons’ defenders on the field so much. Not a fan of this excuse—at all. The Patriots’ offensive players had to play those same amount of snaps, 95 in all. (Add in the four plays negated due to defensive penalty, and there’s your 99 plays.) The Atlanta defense is far younger than New England’s offense.

So spare me Atlanta being tired while the Patriots road-graded them in the second half and overtime. If I’m Quinn, I’m thinking about my team’s conditioning, and perhaps changing practice to mirror what the Patriots did late in the season—practice once a week in pads.

• Alex Mack playing with the cracked fibula was noble, but he was a big part of this loss late too. New England’s Trey Flowers burst past the limited Mack for the crucial 12-yard sack on the killer Atlanta drive; Mack wasn’t competitive on the play. When Jake Matthews got the holding call on the next play, that killed the Falcons.

A terrible selection of plays—from Shanahan calling a pass, Mack giving up the sack, Matt Ryan incredibly not throwing the ball away (cardinal quarterback rule in this case, at this spot on the field), and then Matthews stupidly wrestling Chris Long to the ground.


• The Patriots three times in the last 11 minutes of the game ran the exact same play—a trips-right formation (three receivers right, one left), and the Falcons didn’t pick up on it. Every time, Brady threw to the single receiver—Mitchell twice, Hogan once. Is there no one on the Atlanta sideline or upstairs that sees this happening over and over again, no one to say, If this happens again, let’s change up the coverage? Evidently not.

• Devonta Freeman knows this already, and he has been flayed from coast to coach for eight days for missing the block on Dont’a Hightower. But it’s got to be said: If Freeman makes the block and Atlanta converts that third-and-one, the Falcons could well have had the ball long enough there with a 16-point lead to make sure that if New England got two more possessions, it would be with long distances to go for touchdowns, not one of the possessions starting at the Atlanta 25. Lazy play by Freeman.

9. I think I like Seattle inking Blair Walsh. There’s no such thing as psyche insurance, and so you don’t know if he’s ever going to be a great kicker again after having the yips in 2016. But he’s only 27. In 2012 he made 10 field goals of 50 yards or longer in 10 tries. The question is not why you would give Walsh a shot, but rather why you wouldn’t.

Made you look!
Sorry about the false advertising but I wanted to make sure that close to 100% of my fellow RODites checked this thread out. We need one more GM for our annual ROD mock draft. Many of you might not be aware of its existence because it's located on/at one of our lesser known forums called
NFL DRAFT / COLLEGE FOOTBALL. To access that forum you need only click on the "Forums" button at the top of the page and then click on that forum. Then I suggest you make it a "favorite" so you can get there more easily.

The Mock draft will start:

ROD Mock dates:
Start: 25MAR17
Stop: 25APR17

Official 2017 NFL Draft: 27 - 29 April.

It lasts about 1 month but your requirements a fairly minimal. You need only check in a couple of times a day to see if you've been alerted that it's your turn to select a player for your team. If it is your turn to pick you simply pick the player you want (Hopefully you've done some research on playerrs and the needs of your team and a list of players already picked will be provided) and alert the next Gm (and the GM after him) that they are on the clock to make their picks. I'll be there to help you out if needed. Which team you will GM for will be picked by me (randomly) in the next few days.
This is a fun even that we've hel annually for the last three years or so and I guarantee you'll have a good time.

If you would like to participate you need only say so in this thread and I'll contact you with more details. Not that there are any many more details but I'll be there for you if needed at any time.
ball:

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Is there anyone we could trade for a first round draft pick that we could afford to lose?

This will be long but worth it (IMO) I wont bother yall with more than 3 versions over the course of the offseason. The rams have about $40 mil in cap space before cuts. My objectives were to find players that fit the system based on extensive tape study of the scheme of our new coaches, add players I have studied who have the skill set to excel in those schemes, maximize our current talent, and attack the positional strengths of Free Agency and The Draft at the right value points.
Tim Barnes (+3m)- Needs to be upgraded.
Eugene Sims (+2.5m)- Not a great system fit not good enough to stay.
Tre Mason (+.75m)- Self explanatory

Dominique Easley (2nd round tender $2.6m)- At worst still an above average interior nickel rusher at best a starter in the new system great value at $2.6m.
Ethan Westbrooks (Original pick tender $1.6m)- Will be fine as rotational 3-4 end his calling card is power and has even been our backup NT in the past. Solid depth at 1.6m, doubt he gets any offers.

Mark Barron LB -> SS. Everyone thought coming out of college Barron best position was SS in the box, but he has hardly played there because he has mostly been a cover 2 safety or LB. Barron Fills the TJ ward role in Phillips defense as a Safety in the box who can blitz, cover, TEs, and play nickel LB. Barron can be every bit as effective at SS as his All pro Alabama comrade Landon Collins if he is used in the right way. As rams fans we should know if Darian Stewart can play FS at a high level in this scheme so can Mo Alexander. Barron and Mo could a form a big fast hard hitting safety combo.

Greg Robinson LT -> LG. Cant trust Robinson on an island pass protecting, and that will happen at LT frequently with McVay using primarily 3 WRs and detaching the TE off the line alot. Some parts of Robinson's struggles are on the coaching, but we have to hold him accountable at some point. He has been bad for three years even when seeking outside help from LeCharles Bentley who helped multiple lineman step their game up. On the bright side, Robinson could be a good guard, McVay doesn't use a full back and runs some zone schemes so having guards that move and pull out in front is essential. You could easily argue pulling is the best part of Robinson's game at this point, so maybe Kromer will be able to salvage him at OG, but he will have to compete with our other young lineman.

Roger Saffold LG-> LT. This is not a good tackle class in FA or the draft, so as unappealing as it is Saffold could be our best option at LT. Saffold was our best lineman last year even though that isn't saying much. IF he stays healthy he will be solid and wont get Goff killed and can hold the Rmas over long enough to get a franchise LT next draft with a much better tackle class and a first round pick.

Cody Wichman OG->C. Wichman was terrible last year but still has some value. Both Kroemer and McVay converted 6'6 guards to center to make them more versatile with good results. Allows Kroemer to replace Rhaney as versatile backuo interior OL Rhaney he doesn't fit the typical profile of the lineman he likes

Kenny Stills, WR, Dolphins (5yr/$8.5m per season)- Its rare seeing a 24 year old as an UFA, so a player with Stills skill set will be highly sought after and may cost even more than $8.5m per season. Stills is a So Cal guy so maybe the allure of LA and taking his game to the next level in McVay's offense can give the Rams a leg up on the competition. Stills can fill the explosive deep threat DeSean Jackson role in Mcvay's offense, but is 6 years younger, bigger, and better in contested situations.

