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Any early word on the strengths of the 2018 draft?
Cause…for the Rams, they need a defensive draft.
I can’t see them keeping all those guys. In fact I would make it just Ogletree. That means having to draft CBs, safeties, OLBS, and DEs.
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2018, offensive linemen seems strong.
It sort of depends on which top paid players we keep. It isn’t a big disaster. imo
Agamemnon
7 FAs starters on defense and only Sullivan on offense.
Mo Alexander should be on the list too. AgamemnonProgress. The Rams have replaced every center who on the roster last year.
69 SULLIVAN, JOHN 60b Eldrenkamp, Jake 66b Blythe, Austin
61 Barnes, Tim SF11 65 Rhaney, Demetrius 14/7 60 Kush, Eric W/Hou
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McVay said he had to tell Sullivan to quit calling the defenses and let Goff do it. Because he was making it too hard on the defense and screwing up the drills.
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The Rams still need to cross train someone, because Eldrenkamp and Blythe probably can’t fill in for both guard and center on the active roster. imo AgamemnonI watched Matt Waldman video on Thomas. They mentioned that Thomas can play both sides and the slot. Now we have 3, Woods, Kupp, and thomas that can play all 3 WR positions. Thomas seemed to play mostly on the left side of the formation, X-WR. Spruce can probably play all 3 positions too.
Reynolds played mostly on the right side of the formation, Z-WR. I guess teams could run a mirror image and left and would flip. 😉
Agamemnonhttps://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-robert-woods-wants-to-be-no-1-wr-for-the-rams/
http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Watkins-surprised-ecstatic-to-be-a-Bill/550d0931-aac8-41b7-8cc4-b6a1a500f492
Watkins is likely to be the team’s starting split end or ‘X’ receiver, which should allow Woods to play the flanker position with Johnson in the slot. Buffalo also has proven veteran Mike Williams to line up outside too.Does this mean that “X” is your #1 WR position?
AgamemnonKupp, like Cooper, profiles as a slot receiver.
Everett, like Higbee, is a pass-catching tight end.
Reynolds, like Thomas, is a deep threat.
When I plug stuff in, I get this. Of course, Woods and Kupp and even Spruce can probably play all the positions.
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I could move Thomas behind Woods?Flipper336 wrote:
Thomas has a good shot for two reasons
1. He’s talented. One of my favorites in the draft last year.
2. Rams need an X receiver to show up. They are stacked at slot and have Woods basically locked in as the starter at Z, need someone to beat CBs at the line.
There seems to be something off with what an “X” and “Y” receiver is. Is it me? Or does he mean the Rams still need a #1 WR?
Agamemnonhttp://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2009/walkthrough-camp-adventure
Flanker, Flex, Split End, Slot
Reader Dave writes:
Could you address the different wide receiver positions: split end, flanker, and slot? How are their routes different? What makes certain guys suited to one position but not others? What roles do they play in the offense? I have read that in most West Coast offenses everything is designed to funnel balls to the flanker. Why?
First, the terms: a split end is a receiver on the line of scrimmage several yards from the five interior linemen. A flanker is aligned one or two yards off the line of scrimmage and split wide. A slot receiver is aligned between the main formation and another receiver. If he is inside the split end, he is off the line of scrimmage. If he is aligned inside the flanker, he is often (but not always) on the line. A receiver can also be “flexed,” placing him on the line of scrimmage and four to six yards wide of the offensive tackle. This is usually a tight end’s position, but in modern offenses wide receivers are often flexed. See the figure for some default positions.
Basic Wide Receiver Positions
I use these terms when explaining playbook diagrams, but they are really out of date. The terms are holdovers from T-formation offenses, in which the flanker was often one of the backs who reached the flanker position via presnap motion. Modern offenses use letter names for receivers: X and Z for the starting receivers, Y for the tight end, letters like F, H, or W for third, fourth, or fifth wideouts. Different systems have different preferences. In one system, the X receiver is typically on the left, Z on the right. In others, X is usually on the line of scrimmage, Z off. As offenses become more complex, even those in-system generalities get blurred.Instead of explaining the difference between an X and a Z receiver, which is nearly impossible, let’s go over the advantages and disadvantages of each position. A receiver on the line of scrimmage can release immediately into his route, and he is in good position to block his defender at the line. On the downside, he can be jammed easily. A receiver a yard or two in the backfield has extra space to beat a jam, which is why smaller receivers are often “flankers.”
