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January 21, 2016 at 9:44 am #37801
znModerator7 Most Exciting Los Angeles Rams Players
David Rosenthal, CBS Los Angeles
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/01/20/7-most-exciting-los-angeles-rams/
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles rejoined the NFL after a 21-year absence when the Rams announced their return to the City of Angels last week.
Thousands of fans rejoiced, but with such a long drought of professional football in the Los Angeles, I can’t blame you if you aren’t totally familiar with the Rams’ current roster.
Here are the seven most exciting players to watch on the Rams for the 2016 season.
7.) Janoris Jenkins, CB
Jenkins was selected late in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Rams and has improved tremendously over his time in the NFL.
He has started no less than 13 games a season for the team since coming into the league and has collected at least 55 total tackles in each of his four seasons.
Jenkins set a career high with four interceptions as a rookie but did haul in three interceptions last season, as well as a career-high 15 pass deflections.
The 5-foot-1o defensive back is an unrestricted free agent, and hopefully the Rams front office looks to keep the exciting Jenkins on the team.
6.) James Laurinaitis, MLB
Also drafted in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft, Laurinaitis has started every single game for the Rams since he’s been on the team.
He’s a stalwart at middle linebacker, and in 2015, collected his third season with over 100 or more tackles.
The 29-year old attended Ohio State before joining the Rams, and in his 112 career games in the NFL, has tallied 10 interceptions, 16.5 sacks and 653 total tackles.
5.) Trumaine Johnson, CB
Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the NFL, Trumaine Johnson has turned into a superstar cornerback.
After coming out of the University of Montana, Johnson was taken by the Rams in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Johnson is a ball-hawking corner who has greatly surpasses his expectations in the NFL.
With seven interceptions in 2015, Johnson trailed only the Bengals Reggie Nelson and the Chiefs Marcus Peters for the league-lead in interceptions.
Johnson had 17 pass deflections to go along with 71 tackles as he led the Rams secondary in 2015.
Like Jenkins, Johnson is an unrestricted free agent and should be the Rams’ main focus this off-season.
The team cannot afford to lose its top corner, especially one like Johnson, who is capable of making game-changing plays week in and week out.
4.) Robert Quinn, DE
The team’s first pick (14th overall) in the 2011 NFL draft, Robert Quinn is a critical member of the Rams’ impressive defensive front line.
Quinn sacked the quarterback 10.5 times in 2012, 19.0 times in 2013 and 10.5 times again in 2014.
He was forced to miss half the 2016 season due to a back injury but still managed to collect 5 sacks.
The 6-foot-4 Quinn is a two-time Pro-Bowler (2013, 2014), and finished second in the NFL in sacks and forced fumbles in the 2013 season.
When healthy, Quinn one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL and a force to be reckoned with.
I have a feeling when he returns from his back injury, he will be one of the most popular and dominant players on the team.
3.) Tavon Austin, WR
Tavon Austin is perhaps the most versatile player in the NFL.
The speedster lines up at wide receiver, running back and returns punts and kickoffs.
He set a career-high last season in catches (52), receiving yards (473) and receiving touchdowns (5).
Austin also set career marks for rushing attempts (52), rushing yards (434) and rushing touchdowns (4).
He also has a punt-return touchdown in each of his three seasons with the Rams.
A highly coveted talent out of West Virginia, it took Austin a year or two to adjust to the NFL, but it looks like the talented athlete has found his place.
Expect even bigger numbers from Austin next year, or as I like to call him, “The Triple Threat”
2.) Aaron Donald, DT
Donald, the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft, has looked like the first overall pick in the draft after his first seasons of play in the NFL.
Describing him as a man among boys doesn’t even do the big man justice.
The 6-foot, 287-pound defensive tackle has dominated the NFL.
In his rookie year, Donald tallied nine sacks, two forced fumbles and 37 total tackles, earning him a Pro Bowl selection and 2015 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award honors.
Last season, Donald tallied 11 sacks, one fumble recovery, 47 tackles and yet another Pro Bowl selection.
Donald’s play also earned him a spot on the NFL’s First-Team All-Pro this past season.
His 4.68 second 40-yard dash was an NFL-combine record for a defensive tackle.
Donald is already being compared to players like Ndamukong Suh and J.J. Watt.
If you’re looking for a Rams jersey to invest in, I would suggest buying Donald’s.
He will be around for a long, long time.
1.) Todd Gurley, RB
The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is probably someone you should have heard about if you are a fan of the NFL.
Todd Gurley quieted all the doubters after putting up an incredible rookie season in which he rushed for 1,106 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns.
