tweets n stuff + VB chat … 9/4

Rams Q&A: Vinny Bonsignore on backup QB plans, TE hopes and roster blueprints

https://theathletic.com/503130/2018/09/03/rams-live-qa-with-vincent-bonsignore-on-tuesday-sept-4-from-noon-to-2-p-m-pt/

Anthony Z.
How do you think our LBs will do this year? Who will step up their game?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Anthony Z. Really good question. The Rams believe they have a more sound ILB group. They like Samson outside but understand he still needs to develop his pass rush skills. But in one-on-one matchups, he should be fine. The other side will be by committee

Adam H.
How did this go from one of the worst run organizations (ex. Tavon Austin’s contract) to one of the seemingly best run in just a couple of years? It’s still the same management. It can’t all be the new coaching staff, right? BTW… really enjoying your articles! Looking forward to reading more.

Vincent Bonsignore
@Adam H. There were really good people in place behind the scenes for awhile. And I truly believe the leadership in place from the coaching staff was simply not very good. In fact it was bad. The synergy of McVay and his staff with Les Snead and his crew is very, very good. I’ve been around pro sports a long long time. And it is not a cliché to point that out as critical to the success of a franchise. Being on the same page and being able to communicate in a way that enables everyone to do their jobs at the highest level is very important. That is happening. From the front office to the coaching staff to the players

Jeremy B.
Vinny, I have a feeling I am overlooking the Raiders this week. It just seems the Rams’ roster is more talented at nearly every position. Is there any scenario where you see the game being closer than expected on Monday? Are there any troublesome match ups you will be paying close attention to?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Jeremy B. First games are always dicey. But I think the combination of the Rams having a decided talent advantage and, frankly, champing at the bit to finally get on the field and put it all on display will make for a rather easy win. Not overlooking the Raiders at all. Just think the Rams are better

Chris M.
Do you think that having rested the starters this preseason will affect how they play for the first few games? Or did the joint practices serve that role and let them get their time in?

Patrick T.
Uniforms. I know unis are still being designed, but have they settled on a color scheme? Royal and canary yellow, maybe?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Chris M. I mean I guess it might be a factor for a series or two, but anything more than that I’m not buying it.

Vincent Bonsignore
@Patrick T. Last time I asked – during training camp – they had not settled on anything

Dylan L.
Nick Saban made the news recently in a not-so-great way for how he addressed a media member. How have your interactions with McVay been?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Dylan L. One of the best I’ve ever dealt with. He’s special on so many levels. I think he’s one of the greats in the making if he sticks with it. And I’ve told him that. You have to understand I’ve covered or worked with Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Pete Carroll, There’s a common thread among the greats. They stand out. And he stands out big time. I think Saban is a tremendous coach, obviously. Just not sure he works in the NFL

Dylan L.
We’re you surprise Ejuan Price was cut and not even added to the PS?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Dylan L. Cut? No. Practice squad? A little bit

Dylan L.
What’s the plan at DC after Wade leaves? I’m sure Barry is next in line but Aubrey Pleasant looks like a star.

Vincent Bonsignore
@Dylan L. I think you’re onto something with those two. But Rams hope Wade is here for awhile longer

Dylan L.
Who deserves the credit (and blame) for contract negotiations? Donald and Havenstein look like great deals but Tavon Austin and Ogletree’s were awful. Was someone different handling those?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Dylan L. I only look at deals as “awful” when they cripple you or are so bad you can’t easily get out of them. Neither one of those deals fall into that category. The Rams were always banking on Tavon finally putting it all together. That didn’t happen. But as you see, it really didn’t affect them one way or another. Alec was probably miscast in his position in the 3-4. But again, not sure it hurt them in any way

Tony S.
Willing to venture a guess on the Rams record for this year? Perhaps a Y/N on reaching post-season?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Tony S. 11 to 12 wins

Tony S.
Although way early, any idea on who they will look to draft next year? I imagine it is another year focused on defense.

Vincent Bonsignore
@Tony S. With Joyner situation up in the air, I can see safety. OLB.

Drew G.
Do you think the Rams will trade for a better backup QB?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Drew G. I’m not ruling anything out. Including whether to keep one or two backups. Still some decisions looming

Matt M.
With Jackie Robinson Day becoming such a big thing in MLB, have the Rams ever thought of doing something to honor Kenny Washington, especially while they still are playing in the Coliseum?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Matt M. Good question. I’ll ask

René O.
Hello Vinny,
do you think we are thin on the LB Position?
We have 9 “LB’s” on the active roster. Is it a weakness?

