After 60 years , TOPPS will no longer be producing NFL Trading cards ( They still do baseball and stuff )

I used to collect TOPPS football cards as a kid , and then as I got older , there just got to be way to many different kinds so I stopped , but ever year I would still get the Rams team set , I have every Rams team set since 1968 , but it looks like that run has come to an end

It looks like now , Panini has the exclusive rights to NFL trading cards

This will be the first time in 40 some years , I haven't collected a TOPPS trading card ,and will have to switch to Panini if I want to continue my Rams sets

No more Jerry Lewis Telethon , no more TOPPS NFL Trading cards

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Listening to flagship SF radio station this morning, they interviewed Tony Dungy. He talked about several general things in anticipation the start of the NFL season. Then they got to the subject of the coming Monday Night Football matchup. A few notable insights from that conversation:

• I didn't realize, but Dungy's son played for Chip Kelly up in Oregon. Dungy seems to have warm feelings for Kelly, and a general respect for him. He also believes in Kelly's coaching style, and said that he thinks he will "eventually be successful".
• Dungy's hesitancy with predicting early success for Kelly, and the Niners, seems to be a personnel issue. He didn't knock current players, but did note that the 49ers were better equipped with Gore, Davis, Kaepernick and Crabtree, (all before they got old, or decided to start sucking) He was cautious about predicting any success for this year. (Read: in his gentlemanly way, Dungy was saying we should blow them out.)
• On Goff, the Bay Area radio hosts asked Dungy, prefacing the question with the fact that "Here is a local boy. Grew up in Marin County. Went to Cal. A lot of people in this area following him. And he is not even going to be dressed for the first game Monday Night! :shocked: What is going on with Jared Goff?": Dungy's answer was not from this school::banghead: :help::fuelfire::headexplosion::shocked: :baghead: :eek::giveup:He was decidedly from this school: :icare:opcorn::shades::cheers: Dungy noted that he believed Goff shows promise, and that it is a process with quarterbacks. He noted that he has made some good throws in the preseason, and has all the tools. He believes the notion that young quarterbacks should step right in and be ready to lead an NFL team is ridiculous. "Payton Manning had Hall of famer running back Marshall Faulk, Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, and he went 3-13, and threw nearly 30 picks."
• His words echoed recently posted articles noting that there has been only one quarterback (Luck) picked in the modern era in the first round that has had a winning record as a rookie. The Rams are built to win now, and can be patient with Goff.

I'm not one that needs other people to agree with me to validate my opinion. Majority opinion, or consensus do not equal truth. But it is nice to hear sober, measured analysis cut its way through the foggy thinking that pervades lame-stream media. (Sports, politics, you name it)

I like Dungy. He is a good man.

The preseason is gone. All the speculation about the roster ( most of it anyway) has been answered. Most of us felt that our roster was so strong that a few of the players cut by the Rams would be picked up by other teams. To my knowledge, only vets have been picked up, Kush and Ayers. The Rams only picked up 7. So maybe the roster isn't as strong as we thought. Our starters seem great, especially the front 7. I still believe that our offense is much improved, especially with a full off season to work with the coaching staff. I think Keenum can get it done. The one thing that kind of scares me right now is the Rams slow starts. SF has a new coaching staff. Even though we are familiar with Kelly's offensive philosophy, we don't know what's up his sleeve with this new team. It's put up or shut up time. There's still a little Koolaid left. The Rams will get off to a fast start and have a two digit lead by half time then a big dose of Gurley in the second half.

GO RAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out @RapSheet's Tweet: Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/773895901387558912?s=09

Go ahead and call me an idiot but, I just looked at the depth chart and didn't realize we are not using outside linebackers, more corners and safeties instead. I know Williams was using Barron as a hybrid linebacker last year and it paid off, imo. So I assume that is what led to this kind of defensive line up, the speed of the game and a more pass happy league ? Did I say you can call me an idiot for not paying attention ?

and ordered the damn direct tv so I could get Sunday ticket. I'm
moving out to my property at the end of the month. I went ahead and ordered the service and took a tv out there so I can watch every game lol. Didn't wanna go the satellite route. But at least I won't miss a game.

http://footballgameplan.com/fbgps-nfl-gameplan-week-1-preview-rams-at-49ers/

Good morning Ram fans! Good luck this week!

Em

And I thought he was a possible long term answer for us.

I didn't even know he played baseball to be honest

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/09/08/tim-tebow-mets/89992144/

L.A. Rams 2016 season predictions: WR Kenny Britt
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/03/LA-Rams-2016-season-predictions-WR-Kenny-Britt
September 3, 2016 | By:Jake Ellenbogen

Where Are They Now? The 2016 NFL Draft Class
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/03/Where-Are-They-Now-The-2016-NFL-Draft-Class
September 3, 2016 | By: Blaine Grisak

L.A. Rams 2016 season predictions: WR Tavon Austin
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/05/LA-Rams-2016-season-predictions-WR-Tavon-Austin
September 5, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

L.A. Rams 2016 season predictions: TE Lance Kendricks
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...ms-2016-season-predictions-TE-Lance-Kendricks
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

Downtown Rams Podcast Ep.1: Roster Cuts, Season Preview, NFL Draft Preview & Season Predictions
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...-Preview-NFL-Draft-Preview-Season-Predictions
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen & Blaine Grisak

2016 NFL Full Season Predictions
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/06/2016-NFL-Full-Season-Predictions
September 6, 2016 | By: Blaine Grisak

Getting to know the new Rams practice squad members
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...g-to-know-the-new-Rams-practice-squad-members
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

OLB Akeem Ayers gets last laugh, signs with Colts over re-upping with Rams
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...ugh-signs-with-Colts-over-re-upping-with-Rams
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

Three Rams who will return to camp and make the active roster next year
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...-to-camp-and-make-the-active-roster-next-year
September 7, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

5 Reasons The Rams Won't Make The Playoffs
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/07/5-Reasons-The-Rams-Wont-Make-The-Playoffs
September 7, 2016 | By: Blaine Grisak

First off we all know that his cut was not a surprise, given the way the Rams were working others into the position. And I am not trying to make a big deal out of it or anything, either, as the perspective is the guy is a backup center.