He was also named to the Pro Bowl and was just the second rookie in Rams history to rush for over 1,000 yards while collecting at least 10 touchdowns.
Gurley amassed an NFL-record 566 yards in his first four games.
He was taken by the Rams with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, despite looming injury concerns.
Gurley left the University of Georgia after tearing his ACL toward the end of his junior year.
The Rams didn’t seem to mind the injury, and neither did Gurley, who launched himself into NFL stardom after his dazzling rookie season.
I know we haven’t even made it to this year’s election, but it’s never too early to campaign, right? Gurley-Donald 2020!
January 25, 2016 at 10:00 am #38027znModeratorGurley and young line are building blocks for L.A. Rams
By Gary Klein – Los Angeles Times
http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/gurley-and-young-line-are-building-blocks-l-rams/np9Bd/
LOS ANGELES —
The Rams’ return to Los Angeles has stirred a celebratory atmosphere. Fans cheered during a raucous news conference at the Forum and rushed to make deposits for season tickets.
Will they be as enthusiastic once the team starts playing?
Not if the losing continues.
“We’re close,” owner Stan Kroenke said. “We’ve got some things to do.”
In St. Louis, the Rams won the Super Bowl after the 1999 season, but they have made only five playoff appearances in 21 years, the last in 2004. The Rams have not had a winning record since 2003, and they are coming off a 7-9 season.
Coach Jeff Fisher returns to Southern California, where he grew up and played at USC. He is in the final year of a five-year contract.
The Rams have time to make roster moves before they begin play at the Coliseum, their expected home for the next three seasons before moving into a new Inglewood stadium in 2019. Free agency begins in March, the draft is in Apri l — the Rams have the 15th overall pick — and there is also the option to adjust the roster via trades.
They also are searching for an offensive coordinator. The Rams fired Frank Cignetti in December and promoted assistant head coach and tight ends coach Rob Boras on an interim basis.
Here is a look at the offense, which ranked last in the NFL this season in passing and total offense, as it stands now:
Quarterback
The Rams have been plagued for years by inconsistent play and injuries at the most high-profile position. Six players have started games in the last three seasons.
Last March, the Rams traded the often-injured Sam Bradford, a former No. 1 overall pick, to the Philadelphia Eagles for Nick Foles. Fisher benched Foles after nine games.
Your potential starting quarterback going into the 2016 season: Case Keenum, who will become a restricted free agent in March, meaning if he accepts an offer sheet from another team the Rams would have five days to match it and retain his services. If they lose him, they could be granted one or more compensatory draft picks.
Keenum was a record-breaking passer in college at Houston, but he went undrafted in 2012. He signed with the Houston Texans, was on the practice squad and started eight games in 2013, losing all of them.
The Rams claimed him off waivers before the 2014 season and put him on the practice squad, but the Texans re-signed him and he played in two games. The Rams traded for Keenum before last season, sending the Texans a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft.
Last season, Keenum passed for 828 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. He was 3-2 as the starter. The Rams lost to Baltimore, 16-13, in his first start. Foles returned for two games and Keenum started the final four, going 3-1.
“Case is a blocked field goal and incomplete pass away from being 5-0 as a starter,” Fisher said.
General Manager Les Snead said that Keenum, at one time during the final stretch of the season, “was playing like a top-10 QB. I’m not saying he is a top-10 QB, but he has the mind and the competitiveness to excel.”
Still, the Rams will continue to seek ways to upgrade at every position, including quarterback.
“We’re looking,” Fisher said, “we’re always looking.”
Said Snead: “You’re always searching.”
Foles, entering his fifth pro season, will try to reclaim the starting job after passing for 2,052 yards and seven touchdowns, with 10 interceptions.
Former Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, a third-round pick last year, is third on the depth chart.
Running back
The Rams had the 10th pick in the 2015 draft, and they used it on a running back coming off major knee surgery.
It was the right move.
Todd Gurley sat out the first two games and rushed for only nine yards in six carries in his debut. The former Georgia star went on to rush for 1,106 yards _ third in the NFL _ and 10 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-1, 227-pound Gurley became the first rookie to rush for 125 yards or more in his first four starts. He was the third rookie in Rams history to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing, joining Eric Dickerson and Jerome Bettis.
Tre Mason, who helped lead Auburn to the Bowl Championship Series title game against Florida State during the 2013 season, is second on the depth chart behind Gurley. Mason rushed for 207 yards and a touchdown and also caught 18 passes this season.
Benny Cunningham rushed for 140 yards and caught 26 passes.