Vincent Bonsignore
@René O. That’s really a TBA. The Rams like the group and feel that, playing alongside a very good to dominant supporting cast, it will help the transition process of three first-time starters.

Dylan L.
What are your inial impressions working for The Athletic? Has it had any immediate impacts on your career or day to day life around the team?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Dylan L. Loving every second of it. And I love the freedom to figure things out – what works best, what do readers really want, and make whatever adjustments accordingly. While never losing sight of the fact I’m really here to serve you guys with news, analysis, commentary and whatever you guys deem as worthy while staying connected to your team

Dylan L.
Good to hear. You deserve praise as well and I appreciate you answering my questions. I decided to subscribe once you joined on, you’ve always been my favorite Rams reporter.

Vincent Bonsignore
But I’m always going to keep it straight. You may not always agree, but it will be from the heart, always.

Chris R.
Any Ram moves coming to upgrade QB2?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Chris R. They will roll with Mannion as the two for now. But I would not rule out them bringing in a better No. 3 who can either push Mannion or be the guy who takes over as No. 2 next year

Vincent Bonsignore
@Chris R. One thing regarding QB’s. In the Rams building they believe if it comes to needing to use a backup, the combination of Sean McVay scheming to put the backup in good position to succeed and the surrounding talent around the backup will be sufficient to remain competitive

Vincent Bonsignore
@Chris R. And one other thing, I’ve been told it could be a “by committee” type situation where they decide that particular week which skill set is best to execute that week’s game plan.

Tony S.
What is McVay doing to combat the fact that every other team now has tape to study on his different schemes?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Tony S. He’s a mad scientist. He’s cooked/cooking up new stuff. (by the way, not long after the college football playoffs he told me he was super impressed with Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma’s offense. Sean is not too proud to say he’ll take a little bit from this and that.) Just sayin’

Andy H.
Based on the long term contacts given out this off-season, what current players on the roster (ex-Goff) have they held a place for in terms of future cap space?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Andy H. Goff and Peters are at the very top of that list. But obviously they want Saffold and Brown and Suh and Joyner longer term too. But that could be difficult getting everyone in the fold

Brandon M.
How long until these new contracts bite us or are we good for a while? And, going to a MNF party with loser Raiders fans, should I be concerned?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Brandon M. A lot of that depends on how well they draft/develop. As long as they have good young players ready to fill roles of guys they may have to move on from to keep the foundation pieces in place, it might not bite them at all. Letting some guys walk is a fact of life in the NFL. The question is whether their are options in the pipeline.

Michael P.
Hey Vinny, Do you think our Rams will duplicate the average of last year’s offensive?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Michael P. I think the Rams offense will be more efficient. Whether that means more points, hard to say. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but I just think they’ll be more well rounded and better in the Red Zone. That might not mean they’ll score as many points.

Casey M.
What do you expect the roles of Higbee and Everett to be? Will Everett have a chance to become the bon-a-fide number one TE, or will we see a lot of two TE sets that ultimately decrease Everett’s ability to grab the brass ring as starter?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Casey M. I saw a lot of two TE sets in practice, but at the same time, those three WR’s are pretty darned good so taking one off the field just to force a different personnel grouping…it’s more nuanced than that. But, if Higbee and Everett prove they deserve more time in 12-personnel, you’ll see that

Talfourd K.
I watched the Rams preseason win and by far my biggest takeaway was the apparent depth of talent on their defense. (Hard not to like Kelly and Hodge on O, of course.) What have you seen day to day from this group? Thanks for the great Q&A today, by the way. It’s awfully nice to not have to worry about A. Donald for a long, long time.

Vincent Bonsignore
@Talfourd K. While I don’t think the #Rams added any superstar players in this draft – although Noteboom has a chance to be special and Allen can be a long-time starter – I think they added current and future role players in Kiser and Lawler and Franklin-Myers. They all add a valuable particular skill or dimension.

Joshua G.
What can we expect out of the Rams use of Brandin Cooks this year? Is a Sammy Watkins performance from last year considered good enough for Cooks? Also has Woods’ role for this year changed much due to that personnel change?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Joshua G. Brandin is a guy who, no matter where he’s been and no matter who plays around him, when he’s on the field he produces. I don’t expect that to change. I think 70 or so catches and close to 1000 yards, if not more.