The wider a receiver’s split, the more space he has in which to isolate and beat his defender. However, a receiver split wide of the field numbers has little room for running out-routes and other patterns that work the sidelines. Wide spacing also creates longer throws for the quarterback, which can be dangerous. Slot or flex receivers have space to work to the inside or out, can catch shorter, safer passes, and have a better chance of getting mismatched against a linebacker, safety, or nickelback in coverage. On the downside, they are working in tighter space; a slot receiver running a crossing route quickly moves from one defender’s zone to another, making it hard for him to get open.
I have heard that old versions of the West Coast Offense funneled plays to the flanker, who was usually the Z receiver in their system. I have seen some WCO playbooks from the 1980s, and one thing that is striking is how often the Z-receiver went in motion. Factor in the motion and the fact that a flanker is hard to jam, and you have the perfect short-pass target from a three-step drop. That’s an oversimplification, and I think the Z receiver got so much attention because his name was usually Dwight Clark or Jerry Rice.
All that x, y, z, slot, flex stuff was confusing me. So, I found this.
Agamemnonthey signed CB for 5m/yr. and ended up cutting him that same year.
On March 14, 2016, Sensabaugh signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams.[5] On October 8, 2016, he was cut by the Rams.[6]
That cost $6.5M. Money totally wasted.
AgamemnonI hope they don’t screw up Donald. I hope they get it right. You know back then they signed CB for 5m/yr. and ended up cutting him that same year.
When Watt signed his extension he was the highest paid defensive player at 16.7m/yr. Looks like a bargain now. 😉
I don’t mind paying when a player out performs his contract. I don’t mind cutting them when they under perform. What is fair is fair. imo
AgamemnonJanoris Jenkins fires his agent, during negotiations with Rams
Posted by Darin Gantt on February 29, 2016, 8:37 AM EDTThe Rams want to keep both of their free agent cornerbacks, and are expected to use the franchise tag on one of them.
It might have to be Janoris Jenkins, since he doesn’t have anyone to negotiate for him at the moment.
According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Jenkins has fired his agent. Per NFLPA rules, there’s a five-day window before another agent can be hired. It’s unclear when Jenkins made the switch, starting that clock. His agent is still listed on the union’s website as Malik Hafeez Shareef.
Ostensibly he could negotiate for himself like Russell Okung, but there hasn’t been any indication he wants to do that.
With the franchise tag a possibility for either him or cornerback Trumaine Johnson, and with the tag deadline Tuesday, it complicates things for the Rams, and may complicate their efforts to keep both.
AgamemnonJanoris Jenkins isn’t happy with the way contract negotiations played out
It does not look like Jenkins is long for the Rams.Janoris Jenkins is a free agent. He spent the first four years of his career with the St. Louis Rams, playing in 60 of a possible 64 games and starting 58 of them. He has 10 interceptions in that time, and he returned a league-leading (tied with William Gay and Aqib Talib) five of them for touchdowns.
Is he one of the best corners in the league? No. Is he an above-average one? Yeah, probably, especially given his steady improvement over the course of his career. Is he happy with the way his contract negotiations with the now-Los Angeles Rams have gone? Definitely not. Just take a look at his Twitter feed over the last week or so.
Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks
— JackRabbit2.0 (@JjenkzLockdown) February 29, 2016
Obviously he was unhappy with whatever offer came from the Rams. And then he reportedly fired his agent. There’s now a five-day waiting period before he can hire another agent, which means any chance of him being retained by the Rams via the franchise tag is likely gone as well, unless Jenkins plans to negotiate that deal himself. If they use the tag at all, it seems likely Trumaine Johnson will be the recipient.
That means Jenkins will likely hit the open market, and you never know what can happen there. He’s probably one of the top-10 or so cornerbacks available. His propensity to make big plays could garner a big offer, but his gambling nature that also leads him to give up big plays could depress his market if teams decide to go with safer options.
AgamemnonJanoris Jenkins expresses contract frustrations on Twitter
Nick WagonerESPN Staff Writer
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The Los Angeles Rams’ efforts to keep cornerback Janoris Jenkins from hitting the free-agent market have repeatedly come up short.
On Sunday evening, Jenkins took to Twitter to let the world know of his frustration with the team’s inability to meet his asking price.
