100 NFL predictions that will frame 2016 season

ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15794943/100-nfl-predictions-frame-2016-season-tom-brady-ryan-fitzpatrick-eddie-lacy-jj-watt-von-miller

Tuesday marks 100 days from the start of the 2016 NFL season. What better way to celebrate than with 100 predictions from our crew of NFL reporters? Have at ’em.

1. QB Jimmy Garoppolo will lead the Patriots to a 3-1 record should Tom Brady serve a four-game suspension (at Arizona, vs. Miami, vs. Houston, vs. Buffalo). Garoppolo has shown obvious growth on the practice field and is ready to prove he is a capable NFL starter. — Mike Reiss

2. I’ll do you one better, Mike: Garoppolo’s services won’t be needed. Tom Brady will not miss the first four games of the season. I’m banking on Brady’s legal dream team finding a way to drag out the process again. — Mike Sando

3. Free-agent QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will re-sign with the Jets shortly before training camp. Fitzpatrick needs a team, and the Jets need a starting quarterback. The staring contest will last until late July, with the urgency of training camp finally forcing both sides to the bargaining table. Tough luck, Geno Smith. — Rich Cimini

4. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll will sign a contract extension worth more than $10 million per year before the start of the season. Carroll is in the final year of his contract, but he wants to stay in Seattle until at least 2018. — John Clayton

5. Questions about Eddie Lacy’s weight won’t cease. Even though the Packers’ RB is slightly slimmer than last season, he’ll always be a big running back whose weight will be blamed when he has a poor performance. — Rob Demovsky

6. The Texans will play it safe with J.J. Watt, keeping him on the shelf during the preseason. Watt is recovering from significant surgery after tearing five different core muscles. — Tania Ganguli

7. The NFL will develop a weekly half-hour sitcom featuring vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. The pitch: “A man and his friends laugh, cry and find meaning in the inexplicable (catch) rules of life.” — Kevin Seifert

8. Darren McFadden will be trade bait by the end of the summer. With Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris, the Cowboys will hear from a RB-needy team willing to give up a draft pick for McFadden, who rushed for 1,089 yards last year. — Todd Archer

9. Better wrap your head around the idea: Mark Sanchez will be the quarterback who opens the regular season for the defending Super Bowl champs unless injury gets in the way. And the Broncos are just fine with that because, frankly, they like him more than you’d think. — Jeff Legwold

10. Even with the presence of Alshon Jeffery, 6-foot-3 Bears WR Kevin White will play a significant role near the goal line. Consider that Brandon Marshall and Jeffery ranked one-two in the NFL in end zone targets while with Chicago during the 2013-14 seasons. — Mike Clay

11. Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will play under the franchise tag this season. Both sides want a long-term deal, but unless Washington meets Cousins’ asking price by the July 15 deadline, there’s little incentive for him to sign now. The Redskins want to see more; Cousins is willing to bet that he’ll show them what they want and cash in next offseason. — John Keim

12. The Seahawks have not heard the last from Marshawn Lynch. Able-bodied players generally don’t walk away from good money. Seattle would have to activate or cut Lynch if he chose to return, an awkward situation after the team drafted three running backs. — Mike Sando

13. Carolina’s Kawann Short will sign a long-term deal that makes the 2015 Pro Bowl selection among the five highest paid defensive tackles in the NFL. — David Newton

14. Blaine Gabbert will take first-team reps at quarterback for the 49ers through most of training camp. Coming off three surgeries, Colin Kaepernick isn’t getting the chance to pick up the pace of Chip Kelly’s offense. Gabbert looks in control of the offense at the moment, running plays every 20 seconds. — John Clayton

15. But this is far from a settled QB situation in San Fran, so I’m betting the 49ers will start three different quarterbacks at some point this season. Gabbert, Kaepernick and Jeff Driskel will all get time for Chip Kelly. — Field Yates

16. RB Le’Veon Bell won’t play much in the preseason. The Steelers will be cautious with Bell’s knee, as the star back tries to have his first NFL season without injury. — Jeremy Fowler

17. Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul will be the talk of training camp. He’s focused, healthy and already being hyped about by teammates as looking much different than he did a year ago. — Dan Graziano

18. LB Vontaze Burfict’s three-game suspension at the start of the season will have a minimal impact on the Bengals’ defense. If anything, his Week 4 return will serve as jolt for the Bengals as they work through a tough early season stretch. — Coley Harvey

19. Sam Bradford will remain the Eagles’ No. 1 quarterback through the preseason. First-year head coach Doug Pederson will not want to flip-flop on his first major (and very public) decision. — Phil Sheridan

20. Chiefs LB Justin Houston won’t begin the regular season on the active roster. Despite the optimism that he can be ready when the season starts, Houston had ACL surgery in February and such a speedy return is unlikely. — Adam Teicher

21. Robert Griffin III’s name will be No. 25 on that jersey of Browns’ QB starters since 1999; he’ll start the opener against Philadelphia. But don’t be surprised if, for the fifth season in a row, the Browns start their No. 3 QB in the season finale. That could be rookie Cody Kessler, who’s expected to make the roster either as the No. 2 or No. 3 QB. — Pat McManamon

22. Dolphins coach Adam Gase isn’t spilling the beans on how he plans to use first-rounder Laremy Tunsil, but look for the Ole Miss product to find a home at guard — not offensive tackle — in Year 1. That’s where he’s needed most for this team. — James Walker

23. Colts QB Andrew Luck will sign a contract extension worth between $23 million to $23.5 million per year sometime before the start of training camp. Luck is the franchise and the team needs to lock him up sooner than later. — John Clayton

24. If Luck doesn’t beat him to it first, Saints QB Drew Brees will sign the richest annual salary deal for a QB in NFL history — for the second time in five years. Look for Brees and the Saints to agree to a four-year extension worth more than $90 million on the eve of training camp. — Mike Triplett

25. Falcons RB Tevin Coleman will get ample opportunity to show he can split reps with Devonta Freeman, despite Freeman’s coming off a 1,000-yard, Pro Bowl season. — Vaughn McClure

26. At some point during training camp, you will hear the following question asked on sports-talk radio: How will Russell Wilson’s engagement to Ciara affect his play? I promise to do everything in my power to stop this, but I’m only one man. — Sheil Kapadia

27. The Ravens will run significantly more pass plays with three-plus wide receivers on the field after ranking 27th in the category last season. This will allow intriguing breakout player Breshad Perriman, who has 4.24 40 speed, plenty of opportunities to produce. — Mike Clay

28. Although the Rams will say all the right things about remaining patient, No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff will start at quarterback on opening night against the San Francisco 49ers. The investment to get him was too big and the alternatives so uninspiring that the Rams will ride with their rookie. — Nick Wagoner

29. Harrison Smith will have a new contract by the start of the regular season. The Vikings know they need to get a deal done with the Pro Bowler, who has become one of the NFL’s best at his position. General manager Rick Spielman took the somewhat unprecedented step (for him, at least) of admitting as much after last season. — Ben Goessling

30. In maybe the easiest prediction of the year, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will not attend a Patriots home game in 2016. Relations between the team’s fans and the commissioner are still frosty as Deflategate lingers. — Mike Reiss