Andy H.
Chances to resigning Suh if he plays pro bowl calibur?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Andy H. There’s a lot that will go into that. I could see that coming down to who to keep longer term: Suh or Joyner. Might not be able to keep both.

Anthony D.
With all the signings where does that leave Saffold, who is a free agent after this year?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Anthony D. He’s indicated a willingness to work with Rams on a deal that helps both sides. He’s definitely someone that want to keep. Important player on the OL

Forrest B.
Is Greg Zuelin fully healthy?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Forrest B. He is, yes

Talfourd K.
Further to comment about future cap space, it certainly appears like Rams are going to a model of locking down their young stars through their prime. I have to think drafting 11 players this past year and getting the 3 compensatory picks next year is a sign that they then will fill the rest of the roster with draftees on rookie contracts. Any thoughts or discussion on this point?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Talfourd K. You’re a smart man. If you look at the Rams draft, they essentially drafted the replacements for Whitworth and Sullivan a year early and will let them essentially red shirt this year while developing. That will be a big part of the plan at other positions as well

Vincent Bonsignore
Also, there are some young players on the roster the Rams like a lot moving forward: guys like Reynolds, Everett, J. Kelly, Kiser, Troy Hill, countess — good players that, out of circumstance, haven’t bubbled higher yet but the Rams have an abundance of confidence.

Talfourd K.
Maybe I’m just being a fan, but it doesn’t seem like most of the media has focused on fact that these extensions are to unusually young players and go out a really long time. These extensions have high dollar tags as of August 2018 but I have to think they will be relative bargains in, say, 2020-2022, and the players all fit the scheme. I worry about future holdouts in case the market passes these players by, but not about guarantees. I can see Rams letting a starting FA or two walk ever year for comp picks but I’ll bet we’ve seen the end of FA signings by the Rams for the foreseeable future. It’s exciting, but Rams will be counting on a lot of draftees to play and fill holes over next 5 years. You touch on this above, but do you think the front office and coaches really are working together in a way that gives the Rams a chance to really do better in the draft (for them) than other teams?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Talfourd K. Everytime I talk to Les Snead after his draft class (this one and last year’s), he mentions – without prompting – how easy it’s been working with Sean McVay and his staff in terms of identifying skill sets they need at their positions. Not trying to out words in or out of Les’ mouth, but I don’t remember him ever saying that about the previous staff. At least to me. I’m not trying to start anything, just pointing it out. So yes, I firmly believe there is great synergy

Vincent Bonsignore
To go one step further, having watched the previous coaching staff and this one, I can say unequivocally the amount of teaching is much more pronounced with this staff. And that’s not just me observing day in and day out – the players rave about the teaching and instruction. It’s not cliched. It’s earnest

Vincent Bonsignore
So you have a staff that articulates what they need, and then has the ability to teach and develop those players. You can’t put a price tag on that kind of commodity.

Thomas D.
Given McVay’s statement that the team will play more formations, beyond 11 personnel, tightends are likely to see more playing time. Do you think our tightends are worthy of more time? Can any of them run block now?

Vincent Bonsignore
@Thomas D. The blocking part is solid. I really like Everett. Disappointing he got hurt in camp but he should be ready to go Monday. He’s a big, fast, athletic player. Would not be surprised at all if he breaks out.

Daniel R.
What games do you think could get flexed into primetime this year? There’s something exciting about your team playing on Sunday night.

Vincent Bonsignore
@Daniel R. Just guessing, but maybe the Rams at Saints Nov. 4?

Chris M.
Hey Vinny, what do you expect out of our tight ends this year? Much was said of how much McVay loves to use tight ends when he first took the job but I don’t think we saw much of that last year

Vincent Bonsignore
@Chris M. Still a learning curve there. Everett has serious potential. Keep waiting on Tyler to take that next step, but maybe that doesn’t happen. And they still really like Hemingway. They kept him on practice squad thinking his camp struggles were related to the injury last year. Keeping him in fold gives them more time to monitor him. Would not surprise me if he gets called up to the varsity at somepoint

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
The Rams reached an injury settlement with DE/OLB Ryan Davis, who was placed on IR, so he’s no longer w/team.