Larry Warford, OG, Lions (5yr/$8m per season)- It was rumored Snead was a huge fan of Warford coming out of Kentucky and even considered him when they picked Alec Ogletree and would have picked him if he lasted to our 3rd round pick. Warford is a solid pass protector, powerful run blocker, who fits the mold of a Kroemer lineman, and will help Goff and Gurley immensely.

Pierre Garcon, WR, Redskins (3yr/$8m per season)- Another guy Snead wanted as a UFA when his Colts contract was up, so he will be on the same page with McVay. Garcon is reliable as they come and was key part of Mcvay's offense winning on in breaking routes, being tough over middle, running after the catch, moving the chains, and being clutch on 3rd down. At 31 he pairs with Stills and Tavon to provide the perfect blend of youth, experience, and upside out wide for Goff.

Jason McCourty, CB, Titans (3yr/$6m per season)- McCourty is currently under contract, but will likely get cut after 2 injury ravaged seasons in Tennessee. McCourty is only 29 so he can bounce back and still play well. He is a solid vet corner who can play well in Philip's heavy man to man scheme. McCourty also has the ability to move to safety down the line like his all pro twin Devin.

Connor Barwin, EDGE, Eagles (2yr/$4.5m per season)- Another likely cap casualty who was not as productive as reserve end in Jim Schwartz's 4-3. Barwin had some of his best years playing as 3-4 OLB under Wade in Houston and gives the Rams a veteran OLB who knows and fits the system.

Ryan Groy, OL, Bills (RFA 4yr/$4m per season)- Groy is an RFA, but I expect the Bills to give him the original pick tender making him compensation free because he was a UDFA. The Bills have 23 Free Agents and are in the bottom 25% in cap space even before making decisions on Tyrod Taylor and franchising Stephon Gilmore. Additionally, Eric Wood their franchise center comes back healthy as one of the higher paid centers in the league. For these reasons I don't expect them to tender Groy at a high level or match an offer, so the Rams will be happy to add him. Kroemer seems to be a big fan of Groy he traded for him In Chicago and brought him in when he went to Buffalo. Groy is a natural guard Kroemer converted to center before Wood got hurt and Groy did a solid job filling in for Wood when he went down. At 6'5 320 he has the requisite size Kroemer likes in his interior lineman and would be big upgrade over Barnes.


2. Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama- Wade will be banging the table for a CB and I considered it along with OT, but Everett makes more sense to me. This is the best TE class in a while chock full of top notch talent especially at the top. As a former TE coach I don't think picks in rounds 4 and 6 last year, even though talented, will stop McVay from getting his guy early. Ive watched alot of tape on McVays offense and when healthy Jordan Reed was the straw that stirred the drink. in 2015 before an injury ravaged 2016 Reed lead the Skins in targets, even with Garcon and DeSean and was used in so many different ways. Everett has a Reed like skill set, even more so than the more heralded Evan Engram because Everett is; more explosive, more physical in all facets, and is better in contested situations. This may seem like a reach now, but it wont be after the combine, since Everett is a great athlete and has been just as productive, if not more so than more highly regarded guys like David Njoku and and OJ Howard, granted at a lower level. Adding Everett to Stills, Garcon, Tavon, and Higbee would give the rams the best set of weapons they have had in years.

3. Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA- The local kid is very talented and could certainly go higher, but in this deep corner class you can get a quality player here regardless. Phillips runs a heavy man coverage/match up zone scheme that fits Moreau's strenghths. Moreau has the size (6'0), quick feet, and loose hips to stay with receivers in man to man coverage and can instantly start for Wade.

4. Avery Gennesy, OT, Texas A&M- It's not a Snead draft without adding some SEC talent. Gennesy a first team all SEC lineman has great feet and is an athletic pass protector. He played well against top notch edge rushers who will be drafted early in Alabama's Tim Williams and UCLA's Takk McKinley. However he struggled with the power of Alabama's Jonathan Allen and needs to add more strength. An NFL strength program will help him add more power so he can anchor better and be more effective in the run game. With that said he can come in and initially be our swing tackle with potential for more.

4. Derek Rivers, EDGE, Youngstown State- No one loves small college defensive lineman more than Snead and his scouts. Rivers is a talented edge rusher who has some experience standing up and performed well at the Senior Bowl playing against a higher level of competition. Rivers can instantly come in a provide solid reps behind Barwin and has starting potential down the line.

5. Josh Carraway, EDGE, TCU- You can never have enough pass rushers and Wade had solid 4 man Rush OLB rotation even with super star starters Demarcus Ware and Von Miller. Carraway fits the bill as an open ended rush OLB in the new scheme. Carraway has experience rushing standing up, but sometimes struggles to set the edge as a run defender, however he has the ability to contribute rushing the passer right away. Backing up Quinn as an open ended rusher is a good spot for him because he can use his speed and athleticism to chase plays in pass rush situations instead of taking blocks on head on.

6. Harvey Langi, LB, BYU- Langi is a former RB who moved to the defensive side of the ball, but spent most of his time miscast as an edge player. He finally got to play in the middle in his bowl game and in the Senior Bowl and performed well. He has good size and athleticism at 6'2 250. Langi Can come in and instantly compete with Forrest for the early down mike plugger role freeing up Ogletree to make plays at the MO linebacker spot.

6. TJ Logan, RB, UNC- Chris Thompson was an underrated cog in McVay's Redskins dynamic attack. The small, but speedy Thompson played a key role as third down back, on draws, screens, and by creating mismatches against LBs in the pass game. Logan is also a smaller explosive back with a similar skill set who can fill that roll, and also replace Cunnigham as an explosive kickoff returner.

7. Josh Tupou, DL, Colorado- The backup NT plays the least snaps on Phillips defense, if at all since the ends become interior rushers in passing situations. With that said it may be more prudent to add a kicker here, but I trust Bones to find a solid one as a UDFA. Tupou is a massive man who is hard to move.

7. Sefo Liufau, QB, Colorado- Liufau has the skillset of a poor man's Dak Prescott. Could be decent developmental prospect as the 3rd QB with the potential to be Goff's back up in the future.
QB: Goff, Mannion, Liufau
RB: Gurley, Logan, Brown, UDFA
X WR: Stills, Thomas
Z WR: Garcon, Spruce
Y WR: Tavon, Cooper
TE: Everett, Higbee, Harkey, Hemmingway
LT: Saffold, Genessy
LG: Robinson vs. Brown vs. Donnal
C: Groy, Wichman
RG: Warford, Donnal
RT: Havenstein

LE: Hayes, Westbrooks
NT: Brockers, Tupou
RE: Donald, Easley
SOLB: Barwin, Rivers, Littleton
Mike: Langi vs. Forrest
MO: Ogltree, Hager
WOLB: Quinn, Carraway
LCB: Moreau, Joyner, Jordan
RCB: McCourty, Gaines
FS: Alexander, Davis
SS: Barron, Randolph

P: Hecker
LS: McQuaide
K: UDFA

Now that we are officially in off-season mode, here's a look at the important upcoming dates, including combine, free agency and the draft.

