http://www.espn.com/blog/atlanta-fa...n-who-has-ball-last-might-be-super-bowl-bound

Green Bay Packers reporter Rob Demovsky and Atlanta Falcons reporter Vaughn McClure take an in-depth look at Sunday's NFC Championship Game in Atlanta (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox).

GREEN BAY PACKERS
Record: 10-6
First place, NFC North

Aaron Rodgers is ready for a shootout, if necessary.

Since Week 12 and including the playoffs, the Packers quarterback has led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio and ranks second in the NFL in yards per attempt (8.4) and Total QBR (83.8).

His counterpart, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, ranks first in yards per attempt (9.0) and Total QBR (87.4) in that same period.

It's no wonder the over/under was set at 61 points.

The Falcons won the regular-season meeting 33-32 at the Georgia Dome on Oct. 30. They did so by scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 31 seconds to play. The Packers scored 24 of their 32 points in the first half.

"We scored points on them last time, especially in the first half," Rodgers said this week. "They kind of tightened up in the second half and sacked us a few times on third downs. We have to do a better job of playing a 60-minute game against them because Matt's been pretty hot."

Whichever quarterback has the ball last might be on his way to the Super Bowl.


PACKERS' X FACTOR
Jeff Janis played exactly one snap in Sunday's divisional playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. With all the injuries the Packers have at receiver, that could change this week. A year ago, Janis became a household name after an unlikely playoff performance with seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the divisional playoff loss at Arizona. Since then, he has largely fallen off the radar. He caught just 11 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown all season, but the lone touchdown came against the Falcons. With Jordy Nelson (ribs), Davante Adams (ankle) and Geronimo Allison (hamstring) all in danger of missing the game, it could be Janis' time again.

WHY PACKERS WILL WIN
Nobody has stopped Rodgers during the Packers' eight-game winning streak, and why would the Falcons -- with a defense that ranked 25th overall and 28th in passing yards allowed per game -- be the team to even slow him down? During the winning streak, Rodgers has thrown 21 touchdowns and just one interception while completing 68.9 percent of his passes for an average of 298 yards per game. And he had success against the Falcons in October, when he threw four touchdowns without an interception.

WHY PACKERS WILL LOSE
The Packers won't be able to stop Ryan. And why would they, with a defense that ranked 31st in the league in passing yards allowed per game? They certainly couldn't stop Dak Prescott this past Sunday. The Cowboys' rookie quarterback threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns. The Packers managed to pick off Prescott once, a key takeaway by defensive back Micah Hyde that saved at least three points and possibly seven, but Ryan isn't exactly turnover-prone. He threw only seven interceptions all season and hasn't thrown one during the Falcons' five-game winning streak.

PACKERS PREDICTION
The Packers didn't have Randall Cobb, Jared Cook or Ty Montgomery in their first meeting with the Falcons, and Green Bay almost pulled it out. Even if the Packers are short on receivers Sunday, it might not matter, given how hot Rodgers has been for the past two months. And if it comes down to a last-second field goal, who's more clutch than Mason Crosby? He has made 23 straight postseason field goals, the longest streak in NFL history. This team looks like it's headed back to the Super Bowl. Packers 31, Falcons 30

ATLANTA FALCONS
Record: 11-5
First in NFC South

Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. Ryan has thrown 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in the five-game stretch. He needs to make sure he plays turnover-free Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the line.

Ryan certainly knows what's at stake as he goes up against two-time MVP Rodgers, another quarterback who's on fire.

"I don't specifically have to go out on the field and defend Aaron, which is a good thing for us," Ryan said with a laugh this week. "I played against him a number of times. I've gotten to know him throughout the years. He's a good friend. And I respect him so much because he's such a great competitor."

Ryan won the last battle between the two during Week 8 of the regular season. But Rodgers won the most important one when the Packers marched into Atlanta as the underdog during the 2010 season and knocked the Falcons out of the playoffs with a 48-21 thumping. Rodgers went on to win the Super Bowl.

Ryan certainly doesn't want history to repeat itself in the final game at the Georgia Dome.


FALCONS' X FACTOR
Running back Tevin Coleman didn't play when the Falcons faced the Packers in that Week 8 game. He was nursing a hamstring injury. Coleman's replacement, Terron Ward, was the Falcons' leading rusher in that game with 46 yards on six carries. But no running back on the Falcons' roster is more explosive than Coleman. He can take it the distance on any play, and his improved hands have made him a more viable option as a pass-catcher. The one-two combo of Coleman and Devonta Freeman can be devastating when clicking on all cylinders. Everyone knows Freeman is a do-it-all back with great toughness. But if the Falcons can find ways to get Coleman in the open field, look out. He had 11 touchdowns during the regular season and another one last week on a 14-yard reception when the Seahawks lost him in coverage.

WHY FALCONS WILL WIN
It's the same formula as last week: scoring. The Falcons averaged an NFL-best 33.8 points per game during the regular season, including a 35-point average at home. Then they went out last week and put up 36 against what was supposed to be a reputable Seahawks defense. The Falcons have scored touchdowns on their opening drives in each of the past seven games. Some have been pleading coach Dan Quinn to put the ball in the hands of the high-powered offense if the Falcons win the toss, but deferring certainly hasn't slowed them down. Yes, the Packers also reached 30-plus points the last time the teams played, but the Falcons are more than capable of scoring 40 if necessary. The only thing that might slow them down is the status of top wide receiver Julio Jones, who aggravated a foot sprain and will see limited practice time heading into Sunday's game. He says he'll be ready to play Sunday.

WHY FALCONS WILL LOSE
Yes, the Falcons are playing much better on defense and have a certain confidence coming off the divisional round, but facing Rodgers and his variety of weapons presents a much bigger challenge. It starts with defending Randall Cobb out of the slot, a task expected to be put in the hands of rookie nickelback Brian Poole in man-to-man situations and perhaps even as part of the zone. Fellow rookie De'Vondre Campbell, a linebacker, expects to be matched up against tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers, with Cook being the better athlete but Rodgers possessing the better hands. And Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, coming off an ankle injury, will present a challenge to cornerbacks Robert Alford and Jalen Collins. Not to mention the slight possibility of Jordy Nelson returning from a rib injury; he dipped behind the Falcons' defense in Week 8 for a 58-yard pass play. All of that adds up to a tall challenge for the Atlanta defense.

FALCONS PREDICTION
The "Brotherhood" seems to be on a mission this season, as Quinn has established a winning mentality in everyone on the roster. Ryan might be adamant about "blocking out the noise" regarding his inability to reach a Super Bowl, but you can bet that some of the negativity has fueled him up to this moment. This game could be a shootout, indeed, but the Falcons prevail behind Ryan's arm and his running backs' legs. The defense will hold up just enough, relying on the blazing speed of rookie linebacker Deion Jones and Beasley and the physical play of rookie safety Keanu Neal to come up with some key stops. Falcons 35, Packers 31

Any artists here?

Painting, drawing, photography, woodworking, make things, etc... anything like that.

If you are, and willing to share, that could be fun.

Hello. Welcome one, welcome all. Ready for the insanity? Here goes nothing:

Cut:

Rodger Saffold
Lance Kendricks
Tim Barnes
Tre Mason
Eugene Sims

(All pretty much obvious.)

Re-sign:

Benny Cunningham
Greg Zuerlein
Dominique Easley
Louis Trinca-Pasat

(Cunningham and Zuerlein are must re-signs. Easley is on a cheap contract, and LTP can compete at backup nose tackle.)

Release:

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

(Tru costs too much money to re-sign. 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.)

Convert:

Lamarcus Joyner: CB - FS

Cody Wichmann: G - C.

(I'm stealing the idea about Wichmann from @jrry32 's mock because it makes a lot of sense. Joyner is a guy I've wanted to move to FS for the longest time. Maybe my wish comes true this year.)