31. Brock Osweiler will have some growing pains in his first month as a member of the Texans, but he will ultimately break the franchise record for touchdowns in a season (29). — Tania Ganguli

32. Even though Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has said RB David Johnson will be the team’s bell cow, veteran Chris Johnson will claim the starting job. They’ll continue to pair together for a dynamic “thunder and lightning” backfield, but CJ2K’s experience will win him the job. — Josh Weinfuss

33. One more veteran quarterback — perhaps Nick Foles or Josh McCown — will be traded before the regular season. — Field Yates

34. Tony Romo will get hurt (again), giving Bucs QB Mike Glennon a lot of trade value. A desperate Jerry Jones will make Tampa GM Jason Licht an offer can’t refuse for the fourth-year QB. — Mike DiRocco

35. As RB Melvin Gordon continues to rehab from microfracture knee surgery, don’t be surprised if the Chargers take their time getting him back on the field in training camp and the preseason. San Diego needs its 2015 first-rounder healthy for the regular season. — Eric D. Williams

36. The first time Raiders QB Derek Carr has a rough stretch in a preseason game, a certain segment of fans will call for rookie Connor Cook to supplant Carr. Hey, the backup QB is usually the most popular guy on the team, right? — Paul Gutierrez

37. Colts offensive line coach Joe Philbin is back in his comfort zone and will produce immediate results in Indy, revamping what has been the team’s weakest link. — Mike Wells

38. The biggest concern the Jaguars will have about No. 5 overall pick Jalen Ramsey is which number he’ll wear. He had already made enough strides in the defense before his knee injury that the Jaguars were re-considering using him at only one CB spot. — Mike DiRocco

39. Rest easy, Baltimore: QB Joe Flacco will be ready for the start of training camp. His knee injury will keep him out of spring practices, but Flacco is driven to prove he’s an elite healer. — Jamison Hensley

40. Titans rookie RB Derrick Henry will be the team’s starter by Week 5. He’ll show he’s more valuable than DeMarco Murray, who the team traded for this offseason. — Tania Ganguli

41. The Broncos will write the biggest check in franchise history and give Von Miller that mega-deal he has been wanting. And Miller will show exactly why when he keeps the momentum of last season’s Super Bowl run right into the 2016 season. — Jeff Legwold

42. I’ll go one step further, Jeff: Von Miller will become the highest paid defensive player in league history. — Field Yates

43. Redskins LB Junior Galette will recapture his pre-injury form. He looked so good last summer before tearing his Achilles, and the early reports from coaches and teammates have been positive. Galette had double-digit sacks in both 2013 and 2014. — John Keim

44. Fifth-round pick Jordan Howard will prove to be the Bears’ top RB. It won’t take long for the 230-pound bruiser out of Indiana to overtake the underwhelming Jeremy Langford. — Mike Clay

45. Agree to disagree, Mike: Jeremy Langford will the Bears’ featured rusher, even though John Fox likes the RB-by-committee approach. Eclipsing 1,000 all-purpose yards isn’t out of the question for Langford. — Jeff Dickerson

46. Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson won’t get a long-term contract. Don’t be surprised if Wilkerson, who has yet to sign his $15.7 million franchise tender, skips the entire offseason program, including training camp. That would be a spite move; the deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals is July 15. — Rich Cimini

47. The return of Kelvin Benjamin will propel Cam Newton to even greater heights. A year after winning the MVP while Benjamin was sidelined (ACL), Newton will look to his favorite target early and often. — David Newton

48. Lions first-rounder Taylor Decker will be the starter from day one at left tackle, pushing Riley Reiff to the right side. It might not always go well, but he’ll build a foundation for the future. — Michael Rothstein

49. With Randy Gregory suspended the first four games of the season, Benson Mayowa will win the Cowboys’ right DE job coming out of training camp. He has started three games in his career and has two career sacks. — Todd Archer

50. Shaq Lawson will start the season on PUP, missing at least the first six games. The Bills’ first-round pick underwent shoulder surgery three weeks after being drafted. — Mike Rodak

51. Rookie Sterling Shepard will open as the Giants’ No. 2 wide receiver. Victor Cruz is still a long way off, and there remains a chance he never makes it back. — Dan Graziano

52. We’re in agreement here with Sterling Shepard, Dan. In fact, I’ll go so far to say that the second-rounder will be on the field for nearly every pass play run by the Giants this season. New York has ranked second in the league in three-plus WR sets during each of Ben McAdoo’s two seasons with the team. — Mike Clay

53. The Ravens will trade Eugene Monroe to the first team that loses a starting left tackle to an injury. No. 6 overall pick Ronnie Stanley is the future at left tackle, and the Ravens drafted him because of their questions about Monroe’s ability to protect the quarterback’s blind side. — John Clayton

54. Mike McCarthy isn’t thrilled that the Packers have to play five preseason games this year, so don’t expect to see much of WR Jordy Nelson until it counts after he blew out his knee in an exhibition game last summer. — Rob Demovsky

55. First-round rookie CB Artie Burns will not be a Week 1 starter for Pittsburgh. He’ll be a good player, but Burns is fairly raw and the Steelers will ride with their veterans early. — Jeremy Fowler

56. The Vikings will again try to get Adrian Peterson involved in the passing game, especially as they try to use him in the shotgun more effectively than they did last year. The running back said he wanted to be a better receiver after last season, and he has been working to improve there in the offseason. — Ben Goessling

57. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will cater the offense more to Matt Ryan’s strength as a pocket passer. The addition of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack certainly will help the cause — Vaughn McClure

58. Neither TE Jimmy Graham nor RB Thomas Rawls will play in the preseason for Seattle. Both players are coming off season-ending injuries — ruptured patellar tendon for Graham, fractured ankle for Rawls — and the team will be patient as they get back to full strength. — Sheil Kapadia

59. Joe Thomas will open the season in Philly — as a member of the visiting Browns. Cleveland’s new regime has unloaded veteran players almost as a matter of policy, but none was a truly elite talent. Thomas is, which should keep him in Cleveland. — Mike Sando

60. No player has ever had to explain why 105 catches and 1,304 yards receiving were a “step back” like Demaryius Thomas has this offseason. But book it, Thomas’ offseason work showed he’s poised to be a problem for opposing defenses. — Jeff Legwold

61. Cardinals first-round DT Robert Nkemdiche will make some veterans and incumbent starters sweat in training camp. He’s a top-five talent whose skill will drop jaws the more he’s on the field. Limiting Nkemdiche to 30 plays a game, as is planned, will allow him to harness his energy and explode onto the scene. — Josh Weinfuss

62. The Ravens, who have pushed the NFL to overhaul and expand replay review, will win a game on an unreviewable bad call. Next year: Abolish replay for everyone! — Kevin Seifert

63. Kelvin Beachum will win the left tackle job in Jacksonville. Luke Joeckel, the No. 2 overall pick in 2013, will move inside to left guard. — Mike DiRocco

64. Eagles DE Fletcher Cox will torment offensive linemen in training camp. After skipping OTAs in pursuit of a new contract, Cox will be highly motivated to prove his worth. — Phil Sheridan