• February 28th - March 6th, 2017, NFL Combine - Indianapolis.

There are seven regional combines that are being held, and the NFL is also bringing back the “veteran” Pro Player Combine.

• Regional: February 11 (Seattle)
• Regional: February 18 (Houston)
• Regional: February 25 (Washington)
• Regional: February 26 (Washington) - Kickers/Punters
• Regional: March 4 (Minnesota)
• Regional: March 11 (New Orleans)
• Regional: March 12 (New Orleans)
• Pro Player Combine: March 25-26 (Arizona)

Here are some other important upcoming league dates:

• February 15th: Teams can begin applying the franchise or transition tag to players on their team.

• March 1st: The final day to declare a franchise player, before 4:00 PM ET.

• March 7th - March 9th: Teams can begin entering contract negotiations with players who will be unrestricted free agents. Qualifying offers to restricted free agents and offers to unrestricted free agents who the team wants to retain should also be made during this stretch.

• March 9th: At 4:00 PM ET, free agency officially begins, and teams may begin signing players or trading players who are still under contract. Additionally, all teams must be under the salary cap at this time.

• March 26th - March 29th: Annual League Meeting, Phoenix, AZ

• April 3rd: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2016 regular season may begin off-season workout programs.

• April 17th: Teams with returning coaches begin off-season workout programs.

• April 27th - April 29th: NFL Draft, Philadelphia, PA

• May 22nd - May 24th: NFL Spring League Meeting, Chicago, IL

It's going to be an interesting few months! Building for the future has started. Go RAMS!

Audio not the best,but a good listen.

Login to view embedded media

This might be a tougher question than you think after about 5 minutes of reflection.


Jared Goff. Stakes are highest here, no doubt.

Todd Gurley. Maybe now he can expect some running lanes. More passing targets, too? Return to the Pro Bowl?

Tavon Austin. THIS staff should give him a shot at finally reaching his potential.

GRob. Don't laugh. Kromer might be able to salvage his career. Literally.

Higbee/Kendricks. Finally a staff that understands and knows how to use the TE position as a major weapon.

Aaron Donald. He might be even more dominating with better scheming in Wade Phillips' D. I'm serious.

Alec Ogletree. Wouldn't surprise me if he took another step up to 1st team Pro Bowl level under Wade's D scheming.

Tru Johnson. There have been hints that TruJo will have a more substantial role in Wade's D. Hopefully, TruJo sticks around and becomes a Pro Bowler.

Mo Alexander. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if Mo becomes a force in Wade's D.

Lots and lots of others must be excited, of course. Probably feels like the clouds have parted and the sunshine is now coming through to all players. But these were my guesses of the players that are most excited.

Would love to hear your comments.


The player probably least excited? I think that would be Tim Barnes. Lol.

This might be a fun topic for discussion.

At WR I see only 3 probables making the final 6. And none look like locks to get significant snaps, much less starts.

Austin. TBH, I see him here only because of that danged contract extension. He may be gone next year. I wouldn't describe him as a pure WR in the first place. His hope has to be that this new staff can figure out a way to best utilize him and turn him into a feared weapon.

Cooper. Only because he showed flashes last year and because he was hampered by injury. Not to mention the incompetence of the O coaching staff. No sure thing to make the 6, IOW.

Spruce. This guy makes my list strictly and only because of a terrific camp and a single preseason game last year. Almost unbelievable that I'm typing his name here. A very long shot, tbh. Certainly not a likely starter, although he might get snaps if he can stay healthy. A lot of "ifs" with Spruce, huh?

The rest?

Britt is only 50-50 to be extended.
Quick is a goner.
Thomas has bad hands and I don't know if that's fixable.
The remaining WR's are jags based upon last year's results. Unless the new coaches are miracle workers.

Bottom line? Only 3 holdovers and 2 of them are iffy. I see some combination of 2-3 players acquired via FA or draft. And I see them with the inside track over the holdovers, frankly.

Now the OL position group. Better buckle up, y'all.

I see a healthy Hav at RT.

All others might be shuffled or replaced as starters. I'm serious.

LT. Saffold, GRob (assuming a Kromer miracle), FA, or draft pick?
LG. Saffold, Brown, or FA?
C. Definitely see a FA or draft pick here. Barnes to the bench.
RG. Saffold, GRob, Wichmann, or FA?

Bottom line is probably 10 OL on the roster. But we may see as many as 4 new faces at the various starting positions on that OL when compared to last year.

That's a helluva lot of turnover, man. I wish Kromer all the luck in the world. Lol.

I hadn't seen this is many, many years...Though some guys here might enjoy this...

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkCihMnJ4Hg&t=7131s

You've got to pick up things quick in this league,' new Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. ‘We're going to attack. We're coming after you. We've been doing this a long time, and we've got a system of teaching that's been successful.' (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Wade Phillips brings decades of expertise to Rams defense

By MARK WHICKER / STAFF COLUMNIST

THOUSAND OAKS – The Rams hired Wade Phillips, the NFL’s preeminent fireman.

But at first glance, nothing’s burning.

“Usually you get hired as a defensive coordinator because it’s a bad defense,” Phillips said Monday. “But that really hasn’t been the case in my last couple of jobs, and it’s not the case here.”

But you could always use a new inspector, a fresh set of eyes and ears. Phillips, 69, is here to sniff out what’s wrong behind the walls. Maybe it’s one of those invisible alcohol fires that you once saw at the Indianapolis 500, when crew members would start jumping around unaccountably.

The defense wasn’t the problem in the 4-12 nightmare of 2016. But the Rams needed it to be the solution. It was ninth in yards allowed and yards per play, and also ninth in third-down conversion.

It was 24th in sacks, 23rd in interceptions, 19th in fumbles recovered and 22nd in fumbles forced.

So it might not be a four-alarm situation, but it needs extinguishing.

“You’ve got to pick up things quick in this league,” Phillips said. “We’re going to attack. We’re coming after you. We’ve been doing this a long time, and we’ve got a system of teaching that’s been successful.”

Denver won the Super Bowl, 53 weeks ago, as Phillips’ defense laid waste to Carolina’s Cam Newton (18 for 41 passing, six sacks and an interception). In 2016 the defense remained sound, despite injuries, but the offense sputtered and the Broncos missed the playoffs.

When Coach Gary Kubiak resigned, Phillips left for the Rams, amid talk that he had fomented offense-vs.-defense discord in the locker room. Guard Max Garcia dismissed the report as “alternative facts.”