Free Agents:

Larry Warford - RG

Andrew Whitworth - LT

Pierre Garcon - WR

Kenny Stills - WR

Brandon Carr - CB

Captain Munnerlyn CB

Demarcus Ware - OLB

Dwight Freeney - OLB

(Warford and Whitworth help a porous offensive line, Garcon and Stills provide us reliable wide receivers, Carr and Munnerlyn help us with the secondary, and Ware and Freeney provide veteran leadership to stabilize a young defense.)

Trades:

William Hayes to the New York Giants for 2017 sixth round pick.

(Hayes goes to the Giants, who will need help after JPP leaves. In return, we get a sixth round pick.)

Robert Quinn to the Detroit Lions for their 2017 first round pick.

(Quinn, when healthy, is a beast. Put him at left end aside from Ansah, and the Lions defense, which will likely lose Devin Taylor, suddenly has a lot of bite in it. In return, we get their first round pick, which leads me to my next trade...)

Mark Barron and 2017 first (Lions) to the Cleveland Browns for their 2017 second, 2017 second (Vikings), and 2017 fourth.

(Barron, as much as I like him, no longer has a fit in our system, but the Browns have a fit along with a lot of picks. I'm not a fan of Kirksey, which is why I'm not asking for him.)

Draft:

2nd (Browns) - Raekwon McMillan, ILB, Ohio State.

(McMillan is a great get in the second round for this reason: he fits what we're trying to do perfectly. He's able to stack and shed blocks, and he's pretty athletic for a guy his size (6'4", 245 lbs.) Some scouts have concerns that he won't be a three down linebacker. I disagree.)

2nd - T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin.

(J.J. Watt's little brother is a hell of a prospect in his own right. He can rotate with Ware or Freeney, depending on which side needs his help more.)

2nd (Browns via Vikings) - Forrest Lamp, C, Western Kentucky.

(Lamp is one of my favorite offensive linemen, and could easily fill in at center, helping to solidify the line.)

3rd - Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova.

(For those who say that a project defensive end shouldn't be taken this high, I say this to you: poor man's Julius Peppers. Kpassagnon hasn't even scratched the surface of his outer space-high potential, which is scary because he's dominated all competition.)

4th (Browns) - Akhello WItherspoon, CB, Colorado.

(Witherspoon is one of my favorite corners in this year's class. Nothing more needs to be said.)

4th - Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas.

(Another one of jrry's picks. A shoplifting charge drops Sprinkle - by the way, whose name is arguably my favorite in this class - down to the fourth round. He's a talented blocker, and he isn't a bad receiver either.)

4th (Comp) - Davon Godchaux, DE, LSU.

(All the physical tools, but really needs to learn technique. Godchaux could be the backup to Aaron Donald, and learn from the best.)

5th - Ejuan Price, OLB, Pittsburgh.

(Undersized? Yeah. Productive as hell? Also yeah. Price reminds me of Dumervil., and he can rotate with Ware or Freeney.)

6th - Ezra Robinson, CB, Tennessee State.

(Robinson is tall, tackles well, and has picked off a ton of passes. Only reason he slides here is because it's one of the deepest cornerback classes in recent memory, and a small school guy like Robinson could get ignored.)

6th (Giants) - Obi Melifonwu, SS, Connecticut.

(Again, stolen from jrry, but we do need a backup strong safety.)

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

(Stolen from jrry, but I like this guy's potential as a left tackle. If we get a coach like Kromer or Munchak to build him up, he could be scary good.)

7th - Psalm Wooching, OLB, Washington.

(Wooching is my favorite late round prospect because he plays the game the way it was meant to be played. He plays with a mean streak, and he's got a whole set of pass-rushing moves. He isn't a very athletic guy, but his instincts are off the charts, and he can definitely play special teams for us before competing for a spot.)

Team:

QB - Jared Goff
RB - Todd Gurley
FB - Cory Harkey
WR - Pierre Garcon
WR - Kenny Stills
WR - Tavon Austin
TE - Tyler Higbee
LT - Andrew Whitworth
LG - Jamon Brown
C - Forrest Lamp
RG - Larry Warford
RT - Rob Havenstein

LE - Dominique Easley
NT - Michael Brockers
RE - Aaron Donald
LOLB - Demarcus Ware
LILB - Raekwon McMillan
RILB - Alec Ogletree
ROLB - T.J. Watt
CB - Brandon Carr
CB - E.J. Gaines
SCB - Captain Munnerlyn
FS - Lamarcus Joyner
SS - Maurice Alexander

K - Greg Zuerlein
P - Johnny Hekker
LS - Jake McQuaide

Let me know what you all think!

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ill-belichick-kirk-cousins-antonio-brown-more

Adam Schefter is reporting that the 49ers will pursue Cousins. Might even offer the Redskins a package including the #2 overall pick.

Personally, I'd rather Kyle Shanahan not get his hands on Cousins. That would give the 49ers a heck of a start on becoming a threat again.

To all -

The ROD credit system has been reset. All users have been sent $20,000 for SportsBook wagers during the playoffs.

The previous software had become problematic, and while functional, needed to be replaced.

We will likely perform an additional reset at the new league year. Between now and then we will confirm all of the functions of the new credit system are working smoothly. There is additional capabilities with the new system... which we will evaluate for down the road.

PS: All previous SportsBook wagers should still process acceptably. However, this weekend will be a good test for it!

I apologize for any inconvenience with this change. But... it became necessary.

Cheers!

CGI and the Admin Team

So this draft looks deep at CB and DE, which I am sure are both on the Rams need list. I also think they'll use the draft for Center, simply because you can always find those guys into midrounds. NT is also a possibility if they want a run stuffer up the middle to protect their speedy LBs, and it can be found into midrounds just like Center. But of course there are only so many picks, so obviously they're going to have to hit FA pretty hard if they want to shore up the key holes. Here's my guess on what lies ahead:

1. OG. There are two who I like very much, Zeitler (Bengals), and Lang (Packers). Zeitler is younger, so there's a good chance the Bengals lock him up. Lang is 29, however, and they also have Tretter testing FA who is younger, so IMO they will let Lang test the waters. I would guess Lang ends up being a very high priority target for the Rams.

2. WR. I am not buying into the spin I am hearing wrt the Rams having enough at wideout. They need to add a vet here who can be relied upon and who can be a good role model for a very young corps of players. The obvious choice here would be Garcon, however of the Skins FA wideouts he is also the guy I would expect them to lock up, so we'll see if he ends up available. But I think McVay is going to go after Jeffery hard. The third guy who I see as a great fit for this team is Pryor, who is big, rangy, and just now coming into his own. Once again it's still too early to really know who will be hitting the market, but IMO we'll see the Rams going hard after those three and adding one of them.

3. NT. Many are going to disagree with me here and counter that the Rams need LBs far more. And they may be right. But as a general rule NTs aren't guys who break the bank, and they're also typically available in FA. The Rams, however, stand to gain a great amount if they add one who can step right in on defense, simply because this scheme puts enormous pressure on the ILBs to fill and take on blocks. The top target would be Williams (Ravens), who is still relatively young and coming off a down year. But there are some others who will hit the market too, and the key that the Rams will be looking for is a space eater/run stuffer because they have guys who can rush and disrupt around him.

I went back and forth with TE but I think they are going to come to the conclusion that they have the talent they need at the position. Kendricks will be a backup, and is fine there. What they might decide to go after is a guy who can block well, in the event Saffold and their depth options are not enough to get them through the year at LT. So that they can have a guy who can chip well and otherwise camp out on the left side. But I think McVay has a great handle on the TE position, and he's going to turn Higbee into a stud, so for now I'm guessing they use that FA money elsewhere and accept that 2018 is the year they draft a LT even if it means moving up.

LT is a tough deal, and that's why I think the new OL coach will try to run that reclamation project on GRob, so we'll have to wait and see there. I just don't think they're gonna throw money at a guy in his late thirties, who is really the best option out there. And overpaying a RT isn't good business either, when they do have some good RT types on the roster to develop, unless they want the flexibility, but it's still not going to address the blind side. This is why I think they build the interior of the OL this offseason.

