https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InSight

nSight will place a single stationary lander on Mars to study its deep interior and address a fundamental issue of planetary and Solar System science: understanding the processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner Solar System (including Earth) more than four billion years ago.[37]

InSight’s primary objective is to study the earliest evolutionary history of the processes that shaped Mars. By studying the size, thickness, density and overall structure of Mars’ core, mantle and crust, as well as the rate at which heat escapes from the planet’s interior, InSight will provide a glimpse into the evolutionary processes of all of the rocky planets in the inner Solar System.[37] The rocky inner planets share a common ancestry that begins with a process called accretion. As the body increases in size, its interior heats up and evolves to become a terrestrial planet, containing a core, mantle and crust.[38] Despite this common ancestry, each of the terrestrial planets is later shaped and molded through a poorly understood process called differentiation. InSight mission’s goal is to improve the understanding of this process and, by extension, terrestrial evolution, by measuring the planetary building blocks shaped by this differentiation: a terrestrial planet’s core, mantle and crust.[38]

The mission will determine if there is any seismic activity, measure the amount of heat flow from the interior, estimate the size of Mars’ core and whether the core is liquid or solid.[39] This data would be the first of its kind for Mars.[40] It is also expected that frequent meteor airbursts (10–200 detectable events per year for InSight) will provide additional seismo-acoustic signals to probe the interior of Mars.[41] The mission’s secondary objective is to conduct an in-depth study of geophysics, tectonic activity and the effect of meteorite impacts on Mars, which could provide knowledge about such processes on Earth. Measurements of crust thickness, mantle viscosity, core radius and density, and seismic activity should result in an accuracy increase of 3X to 10X compared with current data.[40]

In terms of fundamental processes shaping planetary formation, it is thought that Mars contains the most in-depth and accurate historical record, because it is big enough to have undergone the earliest accretion and internal heating processes that shaped the terrestrial planets, but is small enough to have retained signs of those processes.[37]

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Sign-UDFA-DB-Ramon-Richards/bccd9793-2f13-44b1-896c-5a4780f5b21e

Rams Sign UDFA DB Ramon Richards

Posted 2 hours ago

Myles Simmons Rams Insider @MylesASimmons

Los Angeles has added another defensive back to its roster, signing college free agent Ramon Richards.

Richards played in 45 games in his four years at Oklahoma State, recording 10 interceptions, a par of defensive touchdowns, and 10.5 tackles for loss. Per his Oklahoma State bio, Richards is a converted high school quarterback who turned into a leader for the program’s defense.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Richards began his collegiate career as a cornerback, but converted to a safety in his senior season. He recorded 62 total tackles — 5.0 for loss — with a pair of interceptions and 11 passes defensed in 2017.

Richards will wear No. 47 for Los Angeles.

The Rams have now officially signed eight undrafted free agents:

LaQuvionte Gonzalez | WR | Southeastern
Ricky Jeune | WR | Georgia Tech
Jeremiah Kolone | G | San Jose State
Curtis Mikell | DB | Southern Miss
Steven Mitchell | WR | USC
McKay Murphy | DT | Weber State
Ramon Richards | DB | Oklahoma State
Tegray Scales | LB | Indiana

I have more guys than this, but maybe they are just invitees or something? Whatever. We will find out sometime. 😉

00 Luis Perez CF18 invitee -QB
00 Codey McElroy CF18 -TE
00 Tyrell Maxwell CF18 -RB

00 Dalton Keene CF18 -DT
00 Chucky Williams CF18 -S
00 Steven Parker CF18 -S
00 Afolabi Laguda CF18 -S

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Agamemnon.

Team scouts were impressed with Weber State DL McKay Murphy’s workout, according to our source, held back on March 28th….jumping 31 inches in the vert, and 7.2 in the three cone, impressive numbers across the board. … At the end of his workout, Steelers scouts had him go through offensive line and fullback drills too.

He could play center. 😉

Breaking down the Rams' undrafted free agent class

Breaking down the Rams’ undrafted free agent class

By: Andrew Ortenberg | 22 hours ago

The Los Angeles Rams may have made 11 draft picks, but they weren’t done there. One of the most exciting parts of every draft week is the feeding frenzy that happens right after the draft ends for the top remaining players who went undrafted. The Rams were active in the market and came away with several of the top names. Here’s what to know about each signee, as well as their odds of making an impact with the Rams:
LB Tegray Scales – Indiana

Scales was one of the most sought-after UDFA’s, and a guy pretty much everybody expected to be drafted. Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline had a fifth-round grade on Scales, as did NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Zierlein even stamped him with a “chance to become an NFL starter” label and compared him to Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall.