65. Even though the Bills are “encouraged” with the progress of QB Tyrod Taylor, he won’t get a contract extension before the regular season. If Taylor turns into a stud this upcoming season, the Bills should have the cap space to assign him the franchise tag next spring. — Mike Rodak

66. 49ers RB Carlos Hyde will be put in protective bubble wrap this preseason and see little, if any, of the field. After all, the 49ers went into a tailspin after Hyde suffered a stress fracture in his left foot last season. — Paul Gutierrez

67. The Chiefs will eventually release running back Knile Davis. He fell from favor and dropped down the depth chart last season, and other teams won’t relinquish a draft pick for a player they know the Chiefs will cut. — Adam Teicher

68. CB James Bradberry will quickly make Carolina fans forget Josh Norman, as the rookie out of Samford will win the starting corner spot opposite Bene Benwikere. — David Newton

69. A year after failing to top 1,000 yards for the first time since 2010, Frank Gore will surprise some with his play. He’s trying to become the first 33-plus-year-old RB to rush for 1,000 yards since 1984. The Colts will scream “Finally!” if Gore does because he’d be their first rusher to eclipse that mark since 2007. — Mike Wells

70. Colts rookie RB Josh Ferguson will be drafted in nearly every fantasy league that takes place in August. Indianapolis made little effort to add depth behind Gore, opening the door for the undersized but explosive scat back out of Illinois to emerge as a coveted handcuff. — Mike Clay

71. Rams DE William Hayes will have HBO subscribers believing in mermaids and rejecting the notion that dinosaurs ever existed after five weeks of watching “Hard Knocks.” OK, maybe we shouldn’t go that far, but Hayes will be the show’s breakout star. — Nick Wagoner

72. RB Lamar Miller will gain 300 yards in the first month of the season. The Texans will use him more than the Dolphins ever did and he’ll reward them. — Tania Ganguli

73. As the Bengals look for a complement to top receiver A.J. Green, expect 2015 practice squad WR Jake Kumerow to get a lot of action this summer. He and rookie Tyler Boyd will be heavily used in the preseason. — Coley Harvey

74. Undrafted rookie RB D.J. Foster (Arizona State) and first-year WR DeAndre Carter (Sacramento State) are two dark-horse candidates who will make a surprise run at roster spots. Foster’s quickness and dual-threat skills as a rusher/pass-catcher give him a chance, and Carter is a spark plug slot receiver. — Mike Reiss

75. The Cowboys won’t trade G Ronald Leary, who’s an unrestricted free agent after this season. The Cowboys know the importance of offensive line depth and are willing to pay him $2.553 million this year and hope for a potential compensatory pick in 2018 when Leary leaves as an unrestricted free agent. — Todd Archer

76. Steelers free-agent TE Ladarius Green will become a breakout star in this offense. He was under-used in San Diego, and Ben Roethlisberger will take advantage of Green’s unique skill set. — Jeremy Fowler

77. Jay Cutler will be caught on camera in-game yelling at offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. Cutler had zero known outbursts with Adam Gase, but Loggains’ temper is more volatile. It’s the perfect storm. — Jeff Dickerson

78. Expect at least one “wow” play from No. 3 overall pick Joey Bosa in the preseason. Bosa is too talented, and Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano will find ways to free up the Ohio State product as a pass-rusher. — Eric D. Williams

79. The Giants will, for the second year in a row, wake up in August and realize they need to sign a veteran safety off the offseason scrap heap. It won’t be Brandon Meriweather again. — Dan Graziano

80. Vikings first-round WR Laquon Treadwell will start from day one. No one on the roster fills Minnesota’s need for a split end like Treadwell, who’s the kind of physical presence the receiver group has been missing. — Ben Goessling

81. Rob Ryan will be a surprise replacement for Rex Ryan at a news conference. You know this will happen at some point. The twin brothers haven’t worked together since 1995, and before the season ends, they’ll find a way to have some fun with the media. — Mike Rodak

82. Who needs a baseball instructor to teach you how to slide? Not QB Andrew Luck. Luck will finally stop being stubborn and realize it’s OK to slide instead of taking unnecessary hits (see early fourth quarter of Week 9 last season). — Mike Wells

83. Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin will sign a contract extension before the start of the season. He’s entering the final year of his deal, and it makes sense for both sides to keep the partnership going after Baldwin enjoyed a breakout performance in 2015. — Sheil Kapadia

84. Terrelle Pryor will make the Browns’ roster as a receiver, and will run, catch and throw the ball for Hue Jackson this season. — Pat McManamon

85. Even with Jared Goff and new passing game coordinator Mike Groh in place, the Rams’ offense will still revolve around RB Todd Gurley. So long as Gurley remains healthy, he’ll average 20-plus touches per game. — Nick Wagoner

86. Detroit will end up with the best combination of facial hair in the league. The Lions already had DeAndre Levy, who has one of the best beards in the league, and they added rookie A’Shawn Robinson’s plush chinstrap in the draft. — Michael Rothstein

87. Speaking of facial hair: Mike McCarthy will shave his beard — again. The Packers’ coach grew one last offseason too, but then shaved it right before the season opener. Look for him in the razor aisle of a Jacksonville area Walgreens in September. — Rob Demovsky

88. Raiders CB D.J. Hayden will respond to the challenge and solidify his standing as the starter … in the slot. Not exactly a first-rounder’s standing, but it’s progress, yes? — Paul Gutierrez

89. Don’t expect TE Coby Fleener to replicate Jimmy Graham’s ridiculous 2011 season. But now that he’s in New Orleans, Fleener will be drafted ahead of Graham in your fantasy league. — Mike Triplett

90. The albino tiger will become a common sight. Jaguars WR Marqise Lee, who was given that nickname by OC Greg Olson, will make it through the entire offseason, training camp, and preseason completely healthy. — Mike DiRocco

91. The Cardinals will sign veterans at cornerback and offensive tackle before the starting of training camp. General manager Steve Keim knows those are two areas where Arizona needs more depth, and Keim does a great job of find one-year solutions. — John Clayton

92. Eagles WR Nelson Agholor will open eyes in his second training camp. After a disappointing rookie season, the 2015 first-round pick bought his own JUGS machine so he could catch passes at home. That’s dedication. — Phil Sheridan

93. Jets DE Sheldon Richardson will be suspended by the NFL. In January, he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, stemming from a high-speed car chase last July — an apparent violation of the league’s personal-conduct policy. It will mark the second straight year that he begins the season on the suspended list. A year ago, it was a substance-abuse violation. — Rich Cimini

94. Dolphins S Reshad Jones will end his holdout soon. The Pro Bowler wants a new contract and is missing voluntary work to prove his point. But don’t expect Jones to risk a fine by missing mandatory minicamp next month or training camp in July. — James Walker

95. Tyler Bray will win the Chiefs’ backup quarterback job over Aaron Murray and rookie Kevin Hogan. He’s the most talented of the bunch, and the fact that he began offseason practice in that role indicates the Chiefs would like him to win this position battle. — Adam Teicher

96. Ben Jones will eat at least one roach by the end of training camp. The Titans’ center has been known for his antics. — Tania Ganguli

97. Ravens will reach an extension with franchise player Justin Tucker. The sides have until July 15 to strike a deal, and it was a good sign that Tucker was at voluntary OTAs. Plus, where else are the Ravens going to find an opera-singing, Matthew McConaughey-impersonating kicker? — Jamison Hensley

98. Jameis Winston’s offseason fitness work will pay off, as the Bucs QB will lead the NFL in passer rating and TD passes in the preseason. — Mike DiRocco

99. No media access policy, be it from the Bills or another team, will contribute to a single win or loss. Nor will it be responsible for raising a single dollar of revenue. — Kevin Seifert

100. Cam Newton will come up with a touchdown celebration that will make the “dab” look drab. — David Newton

US DOCTORS CALL FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE: “ABOLISH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES”

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE GUARDIAN

http://www.occupy.com/article/us-doctors-call-universal-healthcare-abolish-insurance-companies

A group of more than 2,000 physicians is calling for the establishment of a universal government-run health system in the US, in a paper in the American Journal of Public Health.