Receivers
Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt were the starters for a team that had a league-worst 11 touchdown passes.
Austin caught a team-best 52 passes, five for touchdowns. He also was the second-leading rusher with 434 yards and four touchdowns, and he returned a punt for a touchdown. Britt had 36 catches, three for touchdowns, and averaged 18.9 yards per reception.
Bradley Marquez and veteran Wes Welker, who was signed in November, each caught 13 passes. Brian Quick and Stedman Bailey, who is recovering from injuries suffered in a November shooting incident in Miami, are among other receivers.
“We’ve got to add consistency to that position,” Snead said, noting that receivers had multiple drops in the Rams’ season-ending loss against San Francisco. “I think everybody who dressed at receiver in the game dropped one ball.”
Tight ends Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks had 39 and 25 receptions, respectively, Kendricks converting two into touchdowns.
Cory Harkey, who played at UCLA, caught five passes and was a valuable blocker from the line of scrimmage and from the backfield.
Offensive line
Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in the 2014 draft, is the starting left tackle for a line that helped the Rams rank seventh in rushing. Robinson and center Tim Barnes started every game for a unit that reduced the number of sacks from 47 in 2014 to 18, though the Rams ran the fewest plays in the NFL.
After making Gurley their first draft pick, the Rams focused on offensive linemen. They selected tackle Rob Havenstein in the second round, Jamon Brown in the third, Andrew Donnal in the fourth and Cody Wichmann in the sixth.
All got experience alongside veterans such as Rodger Saffold and Garrett Reynolds.
“A lot of guys got a chance to play, which should make the competition for our starting five better,” Snead said. “They’re young but we’re confident that we’ve got some good, solid players that are going to keep developing.”
Special teams
After two strong seasons, kicker Greg Zuerlein struggled in 2015. He made 20 of 30 field-goal attempts, though he converted one from 61 yards. He was 26 for 28 in 2013 and 24 for 30 in 2014.
Cunningham averaged 28.6 yards per kickoff return. Austin averaged 7.9 yards per punt return and scored a touchdown.[/quote]
January 26, 2016 at 1:56 am #38087znModeratorKey changes for the Los Angeles Rams
NFL | Los Angeles Rams | Key changes for the Los Angeles Rams
Key changes for the Los Angeles Rams
January 25, 2016 by Brendan AbbanTwitterFacebook4EmailPrintMore
The 2016 offseason for the Los Angeles Rams has already gotten off to a crazy start. From the team replacing offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti with assistant head coach Rob Boras, to the team moving to Los Angeles and saying good bye to St Louis. The changes have already begun but it could be debated that there are more changes that could be made.Offensive woes
Los Angeles Rams
Tavon Austin is one of the most dynamic players the Rams have on offense but his full potential has not been realized in this Ram’s offense. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
The changes on the offensive side of the ball have already begun for the Los Angeles Rams who ranked a league worst 32nd. With the firing of Frank Cignetti, the Rams are proving they are not content with being last in practically every offensive category apart from rushing. Cignetti had just been named offensive coordinator this past offseason after the departure of Brian Schottenheimer. Even though Cignetti held the title of offensive coordinator, Fisher also holds some accountability for the offense being so abysmal. Fisher has not coached a top 10 offense throughout his enter tenure in St Louis. The last time Fisher coached a top 10 offense dates back to 2003, over a decade. Although, it was under Cignetti and Fisher’s watch that running back Todd Gurley had such a breakout year and Tavon Austin had the best season of his career but the offense through the air has been disastrous.Tavon Austin was supposed to be one of the most lethal deep threats coming out of West Virginia similar to Desean Jackson but has had yet to have a Jackson like impact. Some of this can possibly be attributed to the fact that since Austin became a Ram he has had six different quarterbacks throwing him the ball none of which have made a pro-bowl except Nick Foles, and everyone knows how that experiment went. As the season progressed teams started to sniff out the Rams tendencies and stacked the box in order to stop Gurley and force them to throw. In games where Gurley rushed for 100 yards the Rams went 4-1. Games where he rushed for under 100 yards they went 2-6. This just shows how badly the Rams need to address the passing game in order to keep defenses honest which caters to my next change the Rams need to address.