A media first-team All-Big Ten selection his senior year, Scales was considered by most to be one of the better inside linebackers in the class. He’s a good athlete who can both stop the run and cover well but is a bit undersized, which is likely the reason he went undrafted. He surely had his pick of teams across the league and must have felt he had a good shot to make the Rams.

With Alec Ogletree gone and Mark Barron recovering from shoulder surgery, Scales should get plenty of time on the field to show he belongs during the offseason programs. With incoming fifth-round pick Micah Kiser almost a lock to make the team, he’ll likely be battling it out with 2015 seventh-round pick Bryce Hager and the recently signed Ramik Wilson for a roster spot.

TE Codey McElroy – Southeastern Oklahoma State

McElroy is one of the more fascinating stories of this year’s draft. He’s a 25-year old prospect who’s only played one season of football since middle school.

He first played college baseball, and was drafted by the Braves. After a short stint in their minor league system, he walked on at Oklahoma State and played division one basketball. After doing that for a year, he briefly was a college baseball coach before deciding to use his last year of eligibility to try football at Division 2 Southeastern Oklahoma State. There he caught only 14 passes for 173 yards this past season, but he’s clearly a dynamic multi-sport athlete.

Despite extremely limited experience, the Rams clearly saw enough athletic potential in the 6-foot-5 McElroy to give him a shot. If he shows well enough in camp, he’s an ideal candidate for the practice squad.

WR Steven Mitchell – USC

After playing a small role his first three seasons as a Trojan, Mitchell blossomed into USC’s third-leading receiver his senior year, catching 41 passes for 644 yards and four touchdowns.

Mitchell wasn’t really seen as a candidate to get drafted, in part because of his injury history. He’s had two knee surgeries over the past couple of years and wasn’t ever able to stay on the field consistently until this past year. He’s been very impressive in the classroom, earning a bachelor’s degree in just three years and completing a masters degree all while dedicating himself to football.

He’s a good athlete, very fast, and clearly very intelligent. An NFL scout told Zierlein that Mitchell “really runs well. I can’t see him getting drafted because he’s always hurt. If he stays healthy all camp, he could make a team because of that speed.”

The Rams are stacked at receiver, but if he stays healthy Mitchell has the tools to potentially make the team as the sixth receiver if he can beat out Mike Thomas and Fred Brown. If he doesn’t make the team, Mitchell will be a strong candidate for the practice squad.

Safety Steven Parker – Oklahoma

Parker was a very highly touted recruit out of high school. Rated a top-ten safety recruit in the nation by most recruiting services, Parker would play right away at Oklahoma. He was named defensive freshman player of the year by Big 12 coaches and would go on to start the next three seasons.

He was used on all special teams units at Oklahoma which will help his chances of making a team. He’s not very fast, which is likely what caused him to go undrafted, and he’ll have an uphill climb to make the Rams. He might have a shot because the Rams are currently a little thin at safety behind starters John Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner. The Rams will be replacing Cody Davis and Maurice Alexander from last year’s opening day roster, and if Parker can show he can be a special teams standout, he could make it.

He’ll be joining a familiar face at the Rams’ rookie camp in his college teammate Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who the Rams took in the fourth round.
DT Dalton Keene – Illinois State

Keene is a small-school FCS prospect who put up big numbers and received many accolades against inferior competition, but whose game might not translate well to the NFL. Zierlein views him as somewhat of a tweener, someone who’s too small and weak to play inside at defensive tackle, but who’s not quick enough to kick out and play defensive end.

With the depth the Rams now have at both defensive end and defensive tackle, having added to both positions in the draft, it would be a shock if Keene somehow manages to make the team.

After three colleges in four years, he lands with the Rams who are taking a shot on him based mostly on his speed. With the Rams not selecting a receiver in the draft, Gonzalez will be battling it out with Mitchell and a couple returning young players for the last receiver spot/practice squad spots. It’s early, but Mitchell would seem to have a leg up on Gonzalez at this time as the better pro-prospect.
QB Luis Perez – Texas A&M Commerce

The last member of the Rams’ undrafted rookie class is Perez, a Division 2 quarterback. Perez is an interesting prospect because he didn’t even play high school varsity football. After attending a junior college and starting out ninth on the depth chart, he transferred to A&M Commerce and immediately thrived. He put up insane numbers, throwing for 5,001 yards and 47 touchdowns with a 70.6 percent completion rate his senior year.