But to me it was clear that there were two guys kept on the roster when he was cut that were not as good as him. I have re-watched all the preseason games, and Kush got better each week. I feel he is better than Arkin, and yes I realize he was also cut. But I also think he's better than Rhaney.

I think this is a good example of perceived upside vs a better player. By that fourth preseason game Kush was routinely getting to the second level and making blocks, and while he had a couple miscues in pass pro the guy IS a backup center. IMO the difference in him and the others is notable, and tbh I think he knew that and you could see it in his face on the episode when he was talkin with Snead.

Just wanted to see what everyone's take is there. Not looking for pitchforks or anything, it's no big deal, but I do think it was a blunder where the Rams erred too much on upside and flexibility to play OG.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...Charge-in-San-Francisco-Police-392350161.html

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Dude got dropped from the whiners for punching a 70 year old man but in the video he's bleeding from his head??? Did he really get his ass handed to him by a 70 year old? lol

Sean Mannion will open the season as Rams' backup QB, and he's ready if needed

By Gary Klein

[www.latimes.com]

Sean Mannion might one day be known as the quarterback who forced Jared Goff to the inactive list.

For one game at least.

Mannion, a second-year pro, enters Monday night’s season opener at San Francisco as the Rams’ No. 2 quarterback behind starter Case Keenum.

Goff, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, will be on the sideline wearing a Rams sweat suit.

Mannion had an inkling he would be the backup after last week’s exhibition loss at Minnesota, when Coach Jeff Fisher said Goff was “not ready” and that Mannion would probably be No. 2 against the 49ers.


On Monday, Mannion said quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke reiterated that scenario. Fisher made it official Tuesday.

Players were off Wednesday, but Mannion will be taking second-team reps when the Rams begin game-week preparations Thursday at Cal Lutheran.

“It feels good for the coaches to put me in that position,” Mannion, 24, said this week. “Going back to April [off-season workouts], I’ve been happy with the way I’ve been playing and the throwing the ball.

“To have your effort rewarded and to be put into this position is great, and something I take very seriously.”

Monday night’s game will be a homecoming of sorts for Mannion, who played at Pleasanton Foothill High, located about 25 miles from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Mannion went on to Oregon State, where he became the Pac-12 Conference’s all-time passing yardage leader.

The Rams selected the 6-foot-6, 233-pound Mannion in the third round of the 2015 draft and he opened the season as the No. 3 quarterback behind Nick Foles and Keenum.

Mannion was inactive for the first 10 games. However, with Keenum sidelined because of a concussion suffered against the Baltimore Ravens, Mannion relieved a struggling Foles against the Cincinnati Bengals and completed six of seven passes for 31 yards.

The Rams’ trade to the top of last April’s draft to select Goff eventually led to Foles’ release. Mannion was regarded as the No. 3 quarterback behind the competition between Keenum and Goff for the starting job.

That competition never materialized because of Keenum’s sold play and Goff’s inconsistency and mistakes.

Meanwhile, Mannion impressed during training camp — “You can see the throws, you can see the poise, you can see the decision-making,” Fisher said a few weeks into workouts — and performed fairly well in three exhibitions.

After Goff played only two series in the exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Mannion came on and passed for three second-half touchdowns in a come-from-behind victory. Mannion did not play against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he entered the game late in the third quarter at Denver and played the second half at Minnesota.

He completed 39 of 60 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception.

“For the most part, I thought I played efficient football, put together some good drives and executed the offense,” Mannion said. “There are some things to work on, but for the most part I was accurate.”

Now Mannion is again one play away from going into the game.

Fisher indicated that he would probably switch Mannion and Goff for Week 2. That probably won’t change Mannion’s approach. From the time he joined the Rams in rookie camp last year, he has prepared each week as if he would start, he said,.

He will be ready, if needed, on Monday night.

“I feel way more comfortable,” he said. “You’re learning initially, but then once you learn it and have a year to work on the repetition of actually doing it on the field, it compounds that effect it has on your comfortability.”

Bonus baby

Offensive tackle Rob Havenstein was happy to move into the starting lineup last season as a rookie.

Everything else was a bonus, including the nearly $190,000 he received through the NFL’s performance-based pay program. The bonuses were announced in March.

“I saw it on Twitter or something like that,” Havenstein said this week. “I thought it was cool, obviously, but a bonus is just a bonus.

“It’s not something I was playing for. I just wanted to go out and do the best I could. And I’ll do the same thing this year.”

The yearly program was implemented as part of the NFL’s 2002 collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Assn. The formula for bonuses weighs playing time against salary.

Each team had a distribution pool of about $3.8 million, which does not count against the salary cap. Havenstein, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, had a base salary of $435,000, according to spotrac.com. He started 13 games.

His preparation for this season was stalled because of a foot injury.

The 6-foot-8, 321-pound Havenstein was sidelined for organized-team activities and nearly all of training camp, but returned to start the final exhibition against Minnesota.

He is listed behind Rodger Saffold on the Rams’ depth chart, and said he still was honing his pass-protection sets for the opener.

“That’s something I’ll be working on extra after practice,” he said. “Something I can’t get enough of are reps.”

Rams Preview: Case Keenum won the QB job, personifies team’s uncertainty

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

[www.dailynews.com]

It’s funny how things work out sometimes.

When the Rams left Southern California for St. Louis 21 years ago they did so with an uncertain quarterback situation befitting an organization that never seemed to nail the most important position on the field.

They return to Los Angeles with the same uncertainty.

Welcome home, guys.

Uncanny how you look remarkably like the team that kicked us in the gut to make a Midwest money grab more than two decades ago.

• Rams schedule | Rams roster | Rams photos

Some things never change, apparently.

With all due respect to Case Keenum, who has played well this offseason and rightfully won the starting job over future face of the franchise Jared Goff, he isn’t Russell Wilson or Cam Newton or Tom Brady or Eli Manning or Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger or any other current NFL quarterback you can hand the keys to with confidence they can guide the team to respectable places.

At his best, Keenum is a game manager capable of stabilizing the position and keeping the Rams in games. And considering he has started 15 games over his four-year career and never more than eight in one season, it’s a hunch to assume even that.

There simply isn’t enough sample size to say definitively he will consistently do that.

So we hope.

And cross our fingers.