Jenkins went so far as to term the Rams’ overtures as “disrespectful.”
Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks
— JackRabbit2.0 (@JjenkzLockdown) February 29, 2016
I B real with myself at all times..
— JackRabbit2.0 (@JjenkzLockdown) February 29, 2016
Jenkins and the Rams have been talking about a new contract for more than a year, but he now looks poised to at least test the market unless the Rams decide to use the franchise or transition tag on him rather than fellow cornerback Trumaine Johnson. The Rams were believed to be offering around $7-8 million annually to Jenkins before he broke off contract negotiations after the team’s Week 6 bye last year.
“I gave them up until the bye week,” Jenkins said then. “They knew what was going on. I told them anything after the bye week, I ain’t listening, I don’t want to hear it. I want to focus on football. The bye week is gone, so I just want to play football.”
The Rams and Jenkins’ representatives restarted talks near the end of the season, and although the Rams upped their offer a little bit, it still hasn’t been enough to get Jenkins to sign a new long-term deal. Jenkins is believed to be looking for contract that starts in the vicinity of the $10.5 million per year that Byron Maxwell got from the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency last year.
Contract talks with Jenkins have stalled for now, though, after Jenkins recently parted ways with agent Malik Shareef. NFLPA rules stipulate that a player cannot hire a new agent until a five-day window has passed. CBSSports.com reported that Jenkins’ new agents will be Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, who also represent Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.
That means Jenkins should have new agents in place before the start of the two-day “legal tampering” period which begins next Monday but not before Tuesday’s deadline to use the franchise or transition tag. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reported that the new agents could be in place on Thursday.
AgamemnonJanoris Jenkins Contract: Latest News and Rumors on Negotiations With Rams
Joseph Zucker
July 27, 2015With Janoris Jenkins set to become a free agent following the 2015 season, the St. Louis Rams are working behind the scenes to re-sign the 26-year-old cornerback to a long-term extension.
Continue for updates.
Rams, Jenkins Looking for Agreement Before Start of Season
Monday, July 27NFL Network’s Rand Getlin reported Monday that Jenkins and the Rams are currently working out the details on a contract extension. He added the cutoff date for negotiations may be the start of the regular season:
Jenkins and his representatives would like to get a deal done with the #Rams by the time the season starts. Optimism that could happen.
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) July 27, 2015
If Jenkins and the #Rams can't come to terms on an extension by then, he'd likely play out the season and re-visit his contract in January.
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) July 27, 2015
Jenkins is just one of a few Rams players set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Nick Foles, Brian Quick, William Hayes and Trumaine Johnson all fall into that category as well. St. Louis isn’t limited to negotiating with just one player at a time, but the front office will likely prioritize which players it targets first.
A knee injury kept Jenkins out for two games last year. In 14 appearances, he recorded 59 total tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned 99 yards for a touchdown.
Given the fact Jenkins has made 43 regular-season starts over the past three years, the Rams will surely want to ensure a new deal will be agreed upon before the 2015 season gets underway. He’s a key member of the secondary.
Then again, Jenkins could decide to bet on himself a bit and hope a strong campaign nets him a bigger contract once free agency begins.
AgamemnonEarly in the negotiations, Jenkins broke off cause he said they basically insulted him and he was going to the open market. They probably tried a bit harder not to insult the next players. I haven’t constructed any time lines for this theory. 😉
AgamemnonI guess that I am the only one who thinks Tavon’s contract isn’t excessive. Of course he has to perform, that is true of any player, but I think he will. For me that is 8-10 TDs in any form. I see Barron’s contract as more out of line that Tavon’s, but they both are livable. I find it a bit strange that we can pay Barron 9m/yr, Tavon 10.5m/yr, Brockers 11m/yr, Johnson 16.7m for this year, but we couldn’t pay Jenkins 12.5m/yr when Jenkins is the only player to go to the pro bowl.
Agamemnon
Jake and Blaine are back with another episode to discuss the latest on the LA Rams. The guys discuss the wide receiver position and come up with their top 7 receivers they think the Rams will keep. Rams wide receiver Shakeir Ryan joins the show to discuss his journey. The guys finish the show by giving their mount rushmore’s of most hated and most liked athletes.
These are their picks for the Rams keeping 7 WRs. Ryan becomes the return guy. Pharoh doesn’t make it.