So going back to the draft their needs would be LT, CB, ILB, DE, Center. There are more but those would be the main ones. DE and CB will both have some guys who might be able to help us in the first few rounds, value should be there. Center should be fine midrounds. LT they're SOL most likely. It's gonna be tight, so maybe they will need to bring in ILB, will be interesting to see how they decide to go.

I am excited for these games. Should both be good matchups.

Pick 2 in the poll.

Also... consider making a SportsBook wager;

http://www.ramsondemand.com/sportsbook/

http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/sto...ce-championship-predictions-scores-every-game

NFL Nation reporters predict the outcomes and scores for this weekend's conference championship games.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP


Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers might be the hotter team and Le'Veon Bell is poised to break the Patriots' 24-game streak of not allowing 90-plus rushing yards to a single player. But this stat is too hard to ignore: 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions for Tom Brady in his past six games against the Steelers. Plus, the Patriots have won six straight home playoff games. The Steelers' improved rushing defense and fierce offensive line play will keep this tight, but it won't be enough.

Patriots 27, Steelers 21 -- Jeremy Fowler


New England Patriots

This game resembles the Patriots' back-to-back AFC championship contests against the Baltimore Ravens following the 2011 and 2012 regular seasons -- two big, physically and mentally tough teams that won't wilt in the big-game environment. This has all the makings of a field goal-type game. Who is more likely to throw the game-turning interception? Brady has four this season (two in the regular season and two in the playoffs) and Ben Roethlisberger has 15 (13 in the regular season, two in the playoffs).

Patriots 27, Steelers 24 -- Mike Reiss


NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Green Bay Packers

The Packers didn't have Randall Cobb, Jared Cook or Ty Montgomeryin their Week 8 meeting with the Falcons and lost 33-32 in the final minute. Even if they're short on receivers this Sunday, it might not matter given how hot Aaron Rodgers has been for the past two months. And if it comes down to a last-second field goal, who's more clutch than Mason Crosby? He has made 23 straight postseason field goals, the longest streak in NFL history. This team looks like it's headed back to the Super Bowl.

Packers 31, Falcons 30 -- Rob Demovsky

Atlanta Falcons

This game is bound to be a shootout, with the Falcons averaging 35 points at home this season and the Packers averaging 35.3 points in their past four games. MVP front-runner Matt Ryan has guided the Falcons to five straight wins dating back to the regular season, with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions over that span. If Ryan plays turnover-free ball, and if the Falcons find a way to at least slow down Aaron Rodgers just a tad, Atlanta should be able to close down the Georgia Dome in style. The running back tandem of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, with a combined 24 touchdowns during the regular season, will come up big again.

Falcons 35, Packers 31 -- Vaughn McClure

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I've seen some interesting mocks pop up in the last few days as well as some interesting commentary (such as the Rams letting Trumaine walk). I figured I'd take a stab at what we could in such scenarios. I'm not trying to guess what the Rams will do; I am simply giving my take on what would strike me as a good off-season for the Rams. This offseason assumes that we hire Aaron Kromer or another coach who runs a PBS.
Cut
HB Tre Mason
OG Rodger Saffold
TE Lance Kendricks
DE Eugene Sims
C Tim Barnes

Re-sign
K Greg Zuerlein - 3 years $7.5 million
HB Benny Cunningham - 3 years $4.5 million
DT Dominique Easley - RFA Tender
DT Louis Trinca-Pasat - ERFA Tender

Trades
Rams trade DE William Hayes and SS/OLB Mark Barron
Browns trade ILB Christian Kirksey and Round 6 Pick #1

With us moving to the 3-4, Hayes just isn't a great fit. Gregg Williams seems to love Barron. This trade makes sense for both sides. Kirksey is a good fit for what Wade looks for in his ILBs. Barron steps into Kirksey's spot in GW's defense. The Browns have a ton of cap room, so Barron's contract isn't an issue.

Position Changes
LaMarcus Joyner - CB -> FS

Joyner moves to FS with Maurice Alexander moving to SS. Phillips reportedly likes having safeties he can use interchangeably. Both Alexander and Joyner can handle playing in the box or dropping into coverage. Both guys will bring the lumber.

Cody Wichmann - OG -> C

I heard that Wichmann has worked on snapping to prepare to play Center in the past. We have him transition to Center where his lack of power is less of a problem. He'll be our backup Center behind Tretter.

Free Agency - Big Money Acquisitions
Larry Warford RG - 5 years $40 million

The Redskins run a PBS under Jay Gruden. It is my hope that McVay brings that with him. If he does, Warford is a great signing for our team. Warford is a rock in pass pro and a people mover in the run game. He's been a steady player for the Lions over the years. At his worst, he is a solid OG. At his best, he's been a top tier OG. He gives us a rock on the interior.

J.C. Tretter C/OG/OT - 5 years $32.5 million

Tretter has had some durability issues in his career, but he's been a stellar player while on the field. He can step in and provide us Pro Bowl caliber play at Center. He's also capable of playing any other position on the OL. It is my belief that he could be a serviceable LT if asked to be. Tretter is a highly intelligent and technically skilled player who excels at blocking on the move and on the second level. We're taking a risk on his injury history, but he's well worth it imo with our OL transformation. We need to protect Goff.

DeSean Jackson WR - 3 years $24 million

Initially, I had some concerns about Jackson coming to LA because of his reported ties to gang members. However, it genuinely seems like McVay and Jackson have a very close relationship. With Jackson being from LA, I think he'd be willing to come here if we match his best offer. He definitely offers us a nice skill-set. He put up 1000+ yards in McVay's offense this year and should pair nicely with Kamar Aiken and Tavon Austin.

Brandon Carr CB - 3 years $22.5 million

There were brief talks of Carr retiring after the Cowboys loss, but those seemed to be more reactionary than anything. Carr loves the game of football and is a high IQ player. He fits what Wade looks for in his boundary CBs (long, physical, and great at pressing). Carr played at a high level this year for the Cowboys. He has limitations, but if you use him correctly, he's a fringe #1 CB.

Andrew Whitworth LT - 2 years $20 million

Whitworth played under McVay's mentor, Jay Gruden, in Cincy. That means Whitworth has some familiarity with McVay's scheme. We toss a lot of money at Whitworth to temporarily fill our void at LT. Whitworth is still playing at a very high level despite his advanced age. It seems like Cincy might be ready to move on to one of their young OTs.

Kamar Aiken WR - 4 years $18 million

Aiken became a bit of an afterthought this year after leading the Ravens with 944 receiving yards in 2015. Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman both returned from injury, and Mike Wallace was signed to provide a deep threat presence. Ultimately, the Ravens chose to give many of Aiken's snaps to former first round pick Breshad Perriman. Personally, I think he's a great under the radar signing. Aiken offers us a possession WR across from DeSean Jackson with his 6'2" 215 pound frame. In 2015, he had one of the lowest drop rates in the league according to PFF. He's a sure-handed kid who has enough speed (4.45 40) to threaten vertically. Think Jermaine Kearse.

Captain Munnerlyn CB - 3 years $15 million

Munnerlyn is one of the best slot CBs in the NFL. He steps into Joyner's role in the slot with Joyner moving to FS. Luckily for us, slot CBs are undervalued around the NFL. Munnerlyn is small but very physical. He tackles well, sticks his man in coverage, and blitzes off the edge well. He'll be a major contributor to our defense.

Free Agency - Bargain Signings
Terrell McClain NT - 3 years $6 million
Dekoda Watson ILB/OLB - 2 years $2 million
Sean Lissemore NT - 2 years $2 million
Dwight Freeney OLB - 1 year $1 million
Lerentee McCray OLB - 1 year $850k

NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #5 - T.J. Watt OLB Wisconsin
Summary: The brother of J.J. is also a very talented kid in his own right. Watt possesses a NFL frame with growth potential at 6'5" 245 and long arms. He has the strength and punch power to push tackles around along with the speed to threaten the edge. Watt uses a variety of moves to keep OLs off guard and does a nice job of finding the ball. Watt has an extremely high ceiling despite not being an overly raw player. The comparison that springs to mind while watching him is Clay Matthews.