Sounds kind of familiar right?

From James Harris to Ron Jaworski to Pat Haden to Vince Ferragamo to Jeff Rutledge to Dan Pastorini to Bert Jones to Jeff Kemp to Dieter Brock to Steve Bartkowski to Jim Everett and beyond, the Rams over the years knelt at the alter of the Football Gods praying they could squeeze out just enough from the young to the old to the has-beens to the never-were’s to the would-be saviors and the seriously flawed to lift the team to the next level or over the finish line.

The Rams over the years always had wildly talented rosters, but unable to land their Roger Staubach or Terry Bradshaw they operated a revolving door that welcomed in new candidates as quickly as it hurled the previous ones onto the street.

Aside from a brief period of brilliance provided by a lightning bolt named Kurt Warner and the stability of Marc Bulger, it was more of the same in St. Louis.

Lest we forget the Tony Banks and Sam Bradfords and Kellen Clemens of the world.

And as the Rams return to the region they called home for 46 years, it’s deja vu all over again.

So take your place among all the others, Keenum. It’s a crowded room to be sure.

Here’s the thing, though.

Even while the Rams conducted a quarterback merry-go-round through the 1970s and 1980s they won a ton of football games. In fact from 1973-89 they won eight division titles, reached eight NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl.

They never quite got it right at quarterback – at least not the long-range answer – but they managed to field highly competitive teams nonetheless.

Into that kind of world steps Keenum, who doesn’t do any one thing especially well but does enough things satisfactorily that he can be trusted.

Yes, the Rams drafted Goff first overall with the hope he’d start sooner rather than later. But it looks like sooner is going to take a lot longer than expected.

That might be disappointing, but it’s not the end of the world.

The Rams always knew they had Keenum in their back pocket, fully understanding he isn’t Newton or Wilson but more than convinced he can be a missing piece that enables them to finally move beyond the 7-9 teams they’ve been recently to a potential playoff contender.

It’s a tip of the cap to Keenum, certainly, but also the belief in the infrastructure in place around the quarterback position.

The Rams boast a defensive line as good as any in the NFL led by All-Pro tackle Aaron Donald and defensive end Robert Quinn.

The linebacker group is young, fast and athletic with Mark Barron and Alec Ogletree a pair of playmakers poised to step into stardom.

And running back Todd Gurley is as good as it gets and operates behind an offensive line that grew considerably over the course of training camp and preseason.

“That’s a good young roster they’ve built,” a prominent NFL assistant coach told me recently. “The pieces are in place. If the quarterback can just be solid, they have a chance to be a good team.

Keenum isn’t a star, but neither was Brock or Haden or Ferragamo, and all three of them won division titles and advanced their teams deep into the playoffs.

Dare we dream that Keenum can be to Gurley what Brock was to Eric Dickerson or Haden was to Lawrence McCutcheon back in the day?

The NFL assistant coach I spoke to felt so, pointing out the roster in place is one Rams coach Jeff Fisher can win with.

“There’s a recipe in place that he’s proven he can succeed with,” the coach said. “Look, Jeff Fisher didn’t forget how to coach. This is a team right up his alley with a spectacular talent like Gurley – who is special – and a very good defense. If the quarterback can be effective – he doesn’t even have to be a star – just steady. It could be a good year.”

Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?

It never meant the ultimate prize back in the day.

But the Rams won a bunch of football games.

Can Keenum be to the Rams what Haden, Ferragamo and others were to run-first, defensive-minded Rams teams of the past?

It sure has a familiar ring to it.

The Rams have some decision to make, Here are my list of players that may not suit up for the 49ers game. The list is from the most probable to list probable.

The (my) locks to sit:


The 7th bubble person and why:

Have fun with your projections.

Opening comments:
“I’m excited about the regular season. I thought we had a good training camp. I thought we learned and grew a lot as a defense. I’m excited about the matchup this week against the Rams. They’ve got a very talented roster and I think their offensive coordinator [Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/offense] Rob Boras is doing a good job schematically with those guys, so it’ll be a great challenge for our defense.”


Have you seen DL Glenn Dorsey, has he been practicing? What do you envision his role to be?
“It’s still probably a little too early in the week to tell, but he has been able to do a little bit more over the past couple of weeks. These next couple of days will be huge for him.”


Seven-on-seven stuff? Has he gotten into full practices to this point?
“Not in full team drills yet, no.”


And what about DL Arik Armstead, where is he going to be as to practice being handled?
“Again, it’s early in the week, so that’s something that we’re going to monitor as the week goes on. Again, he’s a guy that’s done a little bit more over the past couple of weeks, so hopefully 48 hours from now we’re feeling pretty good about it.”


With eight defensive linemen and five inside linebackers, it looks like you’ll have the possibility to rotate along that defensive front, figuring teams might want to run the ball and control the tempo. Is that sort of your thinking with the numbers at that position, those positions?
“That might be a great question for [general manager] Trent [Baalke]. I think the way they went about it is they were kind of locked into some numbers to get to the 46 and then I think they just kept the best players that they could from there. I think that was their philosophy. I think that’s a great philosophy, that way you don’t get so locked into numbers and you end up keeping a guy who might not be better than some of the other guys on your 53. If you’ve got eight guys, it’s going to be a tough decision for us each week who’s going to be up on game day and how we’re going to deploy those players.”


Would you expect game days to have a five-man rotation on that defensive line?
“The guys that are up for us are going to play. As far as how many guys are up, we haven’t discussed that yet as a coaching stuff. That’s something that we’ll discuss at the end of the week.”


You talked a lot about rotating guys through during the preseason. Do you feel comfortable that you have a good handle on where everybody’s best fit yet or is that going to just be ongoing all year?
“I think you’re constantly evaluating guys, but yeah I think we’ve got a pretty good picture right now as a defensive staff as far as what we have defensively and how guys fit into this scheme.”


What’s made LB Tank Carradine suited to that outside linebacker spot?
“Say that again.”


What’s made Tank suited to that move to that outside linebacker?
“For us, schematically, he’s a bigger body. He’s put a lot of work into learning the coverage stuff. Very physical on the edge, which will help us set edges in the run game and force the ball back inside. He’s worked real hard at learning the position and then he’s got position flexibility along the front for us in some of the passing situations. So, that’s what we look for when we go find guys in college football. We want those big, physical guys who are heavy handed, can set edges, and at the same time be able to do some drop stuff for us.”