One L.A. bonus is the opportunity for Wade to be near daughter Tracy, who is a choreographer and actress, appearing in “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Water for Elephants.”

This is Phillips’ eighth stop as a coordinator. In each case, the club gave up fewer points than it had the year before. In five cases, it gave up more than 100 fewer points than the year before.

Houston went from 427 to 278 between 2010 and 2011. San Diego went from 441 points to 313 between 2003 and 2004, and therefore went from 4-12 to 12-4.

“He puts you in a position where you can be successful,” said Chris Draft, who went from Valencia High in Placentia to Stanford and then played 12 seasons as an NFL linebacker, crossing paths with Phillips in Atlanta.

“But the best thing about him is how he connects with his players. When I moved on to other teams and I’d play his team, I’d always see him outside the locker room afterward, and he’d come over and see how I was doing. That’s what you remember about people in this business.”

Phillips said he fits his defense to the players, but only to a point. He says if Aaron Donald doesn’t suit your system, then the system isn’t working. However, the Rams will shift from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Theoretically that means William Hayes and/or Robert Quinn could play off the edge in a stand-up position, or Michael Brockers could do more time on the nose.

“This has happened a few times, where I’ll take over a 4-3 and go to a 3-4,” Phillips said. “But the 3-4 is better. You’re normally bringing four pass rushers. In a 4-3, that means all the linemen. In a 3-4, that’s three linemen plus a linebacker, but you don’t know which linebacker is coming. That causes some confusion and gives the defensive backs a better chance. Nowadays it’s all about stopping the passing game.

“We’ve led the league playing all zone, or all man. I prefer man because it’s harder to throw against it for a good percentage. But we also play a lot of matchup zone, which looks like something it’s not.”

Phillips’ dad, Bum, wore a cowboy hat and boots on the sideline, and was one of the NFL’s top characters and coaches. He took the Houston Oilers to within a whisker of two AFC championships against the powerful Pittsburgh Steelers. He admired Don Shula because “he can take his’n and beat your’n, and then he can take your’n and beat his’n.”

Wade joined his father’s staff in New Orleans when he was 27. Now his boss is Sean McVay, 31.

Last week he analyzed his generation gap with McVay, via Twitter: “I’m on Medicare and he’s on daycare.”

He smiled and said, “I’ll take credit for that one.”

Pause.

“But I did ask him before I sent it out.”

Ounce of prevention, you know.

[www.ocregister.com]

One needs to look no further than Belicheat to see the importance of coaching in this league. The Pats run all kinds of rookies and retreads through that team and they remain successful. With that said, 20% is QB play. We have seen guys like Big Ben throw up huge numbers in the past even with an inferior OLine. Very rarely do we see a dominant defense carry a team all the way (Ravens/Broncos) but even then, the defensive calls put the players in a position to win. Anyone who paid attention to Martz's offenses could see the spike in production when he was there.

This is why we can expect a marked improvement for the Rams going forward. We finally have proven competence on the sidelines in respect to gameplanning and in game adjustments. On offense, there will be a modern passing game that puts the receivers in open space by design. I'm not yet sold on McVay's ability to generate a rushing attack or consistent production in the red zone but it couldn't be worse than what we got from the Schotty, Cig, Boras debacle. On defense, I've called Williams the second coming of Haslett since Fisher tried to hire him at the inception. While there are games he looks like a genius, far too often his gambling style put players in a position to lose nearly as frequently as he put them in a position to make a big play. While every defensive coach can get gashed from time to time, Phillips has been far more consistent with his defenses. Sadly, he won't be coordinating the stacked deck he had in Denver but I expect a slightly more consistent defense next year. Finally, Bones is the best ST coach the Rams have EVER had.

Finally, it will take a year for this administration to churn the roster to fit the schemes and for players like Goff and Ogletree to develop their ability to master the mental concepts necessary for elite production. There will be growing pains and those like myself who regularly get sucked into pre-season hype will need to temper our expectations to avoid fan meltdown. Still, the arrow will be pointing upward for reasons beyond abject homerism.

1. Mentioned only one WR that being TA.
2. Phillips will run a 3-4 with a different fourth rusher every play to keep O guessing. Will try to work ways to get AD one on one matchups. Awesome point.
3. Gurley is the center of the O and will be given every chance to succeed. Not Bettisoned. Get is Bettis Jetissoned. My word not his.


[www.periscope.tv]#

http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2017/i...spects-rising-falling-college-football-season

Time for another Big Board, my last before the NFL combine at the end of the month. The big changes include a quarterback moving into the top 10, a defender moving into the top 20 after standing out at the Senior Bowl and a fast-rising tight end making his debut.

Check out Mock Draft 1.0 here, and come back for version 2.0 next week. Here we go:

One asterisk denotes a junior, and two asterisks denote a redshirt sophomore for the 2016 season.


1. *Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Garrett had a frustrating season, hampered by a high ankle sprain he suffered in late September, and his 8.5 sacks were down from his freshman total of 11.5 and sophomore total of 12.5. The injury took away some of the explosiveness that makes him such a promising talent, but when he's on, he's a brilliant, natural pass-rusher. The injury shouldn't affect Garrett's draft status. At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, he has the length, strength and ability to bend the edge. I think he's a top-five lock, and I expect him to impress at the NFL combine.



2. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
Allen was one of the top two or three defenders in the country the past two seasons. After having 12 sacks in 2015, he had 10.5 sacks in 2016, including one in Alabama's national title game loss. I wrote in October about Allen's performance against Texas A&M, in which he had a signature sack and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Defensive end, defensive tackle -- at 6-3, 264 pounds, Allen can play anywhere on the line, and coach Nick Saban loves him. He's in the mix to go No. 1.



3. Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
Foster is a big-time inside linebacker, and he might have been Alabama's best linebacker in 2015. Yes, better than Reggie Ragland, who went in the second round to the Bills in the 2016 draft and whom I had as the No. 24-ranked prospect. Foster (6-1, 240) has more range, runs sideline to sideline and is a more complete player. He's a terrific blitzer, too, and recorded five sacks this season. Expect him to follow in the footsteps of inside linebackers from Alabama who have gone in the first round, such as Rolando McClain, Dont'a Hightower and C.J. Mosley.


4. *Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Adams (6-1, 213) was a huge part of LSU's defensive success, even if it doesn't show on the stat sheet; he had one interception, one sack and one forced fumble this past season. He has great bloodlines -- his dad, George Adams, was the No. 19 overall pick in the 1985 NFL draft. He is built for today's NFL as a versatile safety who can play in the box effectively, make tackles against the run and move to the edges and track slot receivers.