Round 3 Pick #5 - Ahkello Witherspoon CB Colorado
Summary: Ahkello is one of my favorite under the radar prospects in this draft. He was one of the national leaders in passes defensed in 2016, and his coverage metrics when targeted were off the charts good. Ahkello is 6'2" 195 with outstanding ball-skills, impressive quickness and hip flexion for his size, and the long speed needed to play outside the numbers in the NFL. He's a tad raw in terms of technique, but he has gobs of upside at CB.

Round 4 Pick #5 - Jeremy Sprinkle TE Arkansas
Summary: Prior to his arrest for shoplifting, I think Sprinkle would have gone Round 3. This is a deep and talented TE class which helps him drop further than he should (along with his dumbass arrest). Sprinke's blocking ability will get him on the field early in the NFL. Like any player, his technique can improve, but he's already an impact blocker in the running game. Listed at 6'6" 256, Sprinkle has prototypical size for an inline TE. He's an athletic pass catcher with reliable hands (although, he needs to work on ball security). Frankly, he is the full package as a TE. In most TE class (without the arrest), he's a second round pick.

Round 4 Comp Pick - Ishmael Zamora WR Baylor
Summary: Frankly, Zamora is a scummy person. He was suspended for 3 games by Baylor this year for beating his dog. That makes me sick. But the guy is also a freakish athlete. If you want the next Josh Gordon, Zamora looks like he might be that guy. He's listed at 6'4" 220, has blazing speed, attacks the ball in the air, and plays with physicality. Crappy person but has the potential to be a dominant NFL WR with the right coaching.

Round 5 Pick #5 - Joshua Holsey CB Auburn
Summary: Holsey is another guy on my list of underrated CBs. This is such a deep and talented class that a guy like Holsey can go unnoticed. Holsey had two torn ACLs in his career, so that is a concern with him. However, he has exceptionally quick feet, the speed to run with WRs deep, loose hips, and good ball-skills. He can get a little grabby at times, but as we all know, some CBs use that to their advantage (*cough* Richard Sherman). Holsey is a CB who hides it well and uses it to his advantage.

Round 6 Pick #1 - Obi Melifonwu SS Connecticut
Summary: Melifonwu checks in at 6'3" 220. While you'd expect him to be a bigger hitter with that size, he's not. However, he's a reliable tackler who is a versatile player on the back-end of the defense. He can play deep zone coverage, he can man up in coverage and hold his own, and he can play zone-under. He's a solid all-around player.

Round 6 Pick #5 - Joey Ivie DE Florida
Summary: Ivie is an underrated player in this class. He's an underrated athlete with a relentless motor who has the ability to be a productive rotational interior DL at the NFL level. Ivie uses his hands well and does a nice job of stacking and shedding blocks in the run game. He's athletic enough to disrupt plays in the back-field and pressure QBs in the passing game. I think there's a strong chance that Joey Ivie's best football is ahead of him.

Round 6 Comp Pick - Javarius Leamon OT South Carolina State
Summary: Leamon is a project for the new OL Coach to develop. He has all the athletic traits to be a starting NFL OT but is sushi raw. At 6'6" 310, Leamon possesses the length, strength, feet, and flexibility needed to play at the NFL level. However, his technique is just a total mess. He's going to need a lot of work in pass protection before he's ready to play. Good thing we have Andrew Whitworth.

Round 7 Pick #5 - Joe Williams HB Utah
Summary: Add another guy to the draft with an interesting background. Williams falls this far for only two reasons: 1) this is an insanely talented HB class and 2) he retired from football briefly this year. Williams opted to walk away from football after the first two games this year. After four games of retirement, Utah begged him to come back due to injuries at HB. Williams did and managed to rush for 1300+ yards and 10 TDs over the final 7 games. Williams is listed at 5'11" 205 with reported 4.3 speed. He combines that explosive speed with impressive vision, the ability to get skinny through holes, good agility, and a willingness to finish runs. This kid is a very talented runner.

Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Kamar Aiken
ZWR: DeSean Jackson
SLWR: Tavon Austin
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Greg Robinson vs. Jamon Brown
C: J.C. Tretter
RG: Larry Warford
RT: Rob Havenstein

LDE: Michael Brockers
NT: Terrell McClain
RDE: Aaron Donald
LOLB: T.J. Watt
LILB: Christian Kirksey
RILB: Alec Ogletree
ROLB: Robert Quinn
LCB: Brandon Carr
RCB: Ahkello Witherspoon vs. Joshua Holsey vs. E.J. Gaines
SLCB: Captain Munnerlyn
FS: LaMarcus Joyner
SS: Maurice Alexander

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
KR: Benny Cunningham
PR: Tavon Austin

http://www.sbnation.com/2017/1/20/1...rgers-gus-bradley-hired-defensive-coordinator

9ers take another blow, gotta love it!

May Jeff Fisher and Rob Boras, rest peacefully.
Login to view embedded media

The remaining playoff teams feature Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Tom Brady.

2015; Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning

2014; Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson

That's a pretty solid trend of top tier QB's making the final four over the last few years. Coincidence? Or... has the league became THAT reliant on QB performance?

I was a little surprised when pulling this list together. I hadn't really noticed they were all top tier.

Thoughts?

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2017...f-stomach-flu-as-preps-continue-for-big-game/

Steelers Dealing With Bout Of Stomach Flu As Preps Continue For Big Game

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Steelers are not just battling the New England Patriots this week; they’re also dealing with a bout of the stomach flu.

Tight end Ladarius Green missed practice Thursday because of it, and he was not alone. Five others couldn’t suit up either.

Over the last two days, as many as 15 players have been dealing with the illness.

But head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t using it as an excuse.

“We’re not making excuses; there won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play. This is just part of the normal things that happen over the course of a season,” said Tomlin.

Le’Veon Bell also missed the practice Thursday, but for personal reasons.

Let the jokes begin...:mrburns:



For those who are wondering about Jared Goff's hand size, they measured in at 9.0 inches...oh, oh.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2016/02/25/jared-goff-hand-size-combine/80933712/
**********************************************************************************
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...gers-size-matters-when-it-comes-to-his-hands/

Aaron Rodgers: “Size matters” when it comes to his hands
Posted by Darin Gantt on January 20, 2017

When NFL evaluators descend on Indianapolis late next month for the Scouting Combine, people will laugh about their obsession with the measurements of the quarterbacks. But for all the jokes, there was a practical application of those numbers on display last week.

When Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was being sacked from behind by Cowboys safety Jeff Heath, he didn’t lose the ball he had in his right hand. Why not?

“Size matters,” Rodgers said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

When he was at the Scouting Combine, his hands measured 10 1/8 inches. Assuming they haven’t grown since then (or that he hasn’t had them stretched), that makes them officially large.

“His grip strength has got to be fantastic,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “I totally thought the same thing. During the game, I said, ‘That’s amazing that the ball did not come out.’”

Anything under 9 1/2 inches is considered small, and can make it harder for a quarterback to grip the ball well enough to spin it in inclement weather. Or in Rodgers case, to secure it without fumbling while being drilled from behind with 18 seconds left in a tied playoff game.

“That was a huge play because if the ball comes out right there, that’s probably the game for them because they’re already in field goal range,” Packers pass-rusher Julius Peppers said. “I think when he absorbed that hit and held onto the ball, that was just a great, instinctive play that probably saved the game for us.”

Instincts and big hands, neither of which you can teach.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Note that Austin Davis, Mark Sanchez, and Nick Foles have even bigger hands than Rodgers and that didn't seem to help them.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTJ4l4JoCjs

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...iagnosed-with-dementia-alzheimers-parkinsons/

Mark Gastineau diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons
Posted by Darin Gantt on January 20, 2017

Getty Images

Former Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau said during a radio interview with WOR that he’s been diagnosed with multiple brain problems, which he traces back to his days in football.