According to the proposal released Thursday, the Affordable Care Act did not go far enough in removing barriers to healthcare access. The physicians’ bold plan calls for implementing a single-payer system similar to Canada’s, called the National Health Program, that would guarantee all residents healthcare.

The new single-payer system would be funded mostly by existing US government funding. The physicians point out that the US government already pays for two-thirds of all healthcare spending in the US, and a single-payer system would cut down on administrative costs, so a transition to a single-payer system would not require significant additional spending.

“Our patients can’t afford care and don’t have access to the care they need, while the system is ever more wasteful, throwing away money on bureaucratic expenses and absurd prices from the drug companies,” said David Himmelstein, a professor in the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College and lecturer on medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Himmelstein, one of the authors of the plan, said the proposal is meant as a rallying cry for physicians and other healthcare professionals around the cause of a single-payer model. According to the paper, even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act many patients “face rising co-payments and deductibles that compromise access to care and leave them vulnerable to ruinous medical bills”. Despite the current high healthcare spending levels in the US, healthcare outcomes are worse than in comparable well-funded countries.

“There has been a conviction that we can approach this incrementally and get there in small steps and one of the advantages of having passed the ACA is that modest steps can’t do the job, and in a way make it easier to make arguments that we need more fundamental changes,” said Himmelstein.

Under the proposal, all US residents would be able to see any physician of their choosing in the country and be treated at any hospital. With guaranteed coverage and no co-pays, deductibles and premiums, patients would not have financial barriers to seeking care, which would lead to greater utilization of the system and improved health outcomes, Himmelstein argues.

The additional funds would be made up by modest tax increases in exchange for abolishing insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

“We would have to abolish the insurance companies, there is no way around that,” Himmelstein said. The employees at the private insurance companies would be retrained for other jobs, he explains, and receive job placement assistance. The insurance CEOs, who earn multimillion dollar salaries, would not get comparable job placement, Himmelstein said wryly.

Fees for medication would be negotiated with pharmaceutical companies the same way other countries with single-payer systems already negotiate for lower cost medications. Currently, US drug prices are some of the highest in the world.

While Himmelstein acknowledges that the physicians’ proposal would meet with political and business interest opposition, and he can’t say when such a system would realistically have the political backing needed to be implemented, he is hopeful that as more Americans view a single-payer system favorably, pressure will continue to mount on the government.

Proposing a single-payer system in the US is not new. Vermont previously attempted to implement a single-payer system, which passed the legislature but was shut down by the once supportive governor when cost estimates increased beyond what the state was able to afford.

Coloradans will vote this November on whether to institute a single payer system statewide. One of the leaders of the movement in Colorado is state senator Irene Aguilar, who is also a physician. The Colorado proposal would be financed by a payroll tax increase of 7% for employers and 3% for employees. For the self-employed, that would translate into a 10% tax increase.

But Himmelstein said this type of reform can’t be done state by state. The physicians’ plan depends in part on cost containment through having a single payer with the power to negotiate drug pricing with pharmaceutical companies as well as eliminating many levels of bureaucracy in billing and insurance registration.

The American Medical Association (AMA), which is the largest organization of physicians in the US, has opposed the idea of a single-payer model. When contacted, the AMA pointed to its policy regarding evaluating health reform proposals, which states in part that: “Unfair concentration of market power of payers is detrimental to patients and physicians, if patient freedom of choice or physician ability to select mode of practice is limited or denied. Single-payer systems clearly fall within such a definition and, consequently, should continue to be opposed by the AMA.”

But Himmelstein sees change around the corner. “I think the AMA and its member organizations are slowly starting to come around and I am confident that they will eventually come around.” He points to the passing of resolutions by a few of the state medical associations that make up the AMA membership to study the impact of a single-payer system as indicators of change.

For Himmelstein and the other writers of the editorial, the biggest indicator of change seems to be the talk of a single-payer system in the presidential primaries which has brought attention back to the issue.

“Bernie Sanders showed you can do extraordinarily well campaigning on this issue,” said Himmelstein, who is confident that if enough American people demand a single-payer system, Congress will eventually have no choice but to change their minds and support it.

Ranking all 32 NFL head coaches, from worst to first

Ranking all 32 NFL head coaches, from worst to first

32. Mike Mularkey, Titans

Yes, I’m dropping Mularkey below the first-year coaches. Mularkey may have a track record as an NFL head coach, but it’s not very good. His teams have won four of the last 25 games he’s coached. In his four seasons running a team, he’s never produced an offense ranking higher than 25th — not very good for an offensive-minded coach. At least the four newbies have hope.

31. Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers

30. Doug Pederson, Eagles

29. Ben McAdoo, Giants

28. Adam Gase, Dolphins

We’re lumping all of the first-year coaches together, because no one really knows how they’ll fare as head coaches. Gase goes to the front of the line because of his successful runs in both Denver and Chicago. Ben McAdoo gets credit for turning the Giants into a West Coast outfit, which has revived Eli Manning’s career. Pederson did a fine job running Andy Reid’s offense in Kansas City, but he has yet to establish his own productive offense away from his mentor. Koetter did an excellent job with Jameis Winston last year, but his stints in Jacksonville and Atlanta did not go so well.

27. Gus Bradley, Jaguars

Bradley’s been on the job for three years and the team hasn’t really shown any progress on the defensive side. Granted, that should change in 2016 after the front office brought in a number of defensive upgrades. Still, Bradley’s scheme hasn’t evolved since coming over from Seattle, which is concerning.

26. Dan Quinn, Falcons

Quinn is in the same boat as Bradley until he proves he can build a good defense with the group of All-pros he had at his disposal in Seattle. He also drops on this list for some poor game management moments during his first season with the Falcons, specifically his blunder in San Francisco.

25. Jim Caldwell, Lions

Caldwell has a Super Bowl appearance on his resume, but really, that was Tony Dungy’s and Peyton Manning’s team. He lasted just one season in Indianapolis after Manning’s neck injury, and hasn’t done much in Detroit to prove he’s a good head coach. The offense — and he’s a former offensive coordinator — wasn’t very good when the Lions made the playoffs in his first season. It did improve in the second-half of 2015 when Jim Bob Cooter took over the play-calling duties. Cooter (stop giggling) and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who could be in line for a head job in the near future, are the real stars of this show.