Perez was very accurate in college, but scouting reports question his arm strength and ability to put zip on his passes. He’ll start out fourth on the Rams’ depth chart behind Jared Goff, Sean Mannion, and Brandon Allen. The Rams have never seemed that high on Mannion since he joined the team in 2015, and have no real attachment to Allen. As such, it wouldn’t be a shock for the team to move on from one of them and keep three quarterbacks with Perez making it if he has a strong camp.

The more likely scenario would be Mannion sticking as Goff’s backup, Allen being cut, and Perez being signed to the practice squad. Either way, it’s an interesting signing and one to keep an eye on due to his absurd statistical production in college.
The bottom line:

Overall, it’s a pretty solid class. Scales definitely has the highest pedigree and is the only one who was nearly universally expected to be drafted. The Rams clearly identified several positions where they wanted extra bodies and made them a priority, bringing in multiple safeties, wide receivers, and defensive tackles.

There are a few players with cool stories and a few prospects to really get excited about as prospects. Even with eleven incoming draft picks, at least one or two of them should make the team, and it will be interesting to watch them develop. The undrafted free agent is always one of the best stories in football, and you never know what diamond in the rough Les Snead is going to find next.

DT McKay Murphy – Weber State

Murphy is in a similar position as Keene. He’s also an FCS standout who earned first-team All-Big Sky his senior season who wasn’t seen as a candidate to be drafted.

Murphy is interestingly the son of longtime baseball player Dale Murphy, who won two MVP’s with the Braves during his 18-year career in the majors.

Murphy started his college career at Utah before transferring to Weber State after a redshirt year. Perhaps he and Keene will both be battling it out for a spot on the practice squad, but that seems to be both of their ceilings for now.
Safety Afolabi Laguda – Colorado

A team captain at Colorado, Laguda comes from a football family. Both of his brothers also played division one. He played one year at a junior college before transferring to Colorado and contributing each of the next three years.

After Johnson and Joyner there isn’t much to separate everybody else on the safety depth chart. As such, there will likely be a free for all in OTAs and training camp with about five young safeties fighting to prove themselves and secure roster spots. It should be one of the more interesting camp battles.

Safety Chucky Williams – Louisville

Williams was a three-year starter at Louisville who was extremely productive in college. Like the other safeties in this Rams class, he excelled on special teams and will have to show he can do the same in the pros.

Williams will be joining his college teammate Trevon Young, a defensive end who the Rams took in the sixth round.

The Rams clearly made safety a priority with their free agent signing class after not selecting any in the draft. They signed three and Parker, Laguda, and Williams will likely all be battling it out for one maybe two roster spots.
WR LaQuvionte Gonzalez – Southeastern University

Gonzalez has had a long winding path to the NFL. After signing with Texas A&M as a four-star recruit out of high school, he transferred to Kansas after just two seasons with the Aggies. He was dismissed from Kansas prior to last season for a violation of team rules and transferred to the NAIA school Southeastern.

NFL Draft Recap: NFC South and NFC West | PFF Podcast

Pro Football Focus
Published on May 1, 2018
Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo continue their analysis of the NFC draft class beginning with the Buccaneers (:30), Falcons (6:30), Saints (11:25), and Panthers (17:05). Also on this episode the 49ers (23:40), Cardinals (29:40), Rams (33:55), and Seahawks (37:20).

It seems like this draft had a lot of talent in the lower rounds and beyond. The Rams did a good job of addressing needs, filing holes, and finding fits. I do think they passed on talent that I would not have passed on, therefore I don’t think this was a great draft. I am OK with their draft. I just think they could have done better.

Texas A&M University-Commerce QB Luis Perez (@PerezLuisQB) is signing with the #Rams as an UDFA, per me.#NFLDraft

— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 29, 2018

#Rams signing former #Kansas and #TexasAM WR LaQuvionte Gonzalez to UDFA deal.

— Downtown Rams (@DowntownRams) April 29, 2018

Afolabi Laguda is joining the #Rams as a UDFA. https://t.co/j3WfLyxUBd

— Downtown Rams (@DowntownRams) April 29, 2018

Afolabi Laguda DB/Safety

Oooo I like this Chucky Williams signing with the #Rams. https://t.co/l0TxXju5am

— Downtown Rams (@DowntownRams) April 29, 2018

Chucky Williams another safety