49ers color analyst Tim Ryan spoke during one of the preseason games, he actually compared DL Ronald Blair to Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald. Do you see some similarities in their game and what are your expectations heading into his first season?
“I don’t like to compare players, but I know Aaron Donald’s a hell-of-a football player. That would be great if Ronald Blair could ever get to that level, but Ronnie is different than anything we have along the front. [Defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro] Azz does a great job. You can’t coach Ronnie Blair the way you’re coaching [DT] Quinton Dial. They are different players, but Ronnie’s going to be a guy that’s going to make some splash plays for us in the run and pass game. He’s a guy we’re excited about.”


How happy were you to get LB Marcus Rush back on the practice squad and will he put pressure on the other pass rushers if they’re not performing?
“I was surprised that we got him back to be honest with you. When I found out that he was going to be on the practice squad, I was really excited about it because for the next four weeks we have three outside backers and he’s a guy that if we need to we could easily activate him and bring him aboard. He’s a heck-of-a football player. He’s done a hell-of-a job throughout the preseason and he’s a guy that I’ll be shocked if he’s on the practice squad all year.”


What’s the scouting report on DT Taylor Hart, the guy you got from the Eagles?
“I think I figured out Azz’s recruiting philosophy when he went to Oregon. I think he found every D-Linemen that was 6-5 or taller and just recruited those guys and wacked everybody else. But, I’m still getting to know him. I have watched him on tape. He’s a guy that I evaluated when he was coming out of college. Big, physical, strong at the point of attack in the run game, very tough, which we’re always looking for tough guys. That’s how you win late in the season, with tough gritty guys. I’m excited about adding him to the group.”


Do you anticipate it being a pretty seamless transition for him, given his familiarity to Azz?
“I think it’ll be, I don’t think it’ll be seamless because he’s never played in this system. I think he’ll be familiar with Azz and some of the D-Line techniques we use, but schematically some of the terminology will be different for him. He’s got some catching up to do.”


What stands out to you about the Rams?
“I’ll start up front. They are very physical. They have their whole offensive line healthy. In my opinion, they have six really good players. They haven’t been able to play together this preseason, but they are starting to get healthy. The quarterback does a great job getting the ball out of his hands, puts them in a position to win football games. Obviously, [Los Angeles Rams RB] Todd Gurley at running back is a dynamic player. [Los Angeles Rams WR] Tavon Austin is a dynamic player as a receiver, running back, screen guy, down the field. They’ve got a big receiver in [Los Angeles Rams WR] Kenny Britt. They’ve got three tight ends that they roll that all do a good job. So, they are pretty good personnel-wise.”


What did you see from CB Will Redmond from the time you had him on the field and do you think there is a chance you could see him before the year’s over being that you can bring an IR guy back?
“Yeah, I think that’s the plan. Will’s a guy that we were very excited about when we drafted him. We’re still very excited about him. We’ll lean on Ferg and the athletic training staff as far as when he’s fully back and if it’s a situation down the line where we can activate him, I’m sure that that will be a conversation.”


What are those three inside linebackers next to LB NaVorro Bowman separate and how do you kind of plan to go forward with that?
“They’ll all play. We need them all to play. We need all three of them to win. We have a plan right now going into Week 1. I’ll let you guys figure out that plan on Monday night. I’m not going to sit here and tell it to you now. But, we need [LB] Mike Wilhoite, we need [LB] Ray-Ray Armstrong and we need [LB] Gerald Hodges to be a good defense.”


The depth chart yesterday had Armstrong and Hodges kind of “co” and then Wilhoite behind them–?
“I don’t buy into that. Those depth charts are written in sand. So, that’s one package, one personnel group. We could have eight different personnel groups up in any given game. So, I don’t get into that.”


What’s the emphasis for the defense in terms of stopping Gurley?
“Do your job. Takes all 11. You know, just execute.”


Do you have to prepare any differently for a unique skill player like Tavon Austin where they really try to get creative to get him the football, use him in different ways?
“Sure. You’ve got to do some stuff schematically to get guys around him because he is such a dynamic player in space, yeah.”


They use a lot of those kind of ghost sweeps with Tavon to play Tavon off of Gurley. What are some of the challenges trying to defend that?
“They just force you to communicate. You know, if you’re running any type of combo coverage stuff, if he’s running to the other side of the formation, you’ve got to change coverage or if your zone drops on one and now one could become two very quickly. So, it forces you to think a little bit quicker. It’s not the same thing, but it’s kind of similar to some of the up-tempo stuff. Just makes you think and react faster than probably what you want to as a defense.”


Do football coaches ever watch Hard Knocks, especially when you play the team going into Week 1?
“When I was with New York, we were on it. So, I watched it when we were on it. I did not watch Hard Knocks this past year just because I know that the head coach usually has final editing rights and you really don’t get a lot of football stuff out of it. So, some guys on staff have watched it and some of guys on the defensive side of the ball have made some comments about it, but me personally, no.”


Comments along the lines of what they’re doing or–?
“Yeah. Just some stuff that have come up, yeah.”


I know you’re just focused on Week 1, but I think your first six opponents were in the top-10 in rushing last year. Are you aware of the early season challenge there? Are you eager to see what your run defense looks like?
“Absolutely. I’m excited about it.”

B.S. This is where I hate PFF. We may be a no-name OL, but healthy, these guys are going to surprise some people. Should we remain healthy, this OL starts moving up the charts following game one. Love PFF for their grading, but prognosticating isn't always in their wheelhouse. Guess they hadn't even noticed that GRob's play picked up big time towards the end of last season and extending into the 4 pre-season games. Also missed that Reynolds is now on IR.

I understood them giving us 32'nd in the league at WR a couple days ago, but this is just wrong. jmo.


PFF : https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-entering-the-2016-season/

Continuing our season previews series, the PFF analysis team recently ranked every NFL offensive line, based on both the starting lineup and projected depth of each unit. Nearly every team has made changes to their line compared to last year, and at the very least, each team has addressed the depth of their O-line unit.

With those changes taken into consideration, here’s how the league’s offensive lines stack up heading into the 2016 season.