24. Jack Del Rio, Raiders

Del Rio has proven he can build a good defense. He did so in both Jacksonville and Denver. The question is whether he can he build a great one. Del Rio’s defenses tend to play conservatively, with few blitzes and a game plan that doesn’t change much week-to-week. You’re not going to take down top quarterbacks — which you have to do to win in the playoffs — with vanilla defenses.

23. Mike McCoy, Chargers

You can’t coach health, so it’s hard to put the Chargers’ recent struggles all on McCoy. He’s produced consistently productive offenses during his three-year tenure in San Diego. And his offense, which is built around quick timing throws, suits Philip Rivers perfectly. The 2016 season — assuming the Chargers finally stay healthy — should give us a better idea of just how good McCoy really is.

22. Jeff Fisher, Rams

How does this guy still have a job? People complain about Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, but at least he gets his teams to the playoffs. Fisher hasn’t produced a winning record in seven years. The offense has been dreadful during his run and the defense, which has been loaded with talent, has underachieved.

21. Jason Garrett, Cowboys

We all agree Tony Romo is a very good quarterback, right? Maybe not top-five but definitely in the top-10. So why have the Cowboys made the playoffs only once under Garrett? The teams that consistently make the playoffs usually have two things: A good quarterback and a good coach. Dallas has the first part of that combo down. So what does that say about Garrett?

20. Chuck Pagano, Colts

Judging by the players’ reaction to owner Jim Irsay announcing Pagano’s surprising contract extension, the team clearly likes playing for him. His defenses, though, have been underwhelming, ranking outside the top-20 every season except for 2014. It’s fair to wonder how much of Pagano’s impressive win-loss record (41-23) is based on the brilliance of Andrew Luck.

19. Marvin Lewis, Bengals

One thing you can say about Lewis is he knows how to pick his coordinators. In the last two years, he’s seen three of his play-callers leave for head jobs. And despite all of that coaching talent under him, and all the talent he has on the roster, he has yet to lead the Bengals to a playoff victory.

18. Hue Jackson, Browns

A year from now, Jackson could crack the top-10 on this list. His quarterback-friendly offense should get Robert Griffin III’s career back on track — maybe not 2012 levels, but close. I’ve learned not to doubt Jackson after he turned Andy Dalton into an MVP candidate. Don’t be surprised if the Bengals offense falls off with Jackson leaving for Cleveland.

17. Jay Gruden, Redskins

Say what you want about Gruden’s handling of the RG3 situation, the man knows how coach up an offense. He makes things easy for Kirk Cousins, setting up simple either/or reads that put the ball in his playmakers’ hands in space. Washington led the league in yards after catch in 2015, according to SportingCharts.com.

16. Rex Ryan, Bills

Ryan is known as a brilliant defensive mind, but he’s going to need a bounce back season to retain that title. He hasn’t produced a top-10 unit in three seasons, and he hasn’t led his team to a winning record since 2010.

15. Todd Bowles, Jets

Boasting the most aggressive defensive scheme in the league, Bowles needed only a season to turn the Jets’ declining defense into one of the league’s better groups. And he managed to do so with out any dominant edge-rushers. That’s not much of a surprise after the work he did in Arizona, patching together a banged-up defense and keeping it in the top-half of the league’s statistical rankings.

14. Gary Kubiak, Broncos

He has a Super Bowl ring now, but let’s be serious: Most of the credit belongs to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and his historically great defense. Kubiak’s offense is usually productive — well, unless the quarterback is a decaying Peyton Manning — but he can get a little too conservative at times.

13. Bill O’Brien, Texans

O’Brien earned his spot on this list after leading the Texans to consecutive winning records despite having Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum, Brian Hoyer, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden making starts at quarterback. Brock Osweiler may not be a franchise passer, but he’s better than anyone O’Brien has had to work with since coming to Houston.

12. John Fox, Bears

Yes, he’s conservative, but Fox always gets the most out of his teams. He took both the Panthers and the Broncos to the Super Bowl, and he’s got the Bears on track to make a run at the playoffs in 2016.

11. Chip Kelly, 49ers

We won’t punish Kelly the Coach for Kelly the General Manager’s decisions. He’s still one of the more innovative offensive coaches in the league and somehow managed to churn out yet another top-15 scoring offense despite all the Eagles’ issues. His 26-21 record is pretty impressive considering who he’s had at the quarterback position.

10. Andy Reid, Chiefs

OK, so maybe Reid still hasn’t figured out how to manage the clock, but you can’t deny his track record as a coach. His teams have missed the playoffs only six times over his 17 seasons as a head coach. And Reid’s offenses have landed in the top-10 in points scored in 10 of those seasons.

9. Mike McCarthy, Packers

Everything we just said about Reid applies to McCarthy. He’s not great at managing a game, but he knows how to get his teams to the playoffs. Last season was the first the Packers did not have a top-10 scoring offense.

8. Ron Rivera, Panthers

The Panthers were patient with Rivera as he went through some growing pains over the first few years of his head coaching career, and he’s repaid the organization. His biggest strength is developing young defensive talent. Despite all of the turnover in the secondary over the last few seasons, the defense is still one of the best units in the league. And Rivera deserves a lot of credit for not trying to turn Cam Newton into more of a traditional quarterback.

7. John Harbaugh, Ravens

Harbaugh deserves a pass for last year’s debacle. The Ravens sent an inordinate number of players to IR. It was only the second time the Ravens missed the playoffs in Harbaugh’s eight years in charge.

6. Mike Tomlin, Steelers

Tomlin might not be as hands-on when it comes the X’s and O’s as some other coaches on this list, but his players always play hard for him. And he’s done a good job handling his assistants. When he was given the job, Tomlin was smart enough to leave Dick LeBeau in charge of the defense instead of installing his own scheme. And the unpopular hire of Todd Haley has turned out to be a brilliant move.

5. Sean Payton, Saints

There’s no offensive coach in the NFL better at creating favorable match-ups than Payton. That’s how the Saints offense remains in the top-half of the league without elite talent at the receiver position. While most other quarterbacks see their production fall off when their top targets go down, Drew Brees just keeps putting up 4,000-yard seasons.

4. Mike Zimmer, Vikings

Zimmer is the most creative defensive play-caller in the league. And more importantly, he knows how to develop young talent. Case in point: It took him only two years to turn Anthony Barr, who was seen as a raw prospect who would take some time to develop, into an All-pro caliber player. The Vikings defense is going to be very good for a very long time.

3. Bruce Arians, Cardinals

Is there a more aggressive coach in the league? Arians isn’t jumping on the dink-and-dunk trend most NFL offenses are now favoring. The Cardinals offense is going to attack defenses downfield and do it relentlessly. And that mindset has carried over to the defense. No team captures the personality of its coach more than Arizona. Arians also produces results. His teams have never won fewer than nine games, and that includes his 12-game stint as the Colts interim coach, when Indianapolis went 9-3.

2. Pete Carroll, Seahawks

No team plays harder than the Seahawks. It doesn’t matter what the score is (see: Seattle’s playoff loss in Carolina last season), Carroll’s teams never seem to give up. The players buy into his “Always Compete” philosophy, so you won’t ever see the team get complacent. His overly-enthusiastic approach wasn’t supposed to work in the NFL, but it’s hard to argue with the results. The Seahawks have made the playoffs five times in Carroll’s six years as head coach.