5. **Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Thomas was one of the best defenders in the Pac-12 in 2016, when he was only a third-year sophomore. He plays like a veteran, causing disruptions in both the running and passing games. He had eight sacks this season while playing end, but at 6-3, 270 pounds, he could move inside and play tackle. The versatility is what stands out. And he has some speed -- check out this fumble return.


6. *Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Fournette struggled with a gimpy ankle this season and played in only seven games. Don't worry about him, though. He's special when he's healthy. Fournette has an incredible combination of size (6-1, 235), speed and power that can make him look like a varsity player hanging with the JV. Mileage was a concern heading into the season, but that's less of an issue now. He had a whopping 300 carries in 2015 -- for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns -- and only 129 in 2016.


7. **Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Lattimore (6-1, 190) was a first-year starter in 2016 who struggled with a hamstring injury during his first two years in Columbus. He was fantastic this season, standing out in a group of talented defenders and posting four interceptions, including a pick-six. He tackles well and locked down receivers he matched up against. The 2017 cornerback class could be special, and Lattimore is in the top tier.


8. *Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Cook (5-11, 213) is a home run hitter who can turn small creases into massive gains. He finished the season with 100-yard rushing performances in nine of his last 10 games, including 145 rushing yards and 62 receiving yards in the Orange Bowl win over Michigan. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry this season -- after averaging 7.4 in 2015 -- and had 33 receptions for 488 yards. With good hands and the ability to find and pick up blitzes, he's versatile. He had a whopping 40 total touchdowns in the past two seasons.


9. *Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
Williams, my No. 1 receiver, has great burst and speed for his size (6-2, 225). He made some fantastic catches in the national title game, finishing with eight receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. He put behind the scary neck injury that prematurely ended his 2015 season, and he was Deshaun Watson's go-to target this season. He had 98 catches for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016. He also had more than 1,000 receiving yards as a sophomore in 2014, averaging a whopping 18.1 yards per catch.


10. *Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
I don't see a potential top-five talent at quarterback in this draft, but that doesn't mean a QB-needy team won't be desperate and pick one in the top five. I projected Trubisky, my top-ranked QB, to go No. 2 to San Francisco in Mock Draft 1.0. In his first year as the full-time starter, Trubisky (6-3, 220) completed 68.2 percent of his passes and had 30 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. He throws a nice ball, has some touch and velocity and is mobile, too. Experience is a question mark -- he just doesn't have a lot of tape.


11. *Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
Charlton was the best defensive player on the field in Michigan's loss to Ohio State in late November. The 6-5, 270-pound defensive end had 2.5 sacks and nine total tackles, showing off a full arsenal of pass-rushing moves. He finished the season with 9.5 sacks despite missing two games with an ankle injury. Charlton plays with good leverage for his height, has active hands and takes great angles when rushing. And he's helped by an incredible wingspan. Charlton can play on his feet, which means he could fit in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.


12. Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA
Pac-12 offensive tackles had nightmares this season about McKinley, who is a dominant speed rusher. At 6-2, 240, he's not huge, but his explosion off the line is suited for today's NFL. A former junior college player, McKinley really came on as a senior, recording 10 sacks and three forced fumbles. McKinley impressed me with his motor, too, even while dealing with multiple injuries.


13. **Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
Peppers, who finished fifth in the Heisman voting, is a polarizing prospect. At 6-0, 210 pounds, he is a tweener without a set position in the NFL, as I wrote in December. His potential is as an in-the-box safety or linebacker who helps in run support and goes out and covers receivers and tight ends, but he's not for everybody; not every team will give him a high grade. I expect him to test off the charts at the combine. He's a special athlete.


14. **Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Hooker, like his teammate Lattimore, is another third-year sophomore and first-year starter. He has incredible range and was the best center-field-type safety I saw this season. He had seven interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. The 6-2, 205-pound Hooker is dynamic; he was all over the field for the Buckeyes.


15. Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
Injuries to both ankles caused Davis (6-2, 226) to miss a few games late in the season, but he is a steady and reliable linebacker with a nose for the football. He could play inside or outside linebacker in the NFL, but he's not a pass-rusher, though he did have 5.5 sacks the past two seasons. Davis is an every-down linebacker at the next level -- he can cover tight ends and backs in the passing game -- and fits what teams are looking for these days. He could play all three positions in a 4-3 defense or the inside in a 3-4. I love his intangibles, too; he has tremendous character.


16. *Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
The Stanford offense was built around McCaffrey for the past two years. He runs, catches passes, blocks and returns kicks and punts. With 590 carries for 3,622 yards and 82 catches for 955 yards the past two seasons, he has shown that he can carry the load. McCaffrey (6-0, 200) has incredible balance and could be an every-down back in the NFL. And it helps that he played in a pro-style offense at Stanford. His father, Ed, had a long NFL career as a wide receiver, and his brother, Max, was a good receiver at Duke.


17. Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
Williams, the top-ranked prospect in my preseason Big Board, does one thing incredibly well: rush the passer. And that's what NFL teams are looking for. He's a fantastic pass-rushing talent who can be unblockable at times. Williams (6-4, 250) has improved with the other parts of his game -- he can adequately take on blockers and play the run. After 10.5 sacks in 2015, when he played only about 20 percent of Alabama's defensive snaps, Williams had nine sacks in 2016. He's likely to be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 in the NFL, but he could put on some weight and play end in a 4-3.


18. *Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
One of the most productive receivers in the country over his career, Davis is a big-time playmaker with skills that will translate to the next level. He had 331 catches for 5,278 yards and 52 touchdowns in his career, and he led the country in receiving touchdowns with 19 in 2016. Davis has ideal size (6-2, 212) and length to be a great NFL wideout. I think he could be a lead option for an offense. He's considered one of the hardest workers on his team, too, and he really studies the game.


19. *Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
Tabor just makes plays. He shows up in big moments every time I turn on the tape, breaking up passes and locking down receivers. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2015. He was all over the field this season, too. You could argue that Tabor (6-0, 201) was the most consistently effective Florida cornerback last season, and Vernon Hargreaves III went No. 11 overall to the Bucs. Tabor had four interceptions this season, including a pick-six, plus a sack.


20. Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
White was impressive in his limited time at the Senior Bowl -- no receiver could get separation against him. He hurt his ankle in the middle of the week and didn't practice after that or play in the game, but I feel comfortable bumping him up a round after his solid senior season and how he looked against the wideouts at the Senior Bowl. White (5-10, 170) could have been a Day 3 pick a year ago but made the right decision to return to school. His six career interceptions, including two in 2016, are fewer than you'd like to see from a first-round cornerback, but his ball skills are OK. He needs to catch some of the throws he breaks up.


21. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Howard hasn't been a prolific pass-catcher at Alabama, including only 37 catches this season, but he has all the tools scouts look for in an NFL tight end. He was the best prospect at the Senior Bowl. At 6-6, 250, he is going to light up the NFL combine. He can stretch the deep middle of the field and become a more dynamic weapon. He could be a playmaker in the NFL. Three of his seven career touchdowns came in national title games.


22. **David Njoku, TE, Miami (Fla.)
Njoku is one of the fastest risers in this draft. The third-year sophomore was fantastic down the stretch of the Hurricanes' season, with seven touchdowns over the last six games; he had just two career touchdowns before that. Njoku (6-4, 244) has stellar speed and is among the most athletic tight ends in recent years. He could be a weapon in the NFL. If he shows out for scouts at the combine, he could be the top tight end off the board.


23. *Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
Bolles started only one season for the Utes after coming over from a junior college, but he was tremendous in 2016. Playing left tackle for the Utes, he showed that he's a great run blocker who can drive defenders off the ball at the snap. Bolles (6-5, 300) is a mauler. He has nice feet but needs to work on his technique and improve his pass blocking.


24. *Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
This isn't a great class for top-tier blindside protectors, and some of that has to do with the lack of seniors. The first senior in my list of the top 10 offensive tackles comes in at No. 4. Robinson, a junior, was a starter from day one at Alabama and is already a known commodity around the NFL. At 6-6, 327, he's battle-tested and extremely consistent. I think he'd be better as a right tackle in the NFL -- he's a better run-blocker than he is a pass-blocker -- but he's probably going to get a shot on the left side. He has the talent to be the first tackle off the board.


25. *Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Ramczyk has had an unusual -- and amazing -- path to the NFL. He started two years at Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point, transferred to Wisconsin and redshirted, then was an All-American left tackle as a fourth-year junior this season. At 6-6, 314, Ramczyk is another prospect who might be better served playing on the right side. His tape isn't overwhelming -- he's not a talent on the level of former Badger Joe Thomas -- but he can be a quality starting tackle in the NFL. Ramczyk just had hip surgery and should be fine long term, but he won't be working out at the combine.

I noticed the following receivers while looking at some stats @ ncaasavant.com .... was keeping an eye out for receivers with good hands, ie high catch rates.

In addtion to listing the usual # of receptions, yards, and TD's, the site also lists their total targets along with the percentage of their individual targets are that of the team total. It gives you you a good picture of how important they were to their respective team. What stuck out to me was the high completion percentage along with high percentage of team targets. For example, most players avg between 50 and 60 percent completion percentage and somewhere between 10 & 20 % share of their teams total targets. The first 3 were all over 60% on completions and at least 25% of their teams targets.

KeVonn Mabon - Ball St. ; 66% Catch rate ; 30% of team targets

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXjvRnj2rek



Rodney Adams - South Florida ; 64% Catch rate ; 26% of team targets (IMO,this guy looks the most explosive of the bunch)

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB9o1QeDhhA


Thomas Sperbeck - Idaho St. ; 63% Catch rate ; 30% of team targets

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnBZdfEWWac


Last..... not high number of team targets but was the first I noticed of the high catch rate....

Darreus Rogers - USC ; 68% Catchrate ; 19% of team targets

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl-uzh-3Ozg

Assuming injuries are not a factor, of course.

I could see maybe as many as four. Starters, mind you, although not necessarily All Pro's.

Aaron Donald (duh)
Robert Quinn
Alec Ogletree
Tru Johnson (if he stays)

I believe that Wade is that good and will put his playmakers in position to make more plays.

No disrespect intended for GW, but Wade is the superior DC. Hands down, if you ask me.

Four starting Pro Bowlers would be an amazing haul, huh?

Did I miss anybody?

With our coaching staff secured, we move on to the rest of the offseason:

Cut:

Rodger Saffold
Lance Kendricks
Tim Barnes
Tre Mason
Eugene Sims
William Hayes

(All fairly obvious. Since I'm not trading Hayes, I figure cutting him is the only option.)

Release:

Trumaine Johnson
Kenny Britt
Brian Quick
Ethan Westbrooks
Matt Longacre
T.J. McDonald
Case Keenum
Chase Reynolds
Cam Thomas

(Tru goes to the highest bidder. Westbrooks and Longacre don't have a fit in our system. McDonald is replaced by Mo. Britt and Quick are let go to put in some new young blood in the wide receiver position. Keenum is replaced by Mannion. Chase Reynolds is pure special teams and easily replaceable, and Thomas is JAG.)

Re-sign:

Benny Cunningham (3 years, 3 million per year)
Greg Zuerlein (4 years, 3 million per year)
Dominique Easley (RFA)
Louis Trinca-Pasat (ERFA)

(Zuerlein has improved a ton and is worth a long-term deal. Cunningham is also a must-re-sign. Easley is on the opposite side of Donald, and LTP competes at nose tackle.)

Convert:

Cody Wichmann: G - C

(Wichmann switches to a new position where he can function with limited strength.)

Free Agency:

Alshon Jeffery - 5 years, 12 million per year.

Markus Wheaton - 2 years, 4 million per year.

Demarcus Ware - 1 year, 4 million.

Larry Warford - 4 years, 10 million per year.

Dwight Freeney - 1 year, 2 million.

Brandon Carr - 3 years, 6 million per year.

Stefan Wisniewski - 2 years, 2.5 million per year.

Draft:

2 - Haason Reddick, ILB, Temple.

3 - Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado.

4 - Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova.

4 (Comp) - Jon Toth, C, Kentucky.

5 - Ejuan Price, OLB, Pittsburgh

6 - Javancy Jones, OLB/ILB, Jackson State.

6 (Comp) - Javarius Leamon, OT, South Carolina State.

7 - Ezra Robinson, CB, Tennessee State.

(Reddick is a beast and should be drafted high. I like Awuzie a bit more than Witherspoon, so he goes here. Kpassagnon is the guy I want the Rams to get the most; he has sky-high potential. Toth is from @jrry32 's mock, so credit goes to him for that. Price falls because of his lack of height, Jones falls because of his small school. Price reminds me of Dumervil, and Jones is an athletic freak. Leamon rounds out the group as a potential left tackle of the future. Ezra Robinson is a tall cornerback who's picked off a ton of passes.)

Thoughts, comments, critiques are all welcome.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/02/11/falcons-blew-five-fourth-quarter-leads-in-2016/

The epic 0.2-percent 25-point collapse by the Falcons wasn’t the first time the NFC champions blew a fourth-quarter lead in the 2016 season. It was the fifth.

Putting it another way, the Falcons lost six games all year — and five included blown fourth-quarter leads.

The most recent came against the Chiefs in early December, a game that served as a turning point for the Falcons. The four before the Super Bowl each featured a key Matt Ryan interception. Super Bowl LI didn’t include a Ryan interception, but it was a Ryan fumble that gave the Patriots a short field while down by 16 in the fourth quarter.