“When my results came back, I had dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” Gastineau said, via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “Those were three things that I have.”

The 60-year-old Gastinueau traced the illnesses back to his days in the NFL. He played 10 seasons with the Jets, registering 74.0 sacks, with 41.0 of those coming in 1983 and 1984. He also boxed professionally after leaving football.

And while he said football was the beginning of his problems (“I led with my head all the time,” he said) he also wanted to use his plight to educate others.

“You know, my first reaction was that I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it,” Gastineau said. “My second reaction was how can I help other people coming in to the NFL? That’s what it’s all about. . . .

“I know that there’s techniques out there that if I would have had ‘em, if I would have had the techniques out there that I’m teaching now to these kids, I know I would not be probably, . . . I know I wouldn’t have the results that I have now. ‘

Gastineau serves as an ambassador for USA Football, and said the Heads Up Football program was a way to protect future generations of players.

“I don’t want [my diagnosis] to over shadow the Heads Up Program,” he said. “I want it to be a warning to mothers and fathers to be able to put their kids in the safe places to be able to carry on a team sports that I think is going to be way more beneficial for them than if they didn’t have it in their lives.”

While Gastineau’s diagnosis is obviously terrible news, he wants to use his platform to make the game safer. Whether the moms who hear his message are able to separate the former from the latter might be a more difficult sell.

Courtesy of a poster from another forum.


2017 NFL Offseason Dates, Deadlines, and Calendar: NFL Draft, Free Agency, & More

The NFL doesn’t really have an offseason, at least not for fans and media who follow the league. Although the players have several months off from football and on-field work, there are events going on involving contract negotiations, player scouting, and spring practices nearly every day of the year.

The 2017 offseason has its biggest date set for March 9th. That is the date on which the new league year begins, and along with it comes the start of the free agency period.

Here is a nearly-complete list of many of the high-profile (and some less-profile) dates to know as the offseason is underway for 24 teams around the league.

January 10: Assistant coaches of non-playoff teams may discuss employment if their contracts are due to expire

January 16: Deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2017 NFL Draft.

January 20: The complete list of underclassmen who have declared for the 2017 NFL Draft and are ruled eligible is distributed to NFL teams.

January 21: East-West Shrine Game, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
January 21: NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, StubHub Center, Carson, CA

January 28: Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL

January 31: Deadline for NFL teams to try out and negotiate with CFL players whose 2016 contracts are due to expire

February 6: Waiver system begins for 2017 NFL season

February 11: NFL Regional Combine: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Seattle, WA

February 14: (12 Noon ET) NFL teams may begin signing CFL players whose 2016 contracts are expired.

February 15: NFL teams may begin designating Franchise or Transition players

February 18: NFL Regional Combine: Methodist Training Center, Houston, TX

February 25: NFL Regional Combine, Inova Sports Performance Center, Washington, D.C.

February 26: Punter/Kicker NFL Regional Combine, Inova Sports Performance Center, Washington, D.C.

February 28 - March 6: NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

March 1: (4:00 PM ET) Deadline for teams to designate Franchise or Transition players

March 4: NFL Regional Combine: Minnesota Vikings Practice Facility, Eden Prairie, MN

March 7 - March 9: “Legal Tampering Period,” NFL teams may begin contract negotiations with the agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents

March 9
Prior to 4:00 PM ET

NFL teams must exercise options for 2017 on any player with option clauses in their 2016 contracts

NFL teams must submit qualifying offers to players with expiring contracts who will become Restricted Free Agents to ensure team has Compensation or Right of First Refusal

NFL teams must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to players who will become Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (expiring contracts and fewer than 3 accrued seasons)

4:00 PM ET

All 2016 player contracts expire

2017 NFL league year and free agency begin

Top-51 salary cap rule begins - only the 51 highest cap hits for each NFL team apply to the salary cap through the offseason

All teams must be under the salary cap for 2017

Trades are allowed for 2017

March 11: NFL Regional Combine: New Orleans Saints Training Facility, Metairie, LA

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

April 3: NFL teams who hired new head coaches may begin offseason workout programs

April 17: NFL teams with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs

April 21: Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets

April 27-29: 2017 NFL Draft, Philadelphia, PA

May 5-8: Rookie Minicamp weekend #1 - NFL teams may conduct a three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp (either Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday) for rookies and first-year players

May 9: Deadline for a “May 9 Tender” for Unrestricted Free Agents. Players receiving this tender from their prior team but not signing with any team prior to July 22 or the start of the first NFL training camp can only sign a contract with their prior team until Week 10.

May 12-15: Rookie Minicamp weekend #2 - NFL teams may conduct a three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp (either Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday) for rookies and first-year players

May 15: Rookie Football Development Programs begin

May 18-21: NFLPA Rookie Premiere - invited rookies must be allowed to attend.

May 22-23: Spring League Meeting, Chicago, IL

June 1: Deadline for NFL teams to send “June 1 Tender” to Restricted Free Agents who received qualifying offers in order to subject that player to “June 15 Tender” provision

June 2: Any player released, waived, or traded on or after this date will have any remaining signing bonus salary cap charges assigned to the team’s 2018 salary cap.

June 15: NFL teams may withdraw qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents and replace with “June 15 Tender”, equal to one year at 110% of previous year’s salary. Players then have exclusive negotiating rights with that team.

Late June: NFL teams host Rookie Transition Programs

July 15: (4:00 PM ET) Deadline for Franchise players to sign multi-year extensions. Following this deadline, a player can only sign the one-year Franchise tender.

Hope you Enjoy.

Resigns:
1. Trumaine Johnson CB
2. Dominique Easley DE
3. Greg Zuerlein K

Cuts:
1. Rodger Saffold OG
2. Tre Mason RB
3. Eugene Sims DE
4. Lance Kendricks TE

Free Agency:
1. Johnathan Joseph CB
2. Pierre Garcon WR
3. Vernon Davis TE
4. Ron Leary OG
5. Chance Warmack OG
6. Demarcus Ware LB
7. Alan Branch NT

2017 NFL Draft:
2nd round: Evan Engram WR, Ole Miss
3rd round: Pat Elflein C, Ohio State
4th round: Jake Butt TE, Michigan (INJ)
4th round: Devonte Fields OLB, Louisville
6th round: De'Angelo Henderson RB
6th round: Josh Augusta NT, Missouri

Depth Chart:
QB: Jared Goff - Sean Mannion
RB: Todd Gurley - Malcolm Brown - De'Angelo Henderson
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Evan Engram - Mike Thomas
ZWR: Pierre Garcon - Pharoh Cooper
SWR: Tavon Austin - Nelson Spruce
TE: Jake Butt - Vernon Davis - Tyler Higbee
LT: Greg Robinson - Pace Murphy
LG: Ronald Leary - Jamon Brown
C: Pat Elflein - Tim Barnes
RG: Chance Warmack - Cody Wichmann
RT: Rob Havenstein

LDE: Michael Brockers - Dominique Easley
NT: Alan Branch - Josh Augusta
RDE: Aaron Donald
SOLB: DeMarcus Ware - Devonte Fields
ILB: Alec Ogletree
ILB: Mark Barron - Bryce Hager
WOLB: Robert Quinn
LCB: Trumaine Johnson - Troy Hill
RCB: Johnathan Joseph - Mike Jordan
SLCB: EJ Gaines
FS: Lamarcus Joyner - Cody Davis
SS: Maurice Alexander

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuade
PR/KR: Tavon Austin

- While it isn't the perfect offseason, we definitely upgrade at a few positions. Having Mark Barron as a MLB in Wade Phillips' defense isn't ideal, so I'm hoping they might be able to sign a UDFA or post- June Cut. I know the conscience around here is just to move Barron to Safety, but in my opinion he is no more than a slightly above-average in-the-box Strong Safety, where as Lamarcus Joyner could be a lethal Free Safety. Plus, I feel EJ Gaines is better suited to play that Nickel role in this defense.