[More: Be sure to check out PFF’s ranking of all 32 NFL QB situations, running back units, and defensive front-sevens.]

1. Dallas Cowboys

2. Oakland Raiders

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Cincinnati Bengals

5. Atlanta Falcons

6. Carolina Panthers

7. Philadelphia Eagles

8. New Orleans Saints

9. Arizona Cardinals

10. Buffalo Bills

11. Houston Texans

12. Washington

13. Baltimore Ravens

14. Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Minnesota Vikings

16. Indianapolis Colts

17. Kansas City Chiefs

18. New England Patriots

19. Miami Dolphins

20. New York Giants

21. Cleveland Browns

22. Detroit Lions

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

24. New York Jets

25. Tennessee Titans

26. San Francisco 49ers

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28. Denver Broncos

29. San Diego Chargers

30. Chicago Bears

31. Los Angeles Rams
Projected starters: LT Greg Robinson, LG Jamon Brown, C Tim Barnes, RG Rodger Saffold, RT Rob Havenstein

Roster depth: Cody Wichmann, Andrew Donnal, Demetrius Rhaney

Key stat: The Rams’ projected starting offensive line has played 230 snaps together.

In 2015, the Rams loaded up on offensive linemen in the draft. They hit on Rob Havenstein, but they are still waiting for the rest of their younger linemen to develop. In the short-term, they might be better off finding someone else at left tackle and starting Garrett Reynolds, but instead, it looks like they will stick with their younger linemen for now and see if they can reach their potential.

32. Seattle Seahawks

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...4-25-million-fully-guaranteed-over-two-years/

Drew Brees gets $44.25 million fully-guaranteed over two years
Posted by Mike Florio on September 7, 2016

Getty Images

The deal is done, with three squares on the calendar to spare.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees made it clear that he won’t negotiate a potential extension to his current contract after the season begins. That move, rooted in a strong desire to minimize distractions, nudged the two sides together to finalize a contract that keeps Brees in New Orleans for the next two years.

Per a league source with knowledge of the deal, it’s a five-year contract that automatically voids to two years, and it pays out $44.25 million fully-guaranteed over those two seasons. Coupled with the $20 million he was due to make this year, it’s a one-year extension worth $24.5 million.

The contract also has a no-trade clause and a term preventing the Saints from tagging him in 2018. This means that, after the 2017 season, Brees will be free to leave if he wants to, and if he’s still playing at a sufficiently high level to allow him to.

To date, there has been no indication that Brees has in any way diminished. And so his well-deserved $184.25 million haul since 2006 could push to $200 million and more in fewer than 18 months.

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/9/7/12802940/film-room-preview-week-one-vs-san-francisco-49ers
Film Room Preview: Week One vs San Francisco 49ers

The Rams’ 2015 season ended in a crushing overtime loss to the division rival San Francisco 49ers. Now it’s time for revenge.
By QBKlass @QBKlass Sep 7, 2016, 12:00p

Opening a season on the road is never easy. The 49ers stuck it out to beat the Rams in Santa Clara at the end of last season, making a return to Levi Stadium that much more meaningful for the Rams. As abysmal as the 49ers may be this season, the Rams have problems of their own and a few mishaps could spell trouble.

~ Special thanks to Jerod Brown for giving perspective on the 49ers for this preview ~

Rams Offense vs 49ers Defense
The Rams struggled to sustain an offensive attack in last year’s Week 17 battle. Tavon Austin made a few plays early on, but the offense tapered off and became stagnant, allowing the 49ers to inch closer and closer to victory. That being said, the Rams were without star running back Todd Gurley, who had been averaging nearly 100 yards and a touchdown in his twelve starts prior to the 49ers game.

The Running Game
Without question, Gurley will carry the offense against the 49ers (and for the rest of the season). The Rams have a few ways they could go in terms of Gurley’s usage in the run game. For the most part, the Rams employ a zone running scheme, but man and gap concepts are sprinkled in as necessary. Outside zone plays could be lethal versus the 49ers.


The 49ers defense has problems tackling in space and out near the perimeter. Granted, their defensive line should be a bit improved as Arik Armstead heads into his second season and rookie DeForrest Buckner adds a more explosive presence upfront, but that does not save the 49ers defense as a whole. San Francisco's cornerbacks are not going to cause problems for the Rams in run defense, meaning it is on the Rams interior offensive line to keep the 49ers defensive line pinned inside just long enough for Gurley to burst up the field. On outside zone plays, it will be on guards Jamon Brown and Cody Wichmann to not allow the 49ers interior linemen to force Gurley out too wide.

Considering the youth and lack of strength that the 49ers have in their front seven, the Rams may be better off rolling with more power concepts. It worked out for them when they faced the 49ers last season and there is no reason to believe it can’t work again.

Power out of the shotgun is a perfect concept for Gurley. He has the flexibility to adjust to tight angles when running out of the shotgun, while also being strong and fast enough to fly down hill behind the pulling guard.


Center Tim Barnes is a power running fiend. If there is anything Barnes is good at, it is blocking down hill and using his strength. Barnes should fare well versus the Niners front again this upcoming week. It is the two players to Barnes’ left and right that are worth questioning. Wichmann and Brown are listed as the starting guards, making them the focal points of this play.

If power is going to the right, the right guard is responsible for pinning the defensive tackle lined up over him back to the inside of the formation, which Brown did on the play above, while the left guard pulls around him. If power is going left, the opposite is true and the left guard must pin his defensive tackle inside, while the right guard pulls behind him. Wichmann and Brown can both operate in space, so asking them to find their man as the pulling guard should not be concerning. Rather, figuring out whether or not those two can consistently use their strength to pin players inside will be key to the Rams rushing success. The Rams should run power a few times early on and see if they can get something going.

On top of exposing the 49ers interior, power running would keep the Rams from running at outside linebacker Aaron Lynch. Though Lynch is known for being a speed rushy, he is deceptively dangerous as a run defender out on the edge. Lynch attacks linemen and set himself up to force plays back inside. He’s no slouch as a tackler, either, often using his long arms to corral ball carriers and, at the very least, slow them down. If the Rams want to run to the perimeter, Lynch will need to be taken care of. Keep an eye on Rodger Saffold to have his hands full with Lynch. That matchup will be critical to how well the Rams can run to the outside.