1. Bill Belichick, Patriots

Belichick is the greatest coach in NFL history. It’s not even debatable at this point. Other coaches have had bigger impacts on the game thanks to innovative schemes. But that’s what separates Belichick from the rest of the pack: There is no Belichick system. His defenses have employed a number of different schemes throughout his reign. What started out as pure 3-4 defense favoring zone coverage behind well designed blitzes has morphed into a 3-4/4-3 hybrid front with the secondary locked in man coverage. Belichick isn’t tied to any one scheme. Schemes grow old and get replaced by the next big thing. The game is constantly evolving, and, somehow, Belichick always seems to be ahead of the evolutionary curve.

Congressional report says NFL waged improper campaign to influence government study

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/15667689/congressional-report-finds-nfl-improperly-intervened-brain-research-cost-taxpayers-16-million

WASHINGTON — At least a half-dozen top NFL health officials waged an improper, behind-the-scenes campaign last year to influence a major U.S. government research study on football and brain disease, congressional investigators have concluded in a new report.

The 91-page report describes how the NFL pressured the National Institutes of Health to strip the $16 million project from a prominent Boston University researcher and tried to redirect the money to members of the league’s committee on brain injuries. The study was to have been funded out of a $30 million “unrestricted gift” the NFL gave the NIH in 2012.

After the NIH rebuffed the NFL’s campaign to remove Robert Stern, an expert in neurodegenerative disease who has criticized the league, the NFL backed out of a signed agreement to pay for the study, the report shows. Taxpayers ended up bearing the cost instead.

The NFL’s actions violated policies that prohibit private donors from interfering in the NIH peer-review process, the report concludes, and were part of a “long-standing pattern of attempts” by the league to shape concussion research for its own purposes.

“In this instance, our investigation has shown that while the NFL had been publicly proclaiming its role as funder and accelerator of important research, it was privately attempting to influence that research,” the report states.

Democratic members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce launched the investigation in December after Outside the Lines reported that the NFL backed out of the seven-year study, which aims to find methods for detecting — in living patients — chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a disease found in dozens of deceased NFL players.

The report, first obtained by Outside the Lines, also shows:

• The co-chairman of the NFL’s committee on brain injuries, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, was one of the league’s “primary advocates” opposing Stern, even though Ellenbogen had applied for the same grant and stood to benefit personally. Ellenbogen previously denied to Outside the Lines that he tried to influence the NIH, but the report sharply criticizes his actions.

• The NFL was warned that taxpayers would have to bear the cost of the $16 million study and that the NIH would be “unable to fund other meritorious research for several years” if the league backed out. The NFL offered a last-minute $2 million payment after an intermediary suggested a partial contribution would “help dampen criticism.” The NIH turned down the offer.

• Even after an NIH review panel upheld the award to Stern, the NFL sought to funnel the $16 million to another project that would involve members of the league’s brain injury committee. The plan would have allowed the NFL researchers to avoid the NIH’s rigorous peer-review process. NIH Director Francis Collins rejected the idea.

Behind the NFL’s donations for brain research is a funding apparatus that some researchers believe steers research away from potentially uncomfortable truths about football and brain disease.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, told Outside the Lines that the NFL’s attempts to influence the NIH threatened to compromise the integrity of the research.

“Once you get anybody who’s heavily involved with the NFL trying to influence what kind of research takes place, you break that chain that guarantees the integrity, and that’s what I think is so crucial here,” Pallone said. “Fortunately, the NIH didn’t take the bait. It shouldn’t be a rigged game. If it is, then people won’t really know whether what we’re finding through this research is accurate.”

The NFL has repeatedly denied that it withheld funding because of objections to Stern, a professor of neurology and neurosurgery and the director of clinical research at Boston University’s CTE Center. But in emails and phone calls documented by congressional investigators, league officials said they believed Stern was biased and his selection marred by a conflict of interest because a grant reviewer had previously appeared on a scientific paper with one of Stern’s colleagues. The NIH ruled that the allegations were unfounded.

Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of health and safety, told investigators that the NFL voiced its concerns through appropriate channels and believed it had done nothing out of the ordinary.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy on Monday said: “The NFL rejects the allegations laid out … There is no dispute that there were concerns raised about both the nature of the study in question and possible conflicts of interest. These concerns were raised for review and consideration through the appropriate channels. … It is deeply disappointing the authors of the Staff Report would make allegations directed at doctors affiliated with the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee without ever speaking to them.”

However, Dr. Walter Koroshetz, who directs the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for the NIH, described the NFL’s campaign as unprecedented, telling investigators he “was aware of no other instance” in which a private donor attempted to intervene in the NIH grant selection process.

“They wanted to look like the good guy, like they were giving money for this research,” said Pallone, the ranking member on the Energy and Commerce Committee. “But as soon as they found out that it might be somebody who they don’t like who’s doing the research, they were reneging on their commitment, essentially.”

According to a five-page research plan provided in the report, the NFL agreed to the objectives of the CTE study in July 2014 and committed $16,325,242 — nearly the entire budget. The document was signed by NFL general counsel Jeff Pash, along with representatives of the NIH and the Foundation for the NIH (FNIH), a non-profit organization. In addition to raising money, the FNIH was created by Congress to help preserve the independence of the NIH, the nation’s largest biomedical institution.

The report indicates the FNIH “failed” in that role, which resulted in the NFL “circumventing appropriate protocols of communication, attempting to influence NIH’s selection of grant recipients and ultimately violating its obligation to provide funding for that grant.” The FNIH had no immediate comment Monday.

The NFL first registered its concerns in spring 2015, after the NIH notified Stern that his group had been selected. As Outside the Lines has previously reported, a competing proposal for the grant was led by Kevin Guskiewicz, a prominent concussion researcher who chairs the NFL’s Subcommittee on Safety Equipment and Playing Rules, and included three other NFL advisers, including Ellenbogen.

On June 17, Dr. Elliot Pellman, the NFL medical director who once ran the league’s discredited concussion research program, emailed Dr. Maria Freire, FNIH executive director, to say the NFL had “significant concerns [regarding] BU and their ability to be unbiased and collaborative.” He asked Freire to “slow down the process until we all have a chance to speak and figure this out.”

Freire forwarded the email to Koroshetz.

“Yes, we knew this was coming,” Koroshetz replied the next day, according to the report. “Lots of history here. But our process was not tainted and all above board. … Trouble is of course that the [Stern] group is led by people who first broke the science open, and NFL owners and leadership think of them as the creators of the problem.”

Less than a week later, the NFL’s chief health and medical adviser, Dr. Betsy Nabel, emailed Koroshetz directly. She attached a 61-page affidavit that Stern had submitted in support of players who opposed the settlement of a class action lawsuit against the NFL in 2014.

“I hope this group is able to approach their research in an unbiased manner,” Nabel wrote, according to the report.

On June 29, the FNIH arranged a conference call to discuss the NFL’s objections. Along with Miller, the report states the NFL was represented by Ellenbogen and Dr. Hunt Batjer — the co-chairmen of the Head, Neck and Spine Committee, which helps set league concussion policy — and another committee member, Dr. Mitch Berger. (During Super Bowl week in February, Berger made headlines by saying he did not believe a link had been established between football and brain disease.)