On offense, I hope they go balls to the wall. Everyone knows our offensive line was piss-poor last year and has been for, lets be honest, the past decade. So I put a strong emphasis on rebuilding the offensive line. And while it's everyones go-to move for the offseason to project a Greg Robinson move from Left Tackle, to Left Guard, I don't know if the Rams are going to be able to find a replacement, therefore we may have to watch Greg Robinson as this teams starting Left Tackle for at least one more season.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d21a...irm-wade-phillips-hired-defensive-coordinator

By GREG BEACHAM
Jan. 19, 2017 7:18 PM EST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Wade Phillips has done just about everything in his four-decade NFL coaching career, so he wasn't exactly worried by the prospect of working for a head coach less than half his age with the Los Angeles Rams.

A week after 30-year-old head coach Sean McVay said the 69-year-old Phillips would be his defensive coordinator, their partnership finally was made official Thursday after Phillips signed his deal with the Rams.

"With Sean, between us, we're 50 years old and we've got 23 years of experience, so I think that'll work out all right," Phillips said with a laugh.


Phillips begins his 40th NFL season as a coach with the Rams, the 10th franchise to employ him. He was a head coach at Dallas, Buffalo and Denver, and he served as an interim head coach for New Orleans, Atlanta and the Houston Texans.

Phillips might seem to be an unlikely partner for McVay, the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. But they have a strong family connection: Phillips' son, Wes, was the Washington Redskins' tight ends coach for the past three seasons under McVay, their offensive coordinator.

"Wes just talked great things about him all the time," Wade Phillips said. "And then I met him, and he was very impressive. And then when he started the process, he asked me if I would consider coming with him if he got a head coaching job. I said, 'Well, I don't have a contract, so sure.'"

The Rams are rebuilding after finishing 4-12 in their 13th consecutive non-winning season, and the son of famed coach Bum Phillips has been one of the NFL's top defensive minds for decades. He spent the past two years reaching another career height with the Broncos, coordinating the dominant defense that won the Super Bowl last season and finished fourth in total defense this season.

"Wade has seen it all in our league, and I believe that his wealth of knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset to our entire coaching staff and players," McVay said in a statement. "Our defense has been one of our core strengths, and I expect it to continue to grow and thrive under Wade's leadership."

Gregg Williams was Jeff Fisher's defensive coordinator last season with the Rams, who haven't made the playoffs since the 2004 season in St. Louis. Williams left for the Cleveland Browns shortly after the regular season ended with the Rams losing the final seven games in their homecoming season.

But Williams' defense was one of the NFL's top groups until a late-season fade, and Phillips is grateful he won't be starting from scratch.

"Most of the time I'm going somewhere, the defense hasn't done well before," Phillips said. "(Los Angeles) is a different experience. I've got a good defense. ... It's a process like they always talk about, no matter where you are, of identifying the good players and the great players, and we'll utilize them."

Phillips traditionally runs a 3-4 defense, but defensive linemen Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn and Michael Brockers all excelled in Williams' 4-3 scheme. McVay said last week that he expects Phillips to have no problem coming up with ways to maximize the success of Los Angeles' talented defensive line.

Phillips said he has inherited a 4-3 defense in four of his previous five jobs.

"And we went to the playoffs every year, so I think what we run will fit up there," Phillips said. "You know, the Broncos were running a 4-3 when we got there."

Phillips and his wife also have personal reasons to be excited about a move to Southern California. Their daughter, Tracy, works in Los Angeles as a dancer and choreographer.

"We're looking forward to being out there with her," Phillips said. "She was so happy that we were coming, she was crying. It makes you feel good that she's excited."

http://www.profootballhof.com/super-bowl-i-postgame-press-conference-exclusive-/

SUPER BOWL I POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE EXCLUSIVE



With so much hype surrounding the 50th Anniversary of Super Bowl I, the Pro Football of Fame is proud to exclusively release a rare audio recording of the Super Bowl I postgame press conference. In the recording, Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi shares his candid thoughts on how the AFL matched up with the NFL.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ime9Gwr-Cao

“I have nothing to say,” said Lombardi after being baited by the media pundits, who demanded his reaction to the level of competition in the AFL. “[Kansas City Chiefs] a good football team but it doesn’t compare with the National Football League’s teams. That’s what you want me to say, I said it.”

The rare audio artifact was recorded by Dave Little of Canton, Ohio.

The Hall of Fame recently sat down with Little, a former production manager for WAKR-TV in Akron, Ohio, for an exclusive one-on-one. What the Hall discovered was Little is the only individual with the CBS postgame audio recording from Super Bowl I.

“Because I love broadcasting,” explained Little on why he recorded the post-game show. “Back in that day I had no professional knowledge of broadcasting…I knew how to connect a tape recorder to the entrance of a television set.

I could directly record the audio from the TV broadcast on to a reel to reel tape machine so I recorded the whole game and the post-game on a quarter of an inch audio tape. I just put it away. I folded a box up and put it away in the house and kept it in climate control conditions.”

At the time of Super Bowl I, then known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, CBS and NBC shared the broadcasting rights for the game. CBS held the rights to broadcasting NFL games, while NBC had the rights to air AFL games. NBC paid $1 million for the rights to televise their first Super Bowl.

Both networks fought tooth-and-nail for ratings, but NBC emerged with a slightly larger audience. This remains the only joint broadcast in Super Bowl history.

In a bizarre twist, CBS and NBC did not preserve the broadcast copy of the game and as a result, the only televised copy in the world is owned by Troy Haupt, whom is a resident of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Haupt obtained the rich history from his dad whom he never met and left the rich artifacts for him as an heirloom. His Dad, Martin Haupt, taped the game. Unfortunately, Haupt never met his Dad and it’s still unclear as to why his father went to work on Jan. 15, 1967 and recorded the Green Bay Packers’ 35-10 win over the Chiefs.

Little felt it was important to preserve this piece of history, so he donated the tape to the Hall of Fame to keep in their archives.

Fans can listen to legendary announcers Pat Summerall and Curt Gowdy and Lombardi analyze and reflect on the Packers victory over the Chiefs.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5H4UxNph9Q

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...me-obtains-full-super-bowl-i-post-game-audio/

Pat Summerall, who was then 36 years old and recently retired as a player, handled the post-game proceedings and deftly showed the broadcasting talent that would make him the smoothest voice in pro football for decades to come. Summerall handled interviews with players, coaches and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had recently been named commissioner of the American Football League as well.

The Super Bowl wasn’t always called the Super Bowl back then; some referred to it as the “AFL-NFL Championship Game,” and although others used the term “Super Bowl,” it hadn’t yet been formally adopted.

The Super Bowl I post-game audio was believed to be lost to history, as is the full TV broadcast of the Super Bowl I game. But a former production manager for an Ohio television station recently informed the Hall of Fame that he had recorded the show at the time that it aired and still had the tape. For fans of football history, that’s like finding buried treasure.