For the entire season, Ryan had only seven interceptions. Four of them came in losses that happened in games the Falcons led in the fourth quarter.

Even with the fumble from the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI, the Falcons still could have won the game if they’d simply opted to run and not throw on the drive that put Atlanta on the New England 22 with a first and 10 late in regulation. After a run was stuffed, the Falcons dialed up a pass — and you know the rest.

“t’s human nature when you get in big moments like that, to lock up, to hesitate, to try to take the easy way out and make sure you don’t get blamed,” former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said during the press conference that introduced him as the head coach of the 49ers. “That’s something that I wasn’t going to do and people on our team weren’t going to do. We played that game how we played the entire year and I thought I called plays in that game the way I had the entire year.”

That’s fine, but as Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy pointed out on Monday’s PFT Live, head coach Dan Quinn should have stepped in and ordered Shanahan to run the ball, run the ball, and run the ball some more, taking at worst a field goal and an 11-point lead, which likely would have been insurmountable.

Then again, maybe it wouldn’t have been insurmountable. The Patriots have mastered situational football; for them, there’s no “way” of playing a game other than playing it in the way aimed at scoring more points than the other team in each game.

Vid may not work here.Click on link below.
I don't know who this McVay guy is, he keeps talking about,
but the world "special" sure is getting thrown around a lot


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The Los Angeles Rams introduced Sean McVay as the team's new head coach at the Rams training facility in Thousand Oaks, CA. Jan. 13, 2017. (Photo by John McCoy


Sean McVay has the right soldiers in his battle against time

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

In a literal sense, time didn’t really start flying by faster once Sean McVay took over as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.

Each day is still made up of 24 hours spread across 1,440 minutes.

None of that changed a month ago when the Rams made McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history after hiring the former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator to replace Jeff Fisher.

In a figurative sense, though, it just seems like every clock McVay deals with these days is powered by liquid hydrogen. That might explain how he’s up and at ‘em at the crack of dawn each morning with a specific task to tackle first, only to glance at the clock what seems like a minute or two later and realize it’s already past 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, the thing he set out to finish first went undone.

Yet a million other things he never even accounted for got dealt with.

“You getting pulled in a bunch of different directions,” McVay said, smiling.

It’s one of the big differences he’s noticed since becoming a head coach.

Time isn’t his friend.

And surprises are lurking behind every corner.

“I think you’re just surprised by the reality of, when you sit down to do something at six in the morning and then it’s 8:30 at night and here I am ready to do that thing that I was set out to do at six in the morning,” he said.

Good thing he had the innate sense to construct a coaching staff uniquely skilled to accommodate his new reality.

Tasked with turning around a tortured franchise that hasn’t had a winning season in 13 years, injecting life into an offense for which last rites have been read more than once and developing a second-year quarterback the Rams invested six draft picks into acquiring, McVay has tripled down on the primary skill that landed him the job in the first place.

The offensive-minded and experienced McVay has surrounded himself with more than two decades worth of offensive expertise.

And specifically quarterback development experience.

Which makes sense considering the investment the Rams made in Goff and the importance in developing him into a quarterback worthy of the first pick in the 2016 draft and the face of the Rams franchise.

And the need to lift the offensive to just a respectable level in order to compliment a defense that, truthfully, is playoff caliber.

New offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach for the Redskins from 2010 to 2013 and Atlanta Falcons the last two seasons.

Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson has held the same position with the 49ers, Bears, Lions, Buccaneers and Jaguars and was the offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders for two seasons.

And new assistant wide receivers coach Even Zac Taylor was the Dolphins quarterbacks coach from 2013 to 2015.

That’s a ton of eye balls to put on the offense and even more voices and opinions on how to best develop Goff. And opinions have are already being formulated.

“The ceiling is really high with this player in my mind,” said Olson. “Unbelievable arm talent, he’s had that since high school. From being up in the Bay Area, I’ve kind of known about him. When he went to Cal, I had the chance to follow him there early on in his career at Cal. I’ve always felt like this guy’s got tremendous arm talent and that’s a start in my opinion.

“You look to evaluate this position, it’s what type of arm talent does that player have. Certainly, a very intelligent player when you look at his test scores and what he was able to do a student. I just think there are a lot of intangibles there as well. You’ve all heard about him growing up from high school, through college and in the NFL, tremendous work ethic.”

Credit McVay, though, for being savvy enough to realize the need for experienced and varied voices to carry out his vision now that a good chunk of his time will be devoted to the rest of the team each day.

“I certainly don’t know, because I’ve never experienced it, but you talk to people that have been in the role that I’m getting ready to take on, and you know you want to be involved in the offense, but there’s going to be times where you’re going to be pulled in different directions,” McVay said. “That’s why it’s very important to have Matt and Greg in place where if you’re not able to be a part of the offensive meetings, or whatever is going on, you trust that their leadership will continue to have that same messaging, so that our quarterbacks know exactly what the expectations are.”

The danger, of course, is enabling so many voices and creating a convoluted message, especially to the player the Rams have staked so much of their future.

For Goff to move forward in a steady, productive manner a bunch of coaches with track records of developing quarterbacks need to get on the same page and deliver their sermons in a unified manner.

“I think you really look at it, it’s very important for us to all be on the same page.” McVay said.

It’s up to him to formulate the lesson.

It’s on LaFleur and Olsen to articulate it.

The key will be consistency.

The good news is, McVay worked previously with both LaFleur and Olson. As a result, chemistry and symmetry should not be an issue.

And the respect is obvious.

“I got a chance to work with Coach Olson my first year in Tampa. He’s a great communicator. I really had a lot of respect for him, because when I finished playing at Miami (Ohio), he was one of the coaches who kind of took me under his wing, helped kind of guide me, and really always appreciated and watching him from afar how he communicated with his guys,” said McVay. “ He was always taking times during those periods that might not have been focused on offense, but if it’s special teams, defensive periods, he was always making sure those guys were working. He’s a guy that we’ve kept in touch throughout the course of our coaching careers. He was a guy, when he became available, wanted to get him to be a part of this staff.

“You look at (Matt) LaFleur that we’re going to be able to have as our offensive coordinator. He’s a guy that we were able to develop a really close relationship with in Washington. Detail oriented, good communicator, been around some of the most productive offenses over the last couple of years. You look at what Atlanta was able to do. A lot of the things that we do philosophically will be very similar.”

[www.dailynews.com]

Videos of whatever are welcome as long as its badass.