Play Action Passing
Gurley can and will also be used as a decoy for the passing game. With as lethal as Gurley can be as a runner, the fear of him carrying the ball can be used to the Rams advantage. The Rams were able to trick the 49ers with simple play action last year even without Gurley.

On this play, the Rams paired a quick screen with a run fake that looked like a ‘wham’ concept. ‘Wham’ can be run out of any blocking scheme, but the backside blocker being a player coming across from one side of the formation to the other is the core of the play. That then allows the backside lineman, the left tackle in this case, to block down hill, theoretically creating a cut back lane between the ‘wham’ blocker and the backside lineman. It is a concept that marries power with versatility- a great fit for Gurley.

Now, what makes ‘wham’ an interesting concept for a run fake on a quick screen is that it sucks in the edge defender on that side. When outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks sees tight end Lance Kendricks working back to block the back side, he quickly assume that it’s going to be a running play and that he has to close the cut back lane. With Brooks sucked inside, the Rams get a three-on-two (ball carrier included) situation on the outside, allowing the receiver to pick up a solid chunk of yards and move the chains.

The Rams have play action boots in their disposal, too. With Gurley back in the lineup to divert defenses from the passing game and rookie tight end Tyler Higbee providing an athletic pass catching presence over the middle, the Rams could have a deadly boot-action passing formula on their hands.

The route combo to the right side of the field is critical here. Wide receiver Bradley Marquez running up the sideline on a wheel route forces the outside linebacker dropping back in coverage to widen out in order to close the passing window. In doing so, the linebacker leaves a lot for room for the tight end crossing the field to work with between the right hash and the right numbers.

Similarly, Kendricks crossing the formation behind the line of scrimmage and leaking out to the flats does its part in sucking in the linebacker, leaving plenty of space to throw over the top of him. Quarterback Case Keenum then just has to complete the one-on-one throw, which he does on the play above.

With Keenum at quarterback and the absence of a true No.1 wide receiver, the Rams will have to rely on running the ball and executing on play action, as well as operate out of a lot of two tight ends sets with Kendricks and Higbee. The 49ers defensive back group is atrocious, so it is possible that we see Austin or Kenny Britt slip by them once or twice for a deep reception, and we will likely see more successful intermediate passing to the boundary than we will for the rest of the season, but that should not be something the Rams count on for this game or at any point this season.

Rams Defense vs 49ers Offense
Pass Defense
In Week 17’s game last year, the Rams ran a lot of man coverage versus the 49ers. Considering how much pressure they were able to generate with four or five rushers, it made sense to play a more aggressive style of coverage throughout the game. The problem, though, is that man coverage leaves the Rams exposed against hiding wide receivers in stacked sets.

Right before the snap, San Francisco motions the outside receiver, Anquan Boldin, to be the middle man in a trips set, rewiring who covers who for the Rams defense. Instead of Boldin being the outside receiver and Trumaine Johnson’s responsibility, Quinton Patton becomes the outside receiver and, in turn, Johnson’s man. Patton releases and cuts inside of the inner most player in the trips set, Blake Bell. Doing so gives Patton about eight yards between himself and a trailing Johnson, making for an easy pitch-and-catch for Blaine Gabbert and Quinton Patton.

Johnson is normally quite reliable, though, and the Rams defensive failure on the play above is more a product of great offensive play design than Johnson’s shortcomings. The real concern is with the rest of the Rams cornerbacks. With E.J. Gaines not fully readjusted to the game, it is likely that the Rams roll with some mixture of Lamarcus Joyner and Coty Sensabaugh as the second cornerback. Considering neither of them looked good in the preseason, expect the 49ers to try picking on them early and often.

Thankfully, the cornerbacks should have plenty of help. The 49ers offensive line is still a major question mark, giving the Rams defensive line to tee off on them. Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Dominique Easley make for a terrorizing trio of defensive tackles that the 49ers will have to deal with. At any time, the Rams will have two of them on the field at once (maybe even three, as Easley can play defensive end) and will give the 49ers no chance to breathe.

Due to the ferocity of the interior defensive line and defensive end Robert Quinn’s prowess on the edge, the Rams should have no problem generating consistent pressure with four rushers. Rushing just four defenders then allows the Rams to drop seven players into coverage and close off Gabbert’s passing lanes. Gabbert will have to deal with immediate pressure and heavy traffic in coverage. That is a disastrous recipe for any quarterback, let alone one as skittish as Gabbert.

Being Aggressive Against the Run
Largely due in part to former Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis, the Rams defense lacked the aggression from their middle linebacker that they needed.

The Rams front seven needs to function like the Carolina Panthers’ front does. The Panthers have a nasty defensive tackle duo that allows their linebackers to sprint at plays as soon as they see them, instead of having to wait for the play to develop for a moment.

The Rams are built the same way. Some combination of Brockers, Donald and Easley will disrupt every run play and force running backs to scramble. When runners have to scramble, the only thing that ever saves them is when a linebacker is waiting on the play to come to him instead of the linebacker attacking the play. The Rams linebackers need to attack the line of scrimmage.

Mark Barron will have no issue attacking the line of scrimmage. Barron is a headhunter. Even when he was forced into an unfamiliar role last year, he proved that he could play fast and hit hard. The question mark is Alec Ogletree, who missed most of last season.

Ogltetree can be aggressive, but he has moments of uncertainty and gets his feet stuck in the mud. Granted, he did it far less often than Laurinaitis did, but it was still a problem. In 2016, he will need to be more aggressive and decisive because he has a defensive line that is fully enabling him to do so. The season opener versus the 49ers will be Ogletree’s first game back and he will have the opportunity to prove that he can be an attacking leader for the defense.

Conclusions
This will almost certainly be a low scoring game. The 49ers have a miserable offense being lead by Blaine Gabbert, who stands little to no chance versus the Rams bevy of pass rushers. For the same reason Gabbert will struggle, the 49ers running game will struggle to get going. Carlos Hyde is a fine running back, but the 49ers offensive line is going to get beat down by the Rams front. The 49ers best chance at success is hoping that Torrey Smith can get behind the Rams’ safeties- which is quite plausible- but even if he does, counting on Gabbert to complete a deep throw is a last resort.