Agamemnon
John Sullivan Cements Status as One of NFL’s Top Underrated Stars with Extension
Zach Kruse
April 7, 2015Few have been better at the position since 2009, when Sullivan first took over the starting center job in Minnesota. He’s started 93 of the last 96 games for the Vikings, all while steadily developing into one of the league’s most dependable interior linemen.
In fact, “dominant” might be the better word.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sullivan has graded out as a site’s top center in the league since 2011. His plus-81.7 mark is rivaled by only the New York Jets’ Nick Mangold, who has a plus-79.0 grade over the last four seasons.
Sullivan finished as PFF’s best center in 2012 and third-best in 2011 and 2013. He slipped to 12th last season but still managed positive marks as Minnesota’s best offensive lineman.
The guy behind Sullivan beat him out. That made him a Cap Casualty. He had some injuries. He was a good center once. Does he have anything left?
Agamemnon
Blythe plays guard in the last video. Donald is the RT. This line also had Sherff as the LT. AgamemnonWell. Well, maybe they can do a trade? They tried before the draft. But, maybe some team gets desperate?
Agamemnon
The center position has undergone a complete remake.
We will probably add a QB or two for training camp. AgamemnonDemoff used to be good arriving at a contract. He had enough of a rep as his father’s son. He grew up knowing all the agents stuff from one of the best. That seemed to let him cut through at lot of BS and get straight to the contract, a contract that both sides knew they could live with. We don’t have that now. Not since Demoff got busy with the move and other high power stuff. We have his protege. Things take longer and aren’t done quite as well. The guy doesn’t seem bad? But I don’t know how good he is either. I know they could have kept Jenkins if they wanted. imo Paying Johnson $17 million this year, should never have happened. imo Both sides of Donald’s contract gain if they get it done. I have to believe there is no real problem there, just some technical stuff about the guarantees.
Agamemnonhttps://theringer.com/greg-robinson-los-angeles-rams-detroit-lions-offensive-line-busts-dc63ea1482f6
Danny Kelly
Staff Writer, The Ringer
Jun 16
Anatomy of an NFL Draft Bust
Greg Robinson, the no. 2 pick in 2014, is no longer a Ram. But his struggles aren’t a unique occurrence — they’re becoming increasingly common for offensive linemen as the college and pro games continue to diverge.selected him no. 2 overall in the 2014 draft before they took defensive-tackle-slash-destroyer-of-worlds Aaron Donald with their second first-round pick at no. 13. The Rams (and basically everyone else) believed that Robinson came with the potential to become the league’s next great left tackle, a dominating blindside protector in the mold of Jonathan Ogden or Orlando Pace.
Of course, that’s not how it played out. As Donald quickly emerged as the most unblockable human being on the planet not named J.J. Watt, Robinson struggled to find his footing in the Rams’ blocking scheme. In three underwhelming seasons, he bounced around from guard to tackle to the Rams’ bench. Robinson’s tenure with Los Angeles ended Thursday when the team traded him to the Detroit Lions for a 2018 sixth-round pick, a move that clears up $3.3 million in cap space for the Rams to start working on a long-term extension for Donald.
Robinson’s failure to develop is a wasted opportunity for the Rams, but it also represents a problem that’s plaguing many NFL teams: the growing difficulty in evaluating college linemen for the professional game.
Even with a 6-foot-5, 332-pound frame, long 35-inch vines for arms, and preternaturally quick feet, Robinson never showed the ability to consistently man the blind side for the Rams. There were far too many plays like this:
Go to the web site to read the rest of the article and see some videos of Greg’s play.
Agamemnon
Gonzalez is actually quite good for the most. This is what Spotrac estimates Trumaine’s value to be.
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Since the Rams were willing to trade him before the draft, he is not a have to do priority.
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The Rams still need to find a couple million just for the cost of doing business in 2017, Practice Squad, Injured Reserve, and counting a full 53 man roster. They have about 4 million. They will need about 5 – 7 million, depending on how many players end up on IR.
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The Rams can do Donald’s contract with messing with the Cap this year or next, if they want to. Ogletree has money to play with, so they could gain money there. Trumaine’s contract would give beyond adequate relief, but how important is he? They couldn’t trade him, but they can bite the bullet and get a comp 3rd for him next year. Agamemnon