On the conference call, the NFL raised concerns about Stern’s alleged bias and the potential conflict of interest during the peer-review process.

Koroshetz told investigators that shortly thereafter, Ellenbogen called back to reiterate that “he could not recommend that the NFL fund the BU study, because he believed that Dr. Stern had a conflict of interest and that the grant application process had been tainted by bias.”

Ellenbogen previously denied to Outside the Lines that he was part of any effort by the league to influence funding, saying that he doesn’t know Stern “and therefore do not have an opinion of him.”

The report is particularly critical of Ellenbogen, who chairs the neurological surgery department at University of Washington, for intervening as both a grant applicant and a representative of the NFL.

“Dr. Ellenbogen is a primary example of the conflicts of interest between his role as a researcher and his role as an NFL adviser,” the report states. “He had been part of a group that applied for the $16 million grant. After his group was not selected, Dr. Ellenbogen became one of the NFL’s primary advocates in expressing concerns surrounding the process with the BU grant selection. … This series of events raises significant questions about Dr. Ellenbogen’s own bias.”

Through last fall, the NIH struggled to find out whether the NFL would honor its commitment to pay for the study.

“Clearly, it would be best if [the NIH] could count on the entire support from the NFL for the CTE project, as originally agreed,” Freire wrote Miller on Oct. 19.

In a separate email, she noted, the NFL had put the NIH “in a difficult budgetary situation because this is a very large grant — a cost that was not expected to be paid by taxpayers’ dollars.” Using public money would mean the NIH “will be unable to fund other meritorious research for several years.”

Freire proposed that the NFL at least pay for the first year.

“Frankly, this would also be an important statement about NFL’s commitment to research and will help dampen criticism,” she wrote. “We understand that this is a very awkward situation all around, but some level of compromise would be the best possible solution.”

Six weeks later, the NIH was still waiting on the league.

In December, days before the study was to be announced, the NFL offered to contribute $2 million, Miller told investigators.

At the same time, the NFL was continuing its efforts to redirect the $16 million to its own researchers, according to the report.

Another member of the Head, Neck and Spine Committee, Dr. Russell Lonser, a former NIH researcher, reached out to a senior NIH official to explore using the $16 million for a project that would involve the same NFL advisers. Under the plan, the researchers would not have been subjected to the NIH’s peer-review process.

The report indicates Lonser’s actions were “inappropriate” and “in direct contravention of NIH policy prohibiting donor involvement in the grant decision-making process.”

The congressional investigators applaud the NIH leadership for maintaining “the integrity of the science and the grant-review process,” but it adds that the NIH “may have gone too far in attempting to accommodate the NFL.”

The report, which will be distributed to officials with the NFL, the NIH and the FNIH, recommends that the three groups amend their current agreement to ensure that “each party has a clear understanding of its role for the remainder of this partnership.” The congressional committee will follow up with the NIH and the FNIH on its recommendations, which include establishing clearer guidelines for donors and communication with NIH officials.

The Stern study, which will include 50 researchers from 17 institutions and hundreds of former college and NFL players who will participate as subjects, officially launches next week in Boston.

Pallone told Outside the Lines the NFL’s actions are particularly harmful to the league’s players: “It says to them that they really can’t trust the NFL to do the right thing.”

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said on SportsCenter on Monday that the union decided, years ago, to split from the NFL on such matters because of the league’s conflicted history around brain research. He said the league has no commitment to the health and safety of its players.

“It’s one of the most troubling and disturbing reports I’ve seen,” Smith said of the Outside the Lines story Monday, adding he wasn’t surprised, however. “It reaffirms the fact that the league has its own view about how they care about players in the NFL.”

Pallone said he hopes the report will push the league to make changes.

“The history with the league is, if you catch them, then they start to listen,” Pallone said.

Prime Time says: These are selected questions and answers. There are a lot of remarks about Stan Kroenke’s comments concerning Kurt Warner which I chose not to post, except for one to use as an example, because they show a lack of creativity and are just plain boring. Actually JT is pretty magnanimous with most of these questions. I wouldn’t have the same amount of patience. To read the whole chat click the link below. You will not learn anything new but hopefully at least be amused at times.

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Jim Thomas: NFL Chat

http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_17?Page=0

Do you think that Greg Robinson can take the obvious next step this year and be a positive contributor. We could sure use a number 2 pick to stand up and live up to his draft position

THOMAS: Sure. If not, I think the Rams really have to wonder if he’s NFL left tackle material. But as he enters his third year, he should be well-versed enough in terms of knowing protections, knowing how to handle line stunts, etc. Obviously, the holding penalties must drop. He had a league-high 11 last season. And he’s got to clean up technique and be more patient on his pass sets.

————

Boy, that ’06 draft was a disaster! And ’05 + ’07 weren’t much better…

THOMAS: Yeah there’s a lot to choose from in terms of bad Rams drafts in St Louis, but I think the ’06 edition takes the prize. The booby prize that is. Tye Hill, Joe Klopfenstein, Claude Wroten, Jon Alston, Dominique Byrd. What a murderer’s row. . .pause. . .NOT! And the ’07 version wasn’t far behind with Adam Carriker, Brian Leonard, Jonathan Wade, and Dustin Fry at the top.

At least Leonard turned out to be a pretty good role player (you just don’t draft a role player in the second round). And Carriker would’ve been better off had he been drafted by a 3-4 team to play end. Injuries plagued him over parts of his career as well.

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Jim, what did you think of Bradford’s “trade me” demand?

THOMAS: Obviously a bad move. Although I do think the Philadelphia front office mishandled this by signing Bradford to an extension with $11 million in up-front signing bonus money and then signing Chase Daniel to $6 million in signing bonus and roster bonus money. You spend all that money and then you go out and trade a bunch of draft picks for Carson Wentz?

—–

Over or under 1500 yards for Gurley ?

THOMAS: I’m gonna say under. I see him at about 1,400 yards in 2016, barring injury.

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THOMAS: Yeah who knew? I also heard recently that Kroenke was the one who suggested that Ozzie Smith do a backflip on the way out to shortstop. Thought it might energize the crowd.

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THOMAS: I think we’re talking about a tweaking of the status quo. I’d be surprised to see anything resembling a radical departure from the conservative, run-first approach that Jeff Fisher’s teams have employed for the last couple of decades.

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THOMAS: I’d be surprised if it wasn’t Goff. It’s hard for me to imagine spending that many draft picks to move up to No. 1 for a guy and not have him in the lineup on opening day. As for what the depth chart may or may not say, I wouldn’t pay too much attention to that at this time of year.

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THOMAS: To my knowledge, the most recent-tenured players the Legends organizers approached were Chris Long and James Laurinaitis, who obviously both had long stints in St. Louis. I don’t think either plans on attending. I also think Steven Jackson was invited. But the primary purpose of the get-together was to reunite many of the Greatest Show players to say thanks and goodbye.