On the flip side, the Rams should have enough offensive firepower to outscore the 49ers. Gurley is arguably the best running back in the league and, against a shaky 49ers defensive line, the offensive line has to be merely serviceable in order for Gurley to have a good game. Keenum will likely open the game with a handful of screen throws, which is a great move considering how poorly the Rams defended Austin last season. Beyond that, Keenum needs to simply protect the ball, a task he should be able to handle given San Francisco’s lack of playmakers at cornerback.

Even if the Rams win, it’s going to be an ugly game, folks.

As a fill-in, for the last day before the Season starts, I thought it might be nice to look back at " All the Head Coaches The Rams have ever Had!!" Yep! All 25 of them!!:mrburnsevil:
I'll break this up into a couple or so posts for easy Reading, and your welcome to make comments along the Way!! Four of them I could find photos of, but I'll mention them anyway!!
Cleveland Rams:
#1) Damon Wetzel - 1936 ( Sorry no photo, But he was our 1st HC!)
He had a 5-2-2 Record w/ a .667 Win %.

#2) Hugo Bezdek - 1937-1938

He had a record of 1-14-0 w/ a .o71 Win %

#3) Art Lewis - 1938

He was a interim HC after they fired Bezdek. He had a Record of 4-4-0/ .500%

#4) Dutch Clark - 1939-1942
( Sorry No photo) He had a Record of 16-26-2 w/ a .386 Win %.

#5) Buff Donelli - 1944
( Sorry again No Photo) But he stand out among all Rams HC's because his Team score the Fewest points ever by any team in the League, in a single year! 188 Points! But, to be fare, in those days it was only a 10 game Season! He did have a 4-6-0 Season a .400 win %.

#6) Adam Walsh - 1945-1946

He had a 15-5-1 Reg. Season Record w/ a .738 Win % and a 1-0 Record in post Season. He gave the Rams their 1st League Championship in 1945, and was Coach of the year!

L.A. Head Coaches:
#7) Bob Snyder - 1947
( Sorry, no photo, but he is the Last one I don't have a photo of!!)
He had a 6-6-0 Record/ .500%

#8) Clark Shaughnessy - 1948-1949

He had a Reg. Season record of 17-8-0 and a Post Season Rec. of 0-1.

#9) Joe Stydahar - 1950-1952

In the above photo, he's on the right w/ George Halas in the middle!
He had a record of 17-8-0/ a .686 win % and went 2-1 in Post Season including the Rams 2nd League Championship in 1951!! ( Great Year '51!)

This^ photo is from his College Playing Days!

#10) Hamp Pool - 1952-1954

This is the best photo I could find of Hamp!
He had a 23-10-2 Record a .686 win %. in the Regular Season and he was 0-1 in Post Season.
I think they got rid of him for our next Coach!!
Time for a short Break, be back with the next 15 shortly! Some Really great stuff to come, My word on it!!

By Sam Farmer

[www.latimes.com]

All Kevin Demoff wanted to do was get on with the basketball game. But everyone else on the court was frozen in place, transfixed by the familiar, hulking man in the stands. It was Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who had slipped into the gymnasium of the small school in Brentwood to watch Kevin, the fourth-grade son of his agent, try his hand at point guard.

“The other nine kids on the court were just staring at Dan,” Demoff recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Hey, we’ve got a game to win here.’ I didn’t even think about it.”

As the football world would learn decades later, Demoff is unruffled by the big stage. The Rams’ top executive, whose childhood was steeped in pro football, was an integral figure in untangling the most confounding knot in professional sports. Demoff, 39, was key in bringing the NFL back to Los Angeles for the first time in 22 years.

It was Rams owner Stan Kroenke who had resources and vision for a transformational stadium project at Hollywood Park, but Demoff was the point guard when it came to selling that Inglewood concept to the rest of the league.

“I’m fortunate to have the tutelage of Stan, who has really pioneered how you combine resources and sports in a way that has never been done before,” said Demoff, the Rams’ executive vice president of football operations and chief operating officer. “I’m grateful for his mentorship. He pushes our team for greatness and challenges us to envision the impossible.”

In January, what once was impossible became a reality. By a 30-2 vote, NFL owners chose the Inglewood project over a competing plan in Carson jointly backed by the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.

“In my 45 years in the movie business, I’ve heard some very exciting pitches for movies,” said Steve Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants and an Oscar-winning film producer. “Kevin’s pitch for the Rams’ new stadium at Hollywood Park was just as powerful. He was passionate, informative, prepared and dynamic. … It was like watching a great trailer for a movie.”

The rail-thin Demoff, who seemed to grow grayer by the day, was under intense pressure in recent years as he fought the stadium battles in St. Louis and navigated a new path in Los Angeles, where so many others had tried and failed to get football venues built.

Many Rams fans in St. Louis revile Demoff, accusing him of being an architect of a deception. They argue Kroenke was determined to relocate the team to Los Angeles, and only paid lip service, by way of Demoff, to staying in St. Louis.

Demoff said suspicions surfaced even before arbitrators ruled in favor of the Rams in early 2013, paving the way for the team to get out of its lease two years later.

“When you work at a team, your job is to build an emotional connection with the fan base,” Demoff said. “The [St. Louis] stadium situation always gave reason for fans to not completely commit to you. Because in the back, deep part of their minds, there were stadium issues that were unresolved. And even worse, it was a city that had lost a team before.”

In the summer of 2014, when Kroenke took control of the 300 acres at Hollywood Park, the prospect of a move back to Southern California became more real.

“Now you had a site that the NFL had long coveted, an owner with the expertise and resources to do it the way the NFL had always wanted to do it, and a team that had the right to relocate,” Demoff said.

“Even then, the best project and opportunity in Los Angeles never guaranteed success. No one had figured out this Rubik’s Cube for so long.”

Problem-solving is in Demoff’s DNA. His father, a former public defender, soared to the top of the sports-representation business by finding creative ways to structure contracts when other agents might fall back on boilerplate solutions.

“He’s creative, he’s patient, he’s fair,” Kevin said of his father. “Ultimately, he just listens, reasons, comes up with solutions. He was always trying to look for a win-win.”

