Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › ESPN/Football Outsiders rank Rams 5th In Under-25 Talent
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August 5, 2016 at 5:49 am #50184
znModeratorESPN Ranks Los Angeles Rams 5th In Under-25 Talent
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/8/4/12376480/los-angeles-rams-espn-youth-under-25-talent-draft-talentOver at ESPN, Football Outsiders’ rankings of the NFL’s 32 teams based on under-25 talent (insider subscription required) came out today, and the Rams came in fifth.
It’s a bit of a slide from last year’s #3 ranking and 2014’s #1 overall spot, but it’s still a strong place to be in and indicates the wealth of young talent the Rams have built up since Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher and General Manager Les Snead arrived in 2012.
Here’s how ESPN & FO qualified the Rams’ fifth-overall ranking this year:
The Rams have finished in the top five of these rankings for three straight years, yet Jeff Fisher hasn’t been able to get this team over the 8-8 hump. His excuses are running out, as the Rams continue to stockpile U25 talent, even as some players (namely Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald) no longer qualify.
Todd Gurley should have his eyes on the rushing title this year, and with Le’Veon Bell suspended, he might be the best U25 back in the league. His offensive line has three U25 starters, including a former No. 2 overall pick (left tackle Greg Robinson), and we only charted right tackle Rob Havenstein with two blown blocks in 2015. Pharoh Cooper, even as a fourth-round rookie, has a good shot to produce in this passing game right away.
The defense has aged to the point where we’re mostly just talking about Alec Ogletree and E.J. Gaines at U25, but that’s fine. The Rams should get their share of credit for landing quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Our QBASE projection system heavily favored Goff over Carson Wentz, and no matter when he makes his debut in Los Angeles, Goff will be a long-term improvement over the Rams’ other options at quarterback.
To come in at #5 without Aaron Donald qualifying is pretty amazing. Things get kind of thrown off based on when players come in the league, and you tend to meld their ages together. Michael Brockers is about six months older than Aaron Donald but has four NFL seasons under his belt compared to AD’s two. You can filter the roster on the team page to see who’s under the 25-year limit.
FWIW, here’s their methodology:
The number of games in 2015 started by players under the age of 25
The number of snaps played in 2015 by players under the age of 25
Whether a team’s young starters last season were simply injury replacements
The number of under-25 first-team All-Pros and Pro Bowl players a team has on its roster (All-Pros were given more weight than Pro Bowls)
Positional value (young quarterbacks and positions impacting the passing game carry more weight; backup running backs and kickers are devalued)
The amount of value a team added in the 2016 draft, with a focus on the first two rounds (premium picks)
The expected number of key starters and reserves under the age of 25 in 2016
A team’s recent track record of developing and retaining young talent
Players with significant injury or suspension issues in 2016 are downgraded
What do you think, TSTers? Does #5 sound fair? Too high? Is the slide over two years worrisome or are you still comfortable being in the top handful?August 5, 2016 at 12:45 pm #50228
bnwBlockedWow what a way to cook a turd. Rams draft #1 OVERALL and FALL to 5th this season from 3rd last season in under 25 talent? Is that turd served on a bun or a plate?
The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.
Sprinkles are for winners.
August 6, 2016 at 9:44 am #50285znModeratorYouth movement: Rams have only 18 players over 25, one over 30
steve Dilbeck
IRVINE, Calif. — Ah, youth. So fleeting, so exciting, so very unpredictable.
The Rams were one of the league’s youngest team’s last season and went 7-9.
They had the worst passing game in the NFL and are now expected to turn the offense over to 21-year-old quarterback Jared Goff. Their star player is 22-year-old running back Todd Gurley. Their defensive standout is a comparative old man, 25-year-old tackle Aaron Donald.
Los Angeles’ William Hayes
At 31, defensive end William Hayes qualifies as a grizzled veteran on the Rams.
Indeed, on their roster they have exactly one player over 30. Starting defensive end William Hayes is a team aberration, sliding in at age 31.In ESPN’s annual age rankings for every NFL team released this week, the Rams came in as the league’s fifth youngest team. That’s actually an uptick from last year when this massive team was in full bloom and they were at No. 3.
But on their 89-man roster this season, they have only 18 players over the age of 25. Half of those, however, are expected to start. That still leaves plenty of young starters, who for the most part, will be backed up by even younger players.
So it may not be peach fuzz all around, but youth clearly still abides as the Rams try to win over their new Los Angeles fan base.
All that youth began to show promise last season. The Rams won three of their last four games, losing the season finale to the 49ers in San Francisco in overtime. Which is where they open the regular season next month.
If youth is to be served, and the Rams are going to make that next step as a developing team, they need it to be now.
August 6, 2016 at 10:35 am #50288znModeratorRams have only 18 players over 25, one over 30
This is a direct result of 2 things IMO.
1. They have only 6 guys on the roster from before 2012 (Quinn, Sims, Saffold, Barnes, Kendricks, Reynolds).
2. They got out of the high-end FA market. It didn’t help that of their 4 biggest contracts for FAs, 3 got massively injured (Finnegan, Long, Wells) and 1 (Cook) wasn’t worth the money. They do better in the lower FA market (Hayes, Reynolds, Fairley, Ayers). IMO one aspect of this is that buying expensive FAs now takes future cap space away for when they have to re-up Donald and Goff.
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