2.0 marks my first trade in a mock this off-season. While I generally believe adding trades to mocks makes what is already a low percentage crap-shoot tougher to take in, and this may be no exception, I add this as other posters have been including trades. As mentioned in a previous post, our possibly switching to a 3/4 hybrid base D under Phillips, and Greg Williams moving on to Cleveland where he will be switching from a 3/4 to a 4/3 base, may allow me to explore how both teams might help themselves. The Rams badly need a quality LT, we also could use 3/4 Linebackers, Cleveland needs 4/3 DE's and a quality 4/3 WLB, so I present the following : Ogletree & Hayes for Joe Thomas & Chris Kirksey. Both 'Tree' and Kirksey are young quality players on the upswing, ... Joe Thomas & William Hayes are quality vets. While player for player trades are quite uncommon, I don't necessarily see this as too drastic a move for teams trying to adjust schemes.
I've allowed 10 Rams Free Agents to move on and CAP Cut 3 more, adding the cost differential for the trades & dead money (Hayes), giving us near $48.mil in available CAP to pursue outside free agents and sign our new draft class. McVay & Phillips will be able to start the process of acquiring those players they feel may work better in their respective schemes.
This new starting OL should make for a powerful force allowing both Goff and Gurley to get on track, our newly constructed OLB'ers should also become a major pass rush weapon, making Donald just as dangerous as ever. Many will not like the loss of Tru Johnson & Ogletree, but i'm not sure Tru's cost will be worth the price in a year where the draft offers so much talent at the CB position, i'm also questioning whether 'Tree' could be comfortable as a 3/4 interior LB, or whether it would be a good fit. One more reason for the large turnover in personnel is to get this culture of losing behind us, embrace our new coaches with the players which hopefully takes our Rams to new heights, competing at a high level sooner than some might otherwise expect. I drafted 2 FS's to ensure Mo Alexander spends more time at SS. I couldn't decide on a 4'th TE or a 4'th RB, so I flipped a coin and Green won. 3 new CB's as Joyner will also be spending time at FS.

Re-sign :

Easley
Zuerlein
B. Cunningham

CAP cuts :

Sims
Barnes
Rhaney

Not to be resigned Free Agents :

Tru Johnson
Britt
Keenum
Quick
Reynolds
Cam Thomas
TJ McDonald
Westbrooks (RFA)
Longacre (ERFA)
Trinca-Pasat (ERFA)

2017 Free Agency:

LOLB - Nick Perry
DT - Abry Jones
C - J.C. Tretter
WR - Pierre Garcon or Alshon Jeffery
CB - AJ Bouye

Trade :

WLB Ogletree & LDE Hayes for Cleveland's LT Joe Thomas & MILB Chris Kirksey

2017 Draft :

1) n/a
2) CB - Gareon Conley, Oh.St.
3) DE - Tanoh Kpassagnon, Vil.
4a) OG - Nico Siragusa, SD St.
4b) CB - Marquez White, Fl.St. (Comp Pick)
5) FS - Josh Jones, NC St.
6a) FS - Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami
6b) ILB - Marquel Lee, W.F. (Comp Pick)
7) FB - Freddie Stevenson, Fl.St.

Offense (26) :

LT - J.Thomas, Williams
LG - Saffold, Wichmann, Siragusa
C - Tretter, Wichmann
RG - GRob, Brown, Siragusa
RT - Havenstein, Donnal

RB - Gurley, B.Cunningham, M.Brown, Green

TE - Kendricks, Higbee, Hemmingway

FB - Harkey or Stevenson

WR - Garcon or Jeffery, Austin, Cooper, Spruce, M.Thomas, Marquez North or Paul McRoberts

QB - Goff, Mannion

Defense (24) :

LDE - Easley, Kpassagnon
NT - Brockers, Jones
RDE - Donald, Kpassagnon

LOLB - Perry, Fox
LILB - Kirksey, Forrest
RILB - Barron, Hager, Lee
ROLB - Quinn, Fox

CB - Bouye, Conley, Gaines, Joyner, Jordan, White

SS - Alexander, Randolph, ... Barron
FS - Jones, Jenkins, ... Joyner, Davis

Special Teams (3) :

P - Hekker
K - Zuerlein
LS - McQuaide

*FULL INTERVIEW*

Talked about Jared Goff, talked about how he's not going to be a push over. Etc.
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/losangeles/play?id=18509633&s=la

Not sure if this has already been posted but speculation in this article is that the Rams may be adding some type of oversight between KD and Snead.

Rams expected to make front-office additions

4:49 PM PT

Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer


INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- A thorough evaluation of the entire organization is ongoing, Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff said from The Forum on Wednesday, site of a ceremony that celebrated the Chargers' move to L.A.

The Rams are in the process of constructing a coaching staff under Sean McVay. And though Les Snead has been retained as general manager, changes could be made in the front office as well. Demoff wouldn't go into specifics, but did reference his comments from a Dec. 12 press conference, when Jeff Fisher was fired as head coach and Demoff said: "We need to take a look at this entire organization, and that includes personnel."

"We need to make sure we deliver on the rest of that analysis, which is how we get better as an organization," Demoff said Wednesday, shortly after speaking from the lectern and stating that the Rams and Chargers would "work hand in hand" in Los Angeles.

"I think it would be disingenuous to stand up there in December and say we all need to improve, and then not make any changes outside of the coaching staff. I think that would ring hollow. So, we're going to continue to evaluate. And I would expect that we will make additions to our front office to try to make sure that we field the best possible team that we can field."

A report by NBC's Pro Football Talk speculated that the Rams could look for someone who would have say over Snead on football matters, which would free Demoff to spend more time focusing on the business aspect of the organization. The Rams still seem to be in the process of determining that. They got plenty of feedback about their dynamics and their roster throughout the just-completed head-coaching search, specifically from Jon Gruden, Tony Dungy and Bill Polian.

"[Rams owner Stan Kroenke]'s demand of us, for the entire organization, is to field a Super Bowl winner as quickly as possible," Demoff said. "That's what he wants for the organization; that's what he wants for the fans in Los Angeles. And we need to make sure that we're evaluating every opportunity to improve."

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/201...s-path-in-britain?ocid=tvl.syn.atl.we.0.partn



The Broomway is known as the most perilous path in Britain – and is a favourite walk of writer Robert Macfarlane, who describes it in this adaptation from his book The Old Ways
By Robert Macfarlane

If you consult a large-scale map of the Essex coastline between the River Crouch and the River Thames, you will see a footpath – its route marked with a stitch-line of crosses and dashes – leaving the land at a place called Wakering Stairs and then heading due east, straight out to sea.

Several hundred yards offshore, it curls northeast and runs in this direction for around three miles, still offshore, before cutting back to make landfall at Fisherman’s Head, the uppermost tip of a large, low-lying and little-known marshy island called Foulness.

This is the Broomway, allegedly “the deadliest” path in Britain, and certainly the unearthliest path I have ever walked. The Broomway is thought to have killed more than 100 people over the centuries; it seems likely that there were other victims whose fates went unrecorded.

Sixty-six of its dead are buried in the little Foulness churchyard; the other bodies were not recovered. Edwardian newspapers, alert to the path’s reputation, rechristened it “The Doomway”.


The Broomway, marked with a dotted line on this map, traverses the sand and mud flats of Maplin Sands (Credit: Liz Henry/Flickr)

Even the Ordnance Survey map registers, in its sober fashion, the gothic atmosphere of the path. Printed in large pink lettering on the 1:25,000 map of that stretch of coast is the following message:

WARNING Public Rights of Way across Maplin Sands can be dangerous. Seek local guidance.

The Broomway traverses vast sand flats and mud flats that stretch almost unsloped for miles. When the tide goes out at Foulness, it goes out a great distance, revealing shires of sand packed hard enough to support the weight of a walker. When the tide comes back in, though, it comes fast – galloping over the sands quicker than a human can run.

Disorientation is a danger as well as inundation: in mist, rain or fog, it is easy to lose direction in such self-similar terrain, with shining sand extending in all directions. Nor are all of the surfaces that you encounter reliable: there is mud that can trap you and quicksand that can swallow you. But in good weather, following the right route, it can feel nothing more than a walk on a very large beach.

The Broomway takes its name from the 400 or so brooms that were formerly placed at intervals of between 30 and 60 yards on either side of the track, thereby indicating the safe passage on the hard sand that lay between them. Until 1932, the Broomway was the only means of getting to and from Foulness save by boat, for the island was isolated from the mainland by uncrossable creeks and stretches of mud known as the Black Grounds.

The island is currently controlled by the Ministry of Defence, which purchased it during the First World War for “research purposes” and continues to conduct artillery-firing tests out over the sands.