Marvin and Patti Demoff still live in the same Benedict Canyon home where they raised their two children, Kevin and Allison. Before the age of cellphones, the family had four land lines and a fax line, as Marvin liked to be home for dinner and would work there into the night.

Sometimes, Kevin would quietly pick up a phone and eavesdrop on his dad’s negotiations. Other times, he’d sit near his dad and try to imagine what was being said on the other end of the line.

“You’re a kid; you’re always thinking about how you can get one over on your parents,” he said. “That’s your job in life. So I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could negotiate against my father. What would I say? That’s what I basically spent a lot of my childhood doing.”

Marvin, 73, had an all-world stable of clients that included Marino, John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Junior Seau, Jonathan Ogden and Tim Brown, and Rams such as Jack Youngblood and Jim Everett.

Years ago, the NFL draft started on a Thursday at 5 a.m. on the West Coast and lasted into the night. That was like a holiday in the Demoff household.

“What I loved about the draft was I got to skip that morning of school,” Kevin said. “I had to go to school when the first round was over. So I would always hope for the really long first round with lots of trades. We used to bring in bagels and donuts at 4:30 in the morning, sit in the den in our pajamas and watch.”

Kevin was 6 in 1983, when his dad represented both No. 1 pick Elway and No. 27 Marino. That was the best draft ever for quarterbacks. But what Kevin remembers is another of his father’s clients, running back Curt Warner, watching on TV from their house. After being selected third overall by the Seahawks, he and Kevin spent the rest of the morning shooting baskets.

Although Kevin religiously followed lots of sports, he was partial to football. At 10, he’d spend hours reading football magazines and devising mock drafts. He and his dad were in an early fantasy football league, too, with teams printed on big spreadsheets and scored by hand. They played against lawyers at his dad’s firm, and ran circles around them. One season, he was a ball boy for the Chargers, a club he would later go head-to-head against in the acrimonious stadium derby.

“I became fascinated with the elements of managing a team and how it worked,” he said.

When he went to college at Dartmouth, however, he did not envision working for a team or being an agent. He wanted to be a sportswriter. He was sports editor at the school’s paper, and called games on the college radio station.

Upon graduating, he went to work for a start-up Internet company that eventually got into the business of designing websites for teams. One of his pitches was to the Oakland Raiders, where he met team executive Bruce Allen.


Around that time, Casey Wasserman was starting the Arena Football League’s Los Angeles Avengers, and needed someone to run the personnel side. He called Allen for staffing advice, and Allen suggested he reach out to Demoff, who was 23 at the time. Wasserman, then 24, wound up hiring him.

“What Kevin and I realized is that, if you go and work for an NFL team, you don’t really have a massive impact as a young kid,” Wasserman said. “You only learn what they want you to learn. In the Arena League, we were all in, all responsible for all of it. That was our PhD in sports.”

Demoff said that was his opportunity to learn the team side of the business “and make a ton of mistakes without anybody ever seeing them.”

After four years, he was ready to take the next step.

“Ultimately, I decided I didn’t want my life decided on whether a ball bounced off a net or a post, or went into the stands, and that it was time to grow a skill set,” he said.

Demoff decided to return to business school at Dartmouth, but not before Allen offered him a front-office job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he had rejoined former Raiders coach Jon Gruden.

Demoff considered going to the NFL, but eventually opted for graduate school. “Why don’t you do both?” Allen said, and brought him on as an unpaid intern. He would send projects to Demoff at Dartmouth, then bring him down for the Senior Bowl, scouting combine and training camp.

“Kevin grew up the same way as I did,” said Allen, son of Hall of Fame coach George Allen. “It was from a slightly different perspective, but he had the same understanding of the game, the league, the players and the coaches, because of not only Marvin’s presence in the league but his domination of the league.”

The day after Demoff graduated, he was with the Buccaneers as a full-time employee, and he and his wife, Jenn, set up shop in Tampa. While living there, they would have their daughter, Claire.

A few years later, they would move to St. Louis, where Kevin took a job with the Rams, and Jenn had their son, Owen. Demoff was in his early 30s and running an NFL franchise.

“I’m not naive,” he said. “I got a lot of opportunities in my life and football because of my last name, and I’m grateful for that. I didn’t deserve the Avengers job when I got it. I didn’t deserve the Rams job when I got it. Both were taking leaps of faith on me based on my father and what he’d done, and somewhat based on my career. You hope from there you can go earn it.”

In January, at a Houston hotel, Demoff delivered his final presentation of Kroenke’s vision to the rest of the NFL owners. After a series of votes, Inglewood beat Carson in a landslide, and the Rams were given the green light to return to Los Angeles. Since, the Rams moved, traded up for the No. 1 pick and helped secure a Super Bowl for Inglewood at the end of the 2020 season.

“It’s surreal,” said Patti Demoff, a college counselor. “They’re here, but it almost feels like an out-of-body experience. I have to keep reminding myself the Rams aren’t just here visiting.”

Both of his parents point to the fact that Demoff was a history major at Dartmouth, with an emphasis in art history. They said his creative side allows him to look at problems from many different angles, and to see solutions others might miss.

“What it allowed him to do is really get Stan’s vision and be able to explain it to others,” Marvin said. “When he showed you a picture of what Inglewood is going to look like, he could see the art form, the vision, and be passionate about that vision the way people would be passionate about a piece of art.”

Of course, with the Demoffs, it all comes down to the art of the deal. Father and son will be on the opposite sides of the table in the coming days as they hammer out details of an expected contract extension for Rams Coach Jeff Fisher, represented by Marvin.

“It’s like playing chess or checkers against yourself,” Kevin said. “Our styles are so similar, you focus on the same things. So you always wind up in a draw or stalemate. I can always tell when we’ve reached the logical conclusion of a negotiation, because I’ll say, ‘Do you have any other solutions?’ and he says, ‘No . . . but I raised you better than this.’”

Marvin has a picture on his desk from Patti’s 40th birthday party in 1987. It’s of the family, grouped together at the Hollywood Park finish line. A great memory. Kevin has already planned an updated shot to go with it: the family, much larger now, standing at midfield of the new stadium when it opens in 2019 — a different kind of finish line.

#MobSquad

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Well my friends we are one day from football here are the ESPN picks for week one.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/picks