Rams tweets etc. …. 9/7 – 9/9

from The Athletic, One bold prediction for every NFL team: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7565781/2026/09/07/nfl-2026-bold-season-predictions/?source=twitterhq&unlocked_article_code=1._VA.EkkJ.LgJCAXFF-lP9

Los Angeles Rams: Rams will break NFL’s sack record

The Rams will have the only defensive line in NFL history with two players with 100 career sacks and a 20-sack season in Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. Garrett just set the single-season sack record with 23 last season with the Browns. So could this line break the 1984 Bears’ record of 72 sacks in a season? I think it has a chance, because in addition to Garrett and Donald, they feature two players who have topped seven sacks in each of their three seasons in Kobie Turner and Byron Young. Josaiah Stewart and Braden Fiske should chip in, too. Add in a secondary with two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and coveted players like Jaylen Watson, Quentin Lake and Kam Curl, and these guys can get to an average of 4.3 sacks per game with how many teams will have to answer their own high-powered offense that just led the NFL in scoring last season. — Nate Atkins

***
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison will start to resemble the WR everyone expected

It’s safe to say Harrison’s NFL introduction has not gone as planned. Labeled as a generational talent before the 2024 draft, the wide receiver put up decent numbers as a rookie but struggled to make contested catches. Last season he battled injuries. Year 3 should bring a jump. Harrison has a solid comfort level with QB Jacoby Brissett. And he knows he has a lot to prove. This doesn’t mean Harrison will be among the NFL’s top receivers (the Cardinals have additional threats in Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Jeremiyah Love), but he should start to resemble the playmaker everyone expected. — Doug Haller

San Francisco 49ers: 49ers will add a veteran defensive end by midseason

The 49ers entered the offseason with a hole at defensive end and somehow that hole has grown wider. Nick Bosa, who’s coming back from his third ACL repair, missed most of training camp while 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams will start the season on PUP. Meanwhile, third-round pick Romello Height has been in and out of the lineup with various nicks and bumps and has merely looked OK when he’s been on the field. All of which suggests that at some point the 49ers will look to add a free agent like Leonard Floyd or Joey Bosa or perhaps make a splashy trade at the Nov. 10 deadline. — Matt Barrows

Seattle Seahawks: AJ Barner will earn Pro Bowl honors

In 2025, Barner demonstrated he is more than capable of being Seattle’s No. 1 tight end, setting career highs in receptions (52), receiving yards (519) and touchdowns (6). So long as he can fend off second-year pro Elijah Arroyo for opportunities in the passing game, Barner should thrive under first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. The former 49ers tight ends coach is expected to feature tight ends in his offensive scheme, meaning more chances for Barner. — Andrew Destin

Kyle Libby@KyleLibby
Do you expect Alaric or Puka to be suspended by the league or has that ship sailed?

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
I never want to predict these things. It does seem less likely once we get past Week 1. The optics would be awful to let stars play in a primetime international game and then serve a suspension against other teams.

from NFL Coaches, GMs and Execs Vote on the Best QB at the End of 2026

Albert Breer

https://www.si.com/nfl/nfl-coaches-gms-execs-vote-best-qb-end-of-2026

…

This year, I sent out nearly 200 requests for votes, knowing that cut-down week is a busy one, and some people won’t get back to me. This year, we received 104 ballots. All 32 teams had voters in this poll, and 30 of the 32 had multiple voters, so we have a diverse cross-section of the league. Among the voters—GMs, personnel executives, head coaches, offensive and pass-game coordinators and quarterbacks coaches—we received ballots from 20 head coaches and 21 general managers.

…

1. Josh Allen, Bills
• 427 points

• 49 first-place votes

• Appeared on 101 ballots

• Last year: Second place

Allen’s the most feared player in football because he’s grown into a quarterback who affects the defense on every single level—and this is one of those where NFL coaches and evaluators had little doubt about what he was becoming even when the general public had questions. So it makes sense that now, with more questions arising, there are plenty of NFL folks anticipating he’ll hit another level in Buffalo’s new setup. “He’s still the most dangerous all around,” said one VP of player personnel, “and the offense may be less conservative this year.”

2. Matthew Stafford, Rams
• 356 points

• 33 first-place votes

• Appeared on 92 ballots

• Last year: Seventh place

The respect for Stafford has always been there. But the way he played last year left a mark with those in his path. He jumped five spots, breaking the two-year hold that Mahomes, Allen, Jackson and Burrow had on the top four spots. One rival GM called Stafford, “As elite a passer as there is in the league.” Few players are capable of playing and operating from the pocket like Stafford, which is why no one has any problem projecting him at 38 years old to stay near the top.

3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
• 247 points

• 12 first-place votes

• Appeared on 86 ballots

• Last year: First place

I figured he’d fall a little bit, but I didn’t anticipate that he’d be left off 18 ballots. But Allen was already gaining on him after Mahomes won over 90% of the first-place votes in 2020, ’22, ’23 and ’24. Those who’ve stuck to their guns on him this year point to the expected improvement of the run game, with Kenneth Walker III aboard (Josh Simmons’s health will be important in that regard). “The key component is the addition of Walker,” texted an AFC assistant GM. “It feels like they’ll get more balance with him in the offense.” Which should eliminate some of the hits he’s been taking, too.

Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
I just received this message from @justinglewis via DM. It’s so damn good. I had to share it out with you all.

“Rams fan since 1986 from Melbourne.. Melbourne is not a whiners town .. probably more 49ers down here but the Rams have been making great inroads over the past 5 years or so. Had a great fan day last year where my family and I met Steve Avila and Davis Allen , who were great guys and a credit to the organisation. Will be at the MCG in 48 hours to see my beloved Rams play live for the first time so getting very excited! Love the pod keep up the great work! LETS GOO RAMS!!”

Jackson Durham@JDurham_FBall
Rams restructured Quentin Lake’s contract today to become cap compliant according to Over the Cap

The move puts the team at $2.8 million in cap space for this season and added 2 additional void years to the deal for cap purposes.

Spotrac@spotrac
The #Rams converted $4.285M of S Quentin Lake’s salary into signing bonus, adding two void years, creating $3.4M of 2026 cap space.

Lake has 3-years, $37.25M remaining on his contract, including a fully guaranteed $12.75M for 2027.