The Broomway is a path, but one that the tide sweeps clean twice a day (Credit: Adrian Miller/Flickr)

The route of the Broomway seems to have been broadly consistent since at least 1419 (when it is referred to in a manorial record for Foulness). Conceptually, it is close to paradox. It is a right of way and as such is inscribed on maps and in law, but is also swept clean of the trace of passage twice daily by the tide. What do you call a path that is no path? A riddle? A sequence of compass bearings? A Zen koan?

Before I left, my friend Patrick had given me a warning: “The Broomway will be there another day, but if you try to walk it in mist, you may not be. So if it’s misty when you arrive at Wakering Stairs, turn around and go home.”

It was misty when I arrived at Wakering Stairs. Early on a Sunday morning, and the air was white. It wasn’t a haar, a proper North Sea mist that blanked out the world. More of a dense sea haze. But visibility was poor enough that the foghorns were sounding, great bovine reverbs drifting up and down the coast.

I stood on the sea wall, looking out into the mist, feeling the foghorns vibrating in my chest, and wondering if I could imaginatively re-categorise the weather conditions such that I could disregard Patrick’s final warning. I felt queasy with anxiety, but eager to walk.

With me, also nervous, was my old friend David Quentin, who I had convinced to join me on the path.


The causeway heads out to sea, then disappears into water (Credit: Phil Nevard)

Where the road met the sea wall, there was a heavy metal stop-barrier, tagged with a jay-blue graffiti scrawl. A red firing flag drooped at the foot of a tall flagpole. Beyond the stop-barrier was a bank of signs in waspy yellow-and-black type and imperative grammar, detailing bye-laws, tautologically identifying themselves as warnings, indemnifying the MoD against drownings, explosions and mud deaths, offering caveats to the walker, and grudgingly admitting that this was, indeed, the start of a public right of way:

Warning: The Broomway is unmarked and very hazardous to pedestrians.

Warning: Do not approach or touch any object as it may explode and kill you.

Away from the sea wall ran the causeway, perhaps five yards wide, formed of brick rubble and grey hardcore. It headed out to sea over the mud, before disappearing into water and mist. Poles had been driven into the mud on either side of the path, six feet tall, marking out its curling line.

There were a few tussocks of eelgrass. The water’s surface was sheened with greys and silvers, like the patina on old mirror-glass. Otherwise, the causeway appeared to lead into a world of white.

After 300 yards the causeway ended, dipping beneath the sand like a river passing underground. Further out, a shallow sheen of water lay on top of the sand, stretching away. The diffused light made depth perception impossible, so that it seemed as if we were simply going to walk onwards into the ocean. We stopped at the end of the causeway, looking out across the pathless future. I took off my trainers and placed them on a tussock of eelgrass.


When the causeway ends, only marker posts dot the path (Credit: Nigel Cox)

“I’m worried that if we don’t make it back in time, the tide will float off with my shoes,” I said to David.

“If we don’t make it back in time, the tide will float off with your body,” he replied unconsolingly.

We stepped off the causeway. The water was warm on the skin, puddling to ankle depth. Underfoot I could feel the brain-like corrugations of the hard sand, so firmly packed that there was no give under the pressure of my step. Beyond us extended the sheer mirror-plane of the water, disrupted only here and there by shallow humps of sand and green slews of weed.

Out and on we walked, barefoot over and into the mirror-world. I glanced back at the coast. The air was grainy and flickering, like an old newsreel. The sea wall had hazed out to a thin black strip. Structures of unknown purpose – a white-beamed gantry, a low-slung barracks – showed on the shoreline. Every few hundred yards, I dropped a white cockle shell.

With so few orientation points and so many beckoning paths, we were finding it hard to stay on course. I was experiencing a powerful desire to walk straight out to sea and explore the greater freedoms of this empty tidal world.

But we were both still anxious about straying far from the notional path of the Broomway, and encountering the black mud or the quicksand.

Our directions said that we should reach something called the Maypole, a sunken telegraph pole with crosspieces that marked the southeastern edge of a tidal channel named Havengore Creek. But scale behaved strangely, and we weren’t paying sufficient attention to our pacings and distances.

We became confused by other spars sticking up from the mud here and there: relics of wrecks, perhaps, or more likely the mark points of former channels long since silted up by the shifting sands.


The tide rises with remarkable speed (Credit: Peter Shaw)

At last we found and reached what was surely the Maypole. It resembled the final yards of a galleon’s topmast, the body of a ship long since sunk into those deep sands. At its base, the currents had carved basins in whose warm water we wallowed our feet, sending shrimps scurrying. We took an onwards bearing and continued over the silver shield of the water.

My brain was beginning to move unusually, worked upon and changed by the mind-altering substances of this offshore world, and by the elation that arose from the counter-intuition of walking securely on water. Out there, nothing could be only itself. The eye fed on false colour values. Mirages of scale occurred, and tricks of depth.

Walking always with us were our reflections, our attentive ghost selves. For the water acted as a mirror-line, such that we both appeared joined at the ankles with our doubles, me more than 12ft tall and David a foot taller still. If anyone had been able to look out from the shore, through the mist, they would have seen two long-shanked walkers striding over the sea.

You enter the mirror-world by a causeway and you leave it by one. From Asplin’s Head, a rubble jetty as wide as a farm track reaches out over the Black Grounds, offering safe passage to shore. As we approached the jetty the sand began to give way underfoot, and we broke through into sucking black mud.

It was like striking oil – the glittering rich ooze gouting up around our feet. We slurped onwards to the causeway, the rubble of which had been colonized by a lurid green weed. Sea lavender and samphire thrived in the salt marsh.

By the time we reached the sea wall, David and I both wore diving boots of clay. We washed them off in a puddle, and stepped up onto a boat ramp. We had made landfall.

Beyond the causeway’s end, the shining sands stretched to a horizon line. One of Foulness’s farmers, John Burroughs, has spoken wistfully of coming out onto the sands in late autumn to hunt wigeon: he brings a board to use as a shooting stick and, leaning against it, feels that he “could be on the far side of the moon”. That felt exactly right: the walk out to sea as a soft lunacy, a passage beyond this world.

We walked back along the causeway to the point where the Broomway supposedly began, and there we turned into the wind and returned along the route by which we had come. Perhaps halfway back to the Maypole, emboldened by the day, we could no longer resist the temptation to explore further across the sand flats, and so we turned perpendicular to the line of the land and began walking straight out to sea, leaving the imagined safety of the Broomway behind us.


Stormy skies shadow the Broomway (Credit: Emma Emmerton)

That hour was an hour I will never forget. We did not know where the sand would slacken to mud, and yet somehow it never felt dangerous or rash. The tide was out and the moon would hold it out, and we had two hours in which to discover this vast revealed world: no more than two hours, for sure, but surely also no less.

The serenity of the space through which we were moving calmed me to the point of invulnerability, and thus we walked on. A mile out, the white mist still hovered, and in the haze I started to perceive impossible forms and shapes: a fleet of Viking longboats with high lug-rigged square sails; a squadron of feluccas, dhows and sgoths; cityscapes (the skyline of Istanbul, the profile of the Houses of Parliament).

When I looked back, the coastline was all but imperceptible, and it was apparent that our footprints had been erased behind us, and so we splashed tracelessly on out to the tidal limit. It felt at that moment unarguable that a horizon line might exert as potent a pull upon the mind as a mountain’s summit.

Eventually, reluctantly, nearly two miles offshore, with the tide approaching its turn and our worries at last starting to rise through our calm – black mud through sand – we began a long slow arc back towards the coastline and the path of the Broomway, away from the outermost point. There was the return of bearings, the approach to land, a settling to recognisability.

Mud-caked and silly with the sun and the miles, we left the sand where it met the causeway near Wakering Stairs. There at the causeway’s frayed end, on the brink of the Black Grounds, were the marker poles, and there – perched on the top of their stand of eelgrass – were my faithful trainers, still waiting for me. I put them on and we walked out, off the mirror and onto the sea wall. For days afterwards I felt calm, level, shining, sand flat.

Adapted from THE OLD WAYS: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2012 by Robert Macfarlane.

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