Quarterback mediocrity
The Rams haven’t had a serviceable quarterback campaign since Sam Bradford in 2013 where he only played seven games due to injury and before that it was Marc Bulger in 2006. While the Rams thought they had traded for their franchise quarterback last offseason, Nick Foles proved to be Foles gold and was relatively ineffective in the passing game. On the season Foles had a quarterback rating of 30 and a passer rating of 69. The quarterback rating is done on a scale of 0-100 and the highest achievable passer rating is 158.3 which truly speaks to how bad Foles has been as the man under center this season. Even though his replacement Case Keenum also proved to not be the answer either. Through six games Keenum finished the season with a quarterback rating of 47.7 and a passer rating of 87.7. Rookie Marcus Mariota had a better quarterback rating and passer rating(61/91.5) than both of the two seasoned veterans in the league. The point is that the Rams need a productive leader at quarterback, whether they find that quarterback in free agency or the draft remains to be seen but one thing is for sure. If the Rams enter the season playing hot tomato between Keenum and Foles at quarterback, then we can expect much of the same of what we saw this year next year as well.
Head coach
The Rams have been many things over the past few seasons, unfortunately a winning team is not one of them. What they have been though is loyal, loyal to head coach Jeff Fisher. Nearing the end of another playoff absentee season, many were speculating that Ram’s head coach would be part of a list of coaches departing from their respective teams. To the surprise of many though, Jeff Fisher remained as the head coach. Throughout Fisher’s tenure with the Rams the team has had records of 7-8-1, 7-9, -6-10, and 7-9. The team has increased in the level of talent it has on offense and defense but it still has yet to produce a playoff birth. At this point the Rams have a playoff or bust mindset but there have been no indications that Jeff Fisher can be the coach that will get them over the hump.
January 26, 2016 at 2:14 am #38088
HerzogParticipantHe was forced to miss half the 2016 season due to a back injury but still managed to collect 5 sacks.
Impressive
January 29, 2016 at 6:29 pm #38287znModeratorFive questions facing the Los Angeles Rams this offseason
Christian Weiland
The Los Angeles Rams are getting more publicity than ever this offseason. With the recent move to LA, the Rams have all eyes watching them. They are coming off yet another ho-hum season, and fans have to be wondering if they will ever turn the corner. I’ve narrowed down five critical questions that are facing the Rams this offseason.
1. What additions will be made?
This is a question that Rams fans are dying to know. The team is coming off a dismal 7-9 season and the fans must be getting restless. “Average” is the perfect word to describe the LA Rams in the last five years. Additions are need. Big ones. The Rams need some help in a brutal division. The Seahawks and Cardinals continue to evolve and get better, now it’s time the Rams do the same. The additions that are needed are pretty clear in a franchise quarterback, offensive line help, and some fresh talent at wide receiver. Franchise wuarterbacks are diffcicult to come by, but they do seem to have an emerging franchise running back in Todd Gurley. I’m hoping for some big time offensive line additions this offseason.
2. Fisher’s last shot?
Jeff Fisher is a respected name in the world of the NFL. However, in five seasons he has yet to make his mark. The Rams have been at or below .500 in the past five seasons, and the seat keeps getting hotter for Coach Fisher. It seems as if Rob Boras will be retained as OC and Fisher as well as head coach. The NFL isn’t a place you can be average and stay for long. Fisher has a new city to take publicity away from his hot seat, but if things don’t change next season he might be off to a new city by himself.
3. How will the new location affect the fanbase?
Whether they are in St. Louis or in LA, the Rams are still the Rams. That’s the way I look at it. But I realize the pain and discomfort that some fans might be feeling in St. Louis after having their team taken away from them. As with any franchise you hope all can remain the same and the fans will still stick around, but you just never know. It will be a very interesting offseason to see how fans will react to the new city in which the Rams now reside in.
4. Will needs finally be met?
When I think of the needs that need to be met for the LA Rams, three words come to mind: quarterback, wide recievers, offensive line. The quarterback situation is a tiring topic at this point. Ever since the Sam Bradford saga, the Rams just can not seem to find their guy. Bottom line is, is that to be successful in the NFL, a franchise quarterback is an absolute must. Next up we have the reviever position. Tavon Austin hasn’t quite been the splash pick they had hoped for. Lastly, a big need is run blocking help. The Rams need to build around Todd Gurley at this point. He’s the guy, now lets get him some help.
5. What about the defense?
The defensive line is probably the Rams’ strongest asset right now. Arnold David and Robert Quinn are big time players. But could this d-line get even stronger? Yes it could. The Rams could use a fresh defensive end, such as Shawn Oakman out of Baylor. If you’re somehow unsure of who Oakman is, he’s the Baylor defensive end who blew up social media with comedic meme’s after his enormous stature was exposed on national television during a coin toss. How the Rams plan to improve their already solid defensive will be fun to watch.
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