—–

THOMAS: It’s just based on seeing him up-close in a press conference setting on a couple of occasions. And a couple of other media members who I respect came away with the same impression. Maybe he’ll relax more as he grows into the job. Hey, Bradford was similar in a way when he came out and gradually relaxed to a degree around the St. Louis media. It was just a first impression; I wouldn’t read all that much into it.

—–

THOMAS: I’d say he’s right about where the Rams hoped he would be at this point. He really developed a lot over the past season. Remember, he was a Day 3 pick _ fourth round.

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THOMAS: You make some interesting points. Mannion has very little in the way of mobility, but I do think he has a strong arm and good accuracy. The Rams obviously think Goff can be a difference-maker at quarterback.

—–

THOMAS: Agreed. There’s no doubt Goff has some talent. Whether he has enough talent, and enough talent around him, to get the team over .500 and into the playoffs remains to be seen.

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THOMAS: The Rams didn’t really hype Bradford. He came into the NFL as a Heisman Trophy winner with lots of national acclaim. Now Goff may be very talented. He may turn out to be a better pro than Bradford. But he enters the NFL without the resume or the team success that Bradford had in college.

—–

THOMAS: As we sit here now he is a full-time starter, and there aren’t really any alternatives to him starting. I know he was coming back from a severe shoulder injury last year, but I expected more from him. Much more. I’m sure a lot of us did. Having a full offseason will help this time around. That wasn’t the case a year ago.

—–

THOMAS: I’m not really aware of what the “trolls” may or may not have been saying. I know it’s basically asking the impossible but I wish the LA and StL fans could get along. This has never been about the fans _ the Rams leaving LA and now the Rams leaving St. Louis. It has been at the fans’ expense. And neither fan base deserved what happened. The only distinction I make is that in the case of St. Louis it had a stadium plan in place. One that was much better than the league or Kroenke would admit to. There was nothing resembling a stadium plan in place in Orange County in 1994.

—–

THOMAS: An olive branch from the West Coast. But keep in mind, Rams fans here are dealing with a stormy divorce after 21 years of marriage. You don’t get over that quickly.

—–

THOMAS: Prior to this offseason when the Rams lost 4 defensive starters (Jenkins, McLeod, Long, Laurinaitis) I know the Rams’ defense was highly thought of around the league. Very highly thought of by some. I know of one organization that teased their head coach: “You’d be 14-2 with the Rams’ defensive talent.” But it takes more than defense to win championships. Gurley is a great piece, obviously. I think Goff can be a good piece. But there are some holes on the depth chart, and the talent level at WR and TE is hardly ideal.

—–

THOMAS: I’m not aware of any calls on Mannion.

—–

THOMAS: Well, I’m hardly the expert on the Chiefs. But I hope to familiarize myself with them more as we approach the 2016 season. A key for them on defense, of course, is the status of Justin Houston following his knee surgery. If he’s right, he’s one of the game’s most dominant pass rushers. But his playing status is uncertain for next year.

—–

THOMAS: Even anything, I think last season’s experience in Philly should’ve humbled Murray to a degree and sharpened his focus. Hopefully, he’s in a better offensive system _ one that will maximum his one-cut-and-go style more than was the case with the Eagles. Having a power back such as Henry to share the load will help. I do like Mariota. Having a strong running game around him can’t hurt.

—–

THOMAS: I’m going to say. . .the Cubs.

—–

THOMAS: “Insider status”?

—–

THOMAS: I liked the two WR picks. I’m big on college production in drafting, and it’s hard to argue with the production of Pharoh Cooper and Mike Thomas in college. Now, how quickly they can adjust to the NFL game and how much they can contribute at this level _ who knows? But they were good value for where the Rams got them in the draft.

—–

THOMAS: Well, Austin obviously can get deep, but most of his big plays haven’t really come on deep balls. Britt and Quick have some downfield ability. So I do see your point. And with a still inexperienced line and quite possibly a rookie QB starting on Day 1, I’m not sure you want all that many 7-step drops.

—–

THOMAS: Maybe, but the Rams gave up only 18 sacks last year. The pass-blocking actually was better than expected.

—–

The 18 sacks is very misleading, the Rams also ranked dead last in QB rating

[/i]THOMAS: Yeah, but the question was on pass-blocking not quarterback play.

—–

THOMAS: Yeah it did. He was about a 55% completion passer in college. That just doesn’t cut it in the NFL. There’s only so much you can do when it comes to improving accuracy.
—–
———

THOMAS: They will have to do something, unless they’ve unearthed a gem in Copper or Thomas, or the light switch comes on for Quick. I’ll recycle this stat for you from last year: Receptions and yards for Julio Jones in 2015: 137 for 1,871. Receptions and yards for Antonio Brown in 2015: 136 for 1,834. Receptions and yards for ENTIRE RAMS WR CORPS in 2015: 137 for 1,635.

—–

THOMAS: Usually players who have had long NFL careers don’t end up as coaches. The hours for an assistant coach are unending. And if you’re financially secure from a long career, why put yourself through that. Also there’s the great player factor. How many great QBs end up as coordinators or QB coaches? Plus, I think it’s often a case where they can’t coach what they did as players _ because they had such rare skill.

—–

THOMAS: I’m not entirely sure that the coaching staff would agree with that assessment. I know of one internal review that had Barnes rated as the team’s best offensive lineman in 2015. Barnes was a lot better over the second half of last season. And there are other intriguing options as well, including Demetrius Rhaney.

—–

THOMAS: Nothing earthshattering. He and his wife Audrey, aka The Barracuda, just got back from a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Charley still keeps an eye on the game. And gets to St. Louis a couple times a year. I think in a way he likes the Rams’ move up to get a QB but realizes that in cases like this you’re often grooming the QB for the next coach.

—–

THOMAS: Interesting that you should mention this. I wondered if the Cardinals would make a run at Paxton Lynch at the end of the first round for just that reason. I think Palmer still has a couple, three years left. But I think if you put the truth serum into the Cardinals’ front office/coaching staff, I think they realize they have a short window to win a Super Bowl with their current group of players.

—–

THOMAS: There are a lot of interesting pickups. Chubb the linebacker from Wake Forest. Fox, who dominated as a pass rusher at the Division II level. Both of the St. Louis product are interesting and were highly successful at the smaller-college level _ Jordan, the defensive back from Missouri Western and McRoberts, the wide receiver from Southeast Missouri.

—–

THOMAS: Man, everybody seems to be handing it to Ezekiel Elliott at this point.

—–

THOMAS: Yeah, at face value it’s kind of sketchy. But keep in mind, the Cowboys just hold training camp there. And the Rams will only be there in terms of OTAs for about another month or so.

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THOMAS: A young Mark Davis?

—–

THOMAS: Wow. That’s a good one. I’m gonna say. . . Tavon Austin.

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THOMAS: No one likes calling a player dumb. It’s a helluva thing to call someone.

—–

THOMAS: Until now, I’ve been almost as busy as usual. But it changes now without rookie minicamp or OTAs to cover. As for the rest of the media, most that cover the Rams have also covered other teams over the years. So they’ve been spending more time with the Blues and the Cardinals lately.

—–

THOMAS: Cunningham looks like the third-down back again. Tre Mason, assuming he puts the off-field issue behind him fills in. Trey Watts, remember, is still serving the indefinite drug suspension.