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I'm just linking a couple of tweets here and the subsequent chain is worth reading (to gain context, not for quality) as well as the original tweet that sparked this one.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/MattHammondShow/status/830231616576421888


Not just one "less than" sign, but THREE of them! That makes my comment more impactful for sure.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/MattHammondShow/status/830232158270869508


"Aaron Donald is almost entirely hype guys. Hate to break it to you. I mean, I GUESS he's an OK player and all, but he couldn't carry a bag of JJ's used syringes."

Now, I'm not saying everyone has to agree with the opposite of this. I understand if someone wants to place Watt above Donald (though I might not entirely agree), but the reasoning here is silly.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/MattHammondShow/status/830233227944161281


"Which he can't play because he's not Watt" I know he's not going for this effect (I hope), but it sounds as if he is saying that JJ Watt is the only human capable of playing 3-4 end. How can one head fit into two asses?

He then goes on to say this.

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Well which is it pal? Is Wade gonna "make it work" or is this a colossal failure of a move? If Donald is so incapable of playing the end spot in a 3-4, how can one make that work? It seems to be an inevitable catastrophe according to you.

I assume (as I have too with just these few tweets) "make it work" means "he might work alright in some capacity, but he won't be no JJ" or "Wade will find some way to cover up his deficiencies". Fucking hell.

It's just a moment where his interests have a conflict. You see, he's a part of a CBS Houston affiliate, so he has to pimp his guy as much as possible and push the opposing player down for some reason. In doing this, he unintentionally takes a dig at former Texans DC and current Rams DC, Wade Phillips. Can't do that because he probably still likes Wade. Either that, or he just has to recognize Wade and his acclaim. So he has to back track his statement, instantly contradicting himself, and looks like an absolute moron in the process.

And then there is this comment about how JJ "transcends" scheme while everyone else can barley handle playing without training wheels on. JJ is playing 8th dimensional chess while every other guy in the league can barley handle candy land. Some things in this universe have always been. Light, gravity, energy, and JJ Watt.

If you want to make the argument that JJ is the better player, that's fine, but to have your argument be "Donald can't play 3-4 end and JJ could play all 11 positions at once if he wanted" is awful, especially when you have no way of proving your first point since you have never seen Donald play that role. You are making a projection and passing it off as fact. Not to mention, with Wade's dynamic scheme, who knows where he will play the majority of his snaps.

If you're argument against Donald playing in a 3-4 is that Donald doesn't have the size, then how does Mike Daniels succeed in Green Bay? If you argue that Daniels doesn't play 5 tech (lined up against the OT) often, then your issue with Donald being in the 3-4 is stupid because now 3-4 VS. 4-3 doesn't matter.

Fact is, Donald played 3-Tech in the 4-3 and that won't change so says the coaches and so says the evolution of the league.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/defensive-prototypes-5-technique/

"In reality, because the league plays nickel on around 60% of defensive snaps in today’s NFL, every 3-4 defensive end is going to spend more time as a 3-tech than he is playing 4i, 4 or 5 because of the nature of pass-rushing sub-packages."

So in short, this move to a 3-4 is not going to hurt Donald in anyway. The only evidence that Donald can't play in a 3-4 or outside of the 3 tech spot is that he hasn't done it yet, and just because it hasn't been attempted in a large capacity yet, doesn't mean he is incapable. I will concede JJ can play various positions well, but versatility (while being helpful when it comes to making an impact) doesn't instantly make JJ 10 tiers above Donald when the impact both players make is comparable.

Even if Donald can't play outside the tackle and is a 3 tech only, does it really matter that much if he is still completely demolishing guys on the inside and disrupting offenses just as much as Watt is capable of doing despite all this "versatility"?

Matt, Stop it. You're apparently going to debate this with some other dude on your radio show, but don't, because you are wrong.*

*I do realize the possible irony of me passing my opinion of as if it were fact.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-part-team-plans-sean-mcvay-says?sf55706685=1

Rams' Sean McVay not giving up on ex-No. 2 pick Greg Robinson
Alden Gonzalez/ESPN Staff Writer

G. Newman Lowrance/AP Photo

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Greg Robinson, the former No. 2 overall pick who has struggled at left tackle throughout his three-year career, remains "a big part" of the Los Angeles Rams' plans moving forward, new coach Sean McVay said Friday.

McVay did not specify whether Robinson would remain at left tackle, but he did praise his talent.

"When you see some of the things he's able to do, you see the athleticism in space when he's pulling around and using some of those perimeter schemes that they did offensively last year," McVay said during a news conference from the team facility, which followed a meet-and-greet with his new assistant coaches.

"He's a guy that we're excited to get around. That's why it's frustrating that we have to wait so long to get these guys in the building, see them on the grass."

Robinson has committed an NFL-leading 31 total penalties over the past two years. In 2016, Pro Football Focus graded him 71st among 78 qualified tackles. He was benched on two separate occasions this past season, when the entire offensive line struggled to protect rookie quarterback Jared Goff and create space for running back Todd Gurley.

There was some thought the Rams might simply part ways with Robinson, who will cost about $6.8 million toward the salary cap in 2017, but it appears the new staff is not ready to do that.

New offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who spent the past two years with the Buffalo Bills, said Robinson has shown "flashes of skills" to remain an NFL left tackle.

"Now, why it's not consistent, I can't answer that; I don't know," Kromer said. "When I can work with a player and get my hands on him and be outside and ask him to do something and ask him to do it again and ask him to adjust something, then I know what we can do with him, how we can fit him in the offense.

But until then, on tape -- I don't know what he was told. I kind of know what he was supposed to do, but I don't know what his mindset was. I don't know it with any of them. So, I'm just looking for individual skills, like a scout."

At 6-foot-5, 332 pounds, Robinson is surprisingly athletic and has the skills to play left tackle, something that was obvious when he came out of Auburn in 2014 but just hasn't clicked yet in the NFL.

The Rams' previous offensive line coach, Paul Boudreau, spoke during the season about Robinson's inconsistent mechanics.

"He's all over the place with his feet, he's all over the place with his hands," Boudreau said. "And when he gets in trouble, when he stops his feet, he grabs, and he gets those holding penalties that you really don't need. So, he's got to concentrate on focusing on the little things."

The Rams could try moving Robinson to guard, where he can more freely utilize his power. But the best pending free agents are guards, a list that includes Kevin Zeitler, T.J. Lang and Larry Warford. Andrew Whitworth, a 35-year-old former second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals, is one of few notable left tackles eligible for free agency.

An in-house option at the position, besides Robinson, could be Rodger Saffold, who was perhaps the Rams' best offensive lineman last year.

Asked about transitioning to guard shortly after the Rams concluded a 4-12 season, Robinson said: "It's not really something that I'm just going to accept, because I'm so used to playing tackle. It would be hard to adjust. But if I have to adjust, that will be something that I will do."